Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 227 Truth and Falsehood (Two chapters combined)

In the afternoon, at Daying Village, Wan'an Town.

As soon as the truck came to a stop, Bai Yunsheng and Wei Min jumped off the vehicle eagerly. Looking at the dozen or so large, gleaming white greenhouses, both of them showed expressions of shock.

Wei Min took out her camera, ran a few steps forward, found the right angle, and pressed the shutter: "Click, click."

Bai Yunsheng couldn't help but ask, "Brother Li, do you own all these greenhouses?"

Li Zhe replied, "That's right. I built all these greenhouses. We'll start construction tomorrow to expand by 10 more greenhouses."

Bai Yunsheng asked with some confusion, "Brother Li, where did your family get so much land? How many acres is this huge area?"

“One greenhouse occupies one mu (0.16 acres), so a dozen greenhouses would be more than ten mu (0.67 acres). My family doesn’t have that much land. Last year, I rented 20 mu (1.3 acres) of land from the village collective. As long as I pay the rent on time, it’s fine,” Li Zhe explained.

Just then, Old Li came over: "Second brother, have we got a guest?"

"Dad, let me introduce you. This is Comrade Bai Yunsheng from Beijing TV, a professional photographer who's here to help us film the promotional video for the greenhouse. This is Wei Min, a reporter from Chenguang Daily, who's also here to help us with publicity and reporting," Li Zhe introduced enthusiastically.

Old Li knew reporters and photographers, but had never dealt with them before. He thought they were important people, so he gestured for them to enter: "Comrade Bai, Reporter Wei, welcome, welcome. It's cold outside, let's go sit in the tent."

The group entered greenhouse number three, where a wave of heat enveloped them. Wei Min had heard Li Zhe say before that vegetable greenhouses were very warm, but experiencing it firsthand was a completely different feeling.

Looking at the lush green vegetable greenhouses, she couldn't resist pressing the shutter button again.

Bai Yunsheng pointed towards the kitchen with her delicate fingers: "Oh dear, you can cook in here? Aren't you afraid of burning down the greenhouse?"

"The stoves are all separated by stone slabs, so as long as we pay attention, there shouldn't be any major problems. Of course, there are still potential risks. After the newly built greenhouse is completed, I plan to build another planting area, including a new canteen, meeting room, rest room, and storage room."

With the increasing number of newly built and expanded greenhouses, the number of workers will also increase, making it inconvenient to eat crammed into the greenhouses. Furthermore, farmers will be coming to learn greenhouse cultivation techniques, and Li Zhe will need to arrange a place to receive them.

Bai Yunsheng asked, "Brother Li, how did you come up with the idea of ​​building vegetable greenhouses?"

Li Zhe poured him a pot of tea: "This greenhouse is nothing new. Greenhouses and heated greenhouses have existed before, but the former has poor heat retention and can only be used for early seedling cultivation and delayed harvesting. Vegetables in greenhouses cannot survive the winter."

While greenhouses offer good insulation, their construction costs are too high, and they require coal for heating, resulting in enormous expenses. Generally, they are used for research purposes and are difficult to cultivate on a large scale.

The vegetable greenhouse I built utilizes thick earthen walls and ground heat for insulation and heating, which greatly reduces planting costs.

Li Zhe paused for a moment and continued, "As for my original intention of growing vegetables in greenhouses, on the one hand, it was to respond to the 'vegetable basket project' proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture so that ordinary people could eat fresh vegetables in winter; on the other hand, it was to make money so that I and my family could live a better life."

“A very simple and sincere idea.” Bai Yunsheng nodded repeatedly: “Brother Li, what interesting things or major obstacles did you encounter during the process of building the greenhouse? I think these can be written into the script. These real-life problems are the best dramatic conflicts.”

"Something interesting?" Li Zhe recalled:
"When we first started building the greenhouses, the corn in the fields wasn't ripe yet and needed to be harvested early. We even drove a tractor to Beijing to sell fresh corn once, and we actually made quite a bit of money. Gradually, my family's attitude changed..."

Li Zhe hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "There were obstacles, too. I took out a loan of 6000 yuan to build the greenhouse, and my family didn't understand. My mother, in particular, strongly opposed it, worried that I would lose money building the greenhouse and wanted me to pay back the loan to the credit union."

I was under a lot of pressure at the time. Investing in building vegetable greenhouses is no small amount of money for us rural people.

Bai Yunsheng gave a thumbs up: "Brother Li, you really have guts!"

Wei Min asked curiously, "Brother Li, what is your mother's attitude towards the greenhouse now?" When she interviewed Li Zhe, he hadn't mentioned this.

But thinking about it, it's understandable. He was reporting facts, while Bai Yunsheng was making a movie and could adapt the plot.

“My mother is very supportive of my building a vegetable greenhouse now, and she’s helped me a lot with the work. Now she’s thinking of taking out a loan to build one herself.” Li Zhe smiled, then changed the subject:
"Actually, I can understand my mother's feelings at the time. After all, this semi-underground vegetable greenhouse was a new thing, and she was worried that I would lose money and not be able to repay the loan."

Fortunately, it's all over now.

Bai Yunsheng took out a small notebook and wrote down: "Brother Li, I think your experience is legendary. Would you like to make your experience into a movie?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhe was stunned. He thought of a Hong Kong gangster who had made a movie based on his own experiences. As a result, the police used the movie as evidence as soon as it was finished, and he was sent to prison for further study.

Li Zhe is currently just a nobody who makes a little money, and he has no desire to do something like erecting a monument for a living person.

“My experiences aren’t worth filming. I think it’s better to film some interesting or dramatic stories. If more people like watching them, the movie can have a promotional effect,” Li Zhe said.

Wei Min said, "Brother Li, take us to see the other greenhouses. I want to take more photos."

Bai Yunsheng also stood up and said, "Yes, yes, I also want to see how others do their work."

"Everyone is working over at the new greenhouse. Let me show you around." Li Zhe led them toward the newly expanded greenhouse.

The group arrived at greenhouse number thirteen, where Zhu Yimin was leading a group of people in their work. Upon seeing Li Zhe, Lin Xiaohu excitedly ran over, "Brother Li, you're back?"

Li Zhe nodded: "Everyone, please stop for a moment. Let me introduce two guests. This is Comrade Bai, a cameraman from Beijing TV. He's here to help us shoot a promotional film about greenhouses; this is Reporter Wei from Chenguang Daily, who's here to conduct news interviews for us. Please welcome him!"

Everyone put down their tools and applauded enthusiastically. Lin Xiaohu looked at the two with a curious expression, whispering something to Ge Qingshan beside him.

Li Zhe pointed to Zhu Yimin and introduced him: "This is Brother Zhu Yimin, who is also the technician for our vegetable greenhouse. When I'm not around, he's the one who leads the team to take care of the greenhouse. You can ask him if you have any questions."

With curiosity in her eyes, Wei Min took small steps to the place where people were working, pointed to a pile of seedling trays and asked, "What are these black plastic shells for? There are a bunch of small compartments inside. This is the first time I've ever seen something like this."

Zhu Yimin replied, "This is a seedling tray. Each small square is an independent seedling space, which can grow one or several seedlings. Once these seedlings grow up and become strong, they will be transplanted into the greenhouse for planting."

Wei Min knew nothing about these things; she only knew that vegetables were grown in the ground and had no idea what seedling cultivation or transplanting was. She asked Zhu Yimin a series of questions in detail.

Zhu Yimin patiently explained to her the process of seedling cultivation and transplanting, as well as its advantages.

"I see that there are already a lot of vegetables planted in the greenhouse, and so many new vegetable seedlings have been cultivated. Where are you planning to plant them?" Wei Min asked.

Li Zhe explained, "Didn't I say before that we're going to expand our vegetable greenhouses by 10 mu? Once the greenhouses are built, these strong vegetable seedlings can be transplanted. This advance seedling cultivation can shorten the vegetable growing cycle and improve the utilization rate of the vegetable greenhouses."

Wei Min nodded: "I never imagined there were so many intricacies to growing vegetables!"

Afterwards, Li Zhe took them to see several other greenhouses, satisfying Bai Yunsheng and Wei Min's curiosity. The two then gained a general understanding of vegetable greenhouses.

Wei Min said, "Brother Li, after visiting the vegetable greenhouses this time, I have a deeper understanding of the off-season vegetable industry. I want to write a related report when I get back. Let's talk again in a bit, and I'll do a short interview with you."

“The interview is easy.” Li Zhe glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. You’ve been looking around all afternoon, you must be hungry. Let’s eat first, and then we can talk more.”

In the evening, Li Zhe hosted a banquet for the two and gave them a brief introduction to his vegetable greenhouse planting plan for this year.

The next morning, Wei Min returned to Beijing with the newly collected interview materials, preparing to write two reports. One was about greenhouse vegetable cultivation, and the other was a column on "Shuxiangju's Off-Season Vegetable Delicacies."

In essence, these two reports are consistent with each other.

However, Bai Yunsheng did not leave. He felt inspired here and could more easily gather material for the vegetable greenhouse script. The completed script would also be more down-to-earth and realistic.

He stayed in the village last night and wasn't used to it, so he didn't fall asleep until late at night. He woke up at 8 a.m.

"The photographer in white!"

Hello, photographer Bai!

"Good morning!" Bai Yunsheng greeted everyone with a smile. After breakfast, he wandered around the various greenhouses like a street urchin, greeting everyone he met and chatting with anyone who seemed free.

Everyone knew he was there to film a promotional video for a movie about vegetable greenhouses, and they were all very polite to him.

At 10 a.m., the sun was already high in the sky. He saw Lin Xiaohu, Ge Qingshan, Li Zhiqiang, and several other young men climb up the rammed earth wall and roll up the straw mats.

He asked curiously, "Is this what Brother Li meant by rising temperatures in Rizhao?"

Lin Xiaohu, with his sharp ears, replied with a smile, "That's right! Photographer Bai, would you like to give it a try?"

"Can I do it?" Bai Yunsheng was a little unsure of himself.

"If you want to learn, I'll teach you!"

Bai Yunsheng climbed up the rammed earth wall and saw Lin Xiaohu struggling to pull up the straw curtain, his palms calloused from the hard work. He looked down at his own fair hands and felt a pang of reluctance.

"Brother Zhu said he'd teach me seedling cultivation, but I think I'll go help out in the greenhouse." Finally, Bai Yunsheng found Zhu Yimin in greenhouse number thirteen, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Brother Zhu, I'm here to work with you!"

How could Zhu Yimin really let him do the work? Although growing vegetables is not a difficult task, if some details are not done well, it will affect the seedling stage and the later yield.

"Photographer Bai, could you please help water the plants? Just remember to water them thoroughly."

"Okay, I can do this!" Bai Yunsheng readily agreed, chatting with Zhu Yimin as he helped.

"Brother Zhu, who did you learn your cooking skills from?"

That was a perfect question, hitting Zhu Yimin right where it hurt. "My grandfather's generation were vegetable farmers, and back in the commune era, my father was the brigade's vegetable expert. I'm the third generation in that family. You might not know anything else, but I know all the tricks of the trade when it comes to this kind of vegetable!"

Bai Yunsheng asked curiously, "Brother Zhu, can you tell me why you're following Brother Li to grow vegetables in greenhouses?"

Zhu Yimin's expression changed slightly, as if he had remembered something unpleasant.

"Sigh, there's nothing that can't be said, it's all in the past."

Zhu Yimin originally didn't want to talk about the divorce. But then he thought about how his family's affairs were known to everyone in the surrounding villages. Hiding them would only make them more of a laughingstock, so he decided to be open about it.

Fortunately, he no longer concealed his experience of working in greenhouses with Li Zhe, and briefly described the situation regarding his ex-wife's family, only mentioning it briefly. Bai Yunsheng then got the gist of it.

After listening, Bai Yunsheng's expression changed again: "My God!" He thought Li Zhe had a story before, but now that he heard Zhu Yimin's experience, he felt that his experience was also very dramatic.

Although he couldn't possibly write this experience into the script exactly as it happened, he could still borrow some parts of it if Zhu Yimin agreed.

While working in the greenhouse, Bai Yunsheng chatted with people. He was gaining a deeper understanding of rural life and greenhouses, and his inspiration was beginning to stir.

He heard another interesting story from Zhu Yimin—there were actually agricultural university teachers and students working in the vegetable greenhouse. Unfortunately, Professor Chen had temporarily returned to the university, and he didn't get to see him.

However, the college student surnamed Zhou is still working in the greenhouse.

He was very curious as to why Zhou Qinghe, a top student from an agricultural university, would come to the countryside to grow vegetables.

He asked Lin Xiaohu and learned that Zhou Qinghe was working in greenhouse number 15.

He entered greenhouse number fifteen and saw Zhou Qinghe fertilizing. She moved with great skill, wearing a worn-out gray apron over her clothes, her slightly dark cheeks flushed red from the sun. Her skin wasn't very good; it was even somewhat rough.

What surprised Bai Yunsheng the most was that Zhou Qinghe was actually barefoot in the mud. Her muddy feet were large and dark, and although they weren't pretty, they were very steady on the ground.

"Is this really a college student from an agricultural university?" This was the first thought that popped into Bai Yunsheng's mind. However, he immediately dismissed this doubt—yes, they were definitely college students from an agricultural university.

I saw a certain quality in Zhou Qinghe: the vigor of a college student combined with the rustic charm of a rural person. While she wasn't exceptionally beautiful, and her skin wasn't perfect, this suited the image of an agricultural college student. How could someone who was too pretty, with a delicate voice and fair, smooth skin, possibly grow vegetables in a greenhouse?

Indeed, Zhou Qinghe's image is becoming more and more three-dimensional. Her nose bridge is very high, representing perseverance; the tip of her nose is slightly hooked, which may indicate a bit of stubbornness.

How could a female college student from Beijing leave the bustling city to grow vegetables in the countryside if she didn't have a strong character and a stubborn side?
Suddenly, a clear story idea popped into his head. He ran to Zhou Qinghe and said with a hint of excitement, "Zhou, do you want to make a movie?"

"Huh?" Zhou Qinghe was stunned. If the person in front of her wasn't brought back by Li Zhe, she would have really thought she had encountered a swindler.

She pointed to herself: "You want me to make a movie?"

Bai Yunsheng nodded: "Yes, I think there's a role in the movie that would suit you perfectly!"

Zhou Qinghe dusted off her hands: "Photographer Bai, I'm fine with teaching you how to farm, but I really can't act. I've never studied acting."

“Actually, you don’t need to worry or act deliberately. You can just play yourself. What I’m looking for is a female college student who returns to the countryside to grow vegetables, and your image fits the bill perfectly.”

"Hahaha!" Zhou Qinghe laughed heartlessly. "I can make movies? If my mom knew, she'd be laughing in her sleep!"

“Zhou, I’m serious. I really think you’re perfect for being one of the leads in this movie. I hope you’ll seriously consider it. If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to ask me anytime.” Bai Yunsheng’s tone was very sincere.

Zhou Qinghe seemed somewhat persuaded by his words, and stroked her chin thoughtfully for a while: "I'll think about it."

"Alright! I'll show you the script as soon as I finish writing it." Bai Yunsheng clenched his fist, beaming with joy: once a main actress is secured, writing the script around her will be much easier.

Upon hearing that Zhou Qinghe was going to make a movie, Lin Xiaohu also came over: "Photographer Bai, what's the name of the movie you're going to make? Is Qinghe the female lead?"

"The movie I'm going to make is called 'Love Story in the Greenhouse,' and Zhou Qinghe should be one of the female leads." Bai Yunsheng had a good impression of this clever young man and asked with a smile, "Are you interested in making movies?"

"Interested, so very interested!" Lin Xiaohu thought to himself, "This movie is called 'Greenhouse Love Story,' so it must be about love. If Zhou Qinghe is the female lead, then she'll definitely have to fall in love with the male lead."

He tentatively asked, "Photographer Bai, who is the male lead in this movie?"

"It's not confirmed yet."

Will Brother Li be the male lead?

Bai Yunsheng smiled and shook his head: "No."

"Really?" Lin Xiaohu's tone was filled with joy. In his opinion, no one was more suitable than Li Zhe.

"Even if I choose you as the male lead, I won't choose Li Zhe." This was Bai Yunsheng's honest opinion.

"Why? Why can't Brother Li be the male lead?"

"It's not suitable." Bai Yunsheng didn't say more. The reason she didn't say anything was because she was afraid of hurting Lin Xiaohu.

The reason Li Zhe couldn't be the male lead was because Bai Yunsheng felt his presence was too overwhelming. He didn't know what Li Zhe was like before, or rather, before he started farming in greenhouses. But the way Li Zhe stood now—his demeanor, speech, and mannerisms—didn't resemble a rural farmer at all.

People change, and Li Zhe is no longer the person he used to be. In Bai Yunsheng's opinion, Li Zhe is not a professional actor and cannot portray the same state of mind he had back then.

On the contrary, Lin Xiaohu is quick-witted but also has a rustic, country air about him. In some ways, he would be more suitable to play a vegetable greenhouse grower who dares to take risks and try new things.

Lin Xiaohu stood there grinning foolishly: Zhou Qinghe was the female lead, and he was the male lead. The movie was also called "Greenhouse Love Story," so did that mean he was going to have a romance with Zhou Qinghe in the film?
Good heavens, wouldn't this mix of truth and falsehood solve everything?!

(End of this chapter)