Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 275 Heavy Rain
The walls of the Wan'an Town Cannery still bear traces of paint from a few days ago, while the newly painted sky-blue window frames make the old factory buildings appear much brighter.

The warehouse was already piled high with cardboard boxes, each printed with the words "Good Taste Pickled Cucumber Canned Goods." Next to them, open bamboo baskets were filled with fresh pickled cucumbers, their green color still glistening with moisture. Empty cans were neatly stacked.

When the wind blows, the factory is filled with a sour smell, mixed with the oil smell of the machines, which has become a new atmosphere after the resumption of work.

The machines in the west factory were roaring, and the corrugated iron roof was shaking slightly. The workers were working around the production line, their short sleeves rolled up to their elbows, sweat streaming down their faces, but no one stopped what they were doing.

Suddenly, the sound of brakes came from the gate of the courtyard, and a military green truck stopped under the shade of a tree.

Li Zhe got out of the passenger seat first. He was wearing a mesh shirt and raised his left arm to check his watch.

Jin Baiwan jumped down immediately after him, whispered something to Li Zhe, and then walked a few steps to the factory gate, shouting in a rough voice, "Hey guys, let's unload the truck!"

Factory Director Xie was watching the production line when he heard the noise. He immediately turned around, waved his hand, and called to several young workers: "Xiao Zhang, Xiao Wang... go lend a hand!"

Several workers rubbed their hands and ran to the back of the truck. They thought it was another truck carrying pickled cucumbers, but when they lifted the canvas, they were stunned—bags of rice were stacked neatly, barrels of soybean oil were dazzlingly shiny, and on top of them were piled round watermelons.

"Load them all into the warehouse!" Jin Baiwan patted the rice sacks, his voice brimming with pride. "This is a perk from our Good Taste Company, everyone gets a share!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding area erupted in a commotion. "Are they really giving out perks?"

"This watermelon looks sweet!"

The murmurs drifted into the west factory building, and the workers stopped what they were doing, craning their necks to look outside, their eyes filled with surprise.

Li Zhe walked into the factory, gave Factory Director Xie a look, and the two went to a corner and whispered a few words to each other.

Soon, Factory Director Xie cleared his throat, clapped his hands, and the noise in the workshop gradually subsided: "Everyone, stop for a moment! The rice, soybean oil, and watermelon that were just unloaded are all welfare benefits given to us by Boss Li. Everyone gets a share! Now, let's hear what Boss Li has to say!"

Li Zhe stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the workers in the workshop, each face filled with anticipation. "Thank you all for your hard work these past few days."

His voice wasn't loud, but it could be clearly heard in every corner. "I don't come here often, but Director Xie talks to me every day, saying that everyone works diligently and the quality of the pickled cucumber cans has never been wrong."

So the company decided to give everyone something as a reward; remember to collect it from the warehouse before you leave, everyone will get one.

He paused, looking at the workers' bright eyes, and added, "By the way, today we're not only giving out benefits, but also wages. During the break, everyone can line up and go to the finance office to collect them."

These words were like a pebble thrown into water, instantly causing an uproar in the workshop: "Paying wages on July 2nd? In the past, it was considered good if the cannery could pay at the end of the month!"

"They not only gave out money but also supplies, this job was worthwhile!"

"Did I hear that right? I can really take this watermelon home?"

"Who says private business owners are stingy? This Mr. Li is much better than the previous factory leaders!"

The workers chatted amongst themselves, their fatigue replaced by excitement. Even Zhong Lingling stopped labeling her work, her eyes shining – she remembered her mother always saying that the oil at home was almost gone, and this was a perfect opportunity to replenish it.

Li Zhe overheard the employees' discussion, exchanged a glance with Jin Baiwan, smiled, and remained silent.

Some time ago, the canned pickled cucumbers that Good Taste Company exported to the Soviet Union were produced in the factory. Afterwards, Li Zhe and his team did the math and found that the profit from their own canned goods was much higher than the profit from purchasing goods from the cannery, and even higher than the profit from the first delivery of canned goods, proving that their efforts during this period had not been in vain.

During this time, Jin Baiwan and Li Zhe also witnessed the hard work and dedication of the cannery workers.

In fact, the cannery workers' wages were low, the lowest among all the employees in Li Zhe's companies. An ordinary worker only earned forty yuan a month, less than a third of what the greenhouse workers earned, and that doesn't even include their bonuses.

However, due to various reasons, Li Zhe was unable to increase their salaries, so he could only provide subsidies in terms of benefits.

Amidst the excited and grateful gazes of the workers, Li Zhe, Jin Baiwan, Factory Director Xie, and Li Zhenguo emerged from the west factory building.

Factory Director Xie pointed to the office building not far away: "Boss Li, why don't you go to your office and rest for a while?"

The office building is an old-fashioned red brick building with cement floors in the corridors and red slogans for "Safety in Production" pasted on the walls.

The office is on the first floor. Pushing open the door, there is a dark wooden table by the window, with an enamel mug and thick production reports on it. In the corner, there are ledgers stacked in the filing cabinet, and on the top shelf are several cans of "Good Taste" pickled cucumbers.

Factory Director Xie carried a thermos and brewed a pot of green tea.

Li Zhe sat on the sofa and looked at Factory Director Xie and Li Zhenguo: "Factory Director Xie, Second Uncle, besides paying wages, there's something else I need to discuss today."

"We've finished harvesting the green beans, and this is the last batch of pickled cucumbers. Next, we'll make other kinds of canned goods."

Pickled cucumbers are sensitive to heat and can only be planted after a period of time.

Factory Director Xie and Li Zhenguo exchanged a glance, and Li Zhenguo spoke first: "No problem, what kind of canned goods do you want to make?"

Li Zhe replied, "I discussed it with the shareholders. The purchase price of tomatoes is low in the summer, and the export price to the Soviet Union is also good. Therefore, we will focus on producing canned tomatoes."

Factory Director Xie immediately nodded: "No problem! Our factory has made canned tomatoes before, the workers are familiar with it, there's no need for retraining, and the equipment can be used directly, we just need to adjust the parameters in advance."

Li Zhenguo nodded. He was also very familiar with making canned tomatoes. After thinking for a while, he said, "Second brother, should we also make some canned goods for sale in China? Relying on exports to the Soviet Union all the time is not a long-term solution. Only by opening up domestic sales channels can the company be stable."

Li Zhe knew his second uncle was right—they relied entirely on export channels, and if those channels changed, the business would be impossible. He leaned forward: "Second Uncle, do you have any specific ideas?"

“I think making canned yellow peaches is pretty good!” Li Zhenguo sat up straighter and emphasized his words. “Yellow peaches have firm flesh that doesn’t fall apart even after high-temperature sterilization. When soaked in sugar water, the sweet and sour taste is just right, neither too cloying nor too bland.”

Moreover, it contains a lot of carotene, and the canned goods made from it are golden yellow, which looks very appetizing.

We northerners love to eat it too; which family doesn't stock up on a few jars during holidays?

Factory Director Xie chimed in, "Director Li is right! In the domestic market, canned yellow peaches and canned oranges sell the best. Canned oranges are popular in the south, while canned yellow peaches are a hot commodity in the north. We can't go wrong with making this."

Li Zhe nodded and took the teacup from Factory Director Xie: "Okay, I'll go back and discuss it with the other shareholders and make a decision as soon as possible."

After chatting for a while about the production schedule, Li Zhe checked his watch and said to Factory Director Xie, "It's about time. Call the workers to collect their wages."

Jin Baiwan immediately opened his briefcase, which contained stacks of cash bundled with rubber bands.

Soon, the sound of workers lining up could be heard downstairs in the office building, mixed with laughter and footsteps—some were calculating how much money they could save this month, others were making plans to go to town to buy things after receiving their wages, and the lively sounds drifted into the office.

……

It was past six o'clock in the evening, and the sky over Yangma Village was overcast under the sycamore tree in the Zhong family's courtyard.

Zhong Weishan squatted on a small stool, smoking a pipe, the embers on the pipe flickering.

The sound of a bicycle bell came from the gate of the courtyard. He looked up and saw Zhong Lingling pushing the bicycle back. The back seat of the bicycle was bulging and a large bucket was tied to it.

"Why are you so late today? Didn't you say you wouldn't be working overtime?" Zhong Weishan tapped his pipe and stood up.

"I didn't work overtime. It was because Boss Li paid out wages, and I was delayed a bit while queuing to collect my money." Zhong Lingling pushed the cart into the yard. The rice bag on the back seat wobbled, so she quickly steadied it and parked the cart under the eaves.

Besides bags of rice, there was also a bucket of soybean oil tied to the back seat of the vehicle, and a round watermelon lying in the basket.

Zhong Weishan walked over, grabbed the handlebars, and frowned, saying, "Why are you getting paid so early? Didn't you always get paid at the end of the month?"

“Before, the factory paid us, but now we work for Boss Li. I heard that his greenhouse employees also get paid at the beginning of the month.” Zhong Lingling put the oil drum against the wall and went to move the rice bags.

When Zhong Weishan saw the large bags of rice and oil drums, he winced with heartache: "You silly girl, you just got paid and you're already buying things recklessly! How long will it take for the three of us to eat such a big watermelon? And so much oil and rice, how much will that cost?"

Zhong Lingling smiled and wiped her sweat: "Dad, this wasn't bought, it's a benefit given out by Boss Li, everyone in the factory gets one!"

"What benefits?" Zhong Weishan's eyes widened. "Nonsense! I've never heard of a private boss giving employees benefits in my entire life. Don't try to fool me!"

"Really! Believe it or not!" Zhong Lingling shoved the watermelon into his arms. "Dad, quickly soak it in the well water so it'll be nice and cool to eat tonight!" Then she called out to the kitchen, "Mom, make less dinner, the factory gave out watermelons!"

Zhang Yushan ran out of the kitchen, her apron still covered in cornmeal. She was startled when she saw the rice, oil, and watermelon in the yard: "Daughter, why did you buy so much stuff? Aren't you going to make ends meet?" "Mom, this is welfare from the factory!" Zhong Lingling explained again, pulling a wad of cash from her pocket and handing it to Zhang Yushan. "This is my salary for today, I didn't spend a penny. Count it!"

Zhang Yushan held the money, counted it, and exclaimed in surprise, "My goodness, we're getting paid at the beginning of the month, and with so many things too!"

“Boss Li is just kind-hearted,” Zhong Lingling sighed. “I heard that Boss Li originally wanted to give us a raise, but the factory leaders disagreed, so he gave us welfare instead, which is almost the same as a raise.”

Zhong Weishan immediately flew into a rage: "Why shouldn't the factory leaders agree? It's not like it's their money! They're meddling way too much!"

"I don't know the specific reason, but I heard the factory workers whispering among themselves that they might be afraid that the employees who didn't come to work would cause trouble..." Zhong Lingling sighed softly. Some things don't need to be said explicitly; the workers can understand.

Zhang Yushan took the watermelon and walked towards the well. "But this Boss Li is really kind. Working for him is much better than working at the original factory."

"That's nothing!" Zhong Lingling wiped her hands. "I also heard that the employees who work with him in greenhouses can earn several hundred yuan a month! That's ten times better than what we have here!"
The Li family in Daying Village has built a two-story house; it's very impressive!

"Really that many?" Zhong Weishan was still a little skeptical. The number his daughter mentioned was higher than the wages of city workers.

“Of course it’s true!” Zhong Lingling said confidently. “Two of the factory workers have relatives in Daying Village. They saw it with their own eyes. How could it be false?”

Zhong Lingling rolled up her sleeves. "Mom, let me help you cook."

"No need, no need." Zhang Yushan waved her hand. "Daughter, you've been busy all day, go back to your room and rest. I'll make dinner." She pushed Zhong Lingling into the house, her eyes full of tenderness.

Zhong Lingling nodded, turned around and went back into the house.

Only Zhong Weishan and Zhang Yushan remained in the courtyard, and neither of them spoke.

After a long while, Zhong Weishan tapped his pipe and lowered his voice: "Mother, Lingling said the Li family in Daying Village is nice. Wang Jianjun is Li Zhe's cousin, so he shouldn't be a bad person... How about we ask her aunt to talk to her about the blind date?"

Zhang Yushan rolled her eyes at him: "Now you know you regret it? You embarrassed my sister back then, do you think she'll be happy if you try to talk to her now?"

The couple fell silent, and the only sound in the courtyard was the chirping of cicadas.

Suddenly, Zhong Weishan felt a chill on his head. He raised his hand, and a raindrop landed on the back of his hand—immediately afterward, more raindrops fell, hitting the leaves and making a "rustling" sound.

"It's raining!" Zhang Yushan shouted, and hurried to collect the clothes that were drying in the yard.

Zhong Weishan wasn't in a hurry. The rain came just in time; the crops in the fields didn't need watering. He thought to himself, "If Lingling and Wang Jianjun could get together, maybe their future would be as smooth as this rain..."

……

The rain outside was pouring down, pounding against the glass windows of the Li family's two-story villa, splashing up fine droplets of water.

The lights were on in the lobby on the first floor. On the octagonal table were Fenjiu liquor and four plates of home-style dishes: steaming chicken stew with mushrooms, smashed cucumber sprinkled with minced garlic, evenly sliced ​​pork head meat, and celery and peanuts served on a white porcelain plate. The aroma mixed with the smell of liquor filled the room.

Old Li, Li Zhe, Li Zhenguo, and Wang Xiuying sat around the table. Li Na had only taken a couple of bites of rice when she put down her chopsticks, still chewing on some pig's head meat. "Mom, I'm going back to my room to do my homework." With that, she grabbed half a steamed bun and ran upstairs, her footsteps making a loud thumping sound.

"Slow down, don't fall!" Wang Xiuying shouted towards the stairwell.

No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Wang Xiuying knew her daughter was probably hiding in her room reading comic books. It was just the start of the holiday, and she wanted to let her relax, so she didn't bother to interfere.

Old Li picked up his wine glass and clinked it against Li Zhenguo's and Li Zhe's glasses, the rims of the glasses making a soft sound as they touched.

He slurped down a mouthful of wine, his eyes fixed on the rain curtain outside the window: "Hey, it's been so sweltering these past few days, but today the rain has finally cooled things down. It'll be nice to see some cooler weather."

“That’s right!” Wang Xiuying picked up a piece of cucumber and said, “When cooking in the summer, the kitchen is like a steamer, and you can get your clothes soaked with sweat.”

Li Zhe put down his wine glass and looked at his mother: "Mom, I'll install an air conditioner in the house in a few days. It'll be cool when I cook and sleep."

Upon hearing about air conditioning, Wang Xiuying immediately perked up and leaned forward: "How much does that thing cost? Your brother said it makes the room really cool when you turn it on."

"A floor-standing air conditioner in the living room costs about five thousand; a wall-mounted air conditioner in the bedroom costs around three thousand," Li Zhe said truthfully.

"My goodness! So expensive?" Wang Xiuying quickly waved her hands, "No, no! This money isn't worth it!"

Old Li also chimed in, "Second son, our two-story house has very thick brick walls, it's much cooler than the old house. Besides, it'll get cooler in a couple of months, there's no need to waste money on this."

Fearing her son might buy it secretly, Wang Xiuying added, "Second son, your dad is right, we won't buy an air conditioner. If you have some spare money, buy a TV at the end of the year; I'd rather have that."

Li Zhe picked up a piece of chicken, chewed it, and swallowed it: "No problem, I'll get you one in a few days."

Li Zhenguo kept staring out the window. The rain was pouring down. He frowned and asked, "Second brother, with such heavy rain, won't the greenhouse vegetables be affected?"

"Don't worry, Uncle." Li Zhe took a sip of tea. "The greenhouse film was removed a long time ago and stored in the village committee's warehouse. All the vegetables in the fields have been harvested. At most, there's some water in the greenhouse foundation, but we can pump it out after the rain stops."

He knew there would be a downpour today and had made all the necessary arrangements in advance. His own house was situated on high ground, and the new house was even a meter higher than the ground, so no matter how heavy the rain was, it wouldn't flood, which is why he could sit here and drink in peace.

Upon hearing this, Old Li laughed and slapped the table: "Hey, this rain is really heavy! I was just saying a few days ago that you spent money on a water pump, but I didn't expect it to come in handy now."

“In our area, every summer we get a few heavy rains,” Li Zhe laughed, and poured more wine for everyone.

The three clinked glasses again. Li Zhenguo put down his glass and thought about what had happened during the day: "Today at the factory, we were talking about canned food varieties. The harvest season for tomatoes and yellow peaches is from July to September. I was wondering, what will happen to our Good Taste Company after October? Will we still produce? We can't just give everyone a holiday, can we?"

He had been keeping this in mind for days, but he didn't feel comfortable asking about it in front of Director Xie during the day. Now that they were family, he didn't have so many reservations.

"I'd like to continue production in October and November," Li Zhe said, putting down his chopsticks. "As long as the weather isn't too cold and it doesn't interfere with work, it would be best if the factory could maintain stable production. As for what to produce, I have an idea—could we make canned rice porridge?"

"Canned rice porridge?" Li Zhenguo shook his head. "The factory used to make it, but sales were poor. People felt that buying that stuff wasn't as good as cooking it at home, so not many people bought it, and we stopped making it later."

"Second Uncle, what ingredients did you use to make the rice porridge cans you made before?" Li Zhe asked.

"It's just rice and glutinous rice, mixed with some red beans and mung beans, cooked until it's sticky and mushy. It doesn't taste bad, but the common people don't like it," Li Zhenguo recalled.

Li Zhe couldn't help but laugh: "If it were me, I wouldn't buy it either. It's too ordinary and lacks originality."

"What kind of job do you want to do?" Li Zhenguo asked curiously.

"What I want to make is a bit like Laba porridge," Li Zhe explained. "I put glutinous rice, red beans, mung beans, and add some peanuts, lotus seeds, longan, and red dates, all of which are common grains, beans, and dried fruits. It not only has to be filling, but it also has to taste good so that people want to eat it again after they taste it."

Li Zhenguo pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! Raw materials are cheap after the autumn harvest, so we can start making them in October. We might even have a big sale by the Laba Festival!"

“That’s what I think too.” Li Zhe nodded.

Li Zhenguo's brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again: "It's just that... I've never made this kind of Laba porridge canned food before, which has a lot of ingredients and tastes good. I'm not sure about the recipe."

Li Zhe turned to Wang Xiuying and said, "Mom, we need your help with this. From now on, you should cook for the workers and make several pots of Laba porridge. Each time, let everyone drink it and tell us what it tastes like. Once everyone thinks it's delicious, you can teach the recipe to Second Uncle so he can try to mass-produce it."

Wang Xiuying was a little unsure of herself and rubbed her hands together: "Second brother, I... can I do it?"

"Why not!" Li Zhe said with a smile. "Go ahead and try it. Just write down the ingredients and quantities each time. I won't let you work for free. Once this canned food is on the market and makes money, I'll give you a big bonus."

Upon hearing about the large red envelope, Wang Xiuying immediately beamed: "Alright! Mother will definitely do her best!"

She knew her son was always generous; if he said he would give her a big red envelope, he would never skimp on it.

The group drank a few more cups, but the rain showed no signs of letting up.

Slightly tipsy, Old Li started talking about what vegetables he would grow in the greenhouse this year. Li Zhenguo chatted with Li Zhe about the raw material procurement for canned tomatoes, while Wang Xiuying thought about the dried fruit she would buy to cook porridge at the consignment store tomorrow. The sounds of talking and laughter in the hall, mixed with the sound of rain outside the window, made it particularly lively.

As night deepened, Li Zhe returned to his room on the second floor, lay on the bed, and listened to the pattering rain, feeling quite at ease.

Before long, he fell into a deep sleep, accompanied by the sound of rain...

(End of this chapter)