Sheng Xiping came because of their kinship, so naturally he couldn't just eat and drink for free; he genuinely wanted to help.
But he doesn't know much about this area. He needs to know what's available here before he can come up with a solution, right?
“Yes, yes, Lao Lin, you’re in charge of these things, you can chat with President Sheng more later.” Secretary Zhao from Caocheng immediately said upon hearing this.
Sheng Xiping looked in the direction Secretary Zhao pointed. He recognized the man opposite him; he had just been introduced as Lin, the deputy county head.
"County Chief Lin, please give me your guidance." Sheng Xiping filled his glass and toasted County Chief Lin across from him.
"I dare not presume to offer guidance; I would be grateful if Mr. Sheng could provide me with more instruction."
I also hope that some projects in Caocheng will catch President Sheng's eye, at least providing a path to prosperity for the local people.
Lin Chaoyang very politely raised his glass, and the two toasted each other from a distance before drinking the wine.
"Old Lin, come over here and sit down, closer to President Sheng, so we can discuss things together."
Seeing that the two were quite far apart, Secretary Zhao simply had someone switch places with Lin Chaoyang.
"Yes, yes, it's close by. Tell General Manager Sheng about the industrial and handicraft situation in our county."
So Lin Chaoyang sat down next to Sheng Xiping, and while the others were talking, the two had a brief discussion about some of the county's industrial products.
"Mr. Sheng, the most famous local handicraft is wood carving."
It existed as early as the Qing Dynasty, and the craftsmanship was excellent, especially the Chen family, who were the most famous.
The descendants of the Chen family still exist today. In previous years, they carved works such as "Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers," "Ladies' Portraits," and "Peacock and Ribbon Bird," which won first prize in the Heze region.
Back in 1981, the four-panel screen of flowers and birds carved by the Chen family was exhibited at the Canton Fair and was well received by many foreign friends.
Unfortunately, this thing can't be mass-produced; only a few can be made in a year.
"Some of the more famous products in our county are Bibo Laojiao and Bibo Te Niang, which are on our table today."
Our meat processing plant's lunchbox beef is brightly colored, delicious, and nutritious, and has won the title of provincial excellent product.
In addition, there are many paulownia trees planted around our county, and many people use paulownia wood to make furniture.
The paulownia wood furniture from our county is small, exquisite, lightweight, and practical. Things like bedside tables, corner cabinets, four-drawer chests, six-drawer chests, seven-drawer chests, and eight-drawer chests are all quite good.
Lin Chaoyang was a local and in charge of this area, so he naturally knew all about the local products and explained them to Sheng Xiping in detail.
Sheng Xiping, after all, started out in the timber business. He might not know much about other things, but he was an expert in timber.
So, while Lin Chaoyang didn't pay much attention to the other things he introduced, he did take the paulownia tree into his heart.
"County Chief Lin, what varieties of paulownia trees do you have in your county? What is the planting area? How much usable timber is there?"
"There are Lankao Paulownia, Catalpa Paulownia, Hairy Paulownia, and Glossy Paulownia, etc."
A county-wide census in 1985 showed 840,000 mu of land under intercropping of paulownia and grain, with over two million trees. Paulownia trees grow quickly, reaching maturity in three to five years.
Lin Chaoyang had introduced so much, but unexpectedly Sheng Xiping was interested in paulownia trees, so he quickly introduced them to Sheng Xiping as well.
Sheng Xiping nodded upon hearing this, confirming that it was indeed the right one.
Paulownia is a fast-growing wood with a soft texture and is easily flammable, so it can only be used to make small furniture or ornaments, not large pieces of furniture.
However, this characteristic of the paulownia tree is very useful in some aspects.
The Japanese, who live a comfortable life in the east, have a different funeral custom. They usually cremate the deceased's body and coffin together.
Therefore, their requirement for coffins was not that they would not decay for thousands of years, but rather that they should have thin skin so they could burn easily.
Paulownia wood, whether it's the rough tung or the oil tung, is particularly easy to burn and is most suitable for making this kind of coffin.
Sheng Xiping vaguely remembers that around 2000, Caocheng's coffin export business was booming. Later, it developed to the point that 90% of the coffins in Japan came from Caocheng.
Even when Caocheng is mentioned, many people's first impression is of coffin exports.
If Secretary Zhao and the others hadn't taken the initiative to approach Sheng Xiping, he wouldn't have thought of any of this.
Since they've come all this way and are being so hospitable, Sheng Xiping has to help them think of a solution.
"County Chief Lin, could you take me to see the surrounding timber processing plants tomorrow?"
Sheng Xiping had a simple idea in mind, but he still needed to conduct an on-site investigation.
"Okay, okay, no problem."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chaoyang knew that there was a good chance of success in the investment, and he was overjoyed and readily agreed.
And so, the group chatted and laughed as they ate their meal, and then Sheng Xiping and his family returned to the guesthouse to rest.
The next morning, someone accompanied Zhou Qinglan and her children to play in the county, to see sugar blowing, dough figurine making, and shadow puppetry.
Lin Chaoyang and a few others accompanied Sheng Xiping as they toured several towns and villages within the jurisdiction, mainly to inspect the timber processing plants in each town and village.
Afterwards, Sheng Xiping called Zheng Hua and asked someone from the sales department to contact the Japanese client.
Ask them to help you investigate the prices and general requirements of funeral products in Japan. Ideally, they could also provide some sample pictures.
Zheng Hua didn't quite understand what Sheng Xiping was up to, but he didn't ask. He simply arranged for someone to contact the Japanese client.
The factory sells disposable chopsticks to Japanese clients, and they have been cooperating for several years. As soon as they heard about Sheng Xiping's request, the Japanese clients immediately agreed.
These things cannot be accomplished in a few days, and Sheng Xiping cannot stay in Caocheng to wait for news indefinitely.
So they stayed in Caocheng for three days before taking their leave.
"Secretary Zhao, County Head Lin, thank you for your warm hospitality. I have a general understanding of the situation here."
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