By Zhao Yu

Amid rows of lush peach trees, Ying Kehui—head of Fenghua's Jiu'ao Peach Orchard—bends down with a wicker basket in hand, scanning the branches. Spotting a ripe peach protected by yellow paper wrapping, he carefully plucks it and places it in the basket. "This is our best-seller—the 'Hujing Milu' peach. It's known for its high sugar content, juiciness, and rich aroma," said Ying. "Since last weekend, we've been selling over 400 boxes a day."

Now 30, Ying returned to his hometown four years ago, leaving behind a career as a project manager in Hangzhou. Taking over the family peach business, he now manages 10 hectares of orchards on the rolling hills of Waiying Village, Jinping Subdistrict.

"Kehui lives at the base of the hill. During the day, he's out there picking, sorting, and packing peaches with the team. At night, he's handling orders and talking to clients. He has all his meals there too," said Ying Xiaohuan, a fellow villager.

Since 2021, Ying has introduced new peach varieties and adopted a range of modern techniques—like integrated water-fertilizer systems, rail carts for transporting the fruits up and down hilly terrain, and selling his harvests online.

"Even though my job title has changed, my commitment to learning and innovation hasn't," he said. To improve quality, Ying developed a detailed orchard management manual, covering everything from tree density per unit of land to pruning schedules and techniques. "In the past, people relied on intuition and experience to decide how much water or fertilizer to use," he explained, pointing to the mulch film covering the soil. "Now, with new tools, we're farming scientifically. The film helps regulate temperature and moisture, and keeps heavy rains from reducing the peaches' sweetness."

As he upgrades the Jiu'ao Orchard, Ying is also helping his neighbors get ahead. In addition to creating jobs, he helps other farmers market their harvests. "Kehui is warm, sincere, and incredibly capable—he knows how to grow and sell peaches," said Ying Shenghao, Party branch secretary of Waiying Village.

Last year, Jiu'ao Orchard brought in more than 3 million yuan in peach sales. Ying also helped more than 50 neighboring farming families increase their income.

Building a "shared orchard of prosperity" is one of Ying's long-term goals. After four years of hard work, he has developed a replicable, standardized production model. Jiu'ao peaches are now sold in over 50 cities across China—and even exported to the Middle East. "We need to not only grow great peaches, but also market them effectively," Ying said. "That means being open to new varieties, technologies, and business models."

When the time is right, he hopes to apply the Jiu'ao model to other orchards in the region, increasing shared prosperity across Fenghua.