Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 287 Division of Labor
At the construction site north of the village, the roar of two excavators made the ground tremble slightly.

On the east side, machines were shoveling up loess, while on the west side, the bottom of the pit was being leveled. The pit was already more than a meter deep, with two rows of soil piled up along the edge. The south side was light brown mature soil, while the north side was yellowish-white raw soil, with a clear boundary.

A crowd had gathered around the pit, including workers wearing straw hats and villagers chatting and watching the commotion. The sounds of discussion mixed with the noise of the machines, creating a lively atmosphere.

Li Zhe and Jin Baiwan accompanied Li Guoqing and Zhang Weiyi to the edge of the pit. Zhang Weiyi looked at the excavator's movements and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "You even used an excavator?"

He has studied rural policies for many years and knows how scarce large machinery was in those days. Not to mention in the village, it was rare to see even a few in the town.

“The company has deployed a total of six excavators for construction.” Li Zhe pointed to Jin Baiwan next to him. “Two of them were found by Brother Jin through connections, and the remaining four were arranged by other shareholders. The scale of greenhouse cultivation has expanded, and manual excavation alone is simply not enough.”

"Just looking at these six excavators shows your company's determination." Zhang Weiyi stood beside the greenhouse, completely unconcerned about the dust, watching intently. Pointing to the greenhouse foundation, he asked, "How deep is this foundation?"

“The depth reached 1.3 meters,” Li Zhe replied.

"Wow, they dug this deep!" Zhang Weiyi exclaimed in surprise.

Li Zhe explained, "This is done to utilize the ground temperature for insulation."

Li Guoqing, standing to the side, frowned slightly. He remembered that Li Zhe had previously said that digging one meter below the foundation of the greenhouse would be enough, so he asked, "Brother, didn't you say before that you would dig one meter? Is this an improvement?"

“There’s been no improvement.” Li Zhe pointed to the mound of soil on the south side of the greenhouse. “The mound of soil on the south side of the greenhouse is topsoil, which is 30 centimeters deep. This part of the soil will eventually be used to backfill the soil for planting vegetables. The soil on the north side is raw soil, which will be used to build rammed earth walls.”

Although Li Guoqing worked in the Rural Policy Research Office, he had never actually farmed before and was not familiar with these intricacies. He laughed and said, "Hey, it seems that I, as a 'rural policy researcher,' still have to learn from you, a 'pragmatist.' I really hadn't studied these intricacies before."

Zhang Weiyi pointed to the crowd on the north side and asked, "Are those people building a rammed earth wall?"

Li Zhe replied, "Yes, the materials for building the wall are very simple: loess, water, straw, corn stalks, and lime."

Zhang Weiyi stepped forward and watched the workers mixing materials and using tools to tamp down the walls, working enthusiastically. He said, "Hey, your greenhouse cultivation not only makes money for yourself and the growers, but also indirectly boosts the income of the surrounding farmers."

Jin Baiwan laughed and said, "Director Zhang, you have a keen eye; you've hit the nail on the head right away. Actually, there are relatively few people working this year."

When Brother Li built the first batch of greenhouses last year, there wasn't a single excavator. Not to mention building rammed earth walls, even digging the foundations for the greenhouses was done manually. At that time, hundreds of households in the village worked with him.

The villagers earned money and had more money to spare, which also boosted the business of the village's general store.

Li Guoqing felt the data didn't add up and asked doubtfully, "Brother Li, you only planted a few acres of land last year. How could you possibly need so many people?"

Jin Baiwan laughed and said, "I'm underestimating it. Digging holes is hard work. After a day, you'll be sore and tired that you'll have to be replaced after a few days."

Someone like me who doesn't often work in the fields would be exhausted after half a day and simply couldn't do this kind of work. When a greenhouse is dug up, there are very few people who can work with Brother Li from start to finish.

"It's all thanks to Brother Li's high wages that the villagers are willing to work, allowing for a steady stream of workers to come and go."

Li Guoqing suddenly realized and said with a smile, "Indeed, practice makes perfect. Theoretically, a few dozen people would be enough, but in practice, the difference is so big. It seems I need to visit the grassroots level more often in the future."

Zhang Weiyi nodded and then steered the conversation back to greenhouse technology: "Mr. Li, the core of your winter-warm vegetable greenhouse is to utilize the ground temperature and rammed earth walls for insulation, and then rely on the transparent film to raise the temperature with sunlight?"

“That’s right,” Li Zhe replied.

"Is it really unnecessary to rely on burning coal to raise the temperature?" Zhang Weiyi knew that old-fashioned greenhouses all relied on coal for heating, which was extremely costly and unaffordable for ordinary farmers.

“Unless it snows or there is extremely cold weather, there is no need to use coal for heating,” Li Zhe replied.

Zhang Weiyi then asked, "So, how much would it cost to build a greenhouse like this now?"

“More than five thousand yuan.” Li Zhe paused, then added, “However, prices have been rising rapidly recently, and building material prices fluctuate every month, so the cost may be even higher later.”

“Five thousand is no small sum.” Zhang Weiyi frowned. “How many farmers can afford that amount on their own?”

“Almost none,” Li Zhe admitted frankly. “Most farmers take out loans from credit unions, and our company also helps them connect with banks to try and get lower loan interest rates.”

This answer aligned with Zhang Weiyi's assessment. He then asked, "How large will the vegetable greenhouses at Sijiqing be this year? Are they all grown by the company itself?"

“It’s about 500 mu,” Li Zhe explained. “Part of it is operated by the company itself, and the other part is in cooperation with farmers. We provide technical guidance and seeds, and the farmers provide the land and funds. After the vegetables are ripe, we will buy them at the market price to guarantee the farmers a minimum income.”

Zhang Weiyi pondered for a moment and then raised the crucial question: "The vegetable market is good in winter, and everyone knows it's profitable. What if, after the vegetables are grown, the farmers think the purchase price outside is higher and refuse to sell to you as agreed?"

Li Zhe said calmly, "We have a partnership with Beijing Vegetable Company. The vegetables we buy from growers are eventually resold to them."

Zhang Weiyi naturally knew about the Beijing Vegetable Company. The company's "mission" was to ensure the supply of vegetables to Beijing. No matter how you acted like a rogue or broke the contract, it wouldn't work with them.

Upon learning that Sijiqing Company had a partnership with Beijing City Vegetable Company, Zhang Weiyi couldn't help but think more highly of Li Zhe.

Li Guoqing then said, "Brother Li, could you take us to see the greenhouse that has already been built? We'd like to get a feel for it firsthand."

“Of course, but it’s mid-August now, and it’s too hot. The greenhouse films have all been taken down, so you can only see the greenhouse structure.” Li Zhe thought for a moment and added, “How about I take you to see the seedling greenhouse? The facilities there are still intact, and you can also learn about our seedling cultivation techniques.”

The group then walked toward the seedling area, passing rows of greenhouse frames along the way—neatly arranged cement pillars, crisscrossing bamboo poles forming the frames, and some greenhouses covered with black sunshades, looking like a black wave from a distance.

Zhang Weiyi pointed to the sunshade and asked, "Is this sunshade for sun protection?"

“Yes, some cash crop seedlings are afraid of high temperatures. When the sun is strong at noon, we have to rely on shade sheds to cool them down and prevent the seedlings from being sunburned,” Li Zhe replied.

Stepping into the seedling shed, rows of black plastic seedling trays were neatly arranged, each containing tender green seedlings that looked vibrant and full of life. Zhang Weiyi and Li Guoqing were seeing this seedling cultivation method for the first time and couldn't help but bend down for a closer look.

"Is this specifically for seedling cultivation?" Li Guoqing asked curiously.

"Yes, the substrate in each seedling tray is mixed in a specific ratio to ensure that the seedlings have the nutrients they need to grow, resulting in a higher survival rate than traditional seedling cultivation methods," Li Zhe explained.

"This is truly eye-opening," Li Guoqing exclaimed sincerely. Zhang Weiyi nodded repeatedly as well. They understood the development of agriculture abroad and knew that only with sufficient expertise could large-scale production be possible.

By this time, the sun had risen high in the sky, and the weather was becoming increasingly hot and humid. Li Zhe suggested, "Let's go to the cafeteria to rest for a while and have some tea."

Zhang Weiyi and Li Guoqing also felt hot, so they followed Li Zhe to the cafeteria.

In the small reception room of the canteen, Jin Baiwan brewed a pot of green tea and poured it for the group.

After taking a sip of tea, Zhang Weiyi got straight to the point: "Mr. Li, what are your plans for the future development of Sijiqing Company? For example, the direction of expansion of vegetable greenhouses?"

After a moment's thought, Li Zhe replied, "As people's living standards improve, 'eating summer vegetables in winter' will become a trend. Let alone Wan'an Town, even if the entire Langfang City were to grow vegetables in greenhouses, it would still be difficult to meet the demand of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Therefore, I think this industry has great potential for the future."

"So how big do you think the scale of Langfang's vegetable greenhouses can be expanded next year?" Zhang Weiyi asked, her tone filled with anticipation.

"If we can get help from the government and with the support of Sijiqing, expanding to 5,000 mu shouldn't be a problem," Li Zhe said confidently.

Zhang Weiyi immediately asked, "So, what aspects of government support do your company and farmers most hope to receive?"

Li Zhe was well-prepared and calmly replied, "I remember the People's Daily published an article that said, 'To get rich, build roads first.' That's absolutely right."

If you've come from Beijing, you'll understand; the road conditions get worse and worse as you travel from the city center towards Daying Village, becoming full of potholes.

During vegetable transportation, bumps and jostling can cause damage, with a loss rate of over 10%.

Therefore, what we hope most is that the government can help build a cement road from the outskirts of Beijing to the village. This would not only reduce our transportation costs but also make it easier for villagers to travel.” Zhang Weiyi nodded, her opinion of Li Zhe rising even higher – Li Zhe didn’t just think about getting benefits for the company, but rather raised needs from the perspective of the entire village and even the entire region, demonstrating a vision far beyond that of ordinary individual business owners.

Just then, a noisy argument broke out outside, followed by a knock on the door.

"Come in," Li Zhe replied.

Lin Xiaohu pushed the door open and whispered in Li Zhe's ear, "Brother Li, Zhao Dashan and Chen Laonian are causing trouble again. They say they won't leave until they see you and insist on signing a new planting contract with the company."

"Are they still not done?" Li Zhe frowned.

“That’s right!” Lin Xiaohu said angrily. “They said that terminating the contract before was a moment of confusion, and now they know they were wrong. They want to continue growing crops in greenhouses with us. They also said that if we don’t agree, they will wait outside.”

Li Zhe sneered: "Have Zhao Bing lead the militia to drive them away. If they cause trouble again, contact the police station directly. They voluntarily terminated the contract back then, and now they regret it and come to cause trouble. Do they really think the company is their own? Don't give them any face."

"Alright!" Lin Xiaohu had been holding back his anger for a long time. After responding, he turned around and ran, his steps becoming much lighter.

Zhang Weiyi was curious but didn't want to ask directly, so he gestured to Li Guoqing with his eyes. Li Guoqing understood and asked, "Brother, what happened just now? Did you have a conflict with the farmers?"

Li Zhe didn't hide anything and replied, "Last month, Langfang experienced a rainstorm, and the foundation of the company's greenhouse was flooded."

Some farmers were frightened, worried that extreme weather would damage their greenhouses and lead to a complete crop failure. They made a request to Sijiqing Company, hoping we would provide a safety net—covering all losses for the farmers in the event of an extreme disaster.

He added, "This is not within the scope of our company's contract, and our company also grows in greenhouses. If extreme weather occurs, we will also suffer losses. We simply do not have the capacity to cover their losses."

After I refused, these farmers threatened to terminate the contract. I didn't tolerate them and terminated the contract directly.

But after we terminated the contract, they regretted it and wanted to work with our company again to grow crops in greenhouses. I didn't agree, so they kept causing trouble.

Because of this, I even went to the capital to hide for a while. I guess they came looking for me again after I came back.

Zhang Weiyi frowned and asked worriedly, "Won't these people harbor resentment and cause even bigger trouble?"

"Don't worry, most of the village militiamen are with us growing crops in greenhouses, and those who aren't are still receiving patrol subsidies from the company," Li Zhe said casually. "Besides, we do things openly and honestly, and the contract terms are all clearly written. Their fuss won't change anything."

Zhang Weiyi smiled, his tone becoming much more friendly: "Brother Li, you not only know how to do things, but you also know how to be a person. You are someone who can achieve great things."

"You flatter me," Li Zhe said politely, then continued, "Director Zhang, you just asked what kind of government support we hope to receive, and I haven't finished yet. My original intention in growing vegetables in greenhouses was to actively respond to the Ministry of Agriculture's 'Vegetable Basket' project and solve the problem of vegetable shortages in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region."

More and more people are following my lead in growing crops in greenhouses. These people are all farmers, and their families are not well-off. They mostly rely on loans to grow crops in greenhouses, so they have a weak ability to withstand risks.

I hope the local government can help farmers apply for greenhouse cultivation subsidies and post-disaster subsidies. With this guarantee, I believe more farmers will be willing to join greenhouse cultivation.

Zhang Weiyi nodded: "Your idea is very good. If there is an opportunity in the future, we can discuss it in more detail."

Over the next few hours, Zhang Weiyi inquired in detail about Sijiqing Company's planting plan, including grower training programs, vegetable variety selection, sales channel layout, market pricing strategy, and expansion plans for next year.

Li Zhe answered each question clearly and logically, with detailed data, which made Zhang Weiyi and Li Guoqing increasingly satisfied.

After having lunch in the cafeteria, the group chatted for more than two hours before Zhang Weiyi and Li Guoqing got up to say goodbye.

After the car started, Li Guoqing, sitting in the passenger seat, looked out the window at the foundation and frame of the greenhouse and said, "If only we had come later. The weather is still warm now, and the greenhouse wasn't covered with plastic film, so we couldn't see what the greenhouse looked like in its entirety."

Zhang Weiyi said, "Time waits for no one, or I'll miss it. My family is already helping me with the transfer, and I need to finalize the location as soon as possible."

Li Guoqing nodded: "That's true, nothing is perfect. Today we've at least seen the greenhouse and had a thorough discussion with Brother Li. You can discuss it with your elders when you get back and then make a decision."

"No need to discuss it anymore, this is the place!" Zhang Weiyi said firmly.

Li Guoqing was surprised that he was so decisive, making such a big decision so quickly. He hurriedly said, "Brother Li's ideas and plans are indeed good, but they may not necessarily come to fruition. I think you should discuss it with your family first."

He deliberately added this sentence to lower Zhang Weiyi's expectations—if the plan to expand the vegetable greenhouse failed and did not achieve results, it wouldn't be his and Li Zhe's fault.

"Qingzi, there are risks involved in doing things. Anyone can do things without risks, but they won't achieve anything." Zhang Weiyi laughed, "I can afford to take this risk!"

Looking at Zhang Weiyi beside him, Li Guoqing felt a pang of envy—he also wanted to take a gamble, but unfortunately, he didn't have the resources.

……

As evening fell, Daying Village gradually quieted down, but the small canteen in the north of the village was unusually lively.

Employees of Sijiqing Company arrived one after another. Some sat on wooden benches chatting, some drank tea from enamel cups, and others gathered together to discuss the growth of vegetable seedlings in the greenhouse. The air was filled with the faint aroma of tea and the smell of cooking.

Li Zhe held an enamel mug with the words "Serve the People" printed on it, blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface, took a sip of hot tea, and gently placed the mug on the table.

Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, he cleared his throat and said in a low but penetrating voice, "Everyone, let's have a short meeting so we can finish quickly and go home sooner."

The noisy cafeteria fell silent instantly. As Sijiqing Company became more and more formalized, the employees also became more disciplined than before, sitting up straight and all eyes fixed on Li Zhe.

"Everyone has worked hard this month." Li Zhe looked at everyone with a smile in his eyes. "You have to train the farmers and oversee the greenhouse construction. I see that many of you have lost weight and gotten tanned. When I come back from Beijing next time, I'll buy some meat for everyone to eat well."

"Brother, let's get another sheep! Roasted whole lamb is the best!" Zhao Tiezhu had the loudest voice, and his tall and burly figure made him stand out.

"Yeah, yeah! And with a cold beer, that would be awesome!" Lin Xiaohu chimed in, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Don't even mention it, I'm practically drooling!" Li Zhiqiang rubbed his stomach, which drew a burst of laughter from everyone.

Li Zhe smiled and nodded: "No problem! When the weather gets a little cooler, we'll have a whole roasted lamb and let everyone have a good time."

After the joke, Li Zhe put away his smile and said seriously, "I remember that last year we only started cultivating seedlings at the end of August and built the greenhouse in mid-September. Looking back now, it was indeed a bit late."

It's only mid-August now, the perfect time to build greenhouses and cultivate vegetable seedlings.

"Taking advantage of today's meeting, let's discuss the follow-up work arrangements, mainly in three aspects: division of labor, selection of vegetable varieties, and recruitment."

As he spoke, Li Zhe walked to the blackboard and wrote the word "division of labor." Then he turned around and continued, "Our planting work is mainly divided into three categories. The first category is the experimental field, which needs no further explanation and is managed by Teacher Chen Shougeng."

The second category is the vegetable greenhouses operated and cultivated by Sijiqing Company itself, which is managed by Brother Zhu Yimin.

The third category is vegetable greenhouses operated under agreements with growers, and this part of the work is handled by Comrade Lao Li.

Does anyone have any objections to this division of labor? If you have any thoughts, please feel free to share them so we can discuss them together.

Seeing that no one raised any objections, Li Zhe continued, "Today we will focus on the third category, which is which types of vegetables should be selected for greenhouses that cooperate with growers."

This is because it directly relates to the content of subsequent training for farmers, so it must be finalized as soon as possible. Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Qinghe was the first to raise his hand: "Brother Li, I have an idea. I think interest is the best motivation. We can let the growers choose the training content and the types of vegetables they want to grow."

In this way, everyone chooses varieties they are willing to learn and grow, which not only increases their enthusiasm but also allows for a wider variety of vegetables to be planted.

After listening, Zhu Yimin frowned slightly and offered a different opinion.

(End of this chapter)