Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 234 Public and Private (Large Chapter)
After finishing lunch, Li Zhe and his companion walked out of the Western restaurant.

The wind outside was a bit chilly, so Li Zhe pulled up the collar of Wang Ting's beige trench coat.

The two walked along the roadside for a while, the sound of bicycle bells ringing past their ears. Li Zhe suggested, "Let's go look at some furniture. The weather is getting warmer and warmer, and I'd like to move to the backyard in a few days."

“Okay,” Wang Ting replied. She knew that Li Zhe had bought a courtyard house, but she had never seen it before.

Where would you like to buy furniture?

Li Zhe thought for a moment and said, "How about we go to the department store?"

“The furniture at the department store isn’t cheap.” Wang Ting pursed her lips and thought for a moment. “I remember there’s a furniture factory nearby. Why don’t we go there and take a look? If we can’t find anything suitable there, then we can go to the department store.”

“That works too.” Li Zhe nodded. The same furniture would be cheaper if it was made at a furniture factory, since department stores also need to make a profit.

The two hadn't seen each other for some time, so they chatted as they walked.

Wang Ting asked in confusion, "When did you get your driver's license? I've never heard of it."

Li Zhe replied, "Recently, my second sister and I have been doing foreign trade. We buy canned goods from canneries near Beijing and then export them to the Soviet Union. The foreign trade company also has some Soviet goods, so my second sister and I each bought a used car that's about 80% new."

So, even though they had the car, they didn't have a driver's license, so they couldn't drive it. They then used connections to get two expedited driver's licenses.

"You bought a car? What kind of car is it?"

"A white Soviet Volga, it's quite nice. Next time you have a day off, I'll take you for a drive."

Wang Ting's face showed both joy and worry: "You got your driver's license so quickly, will you be able to drive well?"

Li Zhe laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'm a great driver. Just sit back and enjoy the ride."

The two chatted idly until they arrived at the furniture factory gate. The red-lacquered gate was wide open, and the slogan on the gateposts, "Develop the economy, ensure supply," gleamed white in the afternoon sun.

An elderly gatekeeper, in his fifties or sixties, was sunbathing at the entrance when he asked the two men, "This is a furniture factory. Who are you looking for?"

Li Zhe replied, "We're here to buy furniture."

The gatekeeper, seeing that the two didn't seem like bad people, pointed inside the gate with his right hand: "Go along the alley, turn right, and that's the furniture showroom. There are people there to greet you."

"Thank you, sir." The two passed through the red-lacquered gate and were greeted by a path paved with gravel, with half-dried planks piled on both sides, their light wood grain showing through the sunlight.

To the left is a simple warehouse, and through the window you can vaguely see neatly stacked timber.

The passageway splits into two sides. The left side looks like rows of warehouses, while the right side is where guests are received. Although it's called an exhibition hall, it's actually a warehouse. Several incandescent lamps with iron shades hang from the ceiling, and various furniture samples are displayed on the floor.

A young woman in blue overalls sat at the entrance of the showroom, a name tag pinned to her breast pocket that read "Salesperson Zhang Min." Seeing the two enter, she stood up and asked, "Are you two here to buy furniture?"

"Yes, we came to look at furniture."

Salesperson Zhang Min introduced, "The showroom is full of the latest furniture, which is stylish, durable and comfortable, making it perfect for young people. You two are welcome to come in and take a look."

Li Zhe and Wang Ting walked into the exhibition hall. On the left were tall and short cabinets and a five-drawer chest, with the brass hinges on the cabinet doors polished to a shine. In the middle area were several simple wooden beds. On the right were dressing tables and chairs.

At first glance, Li Zhe noticed that the furniture was indeed more exquisitely crafted than the furniture he had seen in the Hongqiao Market.

Li Zhe said to Wang Ting beside him, "Take a look and see if there's anything you like."

Wang Ting replied, "I've never been to your house, how would I know which furniture would be suitable?"

"My house is a standard Chinese courtyard house, and the overall decoration style is also mainly Chinese. I'll choose the bed, but you'll definitely be using the dressing table and cabinets a lot, so you can take a look and see if there's anything you like."

Wang Ting's ears flushed slightly, but she remained composed and didn't dwell on the issue. She walked to where the dressing table was and said, "I prefer a simple dressing table with a large mirror; I don't like anything too fancy."

As Wang Ting spoke, she walked to a dressing table with drawers: "I think this one is fine. It has more drawers, so I can store things."

Li Zhe pulled out a stool from under the dressing table: "Try sitting down and see if it's comfortable."

Wang Ting's face turned even redder, but she still sat down, checked the height of the mirror, opened the drawer, and saw that it had small shelves inside. She said, "This craftsman is quite thoughtful; he can put some small odds and ends here."

Li Zhe asked the sales clerk next to him, "Comrade, what material is this dressing table made of?"

"Our dressing table comes in three materials: fiberboard, elm, and mahogany. The price and workmanship will vary depending on the material. It all depends on your specific needs."

What are the price ranges for these three materials?

"This dressing table is 80 yuan for fiberboard, 150 yuan for elm wood, and about 3500 yuan for mahogany."

Li Zhe asked Wang Ting, who was standing next to him, "Which one do you think is more suitable?"

Wang Ting replied, "Redwood is too expensive; I don't think it's necessary. As for elm and fiberboard, I don't know much about them. Which do you think is more suitable?"

Li Zhe nodded and said to the salesperson next to him, "We mainly buy practical furniture, so we don't need high-end woods like mahogany for now. Our requirement is solid wood, preferably with mortise and tenon joints. We won't consider fiberboard or mixed woods."

Saleswoman Zhang Min said, "I understand. The dressing table you two just looked at is made of elm wood, which perfectly matches your requirements. You two have excellent taste."

Li Zhe glanced at Wang Ting beside him, and Wang Ting nodded: "I think it's fine."

Li Zhe immediately made the decision: "This is the one for the dressing table."

"Okay." Saleswoman Zhang Min wrote down the style and material of the dressing table in her notebook.

The salesperson then pointed to a wooden bed not far away and said, "This one is also made of elm wood. The boards are sturdy and durable. You can sleep on it, and there's a hidden compartment underneath for storing things."

Li Zhe walked closer to take a look. He had used this kind of bed before. Its advantage was that it could store more things, but its disadvantages were also obvious. The space between the bed and the floor was relatively small, making it more difficult to clean.

Li Zhe said, "I like those high-legged beds, not these with partitions."

The salesperson pointed to the wooden bed next to them: "Then I recommend this one to you. It has a very simple design and the dimensions are 1.5 meters by 2 meters."

In those days, houses were relatively cramped, so beds were generally smaller in size.

Li Zhe replied, "It's a bit small. I need two beds that are 1.8 meters by 2 meters."

After choosing the bed, the two of them looked at the wardrobe, the tables and chairs in the living room, as well as Li Zhe's desk, bookcase, coffee table, storage cabinet, and so on.

The north and west rooms are used for living, the middle room is the living room, and the east room serves as Li Zhe's study. There is also a bed there, which Li Zhe can use to rest normally. His parents can also stay in the east room when they come to visit.

In addition to the north room, Li Zhe also purchased some furniture for the east wing, which he planned to use for receiving guests in the future.

After buying almost everything, the salesperson calculated that the total amount was nearly 4000 yuan.

Wang Ting was somewhat surprised: "Is it really that expensive?"

The salesperson replied, "The furniture you requested is the latest style of solid wood furniture. Both the materials and the workmanship are top-notch, so the price will definitely not be cheap."

Wang Ting said, "That's too expensive. We've bought so much furniture from you, can't you give us a discount? If it's suitable, we'll recommend you to our friends in the future."

In previous years, salespeople would have either completely ignored or directly rebuffed customers when they heard they wanted to bargain. However, the situation has changed in the last two years. With the transition from a planned economy to a market economy and the increase in individual businesses, competition has begun to emerge between industries.

However, as a state-owned furniture factory, their sales pressure is not too great, and ordinary sales staff do not have the authority to lower prices; they have simply improved their service attitude compared to before.

Saleswoman Zhang Min replied, "Comrade, all the items here are clearly priced, and I have no authority to lower the price."

Li Zhe said, "Could you call your manager over? I want to talk to him personally."

"Please wait a moment." Saleswoman Zhang Min turned and left, and when she came back, a middle-aged woman with short hair was following behind her.

"Hello comrade, I am Feng Huili, the sales manager of the furniture factory."

"Manager Feng, hello." Li Zhe shook hands with the other party and said, "We bought a batch of furniture, the total price is 3829 yuan, and we would like to ask if you have any discounts."

Feng Huili looked troubled: "Comrade, our factory only sells directly, so we don't have much room for price reduction; but since you've asked, I'll round it down to 3800 yuan. What do you think?"

Li Zhe touched his chin, realizing that after all his efforts, he had only managed to get 29 yuan less.

"I'll think about it." Li Zhe hadn't just invited the other party over to negotiate a price; he continued, "Comrade, I have a batch of timber imported from the Soviet Union. I wonder if your factory needs it?"

Feng Huili paused for a moment, then replied, "I'm only in charge of furniture sales; purchasing isn't my responsibility."

Li Zhe asked, "Then who should I look for?"

Feng Huili frowned slightly: "Comrade, are you here to buy furniture or to sell timber?" "I'm buying both furniture and timber," Li Zhe replied, only realizing this suddenly.

"Comrade, our timber has legitimate supply channels. I haven't heard of any timber shortage at our factory." Feng Huili's tone was somewhat perfunctory.

Li Zhe nodded and said to the salesperson next to him, "Could you give me a list of the furniture I just looked at? I'll think about it and come back to pick it up when I've decided."

"Okay." Saleswoman Zhang Min tore off a photocopy and handed it to Li Zhe: "This is the furniture list you just looked at."

"Thank you."

After leaving the furniture factory, Wang Ting asked, "Is there anything wrong with these pieces of furniture?"

Li Zhe shook his head: "It's not a problem. I just want to visit a private furniture factory and make a comparison."

After our conversation, Li Zhe still felt that state-owned furniture factories were somewhat stagnant. Private furniture factories had emerged in this era; wouldn't their products be more fashionable, more comfortable, and better suited to the modern interior design trends?
Li Zhe was a little itchy, but he wasn't going to put down a deposit until he had seen the private furniture factory.

Furthermore, when he last went to the foreign trade company's warehouse to deliver a canned goods order, he saw that the factory had a lot of timber stored there. Just as Feng Huili mentioned earlier, state-owned furniture factories have fixed supply channels and are not very interested in imported timber from foreign trade. What about private furniture factories?
There are two main ways to settle accounts when doing business with foreign trade companies. The first way is to settle in cash, but the process takes a long time, and Li Zhe always feels uneasy about it.

The second method is bartering. He can buy timber from foreign trade companies and resell it to furniture factories to make a profit. This is a long-term business project that Li Zhe thinks has great potential.

Li Zhe took Wang Ting's hand and invited her, "Come home with me and see the layout of the house in person. That way, it will be easier to find suitable furniture next time we buy it together."

Wang Ting hesitated for a moment: "I won't go today. I'm going to my grandma's house for dinner tonight. You already know what style I like, so you can just buy whatever you like."

"Don't blame me if it doesn't suit your taste."

Wang Ting snorted: "I'm not as picky as you think. Besides, I never said I wanted to marry you."

Although the two are dating, they haven't reached the point of discussing marriage yet, and Wang Ting is still a little embarrassed when the topic comes up.

It's fine to ask her to help Li Zhe come up with ideas, but it's not appropriate for her to accompany him throughout the entire process of buying furniture and decorating the house.

Li Zhe didn't press the issue: "Alright then, I'll invite you over after I've furnished the house."

Wang Ting nodded: "What kind of housewarming gift do you want? I'll give it to you."

Li Zhe pondered for a moment with a serious expression, then touched her smooth cheek: "I lack nothing, except a mistress."

"Ugh," Wang Ting dodged his hand. "I was being serious with you."

"I'm serious about this."

"If you keep doing this, I'm not going to talk to you anymore."

Li Zhe stopped teasing her and put his arm around her slender waist: "Let's go, I'll take you home."

"Not going back to the shop?"

"The boss lady doesn't leave work at a fixed time, just get the gist of it."

Wang Ting pinched his arm: "You're talking nonsense again."

Li Zhe laughed and said, "Wang, the opportunity to be a boss's wife doesn't come often, so you'd better seize it."

"If you say that again, I won't talk to you anymore." Wang Ting pouted her red lips and turned her head away from Li Zhe.

"I was just kidding," Li Zhe said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, I'll take you home. Your home? Or your grandma's?"

"Let's go to my grandma's house. It's been a few days since I've seen her. If I don't go soon, the old lady will start nagging me again."

Li Zhe suggested, "Then I'll go up and visit her too."

"Are you sure you want to go? My mom should be there too." Wang Ting thought for a moment, "Never mind, you shouldn't go. You'll have to buy things if you go."

Li Zhe smiled. Buying things was a minor matter; the main issue was that Wang Ting's mother was also there, and Li Zhe didn't really want to see her. "Alright, I'll go another day."

Li Zhe then accompanied Wang Ting on the bus and took her to the Chen family home.

The two agreed on a time to meet again, and Li Zhe watched Wang Ting enter the tenement building...

The next day, Li Zhe went to Hongqiao and Chaowai Market to inquire about the furniture factory.

When he ran his restaurant, he bought tables, chairs and tableware from these two markets. He also talked to the owners he had done business with before to learn about the situation of individual furniture factories and found out about several large individual furniture factories, such as Yage Lier Furniture Co., Ltd., Yijia Shangpin, and Century Jingzhou.

……

The morning wind swept dust across the old locust tree at the street corner, covering the newly sprouted branches with a thin layer of ash.

The climates of Beijing and Langfang are similar, except that the wind and sand are stronger in winter and there is more rain in summer.

"Woooo..."

A white Volga sedan was parked in front of the "Century Jingzhou" furniture factory. Its streamlined body was wide and beautiful, and its engine roared like a Siberian brown bear panting heavily, which was very impressive.

Li Zhe opened the car door and stepped out when a young man in blue overalls quickly approached him with a warm smile: "Comrade, I'm a salesman from Century Jingzhou. Are you here to look at furniture?"

Li Zhe was taken aback; it was the first time he had received such a warm welcome, which made him a little uncomfortable: "Yes, what kind of furniture does your factory make?"

"We have both office and home use here, and we have the latest models. Shall I show you around?"

Li Zhe peered through the factory gate and saw large piles of planks inside. He casually replied, "Let's look at the civilian-grade ones first."

"Okay, my surname is Chen, you can just call me Xiao Chen." The salesperson led the way, "This way please."

As soon as the two entered the factory, they smelled the odor of wood.

After walking a short distance, the salesman led Li Zhe to the right and introduced, "To make it easier for customers to visit, our factory's furniture showroom is located near the factory gate. The furniture on the far east side is for office use, and the furniture in front is for residential use." He tentatively asked, "Sir, are you buying this for yourself, or for business purposes?"

Li Zhe responded, "I bought them for my own use, but my house is quite big, so I bought more."

“Since it’s for personal use, let me introduce you to some new furniture. It’s made with good materials and is very comfortable.” He led Li Zhe into the showroom and introduced, “Over here are wardrobes and sofas, in front are tables, chairs and a dressing table, and on the east side are beds and coffee tables.”

Li Zhe walked around the exhibition hall. The styles of these furniture pieces were indeed more fashionable than the state-owned furniture he had seen before, and more similar to modern furniture styles. The workmanship was also acceptable. However, he always felt that there was a strange smell in the exhibition hall. After smelling it for a while, his nose felt a little uncomfortable.

Li Zhe patted the desk beside him. It looked quite sturdy, with a layer of brown paint on the outside, making it impossible to tell what kind of wood it was made of: "Comrade, what kind of materials are these furniture pieces made of?"

Salesman Xiao Chen replied, "It combines panel and solid wood, making it sturdy and inexpensive."

Li Zhe smiled enigmatically: "The table legs are solid wood, but the tabletop is made of particleboard?"

Boards refer to boards made from processed wood materials or wood fibers, shavings, etc., through processes such as bonding and pressing. Common types include plywood, particleboard, fiberboard (such as MDF), and blockboard.

“Yes.” The salesperson patted the table. “Look at the workmanship and style. You won’t find another store like this in Beijing at the same price.”

Li Zhe knew what that strange smell was; it was most likely the smell of adhesive.

There are various opinions about this stuff. Small quantities may not be too harmful, but the market is rife with problems and regulations are lax. Li Zhe didn't want to gamble on the conscience of businessmen.

"I want solid wood furniture, does your factory have it?"

The salesperson replied, "Well, our factory's furniture is generally a combination of particleboard and solid wood. If you need a large quantity, we can also customize a batch of solid wood furniture for you, but the lead time will be longer."

Li Zhe had a general idea of ​​what was going on. He figured the factory was probably positioned in the low to mid-range market, and it definitely wouldn't be suitable for their own use. He then changed the subject: "Is your manager here? I'd like to talk to him about a timber deal."

The salesperson paused for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, but quickly replied, "Please wait a moment, I'll go get it right away!"

Within minutes, a middle-aged man in a gray Zhongshan suit with a pen clipped to his chest strode over, his face displaying the shrewdness typical of a businessman. He grabbed Li Zhe's hand and said, "I'm the manager here, my surname is Lin. I heard you have timber?"

Li Zhe cut to the chase: "Yes, we just imported a batch of birch and pine wood from the Soviet Union, and it's of good quality. I wonder if your factory would be interested?"

Manager Lin's eyes lit up instantly: "Comrade, what is your surname?"

"My surname is Li."

"Mr. Li, it's cold. Let's talk in my office." He gestured for him to come in and warmly invited him: "A friend gave me a can of fine Longjing tea a few days ago. I'd like you to try it."

As soon as he saw the other party's attitude, Li Zhe knew that "there was a chance".

(End of this chapter)