Flood protection for the Settlement was naturally the priority. Most of the fields were empty now, and the few fields of winter wheat could withstand flooding, so when the flood came, the Settlement was the biggest concern.
"Second, once the snow melts in spring, every household must contribute communal labor. We need to clear the flood-control canals on both sides of Little Haizi. Elder Brother Li, you'll need to use your tractor to thicken the North Dam Line... For your tractor, how about twenty labor credits per day?"
"No problem." Li Jianguo nodded.
In front of Li Long, he could say he didn't need any work points, but when it came to the Team, especially something the team leader announced at the villagers' Representative Assembly, he wasn't about to politely turn it down. These were benefits he was entitled to, and he had to fight for them when necessary.
Unlike Li Long's notion of everyone in the village getting along nicely, the reality was that, at village representative meetings, if you didn't fight for things, other people really could cheat you out of them.
The Fourth Team had its good points, but in some respects, there was inevitably a peasant's cunning and shortsightedness.
"Let me make this clear, too. This year, our flood protection priorities are Little Haizi and the Settlement, and of course Reed Gully Bridge as well," Xu Chengjun stressed. "Don't think this is some trivial matter.
"You all know how much snow fell this winter. This time, I'm not accepting money in lieu of labor. Every household's able-bodied young and middle-aged people had better show up. I'll take attendance, and if you don't come, I won't just deduct one or two days' work points.
"If you don't come, you can forget about getting priority for anything good