1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 451 Inventory
As Chen Jiazhi stepped out of the room, he saw the sunlight piercing through the clouds on the horizon.

In the courtyard, the old man and woman had already gotten up and were examining the big, upturned beak that Yi Dinggan had brought back.

Chen Jiafang was also holding Dou Dou and watching the fish.

Chen Jiazhi then realized that so many people in the house had gotten up, but no one was making a sound.

He walked into the courtyard, and Yi Dinggan said proudly, "Jiazhi, look, isn't this fish good enough? It has a good meaning."

Chen Jiazhi smiled and joked, "I don't need to look at the fish; I can tell it's good enough just by the way your lips are turned up."

Yi Dinggan said with dissatisfaction, "You can only be envious. I'll go find a scale to weigh it. It'll probably weigh seven or eight pounds."

At this moment, Li Xiu also came out of the room. Seeing such a big fish, she was amazed and praised it as amazing, which made Yi Dinggan proud again.

Chen Jiazhi said, "I'll go fishing later too, and I guarantee I'll bring back even bigger catches."

Peng Guozhen walked towards the kitchen again, saying, "If you get up, come and eat some glutinous rice balls first, then go to the kitchen."

"Alright, let's eat glutinous rice balls! Let's see who finds the nickel this year."

Chen Jiazhi yelled at Yi Long and Yi Hu, who were still sleeping in, and Yi Dinggan showed off Li Cai's fish. The two brothers also gave him face and shouted loudly, praising him for his skill in baiting.

Yi Dinggan's lips, which were originally upturned like his own, also drooped.

We had a landline installed at home, and right after breakfast, my eldest sister and third sister called one after another to wish us a Happy New Year.

Chen Jiazhi and Chen Jiafang also chatted with them for a while. There are different levels of closeness between siblings, but they are still siblings after all.

Although his two older sisters would occasionally gossip with their mother, they rarely talked about it outside the home.

Both families receive some special treatment at the market or distribution center, but they both started as low-level workers, earning their living with their own hands.

In fact, Chen Jiazhi understands them; they are also afraid of gossip.

After the phone call, the sun dispersed the clouds, taking away the damp chill of the past few days, and its warmth shone on people.

The old man also took out the bamboo fishing rod that Yi Dinggan had made for him and started playing with it, while Yi Long and Yi Hu squatted down to help (make trouble).

Chen Jiazhi called out, "Li Xiu, Second Sister, Mom, the sun is shining brightly today, do you want to go fishing with us?"

Li Xiu replied, "Sure, let's go for a walk along the river and soak up some sun."

Chen Jiafang and Peng Guozhen also smiled and said that the whole family could go together and also visit the local market.

Chen Jiazhi didn't have a fishing rod, but he took a so-called high-end fishing line that Yi Dinggan had bought with money. After fiddling with the fishing line for a while, the whole family went out together.

Li Xiu also asked Chen Jiazhi to bring Li Cai a serving of glutinous rice balls. According to her mother, Li Cai left home a little after four in the morning.

My father was used to fishing in the Paitan River, so he didn't go far.

Li Xiu, Chen Jiafang, and their mother chose to walk with the children, whether they wanted to go shopping or watch fishing.

Chen Jiazhi then drove Yi Dinggan and his son to find Li Cai.

The whole family was enjoying a rare moment of leisure, so they were all in high spirits. And the weather was truly kind to them today; after being cold for so long, it finally warmed up.

As he passed by the vegetable fields, Chen Jiazhi would occasionally glance at them.

Yi Dinggan was also observing, and said, "Once the sun comes out, the vegetables will easily bolt and flower, and we'll have to hurry up and harvest them after the holiday, so it will be hard to keep the price stable."

"Sales have been quite good." Chen Jiazhi saw the lettuce in the vegetable field and asked, "Is that patch of lettuce after it has been turned over and shaped?"

Yi Long and Yi Hu also peered out the window; both brothers knew that lettuce had to compete with the Americans.

Yi Dinggan said, "Yes, that area has been turned over and pressed down, and we can already see some results. Shall we go take a look?"

"Never mind, today's task is to play."

"Okay, the weather is getting warmer, and the lettuce will grow quickly. I'll show you the finished product then."

"Waiting for your good news."

Zengcheng boasts lush green mountains and clear waters, a pristine environment. The Zengjiang River, known as the "Mother River" of Zengcheng, is a paradise for fish to thrive and for anglers.

The Zengjiang River has good water quality and a rich variety of fish species, among which the mandarin fish, which has high requirements for water quality, is one of the main fish species.

Even on the first day of the Lunar New Year, anglers can be seen fishing on both sides of the river at any time.

When they found Li Cai, he had caught quite a few fish. When he lifted the fish basket, water splashed everywhere, and many of them were small mandarin fish.

A large, upturned beak like the one from this morning is extremely rare, which is why Yi Dinggan rushed home early in the morning: to bring good luck.

Chen Jiazhi handed the lunchbox containing the glutinous rice balls to Li Cai and said, "They're still hot, eat them while they're hot. You're really addicted, leaving home after four o'clock."

"It was because I arrived early that I was able to catch that big fish." Li Cai opened his lunchbox and started eating the glutinous rice balls, feeling extremely satisfied.

Yi Dinggan said, "That's all thanks to me for keeping the fishing spot fresh for you all this time. Jiazhi, there's another fishing spot on that rock over there. You can go fish there."

"Oh~" Chen Jiazhi looked at Li Cai, "Boss Cai, let me have some fun in this place~"

Although he used a question, his hand gestures indicated that it was an affirmative statement, and the boss's privilege was activated.

For a moment, Li Cai just silently ate his glutinous rice balls. He had a deep understanding of how amazing this place was, and it was really a pity to give it up now.

However, while enjoying the warm glutinous rice balls, he generously gave up his spot.

My brother-in-law rarely goes fishing, and his fishing skills aren't great; he came home empty-handed on the first day of the Lunar New Year, which isn't good either.
Thinking about it this way, Li Cai felt much better.

"Okay, here you go, I'll go fish at another spot."

"The God of Wealth is generous; we're sure to make a fortune this year."

Just as Chen Jiazhi finished speaking, Li Cai felt his teeth bite into something hard.

"Huh... I found a nickel."

Chen Jiazhi turned around and said, "That's right, it seems what I said is coming true. You're going to make a fortune this year."

"Haha, I feel the same way."

Li learned that the company would be distributing dividends in March, and felt that this was the place to go, so he immediately picked up his fishing rod and moved to a different spot.

Wild fishing mainly depends on luck and location; this spot might have actually been artificially cultivated by Yi Dinggan.

Chen Jiazhi felt he had a great time fishing and had a blast. He took turns going back for lunch, and fished all day long.

The fleeting happiness was over just like that.

Starting from the second day of the Lunar New Year, Yi Dinggan resumed his daily field patrols. After the beginning of spring, the temperature gradually rose.

Leafy vegetables grow faster and bolt easily.

The amount of vegetables purchased has increased day by day, but the market has started to decline, and vegetable prices have begun to fall.

Leafy greens are seasonal vegetables. When the temperature is high, the supply increases and the vegetables become harder to sell.

However, Chen Jiazhi, who remained at Heli Farm, did not feel at all that the vegetables were difficult to sell.

The management of the vegetable market inevitably encounters various minor problems, but he feels that the process of selling vegetables is very smooth.

Without any hindrance,

The amount of vegetables sold from the market is increasing, but the amount of vegetables purchased from various channels is also gradually increasing.

The key word is stability.

If things are done reliably, then this is exactly how stable we should be.

...

The bustling market in mid-February has both the lingering charm of winter and the vitality of spring.

The vegetable market has expanded to 1,000 mu, and the surface of the land is covered with a layer of decomposed poultry manure.

After drying for a few days, a locally hired rotary tiller roared and broke up the soil.

Ao Dehai lifted a corner of the seedling shed. After switching to the company's formula substrate this year, the broccoli seedlings in the plug trays were growing stronger and had a higher germination rate. He planned to transplant them.

It's almost ten days earlier than last year, but he believes that if all measures are in place, transplanting ten days earlier is not a problem.

The boss approved his proposal.

Meanwhile, in Lianzhou.

Farmers both inside and outside the cooperative base eagerly filled out seedling orders with Huang Chuan.

Some are free, and some are paid.

The same thing happened at the seedling base in Shuidong. After more than a year of trying, the nursery finally welcomed repeat customers.

I made a whopping 20,000!

It wasn't meant as mockery; Chen Jiazhi was genuinely surprised when he heard the news. Maoming is a winter vegetable growing base, and at this time of year, the vegetables are either being harvested or being taken down from the trellises.

Buying seedlings is quite unusual.

But the rarer the seedling, the more it proves that it has gained the farmers' approval, and that they dare to plant it repeatedly.

This is a good start; some things require perseverance to achieve results.

Especially for industry pioneers, every step is difficult, but we must believe that a single spark can start a prairie fire.
In the office of Kaopu Fresh, Chen Jiazhi was playing on the computer. He was still a little rusty with the operation, and the Internet had also undergone many changes this year.

However, Chen Jiazhi knew absolutely nothing about the internet in his previous life, and had no recollection of early internet figures.

Even now, I can't handle it, and I don't have the energy or confidence to work in an industry I know nothing about.

He can only watch the changes happening on the internet for the time being.

The only thing I can think of is to cultivate the next generation, such as Yi Long and Yi Hu, and let them develop in this direction.

At the same time, he should focus on doing what he is good at, making it bigger and stronger, so that he won't miss out on any internet opportunities that come his way in the future.

He feels more comfortable working in an industry he is familiar with.

February went by so quickly, it felt like it was over in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Chen Jiazhi also sorted out his plans for the new year. He continued to pay attention to economic changes, especially the situation in several Southeast Asian countries.

The currency exchange rate continues to rise, exports are sluggish, imports are booming, and the stock market and real estate market remain largely unchanged.

Chen Jiazhi still sticks to his judgment.

At the national level, the prevention of financial risks has been mentioned repeatedly, and even official documents have been issued.

This also solidified Chen Jiazhi's judgment.

His predictions about the future financial situation are likely to align with those of the top leadership.

So, we just have to keep waiting.

Due to potential financial risks, Chen Jiazhi once again abandoned the idea of ​​building a leafy vegetable base in Yunnan for the summer supply, and instead tried to find a solution based on the existing base in Zengcheng.

In the three townships of Xiaolou, Paitan, and Zhengguo, only 1,000 mu of land was rented in each township.

Whether it's further expansion or encouraging farmers to plant crops, the supply of goods this summer is guaranteed.

If it does get affected, there will be more room for maneuver, and the risks are less than going to Yunnan.

Faced with a potential financial crisis, Chen Jiazhi chose to expand cautiously.

Even though the funds in the account are more abundant than ever before.

By early March, the late-season cabbage in Zengcheng had been harvested, thus completing its mission of helping Tongxingtai win over high-quality customers from Taiji in Yuhe District.

Even without the late-season cabbage, these customers still chose to cooperate with Tongxingtai.

Reliable Fresh's supply channels to Hong Kong have been strengthened like never before, and many leafy vegetables can obtain higher profits through supplying Hong Kong.

This is a potential benefit.

What's more tangible is the string of numbers in the account.

Heli Farm planted a total of about 700 mu of late-season Chinese cabbage. The first batch of 300 mu also harvested the side shoots, with a total yield of about 330 million jin.

The supply to Hong Kong is divided into four grades and four price levels, with a small portion also being consumed domestically.

Initially, the price of premium quality was HK$8 per kilogram, while the price of common quality was HK$2 per kilogram.

However, as temperatures cooled down and the Spring Festival holiday season arrived, prices rose one after another, with the peak shipping period concentrated at the end of January and the beginning of February.

In total, this batch of late-ripening cabbage is estimated to generate an income of approximately 1320 million yuan.

In addition, Heli Farm started producing vegetables in October, and the bok choy, kale, lettuce and other vegetables generated 1951 million yuan in revenue in the past five months.

The total amount is 3471 million yuan.

A rough calculation shows that Heli Agriculture has already recouped its total investment of 20 million yuan in just 5 months.

Not to mention the finance staff, even Chen Jiazhi was initially surprised by this result.

He carefully checked all the bills and found some minor issues, but overall there were no mistakes.

The more you calculate the accounts, the clearer they become.

The financial report of Kaopu Fresh was also released shortly afterward.

After receiving the accounting results, Chen Jiazhi convened a shareholders' meeting in Huacheng.

Xu Wenxiang, Huang Jianyuan, and Xia Youche and his son were all present.

Meanwhile, several core management members, including Yi Dinggan, Li Cai, Chen Zhengxu, Qi Yongfeng, Ao Deliang, and Xue Jun, also attended.

The relevant meeting minutes will then be relayed to Ao Dehai and Li Mingkun by telephone.

When Heli Agriculture's financial statements appeared in the hands of those present, Chen Jiazhi directly stated the final result.

The company was established for 7 months, and after 5 months of selling vegetables, it achieved sales of 3371 million yuan, not only recovering all costs but also making a small profit.

Everyone was shocked.

For a moment, the conference room was filled with the rustling sound of financial statements being turned over, the sound filled with urgency, and then there was silence, with only the sound of breathing remaining.

Xu Wenxiang, who had little interest in Heli Agriculture, felt a chill run down her spine and a sense of unreality upon seeing the numbers in the table.

She also ran a vegetable market and lost a fortune, but now she's recouped her investment in less than six months?

"is this real?"

Chen Jiazhi simply smiled and waited for everyone to process what was happening on their own. He enjoyed seeing the incredulous looks on others' faces.

Xu Wenxiang added, "I don't mean to doubt, it's just... it's just... this is a bit too incredible."

"This is the right way to run a farmers' market," Chen Jiazhi said with a flourish.

Yi Dinggan thought he was showing off, but he had to admit that the action was cool and the words were inspiring. As the boss of Heli Farm, Yi Dinggan couldn't help but straighten his back.

Chen Jiazhi noticed his little action and, in turn, pointed at Yi Dinggan.

"Mr. Yi is excellent at production management in the vegetable market."

He then pointed to Xia Youche and his son, saying, "Tongxingtai's actions in Hong Kong are also very effective. I believe everyone has heard the story of Xia Youche always eating late-season cabbage."

Xia Yang's smile faltered for a moment, then he smiled even wider. Boss Chen held grudges, but he also remembered Xia Yang's contributions.

Chen Jiazhi then pointed out Chen Zhengxu and Li Cai, saying, "This is the result of everyone's joint efforts."

"The most important thing is that you made a good decision," Yi Dinggan shouted, which immediately received a lot of responses.

(End of this chapter)