Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 24 Unintentional intervention
As soon as the sun climbed over the eaves, Li Zhe moved the cucumber seedlings into the yard to dry.

The cucumber seedlings are currently in the late seedling stage and are growing very well. They have three or four thick leaves, and the seedlings are more than a hand's length long. The roots are emerging from under the newspaper.

It's already mid-September, and the temperature is starting to drop. Every autumn rain brings a chill, and rain and temperature drops will affect the growth of cucumber seedlings.

"Creak..." The courtyard gate was pushed open, and Old Li walked into the yard carrying a hoe.

"Dad, why aren't you resting at home? Where did you go so early in the morning?"

"I was worried, so I went to take a walk in the fields north of the village." Old Li put down his hoe, squatted down, and looked at the cucumber seedlings. "Hey, these seedlings are growing really fast."

Li Zhe nodded, "The roots have grown well, and it can be transplanted in a few days."

Are there any other materials needed for the greenhouse?

“We don’t need any more. My brother and Zhuzi have been running around for days and bought everything.” In just a few days, Li Zhe had spent another 508 yuan on building materials and 536 yuan on labor. This doesn’t even include the food expenses for the past few days; he has already spent nearly 4500 yuan.

Old Li said, "I just saw Zhu Zi. He said that Da Huang had puppies last night, and he went to the store to buy some big bones to help Da Huang produce more milk."

"How many offspring did they have?"

"Five."

"I'll go take a look in a bit."

In the afternoon, Li Zhe, having nothing to do, strolled over to Zhao Tiezhu's house.

"Pillar?"

"at home."

Li Zhe pushed open the door and entered the courtyard. Zhao Tiezhu was lying on a recliner under the shade of a tree. "Hey, what a grand chair you've got."

Zhao Tiezhu stood up, pointed to the chair and said, "My father brought this back from Beijing years ago. It's been many years now. I'm afraid it will get damp if I leave it indoors, so I take it out to air it every few days."

Has your mother come by recently?

"No, I was thinking of going to Tongzhou to visit them when I have time."

Li Zhe didn't say anything more. He walked to the doghouse on the east side of the yard and looked inside.

Big Yellow lay in its den, with several fluffy puppies curled up on its belly, making whimpering sounds with their eyes closed.

Zhao Tiezhu squatted down and picked up the strongest one. "This puppy is big and fiercest when it's nursing. It even paws at the other puppies."

Hearing the noise, Dahuang opened its eyes, lowered its head to sniff the cubs, and licked their fur with its tongue. The cubs were licked until they rolled over and nuzzled their pink noses against their bellies.

Li Zhe did not touch the puppies. A mother dog that has just given birth will instinctively protect her puppies. Although Da Huang has a gentle temperament, it is not his own dog after all.

Zhao Tiezhu put the puppy back. "Brother, other families also want puppies. Do you want to reserve one first?"

"Let's wait until the puppy opens its eyes." You can't tell if a puppy is good or bad when it's this young; you'll have to wait until it's older to see its true nature.

The two met every day, but didn't have much to say. Li Zhe chatted idly for a few minutes and then left.

Li Zhe didn't go home; he just wandered around the village. Since his rebirth, he had been busy all day and hadn't had a chance to really take a look at this era.

Unlike the two-story houses more than 30 years later, the current Daying Village consists of adobe and brick houses with slogans such as "One child is good" painted on the walls. The roads are all dirt tracks that become muddy after rain.

It was truly bitter, but the customs and traditions of that era are equally memorable.

Li Zhe suddenly had an idea: once he earned enough money, he would buy a camera and record every little detail of this era.

As people get older, looking through these old photos with family and friends can be quite enjoyable.

Li Zhe strolled to the center of the village and saw many people sitting under the awning of the consignment shop. Some were playing mahjong around a square table, while others were sewing shoe soles and chatting about everyday matters. This was the preferred place for middle-aged women to cool off, chat, and entertain themselves. Even a stray dog ​​passing by would be commented on by them.

Zhang Yuzhen sat at the mahjong table watching others play. When she saw Li Zhe, she greeted him warmly, "Zhezi, what are you buying today?"

Recently, Li Zhe has been frequently coming to buy things and has become a major customer of the consignment store.

"I'm not buying anything today, just wandering around." Li Zhe was about to leave when someone called him back.

"Li family's second son, what have you been up to lately?" The speaker was a woman in her forties with a dark mole on her right cheek. Li Zhe easily recognized her as his talkative wife. "A few days ago, your mother asked me to help her find a job at the fan factory. Now that things are looking good, what's your family's opinion on that?"

"I quit. I'm used to being idle and don't like being bossed around." This old woman is no good. Li Zhe is keeping track of her, and he'll get back at her sooner or later.

"Have you thought this through? The fan factory not only pays well, but also provides food and lodging. Eating for the government is much better than toiling in the fields." The quick-tongued wife said, playing a card, "Two of Wan."

Li Zhe ignored her and left.

The quick-tongued wife spat, "Pah, this good-for-nothing boy, I didn't even bother finding you a job. You deserve to farm your whole life."

Zhang Yuzhen took it to heart, "You quick-tongued brat, what kind of job did you find for Li's second son?"

The quick-tongued wife retorted, "Do you know about the electric fan factory in our Wan'an Town?"

"Yes, I know. I bought my electric fan there. It's been used for several years. I just cleaned it this year and it's still working like new."

“My brother is the workshop director of an electric fan factory. Their factory has three openings this year. Wang Xiuying heard about it and came to my house several times, asking me to help her find out about the openings. I asked my brother, but Wang Xiuying hasn't responded. I don't know what that means.”

A plump woman playing cards said, "I know a little about this. I heard that Old Li's second son is very determined and wants to grow some kind of vegetable greenhouse. He has hired twenty or thirty workers. My husband also worked with him for two days."

It's said that Old Li and his wife both disagreed with growing vegetables, but they couldn't control it at all. His mother was so angry that she stopped cooking. These twenty-odd workers only earned fifty or sixty yuan a day.

"Hey, I never would have guessed this kid has such a stubborn temper."

"I think he's lost his mind. Being a worker is so honorable. Why not work in a factory instead of toiling in the fields? He'll regret it sooner or later."

A group of old women chatted animatedly, and before they knew it, Li Zhe had become the spendthrift they were talking about.

Zhang Yuzhen didn't reply, turned around and went back to the store, where she whispered to her husband.

As evening fell, the women outside the consignment shop gradually dispersed.

Zhang Yuzhen pulled her talkative wife into the store, "Auntie, are there still any openings for the Wan'an Town electric fan factory you mentioned?"

"Yuzhen, is something the matter?"

"There were too many people talking just now, so I didn't ask in detail. Here's what happened: My son, Xiaohu, is getting on in years, but he hasn't had a proper job yet. I'm worried about it and wanted to help him find one."

"Yes, there are, but the number of openings is limited, and there are many people who want to work in the factory, so I may not be able to help."

"Is your brother really the workshop director of the electric fan factory in Wan'an Town?"

"How could it be false? If you don't believe me, go and ask around. Lots of people know about it."

“I believe you, of course I believe you.” Zhang Yuzhen pulled her talkative wife down to sit and continued, “How much does the fan factory earn in a month?”

"Sixty or seventy yuan."

Zhang Yuzhen asked in surprise, "My goodness, so many?"

“My niece works in an electric fan factory. She received 62.5 yuan in wages in July. She told me this herself, so it can’t be false.”

Zhang Yuzhen became even more enthusiastic, "It's not good for my son Huzi to be idle. Can you use your connections to get him a job at the fan factory?"

The quick-talking wife looked troubled. "Sigh, I don't want to get involved in this kind of thing. The fan factory only has three openings, and it's really hard to get in."

"Whether we can get it in or not, my family will be grateful for your kindness." Zhang Yuzhen went behind the counter, chopped off a piece of pork hind leg with four fingers of fat, and quickly packed it in yellow paper. "Take this meat home and we can use it to make dinner."

"How could I accept this?" the quick-tongued wife said politely, but had already taken the pork from her hands.

"What's our relationship? Don't be so polite with me."

“Alright, I’ll go back to my parents’ home tomorrow and ask around about factory job openings for you.” The quick-talking wife stood up with a smile.

Zhang Yuzhen saw her off outside the shop, holding her hand, "Thank you for your trouble. My husband said that if this can be done, he will definitely thank you properly."

The quick-talking wife turned around, grinned widely, and laughed even more heartily.

(End of this chapter)