Chapter 306: Big Flower Pig Achieves Merit

In recent days, the positive momentum of the initial processing plant and sauerkraut factory at the 89th Forest Farm had significantly elevated the prestige of Li You, the farm's manager. Li You was not one to resist flattery; in Northeast dialect, he was easily swayed by praise.

With the forest bureau director visiting the farm for inspections and the local people overwhelmingly supporting him, Li You was feeling quite accomplished.

When Zhu Lao Wu rushed over in a panic to report, Li Xian feared that his stepfather might further antagonize the disaster relief team, which could negatively impact the entire farm's disaster relief funds. He quickly summoned Zhou Yong to drive him to Yinyang Village.

Yinyang Village was already a collection point for outsiders and the poor in the farm area. With many earth houses suffering severe damage from the hailstorm, the situation was dire.

Upon arrival, Li Xian saw Li You standing beside a house that had partially collapsed, with a thick wooden beam propped up diagonally against the back wall. The eaves were only about a foot off the ground, and Li You was arguing with some members of the disaster relief team who were there to assess the damage.

Surrounding them were people from the 89th Forest Farm, forming a crowd to support Li You. Some were even fanning the flames of the argument.

Seeing this, Li Xian pushed through the crowd and approached.

"You're talking nonsense! According to your standards, how many of us at the 89th Forest Farm would even qualify for reconstruction funds?"

In the crowd, Li You was angrily jumping up and down. Opposite him, several people in blue forest service uniforms looked impatient.

Grabbing Li You who was jumping up and down, he immediately asked, "Dad, what's going on?"

Li You, red-faced and enraged, pointed at the disaster relief team, "Damn it, they say it's a disaster investigation, but according to their standards, the subsidy for rebuilding houses must be for buildings that have completely collapsed."

Li Xian was somewhat puzzled.

Indeed, the recent hailstorm had been quite severe, with the biggest hailstones being the size of fists. Ordinary hail the size of egg yolks fell for five or six minutes, causing many brick house roofs to collapse and some mud-and-straw houses to collapse completely under the weight of the hail.

Because of this, the bureau had applied for disaster relief funds. If the houses hadn't collapsed, why go through all this trouble? The people didn't want trouble; they could repair it themselves.

Li Xian pointed to a house nearby with three collapsed sides, "Isn't this one collapsed? Is there any other explanation?"

Hearing this, Li You jumped up again, "My son, according to their standards, as long as one wall is still standing and the eaves aren't touching the ground, it's not considered collapsed!"

Li Xian found this reasoning strange.

He had seen disaster relief before; when he was a child in Bangye, there was a particularly heavy snowfall one year, causing extensive damage to rural areas around Bangye. When the county came for disaster relief, they were clearing snow at the school, and the standard for disaster relief was relatively lenient. Buildings that were somewhat deformed by the snow were categorized as dangerous and underwent full repairs.

After the snow disaster, the rural areas around Bangye had basically been rebuilt with new houses.

Was it possible that the standards for disaster relief had changed since then?

Li Xian thought for a moment and smiled slightly at the staff, "Comrades, the situation in the forest farm is indeed quite bad. Could you consider making some exceptions?"

"Who are you?" The leader of the disaster relief team frowned and asked.

"Oh, this is my father," Li Xian quickly pointed to Li You and smiled.

"Oh, so you're the young master of the farm manager," the leader sneered and glanced at Li You, "Well, exceptions could be made, but your father isn't managing well; people aren't doing their job properly. How can we make exceptions?"

Li Xian immediately sensed there was some trickery involved.

At that moment, Li You shouted loudly, "Son, tell them something. Just now, these bastards quoted a price for house repairs—one hundred yuan per reconstruction fund quota. The disaster just happened, and the common folks don't have money! The old men and women were so upset that they came to me. Son, you don't need to waste words with them. I've already said a lot, but these bastards only see money. They won't listen!"

Li You exposed the truth on the spot, and the surrounding people began to curse in anger. Facing the spittle from the crowd, the disaster relief team's expressions grew even darker.

Understanding the situation, Li Xian's mood also soured.

The forestry sector was undergoing reforms, and policies and personnel were chaotic. He had already learned this from his conversations with Xu Chaoyang. Now, the forestry system was full of mismanagement, and many things were being handled absurdly.

He hadn't expected that disaster relief work would be so unscrupulously manipulated.

Seeing the team leader, who had already collected the registration forms and seemed ready to leave, Li Xian extended his hand.

These people came from the headquarters, so he couldn't directly interfere. However, with over forty houses in the farm already categorized as dangerous, people were either living with relatives or temporarily staying in guesthouses. This situation couldn't continue.

"What are you doing?"

The staff were irritated by Li Xian's interference.

Li Xian looked at the partially collapsed house, with two walls down and the remaining two walls propped up by wooden beams, barely standing.

"According to your standards, the house must have the eaves touching the ground, right?" he asked the disaster relief team coldly.

"Yes, according to the document instructions, the standard for a collapsed house is that the eaves must touch the ground. If the eaves don't touch the ground, the application for reconstruction funds doesn't meet the criteria. I warn you, if you keep making a fuss, we will report this to the headquarters. I see that your farm's disaster report is problematic!"

Seeing the leader's arrogant attitude, Li Xian grinned.

"Well then, if it collapses now, won't it meet the criteria? The house is only propped up by a wooden beam. One kick and it's done!"

"Hmph," a female member of the team snorted at Li Xian's words, "Then you're causing deliberate damage, fraud, and falsification. You'll be criminally liable for violating regulations, do you understand?"

Oh?

Looking at the self-righteous disaster relief team, Li Xian was furious.

Damn it, nowadays you really need to make a scene to get things done? I just don't believe in this evil!

"Dad!"

Li Xian fixed his gaze on the team members and shouted loudly.

"What's up, son?" Li You, knowing his second son was about to explode, rushed over immediately.

"Go bring our Big Flower Pig here!"

"Alright!" Li You didn't ask why and readily agreed. In recent days, he had developed the habit—consult Li Xian for external matters, consult the old man for internal matters.

Following these two principles, the farm manager's job had become increasingly fulfilling.

Seeing this father-son duo working together, the disaster relief team was puzzled.

What were they planning to do? Were they going to kill a pig for a feast?

Before long, Big Flower Pig arrived at the scene with Li You.

In front of everyone, Li Xian pointed at the two wooden beams supporting the dangerous house and gave Big Flower Pig's rear a firm kick.

As a direct victim of the hailstorm, Big Flower Pig grunted and, with its tongue out, trotted toward the nearly collapsed earth wall.

The pig had weighed 200 pounds during the New Year. After a year of good food and care, it now weighed nearly 300 pounds.

When it ran on the open ground, its fat jiggled!

Crash!

With a grunt from Big Flower Pig and a cloud of dust, the already precarious house made a loud crash.

Clatter.

In the next moment, as the dust settled, the entire roof of the earth house, not just the eaves, was on the ground.

Amid the astonished looks of everyone, Li Xian pointed, "Collapsed! The eaves are on the ground."

On the side, Li You clapped his hands and also pointed to the pile of rubble, "Not man-made! Look, it's definitely not man-made!"