Build a large-scale waterworks to guarantee agricultural irrigation in the demonstration area? Song Henian glanced at Zheng Fushou suspiciously, a little unpredictable about the other party's intentions, it is enough to ensure that there are deep wells for agricultural irrigation, why waste time and effort to build a waterworks? Could it be a change of method to make the Song family pay more?

After hesitating, he tentatively asked, "How long will it take to invest in a large waterworks?" How much money? ”

"In terms of funds, there is no need for Feicheng to bear the burden." Zheng Fushou gave the two of them a reassurance, and then continued: "The main thing is time, even if it is simple, it will take more than half a year to ......." ”

Half a year? Song Henian was stunned, wouldn't that affect the harvest of the year? In front of Hong Renshou, he didn't want to ask much, since he didn't want the Song family to pay, he had to let the other party toss.

Hong Renshou said with a smile: "The demonstration area settled in Feicheng is the blessing of the people of Feicheng, but if there is a need, although Mr. Zheng speaks, Feicheng will definitely help." ”

"The demonstration area settled in Feicheng is indeed a blessing for Feicheng." Zheng Fushou said with a smile: "But Lord Hong doesn't seem to really realize it, otherwise, he should have been in Shanghai at this time." ”

Hong Renshou was stunned for a moment, and then arched his hand and said, "Please also ask Mr. Zheng to give me a little bit." ”

"I can't talk about it." Zheng Fushou hurriedly returned the salute, and then said slowly: "Because of the demonstration area, Feicheng has been paid attention to by Yuanqi, and once the demonstration area is completed, it will inevitably attract gentry and businessmen from northern provinces to visit, which is a good opportunity." ”

Song Henian said tentatively: "Mr. Zheng refers to urban reconstruction? It seems that the urban renewal of the First Five-Year Plan is limited to ...... at the provincial and provincial levels. ”

Zheng Fushou said with a smile: "As far as I know, many officials from the northern provinces have rushed to Shanghai to lobby for urban reconstruction and transportation projects. ”

Hong Renshou was overjoyed when he heard this, and said with a smile on his face: "Mr. Zheng can really be said to wake up the person in his dream. ”

Returning to the Song Mansion, Song Henian specially set up a table of banquets to invite Zheng Fushou, after three rounds of wine and five flavors of food, he stopped his glass and said: "I don't know what kind of demonstration area you plan to build?" ”

After a slight sigh, Zheng Fushou said slowly: "The instructions of the big shopkeeper are to build a highly automated agricultural demonstration area, and try to use machines in all aspects of irrigation, ploughing, sowing, fertilization, pesticide, harvesting, threshing, etc., to achieve maximum automation. ”

After a pause, he continued: "This demonstration area can also be said to be a large-scale experimental area, and a large number of technical researchers from agricultural machinery factories and scientific researchers from the College of Agriculture will be stationed later to jointly study and explore the intensive large-scale agricultural development model and management model." ”

It seems that this demonstration area is far beyond his imagination, Song Henian is secretly happy in his heart, but it is not in vain that he spent 100,000 yuan to fight, and diligently filled the wine to the other party, he said: "In this way, the demonstration area is not an overnight thing, I don't know if this year's agricultural irrigation can be guaranteed?" ”

"The demonstration area is specially equipped with a machine drilling team, and Speaker Song only needs to ensure that the concrete products factory in Tai'an can provide enough concrete wells to continuously drill deep wells." Zheng Fushou said unhurriedly: "As for the demonstration area, we are also the first to build it, and we must gradually explore, so we plan to build ........ in pieces." ”

Hearing this, Song Henian's heart couldn't help but bloom, striving for the demonstration area to settle in the Song family, it can be said to be an extremely wise decision, not to mention that in the future, as long as the harvest can be guaranteed in the past few years of the great drought, the Song family is already worth thousands of dollars!

Shandong Provincial Capital, Jinan, Governor's Office.

In the signing room, Ding Baozhen's face was gloomy and he looked at the excerpts of the disaster report, and he knew that the drought would be serious after the beginning of spring, but he did not expect the situation to be so grim, and before March, the number of counties reported by the disaster had reached more than 60, almost double that of last year.

After reading the folds on the desk, he sighed lightly and said, "Great drought!" Report in detail, and ask for cash-for-work. ”

Listening to the cash-for-work, Xue Fubao hesitated before saying: "Last year's cash-for-work project, many of them were to widen the official road or open up a new official road, and the students were stupid, I don't know what Yuan Qi's intention is? ”

Ding Baozhen glanced at him and said: "Yuan Qixin has developed an internal combustion engine car, the speed can be comparable to that of a galloping horse, and it can last, widening and building new official roads, it should be to promote this kind of car." ”

Xue Fubao said casually: "No wonder Yuan Qi is so generous ....... donation. ”

Ji Huai said cautiously. Ding Baozhen glanced at him, "Although Yuan Qi has selfish intentions, this move is good for the victims, the local area, and the imperial court. After a pause, he continued: "Yuanqi's development of industry is detrimental to the interests of the local gentry, and the current disaster relief is inseparable from Yuanqi, so we must be cautious in our words and deeds to avoid other twists and turns." ”

Xue Fubao said with a sneering face: "The student understands. ”

"Tick ring" The crisp phone rang suddenly, and this kind of call that came in directly without reporting was only from the Prime Minister's Office and the Zhennan Palace, Ding Baozhen didn't dare to slack off, and picked up the microphone after the bell rang twice," ....... the Shandong Governor's Office. ”

Before he could report to his home, Gong Wang Yiyi's voice came from the microphone, "Zhihuang, what's the situation in Shandong?" ”

"Xiaguan is preparing to report that as many as 2 out of 60 counties in Shandong have been affected, and more than half of them are suffering from a very serious drought, and it is expected that there will be a major drought in the province this year."

There was silence in the microphone for a while before a voice came, "Zhili, Henan, Shanxi, Gansu and other provinces are all in serious drought, we must actively organize drought relief and assist the imperial court and Yuanqi in disaster relief, in addition, we must not relax our ....... in organizing resettlement." ”

Still want to immigrate? Ding Baozhen's heart sank, and he hurriedly said tentatively: "The resettlement task of the disaster-stricken county last year has been completed....... ”

"The newly affected states and counties and the counties that are seriously affected must continue to resettle." Yi Yi said in a deep voice: "Don't just see this year, the sky is abnormal, the disaster may continue, transfer one more victim, reduce the pressure of relief, and immigration is also a national policy." ”

Ding Baozhen was shocked, "Continuous drought? ”

"If it weren't for the continuous large-scale drought, the imperial court and Yuan Qi would not have needed to make such a big move." Yi Yi said in a deep voice: "When the drought first appeared last year, Qin Tianjian had already predicted that this was a rare ........ of major drought. ”

A rare drought? Ding Baozhen's face suddenly turned a little pale, no wonder Yuan Qi would join forces with the imperial court to provide disaster relief so generously, no wonder the imperial court would support Yuan Qi despite the opposition of the gentry, it turned out to be because of this reason!

In the spring of the second year of Guangxu, a large-scale severe drought spread in the northern provinces, and more than 200 prefectures and counties in the five provinces of Zhili, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, and Gansu were in an emergency at the same time; according to last year's precedent, all the disaster-stricken prefectures and counties received the task of resettlement, and the scale of resettlement in the north began to expand, and a large number of immigrants began to move to the northeast, due north, northwest, southwest, and other border provinces in accordance with the established plan.

At the same time, a large number of infrastructure projects for work relief were also launched, the most eye-catching is the upgrading of official roads, various national roads, provincial roads, government roads, and county roads are upgraded almost at the same time, after all, this kind of project is the simplest and most worry-free, that is, the original official roads are greatly widened, and the design and planning are exempted.

Shanghai, Zhennan Wangfu, Changle Book House.

Yi Zhishu stood in front of a large map of northern highway traffic with a cigarette in his hand, and laid the northern highway transportation network in one fell swoop at the time of the catastrophe, which was also a helpless move for him.

For those who do not have the skills and the strength to do so, the most suitable infrastructure project is to build roads, and even if only dirt roads can be built at present, it is a good thing that the rudiments of the road transportation network can be laid.

Zhao Liewen, who was standing behind him, said softly: "Many prefectures and counties have complained about the upgrading of official roads, and it is really a ........ to blame the widening and new construction of official roads at all levels for being meaningless. ”

"Labor and money?" Yi Zhixiang smiled disapprerovingly, "Labor and money are not necessarily bad things, when there is an economic crisis and a catastrophe, it is a good thing to work people and lose money." ”

After a pause, he continued: "These roads may not be used now, but in ten, twenty, thirty or fifty years, when they will always be useful, besides, it is not a good thing to keep the victims fed and idle all day long. ”

"There is no one in the government and the opposition who can have such a long-term vision as the big shopkeeper." Zhao Liewen said tentatively: "Why don't you publish two articles in the newspaper.......?" ”

"I can't do it." Yi Zhizu waved his hand, "This is something that the imperial court should worry about, we can't worry about salty radishes." ”

Zhao Liewen smiled when he heard this, and immediately changed his words, "As the drought becomes more and more severe, there will be more and more states and counties affected by the disaster, and there will be more and more victims, and the existing cash-for-work project may not be able to accommodate so many victims, and the disaster will last for four years......." ”

"Huifu means that the southeast and southwest highways should also be started?" Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "Don't worry, delay it for another two months, wait for the summer when there is no rain, and after the drought deepens, there is no disaster in the south, and the terrain is not as flat as in the north, the road network must be planned in detail, and it also involves the purchase of fields and relocation, and it is not urgent to ......." ”

Before he finished speaking, Li Hongzhang and Yi Zhengxing came in together, and after the ceremony, Yi Zhengxing smiled and said: "Father, there is a call from Kunming, the Shilongba Hydropower Station has been completed the day before yesterday and the power supply has been officially started. As he spoke, he handed over a telegram.

"That's good news." Yi Zhifen smiled, took the telegram at the moment and looked closely, Shilongba Hydropower Station is only more than 30 kilometers away from Kunming, the establishment of the hydropower station of the Mantis River is the only drainage channel of Dianchi Lake, the slope is steep and rapid, the concentration drop is more than 30 meters, the most suitable to build a small hydropower station, three years ago, after the problem of long-distance power transmission was overcome, Yi Zhizhi chose to try to build a small hydropower station to accumulate experience, and finally chose Shilongba Hydropower Station.

The Shilongba Hydropower Station is small in scale, and two single 240K hydro-generator units have been installed to supply power to Kunming, which is 32 kilometers away from the station, with a 22,000-volt transmission line.

After reading the telegram, Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "The completion of the Shilongba hydropower station is of great significance for the promotion of electricity, compared with thermal power plants, the hydropower station has unparalleled advantages, clean, energy-saving, and more importantly, it has greatly reduced the price of electricity, which is worth vigorously promoting." Next, we will not only promote small hydropower plants, but also try to build large hydropower ........ ”

After a pause, he continued: "Let the technicians involved in the design and construction of the Shilongba hydropower station go to the north to inspect the ........ of building a large hydropower station on the Yellow River." ”

Building a large hydropower station on the Yellow River? Several people were taken aback by his idea, isn't this too whimsical? The Yellow River is not comparable to Dianchi Lake! Seeing that no one was silent, Zhao Liewen hesitated and said: "Big shopkeeper, the construction of a hydropower station is still in the exploration stage, is it ....... to build a hydropower station on the Yellow River?" ”

"Isn't it a bit of a risk?" "You have forgotten that the north is now facing a rare drought, and it may last for four years, and the water level may drop to the highest position in history, which is a rare opportunity to build a hydropower station," Yi said. ”

For Yi Zhi's contentment, several people do not agree, the northern drought on the Yellow River does not have a big impact, because Henan and Shandong are the lower reaches of the Yellow River, see Zhao Liewen silent, Li Hongzhang said: "The construction of hydropower stations on the Yellow River is not trivial, the reason why the Yellow River repeatedly bursts the embankment and floods, is that the flood peak is too large, and I hope the prince will think twice." ”

"It's only a matter of time before a hydropower station is built on the Yellow River, not only to generate electricity, but also to reduce the flooding caused by the Yellow River." Yi Zhizhi said slowly: "Let them carefully investigate and demonstrate the feasibility of building a large-scale hydropower station, it is good to be able to repair it under the existing technical conditions, and it is not reluctant to repair it, but it must be clearly proposed, and there is pressure to have motivation!" ”

It is not child's play to build a hydropower station on the Yellow River, which is easy to know contentment, but he also knows that it is absolutely possible to build a hydropower station on the Yellow River, and the Yanpanxia Hydropower Station, known as the "first pearl on the Yellow River", was built in the fifties and sixties of the 20th century, and the technology at that time may not be much stronger than now.

Hearing this, Zhao Liewen and the three of them all secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and Yi Zhengxing quickly changed the conversation and said: "Father, the scale of this migration is huge, and it may be the last large-scale immigration in my country, why not migrate to Alaska on a large scale?" ”

Yi Zhizhi glanced at him and said, "It's not that Alaska has been forgotten, but that large-scale immigration to Alaska is too expensive." ”

Too expensive? Yi Zhengxing obviously didn't believe this explanation, and couldn't help but glance at Zhao Liewen, Zhao Liewen pondered for a while, and then said tentatively: "The big shopkeeper plans to immigrate without money?" ”

Yi Zhixiang smiled and said, "I have sent people to Alaska to explore for mineral deposits. ”

Exploring mineral deposits? What do you mean? Zhao Liewen reacted very quickly, and immediately thought of the gold mine, and the only thing that could prompt spontaneous large-scale migration was the gold rush! He immediately said tentatively: "There are gold mines in Alaska? ”

"If nothing else, there should be." Yi Zhizhi said: "Gold mines are frequently discovered in western America, and western Alaska should also have them. ”