Young rancher leads villagers to wealth
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Zeng Qingru, a young man from Liuyang, Hunan Province, used to be a translator who worked overseas selling Chinese fireworks, and now has become a cattle rancher who is leading his fellow villagers to become rich.

After graduation, Zeng worked as a translator for a fireworks company, visiting a number of countries. All this travel made him tire of big city life and long for home, so he decided to start up a cattle ranch in his hometown in 2018.

“I wanted to spend more time with my parents, and I was eager to improve on traditional farming techniques to increase villagers’ income. Big cities are not the only path to a good life,” he said.

When Zeng started out, the calves he bought became ill and some even died. Zeng consulted veterinarians, and learned about vaccinations and how to take care of calves. The experience taught him that farming techniques, as well as knowledge of disease prevention and control, are key to large-scale farming. He learned from senior veterinarians, and acquired a veterinary practice certificate.

Using the traditional farming practices of his village, it was strenuous for a rancher to raise even 10 cattle. With the introduction of modern farming techniques and machines, a rancher could easily raise more than 100 cattle. Zeng abandoned most of the traditional farming practices and introduced machines to explore a new farming model. Now his ranch has nearly 200 cattle, achieving a stable income of 400,000 yuan (about $58,000) every year.

Following the success of his ranch, Zeng began working as a staff member of the village committee in 2021. “I developed a farming model and wanted to lead our villagers to prosperity.” He shares his farming experience with villagers via social media, and exchanges tips on disease prevention and control with them. Under his guidance, villagers have learned new farming models, and more than 10 poor households got rich.

“Now I work in the village committee during the daytime, and breed cattle at night. My life is colorful,” says Zeng. Compared with the hectic world outside, Zeng’s life in his village leaves him more satisfied. From an overseas translator to a rancher, Zeng found his purpose in his hometown.

(Compiled by Zhu Dan)