Chapter 293

For over 1,000 acres of protected Eucommia forest, the state can provide a subsidy of about 100 yuan per acre each year, which is over 100,000 yuan in annual income. Of course, this money would be used to hire workers and buy fertilizer and pesticides, but this would also increase employment and stimulate the economy. After ten years or so, the local villagers would also begin to benefit.

Luo Ping continued, "At the end of this year, we will continue to collect Eucommia seeds for nursery cultivation. In the future, the Eucommia forests we create will become more and more numerous. Furthermore, some shade-loving herbal medicines can also be cultivated within the Eucommia forests, which is another source of income."

Luo Ping pointed to a large piece of hillside land nearby that had already been reclaimed: "It's this piece of land. This year, we have already sown some of the collected herbal medicine seeds, and next year we will plant the Eucommia seedlings on this land."

Chen Hongfu said happily, "That's great. Ye Zhugou Village will have three main industries in the future. Prosperity for Ye Zhugou is in sight."

The three main industries Chen Hongfu mentioned were, of course, special breeding, bamboo weaving, and the planting of medicinal herbs. Judging by the current situation, the development momentum of these three industries was quite good, and the results were relatively quick. Ye Zhugou Village's poverty alleviation and prosperity were indeed in sight.

Fang Youcai laughed, "Chen Shuji, Director Su, this is all thanks to you. If it weren't for your help, who knows when our Ye Zhugou would have been able to shake off poverty!"

Chen Hongfu said, "Youcai, Zhongfu, county leaders might come to Ye Zhugou in two days. You should prepare well and think about what to say to the leaders."

Fang Youcai asked, "Are leaders really coming?"

Chen Hongfu nodded, "Of course it's true. Would I lie to you?"

Zhao Zhongfu said, "It's fine if leaders come. With several professors here, our work is solid. I guarantee the leaders will be happy when they see it."

Chen Hongfu laughed, "That's good. Anyway, I'm quite satisfied with what I saw at the breeding farm and the seedling base today."

Fang Youcai said, "Chen Shuji, I have another idea. If the leaders come, they will definitely be happy when they see it."

Chen Hongfu was very interested: "What idea? Tell me about it?"

Fang Youcai said, "Speaking of which, this idea was actually proposed by Director Su. He once said that once Ye Zhugou's economy develops, spiritual civilization construction must keep up. He suggested we set up a reading room. We village cadres discussed it and wanted to set up a reading room as he suggested."

Chen Hongfu's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea. How far has it progressed?"

Fang Youcai said, "We plan to build a large room next to the village committee office specifically for the reading room in the future. However, we have already bought some books and put them in the conference room, using the conference room as a temporary reading room. When the new room is built, we will move the books there."

Chen Hongfu said happily, "This idea is excellent. I am truly surprised that you could have such an idea."

Zhao Zhongfu laughed, "This was also inspired by Director Su and the professors. Weren't we hardworking before? We worked just as hard before, but why couldn't we shake off poverty? Why did Director Su's one idea and the professors' guidance allow us to shake off poverty? In the end, it's the power of knowledge!"

Fang Youcai was filled with emotion: "Our generation doesn't have much education, so we've been poor our whole lives. We can't let our next generation be poor again, so we must let them read more books, learn more culture, and gain more knowledge so they can live a good life in the future."

Chen Hongfu said excitedly, "Let's go, I want to see what books you've bought."

Several people went to the village committee office together. Sure enough, the conference room door was open. Chen Hongfu and Su Xinghui hadn't noticed when they arrived earlier that there were people reading inside, both children and adults.

Against the wall, there was a row of bookshelves. Uniquely, these bookshelves were woven from bamboo, which was using local materials and could also save money.

Most of these bookshelves were still empty, with books on only two or three of them. Su Xinghui walked to a bookshelf and took down a book about breeding techniques. He took another one, a book about planting techniques. It seemed this bookshelf was all about agricultural techniques.

On another bookshelf, there were some newspapers and magazines, all of which seemed to be newly ordered this year: "Youth Digest," "Novel Monthly," "October," "Harvest," and so on.

There was another bookshelf with miscellaneous books: novels, celebrity biographies, history, geography, and cultural books. Some were even old books.

Su Xinghui couldn't help but ask, "Branch Secretary Fang, where did these old books come from?"

Fang Youcai said, "They were brought by Xia Zhu and others who have attended middle school, saying they wanted everyone to be able to see these books. I figured, whether they are new or old, reading is always good."