Young man quits civil service to become a farmer in Nanchong, earns 2 million yuan a year
On the morning of the 4th, when the reporter met Zhu Baigeng, he was holding a notebook and walking straight toward his fruit greenhouse. Looking at the large, plump fruits hanging on the branches, he could not help but beam with joy. When it comes to farming, Zhu Baigeng is a late starter. In 2001, he graduated from university and passed the civil service exam for Wanzhou District, Chongqing. His whole family was happy that he could leave the countryside, but he resigned in 2003 and eventually came to a remote mountain village in Yilong County to grow fruit.
Today, Zhu Baigeng's orchard has an annual income of more than 2 million yuan. He has also provided employment for more than 50 local surplus laborers and helped 5 registered poor households. Recently, Zhu Baigeng was recommended as a candidate for the activity “Youth Speaks for the Regional Central City · Searching for Good Youth Around Us in 2016.”
Quitting public office to become a farmer
Yesterday morning, the reporter drove to Zhu Baigeng's fruit greenhouse base. Entering the greenhouse, rows of fruit seedlings were neatly arranged, and the branches were covered with fruit, a truly spectacular sight. Inside the greenhouse, a young figure was busy at work; it was Zhu Baigeng. Wearing a T-shirt and casual pants, he looked gentle and refined, not at all like a farmer, but the pair of leather shoes covered in mud on his feet showed how many times he had walked in the fields. The 37-year-old Zhu Baigeng was born in an ordinary rural family in Wanzhou District, Chongqing, and both his parents were genuine farmers. Zhu Baigeng said, “My parents worked tirelessly to raise me, hoping I would get into university and make something of myself. In 1997, when he was admitted with excellent grades to the law department of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, his parents and relatives all thought he would leave the countryside from then on, have a respectable job, and stay far away from the life of facing the yellow earth with his back to the sky.
Zhu Baigeng was indeed walking the path his parents expected. In 2001, Zhu Baigeng graduated from university and passed the civil service exam for Wanzhou District, Chongqing. Unexpectedly, in 2003, he resolutely resigned and returned to his hometown to grow fruit. “Gold can also be grown from the soil!” Zhu Baigeng said. His parents were very disappointed with his decision. After several years of effort, Zhu Baigeng's planting base became somewhat well known locally.
In 2011, by chance, Zhu Baigeng met several fruit growers in Yilong County. They urged Zhu Baigeng to take his fruit dream, leave his hometown, leave his family behind, and come to a remote small mountain village in Yilong County.
Clearing barren hills, building pillars, constructing houses, building water pools…… At the end of 2011, the construction of Zhu Baigeng's fruit base in Yilong began.
Zhu Baigeng said that pruning, artificial pollination…… he personally attended to everything. “Pollination must be done in the evening when the flowers open until before the petals close in the early morning. I often stayed up late working, sometimes until four or five in the morning.”
Getting rich without forgetting to help neighbors
Zhu Baigeng said that starting in 2014, his fruit base began to show profits, and his entire park had an annual income of more than 2 million yuan.
While starting his own business and becoming wealthy, Zhu Baigeng did not forget to help the villagers around the planting base get rich together. Zhu Baigeng said that as the planting base has developed to today, he certainly could not manage it all alone. Every year he hires nearby villagers to help with care, fertilization, and fruit harvesting. The annual employment is more than 50 people, which has solved employment for some surplus laborers. He also provides jobs for some disadvantaged families and families with disabled members. At the same time, he also pairs up to help 5 registered poor households each year.
The 56-year-old villager Zhou Fuqiong's husband is physically disabled, and the whole family relied on her alone to farm and make a living. In 2013, after Zhu Baigeng learned about Zhou Fuqiong's family situation from village officials, he took the initiative to find Zhou Fuqiong and specially arranged for her to work at the base, earning more than 1,200 yuan a month. Speaking of this, Zhou Fuqiong felt endless gratitude. “By working at the base for a year, I can not only earn money to support the family, but also take good care of my husband and family.”
Zhu Baigeng said that today, Nanchong (Weibo) is his second hometown. Since he came alone to Yilong 5 years ago, he has formed an indissoluble bond with Nanchong. Now he has not only put down roots in Nanchong, but will also persist in starting businesses in Yilong County. “Next, on the current basis, I will introduce more tropical fruits and build flower-tree trails, a flower sea area, a leisure area, and so on. Although this road is still very long, I will keep walking it.”