After finishing his meal, Shen Zili belched and stood under the jujube tree in the courtyard of the Shiqiao Township Government, holding the letter his mother had given him tightly in his hand.
The township government building clearly dated back to before the liberation, but one side of the wing had been demolished and extended outward to build about ten small green-tiled houses. The red sandstone, weathered by wind and rain, varied in color, and the courtyard's rammed earth appeared rough and uneven. A few departmental signs were simply leaned against the wall, giving the place a shabby and dilapidated look.
"Old Song, I donât care what methods you use, but you have hundreds of people in the five townships of Shigu District who rely on the fiscal budget for their salaries. If you canât collect the agricultural tax and the unified withdrawal, it only means that you, as the Party Secretary of Shigu District, are not up to the task, and the Shigu District Party Committee lacks combativeness. When the cadres look to the secretaries and mayors, wonât you, as the district party secretary, feel any pressure?"
"Secretary Shen, itâs not that we havenât tried, but the promissory notes from last year havenât been honored yet, and this year is the same situation. What can we do? If we want to implement it, the county grain bureau must first resolve the promissory note issue. I, Song Chenghua, can guarantee that if the grain bureau can solve the promissory note problem, the agricultural tax will definitely be no issue, and we can manage to collect most of the unified withdrawal!"
Shigu District Party Secretary Song Chenghua, a former soldier, had a scar that ran from the lower part of his right cheek to his neck, a wound from the Laoshan front. This made his facial expressions particularly fierce when he spoke.
"The promissory note issue exists everywhere, and the situation this year might be even more severe," Shen Zili wandered around the jujube tree in the courtyard, his hands behind his back, and slowly said, "Now everyone is complaining that the state doesnât buy grain anymore, and the protected price for grain is too low. The state is also in a difficult position; the grain warehouses are already full, but the state must continue to purchase grain from farmers every year. Itâs not that thereâs too much grain, but the conversion rate is too low, and the transformation into high-value-added by-products is insufficient. This has led to a situation where farmers donât want to grow grain but canât stop, and the state doesnât want to buy grain but canât stop. The stateâs annual subsidy for grain is in the billions, which is a huge burden on our already strained national finances. Itâs tough for everyone."
"What can we do? Secretary Shen, Shigu District is a populous area with 160,000 people, and there are at least 70,000 to 80,000 surplus laborers. Every year, only a few thousand people can go out to work, while the rest can only stay at home. Thereâs only so much farm work to do. During the busy season, they work, and during the slack season, they have nothing to do, leading to gambling, extramarital affairs, and all sorts of problems. As the ancients said, when people are well-fed and warm, they think of lust; when they are hungry and cold, they think of theft. Now, in our rural areas, filling the stomach is basically not a problem, but once the stomach is full, they want some money in their pockets or a more comfortable home. But thereâs no way to achieve that."
Despite his fierce appearance, Song Chenghua was a talkative person. Once he started, he couldnât stop.
"Going out to work is like walking into the dark. Thereâs no money for travel expenses or living costs, and with little education, who would dare to go out easily? If you go out and donât earn any money, youâll end up spending a lot, which is a waste. For young women, itâs even worse. There are many human traffickers these days, and they often target acquaintances. If youâre not careful, you could end up in Shanxi or Inner Mongolia, and you might not be able to return for ten or eight years. Every year, the district police station reports that three to five women are trafficked, either sold to a family with several brothers or to old bachelors in their forties or fifties, who have nothing but a bed at home. Every year, the district police station and the townships have to contribute several thousand yuan for anti-trafficking efforts."
"Alright, Old Song, we were talking about the promissory notes and the collection of agricultural tax and unified withdrawal, but youâve gone off on a tangent," Shen Zili frowned and interrupted him.
"Secretary Shen, how can you say Iâve gone off on a tangent?" Song Chenghua shook his head vigorously. "Itâs all related. Now, in our rural areas, the stomach problem is solved, but the pocket problem isnât. For ordinary families, the income from the fields can only cover the cost of food. With grain prices low, the money earned can only pay the agricultural tax and the unified withdrawal, plus the cost of fertilizer and seeds, not even counting labor. If you want some money in your pocket, you have to go out to work. For families with poorer conditions or those who fall ill, they will owe the agricultural tax and the unified withdrawal, and over time, the number of such households will increase. Secretary Shen, Shigu District has many households with outstanding debts, accumulated over the years. If one household doesnât pay, others will see and start to think negatively, wondering why they should pay if others donât. Now, with the promissory note issue, how can we do the work?"
"Hmm, this is also due to the poor industrial foundation in Nantan. The township enterprises havenât developed. Old Song, havenât you set up some enterprises in Shigu District? This should help solve some of the labor employment and increase farmers' cash income," Shen Zili said somewhat insincerely.
Song Chenghua scratched his head awkwardly, "Secretary Shen, youâre criticizing our districtâs work. You know those few enterprises we have. The more we invest, the more we lose. They have solved some problems, but... sigh, itâs tough these days."
Shen Zili also understood what Song Chenghua didnât say. There were many districts and townships like Shigu, where most had similar issues. They lacked resources, technology, and talent. Apart from surplus labor, it was impossible to create enterprises out of thin air. This could only be done with government leadership and investment from the township credit cooperatives.
If the market conditions were good, the enterprises could still operate, but if the market changed, it was a sure loss, a huge loss. What to do when thereâs a loss? The credit cooperatives would continue to support them.
However, the credit cooperatives were essentially backed by the governmentâs credibility, using the peopleâs money. The enterprises borrowed money, which had to be repaid, but each term of the party and government only cared about the present. Once they left office, the problems they left behind were no longer their concern. Whoever held the powder keg when it exploded would be the one to suffer. Everyone had this mindset, and with the funds, they couldnât help but take a cut. If they were bold enough, they could make a fortune.
Everyone understood the intricacies of this. In the past two years, the country had strongly advocated that no industry means no wealth, and township enterprises became the largest source of fiscal revenue for local party and government. Township enterprises were managed by the township industrial companies, which were essentially under the jurisdiction of the township party and government. When the party and government needed support, they could openly arrange for these enterprises to contribute money and effort, solving problems with ease.
However, township enterprises were still in a development boom, especially when compared to the rigid and inflexible mechanisms of state-owned enterprises, giving them many advantages. Therefore, the situation of township enterprises was still manageable, and they did indeed solve the employment problem for many rural surplus laborers.