I Got Rich in Period Fiction
Chapter 518: Finally, it’s Outer Jiangnan

Chapter 518: Chapter 518: Finally, it’s Outer Jiangnan

"Although not everyone can afford a TV set, a typical family with both spouses working can still buy one if they tighten their belts a bit.

Especially now that it’s already 1986, dramas from Hong Kong and Taiwan are flooding into the inland like tidal waves.

Many catchy songs and classic TV series are created against this backdrop, in this era.

Even the base’s shop suddenly had many more postcards and celebrity stickers.

He Xuerong bought a lot of them too, and her stickers are the latest ones. Her originally neat pencil box used to contain a multiplication table, but now it’s plastered with big headshots of celebrities.

One after another, all natural beauties and handsome faces.

If there is going to be a TV tower at the base, then there must be a TV station.

Zhou Hai then proposed to transfer a cultural troupe that had its application for reassignment rejected recently to the base.

These people are all talented and versatile. They could not only take up jobs at the Cultural Palace but also at the TV station, and if they lacked any skills, they could go out for training.

As for the funding, Zhou Hai had his own way to secure it and would definitely not use any of the base’s research funds.

Zhou Hai is a very authoritative person. When he brought up this idea in the meeting, it seemed more like he was informing everyone, not asking for their opinions, and although He Xiuyu looked calm, he remained silent.

Later, he said to Qiao Qingyu, "... My thoughts were indeed narrow-minded. I was only focused on applying the outcomes of my research team’s work as soon as possible to maximize their utility. I assumed everyone shared the same aspirations as me, but today I’ve realized that I may have taken too much for granted."

That was where He Xiuyu felt a bit of melancholy.

He was well aware that all of Zhou Hai’s proposals struck a chord with the employees and were all good for them, so even though neither the Cultural Palace nor the TV tower was built yet, Zhou Hai’s prestige at the base soared instantly.

Now, there was no one who didn’t praise his good deeds.

The initial enthusiasm for the Cultural Palace waned a bit; what everyone was looking forward to the most now was to see the TV tower completed and to have their very own TV station, which would instantly improve the quality of life.

But He Xiuyu actually understood these matters better than anyone; he had wanted to do the same before and had even convinced Qiao Qingyu’s Agricultural Group, which she had established, to be placed under the Tenghai Research Base, so that they could save a considerable amount of money on logistics and use the profits from the Agricultural Group for research funds.

But now that such a man had come, also doing practical things, his practical things were, however, in another aspect.

He Xiuyu was even more aware that if he objected again this time, it might arouse public indignation.

Qiao Qingyu thought it was a big deal, so she just smiled and said, "If this was twenty or thirty years ago, I could understand. Back then, people only talked about dedication without expecting anything in return, only thinking about how much sweat and hardship they could endure to build up the country and strengthen it. The emphasis was on suffering first and enjoying life later. But times are changing, and people’s experiences and thoughts are different from the past. Nothing is constant. Building the nation and enjoying life are not contradictory. You don’t need to worry about these things; just leave it to Old Wei and the others..."

In any case, as long as no one dares to touch a single cent of your research funds, that would be enough.

As for the Cultural Palace TV Station, they could charge a reasonable fee once it begins operating.

Those people should be able to support themselves.

He Xiuyu laughed; he understood all the reasons and knew that many of these trends were inevitable.

He just felt a certain discomfort, and was just sharing it with Qiao Qingyu, before returning to whatever he needed to busy himself with.

After five years of relentless effort, the main crops in the land were mostly now high-yield seeds produced by Qiao Qingyu’s Space Laboratory.

Naturally, the grain yield could be said to have increased several times, suddenly or perhaps subtly.

The farmers discovered that rice and flour were no longer scarce commodities, and city dwellers also noticed that grain shops were sprouting up like mushrooms after rain.

As long as one had money, one could buy as much rice and flour as desired.

Furthermore, all types of coupons were completely abolished.

Wu Qianyun had quite a few various types of coupons, as did Qiao Qingyu; she even told her mother that they wouldn’t need coupons anymore, but like past antiques, they still had some collectible value, especially the ones that were short-lived and rare.

Even without collectible value, they could be left for the grown children to see what kind of coupons their parents used in the old days.

On one hand, that was the situation.

On the other hand, the most important thing was that this spring, the Barley Grass from Qiao Qingyu’s Space Device had been planted all over the sandy strips of West City.

For Qiao Qingyu, this was the first step of her plan successfully completed.

West City was fully greened and had completely bid farewell to the era of deserts.

Especially in summer, the Barley Grass spread to the horizon like an endless prairie; it was a sea of green.

The first planted Willow Woods had already grown over two meters tall and formed lines of scenic and sandbreak forests.

Whether it was on the hill slopes or in the valley bottoms, the once barren land was now green and wildflowers were abundant. The land was improved, and unknown plants quietly emerged from the grass, including edible wild vegetables and medicinal herbs.

Even low-lying areas had formed ponds of various sizes.

Standing outdoors, one no longer saw the desolation and flying sand but blue skies, white clouds, green waters, and lush mountains.

Now, calling it the Outer Jiangnan was truly well-deserved.

The next step was Gelle State in the neighboring province.

The desertification there was even more severe than the original Xichuan; of course, where it was completely desertified, it was left as is, planting Barley Grass and Willow Wood, and even sea buckthorn trees on the cultivatable lands. The large tracts of desert would become attractions once people’s lives improved, so not everything needed to be changed.

This time, Qiao Qingyu provided one hundred thousand kilograms of Barley Grass Seeds.

Gelle State was known for its poverty, and selling one hundred thousand kilograms of Barley Grass Seeds even at ten yuan per kilogram would cost over ten million yuan. However, if they were offered for free, Qiao Qingyu could not bear the costs either, as the seeds themselves, which were harvested by hand, were worth several hundred thousand yuan.

But Gelle State had a coal mine, so after negotiation, they exchanged coal for the Barley Grass Seeds.

For both parties, it was a win-win situation.

Little Chaoxuan was still young and breastfeeding. Qiao Qingyu couldn’t go on long journeys; she wasn’t so noble as to leave her child at home and disregard them for her career. Even though she had regained her memory, she knew the bitterness of growing up as an orphan.

Even He Xiuyu was the same, always finding time to care for the child.

When these two were home, Wu Qianyun had a relaxed time."