Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 304 System
Daying Village, at the entrance of the consignment store.

In the morning, after finishing their housework, Aunt Pang, Zhao Bing's wife, and a group of other women, along with a few idle men, sat in the store chatting idly.

Now that it's mid-September, the weather isn't as hot anymore. In previous years, this time of year was the busiest time for the dealerships, but this year it feels a bit less lively.

The reason is simple: the quick-talking wife and Wang Dajiao were absent.

After seeing off the last villager who bought soy sauce, Zhang Yuzhen pulled up a stool and joined the group, muttering to herself, "Haven't seen Wang Dajiao in a while. What happened to her family? What's wrong?"

Aunt Pang said, "Hey, what else could it be? It's just that she caused trouble at the Sijiqing Company back then, and they stopped cooperating with her family to build greenhouses. Seeing that the greenhouses of the farmers who signed up with her have all been built, she felt resentful and was sulking at home."

I visited her a few days ago; her hair had turned completely white with worry.

Zhang Yuzhen asked in surprise, "My goodness, really? Your hair has really turned white?"

Aunt Pang replied, "How could it be fake? That would be a huge disaster."

Zhao Bing's wife said, "Who says otherwise? Our greenhouse was built a long time ago, and all the seedlings in the field have been transplanted into the greenhouse. At noon, I have to go to the field to deliver lunch to Zhao Bing, and in the afternoon I work with him in the greenhouse. Although it's a bit tiring, seeing the seedlings grow taller gives us more and more hope."

Aunt Pang suggested, "How about we go to Big Foot's house together sometime and try to persuade her?"

Zhao Bing's wife said, "I'm not going. We have greenhouses at home. If I go, she'll be even more upset."

Aunt Pang looked at Zhang Yuzhen beside her and said, "Yuzhen, how about we go?"

Zhang Yuzhen thought for a moment and shook her head: "My son Xiaohu also works at Sijiqing Company, so it's not appropriate for me to go." Zhang Yuzhen was worried that Wang Dajiao would ask her to put in a good word for her, causing trouble for her son.

"That's true, but I don't want to go alone..." Aunt Pang sighed.

Zhang Yuzhen suggested, "Why don't you invite your quick-tongued wife to come along?"

Aunt Pang curled her lip: "Don't even mention her. Ever since her husband, Quick-Talker, came back from working in the south, so many days have passed and she hasn't even left the house. Is that man so delicious?"

Zhang Yuzhen and Zhao Bing's wife exchanged a glance and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The laughter of the three attracted the attention of several idle men playing cards nearby.

Zhao Bing's wife whispered, "Actually, I think... the reason why the quick-talking wife doesn't go out might not be because she talks too much, but because there are other reasons."

Aunt Pang became interested and squinted her eyes, asking, "What do you know about Zhao Bing's family? Tell us quickly..."

Zhao Bing's wife looked embarrassed: "Oh dear, how should I put it..."

Seeing her expression, the plump aunt knew there was more to the story, and her gossip-loving nature was immediately ignited. She grabbed Zhao Bing's wife's hand: "Zhao Bing's wife, whisper it to me, I promise I won't tell anyone..."

"Oh dear, Mother!" Zhang Yuzhen suddenly exclaimed, startling Aunt Pang.

"Yuzhen, why are you so startled? You almost scared me to death." Aunt Pang patted her thick chest.

Zhang Yuzhen didn't say anything, but pointed to the east end of the road. Aunt Pang turned her head and immediately saw the quick-talking wife walking towards the consignment store. She felt a little guilty, and then she noticed that the quick-talking wife was holding a... child!
"Good heavens, you fast talker, where did you get this child?" Aunt Pang exclaimed in surprise, immediately attracting the attention of those around her.

The quick-talking wife's expression changed slightly, and her hand holding the child trembled slightly. Then she hugged the child in her arms tighter. The little girl was still dark-skinned, but she was much rounder than before.

Her husband has brought the child back home for a while now, and she's been taking care of the child all by herself. Although she's not young, she'd never had children before, and this was her first time caring for a child. She was flustered and exhausted, but she also felt a sense of peace she'd never experienced before.

She has come to regard this child as her own daughter from the bottom of her heart.

The reason she hadn't brought the child out these past few days was because she was worried about what the villagers would say. But an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws eventually, and she knew she couldn't avoid this day. So, while the weather was still warm, she brought the child out today.

She herself was a gossip, and she knew that others would also gossip when they saw the child she had brought home. But the more this happened, the less she could back down. She had to stand up straight, speak loudly, and fight back, so that no one would dare to talk about it again.

"Haha..." The quick-tongued wife grinned and said loudly, "This is my daughter. I specially brought her out to show you all today..."

The people outside the store were stunned; their mouths were agape...

……

It's approaching noon.

The aroma of food wafted from the canteen of Sijiqing Company.

Ma Yuanchao had just finished his farm work and came to the canteen for a meal. He went to the tap outside the canteen to wash his face, then washed the towel around his neck, rubbed his face, and then hung the towel back around his neck.

Looking at the large canteen of more than 500 square meters in front of him, Ma Yuanchao was filled with emotion.

He and Li Zhe's family were neighbors and had a good relationship; they would help each other out when one of them needed help. At this time last year, their families were in similar circumstances, both quite poor.

As a result, the second son of the Li family took out a loan to build a greenhouse. At the time, he thought the second son of the Li family was just messing around and was simply a spendthrift. At the same time, he also secretly complained that Old Li had no authority at home and couldn't even control his own son.

Who would have thought that in just one year, the Li family not only did not decline, but instead became the nouveau riche in the village, expanding from one greenhouse to dozens, and even building a two-story house in the village. The second son of the Li family even started driving a rickshaw.

Good heavens, he couldn't even imagine such earth-shattering changes.

His initial resentment and jealousy had vanished, leaving only envy.

A few days ago, he brought canned yellow peaches and malted milk powder to the Li family's house. Through Old Li's connections, he got a job at Sijiqing Company. Although the work was a bit tiring, the pay was high, and meals were provided. Hey, you couldn't find such a good job in the entire Langfang City.

Ma Yuanchao entered the restaurant, took his rice bowl from the shelf, went to the window to get his food, and smiled at Li Jiugang, saying, "Jiugang, what are we having for lunch today?"

Li Jiugang said, "Today we're having a big pot of stew."

"Is there any meat?"

"Absolutely! There's meat, tofu, and vermicelli—it smells wonderful." Li Jiugang took a spoon and put a full spoonful of food into his rice bowl.

"Wine vat, bring me more fat ones," Ma Yuanchao said with a smile.

Li Jiugang picked out a few pieces of fatty meat and put them into his rice bowl, then handed him two steamed buns: "There's mung bean soup in that pot over there, help yourself if you want some."

"Alright." Ma Yuanchao found a seat, took a bite of a steamed bun, which was fluffy and soft, and then ate the vegetables in big mouthfuls. The stew from the big pot was so fragrant and oily, it was very authentic.

"Slurp slurp..." In no time, he finished a jar of vegetables and two steamed buns, and then went to the window to get more food: "Jiu jar, another serving."

Li Jiugang served him another dish and handed him two steamed buns.

Ma Yuanchao said, "Two aren't enough, have two more."

Li Jiugang glared at him, said nothing, and stuffed two more steamed buns into his hands.

"Hehe, thanks." Ma Yuanchao chuckled, picked up his rice bowl, and returned to his seat. He ate heartily, finishing the bowl of vegetables and two steamed buns in no time, then let out a satisfied burp. As for the remaining two steamed buns, he simply stuffed them into his pocket.

There are four children in his family, the two younger ones are only ten years old and at the age where they can eat a lot. The family usually eats steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and water, and only eats white flour steamed buns on holidays. Every time he brings white flour steamed buns home, the children fight over them and are happy for most of the day.

He drank the vegetable soup in the rice jar, then got up and fetched a jar of mung bean soup to drink, which could prevent heatstroke.

He filled his bowl about halfway with mung bean soup and was about to head to his seat when he noticed a white notice posted on the wall. Curious, he walked over to look at it, initially somewhat casually, but as he read on, his expression changed drastically, and his hand trembled, spilling the mung bean soup from his bowl.

"Damn it, who posted this notice? Why can't we eat for free anymore!" Ma Yuanchao's tone was full of dissatisfaction.

His voice was quite loud, which immediately startled the other diners.

Sitting next to him, Li Zhensheng asked, "What's wrong? Why did you shout? You scared me."

Ma Yuanchao pointed at the notice: "Zhensheng, you know everything written here?"

"What do I know? It knows me, but I don't know it," Li Zhensheng laughed.

"You still have the nerve to laugh? This sign says that the cafeteria will no longer be free; employees will have to pay for their meals," Ma Yuanchao said loudly.

His words startled the other employees, who all gathered around to look at the notice.

Those who could read crowded to the front to see, while those who couldn't read inquired from the side, creating a noisy scene. Soon, the news that the cafeteria would be charging fees spread throughout the cafeteria, and the new employees whispered among themselves, all with a hint of dissatisfaction.

Li Jiugang came out of the kitchen and asked, "Hey, what are you all doing here, making such a racket?"

Li Zhensheng asked, "Wine jar, do you know that we'll be charging for meals in the cafeteria from now on?"

"I know, it's only right to pay for a meal," Li Jiugang said.

Ma Yuanchao became anxious: "Wine jar, you can't say that. When I first joined the company, General Manager Li said that employees would have free meals, but after only a few days they changed it. Isn't that lying? Don't you have to give us an explanation?"

Other new employees echoed this sentiment.

"Yes, the company can't go back on its word."

“That’s right, Mr. Li is not short of money, there’s no need to skimp on our meal expenses.”

Li Jiugang's face darkened, and he pointed at Ma Yuanchao: "Ma Yuanchao, take out what's in your pocket and let everyone see it. I'll give you an explanation without you even needing to come."

Ma Yuanchao's expression changed, and he hurriedly covered his pockets with both hands: "You...this..."

Even if Ma Yuanchao didn't take it out, everyone present knew what was in his pocket—he brought two steamed buns home every day, and the others weren't stupid or blind, so how could they not see it?

"What do you mean, 'you'? Why did you stop talking? President Li said the employees would eat for free, but he didn't say you should bring food home," Li Jiugang said.

Ma Yuanchao blushed and retorted, "It wasn't just me who brought them; others took them too. I only brought mine because I saw others bringing them..."

Li Jiugang nodded: "You're right. It wasn't just you who brought food; others did too. Moreover, not only did some people take it home, but some also wasted food. That's why the company stopped providing free meals. Before criticizing the company, think about whether you yourselves are doing the right thing."

Li Zhensheng asked, "Wine jar, will the food in the cafeteria be expensive from now on? It won't be expensive, will it?"

Li Jiugang continued, "Don't worry, everyone. President Li has already said that the canteen is designed to provide you with affordable and convenient food. It won't be expensive; on the contrary, it will be sold to you at a low price so that you can eat well and be full."

In addition, the company provides a meal allowance, which is essentially a meal subsidy. All things considered, it doesn't actually cost much.

One new employee said, "I still think free meals are more practical. To be honest, that's what I came here for in the first place."

“If you have any ideas, you can tell the company. If you’re right, the company will take them into consideration. If you don’t want to work here, you can resign, and the company can pay you your wages right now.” Li Jiugang didn’t tolerate him and directly retorted.

"The same goes for everyone else. If you want to keep working, find a place to rest after lunch and get back to work this afternoon. If you don't want to work, go directly to HR and resign!"

It's true that Li Jiugang loves to drink, but he's not stupid. He listens attentively and learns diligently from Li Zhe's meetings, and gradually he's figured out some of the tricks of the trade.

Much of what I just said was learned during yesterday's meeting; it was like putting what I learned into practice right away.

Although his words weren't profound, they truly stunned the employees—no one dared to speak loudly, and no one went to resign. After all, even though Sijiqing Company didn't provide free meals, it still offered the highest wages in the entire Wan'an Town.

It would be a complete fool to actually quit...

in the afternoon.

The field north of the village.

Today, Li Zhe led Yang Xingbin on a tour of the company's greenhouses, including experimental fields, the company's directly managed planting greenhouses, and some of the growers' greenhouses.

During this period, Yang Xingbin also spoke with several of the company's managers to learn about the specific situation, which gave him a preliminary understanding of the company's overall situation.

Li Zhe had already heard about what happened in the cafeteria at noon, but he didn't care much—if he had to worry about such a small thing, wouldn't all the company's managers be wasting their time? They might as well all quit.

What Li Zhe really cares about is the yield and quality of greenhouse vegetables.

Yang Xingbin squatted down on the ground, using a twig to write and draw on the ground.

Li Zhe also squatted down, took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, and handed one to him: "Manager Yang, what are your thoughts on the company's management system?"

Yang Xingbin took the cigarette, lit it, took a puff, and pointed to the words "growers" with a twig: "Let's talk about the cooperative growers first. They are very enthusiastic and take good care of the greenhouses. We don't have to worry too much about the planting side. Technicians go to provide guidance regularly and correct any problems in time."

However, the company may need to put in more effort when harvesting vegetables later, and needs to set standards in advance to avoid disputes.

However, the most important thing right now is the company's own production system and management standards.

Li Zhe took a drag of his cigarette, flicking the ash lightly onto the ridge of the field: "I was just about to talk to you about this. Don't make the structure too complicated. We used to be a small workshop, but now we need to scale up. But too many layers will only get in the way. Do you have any specific ideas?"

Yang Xingbin drew a simple framework on the ground with a twig, looked up and said, "I think dividing it by 'region + function' is the most appropriate."

For our current greenhouse area, we only need to set up 3 to 4 greenhouse groups, with each group responsible for 20 to 50 mu (approximately 3.3 to 3.3 hectares). Each group should be assigned a group leader, and there is no need to set up deputy group leaders or similar positions.

In addition, a separate technician was assigned to oversee seedlings and provide guidance on pest and disease control, and a logistics staff member was assigned to manage tools and materials. Finally, Zhu Yimin took the lead in everything, ensuring a smooth workflow and preventing anyone from shirking responsibility.

“I agree with this approach,” Li Zhe took a deep drag on his cigarette, “but a framework alone isn’t enough. We need to clearly define the responsibilities of each position. For example, what exactly is the team leader in charge of? And to what extent should the workers perform their duties? Otherwise, we’ll end up passing the buck when problems arise.”

“You’ve thought this through very well,” Yang Xingbin continued. “I plan to create a ‘Job Description’ that clearly defines the responsibilities. For example, the team leader will be responsible for the team’s attendance, production progress, and personnel coordination.”

The workers are responsible for the daily watering, fertilizing, pruning, and harvesting in the greenhouse. They are also assigned "responsibility plots"—each worker is responsible for 3 to 5 mu (approximately 0.2 to 0.3 hectares). The principle of "whoever manages, is responsible" applies; if seedlings die or yields fall short of targets, it directly impacts their performance evaluation, resulting in deductions.

Li Zhe nodded, tapping his fingers lightly on his knee: "Production standards also need to be standardized. We have planting experience passed down from last year, and my sister-in-law has detailed data. What do you think we should do to turn that experience into rules?"

“I want to compile a ‘Greenhouse Cultivation Operation Manual’,” Yang Xingbin immediately replied, “to clearly explain the sowing spacing, watering frequency, types and amounts of fertilizer, and the timing of pest and disease control.”

After the writing is completed, organize centralized training for workers to ensure that everyone follows the same standard. Otherwise, if everyone plants their own crop, the final yield and quality will definitely be far apart.

Of course, specific planting standards will need to be developed with the participation of Supervisor Zhu and several experienced technicians.

“No problem. I’ll call Brother Zhu, Teacher Chen, Zhou Qinghe, my dad, and my sister-in-law to discuss it together later.” Li Zhe responded and continued, “Having standards without anyone monitoring them is pointless. Do you think we could establish an inspection system?”

“It is indeed necessary.” Yang Xingbin drew another line on the ground. “I plan to have the team leaders inspect their team’s greenhouses twice a day, morning and evening, to record the growth of the vegetables and the working status of the workers. The technicians will conduct spot checks every week and provide immediate guidance for rectification if any problems are found.”

You conduct a comprehensive inspection every two weeks, focusing on whether production standards are being implemented. By monitoring each level in this way, you can prevent production cuts caused by lax management.

Seeing that Li Zhe did not object, Yang Xingbin continued, "In addition, there are disciplinary issues. If someone is lazy, chats idly, or brings vegetables to work without permission, the first offense will result in a verbal warning, the second offense will result in a deduction of performance pay, and repeated violations will lead to immediate dismissal."

The two chatted for a while before finally getting to the core issue of income. Li Zhe leaned forward slightly: "Workers come out to work, and what they care about most is money. Whether a system is good or not depends on whether it can help them earn more money. What are your plans for salaries?"

“I designed a system of ‘basic salary + performance bonus’.” Yang Xingbin emphasized. “The basic salary is paid monthly at a fixed rate, which is higher than the average level of the same industry in our area. This is to ensure the basic livelihood of the workers first, so that they will not resign easily.”

Performance bonuses are key; workers need to feel that 'the more they do, the more they earn.'

Li Zhe thought for a moment and said, "What about the management's salary? They manage a group of people, and their responsibilities are heavier than those of the workers."

"Don't worry, I've thought of that." Yang Xingbin organized his thoughts, "In addition to linking the team leader's performance to the greenhouse income of their team, we've also added 'personnel management assessment' to it."

If no one in the group is late or leaves early that month, and there are no production accidents, they will receive an extra bonus. This way, they will be more motivated to manage their subordinates.

After listening, Li Zhe felt reassured and immediately made his own request: "Supervisor Yang, there are two points to note. First, the system should be simple and easy to understand. Don't use complicated clauses; make sure the workers can all understand it."

Secondly, salary calculations are conducted openly and transparently. At the end of each month, the output and quality data for each greenhouse, along with detailed salary statements, are posted publicly for everyone's supervision, preventing any suspicion.

Yang Xingbin immediately nodded: "The two points you mentioned are very important. If the system is not understood and the salary is not transparent, even the best system cannot be implemented. I will definitely pay attention to them when I write the plan later."

The two squatted on the ground and talked for another half hour, refining the details bit by bit.

As the sun gradually set, Yang Xingbin drew lines and words on the ground with the twig in his hand, making the originally vague management framework clear.

Li Zhe stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and dusted off his pants. "Alright, that's enough for today. Manager Yang, I'm going to Beijing tomorrow. You can call me if you need anything."

Yang Xingbin also stood up and threw the tree branch onto the edge of the field: "Okay, I'll put together the plan and standards as soon as possible and discuss them with the supervisors. We'll wait for you to come back and make a decision."

"Thanks for your hard work."

(End of this chapter)