Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 83 Trust
Zhou Yongqiang and Li Zhe entered the courtyard one after the other. Aunt Chen, who was squatting in the small kitchen heating up food, poked her head out. "Yongqiang, you're back so early? Didn't you go to the factory today?"

"I've invited some friends over today. What delicious food is Aunt Chen cooking?"

"I'll just reheat the leftovers from yesterday. My son and daughter-in-law are both at work, so I'll just have to make do with this lunch by myself."

"Okay, you're busy, we'll talk later." Zhou Yongqiang led Li Zhe to the backyard and parked the car in front of his house. "These two rooms are my house, but they can't compare to the spaciousness of your courtyard."

“Brother Zhou, no matter how small your house is, it’s still your own. My little courtyard, no matter how nice it is, is still rented. It can’t compare.”

“Brother Li, I’ve seen it all along. You’re a capable man, and it’s only a matter of time before you own a house in the capital.” As he spoke, Zhou Yongqiang opened the door, lifted the curtain, and invited Li Zhe into the house.

The room, only a dozen square meters, was crammed full. At the far end was a bed, a wardrobe and cupboards stood to the west, and a square table could barely fit in the middle. On the table were three plates of sliced ​​cold dishes: a plate of preserved eggs, a plate of peanuts, and a plate of tofu with scallions.

“Brother Li, please make yourself at home. My wife went to work at the restaurant, my mother went out to visit neighbors, and the kids went to school. It’s quiet today, let’s have a good drink together.” Zhou Yongqiang rolled up his sleeves. “Please sit down for a while, there’s another main dish coming up.”

Li Zhe sat at the table, pondering the reason Zhou Yongqiang had invited him to dinner today. Although he didn't know the specifics, he could guess roughly—his greatest skill was making money, so either Zhou Yongqiang wanted to find him something to do, or he wanted to borrow money.

A fragrant aroma wafted in from outside. The curtain was lifted from the outside, and Zhou Yongqiang carried a plate of stir-fried pork intestines. "It's not quite right now because there are no green peppers."

Zhou Yongqiang took out a small white bucket, unscrewed the lid, and said, "Brother Li, my conditions are just average, so I can only offer you some cheap liquor. Please don't mind."

Li Zhe adjusted his wine glass. "They're all the same. We drink loose liquor at home too. After a few drinks, they all taste the same."

“That’s true, we drink to get drunk, right?” Zhou Yongqiang raised his glass. “Come on, brother, let me toast you.”

Li Zhe took a sip, put down his glass, and said, "Brother Zhou, is there something you need me for today?" Li Zhe picked up a piece of pork intestine and ate it. The garlic, scallions, and chili sauce were mixed in, and the flavor was strong, making it a perfect accompaniment to alcohol.

Zhou Yongqiang put down his chopsticks. "Brother Li, you're straightforward. To tell you the truth, I invited you here today to discuss some business."

"what business?"

Zhou Yongqiang lowered his voice and moved closer to Li Zhe, "Have you ever heard of treasury bonds?"

Li Zhe was stunned. He had not only heard of it, but it was a household name.

In his previous life, Li Zhe spent his entire life farming until he was forty, relying entirely on television and casual conversation for information about the outside world. It wasn't until his forties, with the rise of smartphones, that he started reading novels, browsing news headlines, and using Douyin (TikTok), which broadened his horizons considerably.

Treasury bonds issued in the late 1980s were a popular way to get rich quick.

Among them, the most outstanding is Yang Baiwan, who made his fortune by trading treasury bonds. Many people take him as a role model, but he is not an ordinary person. His initial capital was tens of thousands, and it is said that with the addition of loans, the scale of his funds exceeded 100,000. He also had a professional team behind him, and he would make connections wherever he went. The cost was very high. This kind of model is something that ordinary people simply cannot do.

"Is Brother Zhou planning to resell treasury bonds for a profit?"

This time it was Zhou Yongqiang's turn to be surprised. "Brother Li also knows how to trade treasury bonds?"

"I only know the basics. I heard the government has opened up pilot programs, and prices vary from place to place, so you can buy low and sell high." Seeing that Li Zhe had hit the nail on the head, Zhou Yongqiang was a little discouraged, and the words he had prepared beforehand were stuck in his throat.

After a long pause, he spoke again, "Reselling treasury bonds is a sure-fire way to make money, aren't you tempted, brother?"

"I'm tempted, but my vegetable stall can't function without people." Li Zhe knew very well that off-season vegetables were his foundation, and he could become a leader in this industry. He would never abandon his core business for trivial matters.

“Brother, you have real skills and can make a living based on your abilities; people like us who don’t have connections can only do some speculative business.”

"Brother Zhou, don't be so modest. You're from Beijing and have a proper job. Many people envy you. My vegetable greenhouse made some money this year, but I don't know how it will be next year."

"Brother Li, to be honest with you—my job isn't state-owned; it's a street-level collective enterprise, and I only earn a hundred or two hundred yuan a month. My wife works part-time at a restaurant, and she doesn't earn much either. The whole family depends on this little bit of money." Zhou Yongqiang took a big gulp of his drink.
"This treasury bond business was proposed to me by Master Ji, but I didn't have any money at all. I went back to my wife's parents' house to borrow money, but my father-in-law thought it was dangerous and refused to lend me any. I came back the next day, and even argued with my wife afterward. Now that I think about it, I should really slap myself!"

I'm not a bad person, I just have a stubborn streak, and then I regret it afterwards... Never mind, let's not talk about this anymore, let's drink."

The two drank another cup, and Zhou Yongqiang continued, "Brother Li, I want to partner with you. You provide the capital and I'll provide the labor. We'll make some money by trading treasury bonds."

Li Zhe is willing to try if there are safe investments available. Trading treasury bonds is a viable business, but the question is, can Zhou Yongqiang be trusted?
Li Zhe's concept of trust has two aspects. The first is character. If two people haven't known each other long and don't know each other well—the other is a local while he's from out of town—and a business dispute arises, he's likely to be the one who suffers. However, this is something that can't be said outright.

The second aspect is Zhou Yongqiang's ability.

"Brother Zhou, your idea is great. Do you have any specific plans? For example, where will we go first?"

Zhou Yongqiang wasn't afraid of him having questions, but he was afraid that he wouldn't respond. "I started researching this a long time ago. The first stop was Luzhou, where the purchase price of 100 treasury bonds was about 95 to 97 yuan. Shanghai is a pilot city, where the purchase price is about 100 to 103 yuan. There is a difference of five yuan between buying and selling."

Li Zhe continued, "Brother Zhou, have you ever been to the South before? The roads aren't very safe these days. What if you encounter danger while carrying so much money?"

Zhou Yongqiang handed him a red plum blossom and said, "I'll go with Master Ji; it'll be safer with two people. We've already planned it out. We'll take turns resting on the train, avoid traveling at night, and avoid back roads. We'll stay in the hotel except for the transactions, minimizing the risk."

Li Zhe took the cigarette, and seeing Zhou Yongqiang light it for him, he casually took a puff. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Brother Zhou, how much money do you have now? How much do you want me to invest?"

Zhou Yongqiang confidently stated, "I currently have 1,000 yuan. If you, my brother, can come up with 5000 yuan, I am confident that I can earn no less than 5,000 yuan within a month."

Li Zhe exhaled a puff of smoke, feeling that he had been making some assumptions. The plan was good, but he lacked operational experience. Moreover, his trust in Zhou Yongqiang was not enough to justify investing so much money.

“Brother Zhou, five thousand yuan is not a small amount. I need to discuss it with my family. I will write back to you in a few days.”

"Of course." Zhou Yongqiang quickly poured more wine. "Come on, have another drink."

……

The front yard of No. 7 Courtyard.

In the living room, Wang Jianjun sat in a chair, lost in thought, his right hand stroking a yellowed envelope.

There was a knock at the door of the south room. Wang Jianjun put away the envelope, got up and opened the door, seeing Li Zhe standing outside. "You're finally back. What does Zhou Yongqiang want with you?"

"It's a long story. Let's make a cup of tea and sit down to talk about it slowly." As soon as Li Zhe entered the room, Jinzi, who was huddled in the corner, ran over and rubbed his trouser leg with his little head. "Zhuzi and Yongqiang went back?"

"I let them go while the weather was still warm." Wang Jianjun looked serious, as if he were constipated.

Li Zhe noticed his unusual behavior. "Brother, did something go wrong while delivering the groceries today?"

"No, it went smoothly. After delivering the vegetables to Quanjude, I went to Donglaishun, and Manager Chen paid in cash directly. 20 jin of cucumbers was 140 yuan, and 20 jin of spinach was 120 yuan." Wang Jianjun took out the money from his pocket and handed it to Li Zhe, "Count it."

Li Zhe put the money in his pocket. "Brother, you don't seem happy. Is something wrong?"

"I'm really unsure about something. Can you help me figure it out? But let's make it clear first, you can't tell my father."

"What's going on? Why are you being so secretive? My uncle's back in our hometown, how am I supposed to tell him?"

Wang Jianjun took a crumpled envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Li Zhe.

(End of this chapter)