Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Just two days after New Year's Day, a dry, cold north wind was howling, making the bare branches creak and groan.

It was cold, but the festive atmosphere in the village dispelled most of the chill.

The official document from the town finally arrived in Ivory Mountain today.

Early in the morning, Wang Changgui was busy with various tasks, carrying a bucket of paste, and personally pasting two large red notices on the earthen wall at the entrance of the village office. The red paper with black characters could be seen from a great distance.

Xie Dajiao was the first to see it, and quickly wiggled her hips to go over and see what was going on.

When she arrived, a large crowd had already gathered around. Xie Dajiao looked at the red paper and saw that it clearly stated that since January 1st of this year, the agricultural tax had been officially abolished nationwide. The imperial grain tax, which had lasted for thousands of years, had been completely abolished, and from now on, farmers would no longer have to pay a single grain of public grain.

The details of the subsidies were also posted next to it, including direct subsidies for grain, subsidies for improved varieties of corn and soybeans, and so on. The money was deposited directly into the villagers' bank accounts without going through the village and without any deductions.

After Wang Changgui finished pasting the red paper, he started announcing it over and over again through the village's loudspeaker, making sure his voice reached every nook and cranny of the village, as if afraid no one would see it.

"Attention all villagers of Xiangyashan! Attention all villagers!"

"A large meeting will be held at the village office at 10:00 AM sharp. This is fantastic news! The agricultural tax has been completely abolished! We'll also explain how and how much the farming subsidies will be distributed. Everything will be explained clearly then, and every household will benefit. Everyone, young and old, must come and listen; no one is allowed to be absent!"

The loudspeaker kept announcing the news, and it spread like wildfire throughout the village in the blink of an eye.

This caused a complete uproar in the village, with every household inquiring about the news.

For generations, people have farmed and paid taxes to the government. This has been the rule for thousands of years. People have believed in this principle since they were young, and no one ever dared to imagine that they would encounter the good thing of not having to pay taxes in their lifetime.

The villagers couldn't care less about any other work; they dropped what they were doing and rushed to the village office.

Those feeding pigs threw away their ladles, those chopping wood dropped their axes, and even the old men and women in the village with thrombosis came over with sticks in their hands, slowly shuffling over to join the fun.

"Hey, Xiao Chen, wake up and come over to the village office. There's a meeting in a bit." Xie Dajiao called Lin Chen.

Lin Chen opened his eyes, looked at the gray sky outside, and mumbled:

"No, no, why would I stand there freezing in this weather? I'm going to sleep a little longer."

"It's so late and you're still sleeping? Why don't you watch the fun? Come over here and I'll cook for you. It's almost noon."

Lin Chen yawned, glanced at the time, and realized it was getting late. After thinking about it, he agreed.

In no time, the area outside the village office was packed with people, three or four deep, making it quite lively.

Wang Changgui stood on a stool, clutching a curled-edge document in his hand. He raised his hand to suppress the chaotic murmurs below, cleared his throat, and began to speak, his breath billowing out as he spoke.

"Gentlemen, quiet down! Stop arguing!"

"I've gathered everyone here today for some incredibly exciting news: starting January 1st of this year, the agricultural tax has been completely abolished! It's hereby voided!"

"Our ancestors have farmed and paid grain taxes for generations, but starting this year, we won't have to pay a single penny or pay a single grain!"

"Not only do we not have to pay taxes, the government actually gives us money! There are subsidies for farming! Direct subsidies for grain, subsidies for improved seeds, one after another!"

"All subsidies will be deposited directly into each household's bank account, and no one in the village will be able to touch them! The previous township-level unified allocations and village-level retention fees have also been completely abolished! From now on, whatever you earn from farming, you keep it all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd below erupted in a frenzy, with gasps of amazement and murmurs rising and falling.

Someone looked on incredulously and shouted at the top of their lungs:

"Director, is this for real? You're not just trying to fool us ordinary people, are you? What kind of good thing is it where farmers don't have to pay grain taxes, and the government even gives them money? I've never heard of such a thing in my life!"

Another old woman surnamed Lu said:

"I don't believe it!"

Chang Gui immediately held the document high, full of confidence:

"Believe it or not, everyone look closely, this is an official government document from the town, it's even been published in the People's Daily!"

"Liaoning was exempted last year, and this year it's officially decided nationwide that it will be permanently cancelled!"

Cheers erupted instantly, and everyone's smiles were wide open. The heavy burden that had been weighing on the farmers was finally lifted off their shoulders.

At the very front of the crowd, Xie Guangkun squeezed to the very front, standing on tiptoe, eyes wide open, afraid of missing a single word. His earnestness amused those around him.

At the foot of the wall, Liu Neng squatted there basking in the sun, squinting his eyes as if he were lazy, but in reality he was full of tricks up his sleeve and was more shrewd than anyone else in his little schemes.

He quietly nudged Zhao Si, who was standing next to him in a daze, and muttered in a low voice:

"Fourth brother... what are you thinking about? Hey, do you think that now that the taxes are gone, the grain we owed the village before, can we just write it off and not have to pay it back?"

"We can't expect them to pay back all the old debts, can we? That would be too unreasonable!"

Zhao Si's lips twitched, he tilted his head and pondered for a long time, then slowly nodded:

"Logically speaking, that's how it works. The taxes are gone, and the old debts... no one will bother to investigate them."

Liu Neng felt increasingly pleased with himself. After the crowd had mostly dispersed, he slowly got up, waddled over to Chang Gui, and grinned broadly.

"Director, I have a question for you. The outstanding grain taxes owed by various households in the past—now that the tax has been abolished—do we no longer need to pay them and can consider the matter closed?"

Chang Gui saw through his little scheme at a glance and gave him an annoyed look:

"Don't I know your tricks? You're just trying to take advantage of old scores!"

"The policy states that historical debts will not be forcibly collected or centrally pursued, but don't try to find loopholes. Accounts are accounts, and policies are policies; don't try to be clever."

Liu Neng was pleasantly surprised by the rebate. In his mind, not being forced to pay back the money was the same as not having to pay it back at all, a pure bargain.

On the outskirts of the crowd, Wang Laoqi squatted on a rock, smoking with gusto. He didn't join in the fun or show off. Although he didn't say anything, he had already calculated the pros and cons clearly in his mind.

He is a true large-scale farmer in the village. In previous years, he worked himself to the bone all year round, and the agricultural tax and the unified retention fee added up to nearly a thousand yuan. Most of his hard-earned money was handed over to the government.

This year is great; taxes and fees are waived, and there are even subsidies, which is like having extra net income out of nowhere.

Wang Laoqi secretly pondered whether he should lease some more land and plant it all with high-quality soybeans.

They grow and harvest their own produce, supplying it directly to the tofu shop. This self-production and self-sales model allows them to control quality and reduce costs, making it a perfect opportunity to expand the tofu shop's scale and achieve two goals at once.

At the entrance of Big Foot Supermarket, Lin Chen watched the commotion for a while, then listened quietly to the whole story.

After most of the villagers had left, he slowly walked over and struck up a conversation with Wang Laoqi:

"Seventh Uncle, now that the subsidy for improved varieties has been implemented, it's a good time to switch to new varieties to increase income."

Wang Laoqi was pondering this when he heard this, his eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly:

"Xiao Chen, we're thinking the same thing! I was just thinking about it, I'll go ask him later!"

Xie Dajiao over there had also finished cooking and was standing at the door calling out:

"Xiao Chen, dinner's ready!"

"Hey, here it comes!"

Lin Chen exchanged a few more pleasantries with Wang Laoqi, then jogged back to the supermarket.

Ever since the announcement of the abolition of agricultural tax was posted, the festive atmosphere in Xiangyashan has never stopped. Although the weather is cold, the festive spirit in the village grows stronger every day.

The most exciting things to do before the Lunar New Year, besides buying New Year's goods, are slaughtering pigs for the New Year.

This year's policies are favorable, with no taxes or fees and subsidies, so villagers are all well-off, and more families are slaughtering pigs for the New Year than in previous years.

Wang Laoqi's family raised two large, fat pigs. Their pigs were particularly fat, probably because they were well-fed. He planned to sell one to supplement the family income and keep the other to slaughter for guests and to eat during the New Year.

The day before the pig was slaughtered, Wang Laoqi called Lin Chen specifically, showing great enthusiasm:

"Xiao Chen, just letting you know, my family is slaughtering a pig tomorrow!"

"Bring Big Foot and Little Mei along, and you can eat your fill at noon! We'll have pork belly, blood sausage, and our homemade sauerkraut, plus a huge pot of stewed pork offal. It'll be all you can eat, and you'll definitely have a delicious and satisfying meal!"

Lin Chen smiled and agreed:

"Uncle, we're really craving this pork stew! I'll go early tomorrow and help you with that."

"Hey, no need, we have enough people. Just come and eat when the time comes."

In Northeast China, the tradition of slaughtering a pig for the New Year and hosting a feast emphasizes neighborly harmony and a lively atmosphere. There's no need for gifts or formalities; whoever slaughters a pig invites familiar neighbors and relatives to join in. The feast consists of a large pot of stew and large bowls of meat, with a focus on a casual and joyful experience.

……

Every year, Wang Laoqi would make detailed arrangements for slaughtering a pig in advance. He would finalize the details with Lao Zhou, the pig butcher in the village, the day before, and make sure that the big fat pig in the pigpen would not be fed before dark.

This is an old custom: the pig is slaughtered on an empty stomach so it doesn't suffer, and it comes out clean, without any fishy smell or filth.

When Wang Laoqi got up in the morning, it was still pitch black, and the cold wind stung his face and made his ears tingle.

Two large black pots were set up in the courtyard, and plenty of firewood was prepared so that water could be boiled when the time was almost up.

Just as the first hint of dawn appeared on the eastern hills, Lin Chen arrived with Zhao Yutian. Although Wang Laoqi had said that, he couldn't really wait until mealtime to come.