During a trip back home in 2017, Wu saw a villager in her 60s carrying homemade dustpans to sell in town. "She took five days to make eight dustpans and sold each for 5 yuan (74 cents) apiece," he said.

Wu felt that he should move some of his business home to provide better opportunities for his fellow villagers.

Today, he manages chile plantations with an area of about 2 sq km in Guizhou. Their yields are sold to Kunming in Yunnan province, Chengdu in Sichuan province and Chongqing, cities known for their love of spicy foods.

"In Guizhou, the picking and cutting of chiles is done by hand to ensure the best quality," Wu said.

Two years ago, he set up a chile cooperative, which provides jobs picking and processing chiles.

"Cutting chiles is something that can be done by people of different ages," he said. "Those who cut fast can earn 110 yuan a day."