Lei arranges persimmons while discussing village development plan. [Photo by LI KAI/SU GUI/FOR CHINA DAILY]

Fuyao has 10 residential clusters scattered across a vast mountain range, the nearest cluster being a 30-minute motorcycle ride away from the village committee.

She once appealed to higher authorities for road funding and received about 5 million yuan ($785,000) from 2013 to 2018 that has made things easier for locals to go about their business in the village and with the outside world.

With the latest road section that was completed last month, Lei has helped to develop eight sealed roads altogether running more than 16 kilometers near the village.

"Everything has become easy for us," says Li Caineng, whose family used to live in an isolated mountain area that was all but cut off from the outside.

"The roads were mostly mud ones before, and we all got dusty when it was sunny and dry and muddy when it rained," Li says.

Better transport also enables locals to sell their farm produce outside.

With the standing Lei has among villagers, many have followed her by making the most of the advantages of their difficult location by growing sweet tea leaves and persimmons. It helped local average household income reach 40,000-50,000 yuan a year.