Spring breezes sweep across western Guangdong, carrying the faint fragrance of Huajuhong (dried peel of Huazhou pomelo) from farmhouses in Pingding Town, Huazhou City, Maoming. Liao Zhilue, a National People's Congress deputy and head of the Huazhou Peilin Juhong Planting Professional Cooperative, is sitting with villagers making seven-clawed Huajuhong, a traditional preparation of the dried peel cut into seven segments. "This year, I plan to bring a fruit-bearing Huajuhong seedling to Beijing to attend China's annual 'two sessions'," he said.

Last year, Liao Zhilue attracted attention by bringing a flowering Huajuhong seedling to the two sessions. This year, he wants to use a fruit-bearing one to illustrate the industry's progress. "From seedlings in the soil to further-processed products, we've achieved this step by step," he said, adding that with the industry's growth, more villagers can earn a living without leaving home.

After graduating from university in 2015, Liao returned to his hometown to start his own business. In 2017, he established a cooperative and signed guaranteed purchase agreements with local farmers, helping them regain confidence in this industry. Today, the cooperative has directly helped increase income for more than 3,000 households. Across Huazhou, Huajuhong plantations cover over 140,000 mu (about 9,300 hectares). The total output value of the entire industrial chain has reached 12.6 billion yuan, providing employment for 350,000 people. Formerly provincially designated poor villages have seen their collective income double, driven by the industrial growth, and more and more young people choose to return to their hometowns to develop their careers.

Before leaving for Beijing, Liao stated that this year he would offer suggestions on promoting the inclusion of Huajuhong's traditional Chinese medicine culture in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, supporting the development of the further processing industry, and accelerating the construction of the Maoming section of the Shenzhen-Nanning Expressway. A single Huajuhong seedling carries the hopes of the villagers and witnesses the dedication of a post-90s NPC deputy, who has been rooted in the fields and continuously advocates for the development of his hometown's industry.

一株化橘红苗背后的乡亲期盼

春风拂过粤西大地，茂名化州市平定镇农家院落里飘出淡淡的化橘红香。全国人大代表、化州市培林橘红种植专业合作社社长廖志略正和村民围坐制作化橘红七爪。“今年我准备把一棵挂果的化橘红苗带到北京参加全国两会。”他说。

去年两会期间，廖志略带着一棵开花的化橘红苗参会受到关注。今年，他想用一棵已经挂果的苗，讲述产业发展的成果。“从泥土地里的苗，到深加工产品，是我们一步一个脚印走出来的。”他感慨，产业发展好了，更多乡亲就能在家门口赚钱。

2015年大学毕业后，廖志略回到家乡创业。2017年，他成立合作社，与农户签订保底收购协议，带动大家重拾信心。如今，合作社直接带动3000多户农户增收，化州橘红种植面积超14万亩，全产业链产值达126亿元，带动35万人就业。昔日的省定贫困村，也在产业带动下实现集体收入翻番，越来越多年轻人选择返乡发展。

赴京参会前，廖志略表示，今年将围绕推动化橘红中药文化列入国家级非遗名录、支持深加工产业发展、加快深南高速茂名段建设等内容建言献策。一株化橘红苗，承载着乡亲们的期盼，也见证着一位“90后”全国人大代表扎根田间、持续为家乡产业发声的履职脚步。

文 | 记者 郭思琦
图 | 记者 曾育文 梁喻
翻译 | 黄健新
审校 | 柯妃娟