Premier Wen Jiabao (L) chats with Zhang Zhansheng, a farmer from north China's Shanxi Province on November 30, 2006 in his office in Zhongnanhai. Farmer Zhang from a small village in Shanxi came to Beijing only hoping to drop off ten boxes of apples harvested from his community's orchards. [Xinhua]

"Welcome to Zhongnanhai, Lao Zhang," said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, warmly shaking the hand of farmer Zhang Zhansheng who surely must have been stunned by the generous greeting from one of the world's most powerful men.

Farmer Zhang from a small village in north China's Shanxi Province, had come to Beijing only hoping to drop off ten boxes of apples harvested from his community's orchards. He never actually expected to meet the Premier, let alone be shown around the Chinese leaders' compound -- Zhongnanhai -- in downtown Beijing, the seat of power in all of China.

"Please have a taste of our apples. They're from my orchard," stammered Zhang offering a big bright red one to the Premier.

It wasn't the first time the two had met. In March Premier Wen visited Shanxi to listen to advice from farmers on China's agricultural development. Zhang spoke for ten minutes about his community's improvements and needs for future development.

"I remember that night at the symposium. You understand the countryside's real situation and offered many good advices," recalled Wen.

Zhang also recalled that after the March meeting he had carried several boxes apples to Wen's local hotel, only to find that the Premier and his staff had already returned to Beijing.

He never gave up wanting to repay Wen for his visit. After this autumn's harvest, Zhang brought to Beijing more than ten big boxes of apples by train and stayed in a small inn. He turned off the heat in his room to keep the apples fresh.

As farmers around the world know, persistence pays and Zhang was finally invited to Zhongnanhai.

"Your secretaries have shown me around (Zhongnanhai)," said Zhang who tried to refuse the 300-yuan (US$37.5) payment for the apples but the Premier insisted.

"We should pay for the apples," Wen smiled. "After all, it's not easy working all year long in orchards," said Wen who shared the apples with his staff.

Premier Wen listened carefully as Zhang spoke of his village's future plans. Zhang told the Premier that his Shijiazhuang village has more than 9,000 mu (600 hectares) planted to apple orchards, that produce about 4,000 jin (2,000 kilograms) of apples per mu.

Zhang, who is the secretary of the Communist Party of China in his village says local farmers earn about 2,000 yuan (US$250) for each mu of orchard.

"It's more profitable than growing crops, isn't it?" Wen said.

"Because of the good quality, our apples sell well," said Zhang with a wink back at the Premier.

"It's an unforgettable day for me to get to chat with Premier Wen in his office," said Zhang, adding he will work hard to live up to the Premier's expectations.