Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 37 Entering Beijing
October 18th, afternoon.

The weather in late autumn is unpredictable; it often gets windy in the afternoon.

On the dirt road north of Daying Village, the old bicycle with peeling paint, driven by Jin Baiwan, creaked and groaned. It was unclear whether it was from being crushed or needed oiling.

At this time of year, the autumn corn has been harvested, and the boundless fields are as flat as a line, except for two large plastic greenhouses that stand out conspicuously in the fields north of the village.

Jin Baiwan parked his car near Li's greenhouse. Greenhouse No. 2 was completed yesterday. There were no workers to be seen on the construction site. Only through the greenhouse film could a few figures be vaguely seen inside the greenhouse.

Jin Baiwan leaned his bicycle against the earthen wall, rubbed his hands, and walked towards Li's No. 2 greenhouse. The east door of the greenhouse had not yet been covered with a curtain. Three people were hoeing the ground, and Old Li was fertilizing.

Jin Baiwan stepped on a dead branch, the sound startling the people working in the greenhouse.

Old Li turned his head and looked over. "Hey, isn't this Baiwan? What brings you, such a busy man, to my field?"

Jin Baiwan smiled broadly and offered a Hongmei cigarette. "Uncle Li, I heard that you built a vegetable greenhouse. I find it interesting and would like to learn from you and broaden my horizons."

Li Jiugang straightened up, leaning on his hoe with both hands, and said, "You're the big boss in our village, so it wouldn't be a waste for you to learn how to grow vegetables."

As Jin Baiwan offered cigarettes, he said, "I'm no big boss, I just run errands and earn a meager living. I may not grow vegetables, but I harvest them, so we can cooperate."

As Jin Baiwan spoke, he walked up to Li Zhe, knowing that this was the real person. "Brother Li, do you have time? Let's chat."

Li Zhe was no stranger to Jin Baiwan, who was also a capable man in Daying Village. Theoretically speaking, the two had worked together in their previous lives. Li Zhe sold the vegetables he grew to Jin Baiwan's vegetable company, but by then Jin Baiwan had already made his fortune and had many employees, so he no longer personally went to collect the vegetables.

"Let's go chat in greenhouse number 1, it's warmer there." Li Zhe tucked a cigarette behind his ear and led Jin Baiwan outside.

This was exactly what Jin Baiwan was thinking. He also wanted to see how Li Zhe's greenhouse vegetables were growing, whether they were as neat and tidy as summer vegetables, or misshapen and cracked.

Upon entering greenhouse number 1, Jin Baiwan felt a wave of heat wash over him. The lush greenery was breathtaking. The broccoli was thriving, and the dense cucumber vines climbed up the bamboo poles, with cucumbers slightly longer than a palm hanging between the leaves. It looked much neater than those grown outdoors.

With just one glance, Jin Baiwan was certain that these greenhouse-grown cucumbers would fetch a high price.

"Brother, let's not beat around the bush. I'm here today to talk about a partnership. You'll be in charge of growing the vegetables, and I'll be in charge of selling them. I'll definitely offer you a high purchase price. What do you think?"

Li Zhe was definitely going to sell vegetables in Beijing so he could accurately control market prices and distribution channels, but there were never too many sales channels. "Boss Jin, how much are you willing to pay for the purchase?"

Jin Baiwan ran his right hand through his hair and pondered for a moment. “Cucumbers are three yuan a pound, cash only.” He emphasized the word “cash” because the supply and marketing cooperative used to buy cabbages on IOUs a couple of years ago, and the surrounding farmers all knew about it.

Li Zhe was also unsure about the price of cucumbers. Judging from the previous market price, Jin Baiwan's offer was very sincere. After all, the purchase price of cucumbers in the summer was only eight cents per pound.

However, Li Zhe had heard Secretary Wang mention in his previous life that in the winter of 1989, greenhouse cucumbers in Shandong Province sold for a high price of ten yuan per kilogram, which seemed rather low in comparison.

However, this price is not accurate. First, Secretary Wang only heard about it. Second, ten yuan per kilogram may be the highest price, but it doesn't mean that the price will always be this high. Third, the sales locations are also different. The purchasing power in Beijing is much higher than in Shandong Province.

This is also why Li Zhe insisted on selling vegetables in Beijing himself. In the past, there were no off-season vegetables, and no one could set prices.

"Mr. Jin, I want to sell the cucumbers from these two greenhouses myself; I don't plan to sell them to vegetable buyers."

"Brother, have you ever sold vegetables before? How are you planning to transport them? Have you considered labor costs, stall fees, and licenses? This isn't as easy as you think."

"I can learn."

Jin Baiwan then offered a compromise: "I see you've built a third greenhouse next to you. Once that greenhouse is finished, could you spare some vegetables for me? The purchase price will definitely be very high."

“Mr. Jin, to be honest, I’m out of money right now. The foundation for greenhouse number 3 has been dug and the cement pillars have been built, but I can’t buy all the remaining building materials.” Li Zhe sighed, sounding somewhat helpless. He paused and continued, “If you’re really sincere about cooperating, why don’t you lend me three thousand yuan first? Once greenhouse number 3 is built, I’ll definitely share some vegetables with you.”

Jin Baiwan was stunned. Borrow money from me? Good heavens, we've only met a few times, and you want to borrow three thousand from me? Are you crazy?!
Jin Baiwan was speechless. If he didn't have something to ask of him, he would have turned and left. "If I borrow money to build a greenhouse, how many vegetables can you sell to me, and what is the purchase price?"

Li Zhe thought for a moment, "This is the first year, no one can predict the price. Let's see how the market goes. I can guarantee to sell you 1,000 jin of vegetables at a price lower than the market price."

"Let me think about it."

Jin Baiwan left the greenhouse absentmindedly, only remembering his bicycle after walking quite a distance. He then went back, pushed his bicycle, and left. The next day, Li Zhe moved the tomato seedlings that had been cultivated in greenhouse No. 1 into greenhouse No. 2. These seedlings had been cultivated since the second loan was successfully obtained, and now the seedlings had grown to six or seven centimeters, with four or five leaves on top.

Li Zhe sowed another patch of spinach seeds along the edge of greenhouse number 2. By the time he finished, it was almost dark, but he still hadn't seen Jin Baiwan.

Four days later, the spinach sprouted, but Jin Baiwan still hadn't come. Li Zhe was certain that the guy had been scared away.

……

October 28th.

"Da da……"

The tractor from Daying Village, nicknamed "Iron Bull," has once again entered Beijing.

Zhao Tiezhu drove the tractor in front, wearing a cotton hat, a military overcoat, work gloves, and dog-skin leg guards to protect himself from the cold wind.

Li Zhe and his father sat in the back of the truck, covered with thick quilts. Several vegetable baskets were placed in front of the truck, filled with harvested radishes and potatoes. Every household in the countryside had some vegetable gardens, and they couldn't possibly eat them all.

Old Li, protecting the vegetable basket with one hand, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Zhu Zi, slow down! These vegetables aren't like corn; if they get damaged, they won't sell well."

"Don't worry, Uncle, I know the way well this time. Let's take the easy path."

"Familiar my ass, you only went once."

These vegetables are the permits for entering Beijing; otherwise, the tractor wouldn't even be able to get through the checkpoint.

The cucumbers are still a bit too tender and won't ripen for another two days. Li Zhe will go to the capital first to rent a long-term stall and get everything arranged so he can sell cucumbers directly next time he goes to the capital, avoiding any last-minute scrambling. Last time he sold corn, he rented a temporary stall; it's fine once or twice, but it's not a long-term solution.

There are many channels for selling vegetables in Beijing, such as state-run restaurants, government canteens, and foreign-related establishments.

However, Li Zhe still chose to try selling cucumbers at the Chongwenmen vegetable market. In previous winters, no one had ever sold cucumbers in Beijing. This was the first time a young woman had ever done this, and there was no precedent for the price of cucumbers in November.

If you supply restaurants directly, they won't be happy if the price is too high, and you'll lose out if it's too low. Once the deal is made, it's hard to change it.

Li Zhe needs to adjust his strategies promptly based on market feedback. The farmers' market offers a good option due to its large customer base and flexible pricing. Once Li Zhe has a firm grasp of the market price for cucumbers, he can then discuss other sales channels.

The tractor entered Daxing District and took the same old road into the city. The road surface was much smoother. The weather was much colder than the last time it entered Beijing, but there were still quite a few people on the streets.

As the tractor drove to the vicinity of Chongwenmen Street, Zhao Tiezhu pointed ahead and shouted loudly. The tractor was so noisy that Li Zhe couldn't hear him at all. Looking in the direction he was pointing, he saw several blond foreigners.

Around nine o'clock in the morning, the tractor arrived at Chongwenmen Farmers Market. Li Zhe went to the market management office, where he was greeted by a plump, short-haired woman who glanced at him and asked, "Where are you from?"

"They're from Langfang and want to rent a long-term stall in our market."

Do you have a business permit for non-local residents?

"No."

"Hey, why would you rent a stall if you didn't have one? Are you kidding me?" The older woman glared at her, her hometown dialect spilling out.

"No way, I really want to rent a stall. Just tell me what procedures I need and I'll take care of it right away."

"Business license for migrant workers, temporary residence permit, and health permit. If you want to rent a long-term stall in the market, you have to get these three permits first. You can't do it if you're missing any one of them. But even if you get them all, you probably still won't be able to rent a long-term stall."

Li Zhe frowned. "Why?"

The short-haired woman grinned, "That's all."

(End of this chapter)