Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 36 Vegetable Cooperative

The sun is setting.

An octagonal table was set up at the east end of the greenhouse. This table was brought by Li Jiugang, as there are many people eating on this side of the greenhouse, so it's perfect for them.

The Li family began preparing dinner. Li Na set out the bowls and chopsticks, Li Weidong arranged the cold dishes, Li Zhe took out a bucket of loose liquor, and Li Zhiqiang tended the fire by the stove, where the large iron pot bubbled and simmered. Li Jiugang lifted the lid of the pot, and the autumn breeze carried the aroma of meat, which could be smelled from afar.

Wang Tietou's Adam's apple bobbed as the aroma of meat whetted his appetite, making it impossible for him to leave.

"The food is served!" Li Jiugang placed a steaming bowl of pork bones in the middle of the table.

"Second brother, this meat smells so good." Since there were guests today, Li Na didn't sit at the table. Instead, she stood a short distance away from the table, sniffing the air.

Li Zhe pinched his younger sister's arm. She had gained some weight, but her foundation was still weak, and it would be difficult for her to grow strong in a short time.

take it easy.

Li Zhe filled a plate with meat from the pot and had his mother, sister, and sister-in-law sit at the small table next to him to eat.

Wang Rongsheng gestured for Wang Tietou to sit down, and after a few polite exchanges, he pressed him into the seat of honor. "There are no outsiders here today, so don't be shy, let's eat. Don't rush to cook the wine or noodles, have a few cups first."

"Alright." Li Jiugang had been busy all day, just looking forward to this little cup of wine.

Li Zhe suddenly thought of the joy of middle-aged men after get off work that was popular on Douyin more than 30 years later. Times have progressed, but the underlying nature has not changed.

With his cousin Li Jiugang around, Li Zhe didn't need to warm up the atmosphere at all; after just one round of drinking, the drinking atmosphere was already at its peak.

Wang Tietou gnawed on two large bones, his mouth full of oil, and ate with great satisfaction. After a few drinks, he felt warm and comfortable all over.

He was a straightforward man. Before Li Zhe could speak, he took the initiative to ask, "Second son, didn't you have something to tell me? Hurry up and say it before I get too drunk."

Li Zhe knew his temperament, so he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "Uncle Wang, I have a suggestion. Could the village take the lead in establishing a vegetable greenhouse cooperative?"

Wang Tietou frowned and said, "Now that the communes are gone, the national policy is to implement the household responsibility system. If you want to build a cooperative, isn't that going against the tide?"

"Uncle Wang, that's different. The cooperative I'm talking about is spontaneous, you could also call it a mutual aid society. Nowadays, individual business has become the mainstream, which has increased the enthusiasm for production, but it also has some disadvantages."

"Now that the country is advocating marketization, individual farmers have no advantage in purchasing seeds, fertilizers, and farm tools. If the village takes the lead in establishing a cooperative to collectively purchase or sell agricultural supplies, it can enhance bargaining power and ensure that everyone benefits," Li Zhe sighed softly. "I didn't really understand this before, but it wasn't until building this vegetable greenhouse that I realized how difficult it is to make a living on my own."

Wang Tietou showed an approving expression, "That makes sense. In fact, it can be applied not only to growing vegetables, but also to other villagers. There's strength in numbers."

“Uncle Wang, it would be better to break it down further. Ordinary villagers can join the agricultural input cooperative, livestock farmers can join the livestock breeding cooperative, and there are also aquatic product cooperatives, etc. Each has different purchasing and sales needs, which will also make it easier for members to exchange experiences.” In fact, Li Zhe didn’t care whether other villagers participated or not; he just needed a title to travel around.

Without the cooperative, Li Zhe is just an individual; with the cooperative, he becomes a member of the collective. It may seem like just a nominal title, but when problems arise, the situation becomes completely different.

As for establishing a personal vegetable company, it might be possible from a legal and policy perspective, but it's too difficult to actually do. He has no capital, no connections, and no background. How could it be his turn to be a pioneer? He can only wait and see.

Wang Tietou pondered for a while, "These days, you need money to do anything. If we really establish a cooperative, we will need some funds. We can't let the village collective pay for it, or the other villagers who didn't participate in the cooperative will have objections."

"It's simple. If you want to join the cooperative, just pay your dues on time every month and use those dues to serve everyone. Other villagers will naturally have no objections."

Wang Tietou shook his head. "It's difficult. Free things might work, but nobody would be willing to pay real money."

“I have a suggestion: we could give cooperative members some benefits, such as making them eligible to rent tractors from the village committee as long as they join the cooperative. Those who really need it will join without needing to be persuaded.”

Wang Tietou glanced at Li Zhe and laughed, "Alright, you've been waiting for me here."

"Uncle Wang, this is the second thing I want to mention. These cucumbers are almost ripe. There is a vegetable shortage in the capital during the winter, but I am not worried about the policies."

The problem is the transportation. I originally thought of using a horse-drawn carriage, even if it was more strenuous, but the carriage couldn't even get through the checkpoints, so I had to use a tractor to transport the vegetables.

"Could I rent Tie Niu from our village for a while? I'll pay you every penny due."

Wang Tietou said, "Iron Ox can't be rented out during the busy farming season. Winter is coming soon, so I can lend it to you, but you'll be responsible for repairs if it breaks down. As for the vegetable cooperative, I'll have to think about it some more..." Li Zhe was very satisfied to be able to borrow the vehicle. He raised his glass and said, "Uncle Wang, I'd like to toast you. Whether it works out or not, I'm grateful for your kindness."

……

Unlike the bustling atmosphere at the Li family's house, Zhu Yimin's house was quiet and deserted.

After arguing with his wife about building the greenhouse, the mother and son haven't been home. After a long day in the fields, he's all alone when he gets home. If it weren't for his worry about the seedling greenhouse, he really wouldn't want to come back.

After deciding to build the greenhouse, he started cultivating seedlings in his own yard. Once the greenhouse was built, he could transplant them directly into it. Although his greenhouse was built at the same time as the second greenhouse built by the Li family, his vegetables would definitely mature earlier.

Zhu Yimin had been busy all day and was starving. He found a steamed bun made from two kinds of dough in the kitchen and started eating it.

"Knock knock..." There was a knock on the door.

Zhu Yimin placed the steamed bun on the table, wiped the crumbs from his mouth, and asked, "Who is it?"

"Old Zhu, it's me." A deep voice came from outside.

"You're here." Zhu Yimin opened the door, and standing outside was a fat man in his thirties, of medium height with a round face. These days, it's rare to see someone as well-off as him.

This man, Jin Baiwan, was a well-known vegetable vendor in the nearby villages. He was the one who always bought the vegetables from Zhu Yimin's family.

Zhu Yimin welcomed him into the courtyard and eagerly asked, "Old Jin, how's the material procurement going?"

"What's the rush? I've been running around all day for your sake, and I haven't even had a sip of hot water."

"Come in and sit down, I'll go boil some water."

Jin Baiwan entered the main room and saw a steamed bun made from two kinds of dough and a bitten scallion on the table. "Is this what you're eating for dinner?"

"Hey, my wife's not home, so I'll just have to make do with this."

"Sigh, you two... what am I supposed to say? Don't bother boiling water anymore, I'm leaving now, my family is waiting for me to come home."

"That's fine too. We didn't prepare anything at home today, so we can't entertain you. I'll set up a feast another day and treat you to a proper meal." Zhu Yimin handed the tallest stool in the house to Jin Baiwan and lit a cigarette for him.

Jin Baiwan took a drag of his cigarette, caught his breath, and said, "The cement factory is all set up. They can deliver the cement pillars tomorrow morning. You can just arrange for someone to unload them in the north of the village. The price is the same as before. I went to the Langfang City Plastics Factory again, and the plastic film is still five yuan per square meter. I talked to their section chief surnamed Song, but he just wouldn't lower the price."

Zhu Yimin's expression was rather grim. "Five yuan per square meter, six hundred square meters would cost three thousand yuan, which is half of the loan amount."

Jin Baiwan suggested, "If you ask me, it would be better to buy plastic film from Wan'an Town. They only charge four yuan there, and you can probably negotiate it down to save a lot of money."

Zhu Yimin shook his head, "Their plastic film is of poor quality. It's not even as good as the Li family's greenhouse film, let alone my family's seedling greenhouse film; the others are tolerable, but this stuff is no good."

"Then we can only buy from Langfang City Plastics Factory. If you can place an order, I'll make another trip for you."

"Thanks, Lao Jin. I keep an eye on things at the construction site every day. Those guys are really slippery. They slack off as soon as I leave. I just can't find the time to leave."

"I know, let's not talk about this, brother." Jin Baiwan waved his hand, cigarette ash falling to the ground. "Have you been to Li's greenhouse recently? How are their vegetables growing?"

“It’s not convenient for me to go there now, but I heard from the workers that the vegetables in his greenhouse are growing very well. The cucumbers are almost the size of my palm, and I guess they’ll be on the market soon.”

"Tsk tsk, I never realized before that the second son of the Li family was such a capable man." Jin Baiwan stroked his chin and said after a slight hesitation, "If I wanted to buy his vegetables, do you think he would be happy?"

Zhu Yimin laughed, "That second son of the Li family isn't stupid. He understands better than anyone that vegetables get more expensive as the weather gets colder, otherwise he wouldn't have built a vegetable greenhouse. I reckon... it won't be easy to negotiate."

"Alright then, you've had a long day, get some rest, I'm heading back."

"I won't keep you here today. Once the greenhouse is built, let's have a good drink together. I have so much to tell you."

(End of this chapter)