Rural business

In addition to acclimatizing to rural living, the greater challenge for them lay in adjusting to the work dynamics and content, Zhao said.

"It often takes a day for a meeting at the county seat and half a day for a meeting at the township," Hu said. "I spent a lot of time adjusting to the pace of work here."

According to Guo, the village consists of 277 households, totaling 866 residents, organized into three groups within the community. Each of the three cadres is responsible for focusing on one group.

Zhao's work centers around the third group comprising 68 households totaling about 280 individuals. He mentioned spending several months familiarizing himself with each remaining resident, acknowledging that more than half have migrated to cities in pursuit of employment opportunities.

After establishing rapport with the villagers, Zhao discovered that he had been perceived as "the representative from the superior department" and someone they could genuinely depend on. They began approaching him for assistance with various issues, ranging from disputes with neighbors concerning water usage and farmland allocation to family conflicts. "Sometimes I could offer advice," he said. "More often than not, I can only listen to their concerns with patience."

Zhao has successfully forged friendships with several villagers, particularly among the younger generation. He has earned the endearing title of "honorary grandpa" to a three-year-old boy, courtesy of his close friendship with the boy's father, Zhou Wei. At 25, Zhou is the same age as Zhao's daughter.

Zhou is one of the few young villagers who have decided to stay at home instead of finding work in a city. Since 2022, he has been raising pigs in the village, and his farm now has about 80 pigs. "If the price of pork (22 yuan or $3.12) per kilogram remains stable this year, he might have a decent income in the next one or two years," Zhao said.

Zhou's wife takes care of their son at a rented apartment in Emeishan city, over one hour's drive from the village. "If the income from pig farming is not good enough, he will leave the village for better work," Zhao said.