Chapter 104: The Great Rural Plan, Continued (Part 4)

He Zhixing returned to Wuzhen and saw Su Mei. Over the past weeks, Su Mei had made considerable progress with the construction of rural roads; several villages already had new cement roads, and those that remained were halfway or partially completed. It seemed certain that within three months, the entire project would be finished.

In the government office, Su Mei brewed tea for He Zhixing and inquired about his experience in the provincial capital. He recounted his trip in brief, mentioning that two large supermarkets would soon open, with their official launch set for the twenty-fifth and a soft opening on the twenty-third.

Su Mei was delighted by the news and offered her congratulations. In public, their relationship was always that of colleagues, addressing each other by name. Privately, however, Su Mei took pride in this man, feeling ever more certain of the choice she had made to become one among his women—a decision she cherished.

Su Mei brought out some photographs of the completed rural roads for him to see. He Zhixing was pleased; although the cement roads leading to each village were not particularly wide, it was heartening to see the once rutted and muddy tracks transformed into clean, solid roads. He Zhixing remarked, “Not bad! As the town mayor, you’ve accomplished your first great deed for the people!”

Su Mei shot him a playful look. “You tease me. If you hadn’t suggested applying for the road funding, how would I have had the chance to do anything good for the villagers? The credit is mainly yours. You always have the townsfolk on your mind…”

He Zhixing replied with a laugh, “We both do. By the way, looking at the photos you took of the cement roads, I wonder if we could plant Windgreen saplings and Sugar Claw trees along both sides of the roads. The Windgreen trees bloom in white, pear-like blossoms at the end of winter and start of spring, and by summer, their branches are heavy with small green fruit that, once mature, can be pressed for oil used in medicinal balms. As for the Sugar Claw, it ripens from autumn through winter—you can eat or sell the fruit. It’s a unique local specialty with great potential in city markets.”

Su Mei asked, “Are these trees native to our area? Will it be difficult to find saplings?”

He Zhixing burst out laughing. “You’re underestimating Wuzhen! These two trees are everywhere—the hills, vegetable plots, and field edges are full of them. Just ask anyone who grew up here! If you’re not familiar with them, I’ll take you to see for yourself. Step out from the town hall and you’ll spot some growing right by the roadside and at the foot of the hills.”

“But will people be willing to plant them?” Su Mei wondered. “Who wants to put in the effort for something that brings little reward?”

He Zhixing patted her shoulder gently. “Hear me out. I plan to invest two million to create a green, scenic corridor along the roads. Planting these two species throughout the mountain roads serves both as beautification and as a practical resource. We can encourage villagers to cultivate them in the mountains, then partner with pharmaceutical companies to make use of these raw materials. For Sugar Claw fruit, it’s even simpler—we can sell directly to urban markets as a distinctive local delicacy.”

Su Mei couldn’t help but admire him, her respect for He Zhixing growing ever deeper. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re from another planet. I’d love to open up your mind to see how you come up with so many brilliant ideas—things we’d never have thought of, and yet they’re all actually feasible.”

He Zhixing smiled. “That’s not all. My vision is to make Wuzhen not just a hub for local specialties, but also a refined rural town that blends tourism and leisure. Beyond the green corridor of local products, we can encourage the opening of teahouses, music studios, wildflower bonsai shops, cake art studios, beauty salons, hairdressers, fashion and cosmetics boutiques, storytelling parlors, art galleries, chess clubs—a full array of tranquil, elegant, and culturally distinctive venues.”

Once again, Su Mei was astonished. Reflecting on what she knew of He Zhixing and his abilities, she realized that with him at the helm, perhaps these dreams truly could become reality.

At that moment, He Zhixing pulled out several photos from his collection of road construction images. “There’s something I haven’t mentioned yet: the road from Wuzhen to the county town. I want to reroute it—build a reinforced concrete bridge at the bend just outside Wuzhen, then carve a straight road along the foot of the mountain. Where the road curves around the base, we’d build bridges as needed. All we have to do is follow the riverbank, and at Dongyang Village, dig a tunnel straight through the hill. That would connect us directly to the main access road into the county town, saving us from the old, winding, dangerous mountain path.”

“The old road climbs from the base of the mountain at the county, winds to the top, and loops back down the other side. It was a simple, convenient route when labor and money were scarce—understandable, but now I want to transform it. Instead of winding over the mountain, we’ll run straight along its base and bore a tunnel. I’ve calculated that the tunnel at Dongyang Village would be less than thirty-five hundred meters—about thirty-two hundred, given the width of the hill—so the project is entirely doable.”

“The two million in funding can be used for both tree planting and the new road. We can involve students in the tree planting as a public service initiative, and the entire community can take part in the town’s construction. That’s where you come in, to handle the publicity. If we need more money for the new road, you can come to me.”

Having said this, He Zhixing took a sip of water, while Su Mei sat by his side, still absorbing all that he had just proposed.