Two days earlier than in previous years, the harvest was completely finished. Village Head Zhang Qingshan clearly felt he wasn't as tired this year as last year. It wasn't just that the sickles were well-sharpened. To make it more convenient for everyone when working, the village had prepared more care for those going to the fields according to the procedures taught in the cadre training class. Whether it was the support of farm tools or the help of the nursery, it saved everyone a lot of worry.

Zhang Qingshan didn't relax because of this; after harvesting, there was still drying and threshing. He remained very busy. Moreover, the Tax Collector from town, Han Haitao, also began preparing to collect taxes in the village.

Han Haitao left a good impression on Zhang Qingshan. This cadre from the city dressed cleanly, didn't cause trouble in the village, and didn't talk much. The matter of the town sending grain to the village nursery was probably related to Han Haitao. The old people and women looking after the children said that the babies slept after being full and didn't fuss. Tax Collector Han Haitao had really helped out.

According to the town's requirements, the six village cadres gathered the villagers to hold a study meeting with the Tax Collector to fully understand the brand-new tax policy. Only Captain Li, one of the three Militia Captains, was leading people on patrol and couldn't attend.

Han Haitao didn't play mysterious tricks. He explained the current tax situation completely in less than ten sentences.

"Governor He only collects one kind of tax in the village, which is the Grain Tax. Governor He takes thirty percent; the remaining seventy percent is all yours. Miscellaneous taxes and levies are no longer collected. However, for things like building reservoirs, building schools, and repairing the village threshing ground, everyone still has to contribute labor. In summary, if the government asks everyone to leave the village to work, grain will be given. If everyone works for the village inside the village, everyone will discuss how to handle it with the village cadres."

Hearing this, the tenants were overjoyed. The landlords' rent was forty percent, which was already higher than the tax set by Governor He. Moreover, tenants' head taxes and other taxes had never been lacking. If only thirty percent tax was collected, everyone's life would really be better.

More importantly, Governor He said it clearly. Tenants didn't have to pay rent to landlords this year, only tax to the government. The grain after tax belonged to the tenants. A tenant immediately stood up and shouted, "Can you come to my house to collect tax now? If you don't want to move, I'll send the grain over first."

Zhang Qingshan was amused. It seemed these tenants wanted to solidify the matter while the government people were present. This way, they wouldn't have to worry about the landlords turning hostile and denying the debt after the government people left.

The Tax Collector asked the villagers to sit down first and solemnly invited the six cadres to stand beside him. Then he continued, "Folks. We selected cadres to execute the government's policies. In the future, if anyone runs to the village demanding tax, everyone should go to the cadres and deal with them together. If the cadres can't handle it, go to the town to find the town government cadres. Our cadres are not the *Baojia* [^1] of the past; they won't come up with all kinds of miscellaneous taxes because every one of our cadres can receive one silver dollar and 20 *jin* of sorghum flour from the government every month..."

The villagers involuntarily let out sighs. 20 *jin* of sorghum flour was enough for one person to eat for a month. As for one silver dollar, it really wasn't a small amount for ordinary villagers.

Zhang Qingshan had heard about this in the training class and had been looking forward to it very much. Hearing it finally announced, more than half of his worries dissipated.

The Tax Collector took out six silver dollars from his pocket and distributed them to the six people in public. He also took out receipts for them to sign.

Holding the pen, Zhang Qingshan felt his hand trembling a bit. According to the government, he could get one silver dollar every month in the future. That was twelve silver dollars a year. This number was something Zhang Qingshan could only dream of before.

The tax policy had been explained, and the villagers saw that Zhang Qingshan and the others had publicly taken the government's money, confirming that the village cadres were really government people. That night, someone came to visit Zhang Qingshan's home; it was a local tenant farmer. Upon meeting, the tenant didn't even exchange pleasantries and asked straight to the point, "Brother Qingshan, when will the land distribution begin?"

Zhang Qingshan answered confidently, "The government said land distribution will start after the autumn harvest. Everyone should finish threshing the grain at least."

***

In the Siping Government, He Rui and cadres like Wu Youping were holding a meeting. Lu Daoming, now Deputy Director of the Water Conservancy Bureau, wearing ordinary commoner's short clothes and looking dusty, said, "Governor, when distributing land, we must pay attention to irrigation issues. River channels and water canals must be reserved."

Hearing this, Wu Youping couldn't help complaining, "Director Lu should have said so earlier. Some villages have already started working."

Lu Daoming wasn't unhappy because of Wu Youping's words; instead, he sighed. "This matter is indeed my fault. I really didn't expect the Governor to just start doing it like this."

Now the cadres looked a bit unhappy. He Rui was the first to smile. "Does Director Lu not support land distribution?"

"Of course I support it. The common people's lives are too bitter," Lu Daoming sighed. After speaking, Lu Daoming asked again, "Governor, I see you want to build state-run farms on a large scale. Why is that?"

"Distributing land to the common people is largely to eliminate social contradictions. Director Wu studied in the United States and has seen American farms. Our China has little arable land, and the population is four or five times that of the United States. Even if all the land is distributed to farmers, we cannot reach the American level. Since that's the case, there is no need to consider copying the American method at all."

Lu Daoming recalled the vast plains of the United States and nodded slightly. However, he still felt that the vast plains of the Northeast were not necessarily inferior to the Great Plains of the United States.

He Rui continued to explain, "Another matter is the mode of social production. The small-peasant economy emphasizes self-sufficiency; what can be provided by oneself will be made by oneself, minimizing transactions. If China wants to become strong, it must achieve industrialization. And industrialization is a model with very frequent transactions and requirements for universal parts. It is naturally different from, and even conflicts with, the small-peasant economy. So large farms should be our direction."

Lu Daoming thought about it and felt there was no problem with this line of thought. But He Rui being so decisive indeed made Lu Daoming feel admiration.

At this time, Wu Youping asked, "Governor, reclaiming land requires a large amount of labor. And much of the land is virgin soil; I'm afraid the harvest in the first year won't be good."

"That depends on how many farm tools can be used during development. Plowing deep enough and having enough fertilizer can improve yield. Accumulating fertilizer depends on raising livestock. How are our preparations for the green fodder processing site?"

There was some unhappiness in Wu Youping's tone. "Governor, we are buying sheep from the Mongol tribal territories to the west. I don't know what the tribes over there are thinking; the price they want isn't low. I think they might be trying to 'beat our autumn wind' [extort us]."

"Regardless of what the tribes think, we don't need to follow their train of thought. Business is business; we can't let them force a sale either. We send people to buy livestock from tribes farther away. When going, make it clear to those tribes: early spring sheep, autumn sheep—as long as their price is reasonable and they drive them here, we will buy them all."

After speaking, He Rui said to Xu Chengfeng and others attending the meeting, "After autumn, bandits run rampant everywhere. Cattle and sheep need to fatten up; bandits also need to rob things to survive the winter. We will absolutely not let the bandits off! Start preparing for combat."

"Yes." Wu Youping and Xu Chengfeng answered in unison.

***

[^1]: *Baojia* (保甲) - An old system of community self-policing/mutual responsibility.