Chapter 38 I Must Have a Dream
“Communal dining, huh!”
Yu Yang reclined in the armchair of the study in his small Western-style house, picked up a soft pack of Huaxia cigarettes from the table, and lit one.
In another era, communal dining was widely criticized, seen by many as fostering laziness, slowing economic progress, and causing regions to grow poorer and poorer.
Yet, paradoxically, places that preserved this system became highly sought after—people fought tooth and nail to get in.
For instance, the military, central enterprises, state-owned enterprises, civil servants, and public institutions.
In Yu Yang’s memory, the communal dining in Shiliying was vivid.
Every household competed for work points; each brigade strove for production targets.
Adults farmed during the day, elders wove baskets by the village entrance, children mowed grass after school, and even those less able or disabled were assigned to sit by the roadside collecting cow dung.
During the off-season, everyone repaired roads, built dikes, constructed houses, and practiced shooting together.
Even when highway contractors lacked funds, the people still completed section 385.
Despite most of the accumulated wealth being handed over to the state, with only a small portion kept locally, they still managed to purchase five large tractors, weld numerous mechanical farming tools, build a modern tunnel kiln, and establish a coal briquette factory.
These accomplishments might seem modest, but in this impoverished and backward place, Shiliying neither froze nor starved to death.
It wasn’t until 1996, under orders from higher authorities, that the commune was disbanded.
From then on, Shiliying had to rely on financial subsidies to survive.
Because after land contracting, you had to supply grain and pay various fees.
Strong young families fared well: men worked away, women stayed to farm.
But what about the elderly households?
They could only evenly distribute land to their sons, who then bore the grain supply and fees. With growing burdens, even working away couldn’t afford to support a high school student.
Therefore, when Yu Yang contracted 30,000 mu of farmland in Shiliying, all he needed to cover was the grain quota—Sanyuan Agriculture paid little rent, and even if it was 10 yuan a year, someone would take it.
If some conditions were offered—
For example, if I rent your land, I’ll provide for your old age—lonely elders would probably agree on the spot.
Or if I rent your land and help renovate your kang beds, most households in Shiliying would scramble to pay 1,500 yuan.
Because the bean sprout industry was booming, every family in Yujia Village was making big money, deliberately ignoring what would happen in summer, focusing solely on profit.
In short, contracting 30,000 mu of farmland wasn’t difficult.
If they decided to return to communal dining, among Shiliying’s 13,000 people, at least 90% would be willing to join.
So Yu Yang had to carefully consider whether to do it.
Because his communal dining wouldn’t be a collective economy but a private one.
In other words, he was running a company, not a government official, let alone a philanthropist—profit was his pursuit.
Then Yu Yang thought about the meaning of rebirth.
When he first came back, he only wanted to repay debts.
He rose early, went to the market, personally harvested bean sprouts, aiming to grow bigger and stronger.
Later, after clearing his debts, he focused on rescuing Old Yu.
He boosted Yujia Village’s income, helped recruit investment for the township, went so far as to buy an AMG Tiger Head truck on credit, and desperately took out loans to establish an agricultural company—just to increase his influence and gain more attention from above.
Now that Old Yu could be freed, what was next?
Make money?
Find love?
Or emulate the North American corn growers and strive to make the motherland great again?
Yu Yang thought of the last one, about to laugh, but then paused slightly.
Yes, having been reborn and having all these advantages, couldn’t he be a little more ambitious?
“Make the motherland great again!”
“Make the motherland great again!”
Muttering the words a few times, Yu Yang felt his spirit and vigor transform.
He lifted his thermos, strode out of the Western-style house with the bearing of a dragon and tiger, and headed to Yujia Village.
It was dusk.
Villagers returning from work grouped together in threes and fives heading home.
When they saw their village chief, they were about to greet him but were all stunned in unison.
“Why is the village chief wearing a white shirt out here?”
“Village chief, aren’t you cold?”
“I’m burning with passion!”
“Village chief, the road’s slippery, don’t walk so fast.”
“I’m full of drive!”
“...”
The village chief must be crazy.
Yu Yang sought out his elder and younger cousins. “How much info have we gathered on the local gangsters from the vegetable vendors?”
“There are quite a few local toughs in the surrounding towns. It’s a bit troublesome to record their subordinates, but we’ve circled all the road segments where car bandits and road bullies are active on the map.”
“Let me see.”
Yu Yang took the map, noting that all the main and side roads leading to Shiliying were marked with red circles.
He thought for a moment, then gathered several vegetable vendors and had them bring nine agricultural machines equipped with large woven baskets.
He then called over 156 men, about fourteen or fifteen per vehicle, armed with shovels, and borrowed real weapons from the township militia armory just in case.
“Follow the map, patrol these red-circled areas. If you’re stopped, bring the people back. Tomorrow, each vehicle will get an extra basket of bean sprouts.”
“Yes, boss!”
The vegetable vendors were more excited than the strongmen upon seeing this operation.
Not just the ten vehicles assigned, but even those queued to load were eager to join.
Yu Yang quickly stopped them. “Don’t scare them off.”
Uncle Liu was equally enthusiastic. “Coincidentally, the northern kiln pit is digging cellars. If we bring those laborers back, we’ll have plenty of hands for moving soil.”
Yu Yang smiled faintly, donned a military cotton coat, started one of the large tractors at the agricultural station, and called on his eldest brother and fifteen burly men, along with the fully armed Shiliying police chief and the veteran party secretary Hanyangzao. They all crouched in the truck bed, covered by inverted woven baskets, and set off.
Having lived two lifetimes, Yu Yang had never encountered car bandits or road bullies.
This time, he intended to experience them firsthand.
They headed straight for the village near the south side of Hangai Township, close to the South River.
Along the way, the vibration of the high-powered diesel engine, the clattering noise, and Yu Yang’s excitement made him burst into song.
“Be a good man...”
“Strive for strength every day...”
Before he finished a few lines and reached the farmland, seven or eight men of various ages blocked the path.
Yu Yang pretended to be a vegetable vendor, took out a cigarette to offer, but they advised him:
“Young man, take a detour. There are tough guys blocking the road ahead.”
“Ah? Who are you?”
“The county courtyard’s wheels fell off. If someone near our village blocks the road, won’t everyone blame us?”
“Do you know the group blocking the road ahead?”
“No contact with them, they’re newcomers from the north river area. We thought about driving them off, but our village is small and short on manpower, better not to provoke.”
“No worries, sir, it’s cold. I’ll take them somewhere warm.”
Ignoring their warnings, Yu Yang drove on.
Sure enough, just beyond the village, the flickering truck headlights scanned seven or eight men squatting by the roadside smoking.
Some were old, some young.
Some appeared nervous, others fierce.
In the middle of the road lay piles of stones.
Yu Yang drove into a wheat field, feigning a U-turn.
The men immediately rushed to stop him.
At that moment, inside the truck bed, woven baskets flew aside as fifteen or sixteen burly men leapt up, brandishing shovels.
Mid-air, they shouted in unison:
“Old Sun is here!”
“???”