stonecrandall Chapter 393: Facing the Challenge in the Wind and Rain
Chapter 393: Facing the Challenge in the Wind and Rain
While the farm stays and outdoor recreation projects in Cuigu Village are gradually getting on track and attracting more and more tourists, Wang Dashan dare not relax at all.
He knew very well that in the 1960s, a time when everything was in ruins but also full of opportunities, every step of development was like moving forward through a bush of thorns, and one could get into trouble if one was not careful.
That afternoon, the sun shone through the mottled leaves into the courtyard of the village committee. Wang Dashan sat in front of the slightly shabby desk with a frown on his face, flipping through a report on the village's recent income and expenditure in his hands.
The data on the report made him feel even more depressed. Although the farm stays and tourism projects brought in a certain amount of income, the investment in infrastructure construction, personnel training, and publicity and promotion was also quite huge, and the village’s funds were still very tight.
"Dashan, drink some water and take a rest. Don't exhaust yourself."
Aunt Sun, the village accountant, came in with a cup of steaming tea and said with concern.
Wang Dashan raised his head and forced a smile: "Aunt Sun, I'm fine. I'm just worried about the financial situation. The village needs money to develop, but our current income is far from enough."
Aunt Sun sighed and sat on the chair next to her: "Yes, it is not easy for our village to have the development it has today, but there is still a long way to go. However, Dashan, don't be too anxious, there are always more solutions than problems."
Wang Dashan nodded, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Aunt Sun, I'm wondering if we can expand some more income-generating channels. It's still a bit difficult to achieve the long-term development of the village with just what we have now."
Aunt Sun thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we look at the old crafts in the village? Like weaving and ironwork. Although fewer people are doing it now, maybe we can find new ways to make it."
Wang Dashan's eyes lit up: "Aunt Sun, this is a great idea! Why didn't I think of it? Our village used to be a famous craft village, and these old crafts can't just be lost. I'll gather all the old people who know these crafts and hold a meeting to discuss it."
Wang Dashan did what he said. He put down the report in his hand, stood up and walked out of the village committee, and went door to door to inform the elderly people who knew traditional skills.
After a while, more than a dozen elderly people came to the village committee one after another.
"Everyone, take a seat, old and young."
Wang Dashan greeted everyone enthusiastically, "I called everyone here today to discuss the development of our village. Now we rely on tourism and green agriculture, and our lives are better than before, but it is still not enough. Aunt Sun and I are thinking that the old skills in our village may come in handy. Everyone, please share your ideas."
An old man with gray hair, Uncle Li, was the first to speak: "Dashan, I can forge iron. I used to support my family with this skill. But now it's a different era, who still cares about these old things?"
Wang Dashan smiled and said, "Uncle Li, please don't say that. Although times have changed, some old skills still have a market. We can combine traditional blacksmithing skills with modern needs and perhaps make some popular products. For example, we can make some exquisite farm tools or distinctive decorations."
Another grandmother, Zhang, who can knit, also said: "Dashan, I have never lost my knitting skills, but with my hands, I can only knit a few objects a day, so how useful are they?"
Wang Dashan patiently explained, "Grandma Zhang, your craftsmanship is the treasure of our village. We can organize some young people to learn from you and expand the scale of production. Moreover, people in the city like these handmade things now. If we make the woven products more exquisite and package them well, we will definitely be able to sell them at a good price."
After a heated discussion, everyone gradually reached a consensus.
It was decided to set up a traditional handicraft cooperative, with Grandpa Li in charge of the blacksmithing group and Grandma Zhang in charge of the weaving group, and to organize young people in the village to learn skills and engage in production.
After the meeting, Wang Dashan took immediate action.
He first found several young and strong men in the village and mobilized them to learn blacksmithing skills.
"Erdan, Zhuzi, you two are both strong and healthy. Would you like to learn blacksmithing from Grandpa Li? This is an old craft in our village. If it can be passed down, it may bring new development opportunities to the village."
Wang Dashan said to the two young men.
Erdan scratched his head and said hesitantly, "Brother Dashan, this blacksmithing is hard and tiring. I'm afraid I can't bear it."
Wang Dashan patted Erdan on the shoulder and said, "Erdan, only those who endure hardships can become successful. Our village is now at a critical stage of development, and everyone has to contribute. Moreover, if you learn this craft, you will be able to make a living in the future."
Zhuzi also said, "Erdan, I think Dashan is right. We can't just think about the present, we have to consider the future of the village. I am willing to learn!"
Under the guidance of Zhuzi, Erdan also made up his mind: "Okay, Dashan, I'll learn!"
In this way, the blacksmithing group and the weaving group were officially established.
Uncle Li and Grandma Zhang taught the skills earnestly, and the young people also learned very hard.
However, in the process of developing traditional crafts, difficulties arose one after another.
The first problem is the procurement of raw materials. Blacksmithing requires a large amount of iron, and weaving requires various high-quality bamboos and cloths. However, these raw materials are not cheap and the supply is unstable.
In order to solve the raw material problem, Wang Dashan went to the county town in person.
He asked around and found several suppliers willing to cooperate with the village.
But during the negotiations with the supplier, Wang Dashan was somewhat embarrassed by the price offered by the other party.
"Boss, can you make it cheaper? Our village is a small business and we can't afford such a high price."
Wang Dashan said sincerely.
The supplier shook his head and said, "No, this is already the lowest price. Raw materials are in short supply right now. If it weren't for the fact that we are in long-term cooperation, I wouldn't be willing to give you this price."
Wang Dashan did not give up. He patiently introduced the village's development plan and prospects to the suppliers, hoping to impress them.
After some tough negotiations, the supplier finally agreed to make some concessions on the price.
After solving the raw material problem, new problems emerged.
Due to the lack of marketing experience, the sales of traditional handicraft products are not ideal.
Looking at the mountains of woven and iron products in the warehouse, Wang Dashan was extremely anxious.
"What can we do? We can't let everyone's hard work go to waste."
Wang Dashan paced back and forth in the village committee, talking to himself.
At this time, Aunt Liu, who was in charge of tourist reception, came in and saw Wang Dashan's anxious look. She asked, "Dashan, what's wrong? What problems have you encountered?"
Wang Dashan told Aunt Liu about the problem with product sales.
Aunt Liu thought for a moment and said, "Dashan, I have an idea. Don't we have a lot of tourists visiting the village? We can set up sales points at farmhouses and tourist attractions and display these products to tourists. Maybe they will be interested."
Wang Dashan's eyes lit up after hearing this: "Aunt Liu, your idea is great! Why didn't I think of it? We can also introduce the production process and cultural connotation of these products to tourists, so that they can better understand the traditional craftsmanship of our village."
Therefore, Wang Dashan immediately organized personnel to set up sales points in various farmhouses and tourist attractions.
At the same time, he also arranged some young people to serve as tour guides to introduce traditional handicraft products to tourists.
This trick really worked, and tourists showed great interest in these traditional handicraft products full of local flavor.
They all bought, and for a while, the sales point was bustling with activity.
"This woven basket is so beautiful. I want to take it back to my mother."
A young female tourist said.
"This blacksmith's farm tool is so exquisitely made, it's obviously handmade. I'll buy one to use as a decoration."
A middle-aged man also said.
Seeing that product sales were gradually improving, Wang Dashan finally felt relieved.
But he knew that this only solved the immediate problem and the village still faced many challenges in its development.
In the following days, Wang Dashan continued to pay attention to the development of the traditional handicraft industry while planning the cultural construction of the village.
He knows very well that the development of a village requires not only economic prosperity but also cultural support.
He organized the old and young people in the village to collect and organize the historical and cultural stories of Cui Gu Village, compiled them into a booklet, and gave them to tourists as souvenirs.
At the same time, he also plans to build a cultural square in the village and hold some traditional folk activities to allow tourists to better experience the cultural charm of Cuigu Village.
However, just when Wang Dashan was busy with the development of the village, a sudden natural disaster broke the peace of the village.
That summer, there was heavy rain that lasted for several days and nights.
The river water around Cui Gu Village rose rapidly, flooding large tracts of farmland and houses.
The green agricultural product planting base was not spared either. Many crops were washed away by the flood, and the villagers' year's hard work was destroyed.
Looking at the village ravaged by the flood, Wang Dashan's heart was filled with grief.
But he knew that he could not fall down at this moment, and he had to lead the villagers through this difficult time.
"Fellow villagers, although the flood destroyed our homes, it cannot destroy our will! We must cheer up and rebuild our homes!"
Wang Dashan stood in the village square and shouted loudly to the villagers affected by the disaster.
The villagers responded one after another. They wiped away their tears, picked up tools, and plunged into the intensive flood prevention, disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction work.
Wang Dashan personally led the rescue team to evacuate the affected people and rescue supplies during the flood.
During the flood prevention and disaster relief process, Wang Dashan was unfortunately hit in the leg by a fallen electric pole.
But he simply bandaged it and went back to work.
"Dashan, your leg is injured, just take a rest. We are here for you."
A villager said with heartache.
Wang Dashan shook his head: "I'm fine, this injury is nothing. Now is the time when the village needs me the most, I can't rest."
After several days and nights of hard work, the flood finally receded, and the village's disaster rescue work achieved a phased victory.
But Wang Dashan knew that the task of post-disaster reconstruction was even more arduous.
He began to run around to seek relief supplies and financial support from the government.
At the same time, he also organized villagers to carry out self-help production, replant crops, and repair damaged houses and infrastructure.
During this process, Wang Dashan encountered many difficulties and setbacks.
But he never gave up. With his firm belief and tenacious perseverance, he led the villagers out of their difficulties step by step.
As time went by, the post-disaster reconstruction work in Cui Gu Village was gradually completed, and the village regained its former vitality.
Wang Dashan looked at the newly renovated village in front of him, feeling filled with emotion.
He knows that the road ahead is still long, but as long as he has the support and trust of the villagers, he is confident that he can lead Cuigu Village towards a better tomorrow.