On November 6, a villager in Qucun Village, Cheng'an County, Handan City, was inspecting the growth of vegetables in their small garden.
After her afternoon nap on the same day, Grandma Su from Qucun Village busied herself again in her small vegetable garden. Located just 30 meters from her home, the garden measures 5 meters wide and 6 meters long, neatly planted with lush, thick-leaved Chinese cabbage. Surrounding her plot are several similar-sized vegetable patches—some freshly harvested, leaving behind vines, while others still grow scallions and radishes.
"It's right at my doorstep—I can grow whatever I want to eat. So convenient!" Grandma Su straightened up and smiled.
This land was once a persistent problem for the village. Previously, the 4-acre idle plot in the western part of the village was piled high with garbage and debris. In summer, swarms of flies buzzed around, and the stench was unbearable, severely affecting nearby residents' lives.
At the end of 2023, the village held a residents' meeting to discuss solutions for the land. "City folks pay to rent land for gardening—why can’t we turn this wasteland into small vegetable plots?" proposed Ren Yongguo, the village Party branch secretary, citing practices from southern villages. The suggestion was met with enthusiastic support.
After surveying and planning, the 4-acre plot was divided into 54 tidy small gardens and leased to villagers at low cost. Within a week, over 20 households signed up. The village organized volunteers and machinery to clear the garbage and level the land, transforming the former dump into orderly gardens.
"I rented two plots for 200 yuan a year," said Grandma Zhao, pulling up kohlrabi while calculating savings. "Since leasing the garden, my family hasn’t bought greens—it’s saved us a lot." She also cherishes the camaraderie: neighbors chat while tending their plots, sharing surplus produce and strengthening bonds.
The gardens brought more than just convenience. Ren Yongguo noted that the once-troublesome area became a village highlight. During a meeting to revise village regulations, residents proposed rules to prevent garbage from ruining their community again. Clauses like "three responsibilities at the doorstep" and "waste-sorting reward points" were added.
Littering and dumping decreased, while more villagers took initiative to clean public spaces. "This spring, we repaved the bumpy roads to improve access," Ren added.
Today, Qucun Village boasts smooth, clean roads and tidy surroundings. Elderly residents relaxing on refurbished benches happily remarked, "The trash is gone, roads fixed, and these little gardens make our village prettier every day."
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