Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 322 Good thing
The early morning wind, carrying a chill, swept through Yangma Village. The fields at the east end of the village had long lost their former greenery, and a thin layer of white frost covered the bare land. Only one mu of land was covered by a vegetable greenhouse, the white greenhouse film standing out conspicuously in the open field.

This greenhouse belongs to Ma Changhe, Li Zhe's aunt's husband.

After having breakfast, Ma Changhe carried a shovel toward the greenhouse. Along the way, familiar villagers greeted him with smiles: "Changhe, are you going to tend to your precious greenhouse?"

Ma Changhe stood ramrod straight, his face beaming with an undisguised smile, and said in a loud voice, "That's right! The cucumbers in this greenhouse have just been trellised, so we have to take good care of them."

As he spoke, he deliberately tilted the shovel upwards a little, his pride suggesting he wanted the whole village to know that his family had a greenhouse that could produce winter vegetables.

Reaching the entrance of the greenhouse, Ma Changhe put down his shovel and reached out to lift the heavy cotton curtain.

Just as he was about to step inside, he heard a series of snores. Following the sound, he looked to the east side of the shed and saw a burly man lying on a small wooden bed. It was Da Kui, whom he had hired to keep watch at night.

Ma Changhe's brows furrowed immediately—he had hired Da Kui to prevent people from stealing vegetables and to keep an eye on the greenhouse at night, but it was already so late and he was still not awake.

"Da Kui, you little rascal!" Ma Changhe walked a few steps to the wooden bed, raised his foot and gently kicked the bed leg. "I hired you to work, not to sleep in here!"

Da Kui woke up with a start, rubbed his eyes and sat up, his hair a mess like a bird's nest, his face still looking sleepy.

Upon seeing Ma Changhe, he quickly scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile: "Brother Ma, you're here? I... I overslept, it's all my fault, it's all my fault."

Ma Changhe snorted, his tone filled with dissatisfaction: "If you keep being this lazy, I'm going to dock your pay. If you really don't want to work, just say so. There are plenty of people who would like to."

"No, Brother Ma! I want to do it, of course I want to do it!" Da Kui quickly got off the bed, not even bothering to put on his shoes properly, and went to explain to Ma Changhe.

"I really didn't mean to sleep in. It was so cold last night that I woke up twice and didn't fall asleep until almost dawn. Please don't be angry."

"Nonsense! How could it be cold in the greenhouse?" Ma Changhe thought Da Kui was lying—it did get colder yesterday, but how could it be cold in a vegetable greenhouse? It was impossible.

Da Kui got anxious and raised his voice a few decibels: "Brother Ma, I'm telling the truth! I woke up twice from the cold, otherwise I wouldn't have slept in."

Ma Changhe stopped arguing with him and went straight to the rammed earth wall in the corner of the greenhouse—there was a thermometer hanging there, which he had specially bought from the town.

He reached out and took off the thermometer, squinted at it, and saw that the scale clearly showed "10℃".

At that moment, Ma Changhe's face changed instantly. The thermometer in his hand felt like it weighed a ton. He stood there, stunned, his heart skipped a beat: How could it be so low?
He remembered that when he helped out in Li Zhe's greenhouse before, even in the dead of winter, the temperature inside the greenhouse could be kept above 15℃. Now it's only the end of October, how come the temperature in his own greenhouse has dropped to 10℃?

Ma Changhe broke out in a cold sweat. This was no small matter. The cucumber seedlings in the greenhouse were growing vigorously, and if the temperature remained this low, the seedlings would be ruined.

He quickly started moving around the greenhouse, checking each cucumber seedling with hurried steps. The leaves were still green, showing no signs of frost damage, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief—thankfully, the current temperature had only slowed down growth, not to the point of freezing.

But then I thought, in a few days, the weather will get colder and colder, and the temperature in the greenhouse will drop, and the cucumber seedlings will definitely not be able to withstand it.

Ma Changhe grew increasingly frightened, sweat beading on his forehead. He had invested all his family's savings in this greenhouse and even borrowed money from the bank. If the vegetables in the greenhouse froze, his family would be destitute.

He squatted on the ground, clutching his hair, his mind a jumbled mess—why could Li Zhe's greenhouse keep warm, but his own couldn't?
He learned the techniques from Li Zhe for a month. Although he didn't learn everything, he followed the steps for building the greenhouse. So what went wrong?

"No, I need to calm down and think of a solution." Ma Changhe took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm down.

He stood up, turned to look at Da Kui standing to the side, and asked, "Da Kui, you didn't open the curtains last night, did you?"

Da Kui quickly shook his head: "Brother Ma, it's so cold outside at night, why would I open the shed curtains? I'm not stupid, if I open the curtains, the temperature inside the shed will be even lower."

Ma Changhe nodded, then thought of another possibility: "Could it be that the greenhouse film is damaged and has a tear?" If the greenhouse film is torn, the heat will escape and the temperature will definitely drop.

He quickly circled the greenhouse, staring intently at the plastic film, not missing a single corner, but after a long time, he still couldn't find any damage to the film.

He went outside the greenhouse and carefully inspected the edges of the film, but still couldn't find any cracks.

Now, Ma Changhe was completely at a loss, standing at the entrance of the greenhouse with his brows furrowed in worry.

Seeing Ma Changhe's anxious expression, Da Kui, though honest, was not stupid. He hesitated for a moment and whispered a reminder: "Brother Ma, I remember your son-in-law Ge Qingshan works at Sijiqing Company, right?"

He's been working with the Li family in greenhouse farming for so long, his skills must be excellent. Why don't you call him over and let him take a look at what's wrong?

Ma Changhe's eyes lit up. That's right, Qingshan has been with Sijiqing Company for almost a year, so he must know more about the business than I do.

He didn't even have time to talk to Da Kuiduo before turning around and running out of the greenhouse, hurrying towards the village.

He was over forty years old and his physical strength was not as good as when he was young, but he was anxious at the moment and walked very fast. When he met familiar villagers on the road, he just responded vaguely and had no intention of stopping to chat.

Ma Changhe did not go home, but went to his daughter Ma Zhaodi's house instead.

Ma Changhe pushed open the door and entered the yard, where he saw his daughters vying to feed the chickens with basins.

"Dad, what brings you here?" Ma Zhaodi put down the basin she was holding, wiped her hands, and came to greet her father with a look of surprise on her face. "Has something happened at home? Are my mother and brother alright?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Your mother and brother are both fine." Ma Changhe waved his hand, panting heavily. "It's about the greenhouse. Is Qingshan home?"

Ma Zhaodi paused for a moment, then said, "It's already this late, he should have gone to work long ago. What happened to the greenhouse? What's wrong?"

“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it to you.” Ma Changhe had no intention of explaining to his daughter and turned to leave. “I’m going to Daying Village to find him.”

He took a few steps, then turned around, pushed the old bicycle in the yard, mounted it, and rode towards Daying Village.

Although the rural dirt road was bumpy, Ma Changhe didn't care. He rode his bicycle very fast, and after more than ten minutes, he arrived at the north of Daying Village.

Upon seeing the scene before him, he was stunned—rows of white vegetable greenhouses stood in neat rows, stretching as far as the eye could see, and next to them stood a newly built 500-square-meter factory building with a sign that read "Sijiqing Company Canteen" hanging at the entrance, looking quite impressive.

He remembered that when he came last year, Sijiqing Company was just a small workshop with only about ten people. He never expected that it would develop so well in just one year.

Ma Changhe felt a mix of emotions, with a hint of regret—if he hadn't had that falling out over having a son and hadn't resigned from the company, he might be a supervisor by now.

But now was not the time to think about these things. He composed himself, looked at the densely packed greenhouses in front of him, and for a moment he didn't know where to look for Ge Qingshan. After hesitating for a long time, he gritted his teeth and pushed his bicycle into the Sijiqing Company canteen.

It was a little after 8 a.m., and the employees had already finished eating. Only a few kitchen staff were left cleaning the canteen.

Li Jiugang, wearing an apron, was directing people to wipe the tables when he saw Ma Changhe suddenly walk in. He paused for a moment, then smiled and went to greet him: "Hey, Lao Ma, what a rare guest! What brings you to our company all of a sudden?"

Ma Changhe didn't have time for pleasantries and hurriedly said, "Jiugang, I have urgent business. Do you know where Qingshan is?"

Seeing his anxious expression, Li Jiugang didn't dare to delay and said, "Qingshan should be working in the greenhouse right now. Here, I'll take you there to find him, so you don't wander around aimlessly."

"Okay, okay, take me there quickly." Ma Changhe nodded hurriedly, feeling a little relieved.

Li Jiugang gave a few instructions to the kitchen staff and then left the canteen with Ma Changhe. On the way, they ran into some company employees, and Li Jiugang went up to ask them, only to find out that Ge Qingshan was in vegetable greenhouse number 46.

The two walked quickly toward greenhouse number 46, and when they lifted the thick curtain, they saw Ge Qingshan standing inside the greenhouse directing several workers to work—some were fertilizing the tomato seedlings, and some were building trellises; the scene was busy yet orderly.

Seeing this, Ma Changhe quickly ran over, grabbed Ge Qingshan's arm, and said breathlessly, "Qingshan, I've finally found you!"

Ge Qingshan was startled. Seeing that it was his father-in-law, he quickly asked, "Dad, what brings you here? Has something happened at home?"

"It's not a family matter, it's about the vegetable greenhouse!" Ma Changhe grabbed his arm, his voice trembling with anxiety. "Something's wrong with our greenhouse, you have to come back with me to take a look!"

"What's wrong with the greenhouse?" Ge Qingshan asked, frowning.

“The temperature is low!” Ma Changhe gestured with his hands. “I just checked the thermometer, and it’s only around 10°C. It’s much colder than your company’s greenhouses. I can feel it with my hands. Your greenhouses are much warmer than ours.”

Ge Qingshan and Ma Changhe started working for Li Zhe one after the other. Ma Changhe only stayed for a month before leaving, while Ge Qingshan stayed at Sijiqing Company. In the past year, he followed Li Zhe to learn technology and manage greenhouses. He encountered more problems and gained much more experience than Ma Changhe.

He patted Ma Changhe's hand and said calmly, "Dad, don't worry, the temperature is a little low, but the seedlings won't freeze in a short time. The temperature in the greenhouse will rise as the sun gets higher. You go home first, and I'll go back for a visit at noon to check on them for you."

"Wait until noon?" Ma Changhe said impatiently, his voice rising abruptly. "Come with me now! That's our own greenhouse, why don't you care at all?"

Ge Qingshan smiled helplessly and patiently explained, "Dad, there's no use in me going back now."

Listen to me, go home first, carefully check the greenhouse film for any holes. If there are any, repair them immediately. Also check if the rammed earth walls are damaged and if the seedlings are frostbitten. Then, record the temperature inside the greenhouse every hour.

"Only after I get back at noon and have these details will I be able to determine the cause of the low temperature."

He spoke calmly, with a determined look in his eyes, showing no sign of panic.

Looking at him, Ma Changhe's anxiety gradually subsided. Ge Qingshan managed more than twenty greenhouses in the company and was very knowledgeable. Since he said that, he must have his reasons.

"Then, you have to be back by noon." Ma Changhe was still a little worried and reminded him.

"Don't worry, Dad, I'll definitely be back by noon." Ge Qingshan nodded in agreement.

Ma Changhe finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around and cupped his hands in thanks to Li Jiugang, who was standing to the side: "Jiugang, thank you for today."

"Don't mention it, we're all acquaintances." Li Jiugang waved his hand and said with a smile, "If you're in a hurry, go back first, and have Qingshan come over as soon as he's done with his work at noon."

Ma Changhe responded and pushed his bicycle away.

Beside the vegetable greenhouse, several workers were still standing by watching the commotion. Ge Qingshan turned around, glared at them, and scolded with a smile, "What are you looking at? Have you finished all your work? Hurry up and go back to setting up the scaffolding. If you don't finish the work this afternoon, don't even think about leaving!"

The workers quickly responded and grabbed their tools, returning to the vegetable garden to work.

Ge Qingshan also went into the greenhouse, bent down to check the growth of the tomato seedlings, and occasionally gave the workers some instructions. His face returned to its usual serious expression.

……

Xidan, Beijing.

In Xidan, the wind already carries the chill of late autumn. The poplar leaves on the street have fallen to the ground, rustling as they are crushed by the wheels of passing bicycles.

In front of the two-story shop that Li Zhe recently bought, scaffolding was erected high, and a blue waterproof tarpaulin covered half of the wall. The sounds of electric drills and hammers hitting wood mingled together, attracting the attention of passersby from time to time.

Wang Jianjun stood at the shop entrance, watching the workers at work. He had deliberately worn old clothes today, so he wouldn't mind if they got dirty during the renovation.

Due to the tight schedule, work is being carried out on both floors simultaneously. Currently, the focus is on repairing door frames and windows, with the clanging of hammers echoing loudly in the empty ground-floor shops.

Li Zhe didn't have many capable people under his command to begin with, and now that he's opening a branch, he'll have to do the work of two people.

Although he trusted Chen Yongfa to a certain extent, when it comes to renovations, someone from his own team always needs to be on-site to oversee things—while Chen Yongfa was dedicated, not all of his workers were necessarily conscientious.

Tan Jingya also had to take care of the business at the old shop and couldn't leave, so Wang Jianjun had to come here to oversee things after finishing the purchasing work at the old shop.

Actually, Wang Jianjun didn't know anything about home renovation. Li Zhe taught him a method: remain serious and quiet throughout the process, don't talk much to the workers, and just stand quietly to the side and watch.

In this way, the workers would find him difficult to get along with and wouldn't dare to slack off. Of course, Li Zhe also specifically instructed them that being too harsh on the workers was not advisable; they should leave some room for maneuver.

Around noon, Li Zhe arrived by car, carrying a net bag containing a pack of cigarettes and some snacks.

He opened the cigarette pack, tossed two packs to Wang Jianjun, and then said, "Gentlemen, take a break and have something to eat!"

Li Zhe's voice was loud and clear. He had already taken out a cigarette and was handing it to each of the workers.

The workers, their hands still dusty, accepted the cigarettes without ceremony and tucked them behind their ears. Several older workers laughed and said, "Boss Li, you're too kind."

"Thank you all for your hard work. I bought some snacks, please have a taste." Li Zhe opened the bag of snacks and let everyone share them.

Afterwards, he smoked a cigarette and chatted with a few workers, asking them where they were from, what their family situations were like, and casually inquiring about the morning's construction progress, his tone warm and friendly.

The workers, who had been somewhat reserved because of Wang Jianjun's close supervision, now smiled as they accepted the cigarettes and snacks. They were much more relaxed when answering questions, saying things like, "The progress is fine," and "Don't worry, Boss Li."

At noon, the workers packed up their tools and went to eat nearby in twos and threes. Li Zhe and Wang Jianjun locked the shop's roller shutter and also walked towards the small restaurant diagonally across the street.

The restaurant has a small storefront with a wooden sign that reads "Old Street Steamed Bun Shop" hanging at the entrance. As soon as you enter, you can smell the aroma of meat.

"Boss, one steamer of beef buns, one steamer of mutton buns, and one steamer of chive and pork buns, plus a serving of fried liver and a bowl of mutton offal soup!" Wang Jianjun called out familiarly and found a table to sit down at.

He had eaten at this restaurant twice before and knew that their steamed buns had thin skins and generous fillings, bursting with juice when you bit into them.

Soon, the steamed buns were served, and the aroma of meat wafted over with the rising steam.

Each steamer basket of buns was neatly arranged, the skin glistening with oil. Wang Jianjun picked one up, took a small bite, sipped the broth, and sighed contentedly.

He broke the remaining buns into small pieces, put them into the stir-fried liver that had just been served, stirred it, and put it in his mouth—this was a way of eating he had developed since childhood, and he loved the sticky, salty and savory taste.

Li Zhe watched him eat, smiled, picked up a beef bun, and slowly took a bite. He had been in Beijing for a year, but he still couldn't get used to fried liver; he always felt the flavor was too strong.

He picked up the mutton offal soup, sprinkled some chopped green onions and cilantro into it, added two spoonfuls of mutton fat chili, took a sip, and felt the spiciness slide down his throat, instantly warming his whole body.

Wang Jianjun ate two steamed buns, touched his mouth, and suddenly lost his appetite.

He glanced at Li Zhe, hesitated for a long time, and then said, "Zhezi, I went to my aunt's house yesterday."

Li Zhe was drinking mutton soup when he heard this and looked up: "Auntie and Director Wei, how are you? I've been busy lately and haven't been to see them for a while."

“That’s good,” Wang Jianjun paused, rubbing his fingers on the table. “My aunt said that Xiaoyan and I have known each other for quite some time now, and she wants our parents to meet and discuss the engagement.”

Li Zhe almost choked on the mutton soup he had just drunk. He coughed twice and said, "Brother, so fast? You're getting engaged already?"

He knew Wang Jianjun and Bai Xiaoyan were dating, but he didn't expect things to progress so quickly—once they got engaged, they should start discussing marriage...

Wang Jianjun blushed slightly and scratched his head: "I also think it's too soon, but my aunt said that Xiaoyan and I are not young anymore and it's time to settle down."

"This is great!" Li Zhe put down his bowl. "When the time comes, will my uncle and my mother come from the village to my place or to Wei Su's?"

“My aunt said to go to her house.” Wang Jianjun’s voice lowered a little. “Xiaoyan’s dad also works at the police station, and her mom is a factory worker. They’re so well-off… I’m afraid…”

He didn't finish his sentence, but sighed heavily, "The closer the engagement gets, the more uncertain I feel. I always feel that people will look down on me because I come from a rural background and don't have a formal job."

Seeing his worried expression, Li Zhe patted him on the shoulder: "Brother, you're overthinking it. If Director Wei and Auntie hadn't explained our family situation to the other party, could they have brought up the engagement?"
Besides, you're the purchasing manager at Shuxiangju now, not a farmer in the village anymore. What's there to be afraid of?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "I'll rent you a place later, a spacious one, so you can have your own place and live a more stable life."

“No need, I have money, I can rent it myself.” Wang Jianjun quickly waved his hand, “Besides, Xiaoyan said that her family has a house, so it’s fine to stay at her house.”

"Wow, you guys are already talking about where to live?" Li Zhe smiled, but then his smile faded. "Brother, listen to me, it's better to rent your own place."

Staying at the woman's house is fine for a short time, but in the long run, there will inevitably be inconveniences, and it wouldn't be good if conflicts arose later.

Wang Jianjun already had concerns, and after hearing Li Zhe's words, he felt they made even more sense—he had always trusted Li Zhe's judgment and ability to handle things.

So he nodded, his tone becoming more firm: "Okay, I'll listen to you. Once the marriage is settled, I'll rent a place."

(End of this chapter)