Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 282 Failure (Happy Holidays!)

Early in the morning, a new red paper slogan reading "Support the Army and Give Preferential Treatment to Families of Servicemen, Support the Government and Cherish the People" was posted on the top of the brigade's courtyard wall.

A sound came from the broadcasting room, and then the village's loudspeaker blared.

The prelude to "The East Is Red" first came from the loudspeaker, followed by the slightly hoarse voice of Wang Tietou, the village party secretary: "Today is the 62nd anniversary of the founding of the army. Greetings to the veterans, militiamen and military families in our village!"
A meeting will be held at the brigade headquarters at 9:00 AM. Everyone, come and join the fun!

As soon as the words were spoken, the melody of "The Shining Red Star" started again, mingling with the distant crowing of roosters, and echoed for a long time between the fields.

Sun Qiang's house is located at the west end of the village.

Sun Qiang had just finished eating when he heard the announcement. He wiped his mouth, stood up, and said, "It's almost time, I'm leaving."

Sun Qiang's wife quickly reminded him, "Dad, when you get there you have to listen carefully. If there are any words you don't recognize, don't be shy about asking people."

"Don't worry, I know." Sun Qiang dressed neatly, straightened his clothes, and then picked up a brand new notebook and a pencil.

As soon as I reached the door, I saw my neighbor Zhao Xiaowu eating with a bowl in his hand.

Seeing Sun Qiang limping out the door, Zhao Xiaowu greeted him with a smile, "Brother Sun, why are you going to the brigade so early this year?"

Every year on August 1st, villagers would go to the brigade to join in the fun—when the veterans told stories of the War of Resistance Against Japan, everyone in the room listened with great interest, and even the older children would stop making noise and lean against the door frame to listen.
In the afternoon, an art troupe came to perform Yangko dance and excerpts from model operas. The brigade courtyard and the area around the consignment store were packed with people, making it very lively.

Zhao Xiaowu also liked to join in the fun, but it wasn't even eight o'clock yet, so there was really no need to go so early.

Sun Qiang responded with a smile: "I'm not going to the brigade this year."

Zhao Xiaowu was taken aback, his gaze falling on the notebook in his hand. He asked in surprise, "Brother Sun, where are you going? Why are you carrying a notebook and pen?"

"Haha, Sijiqing Company is going to hold a planting technology training course. Today is the first day of training. I've been looking forward to this day for a long time. I can't wait to go!" After saying that, Sun Qiang walked straight out of the village.

Zhao Xiaowu was stunned for a moment, then turned around and ran home.

Sun Qiang limped north of the village. Halfway there, he saw Wang Ermazi also turn out of his alley. Wang Ermazi was also holding a notebook in his calloused hands.

Seeing this, Sun Qiang joked, "Your fingers are much thicker than a pencil, can you even hold a pen?"

Wang Ermazi laughed and retorted, "At least I graduated from junior high school, while you only went to elementary school. How dare you criticize me?"

"Ha ha……"

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

The two walked together toward the north of the village, encountering more and more familiar farmers along the way—some carrying small stools, saying they were worried about not having a place to sit during the training;

Some people were clutching crumpled pieces of paper with notes on the problems they were encountering in their greenhouses, hoping to get some answers during the training.

Others chatted as they walked, talking about the progress of their greenhouse construction.

Everyone's face was beaming with joy, and their words were filled with anticipation for the training. The lively atmosphere was just like visiting relatives during the Chinese New Year.

Soon, the group arrived at the north of the village.

Looking at the canteen, which was even more impressive than the village committee building, everyone felt a sense of pride – many of them had participated in the construction of the canteen, carrying bricks, mixing mud, and building walls; they had all contributed to its construction.

The cafeteria doors had already been installed, and a queue was forming at the entrance.

Sun Qiang and Wang Ermazi peered ahead curiously, wondering what was going on ahead.

Sun Qiang stayed behind to queue, while Wang Ermazi ran to the front of the line to inquire. He saw Zhao Tiezhu and Wang Daqing standing at the entrance, checking the list—only farmers who had signed contracts with the company could enter to participate in the training.

"Wow, that's pretty professional!" Upon hearing this request, Sun Qiang was not only not unhappy, but his chest puffed out even more.

He was among the first farmers to sign a contract with Sijiqing Company, a status that made him extremely proud.

Since they are all from the same village or neighboring villages, they know each other well, and the name verification process is very quick.

When they got to Sun Qiang and Wang Ermazi, Zhao Tiezhu didn't even look at the list and waved them in, saying, "Come on in, it's almost full!"

This preferential treatment made the two feel more comfortable and gave them a greater sense of belonging to Sijiqing Company.

Of course, many villagers who wanted to watch the excitement tried to sneak in, but Zhao Tiezhu and Wang Daqing stopped them. They could only stand around the canteen and peek inside on tiptoe.

The canteen was bustling with activity, with a red banner hanging from the roof that read "The First Greenhouse Planting Technology Training Class of Sijiqing Company".

In addition to the farmers who came to participate in the training, employees of Sijiqing Company also gathered here: some were busy moving tables and chairs; some were maintaining order by the line and guiding the farmers to find their seats; and others were helping to distribute pre-printed materials.

Li Zhe, Chen Shougeng, Zhu Yimin, and Zhou Qinghe were chatting together. Occasionally, some farmers would come over to greet them, and Li Zhe would respond with a smile, telling them to find a place to sit first.

After a while, seeing that it was almost 8:30, Li Zhe turned to Jin Baiwan beside him and said, "Brother Jin, almost everyone has arrived, let's begin."

Old Li chimed in, "I see other farmers are still coming in. Should we wait a bit longer?"

Li Zhe shook his head: "No more waiting. This rule must be followed for future training sessions. People must wait for classes, not classes waiting for people. If we start this habit of waiting today and it becomes a habit of procrastination, just you wait and see. Even in another hour, not everyone may have arrived. We can't tolerate this bad habit."

Teacher Chen Shougeng nodded and agreed, "That's right. There must be rules to do things well."

Seeing that Teacher Chen had said so, Old Li didn't insist any further.

Jin Baiwan stepped onto the makeshift stage, his gaze sweeping over the farmers below. He cleared his throat and said, "Everyone, please be quiet. Today is our company's first greenhouse technology training course, and I'd like to say a few honest words to you."

We're all experienced farmers, used to relying on the weather all our lives. Now we're switching to greenhouse farming, which means selling summer produce in winter. This approach is sure to make money.

However, the technology for greenhouse cultivation is different from that for growing vegetables in the open field. I hope everyone can learn humbly, listen carefully, and ask questions if they don't understand. Don't pretend to know what you don't, and don't apply old ideas to greenhouse vegetables.

It's important to know that the temperature and humidity inside a greenhouse are different from those in the open air. If you still use the old methods to grow vegetables, the yield may be reduced, and in severe cases, the seedlings may even be damaged or killed by frost.

That's all I wanted to say. Now, please welcome Zhou Qinghe, a student from Beijing Agricultural University—Teacher Zhou—to give a lesson! Let's give her a round of applause!

"Clap clap..." Enthusiastic applause immediately rang out from the audience.

Zhou Qinghe stood up, carrying a stack of documents, her young face showing a hint of nervousness.

After walking to the center of the podium, she first placed the seedling tray and a few tender green seedlings on the table and said, "Hello students, the topic I'm going to talk about today is 'Greenhouse Vegetable Seedling Technology'."

Why talk about seedling cultivation first?

"Because when we grow greenhouse vegetables, the seedlings are fundamental; if the seedlings are weak or diseased, even if the greenhouse is built very sturdily, a good harvest will be difficult to achieve."

Speaking of this, she picked up a seedling tray made of newspaper: "These are the seeds I started cultivating a few days ago. Before officially cultivating the seedlings, they need to be soaked in warm water to promote germination. The water temperature should not be too high or too low, around 50 degrees is just right."

After germination, place the seeds in a seedling tray. The soil for seedling cultivation needs to be prepared in advance; I will tell you the detailed proportions later.

Plastic basins, old wooden boxes, and even boxes made of old newspapers that are commonly found in farmers' homes can all be used as seedling containers, as long as they have been disinfected, without needing to spend extra money on equipment.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a farmer raised his hand: "Teacher Zhou, the seedlings I grew myself last year rotted as soon as they sprouted. Is it a problem with the soil?"

Zhou Qinghe immediately responded: "It's very likely that the soil wasn't sterilized, or that you watered it too much and suffocated the roots. After I explain the specific steps, I'll tell you separately how to solve this problem."

As more and more people asked questions, the initially somewhat reserved atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the cafeteria. Even Li Zhe, who was sitting in the front row, heard it. He couldn't help but frown slightly, get up and walk out. Lin Xiaohu and Li Zhiqiang quickly followed.

Outside the canteen. Several people were gathered at the entrance, led by Zhao Dashan, who had previously terminated his contract with Sijiqing Company, as well as Chen Laonian and his wife Wang Dajiao.

Zhao Tiezhu stood at the door like a gatekeeper, arms crossed, glaring at them with a sharp look.

Wang Daqing held the list in his hand and patiently explained, "Your names are not on the list. Company rules prohibit outsiders from entering."

Wang Dajiao retorted defiantly, "How are we outsiders? My family are also farmers, and we signed a contract with your company before!"

Wang Daqing replied, "You did sign a planting contract, but didn't you terminate it later? The whole village knew about it back then, so don't try to act like a rogue here."

Wang Daqing's father is the village party secretary. Wang Dajiao was usually a little afraid of Wang Tietou. Seeing Wang Daqing's firm attitude, she couldn't help but take two steps back.

Seeing this, Zhao Dashan quickly stepped forward and softened his tone: "Daqing, we were just confused at the time. We didn't really want to terminate the contract. We still want to grow crops in greenhouses and work with the company."

Wang Daqing shook his head: "I can't make that decision. My job is to check the list. Only contracted farmers can go in to attend the class. Stop causing trouble here and leave now."

Suddenly, Chen Laonian shouted, "If you can't make the decision, then call out the one who can!"

"Yes, let's call Li Zhe out and talk to him!" The others echoed.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Tiezhu's eyes widened, and he shouted, "What are you saying? Who do you want to talk to? Why are you yelling at me like that? Do you want to get beaten up?"
"You think you can just call my brother by his name like that? Believe me or not, I'll beat you all up!"

Zhao Dashan took two steps back and whispered in defense, "Zhuzi, we're all older than you. In terms of seniority, I'm your elder from the same clan. Why are you saying such rude things?"

Zhao Tiezhu wasn't buying it: "I've said it, so what? Anyone disagree? Come out and have a go at me!"

Seeing the atmosphere become tense, Wang Dajiao spoke up again: "Fine, you guys are something else! If you won't let us in, we'll go to Li Zhe's house to find him. We're all neighbors, do you think he can turn us away?"

Just then, Li Zhe came out and asked with a cold face, "What's going on? What's all the noise about? Don't you know there's a class going on inside?"

Zhao Tiezhu immediately lowered his voice and explained, "Brother, these people have already terminated their contracts with the company, but now they insist on going to the training class. We didn't let them in, so they're making a fuss here."

Li Zhe looked at Zhao Dashan and the others, his tone softening: "Fellow villagers, it's not that I don't want you to come in. You can visit the canteen anytime you want. But today is a training session held by the company for the contracted farmers, so it's really inconvenient to let outsiders in and disturb us."

Wang Dajiao quickly stepped forward and said in a pleading tone, "Second son of the Li family, we are not here to visit. We also want to listen to the lectures and learn how to grow crops in greenhouses."

Zhao Dashan chimed in, "That's right, we're not terminating the contract. We still want to grow crops in greenhouses with the company."

Li Zhe's smile vanished instantly, and he said seriously, "Uncle Zhao, you were the ones who said you wanted to terminate the contract. Now the company has signed new contracts with other growers, and you're telling me you're not terminating it? Aren't you just playing me?"

"No, no, we weren't playing a trick on you. We were just scared by the downpour and didn't think things through, so we said something silly," Zhao Dashan hurriedly explained.

Li Zhe said earnestly, "This Sijiqing Company has more than 20 shareholders, and it's not up to me to make the decisions. I already made an exception once when I terminated your contract."

Whether you haven't thought things through or have other reasons, it's impossible to change it now; the contract is finalized, and I can't let the other shareholders and farmers feel disheartened for your sake.

Wang Dajiao still wanted to plead, and said with a sob in her voice, "Second son, we're all from the same village, please help us."

Li Zhe said solemnly, "I'll say it again, and this is the last time. The company has its rules. Since the contract has been terminated, we can no longer cooperate."

If you really want to grow vegetables in greenhouses, you can apply to the company earlier next year. The quota for this year's cooperative farmers is already full. If I give you preferential treatment, the other farmers won't be happy.

"Alright, you can go back now." After saying that, Li Zhe didn't give them a chance to speak and turned back to the cafeteria.

Seeing that Li Zhe had spoken, Zhao Tiezhu and Wang Daqing no longer stood on ceremony and went directly to ask them to leave.

The farmers inside the canteen heard the commotion outside, but knowing that the training opportunity was rare, they all refrained from coming out to watch.

After Zhou Qinghe finished his morning lecture and announced a temporary break, the farmers gathered around to inquire about the situation.

When they learned that Zhao Dashan, Wang Dajiao, and others regretted terminating their contracts and wanted to return to the company to grow crops in greenhouses, and even insisted on attending training courses, but were refused by Li Zhe who made it clear that they would not cooperate this year, everyone felt relieved rather than pitied them.

They made such a scene when they terminated the contract, and now they want to come back and take advantage of us? It's not that easy!

After this incident, the farmers cherished the training opportunity even more, surrounding Zhou Qinghe with questions, afraid of missing even the slightest bit of knowledge.

……

In the morning, as the streets of Beijing grew busier, a white Volga sedan came to a steady stop in front of the Mona Lisa restaurant.

The restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows were polished to a shine, and you could vaguely see the dining tables covered with checkered tablecloths, giving it a stylish feel.

Li Zhe pushed open the car door and walked into the restaurant. He immediately spotted Su Mingyuan, who was wearing a white waiter's uniform, and greeted him with a smile: "Da Zhuang, it's been a while. How have you been?"

"Boss Li is here." Su Mingyuan forced a smile, but his voice was weak as he pointed to the stairs: "Our boss is on the second floor."

Li Zhe nodded and climbed the wooden stairs to the second floor.

On the second floor, near the window, Shen Yanan was talking quietly with Ma Di, holding a restaurant ledger in her hand. It sounded like they were discussing the kitchen's inventory preparation.

Seeing Li Zhe come up, Shen Yanan waved to Ma Di: "Alright, that's enough for now. You go ahead and get busy. We'll talk in detail later."

Mati nodded politely to Li Zhe, then turned and went downstairs to get busy.

"Hey bro, you're here." Shen Yanan pointed to the booth by the window. "Sit down. What would you like to drink? I'll have the waiter order for you."

Li Zhe sat down and casually picked up the menu on the table, flipping through it. "I'll have a chilled watermelon juice."

Shen Yanan called over a waiter and gave him a few instructions before sitting down opposite Li Zhe: "Brother, I haven't seen you for a while. What have you been up to lately?"

"What else could I be busy with? It's about growing vegetables in the greenhouses." Li Zhe closed the menu. "There are a lot of miscellaneous things to do. Coming to Beijing today is a way to steal a moment of leisure."

"How's the scale of the greenhouses this year?" Shen Yanan asked curiously.

"About five hundred acres," Li Zhe replied after thinking for a moment.

"Wow, amazing!" Shen Yanan couldn't help but exclaim. "Last winter we only planted a dozen or so acres, and this has increased dozens of times over. We're sure to make a fortune this year!"

Although her family is not short of money, she couldn't help but envy the speed of expansion.

"We can still make money, but it's different from last year," Li Zhe explained.

"Last year, those dozen or so acres were all mine, so the profits were naturally high. This year, we established Sijiqing Company, which has more than twenty shareholders, and we also have to cooperate with growers."

We buy vegetables from farmers and then resell them to vegetable companies, earning only the price difference. The profit per acre is much lower than last year. However, the scale is large, so the overall profit is still considerable.

"So how are the prices of off-season vegetables this year? How much different are they from last year?" Shen Yanan asked again.

"It will definitely be lower, but how much lower depends on the market conditions in winter." Just as Li Zhe finished speaking, the waiter brought over a glass of red watermelon juice, with water droplets condensing on the glass and giving it a cool feel.

Li Zhe picked up the glass and took a sip. The sweet, cool sensation slid down his throat, and he couldn't help but nod: "It tastes good."

He suddenly remembered Su Mingyuan downstairs and asked, "I just saw Dazhuang on the first floor. Why did he look so listless? Didn't he say he was going to study in the Soviet Union?"

Shen Yanan pursed her lips and lowered her voice: "He was rejected. He must be devastated. He's been listless these past few days. He even gets distracted while wiping a table."

If this continues, I'll have to deduct his salary.

(End of this chapter)