Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 288 Asian Games Village

Zhu Yimin slowly spoke: "Qinghe, your idea is good, but it's not very practical."

Most of the growers we work with are older, with limited energy and learning abilities compared to younger people. If there are too many training courses or too many varieties, they are likely to try to do too much at once and end up not being able to grow anything well.

I think it's better to limit the selection to a few varieties, with unified training and management, to ensure both quantity and quality.

Zhou Qinghe immediately retorted: "I'm not saying that every grower should learn all the training courses, but that they should choose courses according to their own needs. For example, if someone wants to learn how to grow cucumbers, they should only learn how to grow cucumbers; if someone wants to learn how to grow broccoli, they should only learn how to grow broccoli. This is how we can increase their enthusiasm."

Zhu Yimin continued, "Your idea is well-intentioned, but it will greatly increase our training workload. Our company doesn't have many people to begin with. If we prepare additional training courses and arrange multiple lectures, we might not be able to manage it all."

As for motivation, farmers are motivated as long as they can make money; they're not that particular.

At this moment, Jin Baiwan also spoke up, saying, "I agree with Lao Zhu's idea. I don't know much about training, but from the perspective of sales channels, farmers are not only our partners, but also our potential competitors."

If we teach them all the planting techniques, they can grow any of the vegetables we can grow, and then our company's competitive advantage will be gone.

Jin Baiwan paused for a moment, then added, "Personally, I think it's enough to teach growers a few common vegetable planting techniques."

Many rare and high-value vegetable varieties are grown exclusively by our company.

This is how we maintain our company's competitive advantage, and our distributors will rely on us more. We can grow what farmers can grow, and we can also grow what farmers can't; this is how we demonstrate our company's core value.

As soon as Jin Baiwan finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement.

Even Lin Xiaohu, who had always supported Zhou Qinghe, said, "Brother Jin is right. If we teach them everything, how will we make money in the future?"

Seeing this, Li Zhe concluded, "Since everyone agrees with Brother Jin's idea, then it's settled. The cooperative greenhouses will only teach growers a few common vegetables; the company will cultivate the other varieties itself."

I'll discuss the specific selections with Lao Li, Teacher Chen, and Brother Zhu later, and once we've decided, we'll begin preparing the training materials.

He glanced at his watch and continued, "Finally, let's talk about recruitment."

The requirements are simple: First, have a certain learning ability and be able to read the planting manual; second, those with vegetable planting experience are preferred.
Third, and most importantly, be hardworking and diligent. Don't just learn the skills and then quit. Otherwise, we'll have to train you again, wasting time.

"The number of employees to be recruited should be calculated by the three supervisors based on their respective responsibilities, and then reported to me."

If you have suitable candidates, please feel free to recommend them, but they must meet the requirements and cannot be selected through back channels.

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd became lively. Zhao Tiezhu spoke first: "I recommend my uncle. He has been farming for twenty years. He is very reliable. He did not go out to work this year, so he can come to our company."

“I recommend my uncle!” Lin Xiaohu raised his hand. “His family used to grow vegetables, so he knows a bit about planting techniques, and he’s a hard worker.”

Malay, sitting in the back row, whispered, "I have a cousin from my mother's family who just came back from out of town. Could we let him give it a try?"

Others also recommended their relatives, mostly able-bodied men in the village who had no work. Li Zhe noted them down one by one and instructed, "Recommendations are fine, but they must be interviewed first. Let the three supervisors see what kind of people they are, and only hire them if they meet the requirements."

After the meeting, the employees left one after another, and Li Zhe and Lao Li walked home side by side.

Old Li didn't say a word the whole way, his head was down, as if he was thinking about something.

As they neared his home, he hesitated before speaking, "Second brother, is it appropriate for you to make me the supervisor?"

Li Zhe stopped and asked, "Dad, don't you want to do it?"

"It's not that I don't want to do it, it's that I'm afraid I won't do it well," Old Li sighed. "I only graduated from elementary school, I don't know many words, and I'm getting old, my mind isn't as quick as yours young people. What if I mess it up and delay the company's business?"

Li Zhe looked at his father and thought to himself: This old Li has no ambition at all. He needs to be reminded of something every now and then.

"Dad, you're overthinking it," Li Zhe coaxed with a smile. "You're in charge of the cooperative greenhouses, which mainly involves dealing with the growers. If you're too young, you won't be able to handle things. At your age, and knowing the villagers well, people will listen to you, so you're just right."

You can read and do math; as long as you're willing to learn, you're definitely no worse than anyone else.

He paused, then smiled and said, "Besides, you're really not that old. Many public servants are still on duty in their sixties or seventies, but you're only forty-four this year, which is the perfect time to make a difference."

Work hard, and next year my brother will give you a grandson; if you don't work hard to earn money, how will you build a new house for your grandson?

“You’re right! We do need to study!” Old Li’s eyes lit up instantly when his grandson was mentioned: “Second son, buy me some books later. Teacher Chen said that reading more books can broaden one’s horizons. I can’t hold you back.”

"Okay!" Li Zhe agreed with a smile. "I'll not only buy you books on planting, but also a few on management. You'll definitely need them later. If you have any questions, just ask Teacher Chen. He'll definitely be willing to teach you."

Old Li nodded emphatically, and his steps became much lighter.

As the sun set, the shadows of the father and son stretched long as they walked home, chatting and laughing all the way.

……

The staff quarters of the Beijing Ancient Bridge Air Conditioning Factory.

The five-story red brick building was covered with moss, and the corridors were filled with the aroma of food and laundry detergent.

The tin doors on both sides of the corridor are mottled and faded, and there are piles of miscellaneous items in front of each door. Some have wooden cabinets with peeling paint, and some have jars full of pickled vegetables stacked on top of each other. The narrow passageway is only wide enough for two people to pass each other sideways.

The door to room 307 was ajar, and a faint smell of baby formula could be smelled as soon as it was pushed open.

This is a one-bedroom apartment of about 30 square meters. In the living room, there is a peeling faux leather sofa, and next to the sofa is an old wooden table with a few new baby clothes and diapers piled on the corner.

Two bedding rolls leaned against the wall, their blue covers faded from washing, clearly for temporary use. The small space was filled with the sounds of laughter and a baby's babbling, creating a surprisingly lively atmosphere.

Ding Zhigang held an enamel mug in his hand, the freshly brewed tea still steaming. He handed it to his father-in-law, Wang Guangwei, saying, "Dad, have some tea first."

His face beamed with undisguised joy—his wife, Wang Li, had given birth to a daughter a few days ago and had just returned home from the hospital. His parents-in-law and sister-in-law had come to visit them.

Wang Guangwei took the cup, drank some hot tea, and looked at Ding Zhigang: "Zhigang, when do you plan to go back to work at the factory?"

“I’m thinking of going tomorrow.” Ding Zhigang rubbed his hands together. “I’ve rested enough these past few days. Lily and the baby are stable. My mom has also come to help take care of them. With her at home, I feel at ease.”

“That works too.” Wang Guangwei nodded, then added, “If your mother-in-law can’t manage on her own, tell her to come and lend a hand. Lily just gave birth and is still weak; she can’t be overworked.”

Ding Zhigang quickly replied, "Okay, Dad."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of a baby crying came from the inner room. Ding Zhigang quickly got up: "Dad, you rest in the living room, I'll go in and take a look."

The inner room was the bedroom, smaller than the living room, only big enough to fit a double bed and a faded wardrobe, with several packages piled on top of it.

A rope was strung at the foot of the bed, with a few small baby clothes hanging on it. The fabric was soft and swayed, touching the wall.

Wang Li lay on the bed, holding a baby wrapped in pink swaddling clothes in her arms, gently patting her to coax her to nurse; Chen Shufang and Wang Ting sat by the bed, Chen Shufang holding a clean cloth in her hand, wiping Wang Li's sweat from time to time;
Ding's mother stood at the foot of the bed, clutching a small blanket in her hand, her eyes fixed on the baby in the swaddling clothes, afraid that the child would catch a cold.

When Ding Zhigang entered, the already cramped bedroom felt even more crowded. He leaned closer to the bed and asked softly, "Why is Da Ni crying? Is she hungry?"

"It's alright, all children are like that, they'll be fine after a couple of cries," Ding's mother said with a smile. "I just fed them a couple of sips of milk, they're probably sleepy and fussy."

Looking at the baby in the swaddling clothes, smacking her little mouth and clutching Wang Li's clothes, she reached out and gently touched the baby's face: "This little girl is really something. She was quiet for a little while and then started making a fuss again. She won't let your mother rest for a moment."

"Zhigang, go downstairs to the market and buy some meat. It's almost noon." Ding's mother turned to him and then looked at Chen Shufang, her tone warm, "Mother-in-law, don't leave for lunch. Eat here. I'll make you noodles with soybean paste."

Chen Shufang quickly waved her hand: "No, no, we'll leave after a while; you and Lili still have to take care of the child, so don't bother." She wasn't just being polite; she knew in her heart that the house was too small and didn't even have a proper kitchen. Cooking had to be done on the public coal stove in the hallway, which was really inconvenient for entertaining guests.

"Mom, why don't you stay? Let Zhigang buy a couple more groceries, and we can all have some fun together," Wang Li advised.

"Really, you don't need to." Chen Shufang patted Wang Li's hand, her eyes full of concern. "Lili, you should rest well and not overwork yourself. Mom will come to see you again in a couple of days. You mentioned wanting to eat pea flour cake, right? I'll bring you two boxes next time." Wang Li tried to sit up to see her off, but Chen Shufang quickly pressed her down: "Don't move, don't move. You're still weak after giving birth. Just lie down."

Wang Ting also chimed in, "Sister, let's come back in a couple of days. Just focus on getting better and don't worry about anything else."

Afterwards, Ding Zhigang escorted Wang Guangwei and his family of three downstairs, and only turned back after watching them walk away.

On the way, Wang Guangwei kept talking about his little granddaughter: "Look at that little girl, her eyes are exactly the same as Lili's when she was little, round and bright, and her crying voice is also bright. She will definitely be a clever girl in the future."

Chen Shufang nodded with a smile: "That's right. I touched her little hand just now, it was so chubby, much fatter than Lily was when she was little. Zhigang's mother took good care of her, and Lily didn't suffer."

The couple chatted animatedly, but they noticed that Wang Ting, who was beside them, hadn't said a word and was just following behind with her head down.

Chen Shufang tugged at her arm: "Tingting, what's wrong? You haven't said a word since we left your sister's house. Is something on your mind?"

Wang Ting looked up, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Mom, will my sister's mother-in-law be living with them from now on?"

“Of course,” Chen Shufang replied. “Your sister and Zhigang will both be working in the future, how can they manage without someone to take care of the child? Her mother-in-law coming over to help will make things easier for them.”

"Then...where does she sleep tonight?" Wang Ting asked again, her eyes filled with worry.

Wang Guangwei chimed in, "I saw a pile of bedding rolls in the living room, so I guess they're sleeping on the floor. Or maybe Zhigang is sleeping in the living room and his mother is sleeping in the bedroom."

Wang Ting nodded, sighed softly, and said nothing more.

She knew in her heart that being allocated a 30-square-meter one-bedroom apartment in Beijing was already considered a very good condition.

She never felt the house was small when she visited her sister before, but this time her sister had a baby, and suddenly there were two more people in the house, one big and one small. The already cramped space suddenly felt even more crowded, making her feel inexplicably depressed.

She suddenly remembered Li Zhe's courtyard house—a courtyard of over 600 square meters, where any room was bigger than her sister's.

Having been to such places and then returning to this kind of tenement building, she truly understood what it meant to "go from frugality to extravagance easily, but go from extravagance to frugality difficult." Her heart felt like it was blocked by something, a feeling she couldn't quite describe.

As she thought about it, Wang Ting suddenly missed Li Zhe—she wondered where he was now and what he was doing.
……

At this time, the streets near the Asian Games Village were bustling with activity.

Construction sites are visible everywhere along the roadside, with tower cranes slowly moving their long arms in the air and trucks carrying building materials roaring past, kicking up clouds of dust.

Scaffolding still stands outside the completed residential buildings, where workers are busy with exterior decoration; the apartment building not far away is already finished, and residents can occasionally be seen opening their windows for ventilation.

Temporary shops along the street displayed signs for "Building Materials Sales" and "Snack Bars," bustling with people and exuding a lively atmosphere of construction underway.

With the Asian Games to be held next year, this area is working hard to improve its supporting facilities, and it is full of vitality.

A white Volga sedan drove smoothly on the asphalt road. Li Zhe gripped the steering wheel, his eyes focused intently on the road ahead. Lin Weimin, in the passenger seat, pointed to the intersection ahead: "Hey, bro, turn right up ahead, we're almost there."

As the car turned the corner, Lin Weimin continued, "Just stop up ahead. The sign says it—Beijing Residential Development and Management Company Office. It's right here."

Li Zhe slowly parked the car and asked curiously, "Brother Lin, what's the background of this company?"

Lin Weimin explained: "The company's predecessor was the Housing Construction Office of the Beijing Municipal Real Estate Administration Bureau, which was originally a branch of our unit; in 83, it was renamed the Housing Construction and Management Company of the Beijing Municipal Real Estate Administration Bureau, and the current name was just changed this year."

If you see something you like later, I'll give you an insider price.

Li Zhe smiled and quickly said, "Thank you, Brother Lin. I'll definitely thank you properly later."

"Hey, we're all friends, don't be shy." Lin Weimin waved his hand with a smile.

The Volga sedan came to a smooth stop in front of the office. Li Zhe and Lin Weimin got out of the car one after the other. Then, the back door was opened and Wang Jianjun got out carrying a black briefcase.

He didn't initiate a conversation, but simply followed silently behind the two of them.

As soon as the three entered the office of the Beijing Residential Development and Management Company, a man in a blue shirt and black-rimmed glasses quickly came up to them with a warm smile on his face: "Oh, Section Chief Lin, you've arrived. Please have a seat."

Lin Weimin greeted him with a smile and introduced, "Section Chief Ma, let me introduce you. This is my friend Li Zhe, Mr. Li." Then, he turned to Li Zhe and added, "This is Section Chief Ma from the Sales Department of Beijing Residential Development and Management Company."

Li Zhe looked up and sized up Section Chief Ma: the man was about thirty years old, slightly overweight, with a slightly protruding belly, and a smile on his face.

He quickly extended his hand and greeted her with a smile, "Hello, Section Chief Ma, thank you for your help today."

Section Chief Ma quickly grasped Li Zhe's hand and replied with a smile, "Mr. Li, you're too kind. Section Chief Lin's friend is my friend. It's only right."

Section Chief Ma invited the three of them to sit down in the reception area, but Lin Weimin waved his hand and said, "Section Chief Ma, there's no need to sit. Let's go straight to the shops. The sooner we finish, the less time we'll delay you."

“Okay! I’ve already prepared the keys.” Section Chief Ma readily agreed, picked up a bunch of keys from his desk, and led the three of them out of the office.

On the way, Section Chief Ma enthusiastically introduced the current situation and future plans of the Asian Games Village: "Mr. Li, you can see that the area we are standing on now will become the core supporting area for the Asian Games. Several large residential areas and high-end apartments will be built around it, as well as stadiums, shopping malls and other facilities."

Once the Asian Games start, not only will locals come, but also many foreigners. The foot traffic here will definitely be huge, making it a great place to do business.

Li Zhe listened very attentively, occasionally asking questions about the surrounding transportation and supporting facilities of the shops, which Section Chief Ma patiently answered one by one.

Soon, the group arrived at the location of the shop.

This is a street-facing shop in a prime location: to the left is a newly built residential area nearing completion, and to the right is a completed apartment building. The road directly in front of the shop is wide and flat, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Section Chief Ma took out his key, opened the shop door, and stepped aside to let Li Zhe and his group in.

The shop's interior is a neat, open space. Although it is still in a bare state, with the walls and floors unfinished, it is very clean and free of clutter, making it exceptionally bright at first glance.

Section Chief Ma followed behind Li Zhe and introduced, "This shop is thirteen meters long and forty meters wide, with a total area of ​​five hundred and twenty square meters. If Mr. Li thinks the area is too large, we can help divide it into four separate small shops for sale. Which one do you prefer?"

Li Zhe slowly walked around the shop. In its unfinished state, there wasn't much to examine in detail, but the spacious layout and excellent location made him realize that this place was perfect for opening a supermarket, as there was ample space for both product display and customer movement.

Seeing that Li Zhe had looked around enough, Section Chief Ma offered the price: "Our official selling price is 450 yuan per square meter. Since you are Section Chief Lin's friend, I'll give you an insider price of 260 yuan per square meter. This is definitely the lowest discount you can get."

Li Zhe nodded, walked to the shop entrance, and carefully observed the surrounding environment again—for doing business, the location of the shop is crucial; only with a large flow of people can subsequent business be guaranteed.

Lin Weimin then walked over and asked, "Brother, what do you think of this place? If you think it's alright, we can continue our discussion."

Li Zhe turned around and said, "I think it's pretty good. The location and layout meet my needs. It would be even better if the price could be lower, since the area is not small and the total cost is not low."

Lin Weimin smiled after hearing this and said, "How about this, I'll invite Section Chief Ma tonight, let's find a place to sit down together, get to know each other, and talk about the price."

Li Zhe immediately replied, "Okay, Brother Lin, you can arrange it as you see fit. Thank you for your hard work."

In the evening, under Lin Weimin's arrangement, Li Zhe, Lin Weimin, Section Chief Ma, and Wang Jianjun went to a nearby state-run restaurant.

The restaurant has a red signboard with "Xiangyang Restaurant" written in gold lettering. Two young waiters stand at the entrance and greet visitors warmly.

Upon entering the restaurant, one finds a dozen or so wooden dining tables, their surfaces polished to a shine, and several promotional posters hanging on the walls; the overall environment is clean and tidy.

Lin Weimin booked a private room, ordered several of the restaurant's signature dishes, and opened a bottle of Moutai.

After a few rounds of drinks, the group gradually opened up and quickly became familiar with each other. After two bottles of Moutai, they started calling each other brothers, and the slightly reserved atmosphere completely disappeared. They chatted very congenially.

After discussions the previous night, Li Zhe successfully purchased the 520-square-meter ground-floor commercial property for 94,000 yuan the following day…

(End of this chapter)