Gourd Farm Chapter 43
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 43: Farming Subsidies
"One, two, three, let's go."
Yang Feng and Xia Ying loaded the prepared nutrient solution onto the tricycle and headed towards the greenhouse.
"Yang Feng, do you think we should start looking for wholesalers for our tomatoes when they're ready to sell? With this much produce, relying solely on the restaurant might not be enough. We might need to find supermarkets for wholesale distribution."
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that too these past few days. Relying solely on the restaurant might not be sufficient to consume such a large quantity."
"Right, we need to be strategic about it."
"Xia Ying, could you move that hose to the side for me? Make sure it doesn't crush the strawberries."
"Sure. Also, you need to water that area by your feet a bit more."
"Huh, why isn't the water coming out?"
As Yang Feng continued to water the soil, the flow from the hose suddenly stopped.
"I don't know. It was working fine just a moment ago."
Xia Ying was equally puzzled; the water had been flowing smoothly until now.
"Don't worry, let me take a look."
Following the hose, Yang Feng arrived at the small water pump. He lifted it and inspected it but found nothing wrong. After checking the wires, he realized that the battery of the electric bike had run out of power, explaining the issue.
"Yang Feng, the village head is calling for you."
A person riding a bicycle not far away shouted loudly. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a distant cousin from the village.
"Yang Feng, the village head asked me to come and tell you to go to the village office."
Yang Feng wondered, "What could the village head want with me?"
"I'm not sure about the details, but they want you to go now."
"Alright, I got it."
"Okay, I'll head back now. Remember to go right away."
"Got it."
Upon hearing that the village head wanted to speak with Yang Feng, Xia Ying took over and said, "You go ahead. We can't use the water pump right now anyway. I'll slowly water the plants with a ladle."
"Okay, then. I'll go check it out."
"Sure."
As he took a few steps away, Yang Feng turned back to remind Xia Ying.
"No need to rush, just take your time. It will be fine even if the battery is recharged later."
"I understand, go ahead quickly."
Yang Feng knew that Xia Ying wouldn't slack off while working. She always strived to do her best in everything. So, he didn't need to remind her. In case she worked too hard like a workaholic, it wasn't something urgent.
He jogged to the village office, and it was impressive how the country had improved the conditions of every village office building.
"Yang Feng, why are you here?"
A neighbor happened to be leaving the village office and greeted him.
"I came for something. Are you here for some business too?"
"Yeah, my daughter-in-law just gave birth, so I came to get a certificate."
"I see. Well, I'll go inside then."
...
As he entered the village office, he found the office of the village head.
"I told you before, your household registration is no longer here. If you want to transfer it back, you should come back first and see the situation."
"What? No time?"
"Well, I can't do much about it. You'll have to figure it out yourself."
As Yang Feng approached the village office, he could hear the village head talking on the phone with someone.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The door was closed, but Yang Feng gently knocked.
"Come in."
Upon entering, Yang Feng noticed that this was his first time in the village office since he returned to his hometown. Inside, he saw the village head wearing reading glasses, looking at some sort of list.
"Oh, Yang Feng, you're here. Please have a seat."
The village head set aside the A4 paper and poured himself a cup of tea.
"You see, these people now, back when they were buying houses, they cried and begged to transfer their household registration out of the village. Now, they've heard that having a rural household registration is beneficial for future demolitions, so they want to transfer it back. There's no such thing as a free lunch."
"Yeah, I heard in the news the other day that some celebrities, after making money and gaining fame, even changed their nationalities."
"Sigh, they're all a bunch of people who worship foreign cultures and forget about their own ancestors."
(Note: The term "changing nationalities" here likely refers to changing citizenship or nationalities rather than just altering one's ethnicity.)
Listening to the village chief's continuous chatter, Yang Feng quickly changed the subject, "Village chief, did you call me here for something specific?"
"Oh, right, I got carried away with all this talk. Aren't you the first one in the village to set up greenhouses for farming? Your current scale is eligible for a subsidy policy I'm planning to apply for."
"So, there are subsidies for farming now?"
"Absolutely, the country is placing great emphasis on rural development these days."
Yang Feng didn't expect that farming could come with subsidies. He had no prior experience in this area, and it seemed that the country had indeed become more prosperous.
"Oh, are there any requirements for this subsidy policy?"
"Basically, once you reach a certain scale and quantity, you qualify. And in the future, if you can expand and establish a farm, there's also support for entrepreneurship."
"That's great to hear."
"You can start by filling out this form, just follow the format and steps provided on it, and be careful."
"By the way, how's your greenhouse project going? I see you've set up three of them in a relatively short time."
"It's going well for now, but the production is increasing, and I haven't found a stable market yet."
"Yeah, that's indeed a challenge. It's not like farming at home, where you can just sell excess produce in the streets. With your current scale, you need a reliable market."
"I've been worried about it these days. I'm planning to visit the market soon to conduct some research."
"Wait, now that you mention it, I can officially propose it on behalf of the village and organize a promotion for your project. It's also part of the agricultural support program."
"Really?" Yang Feng was a bit surprised.
"Why not? It's not a big deal."
"Village Chief, you might not realize, but this is very important to me."
Yang Feng wasn't worried about the current production level; he planned to expand his operation after the Chinese New Year. With the village's support and promotion platform, gaining visibility would be much easier, and he wouldn't have to worry about finding a market.
"Don't get too excited just yet. Let me tell you, since this will be under the village's name, all your produce, whether vegetables or fruits, will have to undergo inspections. It's not like selling on the street where you can just talk your way through."
"I'm well aware of that, Village Chief. You can rest assured; my products will meet all the required standards."
"Oh, you're quite confident, aren't you?"
"Absolutely, I can guarantee one hundred percent quality for my products."
"Of course, I'm confident enough to give a one hundred percent guarantee for my products."
"Good! Our village needs more young, hard working entrepreneurs like you. With your spirit, we won't have to worry about poverty here."
The Village Chief looked at Yang Feng with admiration, impressed by his enthusiasm and determination.
Nowadays, it's rare to see young people in most villages. Those who remain are typically elderly residents, widows and widowers, or women taking care of their children.
Having served as the village chief for so many years, the village chief's greatest wish in life is to ensure that every villager lives a good life, and every household enjoys a better standard of living.
This is also why the village chief is so committed to supporting Yang Feng. There is an urgent need to find a direction for development in the village. Starting with a project like this is a positive step forward, as exploration is the key to progress.