Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 274 Moving House
Outside the Li family's No. 3 greenhouse, a canopy made of urea bags, laid on a frame made of bamboo poles, blocked the rising sun from the east.

After breakfast, Li Zhe called everyone to a meeting under the shade of the pavilion.

The benches under the shade were packed with people. Some were taking gulps of water from their enamel mugs, while others huddled together chatting quietly.

"Ahem." Li Zhe cleared his throat when he saw that everyone had arrived. His buzzing voice immediately stopped, and all eyes turned to him.

He glanced around at everyone and said, "Let's have a short meeting and talk about our key tasks for the next period of time."

Let's talk about the Guo brothers first. They've been staying with us for a few days now, wanting to learn winter greenhouse techniques. They're quite persistent. I personally think we should keep them here. Everyone, please feel free to share your thoughts, and we can discuss it together.

After a moment of silence in the shed, Ma Lai Xiao Xian raised his hand, his tone tinged with concern: "If these two brothers learn the techniques, will they still have to go back to Shouguang to grow crops in the shed?"

Old Li chimed in from the side: "I talked to them, they didn't say it outright, but judging from their tone, they're most likely going back."

"If they grow vegetables in Shouguang and then transport them to Beijing, will it affect our vegetable prices?" the Malaysian boy asked, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Sister-in-law, your idea is very good and you have a long-term vision.” Li Zhe nodded first, then slowly analyzed, “However, everything takes time. Even if they learn it this year and go back to Shouguang to grow greenhouses, the scale won’t be big—besides, transportation from Shouguang to Beijing isn’t as convenient as it is here. I reckon it definitely won’t be affected this year.”

"What about next year? If they expand their operations next year and transport winter vegetables to the capital, won't our business and our vegetable prices be affected?" The Malaysian man didn't give in and pressed on with another question.

“I know more about the situation in Shouguang than you do,” Li Zhe said in a slightly somber tone. “There are already many vegetable growers in Shouguang, and the scale of the seedling sheds is quite large. Whether we teach the Guo brothers or not, Shouguang will continue to develop winter greenhouses.”

"The winters there are warmer than here, and they have the established nursery system, so they learn much faster. We can't stop them."

These words sparked another round of hushed discussion in the shaded pavilion.

Zhu Yimin broke the silence first. He was thin, but his voice was loud: "I talked to the Guo brothers these past two days. They are really good at growing vegetables, and their skills are no worse than mine. I think Brother Li is right. Even if we don't teach them, they can figure out most of it after staying here for a while."

"There's something else I want to tell everyone," Li Zhe raised his voice slightly and continued, "Our Sijiqing Company isn't just a vegetable greenhouse grower; we're also a vegetable buyer. We can cooperate with growers in Wan'an Town, and in the future, we can also cooperate with growers in Shouguang."

As soon as procurement was mentioned, Jin Baiwan immediately chimed in, shifting his weight onto the bench with his stomach resting on his knees: "From a procurement perspective, I agree with Brother Li. The more farmers there are, the more choices we have, and the more say we have in the market."

Li Zhe's thoughts were similar to Jin Baiwan's—teaching the Guo brothers to grow greenhouse crops would be a good thing for the company's procurement, as it would provide more supply channels.
But this may not be a good thing for farmers in the surrounding area. With more competitors, vegetable prices may be driven down.

On the other hand, the surrounding farmers may not be of one mind with Sijiqing Company. It's not obvious this year, but when their interests diverge next year, conflicts are bound to surface.

Perhaps, this seemingly superfluous move by Shouguang will play a significant role in the future...

Seeing that some people were still whispering among themselves, Li Zhe simply made the decision: "Let's leave it at that for now. If you have any other ideas, talk to me privately later."

Let's move on to the next thing—it's been over nine months since we started planting in the greenhouse last September. The weather is getting warmer, and we already removed the straw mats yesterday. In a few days, we'll have to take off the greenhouse film too.”

"Brother Li, when do we start planting in the greenhouse this year?" Lin Xiaohu leaned forward. He was young and impatient, so he asked questions directly.

“It depends on the variety,” Li Zhe replied. “Some varieties have a long growing season, so seedlings need to be started in July; but most varieties need to be planted in August or early September.”

He paused, then said, "There's less work in the greenhouses these days, but we can't neglect other things. For example, digging the greenhouse foundations—besides our company's, we also need to take care of the farmers' foundations. Uncle, please keep a close eye on the foundation digging for the company."

Wang Rongsheng responded from the corner, "Don't worry, I've got it."

Li Zhe then looked at Li Zhiqiang and said, "Zhiqiang, you're young, so make more trips. You'll be in charge of helping the farmers dig the foundations. If you encounter any problems, let me know immediately."

"Okay, Uncle, don't worry!" Li Zhiqiang's voice was loud, and his face was full of energy.

Then, Li Zhe turned to Zhao Tiezhu: "Zhuzi, you need to pay more attention to building materials and agricultural supplies. Make sure you have them ready in advance, so you don't run out of stock when you need them."

"Got it, brother," Zhao Tiezhu replied readily.

"Dad, I'm leaving the construction of the canteen to you." Li Zhe then looked at Old Li.

Old Li nodded and said, "Okay, I'll keep an eye on it."

Finally, he looked at Zhu Yimin and said, "Brother Zhu, please put in a lot of effort with Teacher Chen to train the farmers. Once the canteen is built, we can hold the training there."

Zhu Yimin nodded: "Don't worry, I'm organizing my notes these days, and I guarantee that everyone can learn it."

Everyone remembered their assigned tasks, and the atmosphere under the shade of the pavilion became much more relaxed.

Li Zhe looked at everyone and suddenly smiled: "I have some good news to tell you all—my family is moving to a new house in a couple of days. Come and join us for a celebration, and we'll have a whole sheep to eat!"

"Really? We have to go!" Lin Xiaohu exclaimed first. He was young and loved to join in the fun. "Brother Li, when you move to a new house, we'll all come and help you move your things!"

Old Li laughed and said, "I've checked the auspicious date, and it's set for the day after tomorrow. Invite your parents along. The same goes for everyone else; bring your families so it can be lively."

Everyone smiled and offered their congratulations. Some said they would go ahead to help with the preparations, while others pondered what gifts to bring. Laughter from the pavilion carried far away.

……

Two days later, a group of elderly women gathered under the sunshade in front of the Daying Village store, chatting idly.

The bamboo stools and small stools were packed with people, some holding needles and thread, others cracking sunflower seeds or peeling peanuts, leaving sunflower seed shells scattered all over the ground at their feet.

The plump aunt sat cross-legged, expertly peeling peanuts. Suddenly, she lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Have you heard? Wang Huilan gave birth again a few days ago."

The quick-tongued wife suddenly stopped sewing, her eyes widening in surprise: "My God! She's already had three daughters, why is she still having more? Is she going to keep having children until she has a son?"

"That's because they're so desperate for a son," Aunt Pang chuckled, spitting out peanut shells. "The first three were all girls; how could the in-laws be happy about that?"

Zhao Bing's wife, who was listening nearby and was confused, interjected, "Who is Wang Huilan? I've never heard of her before?"

"Hey, she's Wang Xiuying's sister!" Aunt Pang slapped her thigh. "You married into the family late; she married into Yangma Village a long time ago. She only comes back to visit her parents' home during holidays, so it's normal that you don't remember her."

"Will it be a boy or a girl this time?" Wang Dajiao kicked away the peanut shells at her feet, moved closer, and asked with a face full of curiosity.

"He's got a boy!" Auntie Pang's voice was a little teasing. "Now you can finally hold your head high in your husband's family."

"You've had four children, aren't you afraid of being fined?" Zhao Bing's wife frowned. In previous years, the village had cracked down hard on having more children than allowed, and she always felt that this was a risky matter.

Aunt Pang waved her hand, "I have relatives in Yangma Village. They say her husband's family is notoriously sexist. They'd be willing to pay any fine as long as she gives birth to a son—besides, these days, there's always a way to make an exception." Wang Dajiao nodded, deeply agreeing: "That makes sense! If you don't have a son in the village, not only will your in-laws look down on you, but even your relatives will look down on you. Life will be tough."

After chatting for a few more minutes, Zhao Bing's wife looked up at the sky, then suddenly stood up and said, "Oh dear, I can't chat with you anymore, I have to go."

The quick-tongued wife grabbed her sleeve: "It's not even time to cook yet, why are you in such a hurry to reply?"

"Old Li's family is moving into their new house today. My husband told me to go over early to help out, and we'll have lunch there." Zhao Bing's wife patted the dust off her trousers, a smile on her face.

The plump aunt raised an eyebrow: "If you two go to eat, what will happen to the elderly and children at home? Aren't you afraid your father-in-law will say you're being inconsiderate?"

“Boss Li said long ago that our whole family should go!” Zhao Bing’s wife laughed even harder. “Not only our family, but the entire militia company received an invitation, not one is missing.”

Wang Dajiao's eyes lit up with envy: "My goodness! How many people would that be? And they even provide meals?"

"Of course we'll manage! Of course we'll manage!" Zhao Bing's wife raised her voice a bit. "I heard that Boss Li initially wanted to slaughter a sheep, but then he calculated that there were too many people and one sheep wouldn't be enough, so he slaughtered a pig instead! At noon, we'll not only have pork stew with vermicelli, but also mutton soup!"

"I'm leaving now, I'm not talking to you anymore!" Zhao Bing's wife waved and hurried off towards the Li family's house.

Hearing the commotion outside, Zhang Yuzhen, who was working at the consignment store, lifted the curtain and came out, shouting to everyone, "Everyone, let's all go home early to cook today, and I'll close up shop early too."

The quick-tongued wife asked in bewilderment, "Yuzhen, why are you locking up so early?"

Wang Dajiao was the first to react, clapping her hands and exclaiming, "Hey! Your Xiaohu is working for the Li family, so he must be going to the Li family's housewarming party!"

"You know, Xiao Hu is smart, he chose the right person to work for!" Aunt Pang leaned forward, her tone full of envy. "Working for the Li family not only pays well, but you also get to benefit from their success. Where else can you find such a good deal?"

Zhang Yuzhen waved her hand with a smile: "What do you mean by taking advantage of someone else? Xiuying and I grew up together. Back when Xiaohu went to work for the Li family, it was I who asked Xiuying for help. How could I not help her when she's moving?"

She smiled at everyone again, "I'll open earlier tomorrow, so you can all come earlier to chat. That's all for today!"

A group of old women reluctantly stood up, but after taking only a few steps, Wang Dajiao suddenly stopped, turned to look at Kuaizui's wife, and said, "Hey, Kuaizui's wife, isn't your niece Hu Niu working in the Li family's greenhouse? Why haven't I seen you go to the Li family's?"

The quick-tongued wife blushed instantly, wondering to herself—had Tiger Girl forgotten to tell her, or was she deliberately not mentioning it? That girl, she's really siding with outsiders!

The talkative wife kept walking forward with her head down, and stopped when she was almost home.

The more she thought about it, the more upset she became: Why can Zhao Bing's wife and Zhang Yuzhen go, but I can't? No way, I have to go eat a bowl of pork stew with vermicelli today!
With that thought in mind, the quick-tongued wife immediately turned around and strode towards the Li family's house.

Walking to the north of the village, you can see the Li family's two-story building from afar, which is much taller than the other houses.

After walking along the village road for a while and turning a corner, we arrived at the Li family's new house—a large courtyard of several hundred square meters surrounded by a blue brick wall, with two black iron gates at the entrance, decorated with patterns, more impressive than any other house in the village.

A large crowd had already gathered at the entrance; some were helping to move things, while others were standing and chatting, creating a lively atmosphere.

The quick-tongued wife was initially embarrassed, but upon closer inspection, she couldn't help but laugh—Wang Dajiao and Aunt Pang were also standing in the crowd, tiptoeing to peek into the yard.

The three of them exchanged a glance and couldn't help but burst into laughter, all their previous awkwardness vanishing.

"My goodness! Look at this iron gate, it's more than twice as wide as our wooden gate, it's really impressive!" Wang Dajiao pointed at the Li family's gate, his eyes wide with amazement.

Aunt Pang was the first to squeeze through the door. As soon as she stepped into the yard, she couldn't help but exclaim "Goodness!"

A bluestone path paved the middle of the courtyard, with several newly transplanted trees planted on both sides. The two-story building on the north side had red brick walls, glass windows, and red lanterns hanging under the eaves, making it the most impressive building in the entire Wan'an Town. "This house is even more beautiful than the town's supply and marketing cooperative!"

Four makeshift stoves were set up in the open space of the courtyard, with several large black pots placed on them. Two of them were bubbling away, and the aroma of meat wafted out, making people swallow hard.

The quick-talking wife sniffed hard: "It smells so good! How much meat can these two pots cook? Enough for the whole village, right?"

"The Li family moving to a new house is such a big event, who in the village doesn't know?" Aunt Pang leaned closer to the pot and peeked. "Come over and offer your congratulations, how could the Li family not provide a meal? Besides, Li Zhe is a big boss now, he won't be short of food."

Wang Dajiao nodded in agreement: "That's right! The Li family is a big and powerful family, with greenhouse farming and a cannery. I heard they even opened a restaurant in Beijing. How could they possibly miss out on this meal?"

The courtyard was full of familiar faces. The three of them greeted the people they knew as they approached the small building.

Upon closer inspection, the two-story building appears even more impressive—the red bricks on the walls are neatly arranged, the window frames are painted with a bright glaze, and the second floor is surrounded by a wooden railing with simple carved patterns, making it look exquisite.

Upon entering the lobby on the first floor, one is immediately struck by the sight: the floor is covered with off-white tiles, so polished that one can see their reflection; against the wall stands a set of dark brown wooden sofas, next to which stands a solid wood coffee table with a thermos and an enamel cup on it;
A round chandelier hung from the ceiling, its shade spotless, making the room bright and airy.

The three followed others up to the second floor. The rooms were neatly arranged, each with a window, making them well-ventilated and bright. Some rooms had newly made wooden beds, while others were piled with unopened boxes, all exuding a sense of novelty.

The three of them stared wide-eyed, muttering repeatedly, "This house is just too amazing!"

Around midnight, the kitchen staff started calling out that dinner was ready.

Two large pots of pork stew with glass noodles were bubbling away, the noodles soaking up the broth and glistening with oil; two large pots of mutton soup were steaming hot, sprinkled with scallions and cilantro, their aroma wafting far and wide. The steamed buns were freshly made, soft and snow-white, and you could take as many as you wanted and eat as you pleased.

Most of the village came, and tables were set up in the courtyards and houses, making it as lively as a wedding celebration, and the meal turned into a continuous feast.

Some people lingered in the courtyard after finishing their meal, chatting until it got dark. Then they helped clear away the dishes and left one by one with their own tableware—the Li family didn't have enough tableware, and many of them were borrowed from villagers.

In the end, only the Li family of four and two half-grown dogs remained in the courtyard.

Wang Xiuying's face was still flushed with excitement as she kept muttering, "Today is truly a glorious day! So many people have been praising our house to me. We've never received this kind of treatment before!"

Old Li stood in the middle of the yard, looking up at the two-story building with a smile in his eyes, muttering to himself, "This is wonderful. I never thought I'd live in such a nice house in my lifetime. It's all worth it!"

Li Na jumped around the room, shouting, "I have my own room now!"

Looking at his family's joyful expressions, Li Zhe felt both happy and relieved.

He built this new house not only to make his family more comfortable, but also to avoid the impending torrential rains this year—now that his family has moved in, he can finally relax.

Let bygones be bygones; embrace a better life...

(End of this chapter)