Chapter 46: Penglai Immortal Island

Chapter 46: Penglai Immortal Island

Seeing that the renovation of the house next to the small inn had begun, Xiong Haitao couldn't help but ask her why she wasn't holding a beam-raising ceremony; it was too casual for such a grand house. Xiong Zhaozhao wasn't being dismissive; she just found it troublesome. She replied that once the small inn was completed, they would have a housewarming party together to celebrate.

Speaking of this house, Xiong Haitao had initially offered to oversee the construction, insisting that someone from their own circle should keep an eye on things. However, after two days, he gave up, admitting that professional companies knew what they were doing, and he couldn't understand it all. He only marveled at how money well spent could make a difference. Now that the house was built with impressive grandeur, he would drop by whenever he passed by. It wasn't just him; people on the island often came to take a look as well.

Initially, when they hired a construction company to build a two-story building, the islanders thought it was a frivolous display of wealth by the young generation, believing that anyone could build something that wasn't a skyscraper, and it was a waste of money.

Now, everyone stops for a second glance as they pass by, realizing that it wasn't something just anyone could do. After all, the amateur builders on the island couldn't replicate such craftsmanship.

They didn't understand whether it was Tang style or some other style, but they felt it resembled the grand households of ancient times depicted on television, truly impressive.

In her Elder Brother's words, this was a true mansion!

Xiong Zhaozhao sensed that the timing was right; on this day, she brought several pages of blueprints and headed to the village committee once again.

Both permanent residents of the village committee were present.

When Secretary Liu spotted her, he warmly greeted, "Why have you come? Are you still recruiting?"

The accountant Xiong echoed with anticipation, "Another mountain?"

"No, not at all! I'm here today to have a chat with the two of you," Xiong Zhaozhao said with a smile.

Secretary Liu was pragmatic, "What's there to chat about? Just so happens, I have something to discuss with you. Your grandfather served as the village head his whole life, and everyone on the island respects him. You're like him..."

Well, Xiong Zhaozhao knew what he was getting at and hurriedly interjected, "Not really, truly not that much alike..."

Secretary Liu: "Let me finish. Isn't it true that many village leadership teams now include a university graduate as an official? Our island hasn't had one yet. For these past few years, I've been serving as both the secretary and director. Now that you've graduated, being one of our own, no one is more suitable than you. Why don't you take over your grandfather's position? You can choose between being the secretary or the village head. What do you think?"

I knew it.

"I don't have the time to get involved either, but rest assured, for the sake of my grandfather's lifelong endeavor, I will take care of the island's affairs whether I'm a village cadre or not. If there's help to be given, I'll give it," Xiong Zhaozhao hastened to assure them.

Accountant Xiong chimed in, "It's not the same thing. As the saying goes, 'A man in a position should concern himself with its duties; without proper title and name, words and actions are awkward.' Is that not the truth?"

Xiong Zhaozhao: "Third Master, you're quite cultured."

Accountant Xiong: "Cut the cheekiness!"

It seemed that both of them were well-prepared, merely awaiting her arrival. Xiong Zhaozhao decided to shift the topic first, "Actually, I came here today to discuss the future planning of our island. Have you given any thought to the direction we should take? We need a goal, something to strive for."

The two leaders chose to hear her out before making any decisions.

"Given our island's geographical conditions, there are essentially three paths for the islanders: fishing, working off the island, and tourism. Let's start with fishing. Aside from my boat, there aren't any decent vessels on the island. Currently, those engaged in fishing are barely scraping by or even losing money. My boat does generate good income, but it can't support all 300 households on the island. As for working off the island, due to poverty and limited education, most who leave to work end up doing menial labor, right? And some simply can't leave. I might be the highest-educated person on this island, and even I returned to fish... But let's not dwell on that. If our goal is to live a better life, not just survive, then we need to focus on developing tourism today."

Secretary Liu: "You're absolutely right, couldn't agree more, you should be the village chief!" Accountant Xiong nodded in agreement.

Everyone knew this already; your selection process for a village chief seems rather casual.

She continued, "Speaking of tourism, you can't attract visitors without a prominent brand. The coastline of Huaguo is incredibly long, with numerous islands. Why would anyone choose our impoverished island, which lacks everything and has poor transportation, to experience the fishing village ambiance of the seventies? They'd rather opt for the warmer climate along the Jiangzhou coast."

Liu, the branch secretary, vs. Xiong, the accountant: ...ouch.

"I'm here today to paint a picture of the future. I have a dream, no, it's also my grandfather's dream. He spent all his savings to open a small inn, leading the effort to clean up the beach and build a pier, all because he had high hopes for the island's tourism industry. Who knew that the geological park would turn out so poorly... I hope to fulfill his dream, no matter how long it takes. My dream is that one day Jinshi Island will become a paradise everyone yearns for, a Penglai Immortal Island in the sea. Don't say I'm dreaming; this is an achievable dream, but it requires a long time, step by step. Let's start with what everyone needs to do, then I'll talk about what I plan to do."

Secretary Liu had already taken out his notebook, and Xiong Zhaozhao nodded in agreement. Good, she didn't call her crazy.

"Turning Jinshi Island into a Penglai Immortal Island in the East Sea starts with the environment. I've been back for quite some time now, and I've noticed that even the cleanliness on the island isn't up to par. It's not as clean as it used to be, have you noticed? There's trash in the drainage ditches, fish guts water splashed onto the streets, and people just dump their garbage into the ravines..."

The accountant Xiong sighed, "In the past, for the sake of tourism, we paid great attention to aesthetics for a while. Now that there aren't many tourists left, everyone has become lax."

Xiong Zhaozhao said, "We need to protect the environment well; otherwise, everything will be in vain. We should remind everyone about this, which is one point. The second point is regarding the sea around our island. I've seen it, and it's cleaner than the land itself. It needs time to rest and recover. How can we attract people to an ocean devoid of life? The village should call for its protection. For now, the village committee should focus on these two points. Let me share what I plan to do. The architecture on our Penglai Immortal Island shouldn't look like it does now. Some houses are wooden, some are made of mud and tiles, and others are red brick houses. Upon arriving on the island, one sees a collection of ugly houses from all eras of Huaguo, with outdated styles. This isn't ideal. The architectural style of the island should be unified, with its own character and charm."

Secretary Liu stopped taking notes, "That's impossible. How could we ask people to rebuild their homes?"

Xiong Zhaozhao smiled warmly, "My house is already undergoing renovation. You've all seen it, right?"

Secretary Liu wore an expression of mixed feelings, "I did visit, more than once. I even talked to the workers. They said it would cost several million!"

She pulled out the blueprints she had been holding, "This is why I'm here today. Look, these three designs are for houses on the island. They're not all going to be like my place; I've designed simpler versions that look just as good. There's a single-story option and a two-story one. Feel free to add your own touches, but they don't all have to follow the same layout. The overall style should just be this Tang Dynasty-inspired aesthetic."

Secretary Liu looked over the blueprints and nodded, "They do look nice, but we can't tear down all the good houses and rebuild them, can we? Besides, where would we get the money?"

"It's enough that they look nice. I'm leaving these designs with the village committee. In the future, if any family on our island decides to build a house like this, I'll sponsor 20,000 RMB from my company's name as a construction subsidy."

Accountant Xiong: "What? Just giving away 20,000 RMB?"

"That's right. Once my home is renovated and the garden landscape is complete, I doubt anyone will remain unmoved. You'll see. If you don't want to build something so complex, you can choose one of these simpler designs. The free sponsorship of 20,000 RMB only restricts the style, who wouldn't be happy with that? Oh, and don't forget to tell everyone that there's a limited number available, first come, first served."

Secretary Liu was somewhat swayed; the house was indeed appealing. His family owned two plots of land, and the uninhabited old house was on the verge of collapse. It would be worthwhile to grit his teeth and build such a house for his son. "I truly fancy this two-story little building. You sly girl, dangling a carrot in front, just how limited is this offer? ‘

"100 units."

Accountant Xiong sucked in a sharp breath, "That's 2 million then! You're generous, girl. This is it! You're the one who should be the village head."

Secretary Liu chuckled, "Well, if it were just a few, I wouldn't compete with the villagers. But for these 100 units, I'm signing up."

"You set an example, and when the time comes, you can be the first to sign up at the meeting. But there's no rush to hold the meeting yet. Wait until my place is more or less ready, achieving the promotional effect before convening will be timely. I'll entrust the construction fund to the village for distribution. As long as someone signs up, once you verify that the style is fine, the payment can be made."

Having put in so much effort to flirt, she was convinced that the islanders couldn't help but feel envious.

After her spiel, she made a quick getaway, fearful of revisiting the topic of the village chief.

Two million wasn't much for her, and she had to take the first step on this long journey. There was little meaning in her improving life if she was alone in it.

On her way back, she encountered Xiong Jie carrying a bundle of grass on his hoe. He told her that something strange was happening: his mother had cleared some land to grow corn, but suddenly wild vegetables and weeds were growing wildly in the field. In the ten days he was out at sea, the field became so overgrown that he couldn't even step into it. With autumn harvest approaching, wild spinach had sprouted, big and tender. He had gathered a bundle to try at home, and upon seeing her, insisted on sharing half with her.

So it wasn't just any grass?

"Where's your land?" Xiong Zhaozhao had a hunch.

"A small patch of flat land by Dongwa, not far from your Eight Immortal Mountains, on the northwest side of the mountain."

Sure enough, Xiong Zhaozhao didn't head home but veered straight for the Eight Immortal Mountains.

The ninefold spines encircling the mountain were thriving. Standing at the foot of the mountain, she could see that it was greener than when they last climbed it, with wild grass growing wildly. Even the oak tree with its crooked neck nearby had sprouted many new branches. Was the geode's efficiency that high?

The little animals bought in the Northwest still hadn't been transported to Chong Hai after half a month, and Xiong Zhaozhao didn't dare venture out to sea. She let Xiong Haiming lead the team himself.

Idle and with nothing to do, she simply tidied up her mountain at home.

She collected seeds of pumpkins and squashes from her two major homes and buried them on the mountain; pigs couldn't just eat grass all day, it was necessary to diversify their menu.

She also gathered every possible seed of grasses and flowers in Yaoguang Realm, scattering them on the mountain with straightforward brutality. The mountain transformed visibly each day, giving her a great sense of accomplishment. With the power of the Earth Vein Core slowly spreading outwards, Penglai Immortal Island was no longer a dream.

After waiting another week, she finally received the call that the goods had arrived. She drove the Sea God herself to Chong Hai, renting a warehouse on the outskirts where they agreed to meet for the delivery.

After a month's journey, the small animals that had traveled long distances finally arrived. Many looked close to death, but she didn't mind. After sending off the elated manager, she directly tossed all 200 of them into the Yaoguang Realm. After a couple of days there, all their illnesses would be cured.

Having spent two days in Chong Hai, I received a call from Big Lin Zi; the Yaoguang was returning to port.

"How come you're coming back so soon?" It's only been ten days since you left.

"Since you didn't show up, neither did the Siren. We searched the outer seas when we came out but couldn't find it either; the catch wasn't great. Uncle Hai Ming is worried that staying any longer would result in losses. He did the math and figured out that heading back now would still leave us with a profit."