Poverty Alleviation C67
by MarineTLChapter 67
Gao Xiaojuan finally got divorced!
She had completely left the family that only brought her pain and exhaustion.
She also managed to reclaim over 500,000 yuan in cash from the Gao family.
Among it, 400,000 yuan had been deceitfully taken by her mother-in-law under the pretense of buying a house, and another 100,000 yuan was scraped together through loans by Gao Jiaping. As for the outstanding debt, Gao Xiaojuan didn’t let him off easy—she made him sign an IOU!
Although the Gao family might not be willing to pay it back, as long as she held onto that IOU, they wouldn’t be able to use the two kids against her so easily anymore…
Gao Xiaojuan suddenly realized that ever since she decided to give up on Gao Jiaping, it felt like she had woken up from a long nightmare—her mind was so much clearer.
Looking back now, the fact that she had once considered jumping into a river with her son and daughter for such a scumbag—she must’ve been out of her mind!
He was never worth it!
After the divorce, Gao Xiaojuan felt refreshed and liberated! That very night, she reopened her long-neglected livestream room. Seeing the steady stream of old fans, new fans, and countless strangers cheering her on in the comment section, Gao Xiaojuan’s nose tingled, and she couldn’t hold it back anymore—she had a good, cathartic cry right there on stream.
Suddenly, a large virtual firework exploded in the livestream.
Then came another, and another—fireworks bursting one after the other.
Wei Sheng switched to his main account and entered Gao Xiaojuan’s livestream. He immediately sent her 99 fireworks in one go, along with his heartfelt message: “Xiaojuan-jie, happy divorce! Your blessings are still to come!”
The viewers were stunned for a moment, then instantly, the entire screen lit up with fireworks. Inspired by Wei Sheng, everyone began flooding the chat with their sincere blessings for Gao Xiaojuan.
Because really, what’s there to be afraid of in a divorce?
Life is long—who can guarantee they’ll never take a wrong step?
If you take a wrong path, stop and catch your breath, reflect for a moment, pop the blisters on your soles, heal your wounds… the road ahead will only get more exciting!
That one livestream alone, between tips and product sales, netted Gao Xiaojuan over 200,000 yuan after the platform’s cut!
She didn’t touch a single cent of it. Instead, she used it to establish a charity fund in her own name dedicated to supporting divorced women in need.
Gao Xiaojuan made up her mind: every year, she would set aside part of her earnings to put into this fund to help women like her—betrayed and failed by marriage.
Society was already unkind to women, especially those at the bottom. When they were young, they were forced to financially support their brothers; after marriage, they often faced pressure to bear children, domestic violence, mother-in-law conflicts, marital infidelity…
If women don’t support each other, who else will?
Even though her marriage had been destroyed by another woman, a mistress, kind-hearted Gao Xiaojuan still believed—there are more good women in this world than bad.
Half a month later, the Retracing the Road to Poverty Alleviation Yangjiapo special episode officially aired!
Thanks to the production team’s advance promos and behind-the-scenes footage shared on Weibo and other platforms, viewers already knew that this special episode was filmed in Gao Xiaojuan’s hometown!
As soon as the program started, just like Wang Qun had predicted, the ratings soared—instantly becoming number one in its time slot!
At the same time, Retracing the Road to Poverty Alleviation and the special guest Gao Xiaojuan trended with three hashtags on the hot search list!
The technical team at J Province TV had come well-prepared this time, and thankfully, there were no glitches with their app. Even as millions of viewers rushed to watch live, the platform held up.
Watching Gao Xiaojuan beam her radiant smile once again, leading her fellow villagers as they bustled through the mountain peach groves, fans everywhere were moved to tears.
“Who the hell still dares to say Xiaojuan-jie has no family? She’s got ten million fans across the internet—we’re all her family now! Wanna fight about it?”
“This is the real strong female lead comeback story! You go, Gao Xiaojuan!”
“Xiaojuan-jie, just keep moving forward without looking back! We’re all right behind you!”
“Thank you, production team! Thank you, J Province TV! Thank you, everyone in Yangjiapo! Thank you for giving Xiaojuan-jie a new home!”
Among the flood of comments were countless women who had gone through similar experiences as Gao Xiaojuan.
They too had been betrayed by love and marriage. Some had barely survived with their lives before regaining their freedom, while others were still struggling in hopeless relationships.
Seeing the rebirth of Gao Xiaojuan after her divorce—like a phoenix rising from the ashes—gave them a glimpse of their own possible future. They were emotional, tearful, unable to find the words.
“I was so wrong! Completely wrong! I used to think he cheated just for a thrill, that he would eventually regret it for the sake of our family and kids. But I was wrong! Betrayal after betrayal—I’m just tired. Seeing what Xiaojuan-jie is like now, I suddenly snapped out of it. I’m done with you, you idiot! You’ll never know the amazing woman you’ve lost!”
“My man didn’t cheat, and he doesn’t flirt outside—but he also never took care of this home. I thought when he said ‘separate finances’ before marriage it was a joke. But I was wrong! In eight years of marriage, he hasn’t given me a single cent for living expenses. During pregnancy, checkups, childbirth—he only paid half. And since medical insurance covered the hospital stay, he wouldn’t even pay for the pain-free injection! I’m exhausted. This kind of marriage? I’d rather not have it at all…”
“Let me give you all a warning—never marry into a family with two brothers! My husband has a brother over ten years younger. Before we got married, he told me his parents were old, so we’d have to take care of his brother. I was touched back then, thought he was a responsible guy. Bullshit! His version of ‘taking care’ is draining every bit of our little household to feed that precious little brother!”
“He tricked me into using my dowry to support the family, while secretly saving his own money to buy his brother a house. And when I gave birth, my mother-in-law refused to help with postpartum care. I asked to hire a maternity nanny, but he wouldn’t agree—insisted my mom should come instead, saying my own mom would do a better job. Ha! Then why didn’t his mom come?”
“His brother’s fiancée asked for 160,000 yuan in betrothal gifts—he sold his car to give it. When she gave birth, they paid tens of thousands for her to stay in a postpartum center. He didn’t even blink before paying up! Anyone who didn’t know would think he was the one having a baby! Don’t ask—‘my brother has no job, life is hard!’ Oh really? And my life’s easy?!”
“All these years, it was worse than being alone—I made money to support the household, and even had to bankroll this family of leeches! I’m done! Divorce! I’ll raise the kid on my own, spend my own money, and live free without a man dragging me down!”
In the comment section, countless women with similar painful marriage experiences were pouring their hearts out.
Gao Xiaojuan’s rebirth gave them the courage to finally walk out of their own unhappy marriages.
On TV, Gao Xiaojua and the villagers of Yangjiapo, with help from the show’s guests, were shown climbing the mountain to prune yellow peach trees, drive away pests, weed, and fertilize.
A concrete road running through the entire orchard had been completed.
Newly bought chicks chirped as they foraged in the orchard.
Down the mountain, villagers planted high-quality sweet potato seedlings sponsored by the Agricultural University, along with high-yield sesame seeds.
It was clear that this autumn, Yangjiapo would see a bountiful harvest. By then, large swathes of sweet potatoes would be dug up, sorted, and boxed, then sold nationwide via e-commerce platforms.
The freshly harvested sesame would be sent to processing factories to be made into fragrant sesame oil and tasty sesame paste, sold in major supermarkets and retail chains.
As for the hills full of yellow peaches… with active coordination by the program team, Yangjiapo had decided to partner with a well-known food company in Province J.
From now on, Yangjiapo’s yellow peaches would become one of the suppliers for this major food company. Fresh peaches would be delivered to the factory and transformed into export-ready canned peaches and delicious freeze-dried peach snacks. The villagers would no longer have to worry about not being able to sell their peaches.
Gao Xiaojua also established a women’s entrepreneurship cooperative in Yangjiapo, leading the village’s aunts, sisters, and girls to raise local black-footed chickens across hundreds of acres of mountain forest. They made full use of the protected land to cultivate Chinese medicinal herbs such as dendrobium and polygonatum. Every inch of land was put to use to boost production and income for the collective.
Watching Yangjiapo—a once-impoverished village—flourish with its specialty industries, the neighboring village of Gaojiapo was absolutely green with envy!
Only then did they finally realize the terrifying consequences of their selfishness and indifference!
They had personally driven away the golden goose—Gao Xiaojua!
Because of their cold-hearted treatment of Gao Xiaojua and her two sons, Gaojiapo’s reputation outside the village had completely tanked. Now, even if the young bachelors offered higher bride prices than neighboring villages, no girl dared to marry into Gaojiapo.
Think about it—even someone as good as Gao Xiaojua wasn’t accepted there. What girl could possibly live up to her standards?
These days, rural girls had no trouble finding someone to marry. If not Gaojiapo, there were still Lijiapo, Yangjiapo… plenty of kind and decent villages in the countryside. Why marry into a place as notorious as Gaojiapo?
Thanks to Gao Jiaping’s personal efforts, not only had he made it even harder for rural bachelors to find wives, he’d dragged down every other single man in the village with him!
Now, when the guys from Gaojiapo go on blind dates, as soon as the girls hear they’re from the same village as that infamous cheating scumbag, they flee. Who wants to become the next Gao Xiaojua?
The two consecutive episodes focused on Yangjiapo made Retracing the Road to Poverty Alleviation go viral all over again!
At the same time, in the latter half of Mountain Path, Wei Sheng’s character Yang Fan took over the baton from the female lead, becoming the second poverty alleviation cadre of Huangjiabao.
Rookie actor Wei Sheng officially entered full-on internet domination mode!
Main actor in the nationally broadcast poverty alleviation drama Mountain Path!
Resident guest on Province J’s hit annual variety show Retracing the Road to Poverty Alleviation!
Plus, several ongoing commercials airing across major TV stations and video platforms.
Wei Sheng was truly on fire!
As the saying goes, “The more famous you are, the more controversy you attract.” Just as curious passersby were asking who this Wei Sheng really was, his haters made their move right on schedule—
A gossip account revealed that as soon as Wei Sheng got popular, he started chasing dirty money. Apparently, he got involved with some sleazy capitalists and took a role in what was clearly a money-laundering New Year’s fantasy film!
Wei Sheng’s fans were thunderstruck!
Noooo! Xiao Wei, blink twice if you’ve been kidnapped! That so-called Rebirth of Daji: Big Talk in the Entertainment Industry—just the title screams trash!
Think about it: you just debuted and already landed a major role in a nationally aired poverty alleviation drama, plus a hit variety show. Your future was bright—why would you ruin it by taking on a trashy fantasy film just for a quick payday?
In an instant, Wei Sheng’s career-focused fans were falling apart.
Under his social media posts, fans flooded the comments, crying and begging him not to take on such bad projects. “Please treasure your reputation!” they pleaded. “Other fresh-faced male stars would kill for a role in Mountain Path! They’d be posting nonstop, trying to craft a positive, uplifting image.”
“But you? You start strong and then throw it all away with a trash film?”
“Please! If you’re short on cash, just livestream and sell stuff—we’ll buy it, okay? Anything’s better than starring in a film that’ll get roasted every single New Year’s!”
Just as public opinion started spiraling and fans threatened to leave the fandom, the production team released the first set of costume stills.
Um… even though the title screams “trash film,” why is the cast full of stunningly beautiful people?
The female lead, Lu Min, previously known for her solid acting skills, shocked everyone—turns out she’s gorgeous in historical costume!
The male lead, Li Fei, who started out in high school dramas, was famous for his school uniform look. But once he put on period robes, pushed back his bangs, and revealed those sharp, androgynous features—just one glance and viewers were done for!
And to top it off, even the supporting characters in this ridiculously titled fantasy film looked amazing!
Wei Sheng, in his first-ever historical role, played the heroine’s uncle—an immortal, ageless “fox-like” prince. His cool, aloof presence, the kind that silently commands the world, made fans and looks-obsessed viewers swoon!
Then there was Shen Yi. Everyone had known she rocked qipaos, but no one expected her to be this breathtaking in period costume. Playing the heroine’s mother, her natural charm and allure practically shot Cupid’s arrows right through the screen!
Help! These historical costumes are lethal!
Even though the producers looked like money-laundering moguls who only made bad films, they clearly spared no expense on casting!
And it wasn’t just the main cast—even the minor background roles looked striking. Most importantly, the costume styling avoided the funeral-like vibes common in recent xianxia dramas. Instead, they went with bold, graceful, and elegant colors, paired with exquisite hair ornaments—like a professional Hanfu fashion show!
“I’m sorry—I have no shame. As a face-obsessed viewer, I have to see this movie in theaters for the beautiful people alone.”
“Please, production team, change the title! This cringey name doesn’t deserve such a gorgeous cast!”
“Lu Min’s fans have all developed split personalities. Read the title—‘No thanks, sis!’ See the costumes—‘Yes please, sis!!’”
“Wei Sheng’s fans take it back. Sure, the title looks trashy and the synopsis sounds worse, but we’re shallow. As long as our boy looks hot, we’ll follow wherever his face leads us. New Year’s movie? Let’s goooo!”
Seeing how netizens were all shamelessly falling head over heels, Wei Sheng was speechless.
He was convinced—this had to be the director’s plan all along! They’d mastered the current viral formula down to a T!
Use a title fit for a trashy film to spark outrage from fans and passersby, then immediately release stunning costume photos to slap those face-judging fans and haters in the face… Director, with moves this sneaky, does your mom know what you’re up to?
That said, there’s no denying that this little stunt of the director’s left a deep impression of Daji Reborn (Short title), the upcoming holiday blockbuster, in both fans’ and bystanders’ minds. Could this be considered a case study in unorthodox marketing?
As for Wei Sheng, who was being mocked by the masses, he didn’t lose his cool—mainly because he didn’t have time to.
The moment he got back from Yangjiapo, he barely caught his breath before Wang Yang dragged him into a new program team that was still in the planning stages.
Just as expected, Wang Yang managed to secure a few wealthy sponsors, thanks to Wei Sheng’s ideas and his own silver tongue, and decided to go ahead with this job-hunting variety show.
Compared to the high-brow job-hunting shows from other TV stations, their version was probably the “Pinduoduo edition” (cheaper, lower-budget, or more down-to-earth version) of the genre.
The contestants? Either junior college or vocational school graduates, stay-at-home moms who had been out of the workforce for years, or middle-aged folks who lost their jobs after turning 35…
In short, they all shared one label: the new urban poor, professionally unemployed!
And the jobs the program offered were extremely down-to-earth—car sales, home organizers, childcare nannies, hotel concierges, homestay managers…
It all sounded like something straight out of a random job board on the street. Would anyone actually want to watch a show like this?
“Whether people watch it depends on how we do it,” Wang Yang said with a sly smile, then introduced the director to Wei Sheng. “This is Director Jin Yannan. She’s really good at pulling on the audience’s heartstrings. You might be too young to remember, Wei, but maybe ask your grandma—our J Province TV used to have this family-reunion show, and it was her team who made it.”
Wei Sheng gave an awkward but polite smile. “President Wang, our whole family used to watch that show—we’ve been following it for years!”
What?!
“Heh—my grandma made us treat it like a legal education program. She’d always pull me over to watch it with her, mostly so I’d learn how human traffickers operate. Way more useful than those childish anti-abduction lessons we got in school!”
“Hahaha—your grandma’s got sharp eyes! When we made that reunion show, we did sneak in a lot of anti-abduction content. We even interviewed grassroots vigilantes who specialized in rescuing kidnapped kids.”
The two chatted for a while and hit it off. Jin Yannan had set up this meeting to get Wei Sheng’s perspective on the new show.
And it turned out—he had a lot to say.
“I actually thought of this while helping my mom job hunt. Director Jin, have you noticed? There’s more and more of this so-called ‘new urban poor’ in cities nowadays.”
“To outsiders, they might still look like successful city folks—some even own cars and houses—but in reality? Some lost their jobs due to age and can’t find anything new. Mortgage and car payments are crushing them.”
“Some of them went to junior colleges or third-tier universities—spent their families’ savings to get there—only to find themselves jobless right after graduation. Especially those with niche majors. To be blunt, even if they apply for part-time janitorial jobs, employers prefer older aunties who are more efficient. And these are young people! Their pride won’t let them take on jobs that seem ‘beneath’ them.”
“Then there are people like my mom. She quit her job to raise me, thinking she could return to work once I was older. But by the time she tried to go back, she’d forgotten everything she’d learned in school. Plus, she’s no longer competitive compared to fresh graduates.”
“My mom really wanted a job, but because of her age, it was nearly impossible. In the end, she had to spend our family’s savings to buy a small storefront and open a shop. Sounds nice—’her own boss’—but in reality, she’s just a 24/7 shop clerk.”
“My mom’s always been great with kids. Back then, my grandpa had her study early childhood education so she could become a preschool teacher. But now? Kindergartens only want young hires. Anyone over 35? Forget it.” Wei Sheng shrugged.
“Yeah… all these shiny-looking new poor in the cities…” Jin Yannan quietly took note of the phrase.
And gave Wei Sheng a surprised look.
Who would’ve thought this young guy had the soul of a grumpy old lady from the neighborhood committee?
Jin Yannan then shared her plans for the show with Wei Sheng.
“For the first episode, we want to start strong. You know the infamous unfinished real estate project Mingzhu Garden in the provincial capital?”
“Who doesn’t?” Wei Sheng laughed. “A bunch of folks in our community bought homes there and still haven’t gotten them.”
Mingzhu Garden was infamous throughout J City. When the project was first announced, the marketing was deafening—claiming it was developed by a top-10 real estate firm in China, with a foreign design team, set to be the largest complex in J City. And then?
They built a few towers… and the funding dried up.
Now, Mingzhu Garden is the biggest ghost town project in the provincial capital. Some unfinished shells from phase one are technically inhabitable, so many homeless buyers have moved in despite no utilities.
These people sold their old homes for an upgrade and now have to pay rent elsewhere and a mortgage. With no house in sight, many had no choice but to move into the ghost towers with their families.
Thanks to short-video platforms, many residents have been documenting their lives there. Some of these clips even went viral locally.
Viewers were heartbroken seeing people pay thousands in monthly mortgage payments, yet live in shell buildings with no water, electricity, or internet.
Jin Yannan’s plan was to select a few of these struggling homeowners—those in financial hardship and jobless—as the first batch of show contestants. Ride the viral wave of the ghost towers, and do some good while at it.
Some of these residents were paying 7,000–8,000 yuan a month. Some couples couldn’t even cover that together. But if they defaulted, not only would their down payment vanish, everything they’d paid so far would be lost too.
No house, no money—that’s real misery.
Wei Sheng appreciated Jin Yannan’s bold idea. He had only one concern—
“For the first episode, going straight for the biggest ghost town project in J City… won’t the Housing and Urban Development Bureau have objections?”
Ah… that’s the problem with working inside the system. The relationships between departments are messy. You never know who you’ll offend, and even the smallest things have to be tiptoed around.
Jin Yannan smiled. “Actually, this was commissioned by the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau. They’re hoping to stir up some buzz around Mingzhu Garden and see if they can revive this stalled project.”
(End of this chapter)
——————
“Pinduoduo edition” refers to a simplified, budget-friendly version of a product or concept—less polished, more affordable, and aimed at mass appeal, much like the offerings on the Pinduoduo shopping platform.
0 Comments