Chapter 702: Going on a Date
As time goes by, the village has been constantly transformed amidst challenges and opportunities. Today, standing at the entrance of the village, you can see modern agricultural facilities in the fields, tourist buses shuttling back and forth, and laughter echoing in every corner. Qi Tongwei knows that the hardships and tragedies he once faced have become the cornerstone of his growth, paving the way for a bright future.
But Qi Tongwei knew that giving up would mean being strangled by poverty forever. With red eyes and a hoarse voice, he encouraged everyone: "We can't be defeated by this rain and wash away the seeds. Let's plant again. As long as there are people, there is hope!"
In those difficult days, the shortage of funds became the biggest obstacle. Introducing advanced planting technology and purchasing high-quality agricultural materials require money. The village has collected all it can, but it is still a long way from the goal. Qi Tongwei ran around, went to banks, and sought government support. His shoes and his lips were almost worn out. Once, on the way to the county town to apply for a loan, his motorcycle suddenly had a flat tire, and he fell into a ditch on the side of the road with his motorcycle. A large piece of skin was scraped off his arm, and blood seeped out and stained his clothes red. He gritted his teeth and got up, pushing the motorcycle to continue on his way, and he did not delay anything.
After finally solving the funding problem, technical problems followed. The village invited experts from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences to guide wheat planting, but traditional planting habits were deeply rooted. Some elderly people were unwilling to accept new methods and secretly followed the old ways to tend the crops. As a result, some of the same batch of wheat grew vigorously, while others grew sickly. Qi Tongwei went door to door to persuade them, took everyone to visit the comparison fields, and earnestly explained the benefits of the new technology. After patient explanations again and again, the elderly finally let go of their prejudices.
When the wheat was ripe, in order to promote the brand, Qi Tongwei led the villagers to carefully design the packaging. From selecting a simple and ecological pattern to considering every slogan, everyone racked their brains. But after the first batch of finished packaging came out, the market feedback was not good. Customers felt that it was flashy and the price was too high. Qi Tongwei organized a meeting of villagers to discuss and decided to start over, simplify the design, highlight the selling points of "natural, green, and nutritious", and optimize cost control. After repeated adjustments, the new packaging was very popular after it was launched.
Today, the village has a new look, but Qi Tongwei knows that he cannot rest on his laurels. As market competition becomes increasingly fierce, many surrounding villages have begun to follow their example and develop ecological agriculture. In order to maintain their advantage, Qi Tongwei decided to lead the villagers to deeply explore the added value of wheat. They introduced a small flour processing plant to grind their own high-quality wheat into flour, and launched multiple varieties such as whole wheat flour and refined flour. They also used traditional stone milling technology to create "ancient flour" with a unique taste, which was in short supply once it was launched.
The village also held a "Wheat Culture Festival" during the off-season. Visitors can visit ancient wheat planting tools, experience the flour-grinding process, and taste a variety of wheat-made delicacies, such as wheat-scented pancakes, soft and delicious steamed buns, and chewy noodles. During the festival, the village was crowded and lively, which not only further enhanced the village's popularity, but also brought considerable tourism income to the villagers.
However, the road to development is never smooth. In the early days of the processing plant, due to lack of experience, the quality of flour was not stable. Several batches of goods had problems with dull color and poor taste, which were complained by some old customers. Qi Tongwei was anxious and immediately shut down the production line and worked with technicians to troubleshoot the problem. It turned out that it was caused by improper temperature and humidity control during the processing. They quickly adjusted the parameters, strengthened quality control, and invited experts to the factory to train employees and improve their operating skills. After rectification, the quality of flour returned to normal.
In the process of dealing with these twists and turns, Qi Tongwei has become more and more aware that the development of the village is like a ship sailing in the sea, which needs to be vigilant at all times and constantly adjust its course. The villagers have also grown up in challenges again and again, and they understand more clearly that only by unity, innovation and strict quality control can the village move forward steadily in the tide of the times.
Looking at the endless wheat fields in the distance, Qi Tongwei's heart was full of longing.
As the reputation spread, agricultural products from some surrounding villages also flooded into the market under the banner of "ecology", and competition became increasingly fierce. Qi Tongwei knew that only by continuous innovation and deep exploration of characteristics could the village continue to lead the way. One day, he was walking in the fields, looking at the wheat that was about to mature, and an idea came to him: these wheat can not only be sold as food, but if deep-processed products are developed, the added value will be greatly increased.
Qi Tongwei immediately convened several capable people in the village and some college students who returned to their hometown to discuss the deep processing of wheat. At the meeting, everyone talked a lot. Some people suggested making wheat germ oil, which is rich in nutrition and has broad market prospects; some people said that making whole wheat flour is in line with the current health and wellness trend; and some people suggested making special wheat cakes to attract tourists to taste and buy on the spot. Finally, after many discussions, they decided to start with whole wheat flour and wheat cakes and gradually expand the product line.
There were many difficulties in the early stage of preparation. The shortage of funds became the first problem. Purchasing professional processing equipment and hiring technicians required a large amount of money. Qi Tongwei took the lead in taking out his savings of many years and went to banks one by one to seek loans. Seeing this, the villagers also contributed 3,000 yuan or 5,000 yuan to piece together the start-up capital. After the equipment was in place, technical problems lay ahead. Although the invited chefs were experienced, they did not have enough understanding of the characteristics of local wheat, and the taste of the cakes they made was always unsatisfactory.
Qi Tongwei was extremely anxious and asked around. He learned that there was an old expert in the neighboring county who had profound knowledge of wheat processing. Without hesitation, he brought the smartest young man in the village and local specialties to ask for advice. The old expert was moved by their sincerity and agreed to come for guidance. Under the careful guidance of the old expert, the technical problems were solved. The whole wheat flour was delicate and chewy, and the wheat cakes were fragrant. Once launched, they caused a sensation in the market.
Tourists came to the village, tasted the freshly baked cakes, praised them highly, and bought whole wheat flour and other products in large and small bags before leaving. Online orders also came in like snowflakes, and the village became more famous. However, there are unexpected events. Just when everyone was immersed in joy, a sudden rainstorm hit the village. The rain was strong and lasted for a long time. Large areas of wheat that were about to be harvested fell down, warehouses were seriously flooded, and some processed products were soaked and damaged.
Looking at the wheat fields soaked by rain, the villagers were in tears. Several elderly people sat on the ground, muttering to themselves: "What can we do? The harvest for the whole year is gone. We were counting on this to make a fortune."