Chapter 21

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Wuhe Township is located in the southern part of Wuhe County, about 20 kilometers away from the county town. National Highway 137 runs through the entire area, and it takes only half an hour by bus to reach the county town.

Wuhe Township, located in the southern part of Wuhe County, serves as the center connecting seven southern townships. Therefore, Wuhe Township is a transportation hub, with bus services directly to various townships, the county town, and the city. There are also long-distance buses to several major cities in eastern Guangdong Province.

Many people from the southern townships who go out to work often transfer to buses in Wuhe Township, so the scale of the Wuhe Township bus station is not inferior to the county bus station.

Although Yang Jie is from Wuhe Township, he grew up in Fuxin Tungsten Mine, so he is not very familiar with the situation in Wuhe Township. Sitting in the Santana, he looked out the window at the streets of Wuhe Township. This town, which developed entirely due to the national highway, was far behind the thriving Fuxin Tungsten Mine.

Jimi sat in the back seat, excitedly observing this unique township in China. "Jie, is this your hometown? Is your father's winery here?"

"Yes! Do you see those distant mountains? The winery is at the foot of the mountains. The mountain spring water used for brewing is piped down from the mountains. The spring water is rich in minerals, which is why Wuhe Liquor has such a sweet and fragrant taste." Yang Jie pointed to the distant mountains and explained to Jimi with a smile.

For this trip to Wuhe Township, the county office only sent a driver, but the car they were in was Secretary Lei Shuping's No. 6 car, so there was no need to worry about any issues within Wuhe County.

The Santana has a high ground clearance, is sturdy, and easy to maintain, making it suitable for mountain roads.

The car passed through the streets of Wuhe Township and turned onto a small gravel road, heading towards the foot of the mountains. The driver, an experienced driver from the county government's fleet, had been to the winery several times with Secretary Lei, so he knew the way well.

The Wuhe Winery covers an area of over 120 mu and has 273 employees. The winery is located in Yangjia Village, where Wuhe Liquor is brewed using ancient methods from the village, with a mix of several coarse grains and a continuous fermentation process. The fermentation takes place in aged cellars, resulting in a rich and fragrant aroma.

Yangjia Village is Yang Jie's hometown. After Yang Xinhua was injured and transferred to civilian life, he did not ask the government for a job or seek special treatment from the military. Instead, he used his disability compensation to take over the then nearly bankrupt Wuhe Winery, becoming its legal representative and shouldering the responsibility of leading 273 employee families to a better life.

The winery, a collective enterprise of Yangjia Village, was revitalized under Yang Xinhua's management. Under his efforts, the winery quickly turned a profit and became a major taxpayer in Wuhe Township. Wuhe Liquor became a cultural symbol of Wuhe County, renowned throughout the Changyang region.

The Santana drove into the open gate of the winery, where several Jiefang trucks were parked outside the warehouse. Uniformed winery employees were using carts to load packaged Wuhe Liquor onto the trucks.

The factory buildings were neatly arranged, with different workshops designated for various brewing processes, distinguished by the color of the paint on the exterior walls. The factory grounds were well-landscaped, with trees and flowers planted in all areas except for the buildings and concrete roads. Walking through the factory, one could smell the rich aroma of the liquor in the air.

When the county's No. 6 car arrived at the winery, the security guard immediately called the factory office. Soon, two office staff members ran out from the office. As soon as the Santana stopped at the office entrance, they opened the left rear door.

"It's me, Uncle Wang!" Yang Jie smiled as he got out of the car, looking at Wang Guixi, who was opening the door.

Wang Guixi, a son-in-law who had moved into Yangjia Village, was skilled in dealing with people and was the director of the winery office, responsible for receiving visiting leaders.

"Jie, you're back!" Wang Guixi was delighted to see Yang Jie get out of the car, but he was stunned when he saw Jimi get out of the other side.

In all the years since the winery was established, no foreigner had ever come to inspect it. Wang Guixi had only seen foreigners on TV and never imagined he would see a real, blue-eyed, blonde foreigner in the winery.

Seeing Wang Guixi's confusion, Yang Jie introduced Jimi with a smile, "Uncle Wang, this is Mr. Jimi from Italy. He is a distinguished guest of the county, here to inspect the marble project. Since we are good friends and he is a wine enthusiast, I thought he might want to visit the winery."

Wang Guixi, being the person responsible for receptions at the winery, quickly recovered from his initial surprise. "This is such a big deal, why didn't you call ahead? We could have prepared. Your father is in the office, and your uncle is here too. Do you want to tour the winery first or see your father?"

"Let's see my father first!" Liu Daxing had come to Wuhe Township yesterday to discuss the wine yeast issue with Yang Xinhua, so Yang Jie was not surprised to see his uncle in the office.

Smiling, he gestured to Jimi, who was observing the winery, "Jimi, let's go to the office to see my father. My uncle is also there. We can discuss the winery matters, and then we'll tour the workshops in the afternoon. We won't return to the county tonight. We'll stay in the village, and I'll take you hiking to see the sunrise tomorrow. How does that sound?"

"Jie, this is your home, so you decide. I'll follow your arrangements!" Jimi shrugged, looking relaxed.

"Great, this way!" Yang Jie took a step forward to lead the way, and Jimi followed closely behind. The driver was naturally taken care of by Wang Guixi, so Yang Jie didn't need to worry about it.

The winery office was a two-story red brick building with a long history. The red bricks and black tiles were covered with ivy, giving the building a lush and distinctive appearance.

The hallway was painted white, and the floor was very clean, giving it a military-like feel.

Yang Jie, familiar with the winery, led Jimi to the office on the second floor and walked straight to the office door on the left side of the hallway. He looked at the sign on the door and knocked firmly.

"Who is it?" Liu Daxing's voice came from inside the office. When he opened the door and saw Yang Jie smiling and Jimi standing beside him, he was stunned for a moment.

"Da Xing, who is it?" Yang Xinhua's deep and powerful voice echoed from inside the office.

"Jie, weren't you with Secretary Zhou in the county? Why are you back in Wuhe Township?" Liu Daxing, startled by Yang Xinhua's question, quickly opened the door and let Yang Jie and Jimi in.

"I did go to the county, but Mr. Jimi wanted to visit the winery, and Secretary Zhou agreed, so I brought him here." Yang Jie walked into the office and saw Yang Xinhua, who was familiar to him, busy at his desk. He felt a warm feeling in his heart.

Hearing Yang Jie's voice, Yang Xinhua looked up sharply, his eyes shining with satisfaction. "The old leader called me last night. He was very pleased with your performance. You didn't let me down."

"Dad, they say a hero's son is a hero. Since you are a hero, your son can't be a coward." Yang Jie, seeing Yang Xinhua's pleased expression, joked and then introduced Jimi seriously, "Jimi, let me introduce you. This is a war hero from the Vietnam War and my father, Mr. Yang Xinhua."

"Mr. Yang, nice to meet you! I admire soldiers, especially those who have truly risked their lives in battle. I am honored to meet you!" Jimi, hearing this, was deeply respectful and walked a few steps to the desk, extending his hand.

"Dad, this is Mr. Jimi from Italy. He is my friend and came to the winery to inspect it."

Although Yang Xinhua didn't understand Jimi's words, he understood his actions and smiled, standing up to shake Jimi's hand. "Mr. Jimi, welcome to the winery. I am glad to meet you."

After Yang Jie translated for both of them, Jimi smiled and released Yang Xinhua's hand. The tall Jimi noticed that Yang Xinhua's left leg was missing below the knee when he stood up, and he felt a deep admiration for this former war hero and current entrepreneur.

"Jimi, this is my uncle. You met him at Fuxin Tungsten Mine yesterday." Yang Jie then introduced Liu Daxing to Jimi.

After everyone got to know each other, they sat down on the sofas in the office. Yang Xinhua, leaning on his cane, walked out from behind the desk and sat next to Liu Daxing, looking at Jimi and Yang Jie.

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