Chapter 344 Roll Up Your Sleeves and Work Hard

"You're finally back, kid. We thought you'd gone back to the city and weren't coming back."

"It's true, what's there to have in our village? It's all hardship here. If there were other options, I wouldn't want to stay either."

Old village head Shen Fuguo leaned in eagerly. As he spoke, the sixty-something elder seemed as wronged as a child, even speaking out of frustration.

This couldn't be blamed on him. He was too eager for the villagers of Shenjiaba to have a good life.

It was rare to have someone like Chen Yang with so many ideas, someone who could lead the villagers to prosperity. Just as everyone was about to make money, Chen Yang disappeared. How could he not be worried?

If it were anyone else, if they dared to leave without the policy of returning to the city, he would have gone to the public security bureau to have them arrested.

But facing Chen Yang, he didn't dare to show any temper. Chen Yang had helped them so much; they were all grateful for Chen Yang's kindness. How could they involve the public security bureau?

But it was precisely because Chen Yang was too outstanding that they had no reason to keep him. What did Shenjiaba have? They had nothing. If he wanted to return to the city, what could they offer to make him stay?

"Old village head, this is my sixth year down in the countryside. I have to go back to accompany my parents and visit relatives."

"I'm back now, aren't I? I'm not running away."

Chen Yang could see that the elder was reluctant to part with him, fearing he would leave without a word.

Now, everyone had unconsciously regarded him as the backbone of the village. If he left, wouldn't they panic?

"You old fool, Yangzi is back. At your age, you're acting like a little brat. You've been the village head for so many years and still have no demeanor."

In the entire village, only Elder Tu dared to speak to Old Village Head Shen Fuguo like this.

A year had passed, and the elder was still as energetic as ever, not looking his eighty-plus years.

"This year, our team and other teams in the commune have dug irrigation canals. The water will irrigate the fields directly. Even without the rice paddy fish, the harvest in the fields this year shouldn't be bad."

"People, as long as they are willing to work and endure hardship, their lives will always get better."

Elder Tu, who had lived from the Qing Dynasty, had a remarkably clear mind.

"The elder is right. The canals are a legacy for generations to come. We must build more in the future and reinforce them every year."

"We also need to dig ponds for water storage. What if the elder doesn't bless us with rain, and we have a drought for months? The water level in the river will drop, and the canals might not get water."

Although life today wasn't entirely dependent on the weather as in ancient times, in the event of a severe drought, relying solely on river water wouldn't suffice. During a great drought, there was no water in the rivers either.

The best method was to drill wells to reach groundwater, but this method also had its drawbacks. Pumping too much groundwater could cause the ground to collapse, and there might be no water left in the future.

Therefore, more ponds should be dug. In years with abundant rainfall, these ponds could store some water, preventing it from flowing too quickly into the Yangtze River and then into the sea. This would give rainwater a chance to seep down and replenish the groundwater.

"Ponds can also be used for raising fish, killing two birds with one stone."

The old village head was not annoyed by Elder Tu's retort. Looking at Chen Yang, his heart was sweeter than honey.

This kid was full of clever ideas. With him around, the villagers would have a better life.

If it weren't for the fact that Chen Yang's ambitions lay elsewhere, he would have wanted to hand over the position of village head to Chen Yang immediately.

"The ponds have also been allocated, so let's quickly stock them with fry."

"Don't be discouraged if you haven't been allocated a pond. All the ponds and the rice paddy fish in our fields are collective assets. Although those who have been allocated ponds can receive a portion of the rewards if the harvest is good, the lion's share still belongs to our village."

"When we're busy and can't manage, lend a hand. If the harvest is good, next year, every household in our village will receive meat during the New Year, and we'll eat meat every day in the first month."

The old village head's speech was very skillful. It encouraged those who had been allocated fields to work hard for rewards and also encouraged others not to slack off.

It was true that those who did well would be rewarded, but the main part still belonged to the collective. Only if everyone worked hard and achieved a good harvest could they have a good life.

If this were in the past, such a speech would just be a slogan that people would listen to and then forget.

Every year, the slogans were loud and clear, but the hard days never lessened.

But in the past year, who in Shenjiaba didn't eat meat during the New Year? Who didn't have some candy and snacks during the first month to celebrate the New Year?

These were real benefits!

That's how people are. Once they taste sweetness, that flavor can stimulate their infinite potential.

"Villagers, you must believe that as long as we are willing to work hard, our lives will definitely get better."

"Raising fish, especially rice paddy fish, is our first step."

"When the policies permit, we can build factories in the village, specializing in our rice paddy fish brand, invite television stations to interview us, and strive to make the whole country know about our rice paddy fish."

Chen Yang himself felt a bit excited as he spoke. Having lived in the village for so many years, he had developed feelings for the land beneath his feet and the villagers before him.

He hoped to use his efforts to lead the villagers to prosperity and a happy life sooner.

Xiaogang Village was already implementing the Household Contract Responsibility System, but decades later, Xiaogang Village did not maintain the momentum of rapid progress as it did when it fired the first shot of the Household Contract Responsibility System.

Instead, Huaxi Village, which rose later, earned the reputation of "The Number One Village Under Heaven." Every household lived in small villas, owned collective assets, and even built hundreds-meter-tall hotels in the village.

The village collectively funded the construction of schools, hospitals, libraries, and gyms... all reading and medical care were free for the villagers.

They didn't divide the property; instead, it seemed they truly lived a happy life where everyone was wealthy.

Of course, given the current situation, the path taken by Xiaogang Village, the touchstone, indeed suited most regions of the country.

After all, villagers across the country did become richer after dividing their property. Besides, Huaxi Village was just an isolated case. Its path was too advanced, and without a far-sighted leader, it was impossible to forge such an unconventional growth path.

"Yangzi, we all believe you."

"That's right, we believe that as long as we follow Yangzi, things will definitely not go wrong."

Upon hearing Chen Yang's words, the villagers shouted excitedly.

Looking at the incredibly excited villagers, Chen Yang was immensely moved.

From their cheers, Chen Yang felt trust, and at the same time, he felt a heavy responsibility.

Since the villagers trusted him so much, he had to ensure they had a good life.

Chen Yang looked at the enthusiastic smiling faces and began to ponder how to lead the villagers to prosperity.

Could Shenjiaba replicate the path of Huaxi Village?

It seemed that currently, building factories through collective investment might be a smoother path.

However, the choice of this path concerned the future lives of so many villagers. Chen Yang only had a preliminary idea in his heart; he still needed to plan carefully.