College graduate returns home to grow grapes, loses 10 kg from hard work, and finally finds his way
Although starting a business is very busy and tiring, he takes joy in it. Over the three years since starting his business, his customers have grown from none to many, from few to numerous, and he works hard, watering his "entrepreneurial dream" with the sweat of his brow.
As more and more university graduates set their sights on big cities, a university graduate in Yilong has set his sights on the vast world of the countryside and has reaped abundant rewards, which has become a well-known piece of local news.
Starting his own business: giving up city life to return home and grow grapes
On September 10, the reporter came to Zhang Xiaolin's vineyard in Anxichao Village, Xinzheng Town. Looking out, row after row of grape trellises were laden with clusters of ripe grapes that made one's mouth water, and several tourists were picking grapes and enjoying the pleasures of rural life. When the reporter first saw this thin, delicate-looking man wearing glasses, he did not seem like someone who would grow grapes. Zhang Xiaolin is 27 years old and a native of Anxichao Village, Xinzheng Town. After graduating from Southwest Petroleum University in 2011, he worked in Chengdu for a period of time, and finally resolutely chose to return to his hometown to grow grapes with his parents. His family's vineyard is called "Sanyuan Tongxin Vineyard" and is located by the bridge at the head of Group 4 of Anxichao Village, about 12 km from the new county seat of Yilong.
Zhang Xiaolin told the reporter: "I studied finance at school. After graduating, I worked in Chengdu for a period of time and felt that this was not the life I wanted. I wanted to return home to start a business and do my own cultivation. At first, my idea met with strong opposition from my parents. They worked hard to put me through university, hoping I could have a stable and respectable job. Growing grapes requires large investment, has a long cycle and slow returns, and startup funds were severely lacking. These were the things my parents worried about most."
However, Zhang Xiaolin had set his mind on the path of cultivation and worked on his parents every day, finally gaining their approval and getting the whole family to support him. After repeated weighing of the options, he decided to invest 100,000 yuan in three-dimensional grape cultivation. In 2014, the vineyard had its first harvest, with an output of about 1,500 kg per mu and returns reaching 160,000 yuan, which made him very satisfied. In 2015, income reached 170,000 yuan again, which made Zhang Xiaolin and his family even more hopeful about the future.
Grape splitting: losing 10 kg from exhaustion while looking for a solution
Zhang Xiaolin told the reporter that grape sales were especially good the year before last and last year. Many tourists from surrounding counties (cities) such as Langzhong, Peng'an, Yingshan and Nanbu drove to his family's vineyard to buy grapes, and some people bought many boxes to send to relatives and friends in places such as Guangzhou and Chongqing, and his family's grapes became more and more famous. This year, the grapes bore much more fruit than in previous years and the yield was very high, 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 he could not find an effective solution. Many grapes dried on the vines, the appearance was poor, and the returns decreased accordingly.
"This year the grapes we grew were mainly for picking by local residents, with very little sold elsewhere, but the grape splitting made our whole family very anxious. My mother cried several times in the vineyard. I searched for information online every day, wanting to find a solution as quickly as possible," Zhang Xiaolin told the reporter.
"For this vineyard, the child has spent all his efforts. He has gotten tanned, and his weight dropped from 60 kg to 50 kg. The family invested more than 300,000 yuan over 3 years. This year, seeing that the grapes bore especially well, we were all overjoyed. Who knew that starting in July the grapes began to split... Seeing the child exhausted beyond words breaks my heart; seeing the split grapes also breaks my heart!" said Zhang Xiaolin's mother, Tan Guangying. Zhang Xiaolin comforted her: "This was due to improper management on our part. Once this problem is solved, things will be fine. Next year, I want to switch to growing Muscat Hamburg grapes, learn more about management techniques and consult experts in this area more. I believe next year's harvest will be even better!"
Looking to the future: turning small grapes into a big industry
It is understood that at present, in addition to growing grapes, they also make their own wine. Zhang Xiaolin said: "Since I chose to stay away from the noise 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, and it is now in the initial stage. In addition to growing grapes, he also plans to raise free-range chickens and grow vegetables in the vineyard. Raising chickens can clear weeds, eliminate some pests during grape growth, and also bring in extra income, killing two birds with one stone. If conditions permit, he also wants to apply for some loans to expand the scale of the vineyard and improve the surrounding environment.
Today, Zhang Xiaolin has become a somewhat well-known "college-graduate farmer" in the village. After 3 years of development, his 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 as well.
Zhang Xiaolin said that his ability to return home and grow grapes is inseparable from the strong support of his wife, Zhao Cuirong. Zhao Cuirong is from Guangyuan. She and Zhang Xiaolin met at university. From meeting, to knowing each other, to falling in love, Zhao Cuirong ignored her parents' opposition and came with him to Anxichao Village, Xinzheng Town, and the two eventually entered the marriage hall. Now, the two already have a baby more than 1 year old.
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.