Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 20 Start of Construction

As soon as it was light, the village loudspeaker blared.

"Attention all villagers, Li Zhenhua's family in Group 4 of our village is hiring. They need strong, healthy laborers aged 18 to 50 to work in the fields north of the village. The pay is 40 cents an hour, and you get paid daily."

Those looking for work should bring a shovel or hoe and report to Li Zhenhua's house. Places are limited, so arrive early for the first few days.

The loudspeaker broadcast the message three times, and almost every household could hear it.

Old Li sat in the courtyard, feeling somewhat conflicted. He had lived most of his life, and this was the first time he had ever been on the radio, except when asked to pick up a letter.

Rows of seedling trays were placed on the east side of the yard. The cucumber seedlings planted four days ago had already sprouted, earlier than he expected, and the seedlings were also stronger. Although he was reluctant to admit it, his son's vegetable growing skills were indeed better than his.

Before long, Li Weidong and Zhu Zi arrived first. Today was the first day of work, and there were many things to arrange. The two of them came over to help as soon as they heard the announcement.

On his way home from the village committee, Li Zhe ran into a cousin named Li Zhiqiang, who was two years older than him. The two families were within the fifth degree of kinship and their relationship wasn't too distant. Li Zhiqiang said he was there to help and didn't want any money.

If it were building a house at home, Li Zhe wouldn't pay the other party for their help, since they all share the same ancestry; but this is a different matter. Building a vegetable greenhouse is to make money, so there's no reason for him to make money while expecting others to do their work for free.

Before nine o'clock, seven people came to sign up. Li Zhe first took them to work in the fields, while Lao Li stayed at home to continue recruiting.

Li Zhe led his men to the north of the village and directed them to gather straw and dig up corn roots. These people were all used to farm work and were skilled workers, so Li Zhe didn't need to say much.

The straw was piled up, simply tied together, and then transported back to the Li family's old house by horse-drawn cart. Digging up the corn roots took some effort, but fortunately, many hands make light work. By noon, the corn roots had all been dug up, and the entire plot of land had been cleaned up.

They worked from 9:00 to 11:50, a total of two hours and fifty minutes. Li Zhe directly calculated it as three hours of work time. Everyone benefited and was happy. All seven of them said they would continue working in the afternoon.

When Li Zhe and his two companions returned home, lunch was already prepared.

Old Li filled a basin with water and said, "You must be tired. Go wash your hands and eat."

"Dad, how many more people did you hire this morning?"

Old Li laughed and said, "After you left with your men, more than twenty more people came looking for work. Who wouldn't be happy to earn money right at their doorstep? As per your request, we recruited fourteen more people. We'll meet at the fields north of the village at two o'clock this afternoon. I'll go with you all."

"Dad, take it easy, don't overwork yourself," Li Zhe advised.

He didn't intend to let his father be idle. Old Li was only in his forties, the perfect age to start a business. He was going to sell vegetables in Beijing in the future, so someone had to manage the family business.

Don't let Lao Li's usual indecisiveness and lack of assertiveness fool you; he's not stupid at all. On the contrary, he's thoughtful and deep-thinking, and you can't really fool him.

After finishing his meal, Li Zhe rested for a while.

Around 1 p.m., Li Zhe arrived at the field north of the village, used lime powder to mark the digging location of the greenhouse, and left space on the east, west and north sides for building the walls.

The workers arrived one after another. They were all from the village or neighboring villages and knew each other. They squatted together in groups of three or five, chatting idly.

At two o'clock, Li Zhe began to take attendance. He had originally recruited 21 workers, but only 19 showed up, one less than expected. However, with Li Zhe and his four colleagues, it would be enough.

Li Zhe arranged the work for the afternoon. According to the area he marked, they dug down to a layer of topsoil 30 centimeters deep. This layer of topsoil is rich in organic matter, which is helpful for vegetable growth. It needs to be piled up on the south side first, and then backfilled after the greenhouse foundation is dug.

"Let's get to work, young and old!" Old Li called out. Many of the workers who came to work today were his peers, who had come specifically to find work with him, and they all regarded him as the person in charge.

Li Zhe was also happy to be relaxed. Many of the people present were his uncles and elders, and as a junior, it was really difficult for him to direct them to do their work.

Old Li had lived in the village for half his life and knew it like the back of his hand. He didn't hire any slackers or cheats; those who came to work were all people he knew well and were willing to put in the effort. While working, the villagers inevitably chatted. A cousin of the same generation asked, "Zhenhua, our two families planted corn around the same time, but mine is still tender. Why are you harvesting so early? And why are you digging such deep holes in the field? What are you doing?"

Li Zhenhua had already prepared his explanation. Since they were all from the same village, he couldn't hide it from them, so he might as well be frank and say it outright: "My family plans to use this acre of land to grow vegetables, and we dug the deep pit to keep warm."

"It's already September, and it's getting colder in no time. If you plant vegetables now, they'll probably freeze to death before they even mature. What were you thinking?"

When Old Li talked about growing vegetables, not only was his cousin surprised, but the others also stopped what they were doing and curiously gathered around.

Old Li countered, "Have you ever heard of a winter-warm vegetable greenhouse?"

"No."

"What is this? It claims to be warm in winter? How will it keep you warm in winter?"

"This is the first time I've heard of this thing." Everyone was even more puzzled.

Old Li gestured with his hands, "What we're building now is a vegetable greenhouse. We dig a deep pit at the bottom, build earthen walls around it, and seal it with plastic film on top. During the day, the sunlight can increase the temperature, and at night the earthen walls can keep it warm. The temperature inside the greenhouse is high, so vegetables can grow even in winter."

The crowd roughly understood, but most people still didn't believe it.

"You're just bragging. You might be able to grow radishes, cabbages, and potatoes in the dead of winter, but nothing else."

“Building such a large greenhouse must have cost a lot of money; growing radishes and cabbages won’t break even.”

"Zhenhua, who told you this thing can grow vegetables? Don't be fooled."

Old Li said, "No way, it was my second son who came up with it. Would he lie to his own father?"

The way people looked at Li Zhe changed. It turned out that this was the real person. Their eyes showed surprise, admiration, and confusion, but many looked at him as if he were a fool.

No one publicly questioned Li Zhe; they were all counting on him to hand out money.

A voice rang out from the crowd, "Zhenhua, such a large project must have cost a lot of money. Where did your family get so much money?"

You've hit the nail on the head.

The crowd quieted down. This concerns everyone's interests; who will work for you if you don't have money?

"None of your business. We'll settle accounts every day, and you'll get your wages." Old Li snorted. Vegetable greenhouses were never well-regarded. If he said he built them with a loan, people would think he was a fool. In less than three days, Old Li's family would become the laughing stock of Daying Village.

"Look at you, why are you getting so worked up?"

Old Li waved his hand, "You've rested enough, everyone get back to work. If you keep gossiping, I'll dock your pay."

Upon hearing this, the crowd dispersed, but private discussions were inevitable.

"That's right, Lao Li has the potential to be a foreman," Li Zhe smiled. He didn't take these people's words to heart. If they all believed that vegetable greenhouses could make money, it meant that the industry's golden age was over.

Suddenly, a shout came from afar, "Wei Dong, Xiao Zhe, you're really here!"

(End of this chapter)