Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 255 Envy
"Comrade Li, do you have a general direction in mind?" Zheng Yanbo asked again when he saw that Li hadn't said anything for a while.

Li Zhe then came to his senses and quickly nodded: "Master Zheng, I'd like to look at calligraphy, paintings, and ceramics first."

Zheng Yanbo responded with an "okay," got up, and led the two through a side hall—the side hall had several unframed calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, and several wooden boxes piled on the ground—to the calligraphy and painting exhibition area on the west side of the main hall.

The display cases here are all made of transparent glass, and the soft light shines on each scroll, making the ink and colors clearly visible.

Zheng Yanbo walked to the first display case and pointed to a light-colored landscape painting: "This is Mr. Zhou Yuanliang's 'Jiangzhou Fishing and Hunting Scene.' He was very skilled in brush and ink techniques. Look at the texture of the rocks and the ripples on the water. They all exude an elegant charm. This is a work from the 1940s."

The asking price is now 2,200 yuan. Mr. Zhou has some reputation in the Beijing-Tianjin calligraphy and painting circles, so it's considered a solid piece of his collection.

Li Zhe leaned closer to the glass and examined it carefully. The artistic conception of the landscape and fishing retreat in the picture was indeed quite good. However, in his previous life, he had never heard of Zhou Yuanliang's name on the treasure appraisal show. He immediately made a judgment in his mind - it's better to miss out than to buy the wrong thing!
He gave a soft "hmm" and didn't say anything more.

Then, Zheng Yanbo led him to another display case and pointed to a flower and bird painting: "This is 'Mountain Sparrow' by Sun Qifeng, a student of Wang Xuetao. Mr. Sun is good at painting flowers and birds. Look at the layers of the peony petals and the expression of the sparrow. They are all very vivid. It is a masterpiece of his from the 1960s."

The price is now 2,500 yuan; Mr. Sun's paintings are quite popular these days.

Li Zhe continued to look intently, but still couldn't recall anything.

Afterwards, the group moved to the ceramics exhibition area.

Zheng Yanbo took a blue-and-white porcelain jar with a lotus scroll design from the display case and carefully placed it on the velvet-covered table: "This is a folk kiln blue-and-white porcelain jar from the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. Look at the blue color, the shades are just right, and the lines of the lotus scroll design are very smooth. It's just that there's a small chip on the rim of the jar—"

Look here, you can't tell unless you look closely—that's why it costs 1,800 yuan.

The number of fine examples of Guangxu-era folk kiln wares in existence is not large; it's quite likely that their value will increase two or three times in the future.

Li Zhe took the magnifying glass handed to him, squatted down by the table and looked at the chipped skin on the mouth of the jar, feeling no ripples in his heart—the price was low, and the increase was not enough.

Afterwards, Zheng Yanbo introduced a famille rose bowl with figures from the Republic of China period, priced at 1,300 yuan, and a blue and white plate from the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, priced at 1,000 yuan.

These collections were not well-known, and Li Zhe had no recollection of them. He knew that these collections had little potential for future appreciation, so he simply observed them silently without showing any interest.

Hong San, who was standing nearby, saw all of this. After Zheng Yanbo finished his introduction, he quickly pulled him aside and whispered, "Cousin, Brother Li Zhe has quite a few foreign exchange certificates. He has high standards and wants to find some collectibles that are more valuable and can appreciate in value in the future. He didn't like any of these just now. He was thinking of trying his luck at the Friendship Store later."

Upon hearing "foreign exchange certificates," Zheng Yanbo's eyes lit up instantly. He quickly turned to look at Li Zhe, his tone tinged with mystery: "Comrade Li, Rongbaozhai actually has an inner cabinet containing many precious collectibles. These are generally only sold to high-ranking domestic officials, special individuals, or foreign friends. You can also purchase them with foreign exchange certificates."

What I just showed you were the items in the regular exhibition area; the items in the inner display cases are the ones with the real potential.

Upon hearing "inner cabinet," Li Zhe immediately perked up and took half a step forward: "Master Zheng, what kind of collections are in the inner cabinet?"

Zheng Yanbo led the two to a mahogany cabinet at the very back of the side hall—the cabinet looked quite old, with lotus scroll patterns carved on the doors—he took out a copper key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, turned it twice, and slowly opened the cabinet door.

The cabinet was lined with deep red velvet and neatly arranged several collectibles.

Zheng Yanbo first took out a scroll and carefully unfolded it with both hands, afraid of damaging it: "This is Qi Baishi's 'Ink Shrimp Painting'. Look at the shape of the shrimp, the transparency of the shrimp's body, and the liveliness of the shrimp's whiskers. These are all typical styles of Qi Baishi and are works from his later years."

The asking price is now 86,000 foreign exchange certificates. Needless to say, the price of Qi Baishi's paintings will definitely rise steadily over the next few decades.

Li Zhe leaned closer, his eyes fixed on the shrimp in the painting. Qi Baishi's paintings need no introduction; any masterpiece is priceless.

After the initial excitement, he became worried. He didn't know anything about authenticating calligraphy and paintings and was concerned that he might have bought a fake.

Zheng Yanbo carefully put away the shrimp painting and bent down to take out another scroll. His movements were even gentler than before, as if afraid of hurting some precious item, as he slowly unfolded the silk. "Take a look at this one—"

His voice carried a hint of undisguised pride: "Zhang Daqian's 'Qingcheng Mountain Landscape,' painted in the 1940s, is a work he copied from Dunhuang and is worth 92,000 foreign exchange certificates."

Li Zhe leaned closer to look and saw that the mountains in the painting were a bright green, the rock walls had a warm ochre hue, and the temple walls at the foot of the mountain were a dazzling bright yellow, the color so rich it seemed to drip, yet layered and full of vigor.

“Look closely at the colors.” Zheng Yanbo gently rubbed the edge of the painting with his fingertip. “Zhang Daqian spent three years in Dunhuang, copying those old murals every day. When he came back, his painting style had completely changed. He was most skilled at using these vibrant colors, yet they were not garish at all. Look at this landscape; it is both profound and spiritual, as if you could walk into it.”

He paused, then pointed to the inscription on the foot of the painting: "Look at the strokes of the characters, and the color of the ink on the seal, they are all the same as they were back then."

Li Zhe's gaze was still fixed on the bright yellow courtyard wall, but his mind had already made up his mind—although he had never seen this "Qingcheng Landscape Painting" in his previous life, an appraisal program specifically mentioned that Zhang Daqian's paintings from the period after returning from Dunhuang had great potential for appreciation in value because they incorporated mural techniques.

The works of these two masters are extremely valuable to collectors, but there are also many forgeries. Li Zhe said with some concern, "Master Zheng, this painting looks good, but I don't know how to appraise it..."

Zheng Yanbo understood his meaning perfectly and laughed, "The items in my inner cabinet are all genuine goods that Rongbaozhai acquired from old collectors. They are mainly for high-ranking officials and foreign friends to see. Who would dare to sell fakes? If you are not at ease, you can have any domestic appraisal experts take a look without any problem."

Looking at Zhang Daqian's "Qingcheng Landscape Painting", Li Zhe was even more satisfied, but his worries about the fake product were not completely eliminated, and his brows remained furrowed.

Zheng Yanbo saw his concerns and continued, "Comrade Li, if you are still worried, how about this—Rongbaozhai can invite several well-known appraisal masters in China, such as Mr. Xu Bangda or Mr. Qi Gong, to do the appraisal for you. The appraisal fee will be borne by Rongbaozhai. What do you think?"

Li Zhe often heard these two names on antique appraisal programs. They are both "leading figures" in the field of calligraphy and painting appraisal, and their industry status and professional authority are widely recognized.

Without Rongbaozhai's connections, he probably wouldn't even be able to meet them. "Can these two gentlemen issue an authentication certificate?"

Zheng Yanbo thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, but both gentlemen are core members of the national-level appraisal team and have heavy official and academic duties. It is impossible to determine which one of them can come and when they will arrive."

Li Zhe's worries vanished instantly, and he nodded quickly, his voice even brighter than before: "Master Zheng, then I'll trouble you."

……

Daying Village, Wan'an Town.

Around 3 p.m., the work on the Li family's new homestead was in full swing. The pile driver thumped the ground, the steel bars clanged, and the workers shouted commands, creating a chaotic scene.

Construction on the new house began on March 21st and has been going on for fifty days now. The frame of the two-story villa has been erected on what was once a flat and smooth ground.

The walls on the first floor were built to a height of four meters, with the bricks neatly arranged and the cement joints completely filled; the columns on the second floor had just been poured, with the top steel bars showing.

The edge of the yard was also visible, with a temporary, broken board used to fence it off, on which the words "Caution" were painted in red, written in a crooked and messy manner.

The workers were all doing their own thing. Some were carrying steel bars and crawling in and out of the scaffolding, some were smoothing the walls with trowels, and others were setting up scaffolding. Sweat was streaming down their faces and their shirts were soaked, but they didn't stop working and chatted about everyday things from time to time.

Old Li squatted by the construction site, staring at the nearly completed house, a smile never leaving his face.

He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out and handed it to Liu Jinliang, the foreman of the construction team next to him, and said with a smile, "Master Liu, you've worked hard."

"Of course." Liu Jinliang took the cigarette, and Old Li quickly took out his lighter, lit it, and leaned over.

Liu Jinliang took a drag, a smoke ring slowly drifting out, and frowned slightly. "Brother Li, there's something I need to tell you. Cement prices this year have been like a rollercoaster, they've gone up again recently, costing significantly more than we initially estimated. The cost of building the house might increase even further..."

Old Li's smile faded slightly, and he nodded: "Nobody expected the cement price increase. Don't worry about the money; we absolutely can't let the work be delayed."

Liu Jinliang added, "The walls of the first floor of the new house have been built. We'll build the walls of the second floor after the floor slabs are poured. The roof trusses also need to be done in advance so that we can finish faster."

Old Li listened attentively, occasionally humming in agreement. After Liu Jinliang finished speaking, he added, "Master Liu, there are a few things I need to tell you."

It's getting hotter and hotter, so we need to install air conditioning in this house. Please remember to leave proper wiring when you're working on it.
Winters are cold in the north, so the heating pipes need to be installed in advance to avoid having to tear down walls and redo the work later.

The most crucial aspect is toilet waterproofing; this is a major issue and must be done properly to avoid leaks.

Liu Jinliang patted his chest and assured him, "Brother Li, don't worry, we've remembered all these requirements and will definitely follow your standards."

As for the construction period, at the current pace, if the materials arrive on time and the money isn't a problem, it should be completed in about a month. We'll try to get you moving in before summer.” Old Li did the math in his head and thought a little over a month was manageable. He said with satisfaction, “Okay, thank you for your hard work. Let me know if anything comes up.”

Old Li stayed at the construction site for another half hour, looking around and telling the workers to "be careful" and "don't fall" before leaving the site and heading to the vegetable greenhouses in the north of the village.

As we approached the greenhouse, a military green truck drove up.

The truck came to a steady stop on the side of the road. The passenger door opened first, and Li Zhe got out of the truck. He was wearing a clean shirt and carrying a briefcase. Old Li looked at Li Zhe and felt a little emotional. His son was becoming more and more like a city person.

Then, a middle-aged man got out of the passenger seat. When Old Li saw him, his eyes lit up. He was both surprised and delighted. This man was his younger brother, Li Zhenguo.

Old Li wasn't surprised to see his son, who came home every few days.

Li Zhenguo hadn't been back for a while, and Old Li was overjoyed. He strode over and grabbed Li Zhenguo's hand: "Zhenguo, why are you back? Come on in and sit down."

Li Zhenguo laughed and said, "Brother, the second brother wants to rent a cannery, so I'm helping him check it out. I also thought it's been a long time since I've seen you, so I took this opportunity to come back and visit."

The three people entered greenhouse number 3. The greenhouse was lush and green, and the vegetables were growing vigorously, which was a delightful sight.

Old Li took out a few stools, poured two cups of tea, and handed them to Li Zhenguo and Li Zhe, saying warmly, "Zhenguo, you must be tired from your journey. Drink some water and rest."

Li Zhenguo took the tea, took a sip, looked at the vegetables in the shed, and praised, "Brother, these vegetables are growing really well. How long will it take to grow them?"

Old Li glanced at Li Zhe: "This is also our first time growing vegetables in a greenhouse. According to the second brother, most of the vegetables will be planted until the end of June. When the summer vegetables are on the market in July, we will take the greenhouses down, let the land fallow for two months, and then we'll talk about it again at the end of August."

Li Zhe added, "That's not entirely true. Some special crops have a longer growing period and may be planted indefinitely."

Li Zhenguo seemed to have thought of something and asked curiously, "Second brother, do the hotels you supply vegetables to stop supplying vegetables in the summer?"

Li Zhe took a sip of tea and replied, "Supply, we can't lose this channel." Right now, off-season vegetables are scarce, so there's no shortage of market demand, but the importance of the market will become increasingly apparent in the future.

Li Zhenguo asked with some confusion, "Then how will you provide food if you don't have any left?"

Li Zhe laughed and said, "When we run out of vegetables, we go and harvest them. This is Brother Jin's old profession. Even if supplying vegetables in the summer is not profitable, we still have to ensure these supply channels."

Li Zhenguo nodded, thinking to himself that his nephew's success was no accident; he was indeed a natural businessman.

Old Li sat for a while, then rode his bicycle to the consignment store to buy fresh fish and meat, and asked Li Jiugang to cook a table full of dishes.

That evening, Old Li brought out a case of Fenjiu liquor, and the group drank while discussing the matter of leasing the cannery.

Li Zhenguo shared some of his experiences at a cannery in Beijing, explaining how canned food was produced and managed. Li Zhe listened attentively, asking questions every now and then, until the meeting ended at 10 p.m.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Jin Baiwan arrived at the Li family's house.

He was wearing a loose short-sleeved shirt, his belly was a little bulging, and he had a simple, honest smile on his face. Li Zhenguo was also ready, carrying a canvas bag containing his notebook and tools for inspecting the cannery.

The two boarded the Li family's vegetable truck to conduct a second inspection of several canneries that Jin Baiwan had selected in advance.

Meanwhile, Li Zhe was also busy. A number of people gathered in the open space outside the vegetable greenhouse, chatting in groups of three or five.

These people were either village militiamen or newly recruited growers by Li Zhe. They had all signed vegetable greenhouse planting and purchase agreements with Sijiqing Company and were among the first batch of greenhouse growers recruited by Li Zhe.

Li Zhe is taking them to the town's credit union to get loans today.

Not far away, on the edge of the field, some villagers were still standing, watching the commotion. They huddled together and whispered among themselves, their eyes glancing in this direction every now and then.

In the crowd, Li Zhe was wearing a light blue shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his forearms. He had just finished explaining the work in the greenhouse to his father, Lao Li, when he turned around and was surrounded by people.

"Brother Li, when are we going to the credit union?"

"Yeah, how are we going to get there? There are so many people, we don't want to be late." Everyone asked at once, their voices filled with anticipation.

Li Zhe glanced at his watch; it was already past 8:20. He cleared his throat and raised his voice, "Everyone, quiet down! Double-check your documents—the planting and purchasing agreement with Sijiqing Company, your ID card, your household registration book, and the certificate from the vegetable cooperative. You can't get a loan if you're missing any of these. Don't go to the credit union only to find out you forgot something and waste your time running back and forth; it's not worth it!"

"We brought it! We brought it!" The crowd immediately responded, and some people even took out the paper package they had been carrying and turned it over again in front of everyone.

"I put the paperwork in my pocket yesterday and counted it three times. There's no mistake!" Someone even subconsciously touched the pocket on their chest, as if afraid the paperwork would fly away.

Wang Ermazi squeezed out of the crowd, wearing a faded white shirt with the collar rolled up, his pockmarks standing out in the morning light. He rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "Brother Li, when are we leaving? I was so excited last night I couldn't sleep."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhao Bing leaned over and teased him, "You're a bachelor who's missing out on a wife, aren't you?"

"Hahahaha!" As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd burst into laughter, and even the villagers watching the commotion on the ridge of the field laughed along, with some slapping their thighs.

Wang Ermazi's face instantly turned red to the roots of his neck—he was twenty-eight years old this year, and because of the pockmarks on his face, he had never been able to find a wife. He looked worried and much older than his peers.

This had always been a source of anxiety for him, and now that it had been touched upon, he could only awkwardly lower his head, muttering, "Don't talk nonsense, I just want to make money by growing crops in greenhouses..."

Seeing his embarrassment, Old Li quickly smoothed things over: "Alright, alright, stop joking about Er Mazi. Once our greenhouse makes money, girls from all around will come to see him. We won't have to worry about finding a good wife then!"

These words not only relieved Wang Ermazi from his predicament but also warmed the hearts of everyone present, who all nodded in agreement.

"That's the truth!"

"Once we make money, we'll have everything!"

The sound of a tractor came from afar, and two plumes of black smoke rose from the other side of the field, getting closer and closer.

When everyone looked up, they saw Zhao Tiezhu and Wang Daqing, each driving a red tractor toward them.

Li Zhe clapped his hands and shouted, "Everyone's almost here! Get on the bus!"

More than twenty people immediately rushed to the tractor, scrambling to climb on. Some used the wheels for leverage, but one slipped and almost fell, only to be pulled back by someone nearby.

The once empty truck bed was soon filled with people.

Although Sun Qiang had difficulty walking, he was very enthusiastic and was among the first to climb onto the tractor, securing a spot near the front of the vehicle.

Once everyone was on the vehicle, Zhao Tiezhu and Wang Daqing started the tractor, making an even louder "putt-putt" sound.

Sun Qiang sat by the front of the car, watching the growing number of villagers gather by the roadside, and a sudden surge of energy welled up inside him—

He knew that these villagers actually wanted to grow crops in greenhouses like Li Zhe, but Li Zhe had only chosen the first batch of people they trusted. Thinking about this, he couldn't help but smile.

Sun Qiang couldn't help but start singing at the top of his lungs: "The commune is an evergreen vine, and the commune members are the melons on the vine. The melons are connected to the vine, and the vine is connected to the melons..." He already had a loud voice, and now, with the roar of the tractor, his singing carried far along the country road.

The people in the truck bed joined in the singing. Some couldn't remember the lyrics, so they just hummed along, not caring if they sang off-key. Everyone chimed in, their songs filled with hope—hoping the loan would be approved smoothly.

The tractor moved slowly along the country road, the song drifting into the distance. Villagers along the roadside craned their necks to look into the truck bed, their eyes filled with envy…

(End of this chapter)