1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 196 Nepotism
Chen Jiazhi took two steps forward with the wrench in his hand, Huang Jianyuan subconsciously took a step back, and the other two shareholders couldn't help but take a step back as well.

The three of them got off the car with smiles on their faces.

A few minutes earlier, as soon as the car entered the market area, the group was immediately drawn to it.

The vegetable fields are neatly arranged in squares with interconnected ditches, creating a picturesque scene. The expanse of green stretches from the fields all the way to the riverbank, a sight that pleases the eye.

The seedlings are small, but they look very vibrant.

The other plots of land also looked quite orderly, with vegetable farmers and tricycles running around, each busy with their own tasks.

So even before they got off the bus, their impression of Chen Jiazhi had already changed considerably.

In just over ten days, their execution ability is truly impeccable.

What's going on here?
Holding a wrench in his hand and expressionless, Huang Jianyuan and his two companions, who had originally come to cause trouble, now felt a little unsure of themselves.

Xu Wenxiang stood still and asked again, "Director Chen, what's going on here?"

"Oh." Chen Jiazhi waved the wrench in his hand and said, "There were no repairmen in the yard, so I filled in and fixed two mini-tillers. The two that just left are them."

Xu Yao, who was standing nearby, continued, "Director Chen can also fix electrical problems. Today, the water pump's power line also short-circuited, and Director Chen replaced it with a new one."

Looking at Xu Yao's drastically changed attitude, and recalling the smiles of the shareholders just now, Cheng Tiantian also said:
"Director Chen can also repair vehicles. He repaired all the human-powered tricycles, wheel rims, and other vehicles in the yard."

Chen Jiazhi waved the wrench repeatedly, "Stop, stop, stop, what's there to say? Just tap it a couple of times with the wrench and it'll be fixed."

Now that he had said it, Xu Wenxiang, Huang Jianyuan, and the others understood what he had just done.

He knows electrical work, can repair cars, and can even repair farm machinery, which left the group somewhat bewildered. He really is a jack-of-all-trades!
Looking at Chen Jiazhi covered in sweat and oil at this moment, one can better appreciate how rare it was.

It's truly rare for a farm manager to personally do the dirty and tiring work, especially since many people don't even know how to do it.

Xu Wenxiang smiled and said, "Director Chen, why don't you put down the wrench and tell us about the situation at the market?"

"Okay, wait a moment."

Chen Jiazhi gathered up the wrench and the tools scattered on the ground and put them into the warehouse.

Several shareholders and his entourage stood in the shade, waiting for him to come and go as he pleased.

After tidying up, Xu Yao handed over a clean white handkerchief embroidered with a green stem and red flower.

"Director Chen, wipe your face."

Chen Jiazhi was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Thanks, I have towels in my dorm, I can just wet them and wipe myself down when I get back."

After washing his face, Chen Jiazhi approached the shareholders and asked, "Have you all come to inspect our work?"

"No, not at all."

Huang Jianyuan waved his hands repeatedly and said with a smile, "We just came to take a look, understand the situation, and see if there is anything we are lacking."

The other two shareholders, Zhang Lerong and Li Zaixing, echoed this sentiment.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Huang is right."

"Director Chen, please let me know if you need anything."

Xu Wenxiang turned her head away and chuckled to herself. Chen Jiazhi noticed this and looked at the group suspiciously. What was going on?

But if you ask me to make a request, then I will.

“There are quite a few things we’re missing,” Chen Jiazhi said. “First of all, life is inconvenient. I plan to build a small canteen and hire a chef to solve the meal problem for the management team.”

Huang Jianyuan, Zhang Lerong, and Li Zaixing were surprised that he actually made demands, and specifically for the cafeteria. Even Xu Wenxiang raised an eyebrow slightly.

Chen Jiazhi observed the expressions on their faces and said, "Of course, we'll have to wait until the market has some revenue before we can talk about it."

The group then relaxed.

Xu Wenxiang said, "Director Chen, shall we go for a walk in the vegetable field? I just took a quick look and it looks pretty good, but General Manager Huang, General Manager Zhang and General Manager Li still have a lot of questions, so you might need to explain them to them."

"As long as you're not afraid of the sun or the heat, I'm fine with it."

Chen Jiazhi casually took out his straw hat and asked Cheng Tiantian to get a few more straw hats to distribute to everyone, then went to the vegetable field.

As they walked and talked, Chen Jiazhi led the group to the benchmark field.

The shade netting covering the vegetable field has been removed for two days. From the provincial highway to the riverbank, there are small vegetable seedlings of uniform density.

The irrigation ditches are straight, and each vegetable patch looks like a twin brother, almost identical.

Upon closer inspection, even those who didn't know much about market management were captivated.

Just like people, we feel longing when we see beautiful women or beautiful things. The same is true for this vegetable garden. Just by looking at its appearance, we can appreciate its exquisite beauty.

Xu Wenxiang nodded slightly. It was because she saw this vegetable field that Huang Jianyuan and the other two's attitudes changed 180 degrees.

The wrench may have had a deterrent effect, but the work ethic it revealed afterward convinced the men even more.

Hardworking people are also very likable.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward.
After Chen Jiazhi introduced the varieties, sowing time, mulching, watering, worker group management, and other matters, he waited for Huang Jianyuan and others to ask questions.

They simply listened quietly, observed the vegetable patch silently, and nodded occasionally.
Chen Jiazhi was also a little confused. Was the vegetable garden really that beautiful? Wasn't it something you could see in a glance? Didn't you just say there were many questions?
Chen Jiazhi turned his head to look at Xu Wenxiang. She was dressed in all white again today, holding a parasol.

"Mr. Xu, would you like to come to my office for a while?"

Xu Wenxiang: "President Huang, President Zhang, President Li, what do you say? If there's nothing else, I'll head back to the hotel first. There's a banquet tonight." Huang Jianyuan: "Let's go together. Director Chen has done a great job, so let's not bother him any longer."

Zhang Lerong and Li Zaixing echoed their agreement.

There's really nothing to ask. The explanation just now was insightful, easy to understand, and clear. We've also seen the practical results, which has dispelled most of my doubts before coming here.

Now they only regret believing Tang Xiao's words; that guy definitely wasn't there.

Costs have increased, and the return on investment is still uncertain, but on the surface, there is great hope.

I came a bit rashly today.

Several people wanted to leave.

Chen Jiazhi pondered for a moment before asking, "Gentlemen, I have another question. Is the vegetable sales channel at the market reliable?"

Huang Jianyuan said, "Director Chen, you don't need to worry about that. As long as the vegetables can be grown, there will be no problem with sales."

Chen Jiazhi: "It's better to communicate in advance. Packaging, specifications, vehicles, transportation, and customs declaration all need to be prepared. If the vegetable market doesn't have a cold storage, it will be very troublesome if the subsequent vegetable production speed cannot keep up."

“Okay, leave this to me.” Huang Jianyuan agreed and said with a smile, “Director Chen, you just focus on growing the vegetables, don’t worry about the sales.”

He spoke very confidently.

Chen Jiazhi also wanted to see what kind of sales channels these people had, and unsurprisingly, he had a lot of vegetables this time.

A group of people came and went in a hurry.

Xu Wenxiang and Huang Jianyuan were in the same car. "Mr. Huang, how are you feeling?"

Huang Jianyuan pondered for a moment and said, "Now that I see Chen Jiazhi is quite capable, I shouldn't have believed Tang Xiao's nonsense!"

Xu Wenxiang pondered and said, "Tang Xiao is already out of the game. He'll regret it sooner or later. Right now, he just can't stand to see us doing well and is trying to sow discord. President Huang, you'd better be careful."

"I was being reckless this time." Huang Jianyuan nodded, then muttered, "I wonder where Tang Xiao got the news from."

Xu Wenxiang: "None of that matters. Let's give Director Chen two or three months to calm down."

...

The arrival of Xu Wenxiang and her group seemed out of nowhere. Did they drive two hours just to make a quick trip?
Obviously impossible.

Chen Jiazhi sensed something was amiss; someone might be speaking ill of him. However, the current state of the vegetable garden dispelled Huang Jianyuan and the others' concerns.

He didn't dwell on it further; if there really was a mole, he would eventually be exposed.

As long as everything in the vegetable garden is normal, that's fine.

Back in the courtyard, Xu Yao and Cheng Tiantian were chatting on the second-floor corridor. Compared to the vegetable workers, they had it much easier.

Seeing him return after seeing someone off, Cheng Tiantian called out, "Director Chen, come up and have some tea. I just boiled some water."

"No, thank you." Chen Jiazhi replied, "Instead of wasting your time, you might as well tidy up the warehouse. Look at all those broken hoes, crowbars, manure scoops, and the broken sprayers, all piled up haphazardly in the corner. It doesn't look like a warehouse at all; it looks like a garbage dump."

"You—" Cheng Tiantian said angrily, "I just spoke up for you."

Chen Jiazhi: "Thanks, I'm just a repairman, I didn't expect to make you proud. Should I also help you with the warehouse work? What would I do with you then?!"

Cheng Tiantian's face was almost contorted with anger.

Chen Jiazhi ignored her; the warehouse manager was a complete mess.

Saying a few nice words is useless; he wants people who can get things done. He even has to find spark plugs and filters himself.

He's only been here a short time. Once the dishes are served and things are sorted out, if things still don't improve, I don't care what your relationship is with him; I'll have to replace him with someone else, no matter how high or low you are.

After saying a few sarcastic remarks to Cheng Tiantian, Chen Jiazhi went into a separately cleared warehouse, mainly to store the newly purchased supplies.

Pesticides, fertilizers, and seeds are all here.

The amount of pesticides and fertilizers is only enough for one crop of vegetables on 600 mu (approximately 40 hectares).

I bought more seeds than usual. In addition to one batch of No. 19 'Sijiuxin' choy, I also prepared a batch of late-season choy seeds.

The late-maturing Chinese cabbage variety is also the late-maturing Chinese cabbage No. 2 bred by Peng Qian. It takes about 60 days from sowing to the first harvest. In Huacheng, it is suitable to raise seedlings and transplant them in November or December in the second half of the year.

It was first demonstrated and promoted in 1986 and has been widely welcomed.

After this batch of 49-year-old cabbage leaves is finished, it's the perfect time to switch to a late-season cabbage. Late-season cabbage that has been touched by frost tastes absolutely amazing.

In addition to Chinese cabbage, there are also Chinese kale, bok choy, and mustard seeds produced by the Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

The seeds alone cost more than 10,000 yuan.

Chen Jiazhi stayed in the warehouse until the morning shift ended, when the vegetable workers came back to put away their tools. Only then did he see Cheng Tiantian appear at the warehouse door.

They just counted the quantity and didn't care about anything else.

This job is really easy.

This made Chen Jiazhi think that not having a warehouse manager might actually be feasible.

After Yi Dinggan, Qi Yongfeng and their team returned, Chen Jiazhi took them out to eat at a restaurant.

In today's dried vegetable market, you really have to practice nepotism, otherwise nothing can be done.

(End of this chapter)