1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 481 Full of Harvests
After leaving the restaurant and saying goodbye to Ye Canjiang, Chen Jiazhi got into the car that had come to pick him up.

Give me a cigarette.

"Okay, boss."

Chen Jiazhi lit a cigarette, rolled down the car window, and said, "Let's go to the company first, and then we'll check out the stalls at the Jiangnan Market later."

As night fell, the Cherokee stopped at the office building. Chen Jiazhi got out of the car. The alcohol made him seem clear-headed, but in reality, he was already somewhat sluggish.

He leaned against the car, looking up at the brightly lit two-story building, the "Reliable Fresh" sign shining brightly.

A gust of cold wind made him shiver.

"Boss, let's go inside, it's cold outside."

Has Li Xiu gone back?

"Correct."

"Then let's go to the stall."

The driver took a sleeveless down jacket from the car for Chen Jiazhi, who put it on and asked, "What's your name?"

“Yan Cong, President Xu specifically instructed me to drive for you temporarily. He and I were classmates in middle school, we live in Mojiakou Village, and he served in the army for three years.”

Chen Jiazhi sized up Yan Cong. He was not tall, but had a stocky build and looked very strong. His background was also clear.

"Okay, I'm going to the countryside in a couple of days, so get ready."

“Okay.” Yan Cong answered briefly, clearly not a man of many words. Chen Jiazhi felt a little safer with him by his side.

He strolled slowly toward the stall, and many acquaintances greeted him along the way.

Before long, we arrived at the stalls. Except for stall number 63, the other three stalls were already empty, waiting for their new owners.

The 63rd slot is still busy.

"Boss, here's a knife."

Chen Jiazhi walked in, and sales manager Hu Jinhui immediately handed him a small knife. Chen Jiazhi was stunned for a moment before realizing that the other party thought he wanted to open the box to inspect the goods.

He didn't refuse. He took the knife and casually picked a styrofoam box to inspect the goods. Yan Cong stepped forward to help carry the styrofoam box down. When he opened it, a box of premium mustard greens appeared before his eyes.

"Not bad, very beautiful."

One customer chimed in, "Mr. Chen, your goods are already so beautiful, there's no need to open the boxes and inspect them every day!"

Chen Jiazhi smiled and said, "You trust Fresh Life and are too lazy to open the boxes and inspect the goods, but I can't be lazy."

The customer gave a thumbs up, saying, "That's why I knew you guys were reliable."

"Come often in the future."

"I'll come every day even if you don't tell me."

Perhaps because he had been drinking, Chen Jiazhi became a bit talkative, able to chat with each client in a pleasant manner, and the clients were also willing to boast to him.

It was at this moment that all the salespeople in the stalls learned that the company had taken over the three stalls next door, forming the only four-stall chain in the entire market.

I only heard about this two days ago, and I can move in tomorrow. That's really fast.

"Boss, how should we allocate these stalls, and how should we contact the suppliers?"

The new stall definitely needs to be put to use as soon as possible, but Hu Jinhui and the others are still a bit clueless, as this matter came too suddenly.

Chen Jiazhi had already made up his mind: "Two stalls will operate leafy vegetables, one focusing on eggplant and tomatoes, and the other on melons and beans. Let's arrange it like this for now."

As for the source of goods, one is the Lianzhou cooperative base. The Qinglian Class I highway will be open to traffic soon, making travel more convenient in the future.

Outside of the cooperative base, many farmers in Lianzhou are also buying our seedlings. We can use this as a link to purchase vegetables, and the area of ​​the cooperative base will continue to expand.

In addition, the company's vegetable market is quite large, and some of the goods exported to Japan may soon be diverted to domestic sales..."

With its more than 8000 acres of land in the Pearl River Delta, Kaopu Fresh will never lack vegetables for its stalls in the future.

It's just something we need to overcome temporarily.

However, it will not have any impact, and the four-stage operation can also make the overall business scale larger.

"understood."

"Let's keep selling vegetables."

Chen Jiazhi walked out of his stall, and Zhang Qiren from stall number 62 next door greeted him, "Good evening, Mr. Chen."

Chen Jiazhi waved his hand, "Boss Zhang, how's business? It's getting cold, your sales should be better this winter."

Zhang Qiren stepped forward and offered a cigarette, saying, "Things have been alright these past two days. Being next to Kaopu Fresh, the foot traffic shouldn't be bad."

After a pause, Zhang Qiren asked again, "Boss Chen, you're not going to expand your stall again, are you? If you really want it, could you give me a few more days?"

The No. 66 stall was doing well just two days ago, but in just one day, it was vacated for Kaopu Fresh. Although the market provided compensation, Zhang Qiren was amazed by Kaopu Fresh's influence.

"No need, just focus on selling your winter melons. If you sell them well, it will also help Kaopu Fresh."

Chen Jiazhi patted Zhang Qiren on the shoulder, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his hands in his jacket pockets, and walked out through the passageway.

Zhang Qiren was very savvy; he said he would only sell winter melons and hadn't touched leafy vegetables for a long time.

This focused approach to business allows him to maintain a relatively stable customer base even during periods of economic downturn.

So he pulled through easily.

At the same time, it can effectively complement reliable fresh food, and such merchants can achieve win-win cooperation.

...

When they arrived home, Li Xiu was still waiting in the living room and gave Chen Jiazhi some clothes.

"You're not drunk, are you? Mom made some yam and pork rib soup tonight, it's still warm, let me scoop you a bowl."

"No need for soup, just make me a cup of tea." Chen Jiazhi sat on the sofa, not wanting to move at all.

"Zhengxu said that you shouldn't drink tea after drinking alcohol, as it will affect alcohol breakdown and increase the burden on your liver and kidneys."

Instead of brewing tea, Li Xiu went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl.

"Eating yams in autumn and winter is better than taking tonics. Yams at this time nourish the internal organs and protect the kidney fluids. A bowl of yam and pork rib soup is so delicious. It is also good for the stomach after drinking alcohol."

Chen Jiazhi was amused and teased, "Where did you learn all this from?"

“I learned it from Lulu,” Li Xiu said. “She’s Zhengxu’s girlfriend. She likes to make nourishing food for Zhengxu and doesn’t allow him to drink tea after drinking alcohol.”

Chen Jiazhi wondered, "I thought Zhengxu's health wasn't bad, so why is he starting to focus on health and even doing things that supposedly nourish the kidneys?"

"Drink up, don't talk so much, we'll have to chat later."

"I understand." Chen Jiazhi took the bowl and started drinking the soup. It was indeed very flavorful, and it made his stomach feel comfortable.

Li Xiu asked, "What do you know?"

Chen Jiazhi looked Li Xiu up and down. She was wearing pink pajamas, had a graceful figure, and a patch of snow-white skin was visible at the neckline.

"You're unhappy with me."

"No way."

"Then why are you telling me to nourish my kidneys?"

"what?"

"I'm going to take a shower first. I'll show you what's what later."

Li Xiu went back to her room, looked in the mirror, hydrated herself, and fiddled with things for about ten minutes.

After Chen Jiazhi finished washing up and entered the room, he felt a sudden light in his eyes and then eagerly pounced on her.

A few minutes later.

"I drank alcohol today, so I'm not feeling well."

"It's time to replenish it."

"I'm so tired these past two days."

"It's time to replenish it."

"Let me get some sleep, I'll be full of energy again after a good night's rest." "You really need some nourishment."

"..."

Chen Jiazhi silently vowed, "You just wait, I'll get my revenge sooner or later. I'm not just bragging about being fierce and persistent!"
The next day.

Chen Jiazhi didn't get up early anymore. Even though he woke up early, he chose to stay in bed a little longer. If he wanted to make great progress, he first had to get a good night's sleep.

"Li Xiu, what's wrong with Jia Zhi today? He hasn't gotten up yet."

In the living room, Peng Guozhen saw Li Xiu come out after washing up and asked about the situation.

"He's fine. He's probably just been too tired these past few days, and he drank outside last night. He slept quite well, so let him get some more sleep."

"Hey, young people should sleep more, you should sleep more too."

"I've had a good night's sleep."

Looking at Li Xiu's rosy face, Peng Guozhen guessed what had happened last night and leaned closer to ask, "Have you thought about bringing in another child?"

Li Xiu blushed even more, but nodded slightly.

Peng Guozhen understood. "Then Jiazhi should get some rest. He's been so busy every day, how can that be? You all come back for meals these days. I'll ask Jiafang to cook some more nourishing dishes for Jiazhi."

"Good~"

Li Xiu's voice grew softer and softer; she also felt that they hadn't been having sex much lately.

...

Around nine o'clock, Chen Jiazhi arrived at the company, while Li Cai and Chen Zhengxu went back to sleep... oh no, they went to Shenzhen.

Chen Jiazhi patted his head, feeling that his brain was still a little foggy after sleeping for so long.

After arriving at the office, I made myself some black tea and drank it to clear my head, then I started working again.

With three new stalls added to the Jiangnan Market and the Lianzhou base mentioned last night, Chen Jiazhi began to plan his next move.

In terms of production, in addition to the Italian lettuce, the Lianzhou cooperative base should also be included in the plan.

Lianzhou cabbage is also a very famous geographical indication product.

Meanwhile, Lianzhou, as well as Yangshan and other places closer to Guangzhou, are important summer vegetable production areas for Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

In summer, not only can eggplant, melons, and beans be grown, but also heat-resistant leafy vegetables can be grown, serving as a low-cost alternative to those grown in the Yunnan-Guizhou production area.

It's a bit late to go to Yangshan now.

However, the Qinglian Class I Highway is about to open to traffic, making it a perfect time to go to Lianzhou, and Kaopu Fresh already has a foundation in the local area.

At this point, the question becomes whether to continue expanding the scale of cooperation or choose to build our own base.

There needs to be a set of rules for this.

In addition, the supply of broccoli in Shanghai needs to be reconsidered, as one of the original bases in Xuanqiao and Pujiang was specifically prepared for broccoli production.

However, given what happened in Japan, even if sales in the Japanese market decline afterward, it won't be too bad. In addition, the stalls in the Caoan market have also improved, so the supply of goods may not be stable in the future.

The question of whether or not to expand should also be considered.

In summary, there are three things in production that require separate attention.

First, lettuce from Dali; second, the Lianzhou cooperative base; and third, the Shanghai broccoli base.
Chen Jiazhi circled each item in his notebook and then drew a line connecting Dali Lettuce and Lianzhou.

"We could consider growing Italian lettuce in Lianzhou during the summer; that would be more effective against the Americans."

American lettuce can be exported to Hong Kong and Japan year-round, but its peak season is mainly concentrated in the summer.

Because it is difficult to grow head lettuce in inland areas during the summer, it is easier to grow in autumn and winter.

Italian lettuce is a semi-heading lettuce, which is more resistant to high temperatures and humidity than the most commonly grown heading lettuce varieties.

Secondly, the growing period is shorter. Head lettuce generally takes 60 days to harvest, while Italian lettuce only takes 30 to 40 days, or even less.

Whether in autumn/winter or summer, lettuce has advantages, and when combined with the turning and shaping technique, its advantages in appearance and yield become even more obvious.

Italian lettuce can hurt American lettuce when it comes to market in the fall and winter, but if it can still be available in large quantities in the summer, it can directly mean the end of American lettuce's presence in the East Asian market.

"Besides Dongsheng Farm, the lettuce from Lianzhou is also crucial."

Chen Jiazhi made a decision: he would set up his own leafy vegetable base in Lianzhou.

This window of opportunity may not be as long as he anticipated, and the differences in reliable fresh lettuce may have already attracted the attention of those who are interested.

Doing it yourself is the safest approach and will also maximize the period of confidentiality.

"A broccoli farm...where are you going to find so many farm managers?!"

Chen Jiazhi drew another circle and wrote Wang Xiaodong's name next to it. If he could recruit him, not only would he have more candidates for the farm manager, but he wouldn't have to worry so much about the subsequent talent development.

This person seems to have vanished into thin air; there's no news of him whatsoever, and Qu Jingtai doesn't have his contact information.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Jiazhi decided to postpone the expansion of the Shanghai base. Without suitable personnel, he dared not expand further.

The focus returned to Lianzhou.

To build a base, you need people and money.

People can barely manage to keep things even.

But money~
Chen Jiazhi produced the latest financial statements, showing that if building a base only required money, it would be too easy.

Kaopu Fresh is not short of money now.

Chen Jiazhi looked at the report again.

As of November 26, in the past two months, Kaopu Fresh's export earnings to Japan have reached a total of US$13.4 million.

However, due to the recent drop in temperature, the growing season for vegetables in Shanghai has become longer, and the supply is somewhat insufficient.

At the same time, Chen Jiazhi noticed that export prices were falling, but this income was already terrifying.

Even after watching it many times, Chen Jiazhi still couldn't hide his excitement.

In fact, he implemented the quality standard system only to prevent the Japanese from causing trouble, but he didn't expect to encounter them so soon.

This once again helped Kaopu Fresh take off.

Compared to exports, the domestic market has been relatively bleak in the past two months, and the supply to Hong Kong is far less than ten million. Fortunately, the profits from the supply to Hong Kong have offset the losses on the mainland.

In July, Kaopu Fresh still had 7 million yuan in working capital.

However, expenses increased starting in August.

In August and September, the vegetable market experienced frequent outbreaks of pests and diseases due to the implementation of quality standard systems, resulting in the destruction of crop after crop of vegetables.

Seeds, labor, agricultural supplies, machinery, etc. were all lost, and several vegetable markets successively lost more than nine million yuan.

Subsequently, with the construction of two new bases in Shanghai, the bank provided a 10 million yuan interest-free loan, and the company also invested 10 million yuan.

It cost eight million yuan to buy Dongsheng Farm.

The state-run vegetable store didn't spend much money on renovations and comprehensive plant protection and control.

The Xilin sugar orange base is still relatively inexpensive.

Chen Jiazhi carefully reviewed each item of income and expenditure, and found that they were basically within his expectations.

7866.66 million yuan.

This is the cash balance in Reliable Fresh's account right now.

The company has few outstanding receivables and only a 10 million yuan interest-free loan from the Agricultural Bank of China in Pudong.

According to Chen Jiazhi's simple understanding, he now has 6866.66 million yuan that he can use without any pressure.

That's equivalent to a net profit of about 3800 million in two months, most of which came from the Japanese.

In addition, the base expansion was completed during this period, and the total area of ​​self-owned bases nationwide is now about 1.14 mu.

Delivery and food stalls have also seen business growth, and state-owned vegetable stores are also doing well.

Funding, production bases, stalls, distribution, vegetable stores... in all aspects, it can be said that they have gained a lot.

(End of this chapter)