China News Service, Shenyang, March 7th, Title: Taking root in the countryside for development, loving the motherland and keeping the original intention - the growth story of the youngest female village party secretary in Kuandian

　　Author Diao Haiyang and Yao Rongjia

　　"Although it's not spectacular, being down-to-earth still makes my life exciting and fulfilling."

Shi Shujuan, who just recently won the title of National March 8th Red Flag Bearer, was interviewed by a reporter from China News Service on the 7th. This is how she commented on her struggle to take root in rural Liaoning.

　　Shi Shujuan, who was born in 1988, is currently the branch secretary and director of Shihugou Village, Shihugou Township, Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County, Dandong City. She is the youngest female village branch secretary among the 189 administrative villages in Kuandian area.

Shi Shujuan works in the office.

Photo provided by interviewee

　　From a female college student who returned home to start a business to the village secretary, she took one step at a time and made extraordinary contributions in ordinary jobs. She has won the 2017 Liaoning Province Rural Science and Technology Rich Female Expert, the 2022 "Liaoning Good Person", and the 2022 Liaoning Good Person Honorary titles such as the "March 8th Red Flag Bearer" in Liaoning Province, the "Most Beautiful Family" in Liaoning Province in 2022, the Internet Touching Person in the Second Quarter of Xinhua News Agency's "China Internet Affairs·Moving 2023" in 2023, and the "Five Good Families" in Liaoning Province in 2023.

　　After graduating from university in 2011, Shi Shujuan and her husband returned to their hometown and founded an edible fungi production base, the Kuandian Xinde Fungus Industry Experimental Base.

In the early days of starting a business, Shi Shujuan was very hands-on, from selecting bacterial strains to cultivating and planting to sales and promotion. She devoted all her professional knowledge and enthusiasm for starting a business into production and operations.

As the scale of the industry grew larger and larger, the young couple became increasingly prosperous. They began to help solve the employment problems of some villagers, helping them increase their income and become rich.

　　In 2016, Shi Shujuan, who is young and energetic, daring to think and capable of doing things, was elected as deputy secretary of the Party branch of Shihugou Village and chairman of the Village Women's Federation.

In 2021, she was elected secretary of the village party branch and director of the village committee, becoming the "leader" of rural revitalization.

Shi Shujuan was interviewed by a reporter from China News Service.

Photo by Yao Rongjia

　　Since taking office, Shi Shujuan has secured more than 10 million yuan in funds for the village.

Building roads, digging wells, and installing street lights, she led the villagers to improve the village's infrastructure, build 5,000 meters of protective embankment along the river, build a 3,000 square meter Shihu Park and 1.2 kilometers of fitness trails, boosting rural revitalization with industrial prosperity and increasing the number of village collectives. Economic income is 130,000 yuan.

　　In order to improve the rural living environment and create a beautiful countryside, every spring and autumn, Shi Shujuan organizes villagers to perform voluntary labor on environmental sanitation of the streets in the village.

Under her influence, more than 100 volunteers in the village actively participated in the improvement of the living environment, cleaning up thousands of tons of accumulated garbage, cleaning 15,000 meters of rivers, and the whole village took on a completely new look.

　　Shi Shujuan said that grassroots work seems simple, but in fact it is trivial, complicated, difficult and stressful, but this is also the reason why she has been able to grow rapidly in the past few years.

She said: "I am doing my job, and I can do better. I want to set a good example for my children."

　　A promising woman blooms with youth, and her soft shoulders carry a heavy burden.

Shi Shujuan, who is conscientious and devoted to her duties, recently ushered in her highlight moment.

On March 3, the All-China Women's Federation held a commemoration and commendation conference to commemorate the International Women's Day in Beijing.

Shi Shujuan was honored to become one of the 300 national March 8th Red Flag Bearers.

　　Shi Shujuan said: "Although this honor is given to me personally, it also belongs to my family who supports me behind the scenes and to all my work partners who work hard with me."

　　In her opinion, being a national March 8th red flag bearer is both an honor and a spur.

It is a recognition of her having taken root in the countryside and serving the people for so many years. It also allows her to put forward higher requirements for herself - to continuously improve herself and continue to give back to the society.

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