Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 119 Newspaper Advertisement
The girl was about twenty years old, with short hair that reached her ears, almond-shaped eyes with single eyelids, a few pimples on her forehead, and a silver hair clip on her right sideburn.

She looked at Li Zhe and Wang Jianjun curiously, her gaze settling on Wang Jianjun. "You must be my cousin? I'm Wei Min. I've been staying in the company dormitory for a while now, and every time I come back, my mom talks about you more than she does about me. I'm so glad to finally meet you in person today."

Wang Jianjun felt a little awkward. He knew his aunt had a daughter and had even seen her picture, but this was the first time they had met.

Wei Min stepped aside and warmly invited, "Don't stand outside, come in quickly." She then looked at Li Zhe, "You're Li Zhe, right? Did you grow those cucumbers, spinach, and lettuce?"

Li Zhe asked, "I grew them myself. Are they any good to eat?"

"It's delicious, even better than summer vegetables. I just don't like the broccoli." Wei Min pointed to her forehead. "Look, I had a sore throat a few days ago, and after eating the vegetables you brought, I feel much better. For that alone, I have to thank you properly."

Li Zhe laughed and said, "I'm glad you like it. I'll ask my cousin to send you some more in the future."

Wei Min paused for a moment, then laughed, "Hey, that's interesting. We're practically unrelated, yet we both call him cousin."

"You silly girl, why do you say such unpleasant things? What do you mean by 'not related at all'? Our two families are proper in-laws, not even that far apart." Wu Fanghua came out of the kitchen and greeted, "Li Zhe is here, please sit down."

Li Zhe asked, "Auntie, isn't Uncle Wei here?"

"He'll be back soon, don't worry about him." Seeing that Wang Jianjun and Li Zhe were both carrying things, Wu Fanghua scolded, "Didn't I say we don't need anything at home? Why are you buying things again?"

Li Zhe said with a smile, "Yesterday, when we were delivering vegetables to the restaurant, we encountered some troublemakers. Uncle Wei helped us resolve the matter. My brother and I bought some cigarettes and alcohol to give to Uncle Wei as a token of our appreciation. It's not worth much money, it's just a small token of our goodwill." To avoid any trouble, the Moutai and cigarettes were packed into a travel bag, so outsiders wouldn't be able to tell what they were.

Wu Fanghua said sternly, "It's not easy for you young people to do business outside, so it's only right that he helps. Just this once, and you're not allowed to buy anything from me again."

“Okay, I’ll listen to you,” Li Zhe replied with a smile.

Wang Jianjun handed over two bags, saying, "Auntie, these cosmetics and scarves are a gift from Li Zhe."

Wu Fanghua hesitated for a moment, but still took the bag. "You child, you can't spend money like this in the future."

Wei Min wasn't interested in anything else, but as soon as she heard it was cosmetics, she went over to take a look. "Wow! Estée Lauder's second-generation serum! This brand isn't cheap. Mom, you'll look at least 10 years younger if you put this on!"

"Oh dear, I'm so old, why would I need to put this on?"

Li Zhe laughed and said, "You're only 40 years old, not old at all. If you dress up, you'll look like someone in their 30s."

What woman doesn't love beauty? Wu Fanghua laughed as she spoke, "Alright, you two sit and rest for a while, I'll go cook. Wei Min, brew some tea to entertain your two brothers."

"Don't worry, Mom, your daughter isn't stupid." Wei Min took the thermos to make tea.

Li Zhe took off his coat and hung it on the hanger. "Auntie, I'll help you out today."

"No need, no need. You've had a long day. Have some tea and rest for a while."

"It's alright, I'm not busy today. I'll cook one of my signature dishes for you to try."

Wang Jianjun chimed in, "Auntie, just let him cook. This kid's been nagging all day, and I want to try his specialty dish too."

Li Zhe rolled up his sleeves and went into the kitchen to help.

Only Wang Jianjun and Wei Min remained in the living room. Although she was his cousin, it was their first time meeting, and Wang Jianjun still felt somewhat awkward.

Wei Min kept glancing at her cousin, then poured herself a cup of tea and asked curiously, "Cousin, how many vegetables can you sell in a day?"

"The current output is still low, only about three or four hundred catties a day."

"With vegetable prices so high these days, how much money can you make in a day?"

Having sold vegetables for a long time, Wang Jianjun knew what to say and what not to say, so he replied casually, "Vegetables are difficult to grow in winter, and the planting costs are particularly high."

"Brother, how much does Li Zhe pay you a month?"

Wang Jianjun was taken aback. He certainly wouldn't tell anyone else if asked, but this was, after all, his cousin. "Her monthly salary is 150 yuan." As for the 300 yuan bonus, Wang Jianjun didn't mention it, not even to his own father.

"Wow, that's a lot of money. You earn more selling vegetables than I do!"

Wang Jianjun then asked, "Young lady, what do you do for a living?"

"Cousin, what do I look like to do?"

"You're a police officer too? From the interrogation unit?"

“Hahaha…” Wei Min laughed, “I’m not going to be a policeman, I’m an intern reporter for Morning Light Daily.”

Upon hearing that the other person was a reporter, Wang Jianjun's face showed more respect. In his mind, reporters were all very capable, eloquent, and cultured—they were no ordinary people. He asked curiously, "Young lady, how much do you earn a month?"

Wei Min counted on her fingers: "I'm still an intern reporter, earning 80 yuan a month. With article fees and other subsidies, I can make about 90 yuan a month, right?"

Wang Jianjun was stunned.

Although he knew perfectly well that he was just a vegetable vendor and his job couldn't compare to his cousin's, he did earn more than her. He knew he shouldn't have such thoughts, but he still felt a little smug.

With a creak, the door opened, and Director Wei returned.

Wang Jianjun stood up and greeted him, "Uncle, you're back."

"Jianjun's here. Perfect timing, let's have a drink tonight."

Wang Jianjun said, "Li Zhe is here too. He said he wanted to show us his skills, and he's busy in the kitchen."

Director Wei asked, "Wei Min, do you know your brother?"

Wei Min didn't say anything and went into the kitchen. Seeing Li Zhe making cuts on chicken wings with a knife, she asked, "Oh, are you making chicken wings? Are you going to braise them or fry them?"

"No, we're making cola chicken wings today."

Wei Min thought she had misheard. "What? Cola chicken wings? I've had cola before, it tastes okay, but how can it taste good when cooked with chicken wings?" She couldn't imagine what it would taste like.

"Try it and you'll see." Li Zhe worked quickly, cutting up the chicken wings and starting to marinate them.

Wei Min asked from the side, "Li Zhe, why do you know how to grow vegetables in greenhouses? Who taught you?"

"I just figured it out myself." The story Li Zhe learned at the Agricultural Academy was only meant to fool his parents; he'd never told anyone else. Now he was claiming it was something he'd come up with on his own. Whether others believed him or not was none of his concern. Sometimes, saying too much about something only makes it easier for people to find fault; it's better to let them guess.

"Really? You can't be kidding me." Wei Min was somewhat skeptical.

Why would I try to fool you? It won't do me any good.

"Is it difficult for you to grow vegetables in greenhouses? What are the main difficulties? I heard that building greenhouses is not cheap. Where did you get the initial funding?"

Li Zhe stared at her, somewhat warily asking, "Is there something you need?" "Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Wei Min, an intern reporter at Chenguang Newspaper. If it's alright, I'd like to do an interview with you."

Li Zhe didn't answer immediately, but smiled as he gave the chicken wings a spa treatment: "What kind of interview? Will it be published in the newspaper?"

"That will definitely make the newspapers. Growing cucumbers in winter is a novelty, practically the first of its kind. Cucumbers that cost a penny or two in the summer can sell for seven or eight dollars in the winter. People love these kinds of unusual stories. Is there any better news than that?"

Seeing that Li Zhe didn't react, she continued to encourage him: "Even our editor-in-chief praised my writing skills. If I personally write an interview for you, you'll become famous overnight, and even more people will want to buy groceries from you."

"Let me think about it." Li Zhe doesn't lack customers for vegetables. His current business bottleneck is the insufficient supply of vegetables. Even now that he's famous and more customers are coming to him, Li Zhe is still powerless to help them, leaving them frustrated and helpless.

An interview is a good thing, but now is not the right time. He's still too inexperienced and needs to develop discreetly. Becoming famous too early will only attract unwanted attention, which may not be a good thing.

The food was prepared and placed on the table; there were six dishes and a soup for five people.

Li Zhe's cola chicken wings were placed in the middle. Although they smelled good, they were dark and didn't look very appealing.

Director Wei greeted them, "Fanghua and Li Zhe, you've both worked hard. Please sit down and eat."

Seeing that no one was touching their chopsticks, Director Wei picked up a chicken wing and said, "This was made by Li Zhe, right? Let me try it."

Director Wei picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. "It tastes good, a bit like braised chicken wings."

"That's right, they used cola instead of sugar." Li Zhe also picked up a piece and took a bite. It was alright; his skills hadn't deteriorated.

The other three also picked up some cola chicken wings to taste. Wang Jianjun laughed and said, "Li Zhe, you're pretty good. If you wanted to open a restaurant, you could just become a chef."

Wei Min gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "Delicious!"

Wu Fanghua also said, "The taste is indeed good, but the cola is a bit expensive."

Director Wei laughed and said, "As long as it tastes good, let's have a drink."

Li Zhe and his two companions drank alcohol, while Wu Fanghua and Wei Min drank cola.

After the meal, Director Wei brewed a pot of tea and invited Li Zhe over for some. He asked, "Li Zhe, did you bring those Moutai and cigarettes?"

"Uncle Wei, you've helped me so much, I don't really have anything to say in return. The cigarettes and alcohol are just a token of my appreciation as a junior."

Director Wei didn't stand on ceremony and poured Li Zhe some tea. "I know you've made some money, so I won't stand on ceremony with you. You don't need to worry about Cleaver Liu either; he won't dare to cause you any more trouble. He's a smart man; he knows not to touch anything involving foreign countries."

After chatting for a while, seeing that it was getting late, Li Zhe and Wang Jianjun said goodbye and left.

Seeing his daughter sitting on the sofa, Director Wei went over to her and asked, "Wei Min, how did your chat with your cousin go today?"

Wei Min kept her head down and said, "It's fine."

Where is Li Zhe?

"That's fine too."

"I saw you two chatting quite enthusiastically in the kitchen. This young man is a good guy and quite capable. If you feel you get along well, you should keep in touch."

Wei Min looked up at him. "Director Wei, what do you mean?"

Upon hearing this address, Director Wei remained calm, saying, "You're not young anymore, it's time for you to find a partner."

Wei Min looked surprised. "You want to set me up with Li Zhe?"

"I think he's quite good." In Director Wei's view, although Li Zhe was from out of town and didn't have a proper job, his speech and manners were good, and he treated people reasonably well. Just the fact that he was able to secure a partnership with the Great Wall Hotel was a starting point that many people couldn't achieve. If this relationship could be used well, his future achievements would be considerable.

“If you think it’s good, then it definitely won’t work.” After saying that, Wei Min walked back to her room and slammed the door shut.

Wu Fanghua came out of the kitchen, frowning, and asked, "What's wrong? What happened now?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just joking with my daughter, and things got a little heated," Director Wei said with a smile. "Go inside and see what's going on in my life, and put in a good word for me."

"I haven't washed the dishes in the kitchen yet!"

"I'll scrub, I'll scrub." Director Wei took off his apron and put it on himself.

Wu Fanghua knocked on the door and entered her daughter's room. She saw her daughter sitting on the bed, looking angry. "What did your dad do to you this time?"

"They didn't care about me when I was little, and now that I'm grown up, they want to plan my life. Where were they before?" Wei Min snorted and recounted what had just happened.

Wu Fanghua said, "Li Zhe is a good kid. Your dad meant well. If you're not happy, just let it go. Why hold a grudge? But what your dad said is right. You're not young anymore. It's time to find someone."

Wei Min waved her hand, "Stop! I don't want to get married in my life. I'm perfectly fine living alone."

Wu Fanghua wanted to offer some advice, but after opening her mouth, she didn't know how to begin and could only let out a sigh.

Early the next morning.

The front courtyard of No. 7 Hutong, Suzhou.

"Dong dong..."

There was a knock on the door outside.

Li Zhe opened the door and saw a strange man in a black down jacket standing outside. He asked in confusion, "Who are you looking for?"

The man peered inside and asked, "Is this No. 7 Courtyard in Suzhou Hutong?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"I'm buying a house."

Li Zhe touched his nose. "How did you know this house was going to be sold?"

The man in the down jacket took out a copy of the Beijing Daily and pointed to the advertisement in the lower right corner, saying, "It says here: No. 7 Suzhou Hutong Courtyard for sale. Those interested can come to view the property. No time limit."

Li Zhe took the newspaper, looked at it, and said with a smile, "You're too late. This is yesterday's newspaper. The house was sold this afternoon."

"So fast!?"

Li Zhe ignored him and closed the door.

"Damn it, I got all excited for nothing..." The man in the black down jacket walked away, cursing and swearing.

(End of this chapter)