Chapter 1232 - 1105: Sailing the Seas Requires a Helmsman

Chapter 1232: Chapter 1105: Sailing the Seas Requires a Helmsman

Boxes of cartons were moved to the bedroom, and the wardrobe doors were flung open.

Zhou Jiao looked at her mom with a smile, "How is it? I told you there were a lot, didn’t I?"

Miao Lishan pretended she was deaf. She couldn’t hear!

She pulled out a pair of blue denim bell-bottoms and a light-colored Dacron shirt, placing them on the bed, gesturing for her to try them on while she continued to select.

Miao Lishan could tell at a glance that many of these clothes, although brand new and clean, were from more than a decade ago. She didn’t believe it and tugged on them—the fabric was truly sturdy.

Her Jiao Jiao really was a little household magician!

"A good horse with a good saddle."

Just as she was about to put them on, Zhou Jiao hesitated for a moment and then changed her mind.

She eventually took out a box of jewelry from the secret compartment in the wardrobe.

"Mom, I’ll wear each style for you to see."

Miao Lishan had no objections; it was just a way to pass the time.

Since the three grandsons ran out of the house, the ones left were either working overtime or attending meetings. She was quite bored.

Zhou Jiao glanced disdainfully at the large bell-bottom jeans and the light pink Dacron shirt on the bed—these weren’t her style at all.

She picked out a pair of ironed black high-waisted trousers and a white long-sleeved shirt.

After putting on the shirt and trousers, she tucked the hem of the white long-sleeved shirt into the waistband and took out her favorite imperial green jewelry set from the jewelry box.

She rolled up her long, once-again-grown hair and fastened it with an imperial green hairpin, then draped an imperial green jade bead necklace around her neck.

The bracelet graced her snow-white wrist, akin to the verdant water encircling the wrist, with a pair of stud earrings added and the necklace faintly visible at her neck, it was so beautiful that Miao Lishan was mesmerized.

"No wonder they say beauty with jade, beauty with jade. Jiao Jiao, never take off this set of jewelry in the future. Jade nurtures people; just wear it like that."

Zhou Jiao smiled silently and nodded.

Let her mom be happy first; however, as a civil servant, she couldn’t act recklessly.

Moreover, she had her grandmother Gu Mingzhu’s heirloom—Mutton Fat Jade Pendant. For so many years, except in summer, it was the only item she kept close.

The next time, Zhou Jiao tried on each cheongsam, long dress, and even donned several pairs of denim bell-bottoms, wearing each piece of jewelry extensively.

"Mom, look, don’t I have a lot of clothes?"

Looking at her delicate daughter, Miao Lishan laughed silently, "Would you even wear the cheongsam outside? You still need a few outfits for events to go out in."

"Alright, set a time, and we’ll go together, mother and daughter. You should prepare some clothes too." Zhou Jiao agreed upon her mom’s persistent requests.

"That’s right, also buy a few outfits for your mother-in-law." Miao Lishan stopped for a moment after speaking, "Did your parents-in-law regret transferring their household registration to the county? Now that land is divided to households."

Zhou Jiao shook her head, "Why regret it? Household registration is hard to transfer to the city, but it’s easy to transfer to the village. Moreover, at their age, if they really got land, they couldn’t handle it."

"I wonder if your parents-in-law will move back to the village after this autumn harvest? Your dad said it’s a great thing for the country and the people, and it was almost unanimously approved in meetings before."

"No, Zhang the Second is a deputy director now, he’s someone who values face and respects elders. With the household registration in his hands, he wouldn’t agree for the old couple to return to the village."

As for the great thing for the country and the people that her dad mentioned?

That is indeed true!

According to Zhang the Second’s letter.

—This year’s harvest is expected to break records.

It’s not hard to understand.

After contracting to households, only about 20% of the public grain needs to be handed in, the remaining 80% belongs to them.

The farm work and harvest on each household’s land are theirs, and each household will tend to it with great care, like protecting their own children. By the end of autumn, a big harvest can be expected.

After handing in the public grain, each household will have a lot of surplus grain left.

Previously, there were those unwilling to contract land, but after experiencing the benefits, unless they are lazy, who would want to return to collective labor in the past?

This way, the virtuous cycle continues, and with more grain, animal husbandry can be developed, and life will only get better each day.

After appreciating the "fashion show" of her daughter, Miao Lishan saw it was getting late. The two big men should be coming back soon, and she quickly helped fold the clothes into the wardrobe.

Apart from the Ping An Brothers who were still out interning at grassroots, Zhou Xiaozheng and Zhang Guoqing, the two in-laws, were also often like elusive dragons.

In Miao Lishan’s opinion, it would be better to live directly in their own courtyard house; at least on summer and autumn nights, you could see many people strolling outside once you stepped out the door.

Now it’s better; living on the mountain, if it weren’t for the guards and the distant few neighbors, she truly felt it was too lonely.

After Zhou Jiao and her mother finished tidying up, they only managed to see the two returning late when night fell.

"Second brother’s letter says Old Captain now cannot bear to let go."

As Zhou Jiao, who was organizing clothes, heard Zhang Guoqing say this, she didn’t think the old man wanted to seize power again; he was simply seeing hope.

Old ginger is spicier.

If they plan ahead early with this wave, maybe the production team of Zhang Family Village will even shine the whole township again.

Zhang Guoqing showed a look of admiration, "The old man is now asking the whole village to leave a few acres to grow enough grain for food and public grain. The rest should be used to plant peanuts and soybeans."

What are peanuts and soybeans?

They’re economic crops, definitely more valuable than regular crops, yielding more.

"Our yard behind North Mountain has already transplanted quite a few fruit trees; second brother says Old Captain plans to plant all the vacant land in the village within three years."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiao’s thin lips lifted into a happy smile.

—The first thing that came to mind was: the mountains of fruit trees—hill slopes and grounds, fruit trees forming a forest, gentle breezes bringing fragrant fruit scents.

When the golden autumn arrives, at that time the red and heavy fruits will hang dense on branches, resembling a fresh and lively pastoral landscape.

"During the spring, he also suggested people in the village raise more chickens, ducks, pigs. After a few months, the effect is showing. It’s said that households raised too few regret it terribly.

Nowadays, poultry meat and eggs are in short supply; raising chickens and ducks can sell meat, or eggs and duck eggs. Eggs are worth about five or six cents now?"

Little by little.

Zhou Jiao nodded in appreciation, "This is a great public service. Regretting households can’t be blamed, being frightened is understandable. If Brother Qing Shan took these measures, it wouldn’t work, lacking courage."

"Indeed, without the old man and several clan elders, it wouldn’t work. It’s said that the village is bustling with action, while the next two production teams are spreading plenty of demoralizing gossip.

They’re saying Old Captain plans to go capitalist or something, aiming to undermine the clan, and even went to the commune to report. Luckily, they withstood it.

This is their reputation, not to mention that the people of Old Zhang’s family clan are united. Now even those few production teams have started to imitate, showing how important good leadership is."

Understood!

This is a discussion on the importance of leadership.

How does that song go?

The sea relies on the helmsman

All growth relies on sunlight

Rain dew nourishes seedlings strong

...

Fish cannot leave the water

Melons cannot leave the vine