I was reborn without dreams

Chapter 204 The Dog of Peicheng Has Run Away

In the past two years, with the promotion and popularization of "traceability codes", talented people with ideas have also taken action. The first to break the norm was snake meat.

In the specialized breeding industry, snake meat and scorpions are the first to end up on the dinner table. Even in the Yangtze River Delta region, where eating snakes is not particularly common, some large supermarkets have put "cold snake skin salad" on their shelves. It is a rare item, and its sales are far less than "salt and pepper snake meat".

As for the issue of dog meat, there are many more problems, but they are mainly related to the right to interpret public opinion and culture.

Because of joining the World Trade Organization, there is a need to shape an international image to a certain extent. In the international public opinion system, in the mature narrative structure of Europe and the United States, eating dog meat is regarded as eating pets, and pets, especially companion pets, are regarded as family members.

Thus, the hidden implication arose that "eating dog meat" was equivalent to "eating one's own family."

In such a narrative structure, no amount of cultural interpretation is useful, because no one will listen.

Normally, local governments won't give way to such a policy unless there are significant vested interests involved, let alone elevate it to a higher level of industrial planning.

However, Comrade Zhang Zhengdong encountered a bug that was neither too big nor too small.

He was not simply the "county magistrate" of Fengyi County. This title was important to others, but it was dispensable to him.

This title is to ensure the stable operation of the Jiangkou Province Rural Education and Employment Pilot Demonstration Zone. At the same time, in the Pengcheng area, the Fengyi County Rural Poverty Alleviation and Prosperity Industrial Demonstration Park is much more prestigious than any county government office.

The bug in Uncle Zhang's card is this: everything he does is for "getting out of poverty and becoming rich," and he himself said that "getting out of poverty and becoming rich is a tough battle." Now he says that making some dog meat can make money, and there is a lot of it in other places, but in Pengcheng City... there is no resistance.

In principle, there is no resistance in the entire Jiangkou Province.

Why are you blocking me?
Will this prevent the poor people of Fengyi County from escaping poverty and becoming wealthy?
Uncle Zhang didn't think that much about it at all. He never considered that his two signs in Fengyi County were registered, and that ordinary people really couldn't touch them. Almost no one would dare to challenge them.

Especially in August, when "Army Day" arrives, it's no surprise that the symbol of "Comrade Zhang Zhengdong" will appear among the veteran representatives.
Without "Comrade Zhang Zhengdong," the banquet simply couldn't have started. Even now, the military propaganda in Jiangning City still mentions Zhang Zhengdong, this "veteran" and "old squad leader," in an overly positive and enthusiastic way.

As to why "Comrade Zhang Zhengdong" is so influential... well, that's none of your concern.

So even if there was some minor noise, it didn't affect Uncle Zhang's vigorous promotion of "Fengyi dog meat". This behavior made the counties of Peicheng, Fangyu, Xiayi, Shanfu and other counties cry with anxiety. Damn it, we are all brothers who are looking for food in the same trough. Now you are eating alone?
Especially in Peicheng County, when they couldn't get things sorted out at the city level, they dragged their veteran comrades south to Jiangning and went to the province to complain and lodge a complaint, saying that Zhang Zhengdong from the neighboring Fengyi County was engaging in "local protectionism".

Upon inquiring, I learned that Peicheng's "thousand-year-old dog meat" was about to be sidelined, and that Magistrate Zhang of Fengyi County, relying on his abilities, was promoting "dog meat certification," "dog meat traceability," and "dog meat specialty products" in Fengyi County.

Now, at least within Fengyi County, there are legitimate dog meat sales outlets, and the source of all dog meat can be traced.

At the same time, cross-regional inspections and random checks were carried out between cities and counties. A newly opened "Fengyi Dog Meat" restaurant in Pengcheng City also had a sign that read "Famous Products of China, Local Specialty".

Served alongside "Fengyi dog meat" was "Shahe soft-shelled turtle," which was sold with anti-counterfeiting labels. In short, it was "Yangcheng Lake flavor," but not entirely "Yangcheng Lake flavor" because it could be traced back to its source.

Are there any "bathing turtles"?
Have.

Not only do they exist, but there are many.

Zhang Zhengdong made no secret of it; the "Fengyi Masters" were sent out to collect wild animals, which were then temporarily raised in the ponds along the Dasha River.

I took a lot of photos and videos, and even ran an advertisement.

Amidst a burst of rousing music, a baritone voice resembling that of a prime minister emerges: "For the best turtles, go to Shahe; Shahe turtles are incredibly lively!"

Then two muscular men, comparable to Dian Wei and Xu Chu, came out and showed off their chest muscles, abs, and biceps... all while wearing only a pair of shorts, striking various poses.

The advertisements are also poorly done; they're basically just ads from the local county TV stations, where after the ads for health products air, it's time for "Shahe Soft-shelled Turtle."

The dog meat advertisement failed; apart from Fengyi County TV, none of the other TV stations accepted the offer.

However, "Shahe Soft-shelled Turtle" and "Fengyi Dog Meat" are basically linked. Uncle Zhang even snatched the "Turtle Sauce Dog Meat" signboard, which made even more people anxious. A bunch of bosses in Pengcheng City with the family secret recipe of "Turtle Sauce Dog Meat" went to seven or eight government offices in the city to file complaints.

If Fengyi County does this, who will be the authentic one from now on?!
It started as a small-scale operation, but after Uncle Zhang's efforts, the city's statistics revealed that it was actually quite large. In Peicheng County alone, except for the spring season, the six time-honored brands sold an average of about 4,000 jin (2,000 kg) per day for the other three seasons.

To be conservative, the annual revenue of Pengcheng alone must exceed 20 million.

The problem is that these 20 million won't be taxed!
At the same time, what they found was shocking: after communicating with other departments, the city's agricultural bureau discovered that the highest price for dog meat in East China was not around Pengcheng, but rather... in Luzhou.

The price is more than three times that of dog meat in southeastern Henan.

Even in Beijing, the price of dog meat is more than double that of dog meat from southeastern Henan.

So Pengcheng City did some calculations and found that, theoretically, the three cities of Luzhou, Chongzhou, and Wudu alone could consume between 500,000 and 1.5 million dogs.

The potential for large-scale farming and commercialization is... extremely high!

The provincial government was surprised when Pengcheng City conducted an in-depth study. They investigated the matter and were astonished to find that the international market was not narrow at all; on the contrary, it was quite promising.

South Korea, which ranks second, needs 1.5 million dogs a year, while Vietnam, which ranks first, conservatively estimates it needs 3 million.

However, exporting adult dogs for meat is quite difficult. Therefore, if it is to be exported legally, it can only be chilled dog meat.

This requires the use of meat chilling technology.

After studying the matter, the province issued guidelines, which essentially meant that whoever had the relevant technology and equipment would be given preferential treatment.

Peicheng County, Xiayi County, Shanfu County and other neighboring counties and cities breathed a sigh of relief, wondering if Fengyi County, with its level of development, had such technology.
Have!
Uncle Zhang not only has it, but he has a very deep understanding of it!
"These devices will cost a lot of money, Director Zhang!"

“I’m not buying, I’m asking ‘Zhang An Foods’ to rent it.”

"..."

"..."

At the city meeting, the comrades from Peicheng County were completely taken aback by Zhang Zhengdong's words: "This is actually possible?!"

"It's just chilled meat. I've thought about it for a while now. When we were setting up the North City Agricultural Wholesale Market, our county had already planned the cold storage facilities. The scale and location selection were also guided by the city officials. This is in line with the needs of the people. After all, many market places can't slaughter a lot of dogs for meat on the spot. I'm setting up some refrigerated trucks to serve the people, and I can make a little extra money on the side."

Uncle Zhang beamed at the meeting, “I’m not bragging, but drivers in Fengyi County earn at least 20,000 yuan more a year than those in the surrounding areas.”

Because Uncle Zhang spoke with a Wu accent and didn't roll his tongue, the locals were annoyed. They were already unhappy, and hearing his "Wu-accented Mandarin" made them even more upset.

People from the South are known for their cunning and shrewdness; they've even figured out this much.

However, Uncle Zhang didn't care at all. Instead, he continued to paint a rosy picture and boast at the meeting: "Comrades, this dog meat is no ordinary product. I've checked, and the international market potential is huge, at least around two billion US dollars. If we do this well, we'll have a flagship product to penetrate the international market! And I've heard that soft-shelled turtles are particularly cheap in the US, so we can..."

"..."

"..."

Watching Uncle Zhang speak eloquently, the atmosphere of the meeting in the city was quite strange, especially in Peicheng County, where it felt like the family dog ​​had run off to guard someone else's house.

This is even more disgusting than a wife cheating on her.

Uncle Zhang, however, remained nonchalant, continuing to talk at length about developing geographical culture, tapping into the potential of traditional markets, striving to grow and strengthen the business, and eventually making "Fengyi Dog Meat" a nationwide brand...

(End of this chapter)