Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

10:00 AM, village office meeting room.

The stove inside was glowing red, but Accountant Xu was still adding coal. Changgui quickly stopped him:

"That's enough, the house will be on fire soon."

Accountant Xu chuckled twice and sat down behind his desk to prepare for the meeting.

The room was filled with the smells of smoke, sweat, and old people.

The village representatives were packed together, whispering and making a buzzing noise.

Chang Gui slammed his hand on the documents on the table and shouted:

"Stop arguing! Be quiet. Let's get down to business. The snow disaster relief policy and the government's financial assistance are all tangible benefits. I'll read them out one by one. Listen carefully, and don't make me keep going on and on."

Without wasting any time, he began to read:

"The first category is civil affairs livelihood assistance, which only covers housing for people and only those who are truly in need."

First, there is a subsidy for rebuilding collapsed houses, excluding warehouses, sheds, and the like! The subsidy is 1,200 to 1,500 yuan per room for the five-guarantee households and low-income households, and 800 to 1,000 yuan for ordinary farmers. Each household can receive a maximum of two rooms. For completely collapsed dangerous houses, temporary resettlement can be applied for in addition.

Secondly, there will be temporary living assistance. Those who are truly out of food and coal will receive food rations and coal subsidies per capita. Those who are relocated will receive a one-time subsidy. The survey will be conducted by the end of March, and the money will be delivered to households in April. I won't tell you exactly when the money will arrive; that's what the documents say.

A quiet murmur rippled through the crowd below, and everyone's eyes lit up.

Chang Gui took a sip of water and continued reciting:

"The second category is agricultural production disaster relief, including managing greenhouses, fruit trees, and livestock breeding."

For greenhouses that have collapsed, compensation will be provided based on the cost of seedlings and agricultural film per acre. New standard greenhouses will receive substantial subsidies.

For fruit trees damaged by frost, the town's agricultural technology station will provide free on-site guidance on pruning and pesticide application. For trees with no harvest, village-level fees will be reduced or waived, and replanted seedlings will be offered at half price.

Chickens, ducks, and pigs that freeze to death receive a subsidy for harmless disposal, and their feed is supplied through a green channel at a fair price, with no price gouging allowed.

Let me make this clear beforehand: the greenhouse subsidy won't be paid in cash; it will be used to offset agricultural input costs. Don't even think about pocketing it.

The third category is credit support.

Chang Gui speaks very quickly:

"Affected farmers can apply for low-interest disaster relief loans of up to 30,000 yuan, with the government subsidizing half of the interest and a three-year grace period for repayment. Individual households and growers will have some taxes and fees reduced, and the government will provide government-priced building materials for rebuilding houses."

After reading it, he looked up at the crowd:

"The policy is good, but there are only a few slots. After allocating them across the town, our village only gets three housing subsidies and five greenhouse subsidies. Registration is today, and this afternoon Accountant Xu and I will go door-to-door to verify. Anyone who falsifies information will be disqualified!"

He pointed to Lin Chen in the corner:

"Lin Chen is here today to oversee the process, ensuring fairness and impartiality. Those who are truly facing difficulties will not be overlooked, so those trying to find loopholes should not bother."

Lin Chen nodded slightly, but remained silent.

The villagers below became even more cunning, and everyone was thinking about how to get some benefits out of them.

Less than ten minutes after the meeting ended, three people entered the village office one after another: Liu Neng, Xie Guangkun, and Zhao Si, each more enthusiastic than the last.

Liu Neng was the first to rush in, grinning slyly:

"Changgui, Xiaochen, I'm applying for the housing compensation!"

"Half of the wall of my chicken coop in the backyard collapsed, killing twelve laying hens. The loss is just too...too great! Isn't this like a snowstorm causing a house to collapse? Give me a spot! If that's not possible, a greenhouse subsidy will do; my chicken coop has a roof, so it counts as a greenhouse!"

Lin Chen glanced at him, showing no mercy:

"Uncle Neng, stop talking nonsense. Your chicken coop was crooked last year. The wooden sticks supporting it were not even as thick as a walking stick. It was about to collapse. It's an old and dilapidated thing. Don't blame it on the snow disaster."

"The policy is clearly stated: it only subsidizes the main house where people live. If a chicken coop counts as housing, then does that mean your pigsty or storage shed would also be considered disaster relief? The government is building houses for people; wouldn't that be laughable if word got out?"

Lin Chen spoke bluntly, but he provided a way out. He picked up the documents on Chang Gui's desk and said:

"You should honestly report the chickens you killed... the livestock subsidy. That's the proper way. Stop trying to take advantage of others."

Liu Neng smacked his lips and stammered:

"I...I was just thinking that since we've been affected by the disaster, I'd like to get as much help as possible..."

"What's meant to be yours will be yours, and what's not, don't be greedy." Lin Chen showed no mercy.

Liu Neng was speechless for a moment, scratched his head, gave an awkward laugh, and stood there motionless.

Next up was Xie Guangkun, brimming with confidence, who shouted as he entered:

"I'll apply for the housing compensation!"

"The back wall of my orchard's caretaker's hut has a huge crack; it will collapse if it snows again. I must be given a spot! Also, my orchard's yield has decreased by 70%, so I'm suffering the biggest losses!"

Lin Chen looked at him:

"Uncle Guangkun, Yongqiang's caretaker's hut is probably just full of orchard tools right now. Is that what you call housing? How many houses in our village have collapsed? Don't say I'm not taking care of you. If you dare to move in and stay for three nights tonight, I'll sign you up."

"Besides, the greenhouse subsidy is for those who cover the greenhouse. Your fruit trees are growing in the open, why are you getting involved? Fruit trees have their own policies: free pruning, half-price seedlings, and reduced or waived fees. You won't lose out on anything. Don't try to take all the benefits; there's no such thing as a fair system."

Xie Guangkun slapped his thigh in frustration:

"I've suffered a huge loss!"

"The whole village suffered losses, why are you an exception? Even if you're in real trouble, you have to follow the policy. Don't steal someone else's life-saving spot."

Xie Guangkun's face turned red with frustration, but he could only stare helplessly at Lin Chen, as he was no match for him.

The last one to enter was Zhao Si, his hands tucked into his sleeves, looking timid and hesitant.

"Um... um... Changgui, Xiaochen... I'll apply for the greenhouse subsidy."

His eyes darted around, and he whispered:

"My greenhouse collapsed, and the flower base... two acres of land were all affected."

Chang Gui, smoking nearby, said:

"Fourth brother, don't exaggerate. Your greenhouse doesn't have that many rooms. Even if you include the side paths outside, it wouldn't reach that many. Why would you overreport to make up the numbers when you're applying for subsidies?"

"This afternoon we'll take measurements on-site. If you report false information, your spot will be canceled, which is not worth the risk. Just report normally, and you'll receive all the subsidies you're entitled to. If you need money for expansion in the spring, I'll get you a low-interest loan from the village."

Zhao Si rubbed his hands together and smiled awkwardly:

"I was thinking the losses would be huge, so I figured if I reported more, I could get more compensation..."

"Penny wise, pound foolish; honest work, and you'll get your due."

"Yes, yes, I'm telling you the truth!" Zhao Si nodded quickly.

The three men stood inside, completely dejected; none of them had gotten anything out of it.

Lin Chen stood up and offered cigarettes to the three of them:

"I know everyone is having a hard time. Everyone lost money due to the snow disaster and wants to make up for their losses, but there are limited slots available, so they have to be given to families who are really struggling."

"The three slots for the collapsed houses have already been allocated. All three houses have collapsed and are uninhabitable. You all know who they are. They are truly in dire need. We can't use the life-saving subsidies to repair chicken coops or caregiver sheds, can we? That's not fair."

The three men, smoking, nodded.

He then reassured the three of them:

"You all accept the losses. You can receive the livestock breeding subsidies and enjoy the fruit tree policies that apply to you. If you want to resume production in the spring, go to Accountant Xu's office to register for a loan. The village will help you with the procedures."

Lin Chen added another sentence to Zhao Si:

"Rebuild greenhouses in clusters as much as possible. The town provides strong support for clustered projects, with high subsidies and fast approval, which is much more cost-effective than working alone."

Zhao Si craned his neck and pulled up his pants:

"Well... well, Xiao Chen, I'll listen to you."

Several people came out of the office and squatted in a sheltered spot to smoke.

Liu Neng spoke first:

"It's all your fault, Guangkun! You started yelling as soon as you walked in. Didn't you see I hadn't even finished speaking? If you hadn't come, we might have actually managed to get a spot! Your fuss annoyed Lin Chen, and now we have no chance at all!"

"You're kidding me!"

Xie Guangkun's unconvinced rebuttal:

"Your chicken coop doesn't even count as a house; no one could get approval for it. Don't try to pin it on me!"

The two were arguing noisily, and Zhao Si took a puff of his cigarette:

"Stop arguing. At least I got a greenhouse subsidy, but you two have absolutely nothing."

Liu Neng curled his lip:

"You dare to talk about such a small amount of money? You're pathetic!"

"Even a small amount is still money. I'm thinking of taking out a loan to expand the flower nursery. The government will subsidize half of the interest, which seems like a good deal."

Xie Guangkun wiped his Nike-clad hair and stubbornly said:

"I'm not taking out a loan; the interest is just a waste of money. My fruit trees are getting half-price resaplings, so it's a good deal!"

After hearing Zhao Si's words, Liu Neng also muttered to himself:

"How about... I think about raising more chickens next spring? Taking out a loan wouldn't be out of the question..."

"Your chickens will all die of disease!"

"...Fuck you!"