Changde man drives a Mercedes back to his village to start a snake-farming business, leading villagers to prosperity

Workers are feeding the snakes

Xu Wenxin holds a snake he raised with both hands, introducing the "three treasures" of the snake to the reporter

A true man of the mountains, he went from the mountains to the city to work, then returned from the city to the mountains to start a business, taking up snake farming and setting out on the road to prosperity.

In 2001, Xu Wenxin, who lives in Dongting Village, Fengjiapu Township, Hanshou County, was forced to go to the city to work. He wanted to earn some capital through working and then return home to start a business. "I carried bricks, hauled sandbags, ran a street stall, and also took on construction projects," Xu Wenxin said. During his time working away from home, he earned quite a bit of money, but he always missed his hometown and hoped to develop it. Then, by a chance opportunity, he succeeded in becoming an apprentice through his sincerity and set out on the path of snake farming.

Learning from a master, bringing a project home

"Without a good project, I wouldn't dare go home," Xu Wenxin said. The village where he lives is a hilly area with many mountains, little farmland and insufficient water. If he wanted to return to the village, he needed a good project.

Just as Xu Wenxin was keeping an eye out for projects, while still working in Cili County at the time, he was drawn to a publicity board titled "Entrepreneurial Models of Cili County." "One story, 'A Rural Woman Who Dares to Strive,' caught my attention. This rural woman was the local snake-farming specialist Kang Ying. In her early thirties, she had become a role model for young people through her own entrepreneurship, and snake farming was also very suitable for our village's development path." Xu Wenxin began to take action.

First contact Kang Ying, then become her apprentice, and finally return to the village to develop the business. This was Xu Wenxin's plan. "I found Kang Ying, who is now my master, through various channels," Xu Wenxin said. At first, Kang Ying did not agree, only asking him to look around first and learn about it.

"I never expected that a few words from me would lead Xu Wenxin to spend the following months traveling around to investigate and learn," Kang Ying said. Seeing that Xu Wenxin was truly determined to enter the snake-farming industry, she agreed to teach him.

Taking action immediately, results could be seen by the end of the year

After successfully becoming an apprentice, Xu Wenxin put aside the matters at hand and immediately rushed back to his hometown in Fengjiapu, Hanshou, to begin planning his snake farm. Since he had previously worked in the construction industry, he took on the role of snake shed designer himself, brought in his master Kang Ying as a shareholder, and made her the chief technical consultant. "Around May 1 last year, my snake shed was already built, and snake farming started from then."

The snake house rooms are equipped with air conditioning, humidifiers and ventilation equipment. For safety, each snake house has a half-meter-high threshold built of cement and is surrounded by a wall. Walking into the temperature-controlled snake house, the reporter saw that each snake shed is about 150 sq m. The entire snake shed is sealed, and even the window gaps are sealed with foam plastic. "First, to ensure safety and prevent the snakes from escaping; second, to keep them warm," Xu Wenxin explained.

Opening the door panel of the partition, snakes were moving around inside the enclosures. Xu Wenxin said he raises king rat snakes, which are non-venomous and grow relatively quickly. From hatching to sale, a snake's farming cycle is one and a half to two years, and it can grow to more than 1.5 kg. Counting feed, labor, water and electricity, the cost is about 130 yuan per snake, and at current market prices, a snake is expected to yield a net profit of more than 100 yuan.

Leading the way to prosperity, driving the village's common development

"There are great prospects for snake farming, and there is basically no worry about sales. Buyers mostly come to us on their own initiative." This year, the first batch of snakes Xu Wenxin raised has grown up, and they are expected to be sold by the end of the year.

"One person being rich doesn't count as being rich; only when everyone is rich is that true wealth." This is something Xu Wenxin often says, and it is not an empty promise. Xu Wenxin said he is now building a hatching base. By then, villagers will be able to buy snake eggs directly from him, and he will provide technical support.

"Now, inspired by me, my second elder brother is also building a snake-farming site, and it is expected that he can start raising snakes in June this year," Xu Wenxin said. He now raises a total of 8,000 snakes, providing employment for 15 people, which allows villagers to find work without leaving the village.

"By then, I will further expand the scale and get all the villagers involved so we can prosper together," Xu Wenxin said.

Seeking support to solve the road and electrical circuit problems at the hatching base

Speaking about the snake hatching base currently under construction, Xu Wenxin said that he worked hard to attract investment for this project from outside, that nearly 2 million yuan has already been invested, and that further investment is expected.

"Our hatching base is currently working overtime to speed up construction, hoping to put it into use before June, but the electrical circuit and the road in and out of the base are still difficult issues. We hope the relevant departments can help us solve this problem."

Xu Wenxin said that because snake farming requires a constant temperature of 28°C, electricity is a key factor, but the voltage in the whole village is relatively low. Sometimes they cannot even cook rice properly. If the temperature cannot be reached, it will affect the hatching of snake eggs, and snakes only lay eggs around June each year. Missing this period would mean a huge loss.

"I hope the power company can install a new circuit for us and specially add a transformer for the hatching base to ensure stable voltage at the base. At the same time, because the weather has been rainy all along, the road in and out of the base has also been severely damaged. I hope the higher-level departments can give us support," Xu Wenxin said.