With rapid and extensive urbanization, more and more people are moving to the cities, leaving their old houses unattended. The villages bearing people's childhood memories are fading away with time.

Chenjia Village may be one of the most insignificant among the "lost villages." Boasting stunning landscapes and a temperate climate, the place used to be a sanctuary for a simple life. As time changed, a declining economy made the residents move, leaving the place with a few people and many dilapidated houses.

To make matters worse, girls got reluctant to get married and settle down in this remote village. A high number of bachelors led to a decreasing birth rate over the years.

"In the near future, such villages could faint and disappear," said Cheng Jingying about her first impression of Chenjia Village.

Cheng came to Chenjia in 2006, only to find a scene of desolation and ruin. As a poverty alleviation cadre, she was determined to make a change and save the village.

"We visit the poor families to make sure the alleviation policies are fairly implemented," said Cheng.

To salvage the village, the most important thing is to raise the locals' income. There are a lot of moso bamboos on the mountains. Many villagers use the bamboo to make umbrella ribs. In addition to implementing the national poverty alleviation policy, the cadres find ways to expand the sale of umbrella ribs, a step to improve villagers' lives.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has greatly impacted the sale this year, causing the number of poor households to increase from 20 to 40. Cheng and her colleagues contacted an umbrella factory to purchase goods from the village.

The orders required new types of umbrella ribs, so Cheng took the sample and taught the technique door-to-door in the village.

"The hole is for the wooden stick. Cut it from the middle and the bottom. Apply oilpaper to it and make a hole…"

After teaching, villagers began making new umbrella ribs at home.

There are many elderly people in the village. Cheng and her colleagues often come to their homes and help with transporting umbrella ribs. Over time, they have become like family members to the villagers.

"They are too old to transport the umbrellas themselves. As poverty alleviation cadres, we are here to help them with the sale," said Cheng.

Cheng really cherishes her job. She hopes young people will follow in her footsteps in the future. With tireless efforts, these "lost villages" will surely be "found."