Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 250 Changes
Beijing, Suzhou-style alleyways.

As dawn broke, the aroma of breakfast stalls already wafted through the alleyways—

In the backyard of No. 7 Courtyard, Tan Jingya in the west wing had just finished washing up. The collar of her light blue floral shirt was a little wrinkled—she had come back late yesterday and hadn't ironed it after washing. She bent down and tugged at it, then smoothed out her cuffs.

Upon exiting the west wing, they saw Jinzi lying prone at the door of the north room.

Its yellow-haired, white-faced appearance was usually endearing, but today it looked terribly listless. Its ears drooped down almost to the ground, and its tail weakly swept across the cracks in the brickwork. It didn't even look up at Tan Jingya's footsteps.

She crouched down, stroked its head, and said in a soft voice, "Jinzi, why are you so listless? Is it because Boss Li hasn't been back for several days, and you miss him?"

Jinzi finally glanced at her, then buried her head back in her paws, making soft "woofing" sounds in her throat, as if she had been wronged.

"Wait here, I'll make breakfast and cook you some corn porridge too." She said, getting up and walking towards the kitchen.

Just as Tan Jingya poured the cornmeal into the enamel basin, she heard a creaking sound from the courtyard gate.

This was followed by Jinzi's excited barking, "Woof woof."

She wiped the noodles off her hands and walked out, only to see Li Zhe standing at the door. He was tall, and the morning light shone from behind him, casting a long shadow.

What was even more eye-catching was a small dog at his feet—its whole body was red, its red nose was wet and twitching, and it would stick out its tongue to lick its red paws from time to time. Even the fur around its mouth was red. It huddled at Li Zhe's feet like a small fireball that hadn't quite caught fire.

Jinzi had already started circling around the puppy, sniffing it repeatedly, its tail wagging so fast it almost hit its own leg.

Li Zhe chuckled and gently kicked Jinzi's bottom: "Don't scare it." He turned and saw Tan Jingya, greeting her: "Good morning, Sister Tan."

"Mr. Li, you're back!" Tan Jingya stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the red dog, and couldn't help but sigh, "This little dog is so beautiful, its whole body is shiny red, did you buy it?"

“It’s called Flame, a gift from a friend.” He glanced at the floral apron Tan Jingya was wearing, with a bit of cornmeal on the corner, and asked, “Are you making breakfast?”

"Yes." Tan Jingya nodded with a smile, then looked behind him. "Have you eaten? If not, I'll make you some too."

Li Zhe rubbed his stomach and realized he was indeed hungry—he had arrived in Beijing at five o'clock this morning on a vegetable truck and hadn't had time to eat: "Thank you so much, my stomach is growling."

"Don't be so polite with me, it's just a small favor." Tan Jingya turned and went back to the kitchen. The iron pot on the coal stove was already hot. She cracked three eggs into it. With a "sizzle," oil splattered up. She subconsciously dodged back. The golden egg liquid quickly solidified, and the aroma instantly filled the small courtyard.

"Gold, play with the flames properly, don't bully them," Li Zhe instructed before entering the north room.

Flame seemed a little afraid of the unfamiliar environment, following Li Zhe into the north room and shrinking behind the leg of the round table. Jinzi also trotted in, sometimes following Li Zhe, sometimes sniffing Flame, clearly very interested in the little guy.

Li Zhe took off his coat and hung it on the hook, then patted off the dust. Everything in the village was great, except for the dust.

The house hadn't been ventilated for two or three days, so Li Zhe opened the windows to let in fresh air and boiled a kettle of water.

Before the water even started bubbling, Tan Jingya had already brought in breakfast.

A pot of corn porridge was placed on the round table, still steaming, with a dish of pickled vegetables next to it. There were also a few white steamed buns in a bamboo steamer, and on the far side was a white porcelain plate with three golden fried eggs, the edges slightly crispy, which looked very appetizing.

"Mr. Li, I made you two fried eggs. How do you like them? If you don't like them, just let me know." Tan Jingya pushed the plate with the fried eggs in front of Li Zhe and served him a bowl of corn porridge.

"Thank you." Li Zhe picked up a steamed bun, broke it open, put two fried eggs inside, and took a big bite—the softness of the bun mixed with the aroma of the fried eggs. He mumbled a praise: "Delicious! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside."

Tan Jingya sat opposite her, with only half a steamed bun and a fried egg in front of her.

Li Zhe took a sip of porridge, put down the bowl, and asked, "Sister Tan, how's business at the restaurant these days?"

Tan Jingya also put down her chopsticks, her tone tinged with relief: "It's going well. A couple of days ago, Chef Han came up with a new dish called 'Spicy and Fragrant Rabbit,' and the customers have been very positive about it—yesterday, a regular customer ordered two portions, saying he wanted to take them home for his child to try. The turnover is also stable, even better than when we first opened."

As they spoke, Flame kept rubbing against Li Zhe's legs, its tail gently brushing against his trouser leg, its eyes full of expectation, and its tail swaying gently.

Li Zhe broke off a small piece of steamed bun and threw it on the ground. Huoyan lowered his head and ate it while sobbing.

Tan Jingya suddenly remembered something and looked up, saying, "By the way, Mr. Li, I heard Manager Wang mention that you helped a friend's Western restaurant come up with a prepayment system—allowing customers to deposit money during holidays and offering them discounts to attract them to come back often. I think it's a great idea. Do you think our restaurant could try it too?"

Li Zhe didn't answer immediately, thinking to himself: It's already mid-April, the weather is getting warmer, and the gimmick of attracting customers with off-season vegetables won't work in a while. If we could really implement a prepaid membership system, maybe we could retain a lot of old customers.

After thinking it through, he looked up and said, "Your idea is feasible, let's give it a try."

Tan Jingya's eyes lit up: "I just heard Manager Wang mention it casually. I don't really understand how this prepaid membership system works. Could you explain it to me in detail?"

Li Zhe swallowed the last bite of steamed bun with pickled vegetables, wiped his mouth, and said, "In about ten days, it will be Labor Day. Let's hold a 'May Day Special Offer' event then."

During the promotion, customers who deposit 100 yuan into their card will receive a free membership card and an additional 10 yuan – meaning they can spend 110 yuan from the card.

If you recharge 200, you'll get 25 free, so your card will have 225.

If you recharge 500, you'll get an extra 80, meaning you'll have 580 yuan directly in your card.

Basically, the more you top up, the bigger the discount. This way, we can recoup our money quickly, retain customers, and encourage them to spend more.

Tan Jingya listened very attentively—having been in the restaurant for so long, she immediately understood the trick of prepayment; it was indeed a good way to attract repeat customers.

Li Zhe added, "This is just an example. The specific rules will depend on the actual situation of our restaurant. Think about it and come up with a reliable plan."

Tan Jingya nodded: "Okay, I'll show you the plan once I've finished drafting it."

After the two finished breakfast, Tan Jingya quickly cleared away the dishes and took them to the kitchen.

She washed the dishes quickly, the water gushing out, and she hummed a few lines of Teresa Teng's songs every now and then. In no time, she had cleaned the dishes.

She went back to the west wing to change her clothes—a light gray shirt and a pair of black straight-leg trousers. The shirt collar was buttoned up tightly, making her look capable and energetic.

When she came out, she was carrying a black backpack. She walked to the door of the north room and greeted Li Zhe: "Mr. Li, I'm going to the restaurant."

"Okay, drive carefully." Li Zhe nodded and watched her walk out of the courtyard gate.

In the courtyard, Jinzi was dozing on the ground, its paws still clutching a large bone; Flame was still huddled beside the table leg, occasionally looking up at its surroundings.

Li Zhe took two dog bowls from the kitchen, poured the remaining corn porridge into them, broke off three steamed buns, crumbled them, and put them in.

He put the dog bowl in the yard and whistled, "Gold, Flame, come eat!"

Jinzi immediately jumped up, rushed over and buried his head in the dog bowl, slurping and eating. He barely chewed, swallowing the bread crumbs mixed with the porridge in one gulp, leaving quite a bit of bread on the corners of his mouth.

Flame also came out, eating from another bowl of rice, and occasionally looking up at the gold, afraid that it would come and snatch it away.

Before long, Jinzi finished eating from its own bowl, then its eyes darted around and set its sights on the dog bowl with the flames.

It moved closer, and just as its nose touched the rim of the basin, the flame suddenly raised its head, bared its teeth, and made a "whining" warning sound, while its claws remained guarding the edge of the basin.

Jinzi didn't take the little guy seriously at all and went up to bite Flame's ear.

Flame howled and immediately dropped its dog bowl, running to Li Zhe's legs and rubbing its head against his trouser leg, its little tail tucked between his legs, looking quite aggrieved. Li Zhe had been observing them the whole time; Gold hadn't bitten hard, it was just trying to scare Flame.

Li Zhe bent down, stroked Flame's head, and smoothed its red fur, without saying anything—nor did he scold Jinzi.

Dogs have their own rules; they need to figure out who's the boss. If we protect Flame now, it might not be good: what if Flame thinks it has his backing and gets arrogant, daring to mess with Gold? If Gold gets really angry and bites it when no one's watching, that's no joke, and it would end up harming Flame.

As for the food-grabbing incident, we can deal with it after they determine who is stronger.

Li Zhe thought to himself, and then touched Flame's ears again. The little guy seemed to feel comforted and slowly stopped whimpering, but he still clung to his leg, afraid to move.

"Beep beep..." A crisp sound came from Li Zhe's waist, a little jarring.

He looked down and saw that the pager clipped to his belt was lit up—displaying a number and a name: Tang Demin.

Li Zhe got up, thinking he needed to return a phone call.

He glanced at the two dogs in the yard. Jinzi was licking its food bowl with its head down, its tail wagging; Flame was huddled at his feet, its eyes fixed on Jinzi, afraid of being bullied again.

If he leaves, the two of them might fight again, and Flame will definitely suffer.

Li Zhe thought for a moment, then moved the flames to the front yard and closed the hanging flower gate.

After settling the two dogs, Li Zhe left the courtyard with some change in his pocket. There was a public phone booth at the entrance of the alley; the green booth had a bit of dirt on the glass, but it stood out quite well in the morning light.

He walked over, took a coin out of his pocket, dropped it into the phone booth, and then dialed the number displayed on the pager.

"Hello, I'm looking for Manager Tang."

"Brother Li, this is Tang Demin." A familiar voice came from the phone.

"Manager Tang, is there something you need?" Li Zhe asked.

"It's nothing major, I just wanted to talk to you about purchasing vegetables." Tang Demin's tone was very warm, and he even chuckled twice. "I wonder if you're free today? If not, we can schedule another time."

Li Zhe invited, "If you have time and it's convenient for you, come to Shuxiangju for lunch. We can chat while we eat, and you can also try our new dishes."

"That's great! I'll definitely be there around noon, is that alright?" Tang Demin replied with a smile, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then asked for the specific address of Shuxiangju.

After hanging up the phone, Li Zhe frowned slightly, wondering what the other party's intentions were...

The midday sun was directly overhead.

A blue Lada taxi stopped on Chongwenmen West Street. Tang Demin opened the car door and first glanced around at the restaurant—the storefront wasn't large, and a black plaque with gold lettering, "Shuxiangju," hung on the vermilion wooden door.

The restaurant's windows were sparkling clean, and you could see that it was full of customers. Steam mixed with the aroma of food wafted out from under the door.

He straightened his suit collar and stepped inside.

"Sir, how many are in your party?" A voice suddenly sounded in his ear. Tang Demin turned around and saw a girl with short hair that reached her ears. There were some oil stains on her apron, and her eyes curved when she smiled.

"My surname is Tang, and I have an appointment with your boss, Mr. Li."

"Oh, it's Manager Tang!" The girl's eyes lit up immediately, and she gestured towards the stairwell. "The boss is waiting in the private room on the east side of the second floor. Please come with me." This girl was Han Chunyan. Li Zhe had specifically instructed her that morning to lead Manager Tang, who was wearing a suit, directly upstairs when he arrived, so as not to keep him waiting.

Tang Demin followed Han Chunyan inside, his gaze involuntarily sweeping over the restaurant lobby—four square tables were placed against the wall, their tablecloths washed very clean.

A group of customers were enjoying a plate of bright red food, their breath coming in gasps from the spiciness, yet they kept putting more into their mouths. He had heard that Li Zhe had opened a Sichuan restaurant, but this was the first time he had seen it, and he hadn't expected the business to be so successful.

Upon reaching the second floor, the corridor was paved with light brown linoleum, which felt soft underfoot. Han Chunyan stopped at the door of the private room at the east end and knocked: "Knock knock."

"Come in!" Li Zhe's voice came from inside.

Han Chunyan pushed open the door and stepped aside to let him in, saying, "Boss, Manager Tang is here."

Li Zhe was sitting at the table looking at the menu when he saw Tang Demin come in. He immediately stood up, walked quickly forward, and extended his hand: "Manager Tang, welcome, welcome." Today he was wearing a light gray shirt, the collar of which was neatly buttoned, and he looked more energetic than he had in the alley this morning.

Tang Demin grasped his hand and looked around with a smile: "Mr. Li, your restaurant is quite nice. It has a lively, bustling atmosphere, even more popular than our hotel restaurant."

"You flatter me. My little shop can't compare to your esteemed hotel." Li Zhe smiled and waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down.

Han Chunyan came in carrying a teapot, poured two cups of chrysanthemum tea, and placed two dried flowers floating in the golden tea. She then quietly left after putting down the cups.

Li Zhe pushed the menu over: "I've ordered two signature dishes first, a freshly served 'Spicy and Fragrant Rabbit' and a modified version of Kung Pao Chicken. Take a look and feel free to add anything else you'd like."

Tang Demin flipped through the menu; the pages were slightly curled, but the red and black lettering was still clearly printed. His finger paused on "Boiled Beef in Chili Oil": "This looks pretty good, want to order another one? And Mapo Tofu, one of the classic Sichuan dishes, we should try that too."

Li Zhe called out "Chunyan" and told Han Chunyan at the door what dishes he had ordered, including a hot and sour soup.

Li Zhe picked up the teapot, poured some tea for the other party, and got straight to the point: "Manager Tang, you are a very busy person, what brings you here today?"

Tang Demin took a sip of tea, his brow furrowed slightly, and he hesitated as he put the cup down. He tapped his fingers on the edge of the table and pondered for a moment before saying, "To be honest, Mr. Li, I'm here today to be an unwelcome guest."

"Unwelcome guest?" Li Zhe was taken aback, a look of surprise on his face. "Manager Tang, what do you mean by that?"

Tang Demin sighed softly and leaned forward slightly: "That's how it is. In addition to the Beijing Municipal Vegetable Company, our Great Wall Hotel also cooperates with state-owned farms for vegetable supply."

As you know, those farms are well-off and have long since built seedling sheds. Although they can't survive the winter like your winter-warm greenhouses, they start seedlings earlier, and their vegetables mature much earlier than ordinary seasonal vegetables.

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Zhe's face and, seeing that the other was just listening quietly without any change in expression, continued, "Yesterday, a farm manager contacted me and said that they have a batch of spinach and lettuce to be sold in late April. He asked if I wanted to order some and even quoted a price."

Li Zhe paused, his hand holding the cup twitching slightly, and his brows furrowed slightly.

This was somewhat sudden, but upon reflection it made sense—if Zhu Yimin could set up a seedling shed, the state-owned farms would have even more resources, so how could they not have made any moves?
"What's the price quoted by that state-owned farm?" Li Zhe put down his cup and asked calmly, already starting to calculate in his mind.

"Spinach and lettuce are both two yuan per pound." Tang Demin didn't hide anything, and a troubled look appeared on his face. "Boss Li, I've been working with you for a while now, and your vegetables are fresh and your delivery is timely. I'm willing to continue to buy from you."

But I am, after all, the hotel's purchasing manager, and I am responsible for costs—if the price difference is too large, I won't be able to explain it to my superiors. Please understand.

Li Zhe lightly traced two lines on the tablecloth with his fingers, quickly calculating in his mind: prices follow the market, and in the past, only his store sold off-season vegetables, so the price was naturally set high.

Now that the vegetables in the seedling shed are ready, with more vegetables available, prices will drop.

Vegetable prices fluctuate greatly, and it's normal for prices to rise and fall depending on seasonal changes and market conditions. This is why Li Zhe has always been committed to developing an ecological industrial chain.

Before Tang Demin could speak again, Li Zhe already had an idea. He looked up at him and said, "Manager Tang, you're a straightforward person, so I won't beat around the bush either. How about this, starting from the 21st of this month, I'll charge you 1.9 yuan per jin for your spinach and lettuce. Is that alright?"

"One yuan and ninety cents?" Tang Demin's eyes lit up, and he immediately gave a thumbs up.
"Brother Li, that's why I say you're a big businessman! You're so straightforward and generous!" He had been worried that Li Zhe would try to bargain, but he didn't expect him to be so decisive.

Li Zhe's selling price is cheaper than that of state-owned farms, so he, as the purchasing manager, won't be caught in the middle.

Who wouldn't want to do business with a straightforward person?
(End of this chapter)