Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 246 Shares (Large Chapter)
As evening falls, the setting sun paints the gray walls of Suzhou's hutongs with a warm orange hue, and even the moss at the base of the walls seems to glow with warmth.

Wang Jianjun, carrying two bulging oil paper packages, walked across the front courtyard of the siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) along the bluestone path. The wooden carvings of the hanging flower gate were hazy in the twilight. Just as he rounded the gatepost, a yellow and white shadow rushed over, its tail wagging like a rattle.

"Jinzi, slow down!" Wang Jianjun smiled and bent down, letting the six-month-old yellow-haired, white-faced puppy circle around his trouser leg. Jinzi sniffed the oil paper package and followed him happily into the north room's living room.

In the living room on the left side of the north room, the fluorescent lights were humming, and the television screen was covered in a faint static, making it look a bit blurry.

Li Zhe was squatting next to the TV cabinet, unpacking a new box with the word "Sharp" printed on it. His fingertips traced the dense Japanese text on the instruction manual, and his brows were slightly furrowed.

His tall figure was projected onto the wall, his white shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms, and his movements as he assembled the video recorder were steady and efficient.

"Zhezi, what new gadget are you fiddling with this time?" Wang Jianjun put the dishes on the table and leaned over to peek inside. Black cables were scattered on the table, and the silver-gray video recorder gleamed coldly, looking quite high-end.

"A newly bought VCR." Li Zhe replied without looking up, his hands still busy. "From now on, we won't have to wait for TV stations to broadcast it; we can watch whatever movie we want anytime."

"A video recorder?" Wang Jianjun scratched the back of his head. He had heard people mention the term before, but this was the first time he had ever seen one in person. His eyes were full of curiosity.

After watching for a while, I still didn't understand, so I turned around and went into the kitchen.

Wang Jianjun poured the sliced ​​beef and offal from the tin box onto a white porcelain plate. The beef tongue and heart, coated in red oil, glistened under the light. The slices of meat were cut to a uniform thickness, clearly the work of Old Han from the kitchen. The aroma was so enticing that it made one's mouth water.

The smoked chicken in the paper package made a "crunch" sound when it was torn open, and the aroma of oil mixed with the smell of pine smoke filled the room.

He quickly slapped the cucumber, making a "slap slap" sound as he did so, then sprinkled it with minced garlic and vinegar, immediately releasing the aroma of vinegar.

The scallions and tofu were arranged neatly in squares, looking very refreshing. Finally, when the lid of the steamer was lifted, steaming white rice covered the glass lid with a layer of condensation.

By the time he returned to the living room with four dishes and a meal, Li Zhe had already reconnected the wires.

The TV screen lit up with a "whoosh," and Jackie Chan, dressed in a police uniform, appeared on the screen. The rousing opening theme song started playing, and the words "Plan A" were clearly written in the upper right corner.

"Wow, you've already taken a liking to it?" Wang Jianjun had just finished laying out a table full of dishes when he was immediately drawn to the car chase scene on the screen.

Jackie Chan leaps and bounds on a bicycle, amidst the sounds of sirens and gunshots. His chopsticks hang in mid-air, and his mouth is so wide open it could fit an egg. The audience stares in disbelief.

Li Zhe unscrewed the Fenjiu bottle, poured two glasses of wine, and clinked them together with Wang Jianjun: "Brother, let's have one first."

Wang Jianjun picked up his wine glass and took a sip. His mouth burned, but he didn't bother eating; his eyes were glued to the screen. The moment Jackie Chan fell from the clock tower, he slapped his thigh: "My God! If that had been a solid fall, his bones would be shattered to pieces!"

Li Zhe picked up a piece of chicken and chewed it slowly, watching the young Jackie Chan on the screen, and couldn't help but smile.

When I watched this movie in my younger days, I only thought it was exciting and thrilling. Now that I've been reborn, I've finally come to understand its deeper meaning.

Jackie Chan's instinctive head-protecting movement when he rolls, Yuen Biao's light footing when he climbs over walls, and Sammo Hung's seemingly clumsy but actually agile turns are all the result of hard work and sweat.

I used to find it funny when I saw Jackie Chan's interviews and heard him talk about double-strength and single-strength muscles. Later I realized that Jackie Chan is truly gifted, with thick blood and a good physique. If an ordinary person worked that hard, they would have failed long ago.

Before his rebirth, Brother Long was already old and could no longer fight.

He sighed softly: "This generation is really going all out. I'm afraid we'll never see movies like this again."

Wang Jianjun took a swig of wine, not even hearing what Li Zhe said, his eyes wide open: "Look at this big-nosed guy, he jumps down from that height without even flinching; that skinny guy is like a monkey, scaling walls like it's nothing; and this fat guy, with such a heavy body, how can he jump so high? He's even more agile than the vaulting champion in our village's threshing ground!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his spittle almost splattered onto the food plate.

Laughter from the movie mingled with the brothers' conversation and drifted out the window. Jinzi lay on the table leg, his tail slapping the floor with a "pat-pat" sound in time with the gunshots.

After finishing a bottle of Fenjiu, as the last shot froze, Wang Jianjun was still rubbing his hands together, seemingly unsatisfied: "Zhezi, do you have any more videotapes? Let's play another one!"

Li Zhe smiled as he put away the empty wine bottle: "It's late tonight, you'll have to get up early tomorrow to go to the market to buy things." He shoveled the remaining chicken breast, tofu, peanuts, and cucumber on the plate together, mixed in two spoonfuls of rice, and poured it, along with the broth, into Jinzi's enamel rice bowl.

Wang Jianjun immediately became anxious: "Hey, hey, this chicken can be heated up and eaten tomorrow, why did you feed it to the dog? If your aunt sees this, she'll beat you with a broom handle!"

"We're not short of meat. Besides, as long as my mom doesn't see it, it'll be fine, right?" Li Zhe patted Jinzi's head, seeing Jinzi drooling with anticipation, and laughed, "Eat up."

Jinzi wolfed it down, wagging its tail even more enthusiastically.

Wang Jianjun shook his head, muttering as he cleared the dishes, "You just have too much money to burn..."

The two carried the dishes to the kitchen with a clanging sound. Amidst the gurgling of the tap, Wang Jianjun finished washing the dishes, let out a burp, and said, "Then I'll go back to the front yard."

"Let's go back and get some rest." Li Zhe called out, and after playing with Jinzi for a while, he heard the back gate creak open.

Tan Jingya pushed her bicycle in, with a black backpack in the basket. Her padded-shoulder blazer smelled of cooking oil, and her flared trousers had some dust on the cuffs, but they still couldn't hide her long legs and shapely hips.

"You're back?" Li Zhe stood up. "How was business at the restaurant today?"

"It's pretty good. We turned over two tables tonight." Tan Jingya forced a smile, looking a little tired. "It's just that the gas cylinder in the kitchen is almost empty. We'll have to replace it tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll talk to Manager Wang."

"Then you rest, I'm going back." Tan Jingya parked her bicycle in the yard, picked up her backpack and walked towards the west wing. Her round buttocks were tightly wrapped in bell-bottoms, and the curves outlined were particularly eye-catching under the light.

Li Zhe couldn't help but take a second look, his young body surging with energy.

Food and sex are human nature! There's nothing to be ashamed of.

Li Zhe only looked away when the light in the west wing was turned on.

He squatted down and scratched Jinzi's chin, but his mind was on Wang Ting. She was top-notch in both figure and face, but Li Zhe felt a little depressed when he thought about how she said they could only sleep together after marriage.

"These days..." Li Zhe sighed softly, gazing at the morning glories climbing the courtyard wall.

In this era of limited information, some people are very conservative, blushing even at the thought of holding hands, and accusing others of being indecent if their arms are touched; while others are more playful, flirting and laughing as they disappear into the cornfield.

Wang Ting was quite open-minded, allowing kisses and touching... but she refused the last step, ultimately failing to resolve the issue.

It will be at least two or three more years before she graduates from university and gets married... It's going to be tough!

Jinzi rubbed against his palm, and he smiled and rubbed the dog's head: "You're so lucky, you don't have to think about these worries."

……

Early the next morning.

Li Weidong, who was delivering vegetables, brought good news: everyone's loans from the credit union had been approved. Yesterday, many people had already withdrawn their loans.

Upon receiving the news, Li Zhe was also very happy. After the truck finished delivering the vegetables, he followed it back to Daying Village.

In the evening, the light bulbs hanging on the bamboo poles in the No. 3 vegetable greenhouse lit up, and the fine dust floating in the dim yellow light was clearly visible.

The core members of Team 20 sat around a long wooden table. Some chatted idly, while others held enamel mugs in their hands, their shoes still covered in mud from the paddy fields, carrying a rustic smell.

Standing at the east end of the greenhouse, Li Zhe's gaze swept over the familiar faces, from the honest Zhao Tiezhu to the clever Lin Xiaohu. He cleared his throat and said, "Everyone's loans have been processed. Today, let's talk about the investment. First, let's discuss the assets of Sijiqing Company."

He took out a notebook from his briefcase and traced the words with his fingertips: "Sijiqing Company is still a shell company with no assets, but I plan to invest all 23 of my vegetable greenhouses into this company."

However, the crops grown in these greenhouses currently belong to me personally. The right to use the greenhouses will only transfer to Sijiqing Company after July. Therefore, I will also incur some depreciation costs. A newly built greenhouse costs around 5,000 yuan. The first three greenhouses, which have been in use the longest, are valued at 4,000 yuan each; the second batch of ten greenhouses are valued at 4200 yuan each; and the ten newly built greenhouses, which have brick houses, are more expensive, valued at 4600 yuan each. The total value of these 23 greenhouses is 100,000 yuan.

Someone was counting on their fingers when Li Zhe added, "In addition, there are fertilizers worth 8,000 yuan and pesticides worth 3000 yuan, a tractor and a tricycle valued at 4700 yuan. The total value is 117,700 yuan."

In addition, I will personally contribute 13.23 yuan as working capital for Sijiqing Company, meaning that Sijiqing Company's total assets will reach 25 yuan.

After Li Zhe finished speaking, he looked at everyone again: "If you recognize the company's value, you can invest. If you don't, I won't force you."

A murmur of discussion arose around the wooden table.

The Malay boy was the first to raise his hand, his voice clear and bright: "On behalf of Li Weidong, I'm investing six thousand!"

Li Jiugang joked from the side, "Wei Dong's wife, isn't your husband right here? Why do you need to represent him?"

"Haha..." Everyone burst into laughter.

Li Weidong wasn't annoyed; he just stood there grinning foolishly.

Old Li said, "I'll also invest 6,000."

Li Zhe had told everyone about this during the Chinese New Year, giving them enough time to consider it, so they didn't hesitate much and expressed their opinions one after another.

Apart from Tiger Girl, who was new and didn't have money to invest, most other people or families invested 6,000 yuan each, while Zhou Qinghe and Driver Liang each invested 3,000 yuan. The total was 72,000 yuan.

Li Zhe wrote down the numbers in his notebook, the pen scratching across the pages: "I personally contributed 250,000, and everyone chipped in 72,000, so the company's total assets are now 322,000." Upon hearing the numbers Li Zhe announced, everyone's expressions varied.

Lin Xiaohu asked with some confusion, "Brother Li, if we invest, does that mean we'll get a share of the company's profits?"

"That's right. From now on, everyone's salary will be based on their position in the company, and profit sharing will be based on their share of the company's shares." Li Zhe paused, then gave an example.
"For example, we started building the greenhouses in July or August this year, and they started making a profit in November. We may distribute dividends at the end of the year. Before distributing dividends, I will hold a shareholders' meeting to discuss the specific distribution plan."

Ge Qingshan asked, "Second Brother, since construction won't start until July or August, isn't it a bit early for us to invest now? Can we deposit the money in the bank and earn interest first?"

“Your idea is good, the money will definitely be in the bank, but it’s not too early to raise funds now. Building greenhouses is seasonal; although the construction period is concentrated between July and September, a lot of preparation work needs to be done in advance.” Li Zhe picked up the teapot on the table to refill everyone’s water.
"I guess many people are wondering what preparations you made back then? To be honest, I didn't make any preparations in advance. But building a greenhouse on one acre and building a greenhouse on hundreds of acres are completely different concepts. Brother Jin, can you tell everyone the ins and outs of this?"

Jin Baiwan slammed the enamel mug on the table: "Brother Li is right. Putting everything else aside, the greenhouse film, fertilizer, and pesticides are a big problem."

Take greenhouse film, for example. If it's too thick, it doesn't let in much light; if it's too thin, it's not windproof. You need specific types. Where would plastic factories find so much stock? They have to order in advance, right?
Needless to say, fertilizers are even more difficult to obtain. High-quality fertilizers are hard to come by, and the amount of fertilizer needed for growing vegetables in greenhouses is much greater than that needed for growing crops. If our town were to suddenly add several hundred acres of vegetable greenhouses, the supply and marketing cooperatives in the surrounding areas would definitely not be enough, and we would have to source them from neighboring counties.

"And excavators, bamboo poles, all need to be arranged in advance..."

The light bulb swayed gently overhead. Li Zhe took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and said, "Brother Jin is right. Besides supplies, there are also the cooperative growers. We need to train them in advance, help them get loans from banks, and assist them in building greenhouses and growing greenhouse vegetables. We'll be busy from now on, so everyone should be prepared."

Li Zhiqiang laughed and said, "Second Uncle, then we'll all be considered technicians from now on."

"Dream on," Li Zhe laughed. "When I have time, I'll discuss an evaluation standard with Teacher Chen and Brother Zhu. Only those who pass the evaluation can become greenhouse technicians. Salaries and bonuses will increase then, so everyone should pay attention during the evaluation."

Lin Xiaohu patted his chest and said confidently, "Brother Li, don't worry, I will definitely pass the technician exam!"

Wang Daqing clenched his fists, his palms sweating: he arrived late, had little technical knowledge, and was unsure of himself.

Tiger Girl tilted her chin up and said, "Brother Li, although I don't have the money to invest, I'm sure I can become a technician!"

Lin Xiaohu curled his lip, thinking to himself, "You've only been here a few days, and you're already bragging!"

“Okay, I’ll personally test you then.” Li Zhe smiled, then seemed to remember something, his smile faded, and he instructed, “There’s one more thing. If anyone asks about the loan, you can talk about it. But don’t tell anyone that this loan was invested in Sijiqing Company.”

Everyone nodded.

……

In the morning, the sunlight had already climbed over the top of the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, making the ground feel warm.

Just after ten o'clock, Old Li finished tying up the cucumber trellises in the greenhouse, patted the dirt off his hands, and called Li Zhe to go see the new house.

The two walked and talked along the dirt road. After walking for a short distance, the outline of the new homestead became clear, and they could see the busy figures on the construction site from a distance.

Upon entering the site, various building materials were neatly stacked: rows of clay bricks resembled low walls, sifted sand and gravel were piled up like small mountains, and door and window frames were drying on wooden frames made of pine and poplar wood, with wood shavings shimmering like gold dust in the sunlight.

Several workers were bending over and mixing cement mortar, the clanging of shovels hitting cement buckets echoing throughout the room.

"Brother Li, Boss Li." A loud voice came from the center of the construction site. Liu Jinliang strode over, the tape measure hanging around his neck swaying with his steps, and half of the blueprints sticking out of his canvas bag.

Li Zhe took out a Zhonghua cigarette from his pocket: "Good morning, Brother Liu, how's the construction going?" He lit one for Liu Jin first, then lit one for his father as well, and the three of them stood by the foundation, puffing away.

"Smooth sailing." Liu Jinliang took a deep drag of his cigarette and stomped his foot on the ground. "Look at this, the foundation is absolutely solid. And look at this subbase, it's all made of bluestone strips, and then another twenty centimeters of concrete was poured on top. Even if a tank ran over it, it wouldn't be a problem!" He grabbed the measuring tape and walked to the corner of the wall.

"The brick and stone foundation has been built to a height of one meter, so there is absolutely no problem with its load-bearing capacity. The walls on the first floor are already half a person high. The clay bricks are all new bricks that were brought directly from the kiln. Look at their hardness."

Li Zhe squatted down and tapped the brick joints. The mortar was so full that it showed the worker's skill: "It's really good, much faster than I expected. At noon, I'll have my family stew some fatty pork to add to everyone's meal!"

"Thank you so much!" Liu Jinliang smiled, his eyes crinkling with wrinkles, and turned to shout to the workers, "Did you hear that? We'll have extra dishes for lunch, so everyone work even harder!"

A burst of laughter immediately erupted on the construction site.

After Liu Jinliang went to arrange the construction, Old Li tugged at his son's arm and walked a few steps toward a quieter spot.

He looked at the prefabricated floor slabs in the distance, his brow furrowing slightly. "Second son, I have a question for you. Building this house has already cost a lot of money. You recently bought a car, furnished and equipped the courtyard house, invested in a cannery, and yesterday you said you were going to invest over 130,000 yuan in the Sijiqing Company—"

Li Zhe earns a lot now, but he also spends a lot. Old Li doesn't know exactly how much money he has, and he looked a little worried, lowering his voice, "Do you have enough money? Don't let things fall apart..."

Li Zhe stubbed out his cigarette under his foot and laughed, "Dad, don't worry. I have plenty of money, more than I can spend. Don't skimp on the money for building the house. Make it as comfortable as possible; we'll be living in this house for decades."

Li Zhe last tallied up his accounts in February, when he had a large amount of funds on hand: 114000 yuan in cash and 90039 yuan in foreign exchange certificates.

Two months have passed, and Li Zhe's money has only increased. First, there's the profit from the vegetable shop: the net profit in February was 9400 foreign exchange certificates, and the net profit in March was 9730 foreign exchange certificates.

Shuxiangju's net profit for March and April totaled 3879 yuan.

Vegetable greenhouses generated the highest profits, with RMB 62032 and foreign exchange certificates 74433 in February; and RMB 64020 and foreign exchange certificates 76483 in March.

Li Zhe resold canned goods twice, making a profit of 13160 yuan the first time and 8250 yuan the second time.

In addition, expenses in March and April were also high, including buying a car, furniture, appliances, daily expenses, greenhouse employee wages, greenhouse agricultural supplies, and building a new house. The total expenditure in RMB was as high as 61000 yuan, and the expenditure in foreign exchange certificates was 14039 yuan.

Li Zhe carefully calculated that, after deducting the expenses of the past two months, he had approximately 204341 yuan in cash and 246000 yuan in foreign exchange certificates. In addition, he owed the credit union 112000 yuan in loans.

Soon, Li Zhe will invest more than 130,000 yuan in the Sijiqing Vegetable Company and 20,000 to 30,000 yuan in the cannery.

In this way, I only had about 40,000 to 50,000 yuan left, but I had a lot of foreign exchange certificates.

In this era, foreign exchange certificates had a much stronger purchasing power than RMB. However, as the market gradually opened up, this advantage would become smaller and smaller. Li Zhe wanted to start a business targeting foreign exchange certificates, taking advantage of their existing advantages and high premiums to make more money.

I need to take a closer look at this...

(End of this chapter)