1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 197 Charm
At the dinner table, the group sat together.

Qi Yongfeng complained, "Cantonese food has no flavor at all!"

Chen Jiazhi laughed and said, "How can it not taste good? Cantonese people believe that vegetables should taste like vegetables and meat should taste like meat."

Qi Yongfeng: "I couldn't taste it."

Guo Mancang shook his head and said, "I'll cook at home from now on. Eating out is not only expensive, but I also don't like the food."

Li Mingkun: "I told you long ago that I would cook for myself, but Jia Zhi—no, Director Chen—insisted on taking us out to have fun every day. He really has too much money."

Chen Jiazhi: "Hey, Lao Li, I invited you out to dinner, did I do something wrong? Okay, okay, from now on, when we part ways, we can all go home and eat by ourselves~"

The table was filled with light dishes. There weren't many Sichuan restaurants around at that time, and finding one that suited everyone's tastes was extremely difficult.

The team almost broke up over a meal.

Yi Dinggan picked up a piece of poached chicken and asked, "Jiazhi, you said this dish tastes like vegetables and the meat tastes like meat, but what does it actually taste like? I just feel that poached chicken isn't as good as spicy chicken."

Chen Jiazhi pondered for a moment and said, "Vegetables have their own flavor. To be more professional, it's the accumulation of flavor compounds in vegetables. For example, leafy greens that have been touched by frost, tomatoes from areas with large temperature differences between day and night, and vegetables from soils with more organic matter can all help vegetables accumulate flavor compounds better, resulting in a better taste."

Yi Dinggan curled his lip.

"Come on, you can bring up gardening no matter what we're talking about. How about we play some cards during lunch break?"

Qi Yongfeng said, "Sure, it's great to be a team leader. I don't have to do any work; all I do every day is manage people."

What do you think, Jiazhi?

Chen Jiazhi shook his head: "Forget it, let's not play cards today. I have to go back to Dongxiang tonight, and I might be delayed for most of tomorrow. I'll find someone to talk to about work later, and I'll leave early this afternoon."

Yi Dinggan asked, "Is my father-in-law arriving soon?"

Chen Jiazhi: "Yes, after Dad bought the tickets in Chengdu, he called the market and calculated the time. It should arrive first thing tomorrow morning."

Yi Dinggan: "Then we should go and pick them up."

Li Mingkun sighed, "Jiazhi is really capable. He brought his parents over so quickly. Mid-Autumn Festival is in a few days. It's so nice to have the whole family together."

Of the six people present, Chen Jiazhi was the youngest, and each of them had elderly parents and young children to support.

With only five or six days left until the Mid-Autumn Festival, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat heavy when the topic of family and friends came up, especially during this festive season.

Chen Jiazhi said, "That's why I have to work hard, earn more money, and try to bring my family over. If all else fails, I can send more money home."

After a bowl of chicken soup, everyone regained their energy, and no one thought about playing cards anymore.

Chen Jiazhi paid the bill, and the group rode their bikes back.

Under a large tree by the river, Chen Jiazhi explained the key points for the next two days to the group.

It's really the same old stuff. The most important thing is sowing and post-sowing management, and the second most important thing is to prepare the land as quickly as possible.

However, Chen Jiazhi would not overestimate the abilities of his subordinates, and he would repeat himself repeatedly.

Since Huang Rixin and Zheng Zhong didn't come, Yi Dinggan was tasked with keeping an eye on them, which was his responsibility anyway.

According to Chen Jiazhi's plan, the planting period at Jiangxin Vegetable Market is longer than that at Dongxiang Vegetable Market.

9.12~9.19日每天播种20亩菜心，10亩芥兰，小计240亩；
9.20~9.25每天播种20亩菜心，20亩空心菜，20亩小白菜，小计360亩。

A total of 600 mu.

Chen Jiazhi's plan is to complete all sowing by the 25th and finish harvesting all vegetables by the end of October.

Starting from September 5th, an average of 30 mu (approximately 9 hectares) of land needs to be prepared every day. In addition, with concentrated sowing, the task of seedling management will increase as time goes on.

Unexpected factors such as rain, mechanical failure, and power outages may occur along the way.

Currently, there are only about 160 vegetable workers, so achieving the goal is actually very difficult.

So he only shared this goal with a small team, which put a lot of pressure on everyone.

Yi Dinggan said, "Jiazhi, isn't the sowing period a bit too concentrated?"

Ao Deliang rarely spoke up: "If we calculate based on the previous yield in Dongxiang, we'll need to harvest 20 tons of bok choy every day going forward, which puts a lot of pressure on sales!"

"Let's take a gamble," Chen Jiazhi pondered. "November is the peak season for autumn vegetables in Guangdong, so the chances of seeing good prices are low. On the contrary, the local late rice hasn't been harvested yet, and the planting area for leafy vegetables is relatively small, so the chances of seeing good prices are higher."

Yi Dinggan: "You don't play cards, but your gambling addiction is even stronger than ours."

Chen Jiazhi smiled and said, "You have a pair of kings and four twos in your hand, how can you not call it landlord?"
Furthermore, the shareholders told us not to worry about sales, so I definitely have to put some pressure on them!

"Hahaha~"

"Don't let the shareholders get crushed in the end!"

"Producing 20 to 30 tons of vegetables a day, just thinking about it is exciting!"

Everyone laughed.

Chen Jiazhi didn't mention the possibility of high temperatures and drought in October, which would seem like a gamble to others.

The current logical approach to betting on market trends is more conducive to cultivating their ability to analyze the market.

...

At 5 p.m., the workers had only been working for a short while when Chen Jiazhi drove off in his Isuzu.

That's the good thing about being the boss; nobody dares to control him.

The reason for choosing to drive an Isuzu is that this vehicle is more comfortable to ride in, and it has a double-row seat. This time, it wasn't just the two elderly people who came; a couple from the same village who wanted to grow vegetables also came.

No sooner had the light truck left than Cheng Tiantian pulled Xu Yao and Tong Gang into the corridor, pointing to the white truck that hadn't gone far.

"Look, Director Chen has disappeared again!"

Xu Yao rolled her eyes at her: "Can you control the factory manager?"

Cheng Tiantian said angrily, "I can't stand the way he uses his private car for public purposes. I bet he's gone back to his own market. Why doesn't he drive his own car?" The three of them already knew that Chen Jiazhi had a base in Dongxiang.

Xu Yao said, "Maybe something really happened. The last two times he went back, he drove his own car."

"Who can tell what's true and what's false?" Cheng Tiantian then asked Tong Gang, "Brother Gang, what do you think?"

Tong Gang pursed his lips and said, "You should think about how to keep your job first. Director Chen is already asking me to find a warehouse manager."

Cheng Tiantian's face turned red as she exclaimed, "How could he do this!"

Xu Yao thought for a moment and advised, "Why don't you give in and try to organize the warehouse? It's really a bit messy, making it difficult to keep track of the accounts."

Tong Gang agreed, "Xu Yao is right. Director Chen is reliable, no matter what else he does. Maybe the vegetable market will be revived."

"It's not that easy." Cheng Tiantian snorted coldly: "Anyway, I'm not going to organize his warehouse. I might as well quit. I've wanted to quit for a long time."

Tong Gang said, "You've already outlasted two farm managers with those words, do you think you can outlast a third?!"

Xu Yao couldn't help but burst out laughing.

...

As the setting sun cast its glow on the evening sky, Chen Jiazhi sat in his car looking at the Dongxiang vegetable market, which seemed even more peaceful and serene.

People in the market noticed him too; Yi Long was riding his bicycle back at breakneck speed with two dogs.

"Uncle~"

"Wang Wang~"

A short while later, Chen Jiazhi also saw Li Xiu walking out of the door.

As if knowing he would be returning today, Li Xiu wore a red ribbon shirt and a black skirt; even a casual glance exuded elegance.

Chen Jiazhi stared at her for a few more seconds until Yi Long came to the car door and called him, only then did he come back to his senses.

"You ride your bike well."

"Of course! I ride it every day. Now I can ride it with one hand."

"Wonderful."

After exchanging a few words with Yi Long, Li Xiu went back inside and brought him an enamel cup of water. Without saying a word, she gave him a feeling of home.

Chen Jiazhi took the water and smiled, "You look really good in this outfit today."

Li Xiu smiled and showed off her skirt: "Really? Today I went to the market with my second sister and the others to buy some daily necessities for my parents, so I changed my clothes."

"It's beautiful." Chen Jiazhi pulled her into the house, and while Yi Long was away, he grabbed her head and kissed her.

Li Xiuchen said, "It's still broad daylight, let's wait until night~"

"Hmm~"

Li Xiu hugged him for a while before separating.

Their son, Chen Zhengyun, was also awake, staring intently at the two of them with his big, bright eyes.

Chen Jiazhi picked him up and turned to look at the notes on the table, saying, "You're doing great. You stay home, do the accounting, take care of the kids, and do less farm work."

Li Xiu: "Yeah, I haven't been working in the fields much lately. My second sister said that if I go to work in the fields with them, it will make the others panic."

Chen Jiazhi laughed and said, "You're a boss's wife, and you're doing farm work so fast. They'll think you're dissatisfied, and they'll naturally panic."

I chatted with Li Xiu for a while, and we talked about the situation at the market. Production was proceeding as usual and according to plan.

With temperatures and rainfall gradually decreasing, planting becomes easier, and the centralized sowing method makes management relatively simple.

Just focus on getting things done and making the most of the time.

Furthermore, Ao Dehai brought in two more couples from Ziyun, bringing the total number of vegetable workers to seventeen.

Tomorrow we'll be meeting another couple from our hometown, making it nineteen people in total.

We can hire some temporary workers during the week, and there won't be any problems with the schedule.

After staying at home for more than half an hour, Chen Jiazhi went to inspect his vegetable field, which was not as well managed as when he was there.

But if you're a boss who can sit back and relax, you should be secretly happy with this level of success.

Ao Dehai dressed the same as before, wearing yellow rubber shoes, a white undershirt, gray trousers, and a straw hat. When he stood among the vegetable farmers, it was hard for strangers to tell that he was the actual manager.

Chen Jiazhi patted him on the shoulder, "You've worked hard. Let's have a couple of drinks together tonight."

Ao Dehai gave a simple smile and said, "Okay, boss."

A vegetable vendor called out, "Boss Chen, didn't you say you were quitting drinking? Your elderly relatives are arriving tomorrow."

Chen Jiazhi smiled and said, "That's why it's better to quit drinking tomorrow if I drink today."

"Phew~ Anyway, I don't believe you at all now that you're saying you're quitting drinking."

"Hahaha~"

Everyone burst into laughter.

In fact, Chen Jiazhi felt he could quit drinking, but it was difficult to abstain from alcohol completely in places like the market. Even women could have a couple of drinks, especially since he was the leader. He could only try to drink as little as possible.

Drinking is not the goal; discussing business and building relationships are.

Of course, he didn't drink much because he was afraid it would affect his performance in bed that night.

The night was like a dream, and after a night of passion, I was even more radiant.

(End of this chapter)