Twenty years of cold chain

Thirty-five miniature warehouses were erected in Lianghuzhuang at almost the same pace.

To everyone's delight, we managed to catch the plums before they came to fruition.

During this period, while the villagers were busy putting plums into the warehouse, Hu Shutong was also busy.

The instructions and operating procedures for the mini warehouse are provided in a booklet from the agricultural machinery department. The contents are already quite detailed, and the villagers just need to pay close attention. However, there are no clear guidelines on the placement of goods and the utilization of space. Therefore, Hu Shutong wrote down the information by hand, recording the different ways to stack and pile different fruits, as well as the precautions. In the future, multiple copies will be made for each household to keep, so that everyone will have a clear understanding of the process.

In addition, he set specific temperature control limits for different fruits: cherries, plums, and grapes must be kept between -1 and 0 degrees Celsius, while oranges must be kept between 5 and 8 degrees Celsius.

The cold storage alleviated people's anxiety and truly allowed villagers to feel the tangible benefits it brought. As sellers, the villagers could also wait for the right price. It also gave the villagers more confidence and boosted their morale for future expansion.

Even better news is that by mid-June, the number of cases nationwide had reached "zero," the tourism industry had fully reopened, designated hospitals had closed, and the economy and society had fully returned to normal.

Of all the plums from the surrounding villages, only those from Lianghuzhuang were favored by large carts. Plums from other villages that were picked early had already rotted, while those picked late were ripe and soft. This comparison quickly spread far and wide, and Hu Shutong saw an opportunity to promote the plums further, but those were not areas he could easily manage.

I've stayed here too long; it's time to leave.

Hu Shutong was satisfied with his work. He had not only promoted and demonstrated the benefits of the micro-warehouse to the villagers, but he also had a wealth of firsthand information that could serve as a valuable reference for future promotion.

At the same time, Hu Shutong was also thinking about this model. It would undoubtedly be very effective for places like Lianghuzhuang with underdeveloped transportation, but what if it were Qingyan? There, the terrain is flat, transportation is fast, and the yield and volume of vegetables are incomparable to those in Lianghuzhuang, while the price cannot be compared with the rare fruits in Lianghuzhuang.

It's unrealistic to expect every household to build a warehouse with a capacity of thousands of tons. However, if there are too many wholesale markets, it will intensify competition among them. But if a company can control the wholesale market, the problems at the front end will be easier to solve.

As he pondered, Hu Shutong suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Perhaps it was related to his initial experience, but he realized that he had fallen into the trap of the wholesale market all along.

Who says only wholesale markets can solve the problem of the "first mile"?

What is Ku? Hu Shutong gradually formed an idea.

Car horns blared outside the courtyard. Stepping outside, Hu Shutong saw a gleaming black luxury sedan parked there, bearing the license plate of Mingyuan City. The person who stepped out of the car greatly surprised Hu Shutong; the esteemed vice president of Minghe had actually come here! Upon seeing Hu Shutong, Qi Zhendong smiled, but his smile betrayed a deep sense of helplessness.

"Mr. Qi, please come in."

After sitting down in the courtyard, Qi Zhendong poured out his grievances. In his words, he called Hu Shutong ten times a day, and the old man would agree but then disappear without a trace. He said that if he hadn't come in person, he didn't know when he would have gotten around to it. Then, Qi Zhendong brought up Pang Shiyou and conveyed a few words of urging, the implication being that he should get in the car and come back to Mingyuan with him.

Hu Shutong smiled apologetically, but also knew that for Qi Zhendong to come all this way, the matter must be serious. Hu Shutong also felt a bit bitter; during his time in Lianghuzhuang, he had been engaged in both mental and physical labor, and couldn't help but think about taking a break after he left.

However, even if Qi Zhendong came in person, Hu Shutong could not leave now.

People often find comfort in saying goodbye when parting, telling themselves they'll come back when leaving. But mountains are high and seas are far, and people are always in a hurry; once you leave the present, you may never set foot there again. So Hu Shutong wouldn't put things off until "next time." He had one last thing to do, which concerned the sales channels for Lianghuzhuang fruit—the real issue of money.

Qi Zhendong knew that the demonstration in Lianghuzhuang was no small matter, so he didn't dare to argue. But when Hu Shutong said it would take at most two days, he decided to stay and wait for him to go back together.

Rumors spread through the village that a wealthy man from out of town had arrived in an imported car. Since the house had no table or stove, they wanted to give Shutong a proper welcome and not neglect their guest. So, just as dusk was falling, more than a dozen jars were delivered one after another. Some contained stewed chicken legs, others beef tendons—all hearty dishes. A fellow villager also brought a jar of fruit wine, enthusiastically handing it over while rubbing the jar to indicate how precious it was.

This scene also greatly impressed Qi Zhendong, giving him the feeling of being entertained by the host on Hu Shutong's turf.

On a beautiful June night, the sky was clear and the air was fresh and vibrant. The tranquility of the village wasn't about not being able to hear anything, but about what could be heard. The wind rustled through the banyan branches, rousing a few sparrows, while crickets chirped incessantly in the bushes by the corner of the wall. In the distance, children laughed and joked, soon to be dragged home by their parents by the ears for dinner.

Having spent so long in the city, surrounded by the ever-changing conference tables, the scene unfolding around him now evoked a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion/reflection) in Qi Zhendong.

This was also a drinking party, but unlike any before, Qi Zhendong's demeanor and voice held a hint of friendly admiration when he saw Hu Shutong. Unconsciously, Hu Shutong realized that Qi Zhendong was no longer just a corporate executive; sitting opposite him, he felt much more at peace, no longer experiencing the various emotions he had felt during their interactions two years prior.

After a few drinks, Qi Zhendong could no longer keep his secret.

When Qi Zhendong described the current predicament, Hu Shutong frowned deeply and unconsciously rubbed his hands together. Qi Zhendong had only said a few words, but Hu Shutong already realized how thorny and difficult the matter was.

"Initially, you were the only one handling the material selection process. Shutong, is there a way to quickly develop a new plan?"

Hu Shutong pondered for a long time, "I need a list of companies that can currently fulfill their obligations, as well as which materials have been submitted, which are still under discussion, and which are completely out of the question."

"These should be available to you in two days at most."

Regarding this ill-fated project, Hu Shutong only wants to say—

South suburbs, oh south suburbs, you really have it too hard.

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.