Huayu: Returned Overseas Chinese

On the country road, Chen Jingming and Liu Yifei walked side by side in front, with their entourage and people from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office following three or four meters behind them.

"Jingming, what are your plans for the future?" Liu Yifei tilted her head and looked at Chen Jingming, asking curiously.

"Nothing much planned. Once we find Grandpa's grave tomorrow, we'll head back to the capital," Chen Jingming replied contentedly, gazing at the familiar scenery.

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Yifei became anxious and hurriedly asked, "What about the school? Isn't it said that when you return home in glory, you build bridges and pave roads?"

"Haha." Hearing this, Chen Jingming laughed and then said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Liu Yifei realized that Chen Jingming was deliberately teasing her, and immediately reacted by pinching and twisting Chen Jingming's waist. Chen Jingming winced in pain and took a step forward before breaking free from Liu Yifei's "devilish hand".

Chen Jingming grimaced and cried out, "Yifei, who did you learn this from?"

"Hmph." Liu Yifei snorted twice and said proudly, "I know a lot more. If you keep teasing me, I'll show you what I'm capable of."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingming broke out in a cold sweat. This little girl already knows this trick; what will she be like when she grows up? Seeing Liu Yifei lean closer, Chen Jingming quickly begged for mercy:

"I'll talk, I'll talk, okay?"

Seeing Chen Jingming back down, Liu Yifei's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness. She then waved her hand and said, "Speak, let me hear what your plans are."

After saying that, she ignored Chen Jingming and walked forward on her own, looking like she was waiting for him to "report".

Seeing Liu Yifei's appearance, Chen Jingming had no choice but to obediently step forward and say:

"I opened a film and television company in the capital, and I will also invest in movies and TV series in the future, all of which require filming locations. I plan to build a film and television city that includes the entire village, which can be considered as my grandfather's contribution to his hometown and a way to make a living for the villagers."

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Yifei asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why invest in a film studio? If you want to help them, why not just give them money?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingming couldn't help but roll his eyes, then realized that the girl in front of him was only thirteen years old and her understanding of many things was still superficial. No one had taught her these things, so he said, "Give them money? How much is appropriate? This is not helping them, it's harming them."

At this point, Chen Jingming paused, and seeing that Liu Yifei was listening attentively, he continued:

"There's an old saying: 'Give a man a hand in an emergency, but don't give a man a hand in a lifetime.' We can give them money directly, making them rich overnight—that's nothing to me. But the question is, can they keep this sudden wealth? Will they develop bad habits because of it?"

Yifei, we've seen countless families abroad who, for various reasons, lose everything overnight, their lives torn apart. If you truly want to help them, the best way is to provide them with a stable income, gradually broaden their horizons, let them create their own wealth, and teach them how to plan and use their money. This is the safest path.

"A film and television city?" Liu Yifei lowered her head and thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, "But isn't there a place called Hengdian in Jinhua, not far away? I've looked into it; they say they offer free accommodation for film crews from all over the country. Jinhua isn't that far from here. If we build another one, will anyone come? How will the villagers make a living?"

Hearing this, Chen Jingming was somewhat surprised and blurted out, "You even know about Hengdian? And you know they provide free accommodation for film crews?"

"Of course," Liu Yifei said proudly, raising her chin. "I'm going to be a superstar, how could I not know anything about the film and television industry?"

Chen Jingming then realized he had underestimated Liu Yifei and quickly explained:

"Hengdian is indeed not far from here, only about 300 kilometers away, but we can build it differently from them. They mainly feature ancient architectural complexes, while we can focus on scenes from the Republican era, modern times, or even the future. As for the villagers' income, when the film crew comes, they need to eat, drink, stay, and travel, right? Whether they run small businesses or rent out their houses, they can have a stable income."

Chen Jingming explained it to Liu Yifei bit by bit. After listening, she suddenly understood; so that was Chen Jingming's plan. After understanding the operational logic, she asked:

"So what are your plans for the school? I noticed you seemed hesitant to speak to Principal Wang Mei today."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingming sighed softly to himself. This topic was too broad; he didn't know where to begin. Although the country had proposed nine-year compulsory education, full implementation wouldn't be possible until 2011. He carefully considered his words before speaking:

"At the school, I plan to donate a school bus to take the children from the village to school in town for free. I also plan to establish a charitable foundation to support education in some remote areas."

"A charity foundation? Can I join?" Liu Yifei's eyes lit up as she asked.

"Sure, but we'll have to wait until you're a bit older. By the way, how about we name the charity foundation 'Crystal Charity'? Your English name is Crystal, which means crystal in Chinese," Chen Jingming said cheerfully.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei's cheeks flushed instantly, even her ears and neck turned red, and she took two steps forward. Chen Jingming watched with a smile on his face.

The group strolled around the village until after 4 p.m., then took a car back to the city and settled into the guesthouse. City leaders had originally planned a welcome dinner that evening, but Chen Jingming politely declined, only sending Yang Ye to say: "You can come over at 8 p.m. to sit and chat."

Yang Ye nodded hurriedly. He had spent the whole day waiting for these words, and then went back to report with satisfaction.

Chen Jingming greeted Liu Yifei and went back to their rooms to wash up and rest. They had dinner at a small restaurant; Chen Jingming had never been picky about food.

The city leaders arrived a little after 7 a.m. Chen Jingming met with them in a small conference room and finalized several matters:

This includes demolishing the entire village and redeveloping it to build a film and television city, as well as donating school buses. Regarding the school bus donation, city leaders suggested donating more buses, as some areas are even more remote than Chen Jingming's hometown, making it extremely inconvenient for children to go to school.

Chen Jingming readily agreed and donated ten school buses, but made it clear that these buses could only be used for students going to and from school and could not be used for any other purpose by the city.

The city leaders immediately agreed. The only point of contention between the two sides was the road construction plan proposed by Chen Jingming.

"Mr. Chen, we are very pleased with your donation to repair the road and fully support it. But is it really necessary to build a two-way road? With this money, we could repair an additional section and extend the road directly to the town, wouldn't that make it more convenient for the villagers to travel?"

"Sir, I understand your thinking. But if this extends to the town, it won't be a rural road, it will be a national highway. I went to check this out this afternoon. There's only one road connecting the village to the town, and the rest is just a national highway."

Chen Jingming said with a smile. The leader, hearing this, remained expressionless. His plan had failed, but he wasn't angry; he still smiled and spoke:

"Haha, it seems Mr. Chen came prepared; he doesn't fight unprepared battles. I still have the same question: is it really necessary to build a two-lane road for a rural road?"

"It's necessary," Chen Jingming said firmly, then gestured to Xu Hu. Xu Hu immediately understood, taking a city map from his briefcase and spreading it on the table. Chen Jingming stood up, pointed to the location, and said:

"Leader, building a film and television city is only the first step. You see, although this place is remote, the environment is good, with vast bamboo forests, which can be fully developed into ecotourism later. Moreover, this place is located at the junction of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces."

After people's lives become more prosperous, they pursue spiritual enjoyment. In recent years, I don't know if you've been paying attention to tourism economic data. With proper planning, moderate development, and the protection of this bamboo forest, it will become one of our calling cards in the future.

At this point, Chen Jingming paused, looked at his leader meaningfully, and continued, "Moreover, there is another product here that is rapidly rising in popularity and has even become famous overseas."

"Mr. Chen, are you referring to the purple clay teapot?" the leader blurted out, looking at the spot Chen Jingming was pointing to.

Chen Jingming nodded and explained, "Zisha teapots are already quite famous abroad, even creating a trend. The areas that produce Zisha teapots are known in the industry as the 'Zisha Kingdom,' I wonder if the leader has heard of it?"

The city leader shook his head; he had indeed never heard of this claim, but that didn't prevent him from understanding Chen Jingming's intentions. He then said:

"You mentioned developing tourism, which includes this area, right? The town does have many old streets, old buildings, and streams; now that you mention it, it seems like there's really potential?"

Chen Jingming smiled, sat back down, but then immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm, reminding him:

"Sir, what you said is indeed possible. Ever since Mr. Gu Jingzhou sold a teapot for more than HK$700,000 at a Hong Kong auction in 1994, the craze for collecting Yixing teapots has been on the rise."

It's not obvious now, but in a few years you'll see dealers flocking here from all over the country. However, the underground resources of Zisha clay are limited and cannot be mined indefinitely.

The future direction of the Yixing teapot industry requires comprehensive consideration from city leaders. Moreover, money is a powerful motivator; once such a large tourism project is launched, I'm afraid…”

Chen Jingming didn't finish his sentence, but the city leaders understood.