WUHAN -- Hu Xuemei, 47, has never been to Taiwan, nor had she ever imagined any connection to the island until Kuo Yang-fu opened a farming complex near her home in a village in central Hubei province on the Chinese mainland.

Having worked at the complex for many years, Hu now hopes to visit the island, the hometown of her friendly boss and his wife, who have created a dream job opportunity for her and helped boost the village's income.

"I feel grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Kuo for what they have done for the village, and I wish to know more compatriots from Taiwan," she said.

Kuo, 75, a businessman from Taiwan, had never imagined himself in the agricultural industry in his younger years, having mainly engaged in sectors such as manufacturing and venture capital in Taiwan and the mainland.

The connection began in 2013, when Kuo and his wife, Kuo Hsin-kuei, were invited by the local government to research potential business opportunities in Ezhou, Hubei. Prior to that, Kuo, despite having retired from his previous businesses, had been looking for "something to do."

There, they noticed the then underdeveloped town of Duandian. Encouraged by favorable investment policies and the prospect of helping local residents out of poverty, the couple established an agricultural company in 2014. They began developing a farming complex on more than 670 hectares of farmland across five villages, including the one where Hu lives.