Go back to the past to plant trees

After chatting for a while at the camp, the group headed towards the afforestation area. The main purpose of their trip was to check on the saplings, as their survival rate was crucial to the success of the afforestation project in Saihanba, so everyone was very concerned about it.

On the way to the afforestation area, Xing Zhen and Feng Cheng walked together and Xing Zhen said, "The tree in the south that you mentioned to me last time grows fast. I checked the information from the Ministry of Forestry. There is indeed such a tree in the south. It grows very fast and has a straight trunk. However, this tree is not suitable for our area. It needs a lot of water to grow and is not resistant to low temperatures."

Feng Cheng listened quietly; he already knew the advantages and disadvantages of eucalyptus trees.

"However, this type of tree has many advantages. I have already made a suggestion to the ministry to select suitable locations for planting this type of tree."

Upon hearing this, Feng Cheng wanted to speak up and stop it, but after the thought crossed his mind, he gave up. This was something that couldn't be stopped. The situation in China wasn't very good right now, and having this kind of economically valuable tree could effectively alleviate the domestic economic situation.

As for the harm caused by eucalyptus trees, Feng Cheng had come to terms with it. In this era, if you talk about protecting the environment and ecology, you will definitely be criticized. If you can't eat well, dress well, or sleep well, how can you protect the ecology and environment? Isn't that nonsense? Besides, Guangxi Province has been planting them for decades and there hasn't been any major harm. They may have some impact on water sources, but compared to his economic benefits, it's a trade-off.

Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. If you want the benefits, you have to accept the drawbacks. Take industrial pollution, for example. The entire county's finances depend on that one chemical plant, and hundreds of thousands of people rely on it for their livelihood. So, you're suggesting we shut it down?

Environmental and ecological protection is based on the premise that everyone has enough to eat. If everyone is starving, would you care about the ecology?

Moreover, eucalyptus trees are not a new species; they were introduced from abroad. There has been research and analysis of this tree overseas. If the ministry agrees to plant this tree, it must mean that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Feng Cheng dares not say for sure about the future, but he still trusts the officials of this era, especially the high-ranking officials. They may have their flaws, but at least they have integrity.

“I’ve already told the ministry about your name; you’re the one who recommended me.”

Feng Cheng quickly shook his head, "Director Xing, you can't say that. I was just saying it casually. It was your own result from finding information, researching, and analyzing it."

Xing Zhen waved his hand: "What's yours is yours, I don't need this credit."

"When you told me that, you probably didn't really want me to plant this tree, right?" Xing Zhen asked Feng Cheng.

Feng Cheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "The tree has obvious drawbacks. It absorbs a lot of water and is prone to causing soil compaction. I've also heard that the wood itself is slightly toxic, which can affect the ecology of the planting area."

"I know the shortcomings you mentioned, but we have no choice! Given the current situation in China, do you think we can find a solution that satisfies both sides?"

Xing Zhen said with great emotion, "The trees in Northeast China have been continuously felled. For hundreds or even thousands of years, timber has been constantly being pulled out of the forests. Don't we know that these trees need to be protected? These are so many old trees. Every time we cut them down, there are fewer and fewer trees left. But can we stop cutting them down because of this? No, the country won't allow it, the economy won't allow it. There are many places in our country that need money and foreign exchange. Under these circumstances, even if we know that doing this is wrong, we still have to do it."

"One day you will also take on a leadership position, and you will also face such a decision. You must remember one thing: there is no perfect solution throughout history. You will gain some things and lose others. We need to consider whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks or the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. If you choose, you still have the initiative. If you don't choose, someone else will choose for you in the end, and at that time, the initiative will no longer be in your hands."

Xing Zhen didn't know why he said this to Feng Cheng, but he did it anyway, trying to teach Feng Cheng as someone who had been through it all and as a senior.

Upon hearing Xing Zhen's words, Feng Cheng suddenly thought of the turmoil a few years later. Was that also a choice made out of necessity? Feng Cheng didn't know much about the situation in that turbulent era, and few people talked about it online. Occasionally, there would be comments, but they were very evasive, only mentioning a few keywords and leaving the rest to everyone's guess.

But even this little bit of information made Feng Cheng start to reflect on this turbulent era, from initial denial to gradually looking at the turmoil with a fair perspective.

Feng Cheng and Xing Zhen were chatting, and everyone tactfully kept their distance from the two of them.

Yu Zhenglai said with some emotion, "I didn't expect that Director Xing would know Feng Cheng. I was wondering why he suddenly said he wanted to come to Saihanba for an inspection."

"Judging from Xing Ting's attitude, he seems to have a pretty good attitude towards Feng Cheng. They've only met once and chatted briefly, right?" Qu He said with some doubt.

Yu Zheng shook his head, "I don't know about that. There might be some details we don't know! But this is a good thing. I was just worried about how to get funding and supplies from the province after the forest farm was established. With this connection, the Provincial Forestry Department should be able to provide something!"

Saihanba Forest Farm is directly managed by the Ministry of Forestry. Salaries and supplies are allocated by the Ministry of Forestry. The provincial forestry department is not responsible for it and has no jurisdiction over Saihanba Forest Farm. However, Saihanba Forest Farm is located in Weichang County. After the establishment of the forest farm, it has had a positive impact on the surrounding residents, environment, and ecology. Therefore, it is reasonable to ask the province for some assistance. But you have to fight for it yourself. Whether you can get something that is optional depends on the ability of the forest farm leaders.

Yu Zhenglai is confident that he can get some support from Weichang and Chengde, but he is not so confident from the provincial level. Now that he has the connection with Xing Zhen, he thinks he can get some support, after all, Xing Zhen came from Chengde, and judging from his appearance, he is quite concerned about the situation in Saihanba.

The establishment of the Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm was a joyous occasion, but behind the joy lay countless trivial matters: personnel allocation, machinery purchases, material supplies, and all the necessities of life, including food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. This wasn't just about money; it was the era of a planned economy, where many things couldn't be bought with money. Even if you received a planned allocation, it was difficult to guarantee you'd get what you needed immediately. This wasn't the modern era, where factories could run non-stop to meet orders. In this planned economy, factories also needed allocated production capacity. If they rushed to complete the planned tasks, what would happen next? Would they give the employees a holiday?

Therefore, Yu Zhenglai is also having a headache right now. There are a lot of things to do at the Mechanical Forestry Farm, but given his position, it's difficult for him to make any adjustments because no one pays him any attention. So if Xing Zhen could help him out, many things would go much more smoothly.