The fresh, vibrant greens of the vegetables glistened, their roots clearly freshly plucked. No one can say they are lying.
“These… these really are fresh vegetables.”
Secretary Wang held the small bundle of greens, inspecting them thoroughly. Adjusting his glasses, even he seemed a bit excited.
“You’re saying these were grown by you?”
The brigade leader nodded firmly. “Absolutely, but all the credit goes to Comrade Song Zhiqing. In that room, we’re not just growing these greens but also bell peppers, tomatoes, chives, and other vegetables. However, these greens grow faster and denser, so we only brought these to show you.”
Intrigued, Secretary Wang turned to Song Wei and asked, “How did you come up with this idea?”
Song Wei responded righteously, “The nation sent us educated youth to rural areas to help farmers. Since we’ve been educated, we should apply what we’ve learned.
I read about off-season vegetables in books, but it seems there haven’t been many practical experiments done. Since winter is idle, I thought I’d give it a try—and surprisingly, it worked.”
Hearing this, Secretary Wang laughed heartily. “The younger generation truly has talent!”
“I’ll need to discuss this with others and come up with a formal plan. But I think it’s feasible. We’ll also need to inspect the site.”
The brigade leader was visibly thrilled. “That’s great! We’ll gladly welcome you for an inspection.”
Just as Secretary Wang was about to leave, Song Wei called out to him.
“Secretary Wang, there’s another matter we need to discuss with you.”
Secretary Wang glanced at her, and Song Wei discreetly nudged the brigade leader, who immediately caught on.
Putting on a pitiful expression, he began lamenting, “Secretary Wang, we have so many elderly people in our brigade falling ill this winter. If it’s not back pain, it’s joint pain.
And then there are the children. They catch colds from the cold wind, and at first, it’s just a little cough. But without medicine or doctors, it gets worse, and soon it turns into a serious illness.
The village doctor at the clinic is always too busy to see everyone, and even going to the clinic often ends up being a wasted trip. The hospital is overcrowded and far away. By the time we make the arduous journey there and back, the condition worsens—and we might not even get treated.”
The brigade leader spoke with genuine emotion. Every word he said was true.
Secretary Wang’s expression stiffened as he listened.
After the brigade leader finished, Secretary Wang sighed. “We understand your situation. We’ve been trying to expand the number of doctors at the village clinic, but treating patients is no small matter. Only those with proper medical qualifications and skills can take on the job. And such people are being snapped up by big hospitals. How can our small clinic compete with them?”
“This issue has been brought to my attention many times, but without qualified candidates, my hands are tied.”
The brigade leader pressed on anxiously, “Then what should we do? Just two years ago, a child in our village became mentally disabled because of a high fever that went untreated.”
Song Wei chimed in, “Secretary Wang, I have an idea that could solve this problem—though it would only work for our brigade. But we’ll need your approval.”
Secretary Wang turned to her. “Let’s hear it, Song Zhiqing.”
“We have an elderly traditional Chinese medicine practitioner living in our brigade.”
The brigade leader quickly nodded. “Right, right! Thank you for reminding me, Song Zhiqing. I nearly forgot about him!”
Secretary Wang: …
So this was their real objective.
But Song Wei remained undeterred.
“Secretary Wang, let me ask: weren’t they sent to the countryside?”
Secretary Wang nodded.
“If they’re here, they’re supposed to work. Treating the villagers for free—wouldn’t that count as work?
If they’re meant to reform, why limit them to menial farm work that anyone can do? Shouldn’t we utilize their skills to the fullest? This way, they’re not only working but also helping solve the villagers’ medical problems. Treating people isn’t easy, after all. Why don’t you ask the village doctor how exhausting it is? And this would be done for free.”
Secretary Wang appeared somewhat swayed by her argument.
Song Wei pressed on. “You’ve mentioned how difficult it is to find doctors. Isn’t this a solution that addresses both issues at once? It’s a win-win situation.”
Secretary Wang frowned in thought. “Let me think about it. Even if I agree, I’ll need to get approval from higher-ups.”
Still, her reasoning made sense to him. Treating villagers for free certainly qualified as labor reform.
“You two wait here while I discuss this with others in a meeting.”
Song Wei smiled warmly, her demeanor pleasant and agreeable. “Thank you, Secretary Wang. We’ll wait for your good news.”
Secretary Wang replied, “It’s not guaranteed to be good news, but you certainly have a way with words, young lady.”
Song Wei and the brigade leader waited for hours. Fortunately, there was a brazier to keep them warm; otherwise, they might have frozen.
Song Wei was nearly dozing off when Secretary Wang finally returned, accompanied by several other leaders.
“We’ll need to inspect the off-season vegetables personally. If the situation is as you say, we’ll issue a document allowing Ping’an Brigade to grow and sell them.
As for the traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, there’s still some debate. We’ll need more discussions to come to a decision.”
Song Wei nodded, unsurprised by the outcome. She had anticipated this wouldn’t be an easy process.
Secretary Wang attempted to return the bundle of greens to them, but Song Wei smiled and declined. “Secretary Wang, it’s just a small bundle of greens. It’s not worth the trouble to return it. Honestly, if we had more space and could grow a larger variety of vegetables, I’d have brought something for all of you.”
The brigade leader added, “Please take them, Secretary Wang. Once our brigade builds proper greenhouses, you’re all welcome to visit and pick some yourselves. We don’t have much to offer—just don’t hold it against us.”
If it were anything more valuable, it might have been seen as a bribe. But a small bundle of greens, while rare in winter, wasn’t anything too extravagant.
And the two of them had made the gesture openly in front of everyone, even extending an invitation to visit later. This way, no one felt left out.
The atmosphere lightened, and everyone seemed satisfied.
Curious about the off-season vegetables, three leaders accompanied them back to Ping’an Brigade: Secretary Wang, his secretary, and another committee member.
The commune provided a tractor to transport them.
Sitting in the tractor’s trailer, feeling the rumble and jolts of the ride, Song Wei’s face went numb from the vibrations.
The brigade leader, however, was visibly excited. He rubbed his hands together and admiringly touched the tractor’s body, completely unfazed by the bumpy ride or the loud noise.
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