Chapter 32: Land Allocation
Chapter 32: Land Allocation
The Pottery Factory
During the noon break, Deng Changyuan, who had recently been promoted from a "mud stomping apprentice" to a "mud stomping master," was learning how to make large jars from his childhood friend, Deng Yuntao.
Even though a mud stomping master's wage of two yuan per day was enviable in this era, the old saying "a soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier" still held true. Compared to the large jar masters who could earn seven to eight yuan a day, the mud stomping master's salary was negligible.
In the pottery factory, workers in low-skilled or unskilled positions like mud carriers and mud stomping masters had fixed wages.
Only the highly skilled workers, such as those who made large and small jars, were paid on a piece-rate basis.
For example, a large jar master could earn a commission of 0.75 to 1.5 yuan per large jar, depending on the size and specifications of the jar.
There were over a dozen types of jars, including wide jars, water jars, sugar jars, oil jars, gold jars, and waist jars.
Among these, the wide jar was the true king of jars, capable of holding 700 to 800 pounds of grain. It was a masterpiece that only a few places in the entire Bo Bai County could produce. The reason was not a lack of skill but the necessity of using a specific type of clay. Without the right clay, even the most skilled master would fail.
Currently, the type of clay suitable for wide jars could not be found anywhere in Shuangwang, so Deng Shirong's pottery factory did not produce wide jars.
The sugar jar, which could earn a commission of 1.5 yuan, was the second largest type. A standard sugar jar was two feet tall, with a base of one and a half feet, a waist of two feet, and a mouth of one and a half feet, capable of holding 340 to 350 pounds of grain.
An oil jar was two feet and two inches tall, with a base of one foot, a waist of one foot and eight inches, and a mouth of one foot and three inches, capable of holding around 300 pounds of grain, earning a commission of 1.3 yuan.
A large water jar earned a commission of 1.1 yuan, a small water jar 0.9 yuan, and a waist jar 0.75 yuan, and so on.
Although the pottery factory had only been in operation for a little over half a month, the large jar masters had a good idea of how many jars they had made and how much commission they would earn.
As Deng Changyuan's childhood friend, Deng Yuntao did not keep this information from him. After hearing it, Deng Changyuan was highly motivated and couldn't wait to become a large jar master.
The Art of Making Large Jars
Large jars were the pinnacle of pottery skills and were not easy to learn. On the first day of instruction, Deng Yuntao did not demonstrate the process directly but instead explained the entire process in detail to his friend.
A jar's body could not be made in a single day. Since it was made from clay, wet clay was too soft and would collapse if it was shaped too high.
Therefore, the jar had to be built in stages. The base was made first, and once the clay was semi-dry and had some hardness, the rest could be added.
This process involved many critical technical points. For example, the clay could not be too wet or too dry, and there could be no air pockets in the base, or it would easily fall apart.
Moreover, halfway through the process, the jar had to be flipped over to dry. This was a delicate task that required two skilled workers to cooperate, as the jar could easily be damaged if the flipping force was not just right.
These techniques had been perfected over generations, passed down from master to apprentice. Without a teacher, it would be nearly impossible to learn them on one's own and produce a qualified large jar.
Deng Yuntao did not hold back any secrets from his childhood friend, explaining each critical step in detail.
After finishing his explanation, Deng Yuntao said, "Aiyuan, remember these core techniques for making large jars. Learn the theory first, and then I'll demonstrate the process. After that, you can practice on your own. If you apply yourself, I believe you can become a large jar master next year!"
Deng Changyuan was deeply moved. In the rural areas of this era, becoming a large jar master was a significant achievement. To put it mildly, he would be a highly sought-after bachelor in the surrounding villages.
So, Deng Changyuan nodded eagerly, his expression serious as he said, "A Tai, you can count on me. I'll work hard to learn and strive to become a master potter like you."
...
Before they knew it, it was the end of June.
After the public grain was collected and the rice was divided, the production team leaders began to count the number of people in each household, preparing to distribute the first batch of farmland.
Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying had already registered and sent out their wedding invitations, so they were naturally included in the count.
Once the numbers were finalized, on the afternoon of June 27th, all the members of the production team gathered at the village office. They then began the land distribution process by drawing lots.
Deng Shirong had experienced this process in his previous life. Even though decades had passed, the scene remained vivid in his mind.
He remembered feeling immensely hopeful at the time, even though he was a master potter and had taken over the pottery factory, not entirely dependent on farming for his livelihood.
But land was the root of rural life, and who could resist its allure?
Even in later years, when most people no longer farmed, they still cared deeply about their land and rarely sold it.
Unless, of course, the price was right!
...
While the majority of the members were eager to farm their own land, a few were opposed.
Some who drew unfavorable lots tried to back out.
However, the trend toward individual farming was inevitable. Despite the occasional issues during implementation, the outcome remained unchanged.
Deng Shirong's family consisted of eight people, and they received three acres and two tenths of an acre in the first batch of land, averaging four tenths of an acre per person.
Perhaps because the timing of the lot drawing was different in this life, the land Deng Shirong's family received was better than in his previous life.
Deng Shirong didn't mind the quality of the land; it was all the same to him.
What mattered to him was that he no longer had to work for the production team.
...
After the land was distributed, each household began to plant rice seedlings, which were provided by the production team.
In his previous life, Deng Shirong's family had been incredibly motivated after receiving their land. The whole family, young and old, worked tirelessly, and their efforts paid off with a bountiful harvest that year.
In this life, Deng Shirong wanted to encourage his children to focus on their studies, so he introduced a monetary reward system and allowed them to skip the farming work.
His eldest son worked at the pottery factory, leaving only Deng Shirong and his two daughters to do the farming.
Therefore, this time around, Deng Shirong had no intention of farming the land himself!
Of course, not farming didn't mean letting the land go to waste. He could lend it to someone else to farm and, in return, receive a share of the harvest after the public grain was paid.
Deng Shirong had an idea of who might be a suitable candidate to farm the land.
...
The past few days, typing on my phone has been slow, so I've only managed to update once. I'll return to regular updates in a couple of days. I hope you all continue to support me by reading daily. Your support means a lot to me.
(End of Chapter)
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