Episode 1 recap: Ouyang Yixing returned to his hometown to take over the winery.
In 1984, Professor Li Guohua, a renowned figure in the Chinese wine industry, visited the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains and discovered the unique characteristics of the Gobi Desert. He encouraged the local villagers to plant grapes and make wine, predicting that it would bring prosperity and abundance to every household, transforming the barren land into a fragrant paradise of fine wines. In the blink of an eye, the wine industry in Ningxia set sail in the autumn of 2008.
The Party Committee and Government of the Ningxia Autonomous Region established a dedicated leadership group responsible for coordinating the overall development of the industry. They broke away from the situation where state-owned enterprises acted alone and actively introduced and encouraged private capital, unleashing the vitality of economic development. After more than 20 years, Li Guohua returned to Helan and was astonished to see that the once desolate Gobi wasteland had been transformed into an endless vineyard.
Due to the backwardness of the Chinese red wine market compared to foreign markets and the lack of sufficient competitiveness, there were risks in large-scale grape planting and winemaking. Deputy Director Chen of the Forestry Department took into account various opinions and considerations and first thought of Qin Heping. Over the years, Ouyang Bin and Shi Mingshan had been jointly operating the Xingxing Winery, and they had invested deeply in it, hoping to gain fame through future competitions.
Ouyang Bin wanted to share the precious "Syrah" wine with Shi Mingshan, but Shi Mingshan believed that they should wait until they won an award before tasting it, and that this wine was meant to be preserved for their daughter, Ouyang Yixing. At this moment, in Vienna, Austria, Ouyang Yixing was accepted by an internationally renowned symphony orchestra, realizing her dream of playing the cello. At the international wine tasting competition held in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains, Ouyang Bin lived up to expectations and won a major award. Father and daughter celebrated and exchanged phone calls with joy.
After confirming his daughter's return date, Ouyang Bin decided to personally drive to pick her up, but he couldn't reach him as she got off the plane. Just as Ouyang Yixing was calling her mother, she suddenly received the dreadful news that her father had been in a car accident. She hurriedly rushed to the hospital and saw her mother crying outside the operating room while holding the trophy. Ouyang Bin's injuries were severe and the situation was critical. The medical team proposed two treatment options: one was to perform surgery to remove the blood clot in his brain, but the success rate was extremely low; the other was conservative treatment, waiting for the blood clot to dissolve on its own.
Before Ouyang Yixing could make a decision, news came from the winery, forcing her to leave the hospital to deal with winery matters. The suppliers clamored to see Ouyang Bin and presented a long list of outstanding debts. Ouyang Yixing confirmed from the financial manager, Sister Hong, that the winery's financial chain had been broken, and the suppliers rushed forward to grab and move the wine. Deputy Director Chen took the initiative to find Qin Heping and proposed the establishment of an internal leadership group for the wine industry within the Forestry Department. He would serve as the group leader and recommended Qin Heping as the deputy group leader.
Qin Heping was taken by surprise, and Deputy Director Chen narrated the development history of the first private winery. In the early days of the winery, there were not only Ouyang Bin and Qiu Guodong but also a partner named Qi Beishan.
During the reform and opening up period, the government encouraged individuals to start their own businesses. The three of them formed a partnership and opened a quarry. At the same time, under the guidance of Professor Li Guohua, they planted wine grapes and established the Xingxing Winery in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains.
Deputy Director Chen emphasized the significant contribution of private wineries to the development of the region. Their goal in developing the wine industry was to help people become prosperous and achieve the party's purpose of "coming from the masses, going to the masses, relying on the masses, and serving the masses." Soon, Shi Mingshan arrived at the hospital and looked at the unconscious Ouyang Bin with a heavy heart.
Through his coordination, the suppliers agreed to give the winery time to raise funds. However, Ouyang Yixing faced a difficult decision: on one hand, her dream was within reach, but on the other hand, her father's life was in danger. Her boyfriend's urging added to her dilemma and pain. Qin Heping approached Director Liu Ziyu and proposed the idea of planting 50,000 mu (approximately 8,235 acres) of grapes in the Helan Mountains. However, Liu Ziyu was somewhat worried and believed that such a big matter should be carefully considered.
On the other hand, the Xingxing Winery had no one to take charge. Shi Mingshan asked Ouyang Yixing for her thoughts, and she planned to sell the winery to raise money for her father's treatment and to repay the debts. The next day, Shi Mingshan took Ouyang Yixing to visit the winery, expressing his lamentation that it would soon change hands. Ouyang Yixing admitted that she didn't understand winemaking and was afraid it would be difficult to manage. Qiu Yihan, the daughter of Qiu Guodong, advised her to choose a buyer carefully, but she had ulterior motives and intended to take over the winery to avoid competition.
Unable to bear seeing their years of hard work go to waste, Shi Mingshan sought help from Qin Heping, hoping to find a solution. Qi Lu became an assistant winemaker at a state-owned winery but was dissatisfied with the rigid management style. He explained this to Liu Ziyu, but Qiu Yihan took an interest in him and recommended him to her father, seeing his credentials as a student of Dr. Balbo.
Some people within the factory questioned Qi Lu's lack of experience due to his youth. Liu Ziyu privately sought the opinion of Xie Yong, who believed that Qi Lu's ideas were worth considering. Old classmate An Nan noticed Ouyang Yixing's predicament and suggested hiring a professional manager. Qin Heping contacted Qi Lu and recommended him to join the Xingxing Winery, promising him the freedom to exert his abilities. Meanwhile, Ouyang Yixing's boyfriend continued to urge her to make a choice and reminded her not to give up on her dream.
In Shanghai, Su Sha noticed that her master had not been resting well lately, and her master, concerned about her son Qi Lu, personally called to inquire about him.
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