Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 256 A lot of money

More than half an hour later, the tractor drove into Wan'an Town.

The dirt road was transformed into a gravel road, and several shops and restaurants appeared along the roadside, with red cloth banners hanging at their entrances. The number of pedestrians gradually increased as well.

People on the road stopped and stared at the two tractors full of people, some even pointing at the people in the truck beds and whispering among themselves.

The tractor eventually stopped in front of the town's credit union.

Li Zhe was the first to jump down, straightened his wrinkled clothes, and walked straight towards the entrance of the credit union.

Hearing the commotion, Sun Liguo got up to greet him. Seeing Li Zhe enter the hall, he smiled and said, "Brother, is everyone here?"

"Everyone's here, 28 in total for the first batch." Li Zhe turned to look at the doorway; the group of people were crowded on the steps, each with a different appearance—

Sun Qiang had a slight limp in his left leg, but his back was ramrod straight; Wang Ermazi had a stack of paperwork tightly tucked into his arms, his face was tense, and his lips were pursed into a thin line; Zhao Bing was whispering to two farmers next to him, pointing his right hand at the credit union's gate, but his eyebrows and eyes were full of excitement.
A few people huddled at the back of the crowd, their eyes darting around nervously. They were clearly new to the credit union and unsure of what to do.

Sun Liguo shouted towards the counter, "Xiao Zhang! Come out and greet people quickly!"

Zhang Jinxue immediately crawled out from behind the counter, his black-rimmed glasses slipping down to the tip of his nose. He used one hand to push them up and nodded to Li Zhe: "Brother Li."

Then he called over two other salesmen, dragged out several folding tables from the storage room, and placed them in the corner of the hall, the table legs creaking.

He brought over a stack of forms, slammed them on the table, and shouted towards the door, "Everyone, don't push! Line up in order! First register your ID card, then fill out the application form. If you don't understand anything, just ask. Don't rush to fill it out randomly!"

The farmers slowly lined up. Sun Qiang limped to the front, Wang Ermazi followed behind with the paperwork in his hand, and Zhao Bing helped maintain order. The originally chaotic scene became smooth.

Sun Liguo led Li Zhe into the office, which was about ten square meters in size. There was an old bookcase against the wall, with much of the paint chipped off. It was crammed with financial policy documents and ledgers, piled high.

The desk was made of dark brown wood, with a polished surface. On it sat an old-fashioned desk lamp with peeling paint, an enamel mug with "Model Worker" printed on it, and several open notebooks with curled edges.

Sun Liguo carried a thermos and brewed a cup of tea, handing it to Li Zhe: "Brother, have some tea first. By the way, Director Liu knows you brought farmers today, he should be here soon."

Li Zhe took the cup, his fingertips touching the warm cup wall, and paused for a moment: "Oh, this won't do. I'm the one who should be seeing Director Liu in the district. How can I let her come here?"

"Well... I'll treat you to lunch. You're familiar with the town, so where would be a good place for us to eat?"

"No, no, the credit union has a budget for hospitality, how could we let you pay out of your own pocket?" Sun Liguo waved his hand, then leaned closer and lowered his voice: "But brother, I heard from Director Liu that he's bringing a friend today."

"What friend?" Li Zhe frowned, wondering to himself—Director Liu suddenly brought a friend; could it be that the loan deal was about to change?
“He’s said to be the owner of an agricultural company, and his surname is Qian.” Sun Liguo paused, then added, “Moreover, I’ve heard that this Mr. Qian has an unusual background; many of his family members work at the Agricultural Bank of China.”

Li Zhe rubbed his fingers along the rim of the cup, unable to decipher the meaning from this limited information. After a moment's thought, he said, "How about we call Mayor Chen?"

With the other party present, they can smooth things over if anything goes wrong.

Sun Liguo nodded: "That's what I was thinking too."

Around 10 a.m., the sound of a car engine could be heard coming from the entrance of the credit union.

Li Zhe and Sun Liguo quickly got up and walked outside. They saw a blue Lada sedan parked at the door. Director Liu got out of the passenger seat. She was wearing a navy blue suit skirt, her hair was neatly combed, she was tall, and she wore white glasses. She looked capable.

Beside her was a young man in his mid-twenties, wearing a neatly pressed black suit. He wasn't tall, but he had bright eyes, a constant smile on his lips, and his hands in his pockets.

"Director Liu, welcome, welcome." Sun Liguo stepped forward quickly and warmly extended both hands.

Li Zhe also went to greet them.

Director Liu shook hands with the two men and said to Li Zhe with a smile, "Mr. Li, I heard that you were going to help the farmers you were cooperating with apply for loans today, so I came here specifically to see you."

He stepped aside and introduced the young man: "This is Mr. Qian Duoduo. He also runs an agricultural company. He heard about your vegetable greenhouses and insisted on coming to see for himself."

Qian Duoduo immediately stepped forward and grasped Li Zhe's hands with both of them: "Mr. Li, I've heard so much about you! Your vegetable greenhouse business has even reached the city. You're truly young and promising. I've been wanting to learn from you for a long time!"

Li Zhe smiled and said, "Mr. Qian, you're too kind."

Sun Liguo smiled and invited, "Director Liu, Boss Qian, shall we go to your office?"

Director Liu waved his hand, glancing into the hall where farmers were queuing to complete their paperwork: "I won't sit down yet. I'll go to the hall to see how the loan applications are going and ask the farmers what they need."

After saying that, he walked towards the line and stood next to Zhang Jinxue, watching him register the farmers. He would stop from time to time to ask, "Have you ever taken out a loan before? What kind of agricultural supplies do you plan to buy with this money?"

The farmers had prepared in advance, following Li Zhe's instructions.

After Director Liu walked around the lobby and learned about the situation, he followed Sun Liguo into the office.

Sun Liguo invited everyone to sit down, brewed a pot of green tea, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "The conditions in the town are just like this. The office is simple, and please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality."

Director Liu picked up his cup, took a small sip, looked at Li Zhe, and said sincerely, "Mr. Li, the main reason I came today is to ask about the follow-up guarantees for farmers' loans. So many farmers have taken out loans to build greenhouses, and my biggest concern is that they will divert the money to other things and not use it properly, so that they can't repay it when it's due. The farmers will suffer losses, and it will also make things difficult for the credit union."

Li Zhe had thought about this beforehand, and sat up straight, saying, "Director Liu, don't worry. All the farmers who took out loans have joined the Daying Village Vegetable Cooperative, and the cooperative has set up a special supervision team."

Every loan a farmer uses—whether it's for agricultural supplies or building materials for greenhouses—must be registered with the cooperative with receipts. We promptly verify these records with the credit union to ensure the funds are used for their designated purpose and are never misappropriated.

He had discussed this with Sun Liguo before, and he was emphasizing it again now to put Director Liu completely at ease.

Director Liu nodded and then asked, "Approximately how many farmers have signed up for loans to build greenhouses? Will the scale be expanded in the future?"

Li Zhe thought for a moment and replied, "Currently, more than 300 households have signed up, and new growers are still coming in to inquire every day. The number is still increasing."

Qian Duoduo chimed in, "Boss Li, so many farmers have taken out loans to build greenhouses. Do they understand the techniques for growing vegetables in greenhouses? If they don't have the skills, will these greenhouse vegetables even grow? Won't they freeze to death or get frostbite?"

Li Zhe looked at Qian Duoduo and answered calmly, "Our Sijiqing Vegetable Company has more than 20 technicians, all of whom have participated in the cultivation of greenhouse vegetables and have plenty of experience."

Moreover, it will be some time before we can start growing greenhouse vegetables, and we will continue to train a group of technical personnel.

After the growers finish building their greenhouses, technicians come to their homes to provide hands-on training, covering every step from seedling cultivation and fertilization to pest and disease control. If any vegetables develop diseases, the technicians immediately rush over to address the problem, ensuring the greenhouse vegetables grow well and yield a good harvest.

Qian Duoduo's eyes lit up, and he asked again, "Mr. Li, I also heard that last winter your greenhouse vegetables sold for seven or eight yuan a pound, and the profit was quite substantial."

Li Zhe smiled and said, "Last year was the first year we grew greenhouse vegetables for overwintering, so there was a shortage on the market and the price was high. This year we've grown more, so the price will definitely drop a bit, but even if it does, the profit will still be higher than growing ordinary vegetables, allowing growers to earn more."

"So how much do you estimate greenhouse vegetables will sell for per kilogram this year?" Qian Duoduo asked, her eyes filled with inquiry, leaning forward slightly.

Li Zhe knew very well that Qian Duoduo was probably eyeing the lucrative off-season vegetable market, otherwise he wouldn't keep asking about profits.

He didn't give a specific price directly, but instead said, "The specific price is uncertain right now. Our company has a partnership with Beijing Vegetable Company, and we still need to negotiate the purchase price with them this year. However, with Beijing Vegetable Company as a stable channel, sales are definitely not a problem, and growers don't need to worry about not being able to sell their produce."

The reason for specifically mentioning Beijing Vegetable Company is to let Qian Duoduo know that Sijiqing Company has reliable partners and is not someone that can be easily manipulated.

The group chatted for a while about greenhouse vegetable cultivation and market conditions. Suddenly, Qian Duoduo looked at Li Zhe and said in a warm tone, "Mr. Li, after listening to you talk so much, I'm even more interested in your greenhouse. I'd like to visit your greenhouse and learn from your planting experience. Would that be convenient for you?"

Li Zhe was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Convenient, of course it's convenient. Boss Qian, whenever you want to go, I'll arrange it."

Qian Duoduo quickly said, "If you're not busy, I'd like to go this afternoon. It'll be a good opportunity to learn more about it."

Li Zhe glanced at Director Liu, who nodded with a smile, and said, "Okay, I'll take you there this afternoon."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Li!"

...At three o'clock in the afternoon, on the dirt road north of Daying Village in Wan'an Town, the dust still carried the warmth of a spring afternoon.

A blue Lada sedan was parked near the Li family's vegetable greenhouse. Its shiny body stood out against the gray dirt road.

In those days, tractors were a rarity in rural areas, and cars were even rarer.

The Li family greenhouse has been bustling with activity these past few days, attracting villagers from all around. As soon as a car stops, the villagers gather around curiously.

Someone reached out to touch the hood, then quickly withdrew their hand, as if the metal shell was too hot to handle, and muttered under their breath, "How many kilograms of grain is this thing worth?"

"Could it be that city officials have come to inspect the area?"

Seeing Li Zhe get out of the car, Wang Dajiao pushed through the crowd and shouted in a loud voice, "Li family's second son! Did you buy this car?"

In her opinion, the Li family has been making too much of a fuss lately. First they bought a tractor, a tricycle, and built a new house, and now they're buying a car... It doesn't seem so unacceptable.

Everyone around Li Zhe turned to look at him with a mixture of curiosity and envy.

Li Zhe quickly waved his hand and said with a smile, "No way, this is a friend's car." Just as he finished speaking, the driver's side door creaked open and Qian Duoduo crawled out.

Qian Duoduo was short, wearing a well-fitting black suit, with his hair neatly combed and black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He didn't look like someone who did farm work.

As soon as he steadied himself, his gaze was drawn to the white greenhouses on both sides of the road—those greenhouses looked like billowing white tents, swaying gently in the wind, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Mr. Li, how many acres of vegetables do you have in your greenhouse?" Qian Duoduo walked quickly to Li Zhe's side, her tone full of amazement, gesturing towards the greenhouse, "This whole area is white, it looks impressive."

Li Zhe gestured with his chin toward the west side of the dirt road: "It's a total of twenty-four acres. The four here are the earliest ones, built last autumn and winter. The twenty on the east side are the second and third batches built this year." He paused, then added: "These on the east side were built on a large scale, and we plan to continue expanding them in the future."

Qian Duoduo looked in the direction he pointed. The four greenhouses to the west looked older, while the twenty to the east were brand new. There was also a small brick house in front of the greenhouses.

He approached the greenhouse on the west side, reached out and touched the plastic sheeting on the roof, frowned and asked, "Can this plastic greenhouse withstand the winter? In Langfang, the winter temperature drops to several degrees below zero. Won't the vegetables inside freeze to death with this thin layer of plastic?"

Li Zhe smiled and led Qian Duoduo toward greenhouse number three. He raised his hand and patted the rammed earth wall, making a dull thud. "Boss Qian, this rammed earth wall is more than two meters thick. It's made of yellow soil mixed with wheat straw, rammed layer by layer, just to keep out the cold."

"Hey, this is really thick!" Qian Duoduo bent down and scratched at the cracks in the rammed earth wall with his fingernail; the clods of earth were very hard.

He straightened up and pointed to the rolled-up straw curtains on the top of the wall—those straw curtains were tied with hemp rope and piled up there in rolls, looking quite heavy. "What are they used for? They look like they're woven from dry grass."

“That’s a straw mat, specially for insulation.” Li Zhe reached out and tugged at the straw mat; it was quite heavy. “During the day, when the sun is strong, we roll up the mat to let the sunlight into the greenhouse to warm it up; at night, when the temperature drops, we put the straw mat down and cover it on the plastic film to keep it warm.”

As he spoke, Li Zhe lifted the cotton curtain at the entrance of the greenhouse, and a warm, damp air rushed out, carrying the fresh scent of vegetables. He stepped aside to let Qian Duoduo go in first, and said with a smile, "Boss Qian, please come in and take a look."

Qian Duoduo stepped inside, not paying attention to the steps under her feet, and almost tripped and fell: "Ouch!"

He looked down at his feet, then looked up at the ceiling, and asked in surprise, "Why is this greenhouse lower than the outside? I thought it was flat."

"The greenhouse was dug down 1 meter deep to keep warm by utilizing the ground temperature." Li Zhe led the other person inside, pointing to the vegetable field in front of them: "As long as these conditions are met, the temperature can be maintained at around 10 degrees Celsius in winter. In addition, with the rammed earth walls and straw curtains, the temperature inside the greenhouse can be stabilized, and the vegetables can grow normally in winter."

Qian Duoduo squatted down and stared at the green pepper seedlings—the lush green leaves unfurled, and many small green peppers hung on the branches, some as big as a thumb.

He reached out and touched the leaf; it was soft and slightly damp.

"Amazing! Truly amazing!" He straightened up, unable to contain his admiration. "I had heard people say before that cucumbers could be grown in Langfang during the winter, but I didn't believe it at first. I thought it was too cold for vegetables to survive. But after seeing your greenhouse today, I'm completely convinced. This method is truly ingenious!"

Li Zhe poured a cup of tea and handed it to Qian Duoduo, saying with a smile, "The conditions are simple, please bear with me. In a few days, I plan to build a canteen next to the greenhouse, which can also serve as a meeting room. There will be tables and chairs, as well as proper tea sets, making it more convenient to entertain guests."

Qian Duoduo took the teacup; the cup was warm. He brought it to his lips and took a sip. "Mr. Li, I heard that you came up with this vegetable greenhouse yourself?" He put down the teacup, his eyes full of curiosity. "How did you come up with the idea of ​​building greenhouses like this?"

Li Zhe sat down on a chair next to him and said slowly, "Actually, it's not something I came up with out of thin air. In the past, there were simple greenhouses in the village, which were just bamboo poles used to build a frame and covered with plastic film. They could only breed a few days earlier or harvest ten days later, and they couldn't survive the winter at all."

I figured there would be fewer vegetables in winter, so if I could grow them, they would definitely fetch a good price. So I started thinking about how to improve insulation. At first, I tried building thicker walls, then I thought of using the ground's heat for warmth. I made changes little by little until it became what it is now, allowing me to grow vegetables year-round.

After listening, Qian Duoduo gave Li Zhe a thumbs up and said sincerely, "You are really capable! You can figure out a new way from the old method and make the insulation so good. Ordinary people really can't think of that."

After that, Qian Duoduo asked a lot more questions about the greenhouse—what vegetables are grown in the greenhouse, how many harvests can be made in a year, and how the sales are.

After chatting for a while, Qian Duoduo stood up, looked at the endless greenhouses outside, and suggested, "Boss Li, could you take me to see the other greenhouses? I'd like to see how the vegetables are growing in the other greenhouses."

Li Zhe put down his teacup, led Qian Duoduo out of greenhouse number three, and then went to greenhouses number one, two, and four next to it.

The four earliest greenhouses were planted with different vegetables—greenhouse number one was planted with tomatoes, the green and red fruits hidden among the leaves; greenhouse number two was planted with cucumbers, the vines climbing up the bamboo frame, with many tender cucumbers hanging on the branches; and greenhouse number four was planted with celery, the rows of which were green and grew neatly.

At each greenhouse, Qian Duoduo examined everything carefully. He would squat down to look at the roots of the vegetables, ask about fertilization and watering methods, and even take out a small notebook from his pocket to jot down notes every now and then.

Even after looking at four greenhouses, he still wasn't satisfied. He looked at the twenty new greenhouses on the east side of the road and asked, "Boss Li, could you show me around those newly built greenhouses on the east side as well?"

“No problem.” Li Zhe led Qian Duoduo across the dirt road toward the greenhouse to the east.

These new greenhouses are more orderly than those to the west, with the same distance between each greenhouse and smoother rammed earth walls. They went into each greenhouse to check, and the vegetables in each greenhouse were growing very well—some had just been planted and the seedlings were very tender; others had already grown to half a height and were about to bear fruit.

Looking at the vibrant scene before him, Qian Duoduo's smile widened, but a calculating glint appeared in his eyes. He followed Li Zhe slowly, then suddenly asked, "Mr. Li, do you own all these greenhouses?"

Li Zhe paused, turned to look at Qian Duoduo, and said truthfully, "It's mine for now. Once this batch of vegetables is harvested at the end of June, the ownership and usage rights of the greenhouse will belong to Sijiqing Company."

"Is this Sijiqing Company you mentioned your own, or did you start it with someone else?" Qian Duoduo quickly asked, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Initially, I ran the company alone, but a few days ago another group of people invested, so now it's a joint-stock company," Li Zhe replied, glancing at Qian Duoduo and guessing what he was thinking.

Qian Duoduo nodded, then asked, "You're letting others invest because the company is short of funds?"

Li Zhe smiled slightly and said frankly, "Funding is one aspect, but it's not the most important. The new shareholders are all greenhouse technicians with rich experience in vegetable greenhouse cultivation. Their investment is not large, but their technology is more important for the company's development."

He paused, then added meaningfully, "I value the resources that shareholders can bring more than capital—whether it's technology, channels, or anything else, as long as it helps the company develop, it's good."

Qian Duoduo immediately understood that Li Zhe was hinting to him that to invest, one not only needed money, but also resources that the company could utilize.

After thinking for a while, he decided there was no need to beat around the bush and simply said, "Mr. Li, to be honest, I am quite interested in the vegetable greenhouse business and I am optimistic about the prospects of Sijiqing Company. I would like to invest in your company."

Seeing that Li Zhe was just looking at him without saying anything, he quickly added, "My elders work at the Agricultural Bank of China in the city and know a lot of people in the bank. If your company needs a loan, whether it's a short-term working capital loan or a long-term loan, I can help you find one and get the lowest interest rate, which is much more cost-effective than getting a loan from a credit union."

Li Zhe's heart skipped a beat—how could he not need a loan?
This year, he planned two greenhouse farming models: one is to cooperate with farmers in the village; the other is for the company to grow vegetables in its own greenhouses, which is more profitable and is the foundation of the company.

This year, the company expects to plant at least 100 mu (approximately 6.7 hectares) of vegetable greenhouses, but the company's current funds are clearly insufficient to do so.

If Qianduoduo can really help the company borrow more loans at lower interest rates, it will be a great help to the company.

But Li Zhe didn't agree immediately—he didn't know Qian Duoduo's background yet. He carefully said, "Mr. Qian, thank you for valuing Sijiqing Company. However, as you know, the company already has other shareholders. I can't make the investment decision alone. I need to discuss it with the other shareholders and see everyone's opinions."

"Of course." Seeing this, Qian Duoduo was not in a hurry. She took out a business card from her pocket and handed it to Li Zhe with both hands. "This is my business card. My phone number and address are on it. You can contact me anytime after you have discussed it with the shareholders."

Li Zhe took the business card, which read "General Manager of Langfang City Luyuan Agricultural Company, Qian Duoduo" and included a phone number.

He put the business card in his suit pocket and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll discuss it with the shareholders as soon as possible and contact you as soon as I have a result."

(End of this chapter)