A man in his seventies has guarded and greened the mountain for 8 years, building an ideal orchard kingdom
In Dayinjia Village, Dazeshan Town, the elderly Wang Qingbao guards his own orchard, "Fengze Garden." Of the more than 80 mu of orchard, 30 mu are planted with grapes, along with cherries, walnuts, apricots, peaches and more. Grandpa Wang is 71 this year and has been growing grapes for 8 years. His story of "greening the mountain" and building an orchard has gradually become well known.
Photo: Grandpa Wang has just picked a bunch of Muscat Hamburg grapes from the trellis
Photo: Grapes in the vineyard are covered with fruit bags
More than 10 varieties of grapes are grown here, mainly Golden Finger, Muscat Hamburg, Zeshan No. 1, Kyoho, Longan and others. Grandpa Wang enthusiastically picked a bunch of Muscat Hamburg grapes for everyone to taste. The fully ripe grapes are purple, full of juice and sweet, with a fresh rose fragrance. In his vineyard, every bunch of grapes is covered with a fruit bag, and nets are placed around the trellises to prevent birds from stealing a bite. It is clearly carefully tended. The grapes are all organic, cultivated by Grandpa Wang himself, with no pesticides or chemical fertilizers, completely in line with organic green food cultivation standards. When the grapes come on the market, there is no need to sell them at the market; the high-quality grapes are ordered out in advance every year.
When he was in his sixties, the old man used his savings to contract barren mountain land. He had an idea: to protect the barren mountain well, plant crops, do good greening work and conserve soil and water. In order to provide irrigation water for the orchard, he also invested 500,000 yuan to build a small pond halfway up the mountain. The water used to irrigate the orchard every day comes from this pond. The pond water is a treasure; it is mountain spring water gathered from the mountain that benefits crop growth. Irrigating from top to bottom along the mountain's slope also saves a lot of labor.
Photo: To make irrigation easier, Grandpa Wang paid to build a water-retaining pond
From the foot of the mountain all the way up, there is a flat concrete road, which the old man funded himself to build. Over the years, the income from growing grapes has been reinvested in the orchard's construction. Paying for road repairs himself and buying irrigation equipment, Grandpa Wang said cheerfully: "I tend the orchard, and when I make money I keep improving it. I've invested quite a lot and haven't really calculated the expenses. Having work to do every day, being busy makes my heart feel at ease. I'm 70, and my body is still strong."
The wasteland reclaimed across the whole mountain is now lush and green as far as the eye can see. Summers are hot, and the old man works until his back is soaked with sweat every day. He wipes his sweat with a towel, then continues busily with a smile, never tiring of it. The orchard has become his "ideal kingdom," built day by day, guarded and looked forward to. The mission of greening the mountain is his whole pursuit. Someone asked him, since his son is already married and established, why not stay home and enjoy his later years? But Grandpa Wang just wants to protect the mountain and green it. Helping the village guard the mountain and green the environment is also his way of giving back to Dazeshan.
Photo: Carrying the mission of greening the mountain, Grandpa Wang tends the orchard with care
In Chinese Farmers in Action, there is a chapter reporting on the deeds of the elderly Wang Qingbao. The title "New Era Foolish Old Man" shows the author's deep respect for the old man, who uses broad-minded sentiment and persistent spirit to be a pioneer and reformer in agriculture, boosting the Dazeshan grape industry and fulfilling the mission of greening the mountain. Thumbs up for the seventy-something old man.