Wang Xiaokang of Dawanglou Village hawks tourism on WeChat Moments
"The Dawanglou Crape Myrtle Planting Cooperative now has peonies, pomegranates, Ligustrum japonicum 'Howardii' balls, and tall-standard red photinia. The garden also offers photography, swings, fishing and other activities. During the National Day holiday, citizens from surrounding counties are welcome to come and buy plants and sightsee." October 1, the first day of the National Day Golden Week, Wang Xiaokang of Dawanglou Village, Huaidian Town, Shenqiu County, known as "Crape Myrtle Brother," started "hawking" on WeChat Moments.
At around 10 a.m., the first group of tourists really did arrive at the hundred-mu crape myrtle flower garden. Although there were only 3 tourists, Wang Xiaokang and several villagers at the hundred-mu flower garden still gave them a warm welcome.
"You're Wang Xiaokang?" After looking around for a while, one of the tourists, an older woman, asked.
"Yes, I'm Wang Xiaokang." Standing before the tourists, 1.78 m tall with gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, Wang Xiaokang was handsome and shy.
"The information, videos and pictures in your WeChat Moments are very real! Tell us how you came up with this idea?" the older woman asked with interest.
"When I graduated, I hesitated about whether to find a job or go out and try my luck, and my parents and relatives advised me too. I graduated from Henan University of Technology and could absolutely have found a decent job in the city. But when I saw targeted poverty alleviation being carried out in full swing in my hometown, and some poor households still had not found projects to escape poverty and get rich, after repeated thought I decided to use my advantages, such as knowledge and broad horizons, to open up a new world in my hometown." Wang Xiaokang sincerely explained his original intention of starting a business at home.
Wang Xiaokang acted as soon as he decided. He learned that American "three red" crape myrtles (Red Rocket, Red Fireball, and red-leaf tree crape myrtle) had a small market supply and sold at high prices, so in 2013 he registered and established the Shenqiu County Crape Myrtle Planting Cooperative, transferring more than 100 mu of land from 21 poor households in the village into his hands, mainly to grow "three red" crape myrtles.
Wang Xiaokang said that 21 poor households work at the cooperative, and each person earns 80 yuan to 100 yuan per day. In the first 9 months of this year, the Crape Myrtle Planting Cooperative has paid 430,000 yuan in wages to farmer members, an average of more than 20,000 yuan per household, and these poor households are expected to all take off their "poverty hats" by the end of the year.
"With products, we are not afraid of being unable to escape poverty. Next, we will also build a hotel and restaurant and put the tourist center into use." Talking about the cooperative's future, Wang Xiaokang was full of confidence.
At this point, the tourist woman said very excitedly: "Although your tourist attraction is very quiet, it is very warm. Because what you have in your heart is the poor households. We are from Linquan County, Anhui Province. My son and daughter-in-law are also university graduates, and they also want to do something in the countryside. Today we came to learn from you."