Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 225 Opening Ceremony (5,000 words)

Factory Manager Xie took a deep breath and asked Li Zhe, "Mr. Li, we really don't have canned pickles or canned green beans. Just tell me which kind of canned food you want, as long as our factory has it. Last time I gave you the clearance price, this time I'll give you the cost price."

Li Zhe thought for a moment: "Canned tomatoes."

谢厂长沉吟片刻：“上次我报的是1块7毛5分，我是真没有要高价。因为我们的成本价是1块7毛2分。您看1块7毛2可以吗？我们这次真的是一分钱都不挣。”

Li Zhe neither said yes nor no. He took out a list and handed it to Mayor Chen, who was standing next to him. Whether this deal could be made or not, he cared more about Mayor Chen than Factory Director Xie: "Mayor Chen, take a look, these are the quotes from other canneries."

Mayor Chen took out his reading glasses from his pocket, put them on, and found the price of canned tomatoes: "The lowest ex-factory price of tomatoes from other factories is 1.7 yuan."

Li Zhe nodded: "That's right, two cents is nothing. Just because of your reputation, Mayor Chen, I don't care about this little bit of money. But the key issue is that this business isn't just up to us two. We have two other partners, and they know about this price list too."

Li Zhe hesitated, "If the lowest price of Wan'an Town Cannery is the same as the lowest price of other factories, then we will definitely buy from Wan'an Town Cannery. But the problem now is that Wan'an Town Cannery's price is slightly higher than that of other canneries. Jin Ge and I are easy to talk to, even if we make less money, we are willing to support Wan'an Town Cannery's business. But it's hard to explain to the other two partners."

Mayor Chen nodded, then shook his head and said to Factory Director Xie beside him, "Factory Director Xie, could you also lower the export price of your factory's canned tomatoes to 1.7 yuan?"

Factory Director Xie shook his head with a mournful face: "Mayor Chen, Boss Li, if it really doesn't work, then we'll have to pay compensation."

Mayor Chen said sternly, "What I just said was pointless. Losing a little money is fine, the most important thing is for the factory to survive. If you can't make the decision, then let your factory manager do it."

Factory Director Xie said earnestly, "Mayor Chen, it's not that I don't want to listen to you. Mr. Li, I understand your difficulties, but I also have my own difficulties. Not to mention that I can't make this decision, even if our factory director came, he wouldn't be able to make this decision either. In fact, I don't want Mayor Chen to make this decision either."

Fearing misunderstanding, Factory Manager Xie quickly explained, "First of all, I agree with Mayor Chen's proposal, and I also want to sell the canned goods inventory at a low price. Because the most important thing for our factory right now is to recover funds; only by recovering funds can we revitalize the business. But many workers may not understand this situation."

They might feel that selling canned goods at a loss would harm the collective interest, and might even accuse me of abusing my power for personal gain and infringing on the collective interest.

In other words, even if they understand now, they might not understand again after this hurdle is overcome, and they might even criticize us behind our backs.

Mayor Chen frowned. As someone within the system, he was very sensitive to such situations. He knew that the problem Director Xie mentioned did indeed exist.

When you try to do something, you're bound to make mistakes!

Li Zhe and Jin Baiwan were also having second thoughts. If they bought the canned tomatoes from the Wan'an Town cannery at a low price, and Director Xie was labeled as "infringing on collective assets" by the workers, wouldn't they, as the buyers, also be labeled as "profiteers"?

Having worked his way up in the system for many years, how could Mayor Chen not see it? It's no longer about money.

The gifts Li Zhe gave him for Chinese New Year this year were only worth a few hundred yuan. Now that he's personally come to ask for it, Li Zhe is certainly willing to give up those two cents of profit, but considering his partners, he can't just give it up so easily.

The situation was the same for Director Xie. The cannery's management understood the factory's situation and knew that the most important thing right now wasn't making money, but selling the canned goods to recoup funds. But the factory workers might not understand that this matter could be a big or small issue. Even Mayor Chen himself didn't want to take the blame.

Mayor Chen looked at Li Zhe beside him and asked, "If the price is right, how many cans of tomatoes can you buy?"

"Around 5 tons."

"Mr. Li, how about this? Our town government will subsidize the two-cent difference. This way, you and your partner can have an explanation, and the cannery won't have to sell at a loss."

Mayor Chen did the math: the price difference for one can of food is two cents, the price difference for 1000 cans is 20 yuan, and the price difference for one ton is only 40 yuan.

Li Zhe was somewhat surprised: "Mayor Chen, isn't this inappropriate?"

Mayor Chen waved his hand: "There's nothing inappropriate about it. This cannery is a town collective enterprise. The subsidy is 40 yuan per ton of canned goods, so 5 tons would only be 200 yuan. Using 200 yuan to revitalize a collective enterprise is a good thing for the town government."

Mayor Chen's tone grew increasingly resolute. He knew very well that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

一个罐头价值1块7毛2，一吨罐头价值3440，5吨罐头价值17，200块钱。

The town government only needs to contribute 200 yuan to help the Wan'an Town Cannery recover 17,200 yuan. This money could be a lifesaver.

If they miss out on Li Zhe, a major client, it won't be a problem that 200 yuan can solve if the town government wants to help the Wan'an Town Cannery resume production.

Furthermore, the Wan'an Town Cannery also pays taxes and contributes a portion of its profits to the town government, thus boosting the town's economy. Both direct and indirect profits exceed two hundred yuan.

To put it bluntly, this 200 yuan will eventually return to the town government's account, and it will also revitalize a town-owned enterprise. It seems worthwhile no matter how you look at it.

Factory Director Xie grasped Mayor Chen's hand tightly: "Mayor Chen, thank you for the subsidy to our factory. On behalf of all the workers and their families, I thank you! Boss Li and Boss Jin, thank you both for your help as well!"

After finalizing the price of the canned tomatoes, the two parties discussed some details, such as the transportation method, the acceptance method, and the payment method.

Li Zhe and his three partners invested a total of 6 yuan, which was insufficient to cover all the costs. Li Zhe would pay a deposit first, and then pay the remaining balance to the cannery after they received the final payment from the foreign trade company.

After the business deal was finalized, everyone was overjoyed.

That evening, Li Zhe hosted a banquet for the two.

……

February 25th, the 2th day of the first lunar month
Shuxiangju Restaurant.

Today is the official opening day of the restaurant, a full ten days later than originally planned. However, this has given us more time to prepare.

Tan Jingya was the first to arrive at the restaurant. She carefully checked both the first and second floors. Taking a deep breath, she felt a mix of emotions—excitement, trepidation, and anticipation.

She was not only the restaurant manager, but also had invested all her savings in it. Although she was confident in the restaurant and had made ample preparations, she couldn't help but feel uneasy on the day of its opening.

These past few months have been a rollercoaster of emotions for her. She has no other choice but to succeed.

Failure? She dared not even think about it!
Sometimes, she couldn't help but think of Ji Hongbin, wondering how he was doing now? Did he regret going abroad?
She shook her head, clearing her mind of distractions. She didn't know what Ji Hongbin thought, but she herself didn't regret the divorce. She felt that staying in Beijing was the right thing to do.

The restaurant staff gradually arrived. Wang Jianjun delivered fresh vegetables and checked other purchased supplies to ensure the freshness of the ingredients.

After the three chefs arrived, they confirmed that the stove, exhaust fan and other equipment were working properly and prepared all the seasonings needed for the day.

Lin Qiaomei then led her people to set up the necessary items for the opening ceremony. A banner that read "Grand Opening Specials" was hung above the entrance, with red festive balloons hanging beside it.

Seeing that most of the people had arrived, Tan Jingya called everyone together for a morning meeting.

Tan Jingya glanced at the crowd, some standing and some sitting, and said, "Let me say a few words. Everyone has worked hard these past few days, and I've seen all your efforts. Today is the first day of our restaurant's official opening, which is also a 'graduation exam' for us."

I hope everyone can show their best side today, so that our guests can feel our sincerity and enthusiasm..."

She paused, then continued, "But everyone, don't be nervous. Just do your job well and make sure things go smoothly and without mistakes when we open..."

Tan Jingya gave a pep talk and clarified everyone's roles before letting everyone disperse.

Around 9 a.m., Li Zhe also arrived at Shuxiangju Restaurant. He chatted with Tan Jingya and Wang Jianjun for a few minutes, personally checked the restaurant's condition, and confirmed that everything was normal.

The opening ceremony officially began at 10:00 AM.

The so-called opening ceremony was actually quite simple: a red banner hung at the entrance, and red balloons adorned both sides. Wang Jianjun found a red carpet somewhere and spread it out in front of the door. The restaurant's waiters stood in two rows, and then Li Zhe personally set off two firecrackers. The crackling sound attracted the attention of many passersby.

Li Zhe said a few words and gave everyone a red envelope for the opening ceremony. It wasn't much money, just a festive gift.

It wasn't lunchtime yet, so Tan Jingya arranged for a few waiters to go out and hand out flyers.

Han Chunyan walked out of the restaurant with a stack of flyers in her hand, and wobbled to the intersection. She had passed the restaurant's training and become an intern, and she cherished this job.

She saw a man in a black down jacket approaching and greeted him with a smile: "Hello, sir! Our Shuxiangju restaurant is opening today, with a 8% discount as a grand opening promotion. Not only do we have delicious Sichuan cuisine, but we also have all kinds of fresh vegetables..." The man took a flyer, glanced at it, and asked: "Is what this flyer says true or false? Do you really have all those vegetables listed on it?"

"Yes! Our restaurant specializes in fresh vegetables, which you can't find anywhere else. And the prices aren't expensive!"

"I heard there were fresh vegetables at the Chongwenmen vegetable market before the Lunar New Year, but I went there several times and didn't see a single leaf. Don't try to fool me with false information. If I take my wife there and we can't get any, don't blame me for ruining your business."

"Don't worry, our restaurant definitely has fresh vegetables. I saw the vegetables delivered this morning."

"Okay, I'll go over and try it at noon."

"Our shop is just 50 meters north along the road, it's very easy to find." Han Chunyan watched the other person leave before continuing to hand out flyers.

……

As it approached 11 o'clock, the servers who had been handing out flyers began to return. Two servers stood at the entrance, ready to greet customers.

Li Zhe and Tan Jingya sat at a table against the wall, talking in hushed tones.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the doorway: "Welcome!"

Li Zhe turned his head and saw two familiar people standing at the door—Wei Min and Bai Yunsheng.

Both of them were wearing red down jackets, which looked very festive.

Li Zhe stood up to greet them: "Reporter Wei, Comrade Bai, welcome, welcome."

Wei Min joked, "Boss Li, I've come here uninvited again, just to freeload a meal."

Li Zhe laughed and said, "It's good that you're willing to come; it means our restaurant's food is delicious. You two can order whatever you want today; it'll be on my tab."

Bai Yunsheng handed a bag to Li Zhe: "Mr. Li, this is a gift for you. I wish you a grand opening and prosperous business."

"Thank you." Li Zhe took the bag, glanced inside, and it looked like an ornament.

Wei Min said, "Old Bai gave us a golden toad. Today is the restaurant's opening day, and you can put it up to bring in wealth and good fortune, and to celebrate the occasion."

"Thank you for your kind words." Li Zhe didn't stand on ceremony and took out the ornament from inside—a bronze toad, exquisitely crafted and high-end, suitable for placing on the cashier counter. "Comrade Bai, thank you for your gift, I like it very much."

Li Zhe handed the golden toad to Tan Jingya, gesturing for her to place it on the cashier's counter. He then gestured to Wei Min and Bai Yunsheng, inviting them to sit down and talk. "You've come at the perfect time; our restaurant has some new dishes that you two can try."

Wei Min laughed and said, "Brother Li, although I didn't bring any gifts, I won't eat your food for free. Our Morning Light Daily has a food column, how about I write a report on your restaurant? Consider it payment for today's meal."

"Haha, then I've made a fortune." In those days, newspapers had a great influence, and one of Wei Min's reports was worth more than a meal.

The waiter came over with a pot of tea and poured tea for the three of them.

Li Zhe asked, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Wei Min said, "We're already so familiar with each other, and I know your situation, so I won't interview you. Later, when there are more customers, I'll take some photos and interview a few diners, and that should be enough for an article. After all, it's a food column, so it doesn't need to be too rigorous."

While we were talking, the restaurant started to get crowded.

In fact, Li Zhe had already started distributing flyers on February 20th. A couple of days ago, he also put up posters to promote the grand opening, mainly advertising off-season vegetables.

Judging from today's situation, the results are quite good.

After 11:30, the number of customers started to increase.

As noon approached, the lobby on the first floor was almost full.

A young couple walked into the restaurant. The man was wearing a black down jacket, and the woman had her hair in a ponytail and a large belly, looking like a pregnant woman.

"Welcome!" The waiter bowed slightly.

The man in the black down jacket glanced at the restaurant and asked, "Your restaurant is quite crowded. Are there any seats left?"

"There's another table inside, please follow me." The waiter led the two to a table against the wall and handed them a menu: "What would you like to eat? Our restaurant specializes in Sichuan cuisine, and we also have a variety of fresh vegetables."

A pregnant woman with a ponytail asked, "Do you have cucumbers here?"

The waiter explained, "Yes, we do. If you'd like cucumber, you can order Kung Pao Chicken. It's a modified version of the dish that includes diced cucumber."

The pregnant woman with her hair in a ponytail said, "No, I want to eat smashed cucumber, with lots of vinegar."

The waiter looked a little embarrassed: "Sorry, we don't have this dish in our restaurant."

The man in the black down jacket said, "What's so difficult about this dish? You can make it with just cucumbers. Ask your boss how much it costs, and we'll pay."

"Please wait a moment." The waiter looked a little embarrassed and quickly found Tan Jingya and explained the situation.

Tan Jingya glanced at the two of them, who didn't seem like troublemakers: "Tell them that cucumbers are expensive and cost a lot. A small portion of smashed cucumber is 5 yuan, and a large portion is 10 yuan."

The waiter went over again and responded to the man in the black down jacket. The man in the black down jacket immediately ordered a large portion of cucumber, as well as Kung Pao chicken and double-pepper fish head.

Wei Min had been observing the situation in the store and had witnessed what had just happened. Feeling a bit curious, she walked over and asked, "Hello, comrade, I'm a reporter from the Morning Light Daily. I'm currently writing a food column. May I interview you?"

"Sure, what do you want to interview me about? Go ahead and ask." The man in the black down jacket readily agreed.

Wei Min asked in confusion, "I noticed that when you ordered food just now, you specifically asked for cucumber salad, which wasn't on the menu. Why is that?"

"Hey, my wife's pregnant and has terrible morning sickness. She just wants some fresh cucumber salad." The man in the black down jacket shrugged. "I know it's not appropriate to order this at a Sichuan restaurant, but you can't find cucumbers anywhere else."

Soon, a plate of smashed cucumber was served. The bright green cucumber was drizzled with a sauce; it was a very simple, home-style dish.

The pregnant woman with the ponytail picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of cucumber, and put it in her mouth, making a crisp chewing sound.

The man in the black down jacket asked, "Honey, is it delicious?"

The pregnant woman with the ponytail nodded repeatedly: "Yes, this cucumber is really good, fresh and juicy, even better than the ones in summer, and the sauce is sour enough." As she spoke, she picked up a second piece.

The man in the black down jacket chuckled: "If you like it, then it's fine."

Wei Min noticed an elderly man with white hair sitting at the next table, dressed in a Zhongshan suit and wearing black-rimmed glasses. She walked over and asked, "Sir, did you come alone?"

The white-haired old man patted the wooden food box on the table: "I'll take it back to eat."

Wei Min retorted, "Sir, since you're here, why don't you eat here? Will this food still taste good if you take it home?"

“My wife is sick and can’t stand the wind. I’m taking this back to eat with her. We’re getting old and can’t eat rich, meaty food anymore, so we just want some light vegetables…”

Wei Min took notes very carefully. She used to pay little attention to news reports about people's livelihoods; her mind was always on reporting big news stories and rushing to dangerous places, thinking that was what success meant and that was what a journalist should do.

Today's interview gave her a new experience, allowing her to feel the "authenticity" and "warmth" of interviewing...

(End of this chapter)