Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 184 The Fragrance of Vegetables Spreads Across the World
He carefully carried the watermelon into the vegetable shop, picked it up and examined it closely, then patted the rind, making a deep, muffled thud. "Wow, this watermelon is really good."

He ran up to Li Zhe and asked, "Brother Li, do we only have two watermelons in our shop?"

"That's quite a lot. We only planted less than a quarter of an acre, and we only harvested five today. One was sent to the Great Wall Hotel, one to the Mona Lisa Restaurant, and the remaining two are for you. What more do you want?"

"Brother Li, isn't there one more?"

"That one didn't look very good, so we shared it." Li Zhe reminisced for a moment. The watermelon flesh was crisp, juicy, and tender, quite different from the watermelons from Shakou in the summer.

Even watermelons that don't look very good can be cut up and sold. But who wouldn't want to try a fresh watermelon in the dead of winter? Not to mention others, Li Zhe himself wanted to eat one too.

Sun Tao felt it was a pity, but he didn't say anything more: "How much should this watermelon cost?"

"Fifteen foreign exchange certificates per pound".

"Isn't it too expensive?" Sun Tao frowned, looking at the round watermelon, and continued, "This watermelon weighs about ten pounds, which is one hundred and fifty foreign exchange certificates. Who can afford it?"

Li Zhe said, "Today, watermelons are a promotional product, so we're offering a 20% discount, which is 12 foreign exchange certificates per pound. The price isn't high. Besides, who told you to sell them whole? You're selling them cut up."

"Even if we cut it in half and sell it, it would still cost sixty or seventy foreign exchange certificates." Sun Tao still felt the price was too high.

Li Zhe glanced at him. "You're usually pretty quick-witted, why are you being stubborn now? If you think cutting it in half is still too expensive, then cut it even smaller. Like a quarter or an eighth, you can still sell it, right?"

"This...is this how it's sold?" Sun Tao wasn't being stubborn; it's just that in his memory, watermelons were usually sold whole, and even families with few people or poor conditions would buy half a watermelon.

If you cut off a quarter or even an eighth of the melon, not only will the melon seller refuse to sell to you, but they might also mistake you for a troublemaker and beat you up.

Li Zhe explained, "Taozi, the situation is different in every country. Only Chinese people buy watermelons by the piece. Foreigners usually buy watermelons by the slice; buying them by the piece is actually a minority."

"Hey, this is the first time I've ever heard of this. I've learned something new." Sun Tao was both puzzled and impressed. This Brother Li was clearly a countryman from out of town, so how could he know more than him, a man from the capital?
Weird!

At eight o'clock in the morning, the vegetable store hung up a red banner announcing its official opening, and most items were offered at a 20% discount.

At 8:30, three female college students arrived one after another. This was the first time Wang Ting had arrived so early.

In addition, Li Zhe borrowed two people from the Mona Lisa restaurant to distribute flyers near the diplomatic apartments.

The vegetable store officially opened at nine o'clock in the morning.

Many regular customers of the vegetable store knew that it was officially opening today and that there would be special offers, so they had already been waiting outside the store.

Director Han of the Chongwenmen vegetable market also arrived at the vegetable shop, accompanied by a strange couple. Upon seeing the foreigners waiting outside the shop, the man took out his camera from around his neck and snapped a couple of photos.

Director Han smiled and said, "A couple of days ago, our vegetable store, which caters to foreign customers, had its trial operation and attracted many foreign friends to come in and make purchases. They were all very satisfied with our service. Look, they're already waiting outside even before we've opened."

The female reporter said, "Director Han, may I interview these foreigners? I think their feedback on the vegetable shop would be more authentic and convincing."

Director Han hesitated for a moment: "That's fine, but I don't speak any foreign languages ​​and can't help you with the introduction. How about this, the staff at our vegetable store speak English and can act as translators."

Director Han was worried that these foreigners would blurt out things they shouldn't, but if someone was there to "translate" them, things would be different.

The two reporters accepted Director Han's offer and, led by him, went into the vegetable store to interview the owner, Li Zhe.

Having learned from his previous interview with Wei Min, Li Zhe was more experienced this time and answered the reporter's questions fluently.

The vegetable store officially opened for business at nine o'clock in the morning.

Several foreign customers flocked into the vegetable shop, including a petite, dark-haired woman. She first went to the vegetable section to buy out-of-season produce, but her eyes inadvertently fell on the fruit section, and her eyes lit up immediately. She quickly walked over there.

She stared at the watermelon on the counter, her face full of disbelief. She gently patted the watermelon and said in broken Chinese, "What?! This is a real watermelon? Why are there watermelons in winter?!"

She asked Wang Ting, "Comrade, may I taste this watermelon?"

This was Wang Ting's first time selling this kind of thing, and she couldn't help but look at Li Zhe.

“I’ll cut it. Go get the toothpicks.” Li Zhe walked to the woman’s side and asked, “Madam, I’m the manager of this shop. What’s your name?” “My name is Suzuki Mieko. Why does your shop have watermelons in winter?” Suzuki Mieko couldn’t hide her surprise and guessed, “Are they imported from the south of your country?”

"No, these watermelons are grown in a winter-warm greenhouse, which makes them more expensive and less pricey."

Mieko Suzuki glanced at the price and said, "I don't think this price is expensive at all, considering it's watermelon season! But I don't know if watermelons taste as good in winter as they do in summer."

"Let me cut it open for you so you can taste it." Li Zhe himself didn't particularly like the Japanese, but in this era, the two countries had close relations and promoted Sino-Japanese friendship. Even if Li Zhe didn't like them, he wouldn't cause trouble.

Li Zhe took a watermelon knife, cut the watermelon in half, then cut off a small piece, pierced it with a toothpick, and handed it to the other person.

"Thank you." Suzuki Mieko took the watermelon with both hands, took a small bite, slowly closed her eyes, and then ate the whole piece of watermelon, chewing it slowly.

At that moment, her face was filled with a complex mix of emotions: happiness, emotion, and a sense of bliss...

After finishing the watermelon, she clasped her hands together in front of her chest and said, "Thank you, thank you for the treat. This watermelon is so delicious; I have never eaten a watermelon like this before."

Li Zhe stared at the other person; her tone was sincere, a heartfelt gratitude after enjoying delicious food.

This scene was captured by the reporter brought by Director Han...

Mieko Suzuki bought half a watermelon for tasting, weighing five pounds, worth sixty foreign exchange certificates. She also bought some off-season vegetables, eggs, and chicken legs, totaling over one hundred foreign exchange certificates.

With Wang Ting's translation, the female reporter interviewed several more foreign guests. After obtaining enough material, Li Zhe treated them to watermelon and gave them some off-season vegetables before seeing them off from the vegetable shop.

Director Han stayed behind last, giving Li Zhe a thumbs-up, "The vegetable shop is doing well, even better than I expected."

Li Zhe smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, boss. Our store was able to open smoothly thanks to your help."

Although he knew Li Zhe was just being polite, everyone likes to hear nice things. Director Han smiled and said, "Alright, you guys keep busy, I'll be going now."

Li Zhe's successful opening of her international vegetable store was indeed due to her considerable efforts, but the store has also brought her significant benefits, and might even become a major boost to her promotion.

Around noon, my second sister also came to congratulate me, bringing a box of Daoxiangcun pastries and a young man in his twenties with her.

The man wore black-rimmed glasses, a navy blue woolen coat, and a turtleneck sweater, and carried a black briefcase. He exuded a strong scholarly air.

The second sister introduced them very straightforwardly: "This is Boss Li, and this is Comrade Li Guoqing from the Rural Policy Research Office of the Secretariat."

Li Guoqing smiled and said, "Mr. Li, I came uninvited after learning that your vegetable shop was opening today. Please forgive my intrusion."

"Welcome, welcome! You're my friend, so you're my friend too. We just opened today, so please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality." The vegetable shop wasn't big, and it was packed full of produce, so it really wasn't suitable for entertaining friends.

"Mr. Li, I only learned about your vegetable shop's opening yesterday. I didn't have time to prepare a gift, so I wrote you a congratulatory couplet to wish you a prosperous business and abundant wealth." Li Guoqing said, taking a red couplet from his briefcase. Unfolding it, he revealed eight black calligraphy characters:
Right side: The aroma of vegetables fills the world.
Left side: Feeling at home
Horizontal scroll: Evergreen.

Li Zhe put the congratulatory couplet away. This man was not only highly educated but would later become a billionaire entrepreneur, so the couplet was still very meaningful to him.

"Thank you for your gift. I like it very much and will keep it safe."

Li Guoqing said dismissively, "Brother Li, it's not worth it. It's just a piece of calligraphy. If you ask me, you should just hang it up and enjoy the festive atmosphere today."

Li Zhe runs a vegetable store catering to foreigners. The banners for the official opening are in both Chinese and English. Even if a congratulatory couplet is posted at the entrance, foreigners can't understand it or translate it.

Before Li Zhe could reply, Li Guoqing was drawn to the off-season vegetables on the counter. "Hey, these vegetables aren't from the south, are they?" He touched the cucumber stem and looked at the small yellow flower on top of the cucumber. "No, those from the south aren't this fresh."

He turned to Li Zhe and said, "We're from the same clan. I'm a few years older, so I'll take the liberty of calling you 'brother.' Are your vegetables really grown in greenhouses? And without burning coal for heating?"

Li Zhe replied, "Yes, I use a new type of semi-basement vegetable greenhouse, which maintains the temperature by sunlight and ground temperature. Except in extreme weather, it hardly needs to burn coal to raise the temperature. I call this kind of vegetable off-season vegetable."

"Can this kind of off-season vegetable greenhouse be widely promoted?" Li Guoqing works in the Rural Policy Research Office of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and his main research focuses on rural reform, policies and future development.

He had consulted information on tens of thousands of villages in various regions across the country, but this was the first time he had ever heard of a vegetable greenhouse that could grow winter vegetables.

He keenly sensed that this new thing had great potential!
(End of this chapter)