After the divorce, I became a mountain god

Upon hearing Xu Bo'an's words, the waiter politely said to him, "Sir, please come this way!"

Xu Bo'an then followed the waiter to the back of the shop. After reaching the area where materials for building a greenhouse were displayed, the waiter asked Xu Bo'an, "Sir, would you like to build a 'cold greenhouse' or a 'warm greenhouse'?"

The waiter's question stumped Xu Bo'an. He didn't understand any of the technical terms like "cold frame" or "warm frame" at all!
Xu Bo'an looked at the waiter and asked, "What are these 'cold greenhouses' and 'warm greenhouses' you mentioned?"

When the waiter heard Xu Bo'an's question, he was taken aback. After all, people who usually come to the store to buy special materials for building greenhouses are people in this industry. They wouldn't be so unfamiliar with these two most basic professional terms. It seems that the person in front of him has not done any homework on greenhouses at all. What would such a "newbie" do with buying this kind of thing?

However, he was just a waiter in the store, and selling the store's products was his job. As long as he sold the products and made money, he didn't care much about anything else.

The waiter quickly realized what was happening and patiently explained to Xu Bo'an, "Sir, the most obvious difference between a cold greenhouse and a warm greenhouse is whether it has walls and whether it can be used for winter production. In our industry, we often compare a cold greenhouse to a rain umbrella, like a person wearing thermal underwear, while a warm greenhouse is like a cold-resistant insulated room, like a person wearing a down jacket."
The cold frame has a simple structure, consisting of steel pipes or bamboo and wood frames inserted directly into the soil, covered with a single layer of plastic film. It requires no foundation and can be built very quickly. The cost is about 30 to 40 yuan per square meter. It can only advance or delay the planting season. It does not have heating or high-performance insulation equipment and mainly uses solar energy for heating. In the north, it is only used for early spring planting and delayed autumn harvesting. It is usually idle in winter. In the south, it is mainly used for rain protection and insect control.

In contrast to cold greenhouses, warm greenhouses have a more complex structure, requiring the construction of three walls. The walls are mostly made of brick and mortar or earth to retain heat. The roof is equipped with a frame, film, and an automatically rolled-up insulation blanket. The cost per square meter ranges from 150 to 300 yuan. They are mainly used for off-season production and are the mainstay of winter production in northern regions. Even when the outdoor temperature reaches minus ten degrees Celsius, the indoor temperature can be maintained at around 7 degrees Celsius thanks to the heat retention of the walls and the insulation blanket. With the addition of some heating equipment, year-round uninterrupted planting can be achieved!
"Let me know whether you need a cold frame or a warm frame for your planting, and I'll prepare the necessary supplies for you!"

Seeing that Xu Bo'an was a complete novice when it came to greenhouse knowledge, the staff gave him a few more words of explanation.

With a detailed explanation from the service staff, Xu Bo'an understood that the construction and heating process of a greenhouse is more complicated than that of a cold greenhouse, but it can be used all year round.

Xu Bo'an actually wanted the little people to build greenhouses so that they could be used all year round and increase grain production in the shortest amount of time. However, considering the harsh conditions in the bonsai world, and the need for high-tech equipment for heating the greenhouses, which the bonsai world didn't even have electricity for heating, let alone high-tech equipment, this was clearly impractical.

Seeing Xu Bo'an's hesitation, the waiter continued, "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you that cold greenhouses are suitable for growing cold-resistant leafy vegetables like celery, spinach, and garlic sprouts. They are low-cost and suitable for large-scale construction. On the other hand, warm greenhouses have a high temperature and are suitable for growing warm-season fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries. They command higher prices and can be used to supply the market in winter. Now all the details about cold and warm greenhouses have been explained. It's up to you to choose!"

Upon hearing the waiter's words, Xu Bo'an quickly made a decision in his mind: he would choose the "cold frame" option. The reason was simple: heat-resistant vegetables like strawberries and cucumbers could be skipped, but vegetables like spinach, celery, and garlic sprouts were more practical and could be eaten with rice, making them far more useful than fruits.

As for tomatoes, although they are a commonly used fruit and vegetable, they are not convenient to grow in greenhouses. However, when people harvest tomatoes in the fall, they can make tomato sauce, which can be preserved for several years and tastes much better than off-season tomatoes grown in winter.

In addition, considering the extremely backward conditions in the world of bonsai, Xu Bo'an felt that the cold greenhouse was indeed the best choice for the bonsai enthusiasts.

Thinking of this, Xu Bo'an said to the waiter, "After listening to your introduction, I think the cold frame is more suitable for my needs, so let's buy the materials needed to build the cold frame!"

The waiter felt a little disappointed after hearing this, since the cost of materials needed to build a cold greenhouse was much lower than that needed to build a warm greenhouse, and his commission would be reduced by more than half!
But the customer is king, so even though the waiter was a little disappointed, he didn't show it on his face and still smiled at Xu Bo'an, saying, "Okay, building a cold frame requires frame materials, covering materials, and connecting and fixing parts. Currently, most people generally use hot-dip galvanized round pipes, which are rust-resistant, high-strength, and lightweight. If your budget is limited, you can also choose materials such as bamboo and wood, but their lifespan is shorter than that of hot-dip galvanized round pipes. For the covering material, I recommend using PO anti-drip or EVA film. These two have good light transmittance and can effectively improve the light exposure of crops..."

Xu Bo'an had already decided to buy the materials needed to build the cold frame. Since he had plenty of money, he naturally chose the best materials for building the cold frame. Before the salesperson could finish explaining the performance and advantages and disadvantages of these materials, Xu Bo'an interrupted him and said, "You don't need to explain the materials to me in such detail. Just pick out the best materials in your store!"

Hearing Xu Bo'an's words, the waiter was much happier than before and said to Xu Bo'an, "Alright, the total cost of all the materials for building one acre of cold greenhouse will be about 10,000 yuan. How much do you plan to spend, sir?"

Although Xu Bo'an didn't know much about greenhouses, he knew that greenhouses had to be built in relatively flat areas with a gentle slope. While there were some flat areas in Kaoshan Village in the Bonsai World, it was mostly mountainous terrain overall.

Xu Bo'an considered for a moment and said to the salesperson, "Please prepare enough for 100 mu first, and we'll talk about it if I need more later!"

Seeing that Xu Bo'an was a straightforward person, the waiter said, "Okay, I'll prepare it for you right away! Please fill out a packing form first, and our company will deliver the goods to you as soon as possible after it's prepared!" (End of this chapter)