Song Tan's Notes

Secretary Zhu had actually considered this for a long time.

If the leader is indeed on an incognito visit, she will definitely give him a proper reception—after all, he is in the village and they did not try to hide their arrival. If she pretends not to know, she will overdo it.

But the problem is, the boss also made an appointment with Dr. Guo!
Thinking of the boxes and baskets of banners that Dr. Guo had received, even Secretary Zhu hesitated.

This is also the truth behind why she remained indifferent, neither asking nor reminding anyone about the time her boss would arrive.

But now that she has arrived and arrangements have been made, she should make an appearance and show her face.

How to brush?
now!

Wearing a simple white t-shirt, monogrammed cotton pants, and white sneakers, a look that embodies both rural charm and youth, Village Secretary Xiao Zhu walked and ate a piece of cold rice crust in his right hand, while his left elbow was slightly bent, holding a stainless steel bowl between his fingers.

In the basin were equally large chunks of crispy rice crust.

To be blunt and realistic, young female leaders are most afraid of sex scandals, but her natural and down-to-earth image now makes her seem completely unrelated to any scandals.

It's quite in sync with "the weird eater".

At that moment, she strolled over to Aunt Zhang Hong's door and happened to run into the leader who was standing at the open window of the wall, looking her over. When they looked at each other, their first reaction was to fall silent.

The leader knew that Secretary Zhu knew he was coming.

Xiao Zhu, the village secretary, also knew that the leaders knew she knew he was coming.

But some things, once exposed, become less pleasant!

The driver was even more bewildered.

Fortunately, we have the all-powerful Secretary Wang.

He greeted me warmly: "Secretary Zhu, you're still up so late?"

Party Secretary Xiao Zhu then realized, "It's not too late. Farm work in the countryside only ends an hour or two ago. I'll have a late-night snack—leader, want a piece?"

She handed the gleaming stainless steel basin forward.

Everyone:...

The driver was even more shocked when he saw the large chunks of crispy rice crust with its golden-brown exterior and snow-white interior.

He felt that the countryside he had come to today was quite different in style from the places he had visited in the past.

But as for what was different, this diligent driver really couldn't put his finger on it.

At this moment, all I could do was smile at the leader and ask, "Secretary Zhu seems to be integrating very well into the rural area!"

Village Party Secretary Xiao Zhu enthusiastically added, "Yunqiao Village has a good overall atmosphere, and the policies in all aspects are supportive. Plus, we eat well and rest well, so we're truly genuine country folk now!"

"Boss, come on over! We'll spread a layer of Aunt Zhang Hong's secret fermented bean curd on it later. The taste is so good that I won't even taste the old duck soup on the mountain today!"

She hinted, "I got it from Song Tan!"

Upon hearing this, Secretary Wang immediately reached out and took the bowl, then turned and handed it to the leader: "We came in a hurry and haven't eaten much. Why don't you take a piece to tide you over?"

While asking the question, he had already made his move, quickly and decisively grabbing the largest piece of rice crust on top, giving the leader no chance to refuse.

Despite appearing assertive, even the leader would sigh, "How can we possibly digest such a large piece?"

The driver puffed out his chest and said, "Thank goodness!"

He's a rough man; he can eat anything.

But while the leader was saying this, he took the bowl without hesitation. Secretary Wang, without hesitation, also picked out a rather large piece for herself and then handed the bowl to him.

The driver fell silent instantly.

what happened?

His last long vacation was half a year ago, but now he seems perfectly fine, yet suddenly he doesn't seem to have any chemistry with his boss.
This put his career in serious jeopardy, and when he received the piece of crispy rice, he didn't even feel like tasting it right away.

But when Secretary Zhu saw this, he was overjoyed.

He stepped forward and stood to the side, leading the way and explaining as he went:
“Rural courtyards are usually quite large. But Aunt Zhang Hong’s courtyard wasn’t this big before. After her business took off, she discussed with her brothers about giving the elderly couple more money for their retirement, so they enclosed the old woman’s courtyard, repaved it with concrete, and renovated it…”

"Otherwise, with business so good, we wouldn't even have room to set up shop at home just from picking and soaking beans..."

"There's also a separate courtyard here with a stone mill. They use traditional methods to grind tofu by hand, and now many people come here to take photos..."

"If you can wait, you can take away the homemade tofu and soy milk. Different items have different prices, which is very attractive to young people who love taking photos..."

The leader, holding a piece of crispy rice, resisted the urge to eat it, but listened attentively to what was being said before nodding in agreement.
"Not bad! The revenue generation methods are keeping up with the times, and they've done a good job in this aspect."

In the spacious courtyard, soybeans are now spread out everywhere, drying in the sun. Some are soaking in water, their skins wrinkled.

He examined each bucket carefully and found that this family was indeed thoughtful and meticulous in their work.

The soaked beans were not moldy or blackened; on the contrary, each bean was plump and yellowish in color.

Besides the taste, the consistent quality is probably another major highlight.

Party Secretary Xiao Zhu didn't take credit; he simply smiled and said:

“Isn’t Song Tan from the village a college graduate who returned to his hometown to start a business? And he created such a successful model. Although we don’t have the resources to expand our businesses to such a large scale, we have learned to listen to and think more about the ideas of young people.”

"The idea of ​​grinding tofu with a stone mill was just a casual suggestion from the young people who came to see the scenery."

"In addition, Aunt Zhang Hong is also very efficient. As soon as the Song family said that spring water could be used to soak beans and grind tofu, giving the villagers an opportunity to generate income, they went to learn the technique overnight."

"She's really motivated now! The village is also thinking about how methodical she is in doing things, and she's even helping the Song family prepare for the matchmaking event in the fall and winter—and now, with the women's director election next year, everyone's busy getting ready to vote..."

She chattered on and on about these trivial matters, while a group of people strolled leisurely around the courtyard without showing the slightest impatience.

Until Aunt Zhang Hong hurriedly returned from the convenience store:

“Secretary Zhu, why didn’t you call me? I just saw the message—you want fermented bean curd, right? Why don’t you just go into the kitchen and get some yourself? Don’t be so polite!”

Before she could finish speaking, she saw the same group of people who had bought water bottles from the convenience store earlier, and she paused in surprise:
"Oh, we have guests!"

He lamented, "I knew we couldn't let everyone leave home!"

She recognized the customer; he was probably someone who had bought tofu before. So she asked:

"What would you like to order? We have iced soy milk and iced tofu pudding. The tofu pudding comes in sweet and savory varieties..."

"If you buy fermented bean curd, it's hot, so you have to eat it as soon as you get home..."

He rattled off a string of sales pitches, selling everything he could in the house in one go, before Secretary Zhu could finally chime in:

"Auntie, please save a few jars of fermented bean curd for me. These are my friends. I'll come back to collect them when I leave tomorrow."

"As for iced soy milk..."

She turned to look at the leader, and paused:
"What shall we drink?" As she spoke, Aunt Zhang Hong hurriedly came out of the kitchen again, carrying a simple red-capped plastic bottle and a pair of chopsticks.

Before even getting close, the lid had already been unscrewed, and a large clump of fermented bean curd was forcefully scooped out with chopsticks.

"Come on, Secretary Zhu, let me spread all that crispy rice on your rice first! Oh my, you really know how to eat! Our whole family loves it like this..."

Party Secretary Xiao Zhu quickly stepped back slightly:

"Get it for my friend first..."

The country woman's enthusiasm was irresistible. Before the leader could even extend his hand, she had already grabbed his palm, her rough fingers gripping his wrist like iron clamps, and smeared fermented bean curd on it with smooth and even movements.

Before the driver could even react, the other party had already reached out to Secretary Wang...

When it was his turn, he suddenly snapped to attention and quickly said, "I can do it myself, I can do it myself!"

Meanwhile, Party Secretary Xiao Zhu added, "It's so late, I won't drink tofu pudding. Auntie, can you make me a cup of soy milk? I'll drink it as I walk—but don't make it too sweet!"

Aunt Zhang Hong then shoved the bottles of fermented bean curd into Driver Niu's hands, before turning and heading back into the house.
"Do you think I don't know you young people? You don't want too much sugar in anything. Don't worry, just a little bit of sweetness, it'll go perfectly with your crispy rice and fermented tofu!"

As for whether ice is good for health or not...

Oh dear! With temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius these days, people are sweating profusely even when standing in the air, so who cares about this?

Seeing this, the leader quickly chimed in, "I'm just like Secretary Zhu!"

Secretary Wang was no exception.

The driver, who had just spread the fermented bean curd evenly and had a half-empty bottle left in his hand with nowhere to put it, thought: ...

He'd like to join in too, so he ordered one as well.

The catering and hospitality in this rural area is really strange.

The leaders were chatting and waiting, and he couldn't very well bite into something while he was holding it, so he just stood there blankly.

Ah, this fermented bean curd smells really good.

……

Before long, the group strolled out of the courtyard.

Secretary Zhu still had that bowl of rice crusts tucked under his elbow, and he didn't return the half-empty bottle and chopsticks in Driver Niu's hand.

The person is holding a cup of iced soy milk—it's quite environmentally friendly, using the currently popular milk tea paper cup, which looks clean and classy!

For just 4 yuan a cup, it's universally praised online, and tourists consider it even better than Snow King Lemonade.

As a result, those who had tried it and those who hadn't engaged in several fierce online battles.

After speaking for a while, Secretary Zhu's mouth was dry, so he gulped down a big mouthful of water and then bit into the rice crust in his right hand with a crunch!
The rice crust is no longer crispy.

The thin outer starchy shell is even a little sticky when chewed, but it is precisely this slightly sweet rice grain that, combined with the spicy and mellow flavor of fermented bean curd, makes for a unique and enjoyable experience when savored carefully!
Didn't you see the driver's eyes widen as he took that bite?!
That's the charm of things from the Song family!
The same applies to leaders.

It's been a long time since I've had this food, and it's truly a treat! No wonder Secretary Zhu's face looks rounder than it did last year on Laba Festival.

It's clear that they've been cooking special meals for us quite often!

……

Little Zhu, the village secretary, had no idea that his face had become rounder.

Since coming to the countryside, she has changed to loose-fitting clothes and shoes, which fit her perfectly from head to toe. In the morning, she only needs to run her fingers through her hair to tie it up and wash her face with water, which is considered a sign of respect.

Nobody told her her face had gotten rounder!

At this moment, his round face, which looks slightly young, is full of a strong sense of ambition and dedication. When explaining the cause of the fire in the village, his pride is impossible to hide!

"...The family living in that remote corner went to learn from some agricultural students in the mountains. They learned the techniques and experience. The couple is hardworking and down-to-earth. Now they specialize in selling earthworm castings. The first time they sold through live streaming, their sales reached more than 60,000 yuan!"

The leader, not one to be ignorant or detached from reality, was genuinely quite shocked at this moment:

"The first transaction alone was over 60,000?"

In a place like Ningxia Province, which doesn't have any major pillar industries, let alone a first sale generating over 60,000 yuan in revenue—many rural people toil in the fields all year round and still can't earn 60,000 yuan!

"How much net profit can there be? How did you open up the sales channels for this business, and what about the costs?"

To be honest, there are countless roads in the countryside, but apart from large-scale garden and agricultural supplies businesses, no one would have thought that manure could also be sold!

Secretary Zhu suppressed his pride and then sighed in a mocking manner:

"I analyzed this approach later and even wrote a report, but it's very difficult to replicate."

"Firstly, raising earthworms to produce manure fertilizer requires some skill. Many people are reluctant to invest in this area, so we rely on the three agricultural students who work at Song Tan's home."

To put it bluntly, the agricultural students are young, sincere, and haven't been hurt by society yet. They don't know about the current business model that's all about saving every penny.

Their teacher-student relationship was extensive; they could get two points of experience from any question they asked, and they also had the very obedient Yunyun and her husband.

We have the advantage of both geographical location and popular support.

The most important factor, timing, can also be understood as sales channels.

As a top streamer, Qiao Qiao only sells her own products, which results in a very high level of fan loyalty and trust. When she promotes her products on one side, a whole bunch of fans flock to her channel.

Sixty thousand units is just insufficient for production capacity, not the limit for sales.

Despite this, the leader still felt somewhat emotional.

The success of many rural businesses is also unique and cannot be replicated—for example, the popularity of bamboo products in a certain area is due to the large bamboo forests there.

Fruits are selling like hotcakes in a certain area—the large temperature difference between day and night makes it easy for the fruit to develop sweetness.

Just as planting requires adapting to local conditions, so too does development.

Here, the fact that villagers can think of such a niche business as selling earthworm castings shows that their thinking is far from rigid.

No wonder Secretary Zhu is so motivated here; it must be not only because he eats and sleeps well, but also because of the villagers' cooperation!
The leader sighed, equally satisfied:

"The examples in this village are all very distinctive and have a strong local flavor. Just like this soy milk—"

If you replaced it with a soft plastic cup like those in breakfast shops, and it cost four yuan a cup, people might complain online about overcharging customers.

But if you switch to these nicely packaged milk tea paper cups, and hold a large cup in your hand, at 4 yuan, it's truly a fair price in the village and deserves high praise.

The leader felt the trip was worthwhile:
"Bring me that report when you have some free time."

Party Secretary Xiao Zhu: ...I had only written a simple outline before and used it as a report in the city.

But since the boss said so, even if he forgets it tomorrow, I'll work through the night to come up with a detailed and complete set of procedures! (End of Chapter)