Hearing this, Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought Deputy Director Jiang was dissatisfied with the salary and the arrangement of this matter!
Now it seemed he was wrong.
The other party had long been in charge of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; he must have some understanding of the rural situation and couldn't possibly be completely ignorant.
"Deputy Director Jiang, this isn't your responsibility," Qin Mu said in a deep voice.
"With rapid economic development, it's inevitable that some groups will be neglected. But I believe that as long as people gradually pay attention, develop the rural economy, and promote specialized agriculture, rural people will definitely be able to gradually improve their lives."
"How large is this tea project now?"
Jiang Songshan asked as he slowly walked up the mountain.
"The current investment is over ten million, and this is only the first phase. The subsequent development depends on the success of the Jianlan tea brand."
Qin Mu simply stated, "As you know, agricultural projects have slow returns and slow results; it's difficult to see significant achievements in the short term."
"Hmm, an investment of ten million is already quite high."
Jiang Songshan nodded slightly. "It's not easy for you to persuade Tianke Group to invest. From this perspective, your relationship with Tianke Group must be quite good, right?"
A well-known large enterprise coming to this remote mountain village to develop an agricultural project seems somewhat incongruous, completely out of character for Tianke Group. That can only mean they're after Qin Mu personally.
Otherwise, Tianke Group could have invested elsewhere.
"Mainly because Ms. Tian from Tianke Group is very supportive of Huaining County. She herself is also very outstanding, an excellent entrepreneur with exceptional vision."
Qin Mu smiled and explained simply.
Is that so?
"Then I'd like to meet this Ms. Tian. Just how outstanding is she, that even County Head Qin praises her so highly?"
Jiang Songshan's interest was piqued.
"I'll introduce you sometime later, I believe..."
"County Head Qin, what brings you here?"
Before Qin Mu could finish speaking, a familiar voice suddenly rang out. Looking over, he saw Tian Weiwei, dressed in a long, elegant dress, walking gracefully towards him.
"And this is...?"
Jiang Songshan's eyes were sharp; he immediately noticed the unusual look in Qin Mu's eyes when he and the woman made eye contact.
"Speak of the devil, and he appears."
Qin Mu smiled awkwardly and said, "Vice Director Jiang, this is Ms. Tian Weiwei, General Manager of the Jiangzhou Branch of Tianke Group!"
"Ms. Tian, this is Vice Director Jiang of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs!"
So this is Ms. Tian!
Jiang Songshan's eyes widened in surprise. He had thought the Ms. Tian that County Head Qin had been praising was a man; he hadn't expected her to be such a young and beautiful woman. This is interesting!
Does Qin Mu have something going on with this girl?
"Vice Director Jiang, hello, I'm Tian Weiwei from Tianke Group. It's an honor to meet you."
Tian Weiwei quickly stepped forward, extending her hand to shake hands with Jiang Songshan.
"President Tian, County Head Qin just kept praising you in front of me."
Jiang Songshan smiled, "I didn't expect that someone so young would have such lofty aspirations to help impoverished counties and increase farmers' income. Very good, you are truly outstanding!"
Really?
Qin Mu can keep praising me?
Tian Weiwei couldn't help but smile, a smile carrying the unique shyness of a woman, "Vice Director Jiang, you're too kind. County Head Qin is the person I admire most. At such a young age, he goes deep into the front lines, inspecting agricultural projects tirelessly, devoting himself to the development of Huaining's people's livelihood. It's precisely because I admire him that I decided to invest in Huaining and contribute to the country's poverty alleviation efforts."
Mutual flattery? Jiang Songshan was a cunning old fox, a seasoned official with years of experience, adept at navigating interpersonal relationships, and meticulously controlling the nuances of human emotions.
He was certain that Qin Mu and this Tian Weiwei had a story.
As for how far it would unfold, that was anyone's guess.
"Stop praising each other," Jiang Songshan waved his hand slightly, saying, "President Tian, since you're here, could you please introduce this tea project to me?"
"No problem!"
Tian Weiwei readily agreed, saying, "This tea project is a public welfare project we've undertaken in cooperation with the Huaining County government, with the Wanghe Town government specifically in charge. It aims to explore traditional tea culture, revitalize the Jianlan tea brand, and make it bigger and stronger. We…"
"President Tian, let's skip the pleasantries. I'm more interested in how far the project has progressed and how the public is reacting."
Jiang Songshan interrupted Tian Weiwei directly, asking bluntly. He could hear all that polite talk anywhere.
It was better to hear the specifics! "No problem!"
Tian Weiwei smiled, then changed the subject, saying, "The first phase of the project is mostly complete. We've established a sword orchid tea plantation on Dawang Mountain; the entire mountain is covered in sword orchid tea. Secondly, we've hired villagers from Dawang Village to participate, with Grandpa Pei as our technical specialist, helping locals increase their income."
"Currently, fifteen people from Dawang Village have joined our sword orchid tea project. Their daily wages may not be high, but as long as it develops healthily, it will bring stable income to the local villagers. Furthermore, the Dawang Village collective holds a certain share, so villagers will receive dividends from future project profits."
Listening to Tian Weiwei's introduction, Jiang Songshan's eyes were full of satisfaction.
The entire project is progressing steadily, without rushing, exaggeration, or superficiality; everything is done with a down-to-earth approach. Although it may not seem to have a significant impact on poverty alleviation or economic development now, once it expands to cover the entire town and even the county, it will become a very promising industry.
"Your project is good. Although it's slow to show results in the short term, it will significantly improve the livelihoods of the entire village."
Jiang Songshan nodded in satisfaction and said, "County Chief Qin, this tea project is excellent. But what's the purpose of bringing me here? This tea project shouldn't lack money, it should lack time. Given enough time, it will definitely develop. What kind of assistance can our provincial department provide?"
After all, Qin Mu came to him seeking provincial funding, but this tea project clearly doesn't need funds.
"Vice Director Jiang, I showed you this to solemnly express our stance: the Huaining County government is truly committed to improving people's livelihoods, especially in specialty agriculture."
Qin Mu pondered for a moment and said, "Next, I plan to launch another livelihood project, but I might have some funding difficulties, so… cough cough…"
Understood!
This is to show him some positive aspects in advance so he can ask for money.
"What's the specific plan, and how much money is needed?"
Jiang Songshan didn't hesitate and asked directly.
Based on our interactions so far, County Head Qin seems quite capable—energetic, thoughtful, and perhaps trustworthy.
The provincial department allocates a special poverty alleviation fund annually. For the past two years, due to Yu Xuewen's presence, Jiang Songshan hasn't allocated funds to Huaining County. Now that a capable person has taken over, appropriate financial assistance should be provided.
"Vice Director Jiang, to be honest, I haven't decided on the specific projects or the specific funding gap yet. How about… you allocate a few million first?"
Qin Mu asked cautiously.
What the hell?
Asking for money before even deciding?
This is…
Jiang Songshan's face darkened!
This kid really knows how to spout nonsense!