1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 407 Dragon Boat Rises, Yellow Skins Swell
After his conversation with Liao Ming, Chen Jiazhi gained more confidence and expectations for the future development of Fanrong Vegetable Market.

In fact, people in the Yangtze River Delta region also enjoy eating various kinds of green vegetables.

For Shanghai natives who love green vegetables, there is only one kind of green vegetable in the world: Shanghai greens. This can also refer to the entire Yangtze River Delta region, though there may be slight differences, such as Suzhou greens.

In the Pearl River Delta, only green vegetables with leaves deserve to be called "green vegetables," and the representative of these is the heart of the cabbage.

The Yangtze River Delta region also has its own "vegetable hearts". The "Shanghai greens" and "Suzhou greens" are especially delicious after the winter frost. After that, it is the season to eat Shanghai green shoots.

The rapeseed shoots are also called 'vegetable heart' or 'vegetable tip'.

Some people don't like to eat the stems of vegetables, they only eat the leaves. But it's different with vegetable shoots; the best part of them is the stem.

People in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai area prefer local cabbage tips to Cantonese cabbage, so when Cantonese cabbage was introduced to Shanghai, many Shanghai aunties called it "Cai Meimei" (vegetable sister).

The past few months have been the peak season for rapeseed shoots and early spring Shanghai bok choy, so Guangdong rapeseed can sell for one or two yuan per kilogram in the Pearl River Delta, but only for four or five mao in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai.

In short, the two regions share many similarities in their consumption habits regarding green vegetables.

This also means that Cantonese cuisine is actually easier to promote in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai areas, since rapeseed shoots are not available all year round, while choy sum can be produced all year round.

As living standards improve, people always want to eat a wider variety of vegetables.

Therefore, the future of the prosperous vegetable market is promising, and with an export market, it will be able to sustain itself until that day comes.

Moreover, broccoli can generate high profits for at least two or three years.

After his conversation with Liao Ming, Chen Jiazhi made a brief appearance in Luonan Town and Fanrong Village before preparing to return to Guangdong.

There were three people when they came, and there will be three people when they leave. Qi Yongfeng and his wife need to hand over their work first.

In the waiting room, Chen Jiazhi and Fang Shaohua sat together.

"Shaohua, how was the trip?"

"It's been very rewarding," Fang Shaohua said. "Boss, I'll come to Shanghai after I graduate."

"Don't force yourself."

"I think the prosperous farmers market is great."

Chen Jiazhi smiled and said, "It seems you've really gained quite a bit."

He brought Fang Shaohua to Shanghai because he wanted him to stay and develop his career there, taking charge of foreign trade.

On the plane, Chen Jiazhi started reading again, this time about breeding. It was only when he was on a plane that he had time to enrich himself.

Upon arriving in Huacheng, Chen Jiazhi immediately resumed his work.

The continuous rain has made the weather increasingly humid and hot, and you'll be soaked through after working outdoors for a short while.

But he still tirelessly travels across the lands of Xiaolou, Paitan, and Zhengguo townships.

Paddy fields and dry land are interspersed, uneven, yet arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner.

The rice has turned yellow, the lychees are starting to turn green, the wampee branches are drooping, and the bright yellow flowers in the peanut field have already withered...

Occasionally, one can even cast a couple of lines on the spot.

Even in the countryside, there's a joy in being busy.

Under a citrus grove, Chen Jiazhi and his friends asked the grove owner for a few summer oranges to quench their thirst.

Then, after clearing away some weeds, he plopped down on the ground.

Summer oranges are small and delicate, with thin, greenish peels.

Yi Dinggan took the knife he was carrying and cut the summer orange into four small pieces. He cut two pieces and gave one piece to Chen Jiazhi, Xue Jun, Guo Mancang and others.

"Ah, that feels good."

"The peel was greenish, I thought it wasn't ripe yet, but it turns out it's really ripe."

With its rich fruity aroma and a touch of refreshing tartness, it's an excellent choice for cooling off and quenching thirst in the countryside.

Everyone ate several.

After eating the fruit, Yi Dinggan reflected on the fields he had seen along the way and said...

"It's really not easy to turn all the small plots of land into one large area."

"From small fields to large fields, roads, and ditches, nothing can be neglected."

The thousand-acre bases selected in the three townships are all farmland with relatively good conditions.

However, the fields are still uneven, and there are ridges everywhere to facilitate rice planting and drainage.

There are also occasional scattered houses and residents.

Such land is fertile for growing rice, but it's not suitable for growing vegetables or leafy greens in large areas.

Therefore, it must be changed.

According to Chen Jiazhi, it would be perfect if it could be transformed according to the standards of high-standard farmland in later generations.

But that's just a concept for now; we need to focus more on practicality.

As long as it can be connected for convenient mechanized operation, and can be used for irrigation, drainage, and transportation, the goal will be achieved.

Once the base makes money, we'll gradually upgrade and beautify it.

"That's why I have to go to the site in person to plan every road, every canal, and every piece of land. The 20 million yuan must be spent, but it must be spent wisely."

Chen Jiazhi said, his hands still bent down to clean the beggar-ticks, also known as devil's needle grass, from his trouser legs.

As I walked, these horrible things pricked my lower body with needles, making me itchy and difficult to remove them.

After returning from the bustling market, he stayed at home for a day before coming to Zengcheng to explore every inch of the land on foot.

Qi Yongfeng then went to Jiangxin Vegetable Market, and Yi Dinggan also took time to visit Zengcheng during the handover of his work.

The initial planning of the base is crucial, with fields, roads, and irrigation ditches being of paramount importance.

After eating summer oranges and clearing away the beggar-ticks, the group continued on their way, familiarizing themselves with the course of the river, the connecting ditches, and the distribution of the fields.

Then, he used a pen to record each point on paper and drew sketches, which could then be used as the subsequent construction plan.

Having finished his pre-arranged work for the day, Yi Dinggan took out his fishing rod. "Jiazhi, come on, take me to your fishing spot and cast a couple of lines."

"You even brought a fishing rod!" Chen Jiazhi exclaimed in surprise. "No wonder you were in such a hurry to come over; it turns out you were here to go fishing."

"I came here to explore fishing for my dad first. When I come to Zengcheng, I'll let him come here too, because the water environment here is suitable for fishing."

Yi Dinggan urged again, "Hurry up, stop dawdling. I told you to use fermented rice to bait the hole yesterday, did you do it?"

I didn't go fishing yesterday.

Chen Jiazhi eventually took him out to catch an evening meal.

His fishing spots are located at the confluence of the Erlong River and the Paitan River, at a point on the water's edge, with one spot upstream and one downstream.

There are more fish upstream, but they are smaller, while giant creatures often appear downstream.

Considering Yi Dinggan's fishing skills, Chen Jiazhi took him upstream.

However, just as they arrived at the fishing spot, a sudden downpour struck. The two hurriedly sought shelter, but still ended up soaked to the bone.

There's no way to catch this fish anymore.

"Your luck isn't suited for fishing; you've run into bad luck right away."

As the rain subsided and the sound of raindrops ceased, Chen Jiazhi immediately began to complain, as he had never encountered this situation during his several fishing trips.

Yi Dinggan was still staring blankly at the rising river when he said, "The Dragon Boat Festival floods are here again."

Dragon Boat Festival rain is always a source of dread for vegetable farmers; no one knows if the heavens will target anyone.

Chen Jiazhi also turned to look at the churning river, and suddenly, he smiled again.

"We're not afraid of the heavy rains during the Dragon Boat Festival. This year we still have the prosperous vegetable market, the Lianzhou cooperative base, and the Pengcun base. We're sure to reap the benefits."

Wearing wet clothes, Chen Jiazhi walked back, while Yi Dinggan carried an empty bucket, which was originally meant to hold fish.

"Will there be no dragon boat rain in Lianzhou?"

“Yes.” Chen Jiazhi walked closer to a yellow-skinned fruit tree by the roadside. The branches were drooping, and the fruit looked like it was about to ripen.

He recalled a farming proverb: "When the water rises for dragon boats, the yellow-skinned fish swells."

The situation is similar to the rice harvest in Chengdu; with the arrival of hot and humid weather, leafy vegetables are harder to grow.

"However, Lianzhou is in northern Guangdong, and the Dragon Boat Festival rain is a bit different. You can refer to the summer rainstorms in your hometown. The rainfall intensity is high, but the duration is short, which can easily cause flash floods and mudslides."

The biggest threat to vegetable production bases is road disruption, not the direct impact of torrential rain.

The dragon boat rain in Guangzhou is intense and prolonged, sometimes lasting for three to five days.

With this comparison and explanation, Yi Dinggan gained an understanding of the Lianzhou base.

The rain during the Dragon Boat Festival has a smaller impact on vegetables in Lianzhou, where vegetables such as eggplant, melons, and beans are resistant to storage and there are cold storage facilities available.

Thinking about it that way, it really is an opportunity.

There are also the more distant Fanrong Vegetable Market and the mustard greens from the Pengcun base. Although the scattered bases are difficult to manage, they also have many advantages.

As a result, the overall vegetable supply is more stable, and it seems that nature can no longer do anything to them.

Chen Jiazhi did not stay in Zengcheng for long. After Yi Dinggan became familiar with the situation in Zengcheng, he returned to Kaopu Fresh's office.

The city is more bustling and lively, but it lacks the tranquility and fresh air of the countryside.

The continuous rainfall has caused market fluctuations, but the polarization pattern has not changed.

Leafy greens still fetch a good price.

Local and imported fruits and vegetables have also seen some improvement, with sales volume not slow, but their prices are still significantly lower than those of leafy greens.

At stall number 63, Chen Jiazhi followed Li Cai's example, taking a large tomato from the vegetable basket, wiping it, and taking a bite.

The flavor isn't as intense, but it's very juicy, and the tomatoes must have had a slightly greenish skin when they were picked.

The other baskets of samples also contained vegetables such as eggplant, cucumber, loofah, and bitter melon.

These vegetables all come from the Lianzhou cooperative base.

It's not yet peak production season, so the yield is low, but prices are just starting to pick up, so we can afford to wait.

Li Cai took another big bite of tomato and asked, "Are the fish from the river over in Zengcheng tasty?"

Chen Jiazhi also took a bite of tomato, reminiscing, "It was pretty good, the fish were delicious and easy to catch."

"I'll give it a try when I have some free time."

Li Cai worked day and night in the wholesale market for a long time, and sometimes he felt depressed, so he wanted to run away to the countryside or the mountains.

He went to Lianzhou two or three times. The environment there was nice. He fished in Lianjiang and in the reservoir. When he caught a fish, he would cut two bamboo stalks, skewer the fish, grill it, drizzle some oil, sprinkle some chili powder, and it smelled wonderful. It was a very comfortable feeling.

He thought Zengcheng would have the same experience.

Chen Jiazhi laughed and said, "Okay, you can also invite Zhengxu to come with you, so he can go out and relax too."

The Paitan River and Erlong River have excellent water quality, beautiful environment, and few invasive species.

Fishing can be a pleasant experience for people nowadays.

Li Cai said, "I'll give it a try, but he might prefer to visit more clients."

Chen Jiazhi thought of his older cousin's urging for marriage again, since Zhengxu and Li Cai were both getting on in years.

"Forget it, don't look for him anymore. What you need more is a wife who's willing to go fishing with you."

Li Caidun stood there. There were quite a few girls willing to get to know him. Maybe he could try going fishing together. Whoever was willing to go a second time would be more suitable.

That's really a good idea.

At this time,

Suddenly, the large raindrops started pattering again, instantly covering the sky and the earth, and silencing all other sounds.

(End of this chapter)