Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 53 Revealing the secret
As dusk fell, village secretary Wang Tietou carried an oil paper package and walked north. From afar, he could see a dim, yellowish light emanating from the plastic sheet shed.

As he approached, he heard bursts of laughter and conversation coming from shed number 3.

He lifted the cotton curtain of the greenhouse and saw a few candles lit inside. He noticed that the greenhouse was different from the previous two. A living area had been built with wooden planks and asbestos tiles, complete with beds, tables, chairs, and benches.

A tin stove was stuck at the base of the rammed earth wall, surrounded by asbestos tiles. Li Jiugang was hunched over, poking at the fire tongs, while the others sat to the side chatting idly. "Wow, it's so lively here."

"The Party Secretary is here!"

"Quickly, come in and sit down."

"Uncle Wang, we've been waiting for you."

Everyone was alarmed; some went to greet them, some offered them seats, and others cleared away the bowls and chopsticks.

Wang Tietou handed the oil paper package to Li Zhe, saying, "Old Chen's crispy fish tastes pretty good. I bought it on the way at the intersection as a snack with my drinks."

Li Zhe smiled and accepted it, "Okay, I won't stand on ceremony. If you bought it, we'll eat it."

As soon as winter arrives, there are vendors selling crispy fish in the village. They are mostly made from grass carp or common carp. They are not deep-fried, but braised and then dried overnight. The texture is more like fish jelly. The crispiness does not refer to the fish meat, but rather the fish bones and spines. Li Zhe couldn't tell if it was a local specialty or if it was available all over the country. The taste wasn't particularly good, but it was good to have with alcohol.

Wang Tietou liked this about Li Zhe—he wasn't nagging. He pulled up a chair and sat down. "When did you move to the shed to cook? Aren't you afraid of burning the shed down?"

Li Zhe explained, "Greenhouse No. 3 is different from the other greenhouses. I specially separated the living area and the kitchen, and a chimney was reserved in the rammed earth wall. The soot will also be disposed of in a timely manner. As long as you pay attention, there shouldn't be any major problems. Cooking in the greenhouse is not uncomfortable for people, and it can also help raise the temperature of the greenhouse."

Wang Tietou thought for a moment, "Cooking can also raise the temperature of the greenhouse, this is not a bad idea."

Li Jiugang also said, "Don't worry, Party Secretary, I'm being careful. We have plenty of things at home, so we can cook indoors." Li Jiugang picked up a rag from the table and took the large iron pot off the stove. "The braised pork is cooked. Qiangzi, bring me the wine I bought. I'm going to have a good drink with the Party Secretary tonight."

As they were talking, two square tables were pushed together, and the food was laid out: trembling braised pork, glistening chicken stew with mushrooms, cold pig's ears, crispy fish, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and pork stew with cabbage.

Wang Tietou smacked his lips. "Damn it, what day is it today? It's like a New Year's feast!"

"I bought the braised pork, you brought the crispy fish, Brother Jianjun bought the chicken, Yongqiang bought the pig ears, and Brother Jiugang bought the bulk liquor. It's a great occasion that you've come to visit us." There's another reason: Li Zhe has a fourth greenhouse now, so even if Wang Tietou doesn't come, they still have to celebrate.

Old Li called out, "Come on, everyone, don't just look, start eating!"

Wang Tietou took a piece of chicken and said, "Hmm, this stewed chicken is pretty good. Where did you buy it?"

Wang Jianjun laughed and said, "The rooster was raised by Old Zhang next door. He originally wanted to keep it to eat meat during the New Year, but his wife complained that the rooster only ate grain and didn't lay eggs, so she wanted to sell it. The two of them argued about this a lot. Yesterday, the rooster flew into my yard, so I bought it."

Wang Tietou nodded. These days, many people in the village raise chickens, but they mostly raise hens to lay eggs. Very few families are willing to raise chickens to eat meat, so he guessed that these chicks weren't cheap to buy.

Wang Jianjun was one thing, but Li Jiugang and his son also paid for their own groceries and alcohol. The father and son used to be known as the poorest households in the village, but now things have improved for them.

Li Zhe raised his glass. "Uncle Wang, let me toast you. You've gone to so much trouble again today. I'll drink this, please feel free to drink as you like."

"Hey, this is nothing, just a side job." Wang Tietou slurped down his food, put down his empty bowl, and asked, "Second son, you've been selling vegetables in the capital for a while now, how's it going?"

"Not bad, I made some money, but the expenses in the capital are high. Yesterday I rented a place to stay, and today I rented a greenhouse from the Zhu family. The money I earned is almost gone."

Wang Tietou asked, "How much does a pound of cucumbers cost in the capital?"

Li Zhe knew that Wang Tietou didn't have any bad intentions, but everyone has their own perspective on things, and what Wang Tietou did might not be in Li Zhe's best interest.

Only Li Zhe's small group, with shared interests, is trustworthy.

Li Zhe thought for a moment and replied, "That's hard to say. Vegetable prices fluctuate a lot. Local vegetable vendors also try to lower prices because they see we're from out of town. It's not an easy business."

Wang Tietou pressed further, "Can it sell for three yuan a pound?"

"Yes, three yuan is no problem." Li Zhe didn't say too low, because if he said too low, no one would believe him. Wang Tietou estimated it himself and blurted out, "Can you pay off your debts this year?"

"no problem."

Upon receiving a positive reply, Wang Tietou was happy for him. "Now that the loan has been repaid this year, planting vegetables next year will be pure profit. This is great; we rural people can make money too. Second son, if you encounter any difficulties in the future, come to the village committee. If it's something I can help you with, I'll definitely solve it." Wang Tietou became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he was even happier than if he had made money himself.

Li Zhe roughly guessed what Wang Tietou was thinking. "Uncle Wang, let me toast you again."

"Okay." This time, Wang Tietou only took half a sip.

Old Li picked up a chicken leg and said, "Secretary Wang, don't just drink, eat some food too."

Wang Tietou was gnawing on a chicken leg when Li Jiugang raised his glass again, "Secretary, this is a toast to you."

Wang Tietou accepted all offers without hesitation. He put down his wine cup, wiped his mouth, and asked, "You two are buying wine and vegetables. How much are you paid by your son? Aren't you afraid of bankrupting your family?"

Li Jiugang chuckled and flipped his palm over, "This amount."

"Five yuan a day?" Wang Tietou asked, somewhat uncertain.

"Not bad." Li Jiugang revealed a smug look.

Wang Tietou's eyes widened in disbelief. "My goodness, so much money! That's more than what a worker in a state-owned enterprise in the city earns! This is the first of its kind in our village!"

Good heavens, no wonder these people are all so energetic, even more so than when they're working in their own fields!

"Second son, you're not bad, you haven't forgotten your roots."

Wang Tietou, the village party secretary, was very prestigious, and the people in the shed took turns toasting him.

Li Weidong also picked up his wine cup, "Secretary, I'll drink this, you can drink as you like."

Wang Tietou casually asked, "Weidong, your loan has been outstanding for quite some time. When are you planning to start a chicken farm?"

Wang Xiuying laughed and said, "Secretary, you're mistaken. My eldest son didn't take out a loan; it was my second son who did."

“That can’t be…” Wang Tietou was about to argue when Li Weidong quickly picked up the braised pork and stammered, “Secretary, please eat the vegetables and try this meat, it’s so delicious.”

Wang Xiuying sensed something was wrong. Wang Tietou didn't seem drunk; the eldest brother had his head bowed and didn't dare look at her, just like when he was a kid stealing sweet potatoes from the production team.

She understood perfectly well that something was amiss. Being a woman of pride, she didn't lash out in front of everyone, but her gaze kept drifting towards her eldest son and daughter-in-law.

As it approached eight o'clock, the drinks were almost finished, and everyone dispersed.

Wang Tietou had drunk quite a bit of alcohol, and Li Zhe helped him outside and instructed Zhao Tiezhu to take him home.

No sooner had the Party Secretary left than Wang Xiuying rushed into the greenhouse and shouted at Li Weidong, "Boss, judging from what Party Secretary Wang said, you also went to the credit union for a loan?"

“Mother, I…” Li Weidong stammered, not daring to answer directly.

Wang Xiuying put her hands on her hips and scolded, "Speak up, are you deaf!"

The Malay child told her husband, "I asked Weidong to take out a loan from the credit union. We didn't spend it recklessly; we just wanted to pay off the debt as soon as possible."

Wang Xiuying's tone suddenly rose, "Fine, you've all grown up now. You didn't even tell me about something this big, and I had to hear it from outsiders. Do you still care about your mother?"

Li Zhe's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, these two have finally clashed.

(End of this chapter)