Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 209 Curiosity
Beijing, the staff quarters of the Guqiao Air Conditioning Factory.

This is a five-story tenement building. The corridor on the third floor smells of rotten cabbage. There are metal doors on both sides of the corridor, and each door is piled with a bunch of odds and ends and cabinets, making the already narrow corridor seem even narrower.

307 indoor.

This is a one-bedroom apartment of about 30 square meters. Although the apartment is not big, it is very clean and cozy.

The calendar on the wall curled at the edges from the heat of the radiator.

Ding Zhigang took a thumbtack and secured the bottom right corner of the calendar, then asked Wang Li, "Honey, what do you want to eat for lunch? I'll cook for you."

The wife leaned back on the sofa and yawned: "I don't have much of an appetite, and I don't know what to eat. Let's just eat something simple."

"A simple meal won't do. You're carrying two babies now, so you need to eat something nutritious. How about I stew the beef that my workplace gave me, and make some noodles? We can have beef noodles for lunch?"

Wang Li thought for a moment, then said after walking a few steps, "I saw that piece of beef you sent. The lean parts are too tough and hard to digest; the fatty parts are too fragrant. I used to love eating it, but now I throw up as soon as I eat it. I really don't dare to eat it anymore."

Ding Zhigang walked to the sofa and touched Wang Li's face: "Honey, you've lost weight. You should eat more meat, especially now. How about I stew a fish for you?"

"Forget it, what kind of fish can you cook? If I want fish, I'll go home. My mom's fish is the best." Mentioning her mother, Wang Li seemed to recall something. "My mom said that Tingting's boyfriend owns a vegetable shop, and they sell a kind of hybrid beef that's really tender and not fatty at all; it's so soft when stir-fried. Shall we go buy some?"

"Go to Tingting's boyfriend's shop to buy meat?" Ding Zhigang laughed. "Honey, are you going there just for the meat?" he teased. Actually, he was also very curious about Wang Ting's boyfriend. "Okay, if you want to eat, we'll go buy it."

Wang Li stood up and pointed to the chest of drawers opposite her: "It just so happens that you still have some foreign exchange certificates left over from last time. Take them with you."

"You need foreign exchange certificates to buy meat?" Ding Zhigang frowned slightly.

"Li Zhe runs a vegetable store catering to foreign customers, and the beef there isn't an ordinary variety, otherwise it wouldn't taste so good. My mom made me crave it last time, and I want to try it myself."

Although Ding Zhigang felt it wasn't worthwhile to buy meat with foreign exchange certificates, he had already made his boastful promise, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

The couple dressed, put on gloves and hats, and took a bus to the vicinity of the Diplomatic Residences.

Although Wang Li had never been here before, she knew the general location. After getting off the bus, she walked a little further and saw the sign for "365 Vegetable Store".

The couple pushed open the door and entered the shop. A young man in his early twenties stood at the entrance, smiling and saying, "Welcome! What would you two like to order?"

Wang Li glanced around the store. It was about a hundred square meters, filled with vegetables, fruits, meats, and groceries. A few foreigners were browsing, but she didn't see anyone who looked like the owner.

"We want to buy beef."

Sun Tao looked the couple over and gestured for them to proceed: "Comrades, please walk forward. The meat section is on your right. Our beef is mainly divided into two types: one is imported beef, and the other is a healthier, low-fat beef, which is very suitable for fitness enthusiasts and pregnant women."

Wang Li nodded, glanced at the vegetable section, and asked in surprise after seeing the prices, "Does your store only accept foreign exchange certificates?"

Sun Tao replied, "Yes, we are a vegetable store catering to foreigners, and all the prices of our products are calculated in foreign exchange certificates."

Ding Zhigang, standing nearby, also noticed the prices in the vegetable section: some were 6 yuan per jin, some were 7 yuan per jin, and strawberries were even selling for 10 yuan per jin. Considering that he had been paying in foreign exchange certificates, he was utterly shocked: "Damn it, what idiot would buy vegetables this expensive?"
Then he saw a foreigner come over and pick out strawberries.

"Honey, let's go buy some meat." Ding Zhigang felt discouraged.

The two walked to the meat section and saw imported steaks priced at 55 yuan per pound. They looked at each other but didn't say anything.

The two of them only had a little over 60 yuan in foreign exchange certificates, which was only enough to buy a pound of imported steak. Wang Li only glanced at it before she dared not look again.

Finally, she noticed the low-fat steak next to her, specifically Qin Chuan hybrid beef, priced at 30 foreign exchange certificates. Although it was significantly cheaper than imported steak, Wang Li still felt it was too expensive: "Is this beef even meant to be eaten?"
Wang Li walked around the store and found that not only were vegetables and meat expensive, but groceries were also much more expensive than in the markets outside. She couldn't help but think: Are these foreigners all fools? Why would they buy things in such an expensive place?
Ding Zhigang stared at the cashier. In just a short while, two foreigners had already gone to pay; one spent sixty or seventy foreign exchange certificates, and the other over one hundred. He couldn't imagine how much money this store made in a day.
Ding Zhigang pointed at the Qin Chuan hybrid cattle: "Honey, is this the kind of beef you want to eat? How about we buy a pound and try it?"

Sun Tao came over and reminded him, "Comrade, this low-fat beef is a best-selling item in our store. It's currently 20% off, only 24 foreign exchange certificates per pound."

"Only twenty-four foreign exchange certificates?" Wang Li found the word "only" rather jarring. She tentatively asked, "Excuse me, is your boss's surname Li?"

Sun Tao sized the other person up: "Yes, our boss isn't in the store. If you need anything, I can pass on your message."

"No need, I was just asking casually." After saying that, Wang Li turned and walked out of the store.

Ding Zhigang caught up with her: "Wife, if you want to eat, we can buy some. I have enough foreign exchange certificates with me."

Wang Li shook her head: "I'm not buying anymore, I don't have much of an appetite."

Wang Li glanced at "365 Vegetable Store" again, then turned and walked towards the bus stop.

After they got into the car, Wang Li was still thinking about the vegetable shop and couldn't help but ask, "Zhigang, you said the goods in his shop are so expensive? Why do foreigners still buy from him?" Ding Zhigang thought for a moment and said, "The things in his vegetable shop are specially supplied. Some things you can't buy anywhere else, like preserved vegetables and imported steaks. Look at that steak, with its layers of marbling, it's so beautiful. How could that meat be dry?"

Ding Zhigang sighed: "Besides, everyone has their own social circle. We think it's expensive, but foreigners don't. They earn more and spend more."

Wang Li exclaimed, "No wonder Li Zhe spends money so lavishly; his vegetable shop is a veritable treasure trove. Just the time we went in, he sold over a hundred foreign exchange certificates. That's astonishing!"

Ding Zhigang muttered to himself, "No wonder this kid doesn't eat braised pork..."

"Huh... what did you say?" Wang Li didn't hear clearly.

"It's nothing," Ding Zhigang replied dismissively. The incident with the braised pork was many years ago, and his wife was pregnant again; he didn't want to bring it up again.

Previously, Ding Zhigang had heard that his sister-in-law had found a self-employed man from another city, and he felt it was a bit of a pity. After all, his sister-in-law was beautiful, highly educated, and came from a good family. With those qualities, she could find anyone, so why did she choose to marry a self-employed man from another city?

Now he realized that this wasn't some self-employed individual at all; he was a complete nouveau riche!
He also gave up on comparing himself to the other party. To be able to open a vegetable store catering to foreigners in this place, one must not only be wealthy, but also have connections.

And then there's the time he 'taught' his mother-in-law how to make braised pork on the spot—that's pretty bold! This time, his mother-in-law has met her match.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile.

"Zhigang, what are you laughing at?"

Ding Zhigang said insincerely, "I'm happy for Mom. She found Tingting a good boyfriend."

……

noon.

Jianguo Hotel.

This is the first Sino-foreign joint venture hotel in China, and it is a four-star garden-style hotel. Unlike the high-rise glass building style of the Great Wall Hotel, this hotel adopts a low-rise garden design, blending traditional and modern styles.

It's called Jianguo Hotel, but like the Great Wall Hotel, it's essentially a hotel.

However, the Great Wall Hotel mainly serves Western cuisine, while the Jianguo Hotel is a high-end Chinese restaurant.

Li Zhe met with Chang Cheng, the purchasing manager of Jianguo Hotel, here.

He had met Chang Cheng twice before.

The first meeting was shortly after 365 Vegetable Store opened. The other party visited Li Zhe, hoping to purchase off-season vegetables from him. However, Li Zhe did not have any extra vegetables to supply him at the time, and the two parties did not reach an agreement.

The second time was before the Lunar New Year. Chang Cheng went to the 365 Vegetable Store to give Li Zhe a New Year's gift: two boxes of high-end tea and a box of pastries. The value of the gifts was not important; it was the sentiment that made Li Zhe very happy.

Now that the output of vegetable greenhouses has increased, Li Zhe's first thought is of them.

After the two met, Chang Cheng warmly led Li Zhe on a tour of the garden. The restaurant's interior featured mahogany furniture and carved screens, paired with modern chandeliers, antique-style floor tiles, and floor-to-ceiling windows that brought in natural light.

The two then sat down at a table by the window. "Mr. Li, you are a distinguished guest. I've been wanting to get together with you for years."

Li Zhe smiled and said, "Manager Chang, it's not too late now."

"You're right. This is our restaurant's menu. Take a look and order whatever you like. It's on me."

"Then I won't be polite."

"Please don't be shy, make yourself at home here." As Chang Cheng was speaking, a waiter came over with a pot of tea and poured tea for the two of them.

Li Zhe flipped through the menu. The dishes were plentiful, including Sichuan, Cantonese, Beijing, and Huaiyang cuisines, which dazzled Li Zhe.

In the end, he ordered two dishes: a Prince's roasted pork and a braised yellow croaker. Chang Cheng added two more dishes: a braised lion's head meatball and a braised shark fin.

"Mr. Li, we're short on vegetables, so today's orders are all meat dishes. Please forgive us."

Li Zhe didn't mince words: "What a coincidence, Manager Chang, the reason I came here today is to talk to you about the vegetable supply."

(End of this chapter)