Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 216

afternoon.

Daying Village, Li Family Greenhouse No. 19.

Greenhouses numbered 18, 19, and 20 are experimental greenhouses. During the time that Professor Chen was away, Zhu Yimin was in charge of taking care of the experimental fields in the greenhouses.

To be honest, he had missed the other person quite a bit after not seeing them for some time.

The person responsible for assisting Zhu Yimin was Ge Qingshan, Li Zhe's cousin-in-law.

Ge Qingshan was hardworking and had good judgment; Zhu Yimin liked this young man very much.

In the last two days, Ge Qingshan seemed a bit down and wasn't as diligent as usual.

Today, Zhu Yimin was helping him prune the rose bushes. The original plan was to cut off the dead branches and rotten leaves, but he found that the boy was a little distracted while working.

Zhu Yimin quickly stopped him: "Qingshan, don't move, you can't cut that branch!"

Ge Qingshan was holding scissors in his right hand, and almost cut off a rosebud.

Ge Qingshan snapped out of his daze and quickly moved the scissors away: "Sorry, Brother Zhu, I was just spacing out."

"Let's take a break, we're done for now." Zhu Yimin put the scissors aside, grabbed a small stool, and sat down. "Qingshan, what's wrong with you these past few days? You seem distracted. Is something wrong at home?"

Ge Qingshan casually grabbed a fertilizer bag and sat down, pursing his lips as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Zhu Yimin didn't rush him, but grabbed the water bottle next to him and took a sip of water.

After a while, Ge Qingshan slowly spoke: "Some time ago, my father-in-law quit his job at the greenhouse and started thinking about building a vegetable greenhouse while he was at home. When I visited him on the second day of the Lunar New Year, he wanted me to quit my job here and build a greenhouse with him."

Ma Changhe had been working in the greenhouse for over a month, and Zhu Yimin was no stranger to him, also vaguely knowing the reason for the conflict between him and Wang Rongsheng.

In the past, this topic would have been somewhat taboo. However, since Li Zhe held a meeting on the first day of the Lunar New Year, everyone has become aware of his stance. Li Zhe gave these long-term employees the opportunity to invest and become shareholders, while also openly stating that he did not oppose them working independently.

According to Zhu Yimin's understanding, most people still wanted to work with Li Zhe; not many wanted to go it alone. The reason was simple: the initial group of people who followed Li Zhe were either relatives or friends.

Because of the greenhouse farming, everyone made money with Li Zhe and trusted him.

Even he had lost interest in going solo—going solo might earn more, but it also meant more risk. For ordinary farmers, making money steadily is far more attractive.

In the past, Zhu Yimin would have been in charge of planting techniques, while Jin Baiwan would have been in charge of sales channels. The two could have worked together.

But he talked to Jin Baiwan a couple of days ago, and Jin Baiwan is now more inclined to join Li Zhe's company. In Jin Baiwan's words, the market for off-season vegetables is huge, and if the two of them go it alone, they are too weak and can't make any waves at all; at most, they can only make a little money.

As the founder of off-season vegetables, Li Zhe has already achieved a leading position in the industry and has established a firm foothold in Beijing. Moreover, Li Zhe is educated, capable, and visionary. As long as you can get on Li Zhe's coattails, you will have a bright future.

Whether out of his own conscience or his trust in Jin Baiwan, Zhu Yimin no longer had the idea of ​​going it alone.

However, Ge Qingshan's situation is different from his—although Ge Qingshan and Li Zhe are related, the problem is that Ge Qingshan's father-in-law wants to go it alone, so it is clear that the latter's relationship is closer.

Originally, Zhu Yimin didn't want to get involved in other people's private affairs, but he had spent the most time with Ge Qingshan during this period and didn't want the young man to go astray.

"Qingshan, what did your wife say?"

Ge Qingshan shook his head: "My wife said she doesn't understand greenhouse farming and told me to make the decision myself."

"So what do you think? Do you want to stay or go it alone? Don't hold back, just say it. I believe even if you say you want to go it alone, Brother Li probably won't stop you," Zhu Yimin thought for a moment and whispered his advice.

"As far as I know, Brother Li is about to expand his vegetable greenhouses and will be hiring a new batch of people. If you don't want to continue working here, tell him as soon as possible so he can find someone to replace you. This way, the normal operation of the greenhouses won't be affected, and we can also maintain a good working relationship."

"Brother Zhu, actually I don't want to go solo. I'm doing pretty well here, the salary is stable, the bonuses are high, the benefits are good, and this year I can even invest and become a shareholder. I'm not an ungrateful person. It's just..."

Ge Qingshan sighed, somewhat helplessly, "He's my father-in-law after all. If I don't partner with him, how will we maintain our relationship?"

At the mention of "father-in-law," Zhu Yimin's lips twitched. "So, if you and Uncle Ma work together, how will you split the profits?"

"He didn't explain in detail, and I was too embarrassed to ask. After all, we're all family, and it's not easy to bring up money."

Zhu Yimin said, "I suggest you ask him directly. If you're too embarrassed to ask, you can have your wife ask him. Don't leave here only to find yourself working for your father-in-law for free. If he takes the money from selling vegetables and doesn't share it with you, where can you go to seek justice?"

Ge Qingshan frowned and said, "That can't be... My father-in-law treats my wife and me quite well."

"Anyway, just be careful." Zhu Yimin had said everything he needed to say; the rest was up to him to figure out.

If I continue, it will seem as if I'm trying to drive a wedge between the family and the father-in-law.

Evening, No. 7 Courtyard in Suzhou Hutong.

As soon as Li Zhe reached the courtyard gate, Jinzi's joyful shouts came from inside the courtyard.

He pushed open the courtyard gate, and Jinzi immediately wagged its tail and ran over to greet him.

Li Zhe patted its head—this thing was growing very fast and getting heavier and heavier, so Li Zhe was too lazy to carry it. He just played with it for a while before pushing the door open and going into the living room.

Wang Jianjun hasn't returned yet. As the restaurant's purchasing manager, he needs to make advance arrangements for purchasing goods before the restaurant opens, so he'll be quite busy during this period.

Li Zhe turned on the coal stove, put a kettle of water on it, and added some warm water to Jinzi's basin.

"Knock, knock, knock..." There was a knock at the door. Li Zhe walked into the yard and asked, "Who is it?"

"Second brother, it's me!" Li Zhenguo's voice came from outside.

Li Zhe hurriedly opened the courtyard gate and saw his second uncle standing outside pushing his bicycle, his ears red from the cold. He quickly stepped aside to let him in: "Second Uncle, come in quickly!"

Li Zhe welcomed Li Zhenguo into the living room and asked him to sit by the stove: "Second Uncle, warm up first, I'll make you a pot of tea."

Li Zhenguo waved his hand, "No need to make a fuss, I'll just say a few words and leave."

"No way! We're already here, let's eat before we leave."

"You've had a long day, don't bother, I'm going home to eat."

"It's no trouble at all. We have mutton and mixed noodles on hand, just wash some greens, cut half a cabbage, and cook some frozen tofu. We can have hot pot for dinner tonight. It's very convenient." Li Zhe and Wang Jianjun didn't want to cook, so they just made a hot pot. It was delicious and easy.

Li Zhenguo took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Li Zhe: "Second brother, take a look at this first."

Li Zhe took the paper and examined it; it was a list of prices for various canned goods.

规格大致分为7种——200克装、325克装、340克装、397克装、500克装、1公斤装、2.72公斤装。其中一斤装的货品是主流。

Canned meat: Steamed pork canned meat has a factory price of 2.5 yuan per can, and the supply and marketing cooperative sells it for 4 yuan per can; braised beef canned meat has a price of 3 yuan per can, and the supply and marketing cooperative sells it for 5 yuan per can...

Canned vegetables: Tomatoes, ex-factory price 1.7 yuan per can, retail price 2.5 yuan per can; Green beans, 2 yuan per can, retail price 3 yuan...

Canned fruit: Yellow peaches, ex-factory price 1.8 yuan per can, selling price 2.5 yuan per can; Apples, ex-factory price 1.5 yuan per can, selling price 2.2 yuan per can...

After reviewing the list, Li Zhe understood why canned food sales were declining in China.

People in this era weren't as particular as people in later generations, but they would still buy canned goods if they were affordable.

However, with the advancement of the "vegetable basket project," the supply of vegetables, meat, and fruits has gradually become sufficient, while canned goods are more expensive than fresh ingredients, so consumers naturally prefer the latter.

Li Zhenguo said, "Second brother, this list came from the deputy head of our factory's sales department. He and I have always had a good relationship, so this price list he gave us should be pretty accurate. However, he also said that the market is constantly changing, and if there are really large orders, there is still room for negotiation."

Li Zhe put away the list. "Second Uncle, thank you for your help. With this price list, I feel much more at ease."

The kettle boiled, and Li Zhe brewed a pot of tea, pouring a cup for his uncle: "Second Uncle, I've prepared some things for your friend in the sales department to take with you when you leave."

"No need. We've known each other for so many years. I'll treat him to a meal later. That's better than anything else."

Li Zhe laughed and said, "I can supply dishes to Quanjude, Donglaishun and Cuihualou. Just tell me your name and I'll put it on your tab. You won't even have to wait in line."

"Alright, I know you're rich, so I won't stand on ceremony." Li Zhenguo picked up his teacup, but put it down again before taking a sip. "By the way, I remember there's a cannery in our town. You can go and ask around when you have time. Maybe they can get some of their canned goods at a lower price."

Each cannery focuses on producing different product categories, resulting in different costs.

Our factory mainly produces canned beef, has the largest purchase volume, the most complete production line, and the lowest cost, so our ex-factory price is slightly lower than other canneries.

The canned vegetables are a bit lacking—bulk vegetables in Beijing are centrally allocated and prioritized for supplying farmers' markets. Our factory has fewer sourcing channels, leading to higher costs. We used to be able to export to the United States, but now orders from Europe and America have decreased, and domestic consumers don't like them either; we have a lot of unsold stock in our warehouses.”

“Okay, I’ll go back to the village tomorrow.” Li Zhe nodded and made a mental note of it.

This business looks simple, but there are actually quite a few tricks to it. He had no similar experience, so he thought about finding someone to partner with…

(End of this chapter)