Chapter 295: Sharpening the Tools First

Although this business is just lip service, the real problem is what can China use to exchange tractors and trucks from the Soviet Union?

In addition, the Soviet Union was also a planned economy at that time, and the amount of unplanned production at the Stalin Automobile Plant, the Gorky Automobile Plant, and the Tractor Plant each year was limited and had long been divided up.

Therefore, the best way to export is to ship parts and then assemble them domestically.

When there were 156 projects, we offered the Soviet Union four locations for building truck factories: Beijing, Chang'an, Taiyuan, and Changshan. However, they were all rejected by Soviet experts, and finally Changchun was chosen.

There are several reasons: First, the local steel production needs to exceed 20 tons/year; electricity requirements are 2.4 kilowatts; 2 cubic meters of wood and a million tons of transportation capacity.

At that time, only the Northeast region had such conditions: the initial 156 of the 51 projects were basically all in the Northeast region: several large steel mills, several large vertical shaft coal mines, several large thermal power plants, including a machine tool factory also located in Shenyang.

As for whether the Soviet Union had other intentions, no one knows.

However, the output of the Shijingshan Iron and Steel Plant in Beijing has successfully exceeded 56 tons in 20 years. The electricity in Beijing can meet the requirements and there is no problem with transportation. The biggest problem is wood. Except for some wood in Xishan, there is really not enough wood around Beijing.

But it’s not a big problem. We can drive the naked truck to where we need it and then load the wooden truck bed.

For this business, Alexei was driven back to the Soviet Union by Wang Deming and Diana. He relied on his family connections and drinking ability to complete the unplanned purchase of complete vehicles and parts.

Wang Deming first wrote a report and submitted his suggestions to the higher authorities through formal channels.

No decision is easy. After submitting the report, Wang Deming returned to his life as a socialist fighter, working eight hours a day and then working another four hours in the workshop.

Then we prepared for the New Year, because the 58th year of the Gregorian calendar had arrived.

But as builders of socialism, how can we give up our efforts just because the Spring Festival is coming?
Because 59 was the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the capital city proposed ten major engineering projects to celebrate the 10th anniversary, including: the Great Hall of the People, the Museum of Chinese History and the Chinese Revolution, the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, the National Agricultural Exhibition Hall, the National Culture Palace, the National Hotel, the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Beijing Railway Station, the Overseas Chinese Building and the Beijing Workers' Stadium.

The Great Hall of the People and the museum are both in Tiananmen Square, which is also witnessing a massive construction boom.

However, the most impressive project in January was not these ten major projects, but the Ming Tombs Reservoir.

All conscious comrades in the capital spontaneously went to the Ming Tombs Reservoir to carry out construction.

As early as 54, Changping considered building the Ming Tombs Reservoir. However, due to various reasons, it was not until the completion of socialist transformation in 57, after the autumn harvest in early October, that the masses made the decision to launch a large-scale water conservancy and fertilizer accumulation campaign this winter and next spring.

After thoroughly inspiring the enthusiasm of the comrades for construction, the construction began on January 58, 1, under the leadership and approval of the Beijing Municipal Government. At the beginning, only 4 farmers from Changping and 8000 comrades who worked spontaneously came to clear the dam and pull electricity.

When godmother Wang Shuqin said we were going to the reservoir to work, she was referring to the Ming Tombs Reservoir.

When the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ming Tombs Reservoir was held at 1 a.m. on January 21 at the foot of Tiandi Mountain between Mangshan Mountain and Hanbao Mountain in the CP area, Wang Deming became the most handsome guy at the scene!
He was wearing a coarse blue work suit and driving a DT-54 crawler tractor imported from the Soviet Union. He shakily drove over from the Changping Jinghan Railway Station. In order to arrive at the foot of Tiandi Mountain in time at 10 a.m., he had been driving the tractor since 1 a.m.

It takes a full 9 hours. In my previous life, I could drive from Beijing to Shanghai, or to Shenyang.

But feeling the thunderous cheers from the audience, it was all worth it!
Many local farmers have never seen a tractor. Although a batch of tractors were imported from the Soviet Union at a high price after the founding of the People's Republic of China, they could not even make a splash when they were spread on the land of China. On average, there was less than one tractor per cooperative. Although the godmother had promised Wang Deming that he would live in the city in the future, she insisted on coming to the scene today after years of farming in the countryside. Qin Huairu could only let Zhang Shouchun and Jin Yuqing help take care of the children and accompany her to the scene.

There are ten thousand people, and there is no limit to them.

It was a fine day with clear skies and some snow on the grey hills. The cooperatives held banners and red flags and carried hoes, shovels and rattan baskets, and brought drums and gongs, which they beat loudly, mixed with the shouts from the site. The snow on the hills was loosened quite a bit before the work officially started.

Although he was used to the desolation around the capital, Wang Deming still felt a little uncomfortable looking at the gray hills around him. All the trees that could be cut down had been cut down after years of war.
When I read novels in my previous life, the protagonists in the capital city would often go hunting and get a lot of meat. It was nothing more than imagination. Even in the three northeastern provinces of this era, it would only be possible in the deep mountains and old forests.

Why do we starve when there is a drought? Because after the autumn harvest, the earth is left with nothing but gray. In the past, it was the continuous planting of trees and improvement of soil and water that restored the greenness of the earth and allowed wild boars to proliferate again.

"Comrade Deming, look at the enthusiasm and cheers of our comrades! What difficulties can stump us?" The local leaders in Changping were equally excited and interrupted Wang Deming's wild thoughts.

As soon as the firecrackers of the opening ceremony ended, he waved his hand, shouldered his hoe, rushed to the construction site, and dug hard with the hoe.
"Hey!" He didn't believe it, and took off his white silk work gloves without hesitation. "Pah!" He spat into his palm and used force again.
The permafrost in the north was still not giving, and only a small hole was dug out.

"Hey, Comrade Deming, no one here knows how to drive a tractor, please help teach our comrades! Don't worry, there is enough fuel. All other tractors in Changping will be stopped and the fuel will be sent over here!"

"Okay! This thing is very simple!" Wang Deming jumped back on the tractor. The local leader of Changping waved his hand, and several young people, both men and women, rushed up from the surrounding area.

Wang Deming quickly shouted: "Don't worry, this tractor can only accommodate one person at a time, take turns!"

Finally, we drew lots to decide the order of driving lessons. We picked up a few yellow grass roots at random from the ground and decided the order based on their length.

The first one was a young man, no more than 20 years old, with clear and honest eyes, and a firm tone: "Comrade Deming, I will do whatever you say!"

"Okay, let's take it slow. I'll come over often to help with the work." Wang Deming was very patient. "Look, there are a few joysticks here. Remember the thickest one on your right hand. Push it forward to move forward, and pull it back to move backward.

"This lever on the left, push it to the left to turn left, push it to the right to turn right."

"Left and right? The left and right that our militia trained?"

"Yes, it's simple!"

"That's simple, let's look at our feet again."

We worked and taught at the same time, and before we knew it, it was night. In addition to the wires pulled over on the construction site, there were also burning torches. The comrades gathered around the tractor and wiped it carefully with a rag.

This is a good thing. The tractor can dig up the mountain soil that cannot be hoeed or pried open in no time.

“If every cooperative in our country had a few more tractors, our grain production would definitely be higher!”

"Don't worry, it will be there soon."

(End of this chapter)