Chapter 316: Belongs to Our Times
Maybe it's because of Song Renjie's influence, but also because of the side effects of his own ability.
Zhang Moxuan does have a compassionate heart in his heart now.
"Our Lady is not a good word. Netizens are scolding people with this. Song Renjie said.
"Because everyone is actually scolding the Holy Mother. Zhang Moxuan smiled absently: "The virgin is indeed very annoying." Pointing to this, saying that, it squirts people very well. But he didn't want to do anything. Just like that environmental girl, she can be regarded as the virgin of the environmental protection world. β
"She shouts about environmental protection and green every day, but has she done anything environmentally friendly and green? Has she planted a tree in the desert? Has she implemented a low-carbon life into all aspects of her life? No, it's just talking. If she can be like you and your comrades-in-arms in the northwest, she can plant hundreds of thousands of acres of green forests. So don't say that she calls on everyone to go green every day. Even if she spits on the president of the world's largest power, I believe that many people will support her and applaud her. β
"There is always a difference between doing and not doing. Zhang Moxuan smiled: "So, I want to do something." β
Song Renjie was a little interested, he saw such an interesting person for the first time, and he asked, "Then what do you want to do?"
"I've been to a lot of places, countries that are at war, countries that are extremely poor. Those countries that have been eaten away by capital. When I was living in China, I was always unreasonable, and there were many things I didn't understand. After I went out, I realized that the cruelty of this world is far more cruel than that on the Internet and in the news broadcast. β
"I've seen countries where the land is fertile, but where food can't be grown. Obviously, their land is very fertile, and as long as they sow and plant, they can live a prosperous life. But most of the people in that country are struggling with poverty, with more than half of the population in a state of hunger and 10 percent of the population in a state of extreme hunger. I have seen a child who weighed less than three pounds because his mother had no nutrition when she was pregnant. β
Song Renjie frowned: "According to what you say, are the people in this country lazy and unwilling to farm, so there is not enough food?"
Zhang Moxuan sighed: "If I hadn't gone abroad, I would have the same idea as you." Because in our country, as long as you have hands and feet, as long as you are down-to-earth and willing to work, then you don't want to be rich and expensive, but at least it is not difficult to support your wife and children to ensure food and clothing. But after I went out, I realized that what happened in China, what we regarded as normal, is actually very abnormal in the whole world. β
"I thought they were lazy, so they didn't want to grow food. But after I really got to know the country, I realized how shallow my knowledge was. Modern agriculture is no longer what it does on costume television. Farmers cannot breed the seeds they buy, and all the seeds have to be purchased through seed companies. β
"Around the world, although there are many seed companies, if you look at them, you can see that most of them are subsidiaries of large conglomerates. It is not unusual for a seed group to have 7,200 subsidiaries worldwide. So it looks like there are a lot of options in the seed market. In reality, however, there are no more than three countries in the world that have the capacity to grow seeds for staple foods. Luckily, China has its own seed companies that can provide cheap seeds to Chinese farmers. β
"And in that country, if you want to farm, you have to buy high-priced grain from foreign companies. Buying high-priced seeds is just the beginning, because the seeds are not able to grow strong and produce full ears with traditional planting techniques. They have to use fertilizer, guess what?"
Song Renjie asked in a whisper: "Seed company?"
"Yes. The world's largest seed company is also the world's largest fertilizer company. Zhang Moxuan nodded: "Not only that, they are also the world's largest grain company, as well as a number of financial institutions in the world. β
"They sell high-priced seeds and fertilizers to farmers in these countries, but what if these farmers can't afford to buy them? But in order to ensure that the farmers have the money to return to the agency at the end of the year, they need a back-up guarantee, a guarantee from the grain company that buys the grain after the harvest. So the grain company stepped in. They promised to take care of the farmers' food. β
"But the price they gave to farmers was very low, and an industrial chain was formed. Seeds are sold, then fertilizers, and financial loans are provided at the same time, and finally the grain companies buy the grain at a low price. Among them, farmers have to pay high seed fees, fertilizer fees, and financial loans with low interest rates. I met a gentleman with a family of seventeen people who worked together on 500 acres of land. In order to pay off the annual bank loan, none of them dared to take a break. I get up before dawn to work, and I don't go home until dark. β
"It's such hard work, do you know how much income their entire family can earn in the end of a whole year's hard work?"
Listening to Zhang Moxuan's question, Song Renjie shook his head: "I don't know very well the income of these farmers abroad. β
Zhang Moxuan smiled silently, as if mocking: "This gentleman has a six-year-old child, and their family grows five hundred acres of wheat fields. But his six-year-old has never eaten a bite of pure white bread to this day. Most of what they can eat is brown bread mixed with other grains, and cheaper potatoes. They were to keep the wheat and sell it to grain companies for cash to repay the loans. β
"They don't even have the right to freely choose what they can cultivate. Because if the grain is not grown according to the requirements of the grain company, then the grain company does not sign a minimum guarantee agreement, and the farmer will not be able to get a loan. Without a loan, they can't get their planting plan for the next year. And one such super agricultural enterprise is reaping the small surplus of these farmers all over the world, leaving only a little leftovers for these farmers to eat. β
"And that's it, it's already good. Because the family is at least well fed, there are many girls in the village who want to marry in, because at least so that they don't starve, and eat black bread and potatoes, at least better than grass roots and bark. Because there are many farmers who are not even qualified to be exploited by agricultural companies. Ah, I lost my words, this is not called exploitation, this is called free trade in the Western idea of free trade. β
The ridicule on Zhang Moxuan's face became even stronger: "They did not force farmers to buy their seeds, nor did they force them to buy fertilizers, let alone force them to take loans with high interest rates and then sell grain to grain companies at low prices. All of this is a voluntary business practice of farmers. β
"This is the business of this era, the free trade of this era. Large corporations have the highest say. We are in China, China's third seed company in the world, and we are able to meet the domestic demand for seeds. We have one of the best fertilizer factories in the world, so we don't need to care about the high price of fertilizer abroad. The state grain depot purchases grain every year, and at least sets a bottom line for the price of staple grains, so as to prevent capital from frantically lowering prices. β
"I don't see all this in China, exploitation in the name of free trade. Of course, food is only one of them. There is also dumping in the name of free trade, mining and excavation that frantically destroys the local environment, and so on. So I have some compassion and I want to do something. β
Listening to Zhang Moxuan's words, Song Renjie lowered his head and thought, "Do you want to form a folk NGO?"
"Something like that. Zhang Moxuan nodded: "I want to help those who need help." Maybe I'm a little arrogant, a little self-conscious. It's like you want to defeat a land war for 4.07 million square kilometers of land in China that is at risk of desertification and soil erosion. You are saving people, saving people on the invisible front. β
"And I also want to save people, to save people in visible wars. As you said, each generation has its own responsibilities in every era. You have your responsibilities and I have mine. I want the world to be a fairer place, maybe I'm naΓ―ve, maybe I'm presumptuous, but I also want to give it a try and see where I can go. Because this is our time!"
Although Zhang Moxuan did not say a specific idea, his ambition moved Song Renjie a little.
Song Renjie immediately stood up: "Okay! If you want to change the world, let me know when you need help, and I will do my best to help you." β
Song Renjie stretched out his hand, and Zhang Moxuan held it: "You are the same." If you want to change China's land greening, as long as I can help, I will definitely help. β
"I'm abroad. β
"I'm in the country. β
Although they didn't say it explicitly, the two made a vow.
"I'm committed to making China cleaner and more full of vegetation. β
"I am committed to making the world more just and less exploitative of capital. β
"You work with me. β
"Because it's our time!"
Song Renjie and Zhang Moxuan looked at each other and smiled, and a great friendship was born in this tacit understanding of laughter.
PS: Ask for a ticket~!