Returning to the 82 Mountain Village: An Encounter with the Journey to the West Film Crew at the Beg

The door was open, and inside, a middle-aged cadre in his forties, wearing a Zhongshan suit and glasses, was reading documents.

This is Deputy Director Liu, who is in charge of agriculture.

"Director Liu, are you busy?" Uncle Zhao knocked on the door frame with a smile on his face.

Deputy Director Liu looked up, adjusted his glasses, and recognized the person: "Oh, it's Old Zhao. Come in and sit down. And this is?" His gaze fell on Zhou Fangyuan.

"This is Zhou Fangyuan from our village, whom I mentioned to you on the phone. He's the young man who studied in the 'Journey to the West' TV series."

Uncle Zhao explained, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible pride.

"Hello, Director Liu." Zhou Fangyuan stepped forward, bowed slightly, and greeted him respectfully but not timidly.

"Sit down, sit down."

Deputy Director Liu pointed to the long wooden bench next to him, then walked out from behind his desk and sat down in the rattan chair opposite them, appearing rather casual.

"Old Zhao, it's about the medicinal herbs, isn't it? Tell me the details of the plan. Are you really planning to tamper with that barren hill behind the mountain?"

Uncle Zhao handed over Zhou Fangyuan's copy of the charter: "Director, please take a look at this first."

This is a preliminary idea that Fang Yazi came up with by combining his knowledge from outside with the actual situation in our village. We had a meeting in our village last night, and seven or eight households are willing to take the lead and give it a try.

Deputy Director Liu took it, put on his reading glasses, and examined it carefully. The office was quiet, with only the rustling of papers turning and the faint sound of an announcement from outside.

After reading it, he took off his glasses, rubbed his nose, and looked at Zhou Fangyuan: "This idea of ​​a 'minimum guarantee price' and a 'three-party framework' is quite interesting. It's more practical than just shouting for policy support and loans... but..."

He then changed the subject, "The key element here is the acquirer. Do you have a target in mind?"

Uncle Zhao picked up the conversation: "Director, this is the key reason why we came to ask for your support."

In our village, Old Wang has already led people up the mountain to start clearing the land, just to make a show of it.

But we were completely clueless about finding a buyer, and we didn't know anyone reliable. We were thinking, could we ask the commune to help us make a connection?

The commune has many acquaintances and connections. Could you or the relevant department help us contact the county medicinal materials company or our commune's medicinal materials station to act as a go-between?

We don't need their guarantees; we just need to organize a meeting to discuss our conditions and ideas openly with the acquiring party. Whether it works out or not, we'll be grateful to the commune!

This statement is very apt, highlighting both the village's determination to act and clearly outlining its request to the commune.

Moreover, by adopting a very humble attitude, Deputy Director Liu felt respected and did not feel much pressure.

Deputy Director Liu pondered, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of the rattan chair.

He nodded, but didn't rush to agree. Instead, he asked some more practical questions:

"What about seeds and technology? Are you confident? After clearing barren mountains, you may only see input and no output in the first year or two. Can you keep the public's emotions stable?"

Don't give up halfway through, that would be embarrassing.

Zhou Fangyuan then spoke, his voice clear and steady: "Director Liu, regarding the seeds, I contacted a Taoist priest at the Qingcheng Mountain Taoist temple who is proficient in medicinal herb cultivation. He can provide some seeds suitable for our local soil and water conditions."

As for technology, Aunt Liu in our village is an experienced farmer and also knows some medicinal herbs, so she can take the lead.

Additionally, if it's convenient for the commune, could you please introduce us to someone at the commune's agricultural technology station, or provide us with relevant technical materials from the regional agricultural research institute? We're willing to learn.

Deputy Director Liu looked at the young man with approval. He answered with neither arrogance nor servility, demonstrating that the young man had both external resources and internal strength, and had even proactively requested technical support. He seemed well-prepared and had a broad perspective.

Deputy Director Liu nodded, his expression becoming more serious: "The preparations are quite thorough."

He then changed the subject, adding a hint of testing and reminder, "However, does Xiaoshi Village next door know that you Qingshi Village are doing this?"

In the area behind the mountain, the ridgeline is not very distinct in some places, and there have been some minor conflicts in the past due to logging and firewood cutting.

"You're clearing land and planting things on such a large scale. What if you succeed and they get envious, or feel like you're encroaching on their territory? Won't that cause problems? Have you considered these potential issues?"

After he finished speaking, Zhou Fangyuan and Uncle Zhao exchanged a glance, both of them feeling a chill run down their spines.

Deputy Director Liu's words hit the nail on the head regarding a problem that they hadn't had time to think about in depth, but which was indeed very likely to occur!

Uncle Zhao was in a hurry to go to the commune in the morning, and Uncle Wang led people up the mountain, so they didn't have time to think about this.

Uncle Zhao reacted quickly and immediately took over the conversation, his attitude sincere: "Director, your reminder is very timely! We really need to take this matter seriously."

However, when we went up the mountain to determine the land parcels this morning, we did run into Captain Zhang and Old Li from Xiaoshi Village; they had also gone to the back mountain to take a look.

Deputy Director Liu raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? They went too? What did they say?"

Uncle Zhao briefly recounted Captain Zhang's half-joking remark and Old Li's observation of the land, concluding with:

"Director, we think this shows that our village is not the only one that has seen the potential in revitalizing barren mountains and developing sideline businesses."

If our Qingshi Village can take the lead with the support of the commune, gain some experience, and establish proper rules and regulations, it might become a positive example in the future.

Of course, the premise is that our first step must be guided by the commune, proceeding correctly and steadily, and taking all possible problems into account in advance.

These words cleverly transformed potential competition and boundary risks into a positive request to "pilot projects, explore experiences, and establish norms under the unified guidance and coordination of the commune."

They respectfully handed the responsibility for resolving the issue and taking the lead back to Deputy Director Liu, while once again earnestly requesting his support.

After listening, Deputy Director Liu leaned back slightly, his face showing a mixture of "I knew it" and "You guys understand."

He took a little longer to think. Zhou Fangyuan and Uncle Zhao were both on tenterhooks.

Finally, Deputy Director Liu slowly nodded, having made his decision:

"It's good that you thought of this and were honest about it. Okay, the commune can support you on this matter and help you coordinate. However..."

He sat up straight and his tone became serious: "First, the land parcels must be clearly defined to avoid causing new conflicts."

Secondly, the commune can help you make connections, but you need to keep them informed about specific matters, especially those related to neighboring villages.

Third, as I said before, control the scale, start with pilot programs, and absolutely do not let it affect the core business.

He got up and wrote out a letter of introduction, saying as he wrote, "Here's a letter of introduction for you. Go to the county medicinal materials company and talk to Deputy Director Wu."

"As for Xiaoshi Village... if you make progress in your negotiations and it really proves effective, the commune can consider stepping in to see if they can guide the effort and establish a joint village pilot program or something, to ensure the good thing is done well and avoid future troubles..."

Director Liu continued, his eyes shining, "But now, you should first solidify your own little plot of land."