"Secretary Lei, you've done very good work."
"Oh, Secretary Xu, how could I dare call myself a secretary? Just call me Little Lei or Dongbao, either is fine." Lei Dongbao replied with a smile, looking rather spirited and heroic.
Last year, Little Lei Village had adopted the household responsibility system, and grain production had indeed increased. They had also benefited from buying farm machinery, which sped up cultivation and gave them more time to work in the county, earning them more money. So this year, the people of Little Lei Village would be living quite comfortably.
But that was all. Compared with the wages and benefits of factory workers, they were still far behind.
Lei Dongbao was here because he was also one of the delegates. Naturally, he had to attend the conference.
After exchanging some meaningless pleasantries, Lei Dongbao handed out cigarettes and said, "Since both leaders are here, there's something I'd like to ask for instructions on."
"The leaders are right here. Who am I supposed to lead?" Wang Yan said with a smile, waving his hand.
Secretary Xu smiled as well. "Let's hear it."
Lei Dongbao said, "Things are getting better now, right? And our textile factory is doing so well—it's famous across the country. We farmers want to improve too. We want to make money too. I think making electrical wire could work, so Little Lei Village plans to pool our collective funds and open a wire factory."
Meeting Lei Dongbao's expectant gaze, Secretary Xu tilted his head toward Wang Yan. "What do you think?"
After a brief moment of thought, Wang Yan said, "You know the county is building thermal and hydroelectric power plants. To make it easier to develop the county power grid, the wire factory has already been merged into the textile factory.