Poverty Alleviation C23

Chapter 23

As the saying goes, “Different fates for different people.”

While Wei Zhiyong was suffering back in his hometown, Wei Sheng and the others, who had once again followed the show’s production team back to Houzhai Village, were receiving a grand welcome from the villagers.

A real grand welcome!

The first time they came, the village roads were too narrow for the production team’s large vehicles, so the village chief had borrowed three ox carts to transport them.

But this time, who needed ox carts?

The villagers were already waiting at the entrance of the village. As soon as the production team’s vehicles stopped, the villagers swarmed forward!

Don’t underestimate these elderly grandpas and grandmas—

With shoulder poles and bamboo baskets in hand, they swiftly divvied up all the equipment and supplies the production team needed to carry in, leaving nothing behind.

Those who arrived late and didn’t get anything even eyed Wei Sheng and the others’ suitcases, eager to carry them too.

Wei Sheng and his group didn’t dare let the elders haul their luggage!

Clutching their bags tightly, they ran after the crowd at full speed.

Later, this scene was included as a behind-the-scenes clip and uploaded to the show’s official Weibo account—nearly making netizens laugh to death.

But it also proved one thing: Back to Hometown with My Bros was a massive hit!

Even a simple behind-the-scenes clip could go viral without the production team spending a dime on promotion. Netizens were recommending it purely out of enthusiasm, driving its popularity to new heights.

No wonder the villagers were deeply grateful to the production team.

Ever since the show resumed airing, it unexpectedly became a breakout hit among reality shows filled with drama and conflict—because it had neither. Instead, its fresh, drama-free tone made it stand out.

Apart from the celebrity guests, the biggest beneficiary of the show’s success was none other than Houzhai Village.

Even locals from the same province had never heard of this impoverished mountain village—one so poor that it had never even installed streetlights.

But with the show’s success, Houzhai Village caught the attention of the local government.

Soon, poverty alleviation officials arrived, and various support policies were implemented.

Within just a few days, the village received multiple donations. After discussions between the poverty alleviation office and the village committee, they decided to prioritize the most urgent issues.

These included:

Widening the village roads so that large transport trucks could enter.

Installing twenty solar-powered streetlights.

Hiring a professional construction team to repair the ancient well, solving the problem of villagers having to climb the mountain for water during droughts.

As the village chief listed the changes happening in the village, the production team felt a warm sense of fulfillment.

Meanwhile, viewers watching the live stream were equally thrilled.

At first, when the village chief talked about road repairs and streetlights, the audience found it a bit mundane, thinking it was just standard poverty alleviation work—nothing too exciting.

But as they followed the camera and listened to the village chief’s slow explanations, they realized something:

Now that roadwork had begun, many elderly villagers—who were still capable of physical labor—had found temporary jobs with the construction team, earning around 100 yuan a day.

As for the well repairs, the construction team needed workers to carry away the excavated sludge, paying 5 yuan per load. The villagers were scrambling to do the job!

Not only did it provide income, but the dried sludge could also be used as natural fertilizer for their fields.

What really blew netizens’ minds, though, was that Wei Sheng had actually convinced the small bamboo processing factory in Houzhai Village to produce a batch of “essential disciplinary tools”—bamboo whisks, bamboo boards, and bamboo washboards.

Reportedly, even the cheapest bamboo whisks had already sold over 100,000 units… proving just how much parents in Huaxia had suffered at the hands of their mischievous kids!

Hou Pengfei, the owner of the factory, was a straightforward man. He knew that the reason Wei Sheng was so eager to help him come up with money-making ideas was ultimately to provide more job opportunities for the villagers.

Since making bamboo whisks, boards, and washboards wasn’t highly technical, he decided not to require villagers to clock in at the factory. Instead, he posted a purchasing list in the village, allowing locals to cut bamboo themselves and bring the finished products to the factory.

As long as they met the quality standards, they’d be paid immediately upon delivery.

This system allowed villagers to make extra money during their free time.

Don’t underestimate these elderly villagers—they could stay up just as late as young people!

Many older folks struggled with insomnia.

In the past, when they couldn’t sleep, they’d leave the TV on all night, hoping it would lull them to sleep—only to end up getting more and more awake!

But now?

After finishing farm work during the day, they could head to their bamboo groves, cut a few stalks, then spend the evening watching TV while crafting bamboo products. Skilled hands could make over 100 yuan in a single night!

In fact, making bamboo crafts was so lucrative that the roadwork team was struggling to recruit workers.

After all, for elderly villagers, carrying heavy stones was exhausting—why not just sit at home and cut bamboo instead?

It was easy work, and they earned just as much as road workers.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

With construction crews coming to the village, they needed food, lodging, and daily necessities, which boosted local businesses.

With the factory booming, they needed to expand production and hire more workers.

Without realizing it, what started as a single episode of Back to Hometown with My Bros had sparked an economic revival in Houzhai Village!

On this visit, Wei Sheng and his group stayed in the same villagers’ homes where they had lodged last time.

This time, they were still staying at the same local family’s house as before.

However, compared to last time—when they had walked in and inhaled a stomach full of dust—this time, the guests were treated like newly welcomed sons-in-law.

The two-story house had been thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom, and even the stubborn, years-old dirt in the grout lines of the bathroom tiles had been scrubbed away.

The kitchen stove, which had previously collapsed in one spot, had been repaired with cement and red bricks.

Since the stove was empty, the props team quickly brought out the Li Ji seasoning products sponsored by the show’s sponsor, facing the labels outward and arranging them neatly.

There was even a refrigerator in the kitchen!

The guests glanced suspiciously at the director, Wang Qun. When had this notoriously stingy man become so generous?

“What are you looking at me for? You all know what kind of budget our show has. Where would we get the money to buy you a refrigerator? The village chief’s daughter-in-law and some others brought it over for you to use!”

Wang Qun snapped back irritably.

These young people really didn’t know how to live frugally. They were only here for a few days, and they actually expected to get a brand-new refrigerator?

“It’s only right! Just use it without worry. My daughter-in-law said that if it weren’t for you reviving our village’s bamboo processing factory, she wouldn’t have found such a suitable job.” The village chief explained with a cheerful grin.

Only then did Wei Sheng learn that after the bamboo processing factory exploded in popularity, Hou Pengfei and his wife were overwhelmed with orders and had to hire two villagers who knew how to use computers to work as customer service representatives.

The village chief’s daughter-in-law had graduated from high school, but after having a child, she had been a full-time stay-at-home mom for the past two years. There weren’t many jobs in the village suitable for young people.

She had originally planned to endure for another year until her child was old enough for kindergarten, then move to the city with her husband for work.

But then, Hou Pengfei needed to hire customer service staff. The job was based in the village, with a monthly salary of 2,500 yuan. While it wasn’t a lot, the cost of living in the village was low. There was no need to rent a place, and meals were cooked at home, so she could save almost her entire salary. Compared to working in the city, this was actually a much better deal.

More importantly, she could stay home and be with her daughter.

Before she had children, she thought it was normal when she saw other women leave their kids in the village while they went to work in the city.

But after having her own child, watching her soft little girl with big, bright eyes looking at her with such reliance, searching for her after just a short separation, and tearing up when she couldn’t find her—how could she bear to leave?

The job at the bamboo processing factory prevented her daughter from becoming a “left-behind child” and allowed her to grow up happily with her mother by her side.

Meanwhile, because of her interactions with Wei Sheng on the show, Hou Tingting’s family also received special attention from the local authorities.

The county’s Women’s Federation had already paired up with Hou Tingting, committing to cover her tuition and part of her living expenses every year. With this financial support, as long as she kept up with her studies, she wouldn’t have to worry about college costs in the future.

Hou Grandma was also earning more than before. With the sales channel Wei Sheng provided, she no longer had to worry about her harvested wild vegetables rotting. No matter how much she picked, she could sell it all, and in just this short time, she had already made several hundred yuan!

She also didn’t sit idle when she had free time, taking on piecework from the bamboo processing factory.

Hou Grandma had strong hands. The bamboo strips she made were sturdy and durable, and she worked quickly—she could produce two or three hundred bamboo strips in a single night. With the factory offering fifty cents per strip, three hundred strips meant 150 yuan.

And mountain bamboo tips weren’t worth much!

The twine she used to bundle the strips was made from hemp she grew herself, so there was hardly any cost involved.

If Hou Pengfei continued purchasing bamboo strips year-round, just from making them alone, Hou Grandma could earn three to four thousand yuan a month!

That was a huge amount in Houzhai Village.

Before, an average family in the village wouldn’t even be able to save this much in an entire year!

Even though they sold their grain crops and earned ten thousand yuan or so annually, once they deducted costs for seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, plus any losses due to droughts or floods, and the expense of hiring people to help with the harvest, the actual amount left in their hands was pitifully small.

Hou Grandma also had a little over an acre of paddy field, but she was very shrewd—she never planted rice.

Rice wasn’t profitable!

After half a year of hard work, the harvested rice would sell for just over one yuan per pound. After deducting costs, she would be lucky to make even 1,000 yuan per acre.

Instead, she always planted taro* in her fields.

Once planted, taro required very little maintenance, and pests and diseases were rare. They had a variety with red flesh that could sell for six yuan per pound when it first hit the market.

Even the taro stems could be peeled and processed into sour taro stems, which could then be sold at the town’s market for two yuan per pound.

Hou Grandma was extremely meticulous with her finances. Every year, she also released two buckets of fish into her taro fields.

By the time the taro was ready for harvest, the fish in the field would be ready to eat too.

These local carp and crucian carp were usually turned into smoked fish. During the busy farming seasons, when there wasn’t time to cook, they would just steam a plate of smoked fish, make a big pot of sweet potato porridge, and enjoy a bowl of porridge with a piece of fish.

When she heard that Wei Sheng and his team were back in the village to record the show, Hou Grandma, who was normally very frugal, personally went to her taro field, caught a basket of the fattest crucian carp, and brought them over.

When Wei Sheng tried to give her money, she scolded him fiercely.

“You can help my family, but I can’t give you a few fish to eat?”

“The new school bag, desk, lamp, and study chair you bought for Tingting—those didn’t cost money?”

“If you keep being so polite, then next time, don’t bother coming to my house for anything!”

After saying that, Grandma Hou grabbed the fish basket and turned around to run, as if afraid that if she was even a second slower, Wei Sheng would manage to slip some money into her basket.

Right after, other villagers also started bringing over food and supplies.

There were free-range chickens and ducks yet to be slaughtered, smoked pork with a golden-brown rind, homemade dried vegetables, and freshly picked produce from their gardens…

In short, last time, Wei Sheng and the others had to work hard to earn money for ingredients. This time, they didn’t even have the chance to buy anything in the village—because the villagers rushed to feed them first.

Seeing the kitchen floor piled high with all sorts of food and drinks, the guests couldn’t help but get teary-eyed.

The livestream viewers fell silent as well.

Anyone who had watched the previous two episodes knew just how poor Houzhai Village was.

Every household here raised chickens, but they never ate the eggs themselves—not even the children, who knew that eggs were meant to be sold for money.

As for the hens that laid those eggs, they were so valuable that people would bring them inside at night to keep them safe from wild weasels.

Some other rural-themed variety shows had even covered this before—there was one where the guests found it unsanitary that the villagers kept their chickens, ducks, and pigs indoors. So they put in a ton of effort to cut down trees and build a fancy new livestock shed in the yard.

That left some viewers who grew up in the countryside completely speechless.

Like… seriously? You really think rural folks want to live with their livestock?

They don’t have a choice!

Chickens, ducks, pigs, and cows are a rural family’s most valuable assets.

Keeping them in the yard might make the house cleaner, sure, but what if someone steals them? How are they supposed to survive then?

But now, these same villagers—who usually wouldn’t even eat their own precious chickens, ducks, and eggs—were each bringing a little something, until the small kitchen was practically overflowing.

Chen Mengjie sniffled and asked, “Wei Sheng, do you think there’s any project in Houzhai Village that we could invest in? I still have a few million in spending money in my account…”

Wei Sheng: “…”

Suddenly, he didn’t feel like struggling anymore. o(╥﹏╥)o

Rich lady, stop looking at those chickens and ducks. Look at me instead!

(End of chapter)

—

—Taro is a starchy root vegetable with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. It is widely used in Asian, African, and Pacific cuisines for dishes like taro chips, taro milk tea, and steamed taro. The plant’s leaves are also edible when cooked properly.

—Growing fish in taro fields is a traditional agricultural practice known as integrated aquaculture-agriculture. In this system, fish (such as carp or tilapia) are raised in the flooded taro fields, creating a mutually beneficial relationship