Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 171 Huniu
Zhang Yuzhen's home in Daying Village.

In the living room, a plate of braised pork, a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes, and three bowls of porridge were laid out on the dining table. Zhang Yuzhen and her husband sat at the table but did not touch their chopsticks.

Zhang Yuzhen stood up, walked to the door, and peeked out into the yard: "Why isn't this child back yet? I told him there would be braised pork tonight. The gravy has been collected; it won't be able to be reheated later!"

"It's alright, we'll steam it in a bit." Lin Dingyuan lit a cigarette and took a puff. "By the way, how did your meeting with Wang Xiuying go? Will that college student surnamed Zhou work out?"

Zhang Yuzhen chuckled and was about to speak when the door outside opened.

She stood up, lifted the curtain, and looked outside. She saw Lin Xiaohu trotting in with small, cheerful steps, humming a little tune: "A string of footprints leads to the threshing ground."

That's how you looked with your braids flying in the wind...

Zhang Yuzhen greeted him, "Oh dear, you're finally back! Hurry up and wash your hands and eat, the braised pork is almost cold!"

Lin Xiaohu stamped his foot before lifting the curtain and entering the room: "You guys hurry up and eat, I've already eaten."

Zhang Yuzhen frowned, somewhat displeased: "How come you've already eaten? Didn't I tell you I'd make your favorite braised pork tonight? Why don't you remember?"

"I remember, I remember! This afternoon, Qinghe and I were helping Teacher Chen with her work. Just as we finished, Qinghe insisted I go eat with her. I couldn't refuse, so I went with her." Lin Xiaohu chuckled as he finished speaking.

Lin Dingyuan smiled and said, "Xiao Hu, from what you're saying, that girl is interested in you too?"

"Of course! We sit together every day chatting and working. She often jokes with me and even said she'd take me out to eat when we get to Beijing. If she didn't like me, would she be so enthusiastic towards me?" Lin Xiaohu also sat at the table, vividly recounting his relationship with Zhou Qinghe.

Lin Dingyuan slapped his thigh and laughed, "Hey, now that I think about it, there's actually a chance!" He then looked at Zhang Yuzhen beside him, "Mom, didn't you go to see Wang Xiuying today? What did she say?"

Zhang Yuzhen recalled: "She didn't say anything, but from what she said, it seems she didn't like Zhou Qinghe."

Lin Dingyuan was somewhat surprised: "Wow, their standards are pretty high, they don't even look at college students. But it's good, so she won't think our family is competing with her."

Zhang Yuzhen rolled her eyes, displeased with these words: "What's there to argue about? I've only ever argued with Wang Xiuying once in my life."

As for Wang Xiuying's desire to take over the store, she only found out later. There was no competition between the two of them. Back in the commune era, she was the saleswoman at the store. It was only natural for her to take over; it had no place for Wang Xiuying. Wang Xiuying didn't understand the situation either.

To put it bluntly, Wang Xiuying was just jealous of how much money I was making back then. Now that her son is successful, look at her, she doesn't even mention it anymore.

However, she didn't hold it against Wang Xiuying. No one is perfect, so it was enough. Overall, Wang Xiuying was a decent person.

“Xiaohu,” Zhang Yuzhen turned to her son, “Your Aunt Xiuying told me that Qinghe is not only from Beijing, but her mother is also a cadre. There’s a big gap between our two families’ circumstances, so you need to be prepared.” Zhang Yuzhen hoped her son would find a wife from Beijing, but she also knew that it wouldn’t be easy.

Lin Xiaohu was getting anxious: "Mom, are you not happy about it?"

Zhang Yuzhen said, "I'm not unwilling. I just feel that the two families' circumstances are quite different. We can't help much, so you'll have to rely on yourself. As long as you get along well with this girl, and you two are willing, there's still a chance."

Lin Xiaohu smiled and nodded, "Mom, don't worry, I understand what you mean. I think Qinghe also has feelings for me, and I'll try even harder!" Lin Xiaohu's face showed excitement.

Lin Dingyuan said, "Alright, let's eat first, we'll talk after we finish eating. Xiao Hu, this braised pork was specially made for you by your mother, you should eat some too, don't let her good intentions go to waste."

"Hehehe," Lin Xiaohu chuckled, "I was so busy talking to Qinghe while I was eating that I'm actually a little hungry." He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, and put it directly into his mouth.

The family of three ate and chatted, their voices filled with laughter.

……

365 Vegetable Store in Beijing.

A small blackboard hangs on the store door, with the words "Low-fat steak available 24 hours a day, exclusively for fitness enthusiasts" written on it in colored pens.

Yesterday, after Wallace Parker left, Li Zhe called a small meeting to discuss how to promote domestically produced beef.

The reason Li Zhe wanted to promote domestically produced steak was simple: beef was the product with the highest gross profit margin in the store.

A pound of beef can earn over ten foreign exchange certificates. If he can sell dozens of pounds of beef a day, the gross profit can reach several hundred foreign exchange certificates. Even if all other products are unprofitable, Li Zhe can still make a fortune.

Li Zhe revealed his plan to package domestically produced steaks. Actually, Li Zhe had been working on this before, but it hadn't been systematic or thorough enough.

First of all, the name needs to be changed. "Qinchuan Hybrid Cattle" doesn't sound distinctive and doesn't make people want to buy it.

Li Zhe wanted to change the name to be more appealing for advertising. It needed to reflect the characteristics of being low-fat, healthy, and fresh. Since the target audience was primarily foreign clients, the name also needed to sound good in English.

Li Zhe mainly discussed this point with three college students. However, English vocabulary is not as complex as Chinese characters, and many nuances cannot be fully expressed. Many names that sound good are lost when translated.

A name that was too long was also unsuitable. In the end, Li Zhe had to settle for second best, not requiring it to include all the characteristics, but only highlighting its low-fat nature. Ultimately, it was simply named "Low-Fat Beef".

The name might not be the most appealing, but it directly highlights the characteristics of the steak. Next to the low-fat steaks, there's a thoughtful sign that reads: "Green Fresh Meat, Exclusively for Fitness Enthusiasts."

At the same time, Li Zhe also prepared a set of sales pitches for the staff. From the origin and variety of the steak to the pastures and water sources where the grazing animals graze, everything was carefully considered, and foreigners would buy into that.

As long as the story is told well, and the beef is indeed of good quality and the price is affordable, Li Zhe believes that sales should increase significantly.

Of course, Li Zhe wasn't just making things up. As a key breed being cultivated by the state, Qin Chuan hybrid cattle do indeed have access to the best pastures and water sources, so it's not entirely unfounded.

Li Zhe arranged things at the shop and told Wang Ting to go home early. Afterwards, he took a truck back to Daying Village. He hadn't been back for a few days, and he couldn't neglect the affairs at home; after all, the vegetable greenhouses were his livelihood.

……

On the dirt road in Wan'an Town.

A girl in a green military-style overcoat was riding her bicycle, her legs churning. She had a bag on her back and a travel bag on her shoulder.

The girl was sturdy, with strong, thick legs, and she pedaled the pedals incredibly fast.

Suddenly, with a "bang," the bicycle chain broke. She lost her footing and almost fell off the bicycle.

Fortunately, she managed to steady the handlebars in time, and the bike slowly came to a stop on the side of the road. She was both anxious and angry, saying, "You bastard, everyone's bullying me! This piece of junk is really going to mess with me? Believe me or not, I'll sell you to the junkyard!"

The girl was angry, but she had no other choice. She picked up the broken chain, threw it into the basket, and could only push the bike forward.

She walked a little further, got a bit tired, parked her car on the side of the road, squatted down and rubbed her calves.

She stood up, ready to push her cart forward, when she saw a green truck pulling up in the distance. A look of delight crossed her face, and she waved towards the car, shouting, "Stop! Stop!"

The truck stopped, the passenger door opened, and Li Zhe got out. He looked at the girl in front of him and asked, "Miss, is something the matter?"

"Brother, my car broke down, can you give me a ride?" The girl took off the scarf wrapped around her face, revealing a smile on her round face.

Looking at that face, Li Zhe had a feeling of déjà vu. "Miss, where are you going? What's your name?"

"My surname is Liu, and I work at the Wan'an Town Electric Fan Factory. My friends call me Tiger Girl."

“Tiger Girl…” Li Zhe muttered, an image of a girl in overalls appearing in his mind, gradually merging with the girl in front of him. Yes, it was her.

Li Zhe had worked at the Wan'an Town Electric Fan Factory before, and this girl named Hu Niu was his colleague. Hu Niu's father was the workshop director at the electric fan factory.

"Tiger Girl, where are you planning to go?" He and Tiger Girl had a pretty good relationship in his past life. This girl didn't have any major problems, just a bit willful.

“I’m going to Daying Village. My aunt married into Daying Village. She was beaten up a while ago, and I’m going to visit her in the village.”

"Okay, then get in the car. We're from Daying Village, we'll give you a ride back to the village."

"Oh, thank you! Brother, what's your name? When we get to town, I'll treat you to a meal at a restaurant!"

"Hahaha," Li Zhe laughed, "It's not worth it, it's just a small matter!"

While Li Zhe and Hu Niu were talking, Li Weidong and a militiaman also got off the vehicle. Seeing that it was a girl from the town going to Daying Village, they warmly helped her load the bicycle onto the vehicle.

The trucks transporting vegetables were always escorted by militia. However, because they were carrying weapons, the militia usually did not enter the capital city, but only escorted them to the checkpoints.

After getting on the bus, militia member Zhao Bing asked curiously, "Young lady, what are you doing in our Daying Village in this freezing weather?"

"I'm going to visit some relatives," Tiger Girl replied, then asked, "Big Brother, what's your name?"

"My name is Zhao Bing."

"My name is Tiger Girl." She smiled and continued, "Brother Zhao, can I ask you about someone?"

"Sure, go ahead and tell me. There's no one in Daying Village I don't know."

Tiger Girl asked somewhat hesitantly, "Do you know someone named Lin Xiaohu? His family runs a consignment store in Daying Village."

(End of this chapter)