Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 248 Supervision (Long Chapter)
Sun Qiang was stunned, forgetting to take the paperwork from his hands, and asked blankly, "Why can't I get the loan?"

Zhang Jinxue didn't mince words: "These vegetable greenhouses aren't something you can just build casually; they require a lot of technical expertise. If you don't have any planting experience, the chances of failure are too high. Not only will you lose money, but we won't be able to get our loan back either. Loan policies are very strict now, and there's really no room for leniency."

He wasn't deliberately making things difficult for Sun Qiang. The risks of vegetable greenhouses were there, and the credit union had to control credit risk; otherwise, with a mountain of bad debts, he would be the one with the headache in the end.

Sun Qiang was unconvinced and asked defiantly, "But I heard that Li Zhe from Daying Village and the technician who worked with him in greenhouse farming both got loans from the credit union."

Zhang Jinxue nodded: "Yes, I approved it."

Sun Qiang's voice suddenly rose eight octaves: "Then why don't you lend money to them but not to me?"

"Why? Because they know how to grow vegetables in greenhouses, they have the technology, they can make money, and they have the ability to repay the loan. Besides, Li Zhe is willing to guarantee their loan," Zhang Jinxue retorted. "Do you even know how to grow vegetables in greenhouses?"

“I am also a grower under Li Zhe, and I will also…” Sun Qiang’s voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, his confidence clearly waning.

Zhang Jinxue couldn't help but laugh: "Nonsense! I've been to the Li family's vegetable greenhouse countless times, how come I've never seen you? If you want to fool people, try other credit unions, you won't get away with this one."

"I'm not lying to you, I just got there..."

"If you've just arrived, focus on learning the skills. Once you've mastered them, come back and apply for a loan." Zhang Jinxue put his documents on his canvas bag and gestured for him to leave.

This is a bank, not a charity.

With Li Zhe around, the credit union's personal loan business will definitely exceed its targets. Why risk lending to unreliable people? If it becomes a bad debt, won't he be the one running around collecting it?

He felt a tightness in his chest when he recalled how he had to beg and plead for money last year to collect a debt.

Sun Qiang sighed and walked out of the credit union with his head hanging low. "Damn it, what kind of mess is this!"

Just as he reached the entrance of the credit union, he heard someone call out to him, "Sun Qiang! What are you doing here?"

Looking up, I saw Wang Ermazi standing opposite me, pushing his bicycle with a blue cloth bundle hanging from the handlebars.

"Are you here to apply for a loan too?" Sun Qiang asked.

"Hehe, if you can come, why can't I?" Wang Ermazi grinned, revealing two rows of yellow teeth, and skipped into the credit union. As he passed Sun Qiang, he muttered to himself: Damn it, that cripple runs fast, he beat me to it.

Sun Qiang didn't leave; he leaned against the wall and started smoking.

Before he could finish his cigarette, Wang Ermazi came out with his head drooping, looking listless with the pockmarks on his face.

"Hehe..." Sun Qiang chuckled, "What? Didn't you get the loan?"

Wang Ermazi glared at him and said irritably, "That young man said I have no skills and that Li Zhe didn't vouch for me. Damn it, I should have brought up the voucher with Brother Li yesterday!"

“Not just you, I’m the same.” Sun Qiang flicked his cigarette ash. “He said he wants to learn the skills first, and then he can come back.”

The two rode their old-fashioned bicycles towards the village, neither of them speaking a word along the way.

The morning breeze whistled through the bare treetops, its sound mirroring the pent-up frustration in their hearts, seeping into their very bones. As they neared the village entrance, Wang Ermazi suddenly spoke up: "How about... we go ask Brother Li? See if he can vouch for us?"

Sun Qiang shook his head: "I don't think it's likely... Brother Li doesn't owe us anything, why should he vouch for us?"

Wang Ermazi thought about it for a moment and suggested, "Brother Li asked us to sign a vegetable planting and purchasing cooperation agreement, right? Let's sign it! I thought about it carefully when I got back. According to Brother Li, one mu of land can produce more than 6,000 jin of cucumbers, which is nearly 20,000 yuan, not bad."

Besides, three months after the cucumbers are harvested, other vegetables can be grown and sold until June of next year. All in all, that's at least 30,000 yuan in profit—something unimaginable before!

Sun Qiang's eyes lit up: "You're right, one shouldn't be too greedy." He jumped onto his bicycle, nearly falling off as the handlebars wobbled. "Let's go back to the village to find Brother Li!"

The two rode their bicycles back to the village. Although the loan application hadn't been approved, a new hope had been rekindled in their hearts.

……

On the ridge north of Daying Village, Li Zhe was squatting on the ground, teasing a sturdy little dog at his feet.

The dog was entirely red, with a red nose, red tongue, red paws, and a red mouth. Its fluffy red fur shimmered in the sunlight, and its curly tail was especially striking as it slapped the ground joyfully, kicking up fine dust.

"Goodness, you've got some nerve." Li Zhe laughed as he grabbed the puppy by the scruff of its neck and lifted it up. Instead of tucking its tail between its legs, the little guy stuck out its pink tongue and tried to lick his wrist, its round black eyes full of curiosity.

This dog was a gift from Wang Daqing; it was originally given to Wang Tietou, the village secretary, by someone else. The Wang family already had two guard dogs, and knowing that the Li family needed guard dogs for their more than twenty greenhouses, they had their son give it to them.

Li Zhe liked it more and more as he looked at it, and he planned to take it with him when he went to the capital. It would be perfect for it to guard the courtyard house with his family's local dog named "Jinzi" in front and behind.

Just then, two bicycle bells rang out from afar, and the wheels crunched over the gravel road.

Li Zhe looked up and saw Wang Ermazi and Sun Qiang get off their bicycles, the back seats covered in mud. Wang Ermazi's pockmarked face was red from the cold wind, while Sun Qiang, limping, pulled the bicycle against the rammed earth wall, his gruff voice carrying warmth from afar: "Brother Li, busy?"

Li Zhe put the puppy down and patted his hands, which were covered in dog hair: "Brother Sun, Brother Wang, where did you come from?"

Wang Ermazi rubbed his frozen hands and exchanged a glance with Sun Qiang. Both of them looked a little embarrassed and awkward.

Wang Ermazi spoke first, his voice tinged with uncertainty: "Brother Li, we have something we'd like to discuss with you."

Li Zhe led the two towards greenhouse number three. As soon as the plastic curtain was lifted, a warm, humid current mixed with the fresh scent of soil and vegetables wafted out.

Old Li was squatting by a haystack in the open space of the greenhouse, mending the straw mat with a thick thread in his hand. Seeing the three people come in, he put down the straw mat, straightened up, and patted the straw clippings off his trouser legs: "Er Mazi and Sun Qiang are here. Sit down."

"Uncle Li." The two greeted him hurriedly and sat down awkwardly on the stack of vegetable baskets.

Seeing that their cheeks were red from the cold and that there were still water droplets on their noses, Li Zhe turned around, picked up the thermos on the table, poured two cups of hot water, and handed them over: "Brother Sun, Brother Wang, what can I do for you two?"

The enamel mug was warm in their hands. Wang Ermazi and Sun Qiang exchanged another glance. Sun Qiang nudged Wang Ermazi with his elbow and whispered, "Go ahead and say it."

Wang Ermazi took a sip of hot water, put the jar on the ground, and said as if he had made up his mind: "Brother Li, I heard you talk about growing vegetables in greenhouses yesterday. I've thought about it carefully. I want to grow vegetables in greenhouses with you and I'm willing to sign a vegetable planting and purchasing cooperation agreement."

He paused, a troubled look on his face: "As you know, my family's financial situation is just average. The cost of growing crops in greenhouses is too high, and my family simply doesn't have that much money, so I was thinking of taking out a loan from the credit union. As it turned out, I ran into Brother Sun at the entrance of the credit union."

Who would have thought that when we went to the credit union, they wouldn't give us a loan because we didn't have experience in greenhouse vegetable farming, and they said we needed you to be our guarantor..."

Sun Qiang nodded repeatedly, eager to add, "Yes, Brother Li, I heard that all the greenhouse growers under your management have taken out loans from the credit union, and you've even guaranteed them. Could you also guarantee our loans?"

Li Zhe smiled and waved his hand, "Brothers, let me explain first. I have never guaranteed a loan for anyone, not even farmers. I wouldn't guarantee a loan for my own father."

Seeing that Wang Ermazi was about to interrupt, he raised his hand to indicate that he should wait a moment, and continued, "I have established a company called Sijiqing. Now these more than 20 acres of greenhouses and agricultural materials are all assets of Sijiqing Company."

Although I didn't guarantee the farmers' loans, I used the company's name to endorse their credit, verbally explaining their planting capabilities and willingness to repay to the credit union, thus increasing their trust in the credit union.

Wang Ermazi and Sun Qiang suddenly realized what was going on. They looked at each other, both with a bit of confusion in their eyes.

Sun Qiang, being an impatient man, couldn't help but ask, "Brother Li, could you also use the company's name to vouch for our credit?"

Li Zhe frowned slightly, a hesitant look on his face: "Brothers, have you considered another possibility? What you just said might just be the credit union's excuse. They don't intend to lend you money. Even if I endorse your credit, it won't be of any use."

"That can't be!" Sun Qiang raised his voice anxiously, "Didn't all your greenhouse vegetable technicians successfully get loans?"

“Your situation is different from theirs,” Li Zhe explained patiently. “They have been with me for a long time and have already mastered greenhouse planting techniques. Even if they don’t work with me, they can grow crops in greenhouses on their own, so the credit union is naturally confident in lending them money.”

But you've never grown crops in greenhouses before, you have no experience or skills. Even with my endorsement, the credit union may not believe you have the ability to repay. That's the key point!

After hearing this, Wang Ermazi slapped his thigh. Yesterday he was excitedly planning to learn the technology from Li and get a loan to build greenhouses, but today he realized things weren't so simple. "Brother Li, what should we do?"

"Ultimately, you'll have to rely on yourselves to get a loan," Li Zhe said sincerely. Sun Qiang hung his head, his voice full of helplessness: "Brother Li, we went to ask, but they won't lend us any money. Building a greenhouse costs six thousand yuan, and the credit union won't lend us any. We simply can't raise the money. Please help us think of a way."

Wang Ermazi also pleaded, "Yes, Brother Li, please help us."

Li Zhe was silent for a moment, as if he had made a decision: "Well, I have a good relationship with Director Sun of the town's credit union. I'll ask him for you and see if he can relax the loan requirements a bit."

Wang Ermazi immediately perked up, his worries vanishing: "Hey, Brother Li, thank you!"

Sun Qiang grinned and said, "Yes, with you involved, it's bound to work."

As if afraid that Li Zhe would change his mind, Wang Ermazi quickly stated, "I can sign the vegetable planting and purchasing cooperation agreement you mentioned right now."

“I’ll sign too,” Sun Qiang quickly chimed in.

Li Zhe waved his hand: "No rush, let's talk about it later."

Seeing Li Zhe's perfunctory tone, the two became even more anxious. Wang Ermazi patted his chest and assured him, "Brother Li, I really want to cooperate with you to grow vegetables in greenhouses. I'm willing to sign an agreement and work hard with you."

Sun Qiang quickly added, "That's right, Brother Li, whatever you tell us to do, we'll do it."

"Really?" Li Zhe raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Really!" they both said in unison, their tone exceptionally firm.

Li Zhe stood up, patted the dirt off his clothes, and said, "Alright, you two rest for a while, then go take care of the cucumbers and green beans in the field. As for the vegetable greenhouse, I'll think about it and give you a definite answer later."

The two wanted to say something more, but seeing Li Zhe's unyielding expression, they had no choice but to give up and leave the greenhouse dejectedly.

Li Zhe and Lao Li escorted the two men to the entrance of the greenhouse. Watching their bicycles disappear at the end of the field, Lao Li asked in confusion, "Second brother, I think they are quite sincere and both want to sign the agreement, so why don't you agree?"

"Dad, let's wait a little longer. It's not the right time yet." Li Zhe gazed at the vegetable garden in the distance, his eyes deep.

He understood the villagers' minds too well. They lived frugally, scrimping and saving, and were extremely meticulous about money. He had just said yesterday that he would buy their vegetables, and no matter the price, they would definitely feel like they were getting the lion's share and would grumble about it.

If we readily agree today and help them solve all their difficulties, they may not cherish it; instead, they will keep eyeing the purchase price.

Therefore, he needs to set up some barriers to make them compete and fight, shifting their energy and conflicts to their competitors instead of himself.

He didn't care whether anyone would notice or what they would say.

It's the same principle as going to university or taking the civil service exam. Even if you see through it all, what good will it do? You still have to desperately try to get in.

Because the tangible benefits are right there—following him in greenhouse farming will definitely make money; it's just a matter of how much, but making less is better than making nothing.

The father and son returned to the greenhouse. Li Zhe grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from a sack in the corner and cracked them open as he said, "Dad, do you remember when I said I wanted to build a plantation?"

Old Li frowned: "I remember. Second son, those ten acres of greenhouses were completed less than a month ago, and our new house is still under construction. You're already planning to start a plantation. Isn't that taking too big a step?"

“I know what you’re worried about. I don’t plan on any major construction.” Li Zhe threw the sunflower seed shells into the trash can next to him. “But then again, it’s really inconvenient that we don’t even have a place to work or eat.”

There are now over thirty people working here, and they're all crammed together inside and outside the shed every day, exposed to wind and rain—it's a mess. There's no proper place to hold meetings either; this isn't a sustainable solution.

He paused, then continued, "Besides, we'll be working with hundreds of farmers in the future. Where will we hold meetings and training sessions? We can't keep doing it in the greenhouses; there's simply not enough room for everyone."

Old Li pondered his son's words and slowly nodded: "What you said makes sense. But if we really want to build a place that can accommodate several hundred people, and also set up a large canteen, it will cost a lot of money, right?"

“Our greenhouse area will continue to grow, and the planning does need to be long-term, but we don’t need to build it all now,” Li Zhe explained. “For example, we can build a large canteen first, which can be used for meals, and workers can also rest there at noon. It can also be used as a meeting room or training room when we have meetings or training sessions. I think it’s quite necessary.”

Old Li thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll talk to Liu Jinliang, the construction team's master, and ask how much it will cost to build a big canteen."

“Oh, right, Dad,” Li Zhe said as if he had suddenly remembered something, “talk to the other shareholders of the company and ask for their opinions.” Although he was the major shareholder and had absolute say, he still had to respect the other shareholders on the surface.

Old Li replied, "I understand."

……

A few days later, at the donkey meat restaurant in Wan'an Town.

A while ago, Director Xie of the Wan'an Town Cannery invited Li Zhe to eat here once. The food was delicious and the donkey meat was very authentic, so he started to crave it.

In his past life, Li Zhe loved eating donkey meat, but because it was too expensive, he couldn't afford it and could only eat it twice a year. The more he craved it, the more he longed for it. Now that he's rich, he'll definitely indulge himself.

In the restaurant's private room sat Li Zhe and Sun Liguo, the director of the town's credit union. On the table were a platter of donkey meat, a dish of mixed shredded vegetables, two bowls of donkey offal soup, and two baked buns.

Li Zhe unscrewed a bottle of Luzhou Laojiao and poured two glasses: "Brother Sun, let's have a drink first."

"Let's have a drink!" Sun Liguo raised his glass, clinked glasses with Li Zhe, and drank it all in one gulp.

After downing a glass of wine, Li Zhe picked up a piece of donkey tendon. Although they only ordered two dishes, there was actually quite a variety. The platter included donkey tendon, donkey shank, donkey meat, and donkey intestines, all of which were good stuff.

Li Zhe took a sip of donkey offal soup and asked, "Brother Sun, are there many people going to the credit union for loans lately?"

“There are many. In your village alone, there are no fewer than ten people who have applied for loans under the guise of building greenhouses, but I have turned them all down.” Sun Liguo put down his chopsticks and said seriously, “We still need to think this over carefully and minimize the loan risk as much as possible. Otherwise, the higher-ups at the credit union will not allow large-scale lending. If there are large-scale bad debts, no one can bear the responsibility.”

Sun Liguo was happy to see Li Zhe organize farmers to take out loans to build greenhouses and grow greenhouse vegetables. This was a good thing for the credit union, but it also meant risks.

He had discussed this issue with Li Zhe before, but the discussion was vague and lacked detailed plans and measures.

Sun Liguo held up two fingers: "Actually, it boils down to two issues: one is greenhouse planting technology, whether growers have the ability to grow off-season vegetables, and whether they can repay the loans."
The second possibility is that villagers might take out loans under the guise of building greenhouses, then misappropriate the funds for purposes such as consumption or other investments, resulting in the greenhouses not being completed and the villagers losing their source of repayment.

Before Li Zhe came, he had already thought it through: "The technology is simple. As long as the growers sign a vegetable planting and purchasing cooperation agreement with Sijiqing Company, the company will provide regular training and will also go to the fields to provide guidance to ensure the normal growth of greenhouse vegetables."

Seeing Sun Liguo nod, Li Zhe continued, "It's not appropriate to supervise the loan's destination in the name of Sijiqing Company."

Before farmers can apply for loans, they can be required to join the "Daying Vegetable Cooperative" to have the cooperative oversee the use of the loans.

The loan is not disbursed in one lump sum, but in stages according to the construction milestones of the greenhouse, such as digging the foundation, purchasing greenhouse film, and purchasing seeds and fertilizers.

At each stage, the vegetable cooperative conducts on-site inspections to confirm that the funds are being used for the corresponding purpose. Afterwards, they issue an acceptance certificate to the credit union, which then releases the next installment. If misappropriation of loans is discovered, all subsequent loans will be suspended.

As for whether the Daying Vegetable Cooperative is willing to assist the credit union in supervision, the answer is yes.

There are two reasons. After farmers join the vegetable cooperative, they have to pay a monthly membership fee of 4 yuan, which can be used as a fund for supervision.

Secondly, the cooperative's president and key members are all employees of Sijiqing Company, so Li Zhe is fully capable of making the decisions.

The two then discussed some details, such as whether they could contact reliable suppliers of greenhouse film, fertilizer, etc., so that the villagers could purchase them through designated channels and the credit union could directly pay the corresponding amount to the suppliers, thus preventing the funds from being misappropriated when they passed through the villagers' hands...

------

There's a question in Chapter 246 that I need to explain.

Li Zhe plans to invest all 23 greenhouses in Sijiqing Company.

However, the vegetables grown in the greenhouse currently belong to Li Zhe personally. The right to use the greenhouse will only belong to Sijiqing Company after the vegetables are harvested in July. This is why the greenhouse depreciation fee is clearly stated.

(End of this chapter)