Chapter 256

Jiang Guoli, with a dark expression, looked towards the platform at the front of the Grain-Sunning Ground. To his surprise, he saw the production team director and the county magistrate surrounding Su Xiaoxiao, all of them smiling with great warmth and affection.
What was going on?
Jiang Guoli furrowed his brows tightly, a sense of unease gnawing at him. However, Su Xiaoxiao, standing on the platform, remained unaware of his discomfort.
The county magistrate continued to speak to Su Xiaoxiao with a friendly demeanor, “I’ve heard that the prescription you submitted involves traditional Chinese herbs and that there are plans for large-scale production. As the person who submitted it, could you talk to the comrades from Beijing and suggest that if we are to grow these herbs, it would be better to do it here? We won’t delay the national progress.”
Su Xiaoxiao quickly thought about the herbs and realized that indeed, two of the herbs were quite cold-resistant. Planting them in the sub-zero temperatures of the Northeast wouldn’t be an issue. However, she couldn’t guarantee it and only smiled, saying, “I’ll have to call and ask about this. I can’t make any promises, as there are higher-ups who will make the arrangements. But if it’s possible to arrange for our team to grow the herbs here, I will definitely apply for it for our team and won’t allow the herbs to be grown elsewhere.”
The county magistrate and the city mayor’s smiles faltered. Although they understood Su Xiaoxiao’s point, they still wanted to make their case.
“Xiaoxiao, look at how many teams we have in our city. Although the Hong Feng Production Team isn’t exactly rich, it isn’t destitute either. We have several teams here where the conditions are much poorer, and they need new opportunities even more than Hong Feng Production Team does.”
Traditional Chinese herbs are indeed profitable, but they can’t just be planted anywhere. There must be prior arrangements with pharmaceutical manufacturers to supply the herbs needed.

All industries are controlled by the state now, including what herbs are needed and in what quantities. The state then allocates them to different teams.
Su Xiaoxiao’s smile became somewhat awkward as she struggled to find a response. Jiang Yexun and Su Hongchen immediately stepped forward to stand in front of Su Xiaoxiao.
“There are too many teams nationwide that need support. If Hong Feng Production Team can’t be selected, and Xiaoxiao has to make requests to higher-ups, why is that? We are just ordinary people, focused on our own small plot of land. We haven’t even managed to feed ourselves properly, and now we’re expected to help others. Isn’t that overreaching?”
Jiang Yexun spoke bluntly, confronting them directly. His expression was stern, showing no courtesy to those before him. It was inappropriate for leaders to use moral arguments against a young girl. Regardless of their reasons, it was unseemly.
Su Xiaoxiao agreed with Jiang Yexun and nodded in support. She didn’t want to raise the issue with Grandpa Zhang as it felt like she was leveraging favors owed to her—whether it was the favor of submitting the prescription or saving Grandpa Zhang’s life.
She was willing to make the request solely because she had unfinished business since returning from Shanghai. She wanted to ensure that the team remembered her good deeds, so when she needed support, the team would stand by her side. Even if her team didn’t get to be the advanced team next year or the year after, the money earned from growing traditional Chinese herbs would be enough to ensure their protection.
Now these leaders were asking her to use the hard-earned goodwill to exchange for political achievements? Their intentions were clear to her.
Others might not see the underlying complexities and think that the leaders simply believed other teams needed the herbs more because they were poorer. But Su Xiaoxiao, having lived longer in her previous life, knew that the state provides subsidies to teams that struggle to feed themselves. The higher-ups push local leaders to find ways to make these villages self-sufficient and hope for some surplus to be provided.
If they could manage that, it would lead to commendations and promotion opportunities. Though their initial intention might have been genuine concern for the poorer teams, Su Xiaoxiao was pragmatic and only wanted to ensure her future actions were facilitated. Moreover, if the team realized that the prescription was hers but the herbs were grown by another team, she would be viewed as a traitor who undermined her own team’s interests.
If that happened, she would be ostracized by the entire team, and the leaders wouldn’t be able to solve her problems. Even if they managed to address the issue directly, the team’s resentment would only grow after they left.
The leaders, seeing Su Xiaoxiao’s firm stance and clear articulation, found themselves in a difficult position. However, they didn’t give up. “We can wait for the approval from Beijing before deciding which team will grow the herbs. We can work out the details later.”
But Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and resolutely stated, “I will make the call, but there must be a written commitment that the herbs will be grown by Hong Feng Production Team. Otherwise, I won’t make the call.”
The leaders’ faces turned slightly stiff, but they quickly responded with smiles, “You don’t need to be so insistent. Producing a medicine requires a lot of herbs. One team alone won’t be enough. You can apply for multiple teams if necessary.”

“That won’t work. Only two types of herbs can be grown in the Northeast; the rest need to be grown in Yun Province. Also, I can’t promise even two teams at once without knowing how many herbs are needed,” Su Xiaoxiao said with a serious expression.