The first issuance and withdrawal of work-point coupons was quickly calculated. A total of 815.3 cents were issued and 334 points were withdrawn. The withdrawal rate on the day was 40% - a person who got this for the first time. It is understandable to be eager to redeem it in kind. In the next few days, the remaining tokens began to withdraw, but the rate was much lower than originally expected. This made Wu Nanhai greatly relieved. He consumed almost 60 kilograms more rice and miscellaneous grains than usual that day.
However, the credit of the work-point coupons has been basically established. Although some people still doubt their belief, this piece of paper can indeed buy extra food from the food truck every day. Then, Wu Nanhai began to sell real estate rice wine to them - a bottle of 5 cents, 250 grams per bottle. In order to prevent anyone from drinking and getting into trouble, it is served once a week, and each person is limited to one bottle per purchase. However, the sales situation was not ideal, which made Wu Nanhai very puzzled: This batch of rice wine was given by Zhang Youfu when he was handling the affairs of the prisoners. He also specifically asked the prisoners, and they all said that it was the best rice wine in the county.
Since it is high-quality, why is the sales volume so small? After spending so many days dealing with production teams, he has been able to roughly communicate with these local laborers in a language that is a mixture of Lingao dialect and Mandarin. As a result, most people's answer is: "It's too expensive, I can't afford it."
After hearing his reaction, Wu De smiled happily: "Good thing."
"What's so good about it?" Wu Nanhai originally expected to use rice wine to get some work-point coupons back and reduce food consumption.
"It shows that they recognize the value of work-point coupons!" Wu De said, "They think it is money, that's why they have such an idea. If these were gold yuan coupons in 1949, would everyone still care about the price? Can they buy them? It’ll be nice to get something.”
Wu Nanhai suddenly realized this and couldn't help but laugh. I never thought about this at all.
"You haven't put yourself in someone else's shoes, and neither have many people here. You think these people should believe in the value of work-point coupons for granted." A wry smile appeared on the corner of Wu De's mouth, "It's all about what you think they should be like, and what I think they should be like. That's right, right? Everyone has forgotten that these people are also living people, and everyone has their own calculations. Why should I believe you so easily?"
"A little bit indeed."
"So, we have to be careful." Wu De said, "Credit, credibility, cannot be established in a day or two." As he was talking, Lin Xing's report suddenly came from outside.
"come in."
The new production captain was wearing brand-new homespun clothes. The style was imitated from the training uniforms worn by people across the country. Although the workmanship was a bit poor, it still seemed to fit well.
"What's up?"
"Little, little -" Lin Xing already spoke Mandarin very well, with just a hint of Xiong Buyou's special Guangxi accent, "I have something to ask the master."
"Say it."
Lin Xing knelt down and kowtowed, and then said that many people in the production team were tenant farmers and had been away from home for a month. The autumn harvest was coming soon. Many people were worried that if they did not go back to collect grain, their families would be short of labor and would not be able to harvest grain. If you can't pay the rent, your whole family will starve to death if your employer seizes the tenant.
"Everyone recommends me to ask for mercy from the master, so that everyone can go back and have a look, and then come back after completing this season's farm work." Lin Xing kowtowed again as he spoke.
want to go home? This was not surprising to Wu De. After all, single people were in the minority. Most people in the production team did not have land, but they had families. This could not be given up no matter what. They have such an idea, which makes sense both emotionally and rationally.
However, once you let go, can you come back? Wu De was not completely sure. Judging from the ideological trends of the workers, most people feel that working as a laborer here is similar to working for the landlords. After the implementation of the work-share voucher system, the enthusiasm for labor has also increased a lot. But how many people are willing to work for them permanently and permanently?
He hesitated for a while and asked Lin Xing to retreat first.
"I'm afraid this matter won't be easy." Wu Nanhai also found it difficult to handle, "Can I ask the executive committee for instructions?"
That night, the Executive Committee held an enlarged meeting specifically for this matter to discuss the issue of whether to let the workers go home to work on the farm. Many professional groups were opposed, especially the various groups under the Industrial Committee that are currently entering the stage of infrastructure installation. ——Once these labor forces are lost, progress will be greatly slowed down. There is also a new cement vertical kiln project in the brick kiln. The labor force was originally lacking. Now that about a hundred strong and mature laborers are being let go at once, it will be difficult to fill the gap.
Wu De was also very hesitant about this issue: Letting him go would obviously be detrimental to the current production and construction. If he didn't let him go, Lin Xing came to him specifically to beg him, which showed that there was already a strong trend of thought in the production team about this matter. If you don't let people go, you will seriously lose the hearts and minds that you have worked so hard to gain.
He really couldn't make a choice, so he recounted all his thoughts and worries. Finally, he said: It would be best to let them go back once. Even if many people will be lost, their benevolence and credit will be recognized by the local people.
"Benevolence and righteousness, credit?" Someone sneered, "We, a group of time and space invaders, still talk about this?" This person is Comrade Xiao Bailang of the mechanical group. He has a fair and clean face, is very delicate, and has a bit of a hypocritical temperament. At this time, his face was red and he spoke very hastily.
"That's true. Do we have to be despicable and shameless?"
"Excuse me," the other party immediately retorted, "What are we doing here? Don't say that you are all for the cause of communism or bringing democracy and freedom to the Chinese people. To be honest, none of you are seeking wealth and playing games. Li Cai is here, right?" He glanced at the attendees, "I'm tired of your inexplicable benevolence, justice, etiquette and wisdom. If Lingao is captured, all the people in the county will be captured to work. It's not enough to attack villages one by one. , we will be able to produce explosives on a large scale soon, and to hide here and negotiate credit with a group of natives like this is so nonsense."
"You can't achieve anything by relying on slavery..."
"What's wrong with slavery? Didn't the Manchus rule China for three hundred years by brutally enslaving the Han people? What the Tunguska savages covered in lard and pig skins can do, we modern people in the 21st century can't do?"
"I firmly oppose this!" Cheng Dong stood up and objected fiercely, "Although sometimes the ends justify the means, there should still be a minimum moral bottom line. Doing this will lose the support of the people!"
"People's hearts?" Xiao Bailang sneered, "Unfortunately, according to the law of historical development, people's hearts may not be the opponent of force. If people's hearts have ever defeated force, it was because force was not enough! In ancient times, people could revolt. You see, there are people who revolt in the modern world. No? At most it's a group walk or a 'group event'. Compared with the people of this time and space, our technological and industrial capabilities are the level of the Zentraedi compared to the Earth - do the Zentraedi want the people of the Earth to have the support of the people?"
These highly inflammatory words resonated in the hearts of many people. Seeing many people begin to whisper, Xiao Bailang became even more angry:
"I propose that instead of letting people go, we should start a 'hunting operation' immediately!" He waved his arms forcefully, "round up the labor force on a large scale and group them into forced labor. If they can't complete the quota, they won't be given food. Anyone who dares to resist will be beheaded..." His spittle flew everywhere, becoming more and more enthusiastic as he spoke.
"I object!" Wu De became more and more extreme as he listened to his words. He was afraid that if he continued to speak more, he would destroy the results of more than two months of hard work. "We need the loyalty of the local indigenous people. Without their support, can we Are you going to rule with the five hundred of us?"
"What are you afraid of?" Xiao Bailang disagreed. "There are as many traitors as you want. Green Camp, Peace Army, Imperial Alliance Army, you can recruit as many people as you want to help you fight in the war."
Cheng Dong, a pacifist, couldn't bear it: "So you want everyone to follow the moral standards of the Tunguska savages or the Japanese devils?"
"What do you think we are?" Xiao Bailang snorted, "What right do we have to come here? Why do we occupy land here? Is Lingao a land that has been 'indivisible since ancient times'? We are an invasion of time and space. Or, please don’t smear yourself with makeup!”
It seemed that the meeting was about to get out of control. So far, no one has publicly come out to support Xiao Bailang, but these words are obviously very inflammatory. Wen Desi realized the danger. This kind of naked disregard for general moral principles and the expression of interests first had a strong inciting power on the public. From the bottom of his heart, he actually didn't dislike what Xiao Bailang said. Essentially, what he said was right, but many things couldn't be said so nakedly - it was very dangerous.
He was thinking about how to stop the situation from developing. Zhan Wuya stood up and said hello: "Xiao Xiao, stop talking! People still have to have some bottom line, and they can't just do whatever is beneficial."
"Bottom line? What are you all here for, poverty alleviation?..."
"You fart!" Zhan Wuya was furious, "If I hadn't rushed over to turn off the electricity two days ago, you would have only one hand left today! According to you, how many hands do you have to care about my shit?! "
Xiao Bailang hesitated for a moment, and Wen Desi secretly called it a fluke. To be honest, if the debate continues like this today, it's hard to say what the consequences will be. Although I know that Xiao Bailang's extreme proposal will not be passed. But the rift left by the debate will be difficult to mend. Fortunately, Zhan Wuya stepped forward - he didn't know anything about this minor accident - but he couldn't care about it anymore. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he quickly stood up:
"Don't argue, please focus on the topic. How can we maximize our interests and ensure the long-term stability of our living environment?"
These words set the tone for the subsequent discussion, and then some people expressed their opinions, some agreed and some disagreed. Generally speaking, it seemed to be about half and half, and everyone gave their reasons from various aspects. Finally, the executive committee decided to put it to a vote. The result of the vote was that those in favor of releasing him had a slight upper hand.
When Wu De walked out of the conference room, he felt like he was breaking out in a cold sweat. He hoped to release them, but he was not sure whether the consequences of releasing them would be as he thought - after all, there was a 400-year historical gap between him and these 17th-century natives.
