Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 236 Evergreen (Long Chapter)

In the morning, at No. 7 Suzhou Hutong, in the front yard.

Several workers were carrying tools and making construction work, with the sound of hammering on the wall echoing incessantly.

After much deliberation, Li Zhe decided to build the garage in the front yard.

The front door faces southeast, making construction inconvenient, so he planned to open a garage door on the southwest side of the front yard. The storage room on the west side of the front yard (now the kitchen) was originally an annex to the west wing, so it wouldn't affect the car's entry and exit.

After determining the construction location, he first went to the Housing Management Bureau to report it, and then asked Lin Weimin to use his connections in the Municipal Planning Bureau to successfully complete the construction permit.

Li Zhe originally wanted to hire someone from his hometown for the installation, but considering that he needed to install roller shutters, he specifically consulted a roller shutter company. They not only had the expertise to handle the installation, but also had more experience.

He figured it would be safer to hire a roller shutter company to do it—after all, everyone has their own expertise, and installing roller shutters requires first demolishing the wall, then reinforcing it, and then installing the track. The size, dimensions, and height of the door opening are all important, and they can adjust any unsuitable parts in time.

On the other hand, if a construction team is hired from the countryside, not to mention whether they can do a good job, there is also the possibility of conflict and blame-shifting with the roller shutter company.

After communicating the location and requirements with the workers, Li Zhe drove off.

Not far from the construction site in the southwest corner stood a young man with a side-parted hairstyle, wearing a blue down jacket, black trousers, and brown leather shoes. He was Wang Jianjun, who had stayed behind to supervise the construction.

Compared to a few months ago, he has changed completely, losing some of the simplicity of a rural person and gaining more of the airs of a city dweller.

His brows were furrowed, and he seemed to be in a complicated mood lately.

Ever since Li Zhe got a girlfriend, people around him have started urging him to get one—first his father and aunt introduced him to girls from the countryside, and later his aunt wanted to introduce him to girls from Beijing.

He couldn't decide which one to meet, so he simply kept putting it off and didn't meet anyone.

But dragging it out wasn't a solution. He needed to go back to Daying Village for some business in the next couple of days, and he knew he couldn't avoid it...

Pulling himself back to reality, he continued to stare at the construction site: the workers first used an ink line to mark the cutting lines, then used a cutting machine to cut the brick joints, and then used hammers of various sizes to pound the wall in turn. With a loud "boom", the wall collapsed.

Afterward, the workers removed the loose bricks, filled the gaps with cement, ensured that the sides and top of the door were flat and vertical, and then installed the guide rails, rollers, brackets, curtains, and cranks in sequence...

In the afternoon, when Li Zhe drove back to Courtyard No. 7, the roller shutter door had already been installed.

Two workers are testing the lifting mechanism and adjusting its position, while another worker is filling the gap between the guide rail and the wall with sealant putty.

As soon as he got out of the car, Wang Jianjun came up to him and asked anxiously before Li Zhe could even speak, "Zhezi, has the business license for the vegetable company been obtained?"

Li Zhe opened his briefcase and took out a document with the words "Individual Business License" written in bold on it.

The handwritten content below shows:

Name: Li Zhenhua;

Amount of funds: 300,000;

Company Name: Sijiqing Vegetable Co., Ltd.

Address: No. 7 Courtyard, Suzhou Hutong...

Wang Jianjun grinned foolishly at the business license: "Hey, that's great, we're company owners now!" Then he asked, puzzled, "By the way, why is it my uncle's name on it? Not yours?"

Li Zhe laughed and said, "Old Li is the legal representative, so his name must be on the bill."

Wang Jianjun didn't understand these things and just thought that Li Zhe was being filial and wanted to make his father happy and boost his prestige.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel ashamed—since returning home for the Spring Festival, he hadn't been back to see his father for a month. Alas, he, as the older brother, was not as sensible as his younger cousin.

At this moment, the foreman walked over and said, "Bosses, the roller shutter door has been installed."

Li Zhe went over to check and saw that the top and sides of the roller shutter door were smoothed with cement, with no gaps.

He cranked the manual crank of the roller shutter door, first slowly lowering the slats from the top to the bottom without any jamming or tilting; then he cranked the slats back up from the bottom to the top to check if they could be completely rolled up on the roller.

I tried several times, and the roller shutter door didn't wobble or tilt. Furthermore, the roller shutter door has a metal latch at the bottom, which locks it once the slats are fully closed at the bottom.

After carefully checking and confirming that everything was in order, Li Zhe paid the final payment and let the installers leave.

Li Zhe locked the roller shutter door, in a good mood, and said to his cousin, "Get in the car, let's go to Shuxiangju for a meal."

Wang Jianjun waved his hand: "Let's not go to Shuxiangju, let's have hot pot for dinner tonight."

“Our company was able to get its business license thanks to Boss Hong San. He accompanied me today, so I have to treat him to a meal,” Li Zhe explained. “We originally agreed that I would pay Boss Hong for handling the business license application, and I even prepared cash to give to him today, but he refused to accept it no matter what.”

“That’s right, let’s go then.” Wang Jianjun got into the passenger seat and asked, “Where is Boss Hong? Should we go pick him up?”

As Li Zhe started the car, he said, "No need, he went to Shuxiangju first, and I guess he's already ordered the food."

In a private room on the second floor of Shuxiangju.

Because of her good performance, waitress Han Chunyan was assigned to a private room on the second floor. She looked at the man in front of her and asked, "What's your name, sir?"

"My surname is Hong."

"Mr. Hong, when will your friend arrive? Would you like to order in advance? That way, the food will be served faster," Han Chunyan said, handing over the menu.

Mr. Hong took the menu and casually asked, "What are your signature dishes? Tell me about them."

"Our Kung Pao Chicken is a modified version, with added cucumber pieces, making it crisp and refreshing, and more suitable for local tastes. You simply can't find this in other restaurants; the Mapo Tofu is both numbing and spicy, perfect with rice, and although it's not expensive, many customers order it; Mao's Braised Pork is also good, you should try it..."

Mr. Hong said, "I'll take the three dishes you just mentioned, plus a braised mandarin fish. We'll make them now. We'll order the rest when my friend arrives."

"Okay, please wait a moment." Han Chunyan closed the door and left.

A few minutes later, she came in carrying a plate of snacks: "Mr. Hong, these are a gift from our restaurant. You can have some more if you finish them."

He then brewed a pot of jasmine tea, poured it for Boss Hong, and left the private room.

Mr. Hong arrived early, and since there weren't many customers at the time, the food was served very quickly.

Before long, all four dishes were served. He didn't rush to eat, but sat down to drink tea and wait.

After a while, there was a knock on the door, and Li Zhe and Wang Jianjun pushed the door open and came in: "Boss Hong, we've kept you waiting."

"Mr. Li, Manager Wang, I'll just have some tea and snacks here. It won't hurt to wait a little longer," Mr. Hong said, standing up to greet them.

Li Zhe pressed his shoulder down to make him sit down: "We're all family here, don't be shy, let's eat."

Wang Jianjun picked up the teapot and poured some tea for Boss Hong, saying, "Boss Hong, our restaurant has only been open for a short time. If there is anything that we have done poorly in our hospitality, please let me know and I will have them make changes."

Mr. Hong adjusted his teacup: "I'm not trying to flatter you, but the service at this restaurant is impeccable. The young lady helped me take my order, then brought me snacks and poured me tea. I've lived in Beijing for so many years and eaten at countless restaurants, but none can compare to Shuxiangju."

Li Zhe picked up a piece of braised mandarin fish with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. It was salty, fresh, and slightly spicy, with a rich flavor. He didn't taste any strange taste and nodded to himself: That's more like it.

Actually, at first, Boss Hong didn't understand why Li Zhe would let an outsider like him order food at the restaurant.

Upon closer examination, it seems the restaurant owner wanted to experience the dishes and evaluate the service as an ordinary customer.

Hey, I learned something new again.

Li Zhe took out two bottles of Fenjiu liquor, unscrewed one, poured three glasses, raised his glass and said, "Boss Hong, thank you for your hard work on the company's business license. I'd like to toast you."

"Mr. Li, you're being too polite. What kind of relationship do we have? This is just what I should do. I'll drink it all, please feel free to drink as you please." Mr. Hong picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp.

Without a word, Li Zhe downed a drink. After putting down his glass, he warmly invited Boss Hong to eat.

Wang Jianjun chimed in, "Boss Hong, if there's anything about the dishes that doesn't suit your taste, please let me know, and I'll have the kitchen make improvements."

Mr. Hong waved his hand: "No need for that, I think everything is delicious. Especially this Mao-style braised pork, the waitress said it was made by a Hunan cuisine chef, the taste is impeccable." Li Zhe was also quite satisfied with today's dishes, put down his chopsticks and said: "Mr. Hong, there's something I need to tell you."

He then told Boss Hong about his plan to buy timber through a foreign trade company and sell it to a furniture company, and asked for the other party's opinion.

The news came as a surprise, and Mr. Hong was caught off guard and found it difficult to make a decision.

Li Zhe didn't rush him—although they were partners, their shareholdings were clearly defined, so he could choose between goods or cash, which wouldn't have much of an impact.

Li Zhe changed the subject: "Boss Hong, how's the second batch of canned goods coming along? Do we have enough capital left to pay the deposit?"

The specific details of the canned goods acquisition were handled by Jin Baiwan and Boss Hong, with each managing a section.

Mr. Hong took a sip of tea and said, "Mr. Li, I was just about to tell you about this. I asked several canneries, and none of them have any pickled cucumbers left. They only have 4 tons of green beans left, so they can only buy other types of food for the rest."

Judging from the price, canned yellow peaches and canned tomatoes have higher profit margins. I'm planning to buy canned yellow peaches from a cannery in Yanqing. What do you think?

Li Zhe frowned: "Why are the canned pickles suddenly gone?"

Mr. Hong explained, "The stock of pickled cucumbers was already low, and I suspect that other companies are also acquiring them."

The purchase price of pickled cucumbers is 3 yuan per can, the ex-factory price is 2 yuan per can, and the gross profit margin is 50%.

The purchase price of canned yellow peaches is 2.5 yuan per can, and the ex-factory price is 1.9 yuan per can, resulting in a gross profit margin of 31.5%. The difference in gross profit between the two is significant; anyone would prioritize buying canned pickled cucumbers.

Li Zhe nodded: "That's right, we're not the only ones with foreign trade orders. Once the Soviet Union's canned food export business grows, it will inevitably have some impact on the canned food industry."

He continued, "Okay, then let's buy canned yellow peaches. We'll make less money if we want."

He had actually thought of this before; the profit margins on foreign trade orders couldn't stay this high forever.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Li Zhe's head: the reason why there are so few canned pickled cucumbers and canned green beans is because there are few farmers growing these kinds of vegetables.

So, can I grow some pickled cucumbers and green beans myself?
……

Daying Village, north of the village.

Standing on the edge of the field, Chen Shougeng looked at the 10 newly built, gleaming white greenhouses, his feelings were particularly complicated.

He recently started university and has been spending most of his time at the agricultural university. He only returned to Daying Village yesterday.

Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, 10 greenhouses were built.

This efficiency... is truly remarkable. He increasingly felt that joining Li Zhe's team was the best decision he had made in recent years.

He wasn't just complaining; he genuinely felt the gap between them.

Before the Lunar New Year, he had communicated with Li Zhe about applying to build a vegetable greenhouse at Beijing Agricultural University. Li Zhe generously agreed and even provided him with a construction blueprint for the greenhouse.

He was grateful to Li Zhe and also happy to be able to contribute to the school.

But it turned out he had oversimplified things—he submitted his application to build the greenhouse to the school, and his direct supervisors were very supportive, but he still hadn't received a reply before he returned.

He specifically asked the department head, and the reply he received was that "the higher-level leaders need to approve it at each level, and he should wait patiently."

August and September are the golden months for building greenhouses, when the soil temperature and humidity are just right. It's only March now, and there are still six months to go. Logically, he should be able to make it this year, but the words "wait patiently" weighed on his mind like a stone.

If you miss it, you'll have to wait another year.

It's almost impossible for someone as decisive and efficient as Li Zhe to build something on a whim.

A cloud of yellow dust rose from the dirt road in the distance, and a green truck drove up shakily.

After the car came to a complete stop, the door opened with a "bang," and Li Zhe jumped out, followed by Wang Jianjun.

Wang Xiuying was playing with her daughter, Daya, next to greenhouse number two. When she saw her son get out of the car, she smiled and went to greet him. Halfway there, she saw her nephew return as well, so she stopped and turned to walk towards greenhouse number four: "Brother, are you inside?"

"I'm here." Wang Rongsheng, who was bending down to pick an old broccoli leaf, stood up and clapped his hands. "What's up?"

"Jianjun is back."

Wang Rongsheng was somewhat surprised: "Why did he suddenly come back?"

“Who knows? If you ask me, it’s just in time for him to come back. Let him go on a blind date tomorrow, what do you say?” After Wang Xiuying finished speaking, she lifted the curtain and called to her granddaughter outside, “Da Ya, play here, don’t run around.”

Wang Rongsheng hesitated and said, "Isn't this too hasty? I'm afraid the woman won't be happy."

“It’s a bit rushed.” Wang Xiuying turned around, thought for a moment, and said, “How about this, I’ll go and meet with the matchmaker. It would be best if we could arrange it for tomorrow; if not, we’ll reschedule for another day, set a date first, and then have Jianjun come back.”

The matchmaker was none other than Zhang Yuzhen, the owner of the consignment store.

Wang Rongsheng nodded: "Okay, you go there. He's not getting any younger, it's not good for him to stay single forever."

“Who says otherwise? I’m going right now!” Wang Xiuying left the greenhouse, handed her granddaughter to her daughter Li Na, and rode her bicycle towards the village.

In Wang Xiuying's view, her eldest son is married and her youngest son has a girlfriend, so if her nephew is still single, then it is her responsibility as his aunt.

……

On the other side of the dirt road, Li Zhe waved and greeted Chen from a distance of more than ten meters: "Teacher Chen!" The two hadn't seen each other for a while.

"Mr. Li, congratulations on building another ten acres of vegetable greenhouses." Chen Shougeng was genuinely envious, thinking that he wished his school could be so well-off someday, so they wouldn't have to compete with those old men and women for resources.

Li Zhe laughed and said, "Congratulations! This time the greenhouse has more land available. If you want to use the experimental fields, just call me anytime."

Teacher Chen nodded seriously: "Okay, I'll go back and look into it."

Li Zhe handed him a Zhonghua cigarette: "Teacher Chen, I'd like to ask you something."

"What is it?" Chen Shougeng casually took the cigarette.

"Here's the thing, a friend of mine got a batch of canned vegetables for export to the Soviet Union through a foreign trade company, and I also helped out by running errands. When we were buying the canned goods, we found that pickled cucumbers and green beans had higher profit margins, but the volume of these two types of canned goods was relatively small."

I was thinking, could we grow some pickled cucumbers and green beans? This Sino-Soviet (Russian) canned food trade continued into later generations, which is worth Li Zhe's efforts; it's a long-term business channel.

Chen Shougeng was no stranger to these two vegetables—China began exporting canned vegetables to the Soviet Union in the 50s. Pickled cucumbers and green beans could be grown domestically, but for various reasons, these two vegetables suitable for canning were not widely used in northern regions.

When it comes to vegetables, Teacher Chen seems to open up: "Let's start with pickled cucumbers. They're different from the prickly cucumbers we eat in the past. They have to be special varieties from the Soviet Union or Europe, like pickled cucumbers. The seed supply is limited. They either go through foreign trade companies or research institutions or large vegetable companies. It's hard to buy them from other places."

He continued, "The advantage of pickled cucumbers is that they have a short growing period, but also a short harvesting period, making them suitable for rapid, large-scale harvesting and processing. In addition, pickled cucumbers are grown at a lower temperature than prickly cucumbers, with an optimal growth temperature of 20-25 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is too high, the fruit will grow too fast, the flesh will become loose, and the acidity will decrease, affecting the processing quality."

Therefore, the best time to plant pickled cucumbers is in April and harvest before July. Planting them during the high temperatures of July and August is actually not suitable.

Li Zhe then asked, "What about green beans?"

"Green beans and pickled cucumbers have similar characteristics. The suitable temperature is also 20-25 degrees Celsius. It takes about 60 days from sowing to harvesting. The harvesting period is also very short. It is best to harvest within 10 days. If it is more than two days, the fiber will quickly become coarse and cannot be processed."

Li Zhe calculated the time; it was almost mid-March, and if they wanted to plant in April, they had to hurry and prepare. He asked, "Teacher Chen, do you think we can plant a batch of pickled cucumbers and green beans?"

Chen Shougeng replied, "There are no problems with the technology; the main issues now are the land and the seeds."

With these words, Li Zhe felt more confident: "Land is not a problem; I can lease some land from the village collective."

Chen Shougeng nodded: "I'll inquire about pickled cucumber and green bean seeds when I get back to school, but even if the school has them, the quantity won't be large. You'd better look for other sources."

Li Zhe already had a plan in mind: "Don't worry, I will definitely solve the seed problem before April."

(End of this chapter)