Walking into Wushu Village, Ji Yang noticed that there had been some kind of change in the village.
Last time he was here, the villagers had a numbness to their expressions, but this time things were a bit different, as there was more smiling on everyone’s faces.
"Go tell the village head that Chief Ji is here."
Everyone greeted Ji Yang, and some even took his large bag to carry for him.
"Brother, you came?" Wu Mi rushed over as soon as she spotted him, not paying mind to anyone else as she latched onto Ji Yang’s arm. For more chapters visit novèlfire.net
The villagers all knew their relationship; they all wore smiles, and some even looked on with envy.
When they got inside Wu Mi’s home, all her family had returned.
The people of Wushu Village were grateful to Ji Yang. Since he had Wu Mi purchase their mountain goods, each family hadn’t seen dramatic changes, but change was definitely present.
After sitting down, Wu Mi quickly went to fetch hot water to wipe down Ji Yang’s body.
Having wiped his entire body with a towel, Ji Yang felt much more comfortable.
After sending Huang Yu and company to Shitou Village, Ji Yang came alone to Wushu Village.
By then, all the village officials had arrived, and they gathered together in the courtyard.
Ordinary people were cleared out, leaving only the leaders to discuss work matters.
Chief Wu Laofu smiled and said, "Chief Ji, is your visit this time about that new rural development project?"
Facing everyone’s gaze, Ji Yang spoke up, "Indeed, the county is taking this matter seriously and has allocated one million in funds specifically for this new rural development project."
Everyone was shocked.
They hardly had much money throughout the year, and such a sum coming from out of the blue really rocked them.
Wu Changshan exclaimed, "How could there be so much!"
Ji Yang replied, "The money might be a lot or not much depending on how you look at it. Since the project is starting with Wushu Village, we certainly want to make improvements to the village. The purpose of my visit is to discuss this matter with all of you."
"Chief Ji, just tell us what we should do."
Ji Yang said, "I’ve received news that the province might build a road through our Wushu Village in the next phase."
"A road, through here? How would they manage the gorge?"
Everyone naturally thought of the gorge first.
Ji Yang smiled and said, "After surveying, it turns out that constructing a road through Wushu Village is actually the shortest route, allowing for a quick connection to the neighboring province."
One official said, "Never mind the gorge, there’s still a mountain in the way to the neighboring province, and that won’t be easy to deal with."
Ji Yang explained, "That’s for the province to handle. First, they’ll build a bridge. The gorge will no longer be a problem. And about the mountain, it’s not that large. They might drill through it, creating a tunnel that goes straight through. Imagine, with one bridge and one tunnel, would the neighboring province still be far away?"
"That’s going to cost quite a bit."
"Starting the road from elsewhere comes with many problems of its own, not to mention that the costs aren’t any lower, and the distance would be far greater, requiring many detours. Thus, going through here offers the best value for money. Anyway, we don’t have to worry about it; this road is pretty much a done deal. Once it’s through our village, we won’t be an isolated place anymore. Don’t you all think so?"
Chief Wu Laofu excitedly said, "This is truly wonderful. Honestly, when I was younger, crossing that gorge wasn’t a problem, but now as I get older, even attending meetings is hard. I’ve been considering stepping down and letting the younger generation take over. Our village has been isolated by a mountain and a gorge, but if there was a road, it would be too good to be true."
Wu Laofu spoke with tears in his eyes.
Ji Yang said, "This shows the care and support the Party and government have for us. Things are starting to look up. The decision by the county to develop a new rural area marks the beginning of change."
Wu Changshan asked, "You mentioned the new rural area, but we still don’t quite understand what it actually entails. Can you explain it to us?"
Ji Yang explained, "The new rural area involves updating the economic, political, cultural, and social aspects of the countryside according to the requirements of the new era. The goal is to turn our rural areas into new socialist villages that are economically prosperous, well-facilitated, environmentally beautiful, and culturally harmonious."
Seeing that they were still somewhat confused, Ji Yang continued, "First off, it’s about liberating productivity, which realistically means ensuring a comfortable life for everyone. We need to develop some industries to bring prosperity. Then, we’ll transform our village so that everyone has a comfortable place to live. Third, as life improves, the overall quality of various aspects will rise. Streets will be clean, the village’s appearance will drastically improve, and everyone will be democratically managed. Issues concerning income, healthcare, elderly care, education, and other aspects must be addressed."
After hearing this, the group was amazed. Someone said, "This is like city life!"
"Our lives will be better than those in the city. When the time comes, you’ll have impressive incomes, live in spacious and bright houses, drive cars purchased by your own families, and participate in various activities organized by the village. Progress will be made step by step in every aspect. This matter is one of the reasons I came here. Your village is the county’s pilot village, and I hope everyone will support my work."
Laughing at his words, one of the officials said, "With such good things in store, who wouldn’t support you? Whatever you suggest, we’ll support to the fullest!" The village officials expressed their support one after another.