Liu Guozhi looked out at the team mbers and explained the land contracting plan for the first sub-team, as well as how the production team’s farm tools would be distributed.
The team’s farmland and mountain plots would be divided per capita. Draft animals and large farm tools would be shared on a rotating basis, also allocated per capita. The household whose turn it was to use a draft animal would be responsible for its care. Future repair costs and veterinary fees for the animals would be divided among the households according to the acreage they fard.
The land contract term would be fifteen years. Once the fifteen years were up, the contracts would be reassessed based on the policies of that ti.
Once the implentation of the Household Responsibility System was complete, the team’s fishpond would be contracted out separately. The contract would go to the highest bidder.
This season’s rapeseed harvest still belonged to the production team. Only after the rapeseed was harvested would the land be formally turned over to the team mbers.
Once Liu Guozhi finished, Accountant Jin took out a ledger. He began to read aloud the total population of the first sub-team and the age demographics of each family. This was to determine the amount of grain tax, agricultural tax, and collective levies each household had to contribute, as well as their base grain ration. Finally, he read out the total amount due from each family.
Next, he read a list of team mbers who owed the production team money or grain. He told them they had to either pay up imdiately or write an IOU. Only then could the production team settle its accounts and distribute the assets to the households that were in credit.
When Accountant Jin finished, Liu Guozhi looked at the team mbers and asked, "Does anyone have any objections?"
The representative from each household raised their hand, showing they had no objections and agreed to the production team’s plan.
Accountant Jin picked up his ledger and announced, "Those who owe money or grain, co forward."
Twenty or thirty households who owed the team went up. Only a few were able to pay; the vast majority wrote IOUs.
The next step was drawing lots for the land. Accountant Jin prepared the lots, one for each household. He Xianghua took out a hand-drawn map of the fields, unfolded it, and posted it on the blackboard. The map indicated the quality and location of each plot.
The most distant plots were those adjacent to the Construction Team, while the closest ones were right around the production team’s headquarters.
Half an hour later, Accountant Jin and Liu Guozhi finished preparing the lots. Accountant Jin mixed them all together in a bamboo basket, gave it a couple of shakes, and set it on the central table.
The seated team mbers sward the table with the bamboo basket.
Liu Guozhi looked at the crowd and pointed to the simple map on the blackboard. "Rember, what you draw is what you get. Your land will be assigned based on the number on your lot, which corresponds to this map. No matter how good or bad the plot you end up with is, you can’t go back on it or cause a scene."
Yang ihua and Yang Liying jostled forward with Lin Lan, squeezing in behind He Xianghua. When he stepped away, Yang ihua pulled the other two into the space.
A few team mbers at the front said impatiently, "We get it, Team Leader! The lots are ready. Let’s start drawing!"
Liu Guozhi nodded. "Alright, begin!"
Dozens of arms plunged into the basket at once. Each person snatched a paper ball, their heart pounding as they quickly backed away. The next wave surged forward. In less than five seconds, the lottery was over.
Accountant Jin shouted, "If you’ve drawn a lot, co over here and register it!"
Lin Lan, Yang ihua, and Yang Liying stood to the side, clutching their paper balls. They carefully unfolded them.
Yang Liying looked at Lin Lan. "I got number six! What about you?"
Lin Lan smiled, showing her slip of paper. "I’m number nine! And you, ihua?"
Yang ihua held hers out for them to see. "I’m number twelve!" She glanced over at He Xianghua, who was standing on the platform talking with a few other officials, and swallowed the words she had been about to say.
Seeing the crowd packed in front of the blackboard, Lin Lan said to the other two, "It’s set in stone now. There’s nothing we can do to change it. Let’s register first and take a look at the map when the crowd thins out."
They both nodded. "Alright, let’s register."
Zhao Dehai walked over, holding the lot he had drawn for the old lady’s family. "I drew one of the last ones, the third to last number," he told them, looking apprehensive. "No idea if it’s any good."
Yang Liying shook her head. "We haven’t seen the map either. We’ll have to wait and see."
While queuing to register, Lin Lan saw the team mbers ahead of her squeeze toward the blackboard. They compared their lot numbers to the map; so looked delighted, while others sighed.
’This thod of land distribution is actually pretty fair,’ she thought.
Lin Lan registered her number, pressed her thumbprint on the docunt, and squeezed her way to the blackboard. Yang ihua and Yang Liying had already found their plots, and from their expressions, they seed satisfied enough.
He Xianghua pointed to the large field near the old lady’s house. "This one is Lin Lan’s. It’s a three-mu plot, and she also gets one mu near the Construction Team. Your great-aunt’s land is over by the sunning-ground, which is a pretty good spot."
All in all, the land distribution was a mix of good and bad plots, near and far. No one seed overly dissatisfied.
Once everyone had registered, Liu Guozhi addressed the crowd. "Attention, comrades! We’ll begin marking out the fields this afternoon, going in order of your lot numbers. We will also be signing the contracts at the sa ti. You’ll need to sign and provide a thumbprint, so rember to bring the personal seal of your head of household."
After the announcent, the crowd scattered.
The team and commune officials obsequiously escorted the comrades from the work group to Liu Guozhi’s ho.
As Lin Lan and Yang ihua reached the tractor road, they saw the old lady and Wu Shufen walking toward them. They went to et them and explained how the lottery had gone.
Wu Shufen thought the location of Lin Lan’s land was quite good. Sowing and transplanting tis were different in the mountains versus here. When the ti ca, they could get a few people from the mountains to co to Lexing, and they could get the harvesting and planting done in a single day.
The old lady laughed. "Whether it’s near or far, I don’t have the energy to farm it anymore. Anyone who wants to can work the land, as long as they give enough grain to eat." ’I thought about hiring soone,’ she mused, ’but then I rembered all the work of flooding the paddies, pulling weeds, and fertilizing. I gave up on that idea right away.’
Yang ihua smiled. "Don’t you worry, plenty of people will be lining up to farm your land!"
The group chatted and laughed as they walked back. When they reached Lin Lan’s ho, the old lady and Yang ihua headed over to the Yang family’s house.
As soon as Lin Lan and Wu Shufen got ho, Wu Shufen said, "I’ve been here for over half a month. I’m going back to Shilian with Zhixue this afternoon." ’I’ve seen Old Li, too,’ she thought, relieved. ’It’s good to know he doesn’t object to things between Little Lan and Xiangyang.’
Lin Lan disagreed. "But the clothes from the sewing co-op won’t be ready until the day after tomorrow. Wait until you’ve picked them up before you go back!"
Wu Shufen smiled and shook her head. "I have plenty of clothes. I had them use all that fabric to make things for you."
"Mom..." Lin Lan looked at her, at a loss for words.
Wu Shufen gazed at her fondly. "I know you’re a good daughter, but I have clothes to wear; you don’t need to make so many for . You work hard for your money. Don’t be so extravagant. You should save it!"
Lin Lan looked at her mother’s faded jacket, and her nose began to sting. She linked her arm through her mother’s. "I understand."
Wu Shufen gestured toward Lin Yuezhen, who was watching them with a smile. "You’re a grown woman now, still acting like a child. Aren’t you afraid Yuezhen will laugh at you?"
Lin Lan gave her a goofy grin. "You’re my mom. No one would dare laugh at !"
After lunch, while Lin Lan and Wu Shufen were packing in the bedroom, Wang Zhixue arrived.
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