Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 258 Finding Faults

5 p.m. on May 2nd.

I just finished lunch.

During the lunch break, Li Zhe called everyone to greenhouse number three.

Li Zhe stood in the middle of the greenhouse, watching the employees gradually gather around, and cleared his throat.

"Quiet down, everyone. Let's have a short meeting while we rest and talk about something." Li Zhe's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a convincing power, and the greenhouse instantly fell silent.

His gaze swept over the crowd, from Li Weidong beside him, to the quick-witted Lin Xiaohu, then to Chen Shougeng with his glasses and scholarly air, finally settling on the slightly overweight Jin Baiwan, and he said:

"Everyone should remember when Mr. Qian visited the greenhouse a few days ago, right? Mr. Qian is the general manager of Langfang Luyuan Agricultural Company. After seeing our greenhouse, he wanted to invest in our Sijiqing Company."

These words immediately caused an uproar.

Zhao Tiezhu slapped his thigh and said in a loud voice, "Investment? That's a good thing! We're just short of money to build greenhouses!"

Zhu Yimin, standing nearby, frowned and muttered under his breath, "But we don't know if this Boss Qian is reliable or not. What if he's just trying to scam us?"

Li Zhe raised his hand to quiet the murmurs down, and continued, "At the time, I didn't know much about him, so I didn't dare to agree immediately. These past two days, I've had Brother Jin go to the city to inquire and have him tell everyone about the situation."

All eyes immediately focused on Jin Baiwan.

Jin Baiwan took two steps forward, put his hands in front of him, and slowly said, "I've been running all over the city these past two days and have pretty much figured out what Luyuan Agricultural Company is all about."

This company was established last March and has considerable strength and connections. They have close ties with banks, so if we want to get a loan to expand our greenhouses in the future, having their help will save us a lot of trouble.

He paused, his eyes sweeping over the crowd, but he was thinking about what he hadn't said aloud: Luyuan Agriculture Company has more than just Qian Duoduo as a shareholder; the other shareholders also have powerful connections. If he really rejected them, it might affect the farmers' loans from the credit union, and it would also indirectly affect the interests of Sijiqing Company.

He also discovered that Qian Duoduo's mother held a high position at the Agricultural Bank of China, so if they were to cooperate, they wouldn't have to worry about getting a loan.

“We currently have 24 vegetable greenhouses and about 200,000 yuan in funds,” Li Zhe’s voice rang out again, drawing everyone’s attention. “Our goal this year is to build 100 mu of vegetable greenhouses, but with our current funds, it’s far from enough. So I’m thinking, if Luyuan Agriculture Company is sincere, we can consider having them invest. What do you all think?”

Chen Shougeng pushed up his glasses and said in a serious tone, "Luyuan has resources and can help us solve the loan problem, which is a good thing. But we have to stick to our bottom line and not let them take too many shares, otherwise the company's future business direction will have to be decided by them, and all our hard work will be wasted."

Li Zhe nodded in agreement, saying, "Teacher Chen is right, and I've considered that as well. Even if we agree to their investment, we will never let them take too many shares."

Furthermore, I will clearly stipulate in the contract that their voting rights are restricted, for example, by requiring them to abstain from voting altogether, not participate in company management, and only enjoy property rights such as profit sharing and dividend distribution.

"But will they agree?" Chen Shougeng was still a little worried, after all, no investor would be willing to just put up money without taking control.

Li Zhe smiled and said calmly, "If they agree, it means they genuinely want to cooperate; if they disagree, then we'll temporarily refrain from cooperating. Although our development will be a little slower, with the support of the Beijing Vegetable Company, the impact won't be too great."

Jin Baiwan then added, "Actually, there is another advantage to cooperating with them. Luyuan Agriculture Company has a considerable influence in Langfang City and can help us open up the local market."

Our off-season vegetables are mainly supplied to Beijing. If we can capture the market in Langfang, we can still make a steady profit even if more people start growing them.”

"Don't we have no trouble selling our off-season vegetables? Why do we need them to help us open up the market?" Lin Xiaohu scratched his head, looking puzzled.

Li Zhe patted him on the shoulder and patiently explained, "Tiger, some things aren't as simple as you think."

Li Weidong continued, "Tiger, no matter where you are, there are local bullies. You came late. When we first went to Beijing to sell vegetables, some people also tried to take advantage of our off-season vegetables. Later, thanks to the help of influential people and our cooperation with foreign hotels, those local bullies didn't dare to try anything."

“That’s right. These people can help us deal with the local bullies, which will save us a lot of trouble. As long as we control the off-season vegetable market in Langfang City, we can still make money even if more people grow off-season vegetables in the future.” Jin Baiwan nodded repeatedly from the side. He used to be a vegetable buyer and knew the importance of channels best. With the help of Luyuan Company, Sijiqing Company’s development in Langfang will be much smoother.

In fact, Li Zhe already had a plan in mind. With the shares he held, he was fully capable of making the decision himself. He called everyone over today to give them a clear understanding of the company's development direction.

After everyone had finished their discussion, Li Zhe took a sip of tea and then brought up a new idea: "There's something else I want to tell you all. We have quite a few greenhouses now, but every time we have a meeting or eat, we're all crammed into the greenhouses. Right now, there aren't that many people, and we can barely stand up."

We can have more cooperative growers in the future, and we will also recruit new employees. Staying in the greenhouse all the time is not a good thing.

I'd like to build a large canteen that can accommodate over a hundred people for meals, and it can also be used for meetings and training farmers. What do you all think?

"I agree!" Li Jiugang was the first to raise his hand, his voice loud and clear.

"That's a great idea! More and more people are sharing meals these days, and it's too inconvenient to eat in the greenhouse. If we build a canteen, we won't have to worry about rain or snow, and we can eat comfortably." He is the team's cook, and he knows best the inconvenience of cooking in the greenhouse every day.

Jin Baiwan quickly chimed in, "I agree too. When the company grows bigger, there will definitely be clients coming to discuss business. It would be such a loss of image if we didn't even have a proper place. Building a canteen would solve the problem of meals and also serve as a meeting room, killing two birds with one stone."

Others also voiced their opinions. The young woman from Malaysia was most concerned about the cost. She frowned and asked, "How much will it cost to build a canteen? Don't let all the money be spent on the canteen and affect the construction of the greenhouse. That would be a loss."

"I can't say for sure how much it will cost right now," Li Zhe said frankly. "I'll get the construction team to give me an estimate later, and then I'll tell everyone the exact cost so we can discuss it together."

"Brother Li, where is the canteen going?" Lin Xiaohu asked again, his eyes full of anticipation.

Li Zhe looked out of the greenhouse with anticipation in his eyes: "Building a canteen is just the first step. I also want to build a complete planting park."

In addition to the canteen, there will also be a storage area, divided into ambient temperature storage and refrigerated storage. Ambient temperature storage will be used for farm tools and fertilizers, while refrigerated storage will be used for fresh vegetables, so that there will be no place to put the vegetables after they are picked and it would be a waste if they spoil.
We also need an office area; in the future, positions such as accountant and purchasing will need dedicated spaces to work.

Let's build another technical guidance station to facilitate technicians to provide guidance to growers and solve problems encountered in the planting process;
In addition, we need to reserve some space to build staff dormitories so that everyone has a place to rest when they are tired.

He paused, then continued, "Such a large industrial park must cover a considerable area, so the location needs to be carefully planned. Moreover, this is not something I can decide alone; I need to discuss it with Secretary Wang to see if the village can approve a suitable plot of land."

Everyone was stunned when they heard this, and then their faces lit up with excitement.

Zhao Tiezhu said excitedly, "If such an industrial park can really be built, our Sijiqing will become a big company! In the future, we will be able to have proper offices and dormitories, just like people who work in the city!"

Zhu Yimin could not hide his excitement: "The idea of ​​a technical station is great. It will make it easier for everyone to exchange planting techniques, and we can also invite Teacher Chen to give us lectures."

Everyone chimed in with their suggestions, some saying that trees should be planted in the park to make it more pleasant to look at; others saying that the office area should be built to be more impressive to showcase the company's strength; and still others saying that the dormitories should be furnished with basic furniture to make the employees feel comfortable.

The atmosphere inside the greenhouse was as lively as during the Lunar New Year, with everyone's face beaming with anticipation for the future...

……

The dew from last night still lingers on the ridges of the fields north of Daying Village, making them soft and muddy underfoot.

Li Zhe squatted by the edge of the field where pickled cucumbers were growing, his fingers gently touching the tender tendrils curling up on the vines—

The seeds were planted on March 24th, and now, exactly one month and nine days later, the cucumber vines have climbed all over the bamboo trellis, which is half the height of a person. The palm-sized leaves are layered upon each other, and the small cucumbers hidden in the gaps between the leaves are as thick as a little finger.

The green beans are growing well. The bean vines are climbing up the nylon ropes that have been stretched out, and the bean pods are just emerging. They hang down long and thin, swaying gently in the wind, exuding a vibrant energy.

"Brother Sun, are the cucumbers getting enough water and fertilizer?" Li Zhe straightened up and looked at Sun Qiang, who was bending over and pulling weeds not far away.

Hearing the shout, Sun Qiang limped over quickly, his voice so loud it could be heard for half a mile: "Brother Li, don't worry! Just as you said, I watered it with well-rotted chicken manure water every three days, and yesterday I just sprinkled wood ash to repel aphids. Look at these leaves, they're so glossy you can see your reflection in them!"

As he spoke, he tore off a cucumber leaf to show Li Zhe. There wasn't a single wormhole on the leaf. "The green beans are the same. They'll be ready to pick in another twenty days. Then, baskets and baskets of them will be guaranteed to be fresh!"

Li Zhe nodded, but he didn't feel relaxed.

The better the vegetables grew, the more urgent it was to finalize the lease agreement for the cannery. He was just wondering whether he should visit the cannery himself tomorrow when he saw Old Li running over from the east greenhouse, his trouser legs splattered with mud, panting heavily: "Second brother, Director Xie is here, he's waiting in greenhouse number three!"

"Director Xie?" Li Zhe was taken aback. "What's he doing here?"

Old Li wiped his sweat: "He didn't say anything. I invited him into the shed for tea. Go and take a look."

Li Zhe responded and walked towards greenhouse number three. As soon as he lifted the plastic sheet, he saw Director Xie sitting on a small stool, holding an enamel cup in his hand, looking preoccupied.

Factory Director Xie looked up when he heard the noise, and his furrowed brows immediately relaxed. He stood up and greeted him, "Mr. Li, I'm bothering you again."

"Don't say that. I'm overjoyed that you came." Li Zhe gestured for him to sit down.

After exchanging pleasantries and sitting down, Factory Manager Xie spoke somewhat awkwardly: "Mr. Li, there's something I'd like to discuss with you—I heard from Mr. Jin Baiwan that you're considering renting a cannery to produce canned goods?"

“Yes,” Li Zhe replied. Jin Baiwan had been in charge of leasing the production line. He knew that Jin Baiwan had talked to Factory Director Xie, but Factory Director Xie had not agreed.

Factory Director Xie sighed and rubbed his fingertips on the rim of the enamel cup: "Our factory management had a meeting yesterday to discuss leasing the production line, and they think it's not a bad idea."

Li Zhe couldn't help but laugh, picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Director Xie, Brother Jin told me about this before. He said your factory didn't agree to rent it out at the time. How come you changed your mind after only a few days?"

Factory Director Xie looked somewhat helpless, and his voice lowered: "This cannery was built brick by brick by a group of us old workers. It wasn't easy. Suddenly someone wants to rent the factory, and we just don't feel comfortable about it, so we didn't agree."

As you know, the factory has a large backlog of canned goods and hasn't found a new sales channel.

With the weather getting warmer, if we don't resume work soon, the workers will start to complain... There's no other way but to reconsider Boss Jin's proposal.

Seeing that Li Zhe didn't speak, he quickly added, "I heard from Boss Jin that you only need two production lines? Our factory happens to have four. We can rent two to you and keep two for ourselves. Once the factory finds a sales channel, resuming production won't delay anything, and it won't affect each other."

Li Zhe nodded, then changed the subject, "However, I heard that your factory is a collective enterprise. I'm afraid the management's agreement alone might not be enough, right? Will the factory's employees agree?"

"Don't worry about that!" Director Xie immediately replied, "If you are interested in leasing, we will hold a staff meeting to discuss it right away. As long as the employees agree, this matter can proceed."

"How much is the rent?" Li Zhe got straight to the point. The vegetables were almost ripe, and he didn't have time to beat around the bush.

After thinking for a while, Director Xie gritted his teeth and said, "How about 3500 yuan a month?"

Li Zhe felt more confident; the asking price of 3500 yuan clearly had room for negotiation. He glanced at the sun outside the shed; there were less than twenty days left until the vegetables were ready, and he had to hurry. "Director Xie, how about this: if it's convenient, I'll bring a few people to your factory tomorrow to visit and see how the production line is."

Upon hearing this, Director Xie's worried expression instantly vanished, and he quickly nodded, "No problem! I'll be waiting for you at the factory tomorrow, any time is fine with you!" With that, he got up to take his leave.

Li Zhe quickly tried to persuade him to stay: "Director Xie, you've come all this way, let's get together tonight, stay and have a few drinks." He wanted to take the opportunity of drinking to find out more about the factory, such as the employees' attitudes and the maintenance status of the machines.

But Factory Manager Xie waved his hand, his tone apologetic: "Mr. Li, thank you for your kindness, but let's do it another day! I'll treat you when we go to town after this matter is settled."

I need to get back to the factory today and tell the other leaders about this, so they don't worry.

Li Zhe didn't press the matter and escorted Factory Director Xie to the outside of the greenhouse.

Watching Director Xie ride his old-fashioned bicycle and gradually disappear at the end of the field, he turned around to find Jin Baiwan to discuss going to the cannery the next day.

Early the next morning, Li Zhe, Li Zhenguo, and Jin Baiwan took a tractor to Wan'an Town.

The tractor chugged along the dirt road, kicking up a trail of dust.

Sitting in the truck bed, Li Zhenguo would occasionally ask Li Zhe, "Second brother, when you talked to Factory Director Xie, didn't you ask about the maintenance of the production line? And the morale of the workers? It would be troublesome if the workers complained after we rented the factory."

"Director Xie left in a hurry yesterday and we didn't have time to talk in detail. We'll talk to him after we visit the factory today." Li Zhe looked out the window at the passing farmland and thought to himself that if the Wan'an Town Cannery was suitable, he would finalize the deal as soon as possible. If not, he would have to find another factory quickly, as he couldn't afford to delay.

Around noon, the tractor finally arrived at the Wan'an Town Cannery.

The factory is located on the west side of the town, standing alone by the roadside. A large section of the blue bricks on the wall has fallen off, revealing the yellow soil underneath, making it look pitted and uneven like a pockmarked face.

A tin sign hangs at the entrance, the words "Wan'an Town Cannery" are rusted and only half of them remain, only the wooden plaque next to it that reads "Advanced Collective" still shows a bit of its former glory, but the edge of the wooden plaque is also cracked and covered with a thick layer of dust.

Normally, only Grandpa Zhang, the gatekeeper, is at the cannery, but today there are a few more people at the gate.

As soon as Li Zhe got out of the car, he saw Director Xie leading a few people to greet him. The man at the front was a man in his fifties, wearing a Zhongshan suit, with his hair neatly combed and holding a briefcase. He was none other than Ma Wenshan, the director of the cannery.

Li Zhe hadn't had much contact with him, but they had met twice. He knew that this man was the one who truly held power in the factory.

"Mr. Li, welcome, welcome!" Factory Director Ma strode forward, shook Li Zhe's hand vigorously, and asked, "And this is?"

"This is my uncle, Li Zhenguo. He used to work at a cannery in Beijing. I specially invited him here today to help me with the quality control," Li Zhe introduced.

Factory Director Ma greeted Li Zhenguo and Jin Baiwan with a smile, and then introduced the three deputy factory directors beside him: "This is Deputy Factory Director Wang, who is in charge of production. He knows the factory's machines best. When we changed production lines, he stayed up for half a month without sleep. This is Deputy Factory Director Liu, who is in charge of logistics. He takes care of the employees' food, drink, and daily needs. This is Deputy Factory Director Zhao, who is in charge of sales. He was the one who developed the factory's sales channels in the past."

Following Director Ma's gesture, Li Zhe looked over. Deputy Director Wang was thin, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had large knuckles, clearly someone who dealt with machines all year round; Deputy Director Liu had a beer belly and always had a smile on his face, looking very kind; Deputy Director Zhao was wearing a leather jacket, his hair was a bit messy, and his eyes showed some fatigue, presumably he had been worrying a lot about sales.

After exchanging pleasantries, Director Ma led a few people to the east factory building.

Pushing open the heavy iron door, a mixture of rust and canned food odor wafted out. Two production lines stood side by side inside, the machines covered in a thick layer of dust, and the conveyor belt rollers still had leftover vegetable scraps from last year stuck to them.

"The two production lines in the east factory are old equipment, used for almost ten years. However, they are usually well maintained. It's just that they haven't been taken care of since production stopped last year, so they've accumulated some dust." As he spoke, Factory Director Ma dusted the dust off the machines with his hand.

Li Zhe walked to the production line and wiped the machine casing with his finger: "Director Ma, we mainly produce green beans, pickled cucumbers and canned tomatoes. We have a few requirements for the equipment - green beans need a blanching and blanching equipment, otherwise they won't be crisp enough and will affect the taste."

Pickled cucumbers require a special pickling and fermentation workshop where temperature and humidity must be carefully controlled; otherwise, the taste will be off.

Tomato canning requires a crushing and pulping machine; the fineness of the pulping directly affects the quality of the canned tomatoes. Can the production line in the east plant meet these requirements?

Factory Director Ma quickly nodded: "It can be done! It's just that the temperature controller of the blanching equipment was a bit inaccurate last year. Deputy Factory Director Wang repaired it once, but it hasn't been adjusted since production was stopped."

Li Zhenguo squatted in front of the blanching equipment, opened the valve to take a look, and then carefully inspected the production line in the east factory building. His brows were furrowed, and he didn't say a word.

Next, the group went to the West Factory.

The lighting in the west factory was better than in the east factory, and the two production lines looked much newer. The paint on the machine casings was still shiny, and there were several boxes of unsold canned goods piled up in the corner.

"The two production lines in the west factory were just replaced two years ago, costing hundreds of thousands of yuan. The purpose was to improve the quality of canned goods, but we didn't expect them to stop production so soon after they were put into use," said Factory Director Ma, his voice full of regret.

Li Zhenguo walked to the equipment in the west factory and began to inspect it carefully: "One of the conveyor belt rollers is broken. It needs to be replaced in advance, otherwise it will easily jam."

He went into the pickling and fermentation workshop, opened the door and smelled it: "The ventilation here is better than in the east factory, but the humidity is still too high. If we want to make pickled cucumbers, we need to install a dehumidifier."

There's also a tomato crusher/pulverizer; the blades are a bit dull and need to be sharpened before it can be used…

Li Zhenguo walked around looking at things and found a lot of faults, but Li Zhe knew in his heart that the more faults his uncle found, the more valuable the factory was to be improved.

If the factory really wasn't doing well, Li Zhenguo wouldn't even bother to speak up.

(End of this chapter)