Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 281 Determination
In the north of Daying Village, Wan'an Town, a nearly 500-square-meter staff canteen has risen from the dusty construction site.

The red brick walls were neatly laid, and the roof was also covered with a tight seal, making it particularly eye-catching from a distance.

In addition to the construction team led by Liu Jinliang, dozens of farmers from the village or neighboring villages spontaneously come to help every day, some carrying bricks, some mixing mud, and some building walls.

With sufficient manpower, the construction progress was naturally fast, and the main structure of the canteen was completed in just over a month.

Li Zhe didn't let everyone work for nothing. He provided two meals a day, and every meal was filling. There was meat every day, and the farmers were eating better than they did at home. Everyone was full of energy.

The cafeteria is clearly planned, mainly divided into three areas: the core is a staff dining area of ​​more than 200 square meters, which can accommodate more than 100 people to eat at the same time.

The west side is the kitchen area, complete with stoves, cutting boards, and a grain storage room;
The east side is the auxiliary functional area, which includes a storage room, a small canteen, a utility room, and a rest room, taking into account all aspects.

Standing at the entrance of the cafeteria, Li Zhe looked at the building he had single-handedly helped to build and felt a surge of pride.

Liu Jinliang, who was standing nearby, came over and rubbed his calloused hands together: "Boss Li, the walls and roof of the canteen are finished. Next, we need to do the finer work such as laying the floor, plastering the walls, and installing doors and windows. When would you like to start?"

"There's no rush for the rest of the work, let's take it slow," Li Zhe said with a smile and a wave of his hand.

Liu Jinliang was stunned. Li Zhe had been keeping a close eye on the construction schedule, and Lao Li had asked about the progress every day. Why did he suddenly loosen his grip?
He was about to ask further when Li Zhe explained, "We country folk are practical in our work. As long as this canteen can provide shelter from the wind and rain and doesn't interfere with meals or meetings, it's enough."

Laying the floor and plastering the walls a few days earlier or later won't make a difference.

"Hey! Mr. Li, no wonder you're so good at doing big business, it's all thanks to your down-to-earth attitude that no one else can match!" Liu Jinliang quickly gave him a thumbs up. Although his words were a bit flattering, they were also from the bottom of his heart. These days, anyone who can make a name for themselves is particular about appearances. It's rare to see someone as down-to-earth as Li Zhe.

Li Zhe smiled but didn't reply, then turned and walked into the construction site.

The next day, he neither went to the cannery nor returned to Beijing. He stayed at the construction site the whole time, helping to move bricks and chatting with the workers about growing crops in greenhouses.

At noon, we squatted together at the entrance of the canteen to eat stew. Two large pots of stew were steaming hot, with pork, tofu, vermicelli, and winter melon stewed until they were soft and flavorful. We ate it with steamed buns, and everyone was sweating profusely with oil dripping from their mouths.

After the meal, the farmers went home, the workers rested under the shade of the trees, and Li Zhe called all the core employees of Sijiqing Company to the small canteen.

Although the small canteen was not yet completed, several simple wooden tables and chairs had already been set up. Zhu Yimin, Zhao Tiezhu, Lin Xiaohu, Hu Niu, Li Zhiqiang, Ge Qingshan and others came in one after another, all with happy faces.

This was their first time holding a meeting in their own company's new cafeteria, and they were still quite excited about it.

"I called you all here today to discuss a few things." Li Zhe sat at the wooden table at the front, his gaze sweeping over everyone as he began, "Although we didn't plant any greenhouse vegetables this month, you all haven't been idle. You've been running around under the scorching sun. Thank you all for your hard work."

However, our hard work paid off. Although the new cafeteria isn't completely finished, it's usable now, and we can proceed with our next steps.

He paused, then raised his voice slightly: "On August 1st, we will hold our first planting technology training course, which will be for greenhouse growers who have signed cooperation agreements with us."

Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts on this matter.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xiaohu raised his hand: "Brother Li, have you decided on the instructors for the training?"

"It's not confirmed yet. I'll discuss it with Teacher Chen and Brother Zhu later," Li Zhe replied. "If anyone wants to be a training instructor, feel free to sign up."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

Zhao Tiezhu scratched his head and asked uncertainly, "Brother, with our skill level, can we really be teachers? What if we can't explain things clearly and the farmers laugh at us?"

“What’s wrong with that?” Li Zhe said confidently. “Everyone here has practical experience in growing vegetables in greenhouses. I’ll have Teacher Chen and Brother Zhu compile some training materials later, and you can just teach according to those materials.”

Lin Xiaohu immediately chimed in, "Brother Li, I recommend Qinghe! She not only has planting experience, but she's also a college student from Beijing Agricultural University. She's highly educated and will definitely be able to give a good lecture!"

Zhou Qinghe wasn't intimidated and slightly raised her chin: "Okay, I'll be the first to sign up."

“Okay, Qinghe counts.” Li Zhe nodded in agreement. “Others can sign up if they want to give it a try. Also, even if you don’t sign up to be a teacher, I suggest you come and attend the classes.”

In the future, if growers encounter problems in greenhouse cultivation, you, as technicians from Sijiqing Company, will be required to provide on-site guidance. Therefore, during this period, you need to study even more diligently than the growers and improve your planting techniques and communication skills as quickly as possible.

These words immediately stirred up a lively atmosphere among the crowd.

Zhu Yimin put down the enamel mug in his hand and said slowly, "Brother Li is right. We used to only care about our own planting, but now that we want to teach others, we really need to learn how to communicate."

I think we can simulate it a few times first, with each of us acting as a 'grower' and asking each other questions. Once we're comfortable with it, we can explain it to real farmers.

Tiger Girl chimed in, saying, "I'm not very educated, so I definitely can't out-talk Qinghe, but I can help demonstrate! For example, how to set up the greenhouse film and how to water the vegetables. I'll show the growers, and they'll understand right away."

Ge Qingshan scratched his head: "I also think I need to practice more. Yesterday, a grower asked me what to do about cracked tomatoes. I knew perfectly well that it was because I watered them too quickly, but I didn't explain it clearly, and the person still didn't understand."

This training opportunity is a good chance to learn how to communicate clearly.

Everyone was talking at once and the discussion was heated.

Looking at the scene before him, Li Zhe gestured with his hands to calm everyone down before continuing, "Besides the training, everyone's work can't stop."

This period is crucial for us. Whether we can expand the greenhouses in the second half of the year depends on whether we can lay a solid foundation this summer. Does everyone have confidence in doing a good job?

"Yes!" the crowd responded in unison, their voices loud and clear, brimming with enthusiasm...

In the afternoon, a group of elderly women sat under the awning at the Daying Village store, some holding needles and thread, others cracking sunflower seeds.

In the past, there would always be a few idlers playing cards at a table nearby, but ever since the Li family started building a canteen and digging the foundation for a greenhouse in the north of the village, those idlers have been running to the north of the village every day, watching the excavator digging the ground for most of the day, and the area under the shed has become much quieter.

The talkative wife cracked sunflower seeds, her small eyes scanning around as if searching for something. But the afternoon sun was scorching, and there wasn't even a dog to be seen on the road. Only a few of them, who couldn't stay still, gathered together to chat and gossip.

Her gaze finally settled on Wang Dajiao, and she asked with a smile, "Dajiao, I heard you led some people to cause trouble at the Li family's house a few days ago?"

"Oh my god, this is such a misunderstanding!" Wang Dajiao quickly waved his hands, "How could an honest person like me do such a thing?"

"Then what were you doing taking a group of people to the Li family?" the quick-tongued wife pressed, her eyes full of curiosity.

“It wasn’t me who led the way, they just followed along on their own!” Wang Dajiao explained, counting on his fingers. “Let me do the math for you. Building a greenhouse requires a loan of six thousand yuan. If we encounter a natural disaster or torrential rain, we won’t just fail to make any money, we’ll lose our principal as well.”

"I just want the Sijiqing Company to provide some guarantee, so that if a disaster really happens, they can give me some compensation. That's not unreasonable, is it?"

“Old Nian’s family, I don’t agree with that.” Zhang Yuzhen, the owner of the consignment store, came out of the house with a rag in her hand. “Sijiqing Company also grows in greenhouses. The heavy rain a while ago flooded the foundations of all their greenhouses. They suffered the biggest losses. Who can they ask for compensation from?”

Zhao Bing's wife chimed in, "My husband heard from Boss Li that as long as we farmers unite and do a good job in the greenhouse industry, the government might give us subsidies in the future, and maybe even disaster relief."

And that "vegetable basket project," I heard it's about helping people grow vegetables; life is sure to get better and better from now on.

Wang Dajiao wanted to argue, but before she could finish speaking, a green Jiefang truck rumbled in, breaking the peace of the village.

The women stopped talking and all looked toward the truck.

"Is this the Li family's vegetable delivery truck? I haven't seen it in a while," the plump aunt said, squinting at it.

"No, no," Zhao Bing's wife shook her head. "I recognize the truck that Li's family uses to transport vegetables, but the license plate number is different. This isn't it."

As they were talking, the truck stopped not far from the dealership, the passenger door opened, and a man in blue overalls jumped out.

He was in his thirties, of medium height, with some grease on his face. The cuffs of his work clothes were rolled up to his elbows, revealing a few shallow scars on his forearms. He was holding a pack of cigarettes in his hand, but when he saw the women under the awning, he put the cigarettes back in his pocket and walked over with a smile: "Fellow villagers, is this Daying Village?"

Zhang Yuzhen asked with a smile, "Master, what is your name?"

“My surname is Lin,” the worker replied.

“Master Lin, you’re from Beijing, right?” Zhang Yuzhen spoke first.

Master Lin was taken aback, then asked curiously, "Fellow villager, how did you know?"

“I could tell from his accent,” Zhang Yuzhen laughed. “My son-in-law is also from Beijing; he lives in Chuanban Hutong.”

"What a coincidence! My home isn't far from there!" Master Lin laughed, then asked, "May I ask if you know Li Zhe from Daying Village?"

"Are you looking for Li Zhe, the one who grows vegetables in greenhouses?" the quick-talking wife answered eagerly, afraid of being a step too slow.

Master Lin scratched his head: "I don't know, I only know the name."

"Then why did you look for him?" the quick-tongued wife pressed, her eyes lighting up.

"Comrade Li Zhe bought electrical appliances at the department store, and we're here to deliver and install them," Mr. Lin replied.

Upon hearing this, several older women gathered around, craning their necks to peer into the back of the truck. Wang Dajiao couldn't help but ask, "Sir, what appliances did they buy?"

"A television." Master Lin mumbled a reply, not wanting to say more.

But those three words are enough to make older women envious.

Aunt Pang said enviously, "The Li family is really capable; they bought another television!"

Zhao Bing's wife replied, "What's a TV? The Li family has plenty of money now! Li Zhe's car is much more expensive than a TV."

The quick-tongued wife suddenly raised her hand: "I know where he lives! I'll take you there!" "Thank you, fellow villager!" Master Lin greeted with a smile, "Take our car, it'll be quick."

"Okay!" The quick-talking wife nimbly climbed into the passenger seat, and even turned back to raise her chin at the people under the awning, looking smug.

Aunt Pang, who loved to join in the fun, quickly said, "I know the way too, I'll lead the way!" As she spoke, she moved towards the passenger seat, but just as she reached the door, the door clicked shut.

"Sorry, fellow villager, this car can only seat three people," said Mr. Lin apologetically.

"Then can I sit in the back?" Aunt Pang said, unwilling to give up.

"No, no, we have regulations that prohibit carrying passengers in the back of the truck." After saying this, Mr. Lin gave the driver a wink, and the truck slowly started moving.

The plump aunt looked at the back of the truck and muttered indignantly, "Pah, city people never tell the truth! Why can't people sit in the back? Didn't everyone used to squeeze into the back when hauling goods?"

……

The consignment store wasn't far from the Li family's house; it was just a couple of turns away.

The talkative wife pointed to the two-story building in front of her: "That's it! Isn't it impressive?"

Looking at the small building that was much taller than the surrounding houses, and the red brick wall that surrounded it, Master Lin couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, this yard is really big!"

"Of course! The four plots of land are connected together, totaling more than 800 square meters!" The quick-talking wife said with pride, her tone tinged with a hint of arrogance.

The truck stopped in front of the Li family's gate, and the quick-tongued wife jumped out and banged on the door: "Xiuying, open the door!"

Wang Xiuying was squatting in the yard washing clothes, the washboard making a creaking sound. Hearing the noise, she wiped her hands on her apron and quickly walked to the door.

He opened the door and saw his quick-tongued wife. He frowned and said, "Quick-tongued wife, what brings you here?"

"The appliance delivery guys are here! They don't know the way, so I led the way!" The quick-talking wife pointed to the truck behind her, smiling smugly.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Wang Xiuying's face immediately lit up with joy when she saw the truck.

Master Lin also came over and confirmed, "Is this Comrade Li Zhe's house?"

"Yes, yes, yes! This is my home!" Wang Xiuying nodded vigorously, then turned and called out into the yard, "Xiao Na! Xiao Na!"

"Here I am!" Li Na skipped out, clutching a textbook in her hand. "Mom, what's up? I was reading."

"Go quickly to the canteen in the north of the village and find your second brother. Tell him the appliance installer has arrived!" Wang Xiuying urged.

Li Na's eyes lit up: "Is it a TV?" She then turned to Master Lin, "Master, are you installing a TV?"

"Yes!" Master Lin nodded with a smile.

"Great!" Li Na jumped for joy, glanced at the back of the truck, tossed the books to her mother, and then ran off towards the north of the village.

Master Lin said to Wang Xiuying, "Sister, do you have the receipt for the appliances? If you have the receipt, we can unload the truck now."

"Yes, yes, yes! My second brother told me a long time ago, I'll go get it for you right away!" Wang Xiuying said, then turned and ran into the yard.

Master Lin didn't just wait around; he shouted towards the truck, "Old Zhang, Little Liu, lend a hand!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the driver got out of the driver's seat. There was also a young man in the back of the truck responsible for loading the goods. He was also wearing a blue work uniform and had a somewhat immature look on his face.

Although I haven't seen the appliance receipt yet, judging from the Li family's impressive courtyard and two-story building, I shouldn't have come to the wrong place.

The two men followed Mr. Lin and carried a heavy cardboard box off the back of the truck.

At this moment, Wang Xiuying also came out of the courtyard, holding a stack of receipts in her hand. She handed them over and asked, "Master, take a look, is this the one?"

Master Lin took the receipt, examined it carefully, and nodded. "That's right, this is it." He put the receipt away, patted the box next to him, and asked, "This is a television set. Where would you like to put it?"

"Put them in the living room! I'll take you there." Wang Xiuying led the way, and Master Lin and loader Xiao Liu carried the boxes into the Li family's yard. Driver Lao Zhang stayed behind, looking at the two large boxes remaining on the truck.

The talkative wife leaned closer to the truck, her small eyes peering into the cargo bed. Seeing two large boxes inside, she asked the driver curiously, "Sir, what's in those two boxes? Are they also for the Li family?"

The driver glanced at her and nodded, saying, "That's right, all three items belong to the Li family."

"Good heavens!" the quick-tongued wife exclaimed in surprise, then asked, "What are those two items?"

The driver glanced at her again but didn't say anything.

"What is it?" The quick-tongued wife stamped her feet anxiously. When the driver didn't answer, she reached out to climb into the back of the truck.

"Hey, fellow villager, don't touch these!" The driver quickly reached out to stop her. "These are all valuable appliances. You can't afford to pay for them if you break them. I'm telling you, those two are a refrigerator and a washing machine."

Although the quick-talking wife had heard of refrigerators and washing machines in the village, she had never seen them in person. Looking at the two large boxes, her curiosity grew even stronger: "How much do these refrigerators and washing machines cost?"

"I don't know the exact price, but it's definitely something an ordinary family like ours can't afford." The driver glanced at his talkative wife again, thinking to himself: This old woman, why is she so curious?

Just then, three more figures emerged from the alleyway. The driver glanced at them and felt they looked somewhat familiar…

The quick-tongued wife burst into laughter upon seeing them: "Haha... I'm here on serious business, what brings you three women along?"

The people who came were Aunt Pang, Wang Dajiao, and Zhao Bing's wife. These three people, not minding the heat, walked all the way under the scorching sun in order to watch the excitement.

As the group was talking, Master Lin and loader Xiao Liu came out of the yard again, unloaded the boxes containing the refrigerator from the truck bed, and carried them into the Li family's house.

The plump aunt leaned over and whispered to her talkative daughter-in-law, "What appliances did the Li family buy?"

The talkative wife proudly counted on her fingers: "I know! There's a TV, a refrigerator, and a washing machine!" She then added deliberately, as if showing off, "Do you know what a washing machine is? You put your clothes in, and it washes them clean by itself without you having to wash them by hand. It's so convenient!"

Aunt Pang's eyes widened in amazement as she listened, and she exclaimed enviously, "My goodness, how much money did this cost?"

"Why don't we just go in and ask?" the quick-talking wife said, and was the first to step into the Li family's courtyard. Aunt Pang, Wang Dajiao, and Zhao Bing's wife quickly followed her in.

When they entered the living room, Mr. Lin had already begun disassembling and reassembling the television set.

When the box was opened, a brand-new 21-inch television was revealed, its screen gleaming and looking impressive.

"This TV is huge!" Zhao Bing's wife exclaimed enviously as she approached.

Wang Xiuying glanced at the four of them and chuckled as she complained, "That second son of mine just wastes money! I tried to stop him from buying so much, but I couldn't stop him."

Aunt Pang grabbed Wang Xiuying's arm and asked curiously, "Xiuying, I heard your family bought a washing machine?"

“Yes, it’s in the bathroom.” Wang Xiuying said with a smile, “There are a lot of people in our family, and a lot of clothes. My second son was worried that I would get tired from washing clothes, so he secretly bought me a washing machine. He only told me about it yesterday.”

At this point, Mr. Lin had already taken the television out of the box. He first took out a screwdriver, carefully assembled the television base, and then placed the television on the wooden cabinet against the wall in the living room.

Next, he took out a wire and plug from his toolbox, carefully connected the wire to the interface on the back of the television, and then plugged the plug into the wall socket.

After testing that the power was on and it worked, he took out the remote control and taught Wang Xiuying how to turn the TV on and off and how to change the channels.

Several elderly women stared intently at the color picture on the television, unable to tear their eyes away. The village did have televisions, but the few available were all black and white; nothing matched the clarity of this color TV.

On the other side, loader Xiao Liu unpacked the washing machine, placed it in the corner of the bathroom, connected the water inlet and outlet pipes, checked that the pipe connections were secure, plugged in the power, pressed the start button, and tested it. After confirming that the washing machine could operate normally, he handed the instruction manual to Wang Xiuying.

The talkative wife and the plump aunt stood around the washing machine, their faces filled with curiosity and shock as they watched it spin rapidly.

Only women like them knew how painful it was to wash clothes in winter, and at this moment they truly envied Wang Xiuying.

Finally, the two of them moved the refrigerator to the kitchen together.

Master Lin first removed the foam packaging from the refrigerator, then taught Wang Xiuying how to adjust the refrigerator temperature, where to put refrigerated food and where to put frozen food. He also specifically instructed her: "Sister, after you turn on the refrigerator, you should wait two or three hours before putting anything in it. This will make the cooling effect better."

Wang Xiuying remembered everything and kept thanking them.

After seeing the installer off, Wang Xiuying had just entered the living room when she was surrounded by several women who showered her with compliments: "Xiuying, you're so lucky to have such a capable son!"

"Absolutely! Building a small house and buying appliances, they're living such a comfortable life!"

"If I want to watch TV in the future, I'll have to come to your house to mooch some TV!"

Hearing these words, Wang Xiuying felt very happy and comfortable—even her usually talkative and fast-talking wife seemed much more pleasing to the eye now.

Wang Dajiao, standing at the back of the crowd, saw all of this, but felt uneasy, a mixture of envy and jealousy.

She secretly made up her mind: No, we still have to grow things in this greenhouse!

I want my family to live such a good life in the future, so that others will envy me!

(End of this chapter)