Chapter 447 – The Land of Fruits
After Xu Xiangbei married Huang Minyue, they followed through with their plan of living six months in Qinghe Village and six months in Beijing.
It was now the first half of the year, so they were staying in their hometown.
They had returned from Beijing after the Spring Festival.
Living in Beijing had been somewhat inconvenient, but Xu Xiangbei managed to overcome it. At most, it required him to travel more often. With the speed and convenience of modern air travel, even making multiple trips between Beijing and Anren County each month was something he could handle.
Of course, Xu Xiangbei wasn’t just traveling between these two places. He flew across the country, conducting field research to see where Xiangning Supermarket could expand.
Over the past three years, Xiangning Supermarket had opened numerous chain stores nationwide.
Although other supermarkets had emerged within the past year, none could rival Xiangning in terms of reputation, quality control, price advantages, or product variety.
There was one more thing worth mentioning.
According to the original timeline, the ration ticket system wouldn’t have been completely abolished until the early 1990s, but it had been fully eliminated a year ago.
As a result, grain and oil products could now be found at Xiangning Supermarket.
Xu Jinning keenly sensed that ever since she handed in her notebook, the country’s overall development had accelerated dramatically, far faster than the original timeline.
Things that should have appeared years or even decades later were now appearing one after another.
Moreover, potential large-scale disasters predicted in the story had been anticipated in advance.
Some man-made disasters were avoided.
As for natural disasters, while they couldn’t be completely prevented, efforts were made to minimize casualties and financial losses as much as possible.
In these past few years, the development of the country and its people felt like riding a high-speed train, rushing toward a brighter and better future.
Xu Jinning felt a deep sense of relief.
She thought to herself, I’ve probably made a small contribution to the country and its people.
If Grandpa Xie had heard her say that, he would certainly have replied, Granddaughter-in-law, you’re being far too modest. Your contribution isn’t just a little bit—it’s immense!
Xu Jinning and her group didn’t stay long; they soon boarded a bus heading toward Qinghe Village.
The bus was one that traveled specifically between Anren County and several nearby villages.
These villages had developed quite well by now, and many people traveled to Anren County every day.
Transportation had been an issue.
So, two years ago, Xu Xiangbei had approached Xiao Changsheng to propose adding more buses to travel between the villages and the county. He even offered to cover the costs of the buses.
Thus, the buses came into service.
It must be said that, after the roads were improved, the arrival of the buses greatly facilitated travel for people going to and from the county.
The fare was quite affordable, and even if one took the bus several times a day, it was still manageable.
So, Xu Jinning and the others boarded the bus and headed from Anren County to Qinghe Village.
Xu Jinning gazed out at the scenery through the window.
The streets of Anren County had been repaved, much smoother and wider than before. People’s clothing styles had also changed significantly, with more colors and a greater variety of designs. The overall spirit and demeanor of the people were improving as well.
Anren County was already close to Qinghe Village, and with the bus service, they arrived in no time.
As soon as they entered Qinghe Village, Xu Jinning spotted the four-story building complex, and upon getting closer, she saw the words “Qinghe Primary School” carved above the entrance.
These four characters were not written in regular script but were specially written by her aunt, Ning Di, at the village head’s request. The characters had then been carved following her aunt’s handwriting.
When Xu Jinning and the others returned, they happened to arrive just as the school was letting out for lunch. A large group of elementary students came out, chatting and laughing as they walked.
“Our village’s primary school now has over 500 students from grades one to six. Children from nearby villages, and even some from the county, have transferred here to study,” Xu Xiangbei said excitedly.
Qinghe Primary School had been completed two years ago, and since then, children were able to attend classes there.
Thanks to Ning Di’s financial support, Qinghe Primary School’s facilities were even better than those of the commune school. They had also hired many outstanding teachers with high salaries and provided excellent benefits.
Ning Di understood the importance of well-rounded development, so the school offered free extracurricular classes, including painting, dance, and calligraphy. Any interested child could sign up to learn.
With the addition of scholarships and financial aid programs, Qinghe Primary School quickly became the top choice for students in the area. Even children from the county transferred to study here.
To put it bluntly, the county’s elementary schools couldn’t compare to Qinghe Primary School.
Now, whenever Qinghe Primary School was mentioned, the villagers of Qinghe felt immense pride and honor.
Xu Jinning gazed inside from the school’s entrance and saw the tall statue standing proudly. It had been sculpted to resemble her aunt, Ning Ai.
Everyone who attended Qinghe Primary School knew about Xu Aining.
The first lesson for every student at Qinghe Primary School was about the school’s history. It all started two years ago when Xu Aining, a renowned medical expert returning from abroad, donated the funds to build the school.
As they left the school and continued walking toward home, Xu Jinning lifted her gaze and saw the mountains covered in fruit trees.
She knew that among those trees were not only the ones from her elder brother’s orchard but also those from others who had followed his lead in growing fruit.
More than two years ago, the fruits in Xu Xiangdong’s orchard ripened.
Following Xu Jinning’s suggestion, Xu Xiangdong sold part of his fruit in Xiangning Supermarket, while taking some to Tianjin to participate in a domestic fruit trade fair organized by the government.
The fruit Xu Xiangdong brought to the trade fair quickly gained fame.
The high demand nearly outstripped his supply, allowing Xu Xiangdong to earn a substantial profit.
Xu Xiangdong realized that this was an opportunity for Qinghe Village, and even Anren County, to develop further.
Upon his return, he sought out Xiao Changsheng and discussed the matter at length.
Three days after Xu Xiangdong left, Xiao Changsheng made a decision: he called on all families in the county with hillside land to plant the same fruit trees that Xu Xiangdong had grown.
For those interested in planting, they could register with the local government and purchase fruit tree saplings at a low price.
As for where to get the saplings, Xu Xiangdong offered to help make connections for the purchase.
Xu Xiangdong took this step because, after the trade fair, he saw the potential for Anren County to develop into a fruit-growing hub.
The surrounding land in Anren County had natural advantages—sunlight, soil, and water quality—all were ideal for the growth of those fruits. As long as the people of Anren County planted the same high-quality fruits that had already gained a reputation, there would be no worry about finding buyers.
