In the early morning of winter, the air is slightly cool, the fog locks the tea mountain, along the winding mountain road, the reporter came to the thousand acres of tea garden of Zhang's Tea House in Qingchi Town, Jinsha County, and what catches his eye is the emerald green of the mountain, and a ridge of tea trees is scattered along the mountain, outlining a green rural beauty. On the side, the tea leaves with morning dew are lush, and the air is filled with the fragrance of tea.
More than a decade ago, it was a barren mountain, overgrown with weeds, and there was no road. Standing in the tea garden, looking at the meticulously maintained tea gardens in front of him, Zhang Deyong said proudly, "Now that the mountains are green, our days are better!."”
Zhang Deyong, 55, a native of Luoping Community in Qingchi Township and the head of Zhang's Tea House, has been cultivating this tea plantation for more than 10 years as a leader in returning to his hometown to start a business. Once, in order to pursue a better life, he left his hometown and ran to the big city, where he lived a better life with his own efforts. However, just when life was thriving, he rushed back to the countryside with full passion, cultivated tea in the wasteland, and founded Zhang's Tea House, which became the "cradle" for the villagers to increase their income and get rich. His tea estate was also named a provincial model family farm in 2021.
Rural babies went south to enter the factory to pan for gold.
Sitting at a tea table, Zhang Deyong brewed a pot of black tea produced by himself, and told reporters his entrepreneurial story in the fragrance of tea.
Zhang Deyong was born in 1968 in a remote village in Qingchi Township, a place where mountains and hills occupy 90% of the area, and it is difficult to make a living from farming.
In 1989, with the rise of the "tide of migrant workers" in the south, Zhang Deyong, who graduated from high school, was unwilling to "nest" at home, and lived a life of "facing the loess and turning his back to the sky". So, at the age of 21, he embarked on the road of working in Shenzhen and began to work in society.
When I first came out to work, I was young and ambitious, and everything I saw was good. Zhang Deyong said that when he first went to the big city, everything was fresh and curious, and he vowed to do a good job.
But think about it, reality is reality, after looking for several jobs, either because he is a new hand, or because he is not educated enough, Zhang Deyong was turned away, "I didn't have any skills at the beginning, and it was not easy to find a suitable thing to do." ”
Later, with the help of a friend, Zhang Deyong finally found a job in a rubber products company in Shenzhen, and although he only earned 276 yuan a month, he was very satisfied at that time.
I still remember that in the first month of my salary, I went to buy a Phoenix brand bicycle, and when I rode around Shenzhen, I felt very proud!Zhang Deyong recalled that although it was hard at that time, he earned the real first pot of gold in his life.
Although he is only a handyman, Zhang Deyong is very hard-working, dedicated, and highly perceptive, and he is deeply liked by his colleagues and superiors. Gradually, he was reused in the company, and after several years of polishing, his annual salary has reached 150,000 yuan. When he came back, Zhang Deyong and his master re-established the factory.
After more than ten years of wandering, Zhang Deyong's biggest feeling is that "knowledge is too important". Looking at his growing children, in 2006, Zhang Deyong made another major decision in his life - to return to his hometown.
The barren mountain staged the "Metamorphosis".
Stepping on the land of his hometown, Zhang Deyong feels very down-to-earth. But what to do when you come back?After months of thinking, looking at the villagers working in the tea plantation, Zhang Deyong had an answer.
Zhang Deyong's hometown, Luoping Community, Qingchi Town, where the air is fresh, the mountains are undulating, the water quality is clear, and its beautiful ecology and unique soil and climate have nourished the superior quality of Jinsha Qingchi tea with pure aroma and mellow taste.
Since I was a child, I have learned to make tea with my elders, and I have a deep affection for tea. Zhang Deyong, who has seen the world, decided to make not only tea, but also organic tea.
Just do it. In 2007, Zhang Deyong took the invited migrant villagers to cut thorns and hoe by hoe to plant saplings, planting a "happy tree" full of hope on a barren mountain of more than 400 acres. At the same time, it also purchased tea-making equipment, contracted the local old tea factory, and established Zhang's Tea House.
Either you don't do it, or you have to do it well. With this belief, Zhang Deyong began to implement ecological cultivation, completely eliminating the use of pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides in the growth of tea trees.
However, organic tea is not so easy to make. First of all, the cycle is long, and the tea leaves need to be planted for 3-5 years before they can be harvested, and they also need to invest in capital management, weeding, and fertilization. But Zhang Deyong never retreated, because he firmly believed in one thing: the more you give, the greater the return!
In the days when the tea garden had no income, Zhang Deyong was not idle. "Planting tea and making tea is a technical job, and enthusiasm is not enough, so I continue to drill and develop professional books on tea, and learn from the master to learn Xi, and constantly practice Xi." ”
Hard-working people, the sky does not pay. In 2012, Zhang Deyong's tea garden was officially put into operation and won the favor of the market, and the production of Ming Qian dry tea was sold for up to 1,000 yuan a catty. In 2013, Zhang Deyong expanded the processing plant to 1,000 square meters and added 36 tea-making equipment.
After years of exploration, Zhang's Tea House has achieved sustainable development from tea garden construction, production and processing, brand building and market development. In 2021, Zhang's Tea Estate was also awarded the Provincial Model Family Farm.
In 2023, Zhang's Tea House will produce more than 5,000 catties of dry tea, with an output value of more than 60 yuan.
Leader of hometown wealth.
Winter management of tea gardens is the most important task of tea garden management in a year, and it is also the key to increase the yield of spring tea and improve the quality of fresh leaves.
At present, in the tea garden of Zhang's Tea House, workers are skillfully hoeing and fertilizing tea trees with farm tools in their hands, so as to provide sufficient nutrients for the growth of tea trees in winter.
Before the frost falls, we take the way of picking and cutting to manage the tea garden, specifically to remove the top advantage of the tea tree, the top tea can make summer and autumn tea, and can play a role in pruning and shaping, and promote the improvement of the yield and quality of tea in the coming year. Zhang Deyong said that at present, the closure of the tea garden has been basically completed.
After years of careful operation, Zhang's Tea House has embarked on a professional, large-scale, standardized and branded modern tea enterprise development path. At present, the tea house has developed into an organic ecological tea garden base of more than 1,300 acres, driving at least 3,000 people to work in the surrounding areas every year, embarking on the road of green and sustainable development.
I have been working in the tea garden for several years, 120 yuan a day, and I don't delay the farm work at home. Li Huafei, a villager in Dama Village, said.
Live up to this green mountain, live up to this people. In recent years, under the demonstration and drive of Zhang Deyong, the surrounding farmers have also begun to grow tea to get rich, and he has spared no effort to help more than 100 tea farmers in his hometown improve their tea-making technology. Under his leadership, more than 10 tea farmers have become local technical experts.
From part-time work to entrepreneurship, from a small shed to a large factory, from one person to a group of people ......Nowadays, the white frost has quietly climbed up Zhang Deyong's temples, and whenever others ask him if he regrets returning to his hometown, he will always proudly say: "Not only do I not regret it, but I feel very proud!"”
Now, looking at the green tea garden, Zhang Deyong is full of confidence, "Next, I want to improve and upgrade the processing plant, do a good job in the management of the tea garden, improve the quality of tea, drive more people to participate in planting, provide jobs for the surrounding villagers, promote income increase, and work with the villagers to transform the green waters and green mountains of my hometown into gold and silver mountains, contribute to the development of my hometown, and help rural revitalization." ”
Guizhou ** Tianyan News reporter Wu Chuanjuan.
Edited by Wang Xing.
Second Instance: Xie Chaozheng.
Third trial Li Kai.