College graduate returns home to grow grapes in Yilong County, Nanchong, Sichuan

Local residents pick grapes in the vineyard

Zhang Xiaolin picks grapes in the vineyard

As more and more college graduates set their sights on big cities, a college graduate in Yilong County, Nanchong City, Sichuan Province has turned his eyes to the vast countryside. Recently, a reporter visited Zhang Xiaolin's vineyard in Anxichao Village, Xinzheng Town. Looking out over the rows of grape trellises, clusters of ripe grapes made one's mouth water.

Several local residents were picking grapes in the vineyard. Resident Ms. Cai told the reporter: "The grapes they grow are juicy and taste good. For the past few years, my friends and I have driven here to pick them, and my family loves eating them too."

When the reporter first saw this thin, delicate-looking young man with glasses, he did not look like someone who would grow grapes. His name is Zhang Xiaolin, 27 years old, a native of Anxichao Village, Yilong County. After graduating from Southwest Petroleum University in 2011, he worked in Chengdu for a while, then resolutely chose to return to his hometown and grow grapes together with his parents.

Their vineyard, called "Sanyuan Tongxin Vineyard," is located by the bridgehead of Group 4, Anxichao Village, about 12 km from the new county seat of Yilong.

Zhang Xiaolin told the reporter: "I studied finance in school. After working in Chengdu for a while after graduation, I felt this was not the life I wanted, so I decided to return to my hometown to go into farming. At first, my parents strongly opposed the idea; they hoped I could have a stable, respectable job. Growing grapes requires a large investment, has a long cycle and slow returns, and startup funds were severely lacking. These were the things my parents worried about most."

Leaving the city and returning to the countryside left many villagers puzzled as well. Zhang Xiaolin worked on his parents every day, and they decided to support him with all the family's strength. They searched online, bought materials to study, and finally decided to invest 100,000 yuan in three-dimensional grape cultivation. From 2014, when they selected Hurricane grapes to plant, until now, watering, fertilizing, pruning... Zhang Xiaolin and his family have spent almost every day revolving around the vineyard, and there is always endless work to do.

In 2014, the vineyard had its first harvest. The grape yield reached about 3,000 jin per mu, and the income of 160,000 yuan satisfied Zhang Xiaolin greatly. In 2015, the income was 170,000 yuan. The decent income gave Zhang Xiaolin and his family great hope.

Zhang Xiaolin told the reporter that grape sales were especially good the year before last and last year. Many people from nearby counties and cities such as Langzhong, Peng'an, Yingshan and Nanbu drove to our vineyard to buy grapes, and many bought several boxes to bring to relatives and friends in places like Guangzhou and Chongqing. This year the grapes bore the most fruit and the yield was the highest, but the income was not the best. Because the extremely hot weather in July and August this year caused the well-growing grapes to split, and for a time no effective method could be found, many grapes dried on the vines. Their appearance was poor, so the income decreased accordingly. This year's grapes are mainly for local residents to pick, so they cannot be sold elsewhere. Watching this, our whole family has been very anxious. I was anxious inside, searching online for information every day and looking for solutions, but my mother cried several times in the vineyard.

"For this vineyard, my child has spent all his effort. He has gotten tanned, and his weight dropped from 120 jin to 100 jin. Our family invested more than 300,000 yuan over 3 years. This year, seeing the grapes bear especially well, our whole family was overjoyed, but who knew the grapes would start splitting in July. It hurts me to see my child, and it hurts me to see the split grapes too!" Zhang Xiaolin's mother told the reporter.

Zhang Xiaolin comforted his mother: "This is due to our poor management. Next year I will find a way to solve this problem, and once it is solved, things will be fine. Next year I want to switch to planting Muscat Hamburg grapes, learn management techniques well, and ask experts in this field for advice more often. I believe next year's harvest will be better."

Now, besides growing grapes, they also make their own wine. Zhang Xiaolin said: "Since I chose to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the city, then I should settle down in the countryside and run my own business well." He wants to make the vineyard bigger and stronger and turn it into an industry. Now it is still in the startup phase. Besides growing grapes, he also plans to raise free-range chickens and grow vegetables in the vineyard. In this way, the chickens can eat some of the insects and weeds during the grapes' growth, and they can also bring extra income, killing two birds with one stone. If conditions allow, he wants to apply for some loans to expand the vineyard and improve the surrounding environment.

Today, Zhang Xiaolin has become a college-graduate farmer with some renown in the village. After 3 years of development, the vineyard has expanded from more than 30 mu to more than 50 mu. The villagers who once did not understand him now give him a thumbs-up.

By returning home to start a business, Zhang Xiaolin can both accompany his parents and have a stable income. He is full of hope for his future life.