Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 63 Zhou Qinghe

Hougou Hutong.

A girl in a green cotton-padded jacket pedaled her bicycle through the alley, the net bag hanging on the handlebars swaying. She called out to everyone she saw, "Uncle Liu, where have you come from? Aunt Wang, the radishes you bought are so fresh and juicy."

Before the neighbors could respond, he had already turned into the courtyard. He spotted Sister Liu in the west wing squatting in front of the coal stove, picking vegetables. "Hey, Sister Liu, what are you making?"

"Oh, Qinghe's back. Is school on holiday? Your mother was just talking about you."

"You're busy, I'll go home and check on things." Zhou Qinghe pushed her bicycle toward the backyard, and before she even got home, she called out, "Mom, I'm home! What are you making? I can smell the delicious aroma from far away."

"I could hear you yelling from far away, go wash your hands quickly." Director Han carried a yellow clay pot into the house, lifted the lid, and inside was simmering beef brisket with alternating layers of fat and lean meat.

"Mom, how did you know I wanted to eat beef?" Zhou Qinghe picked up her chopsticks to grab some.

Director Han glared at her and lowered his voice, "Keep your voice down, as if you're afraid others won't know."

After washing her hands, Zhou Qinghe stared at the casserole pot. "Mom, did you buy this beef, or was it a gift?"

Director Han sighed. This girl is such a worry. "You'd better stop talking and eat your food."

Zhou Qinghe picked up a piece of beef and stuffed it into her mouth, wincing from the heat. "Mmm, delicious. It's much better than the bland soup at school. I even dreamt about you stewing oxtail last night."

"Slow down, don't worry about burning your skin." Director Han came out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of bright green vegetables.

Zhou Qinghe glanced at it, initially not paying attention, but upon closer inspection, she exclaimed, "Wow, Cucumber, you've been promoted again."

"What promotion? What are you thinking about all day long?"

"You weren't promoted, so how come we're eating special-supply vegetables? But wait, even if you became the director of the management office, you still wouldn't get to eat these cucumbers. Mom, where did these come from? These things are rare in the dead of winter; our school doesn't even have them."

"These are cucumbers sold in our market."

"Really? You have to tell me about this person in your market so your daughter can broaden her horizons."

“I’ve never met that person before. I heard he’s from out of town and rented half of Sun Tao’s stall. The cucumbers were delivered by Sun Tao, and I also brought back the vegetable seeds you asked him to buy. Remember to pay him back later.”

"Why should I give him money? We're buddies, I'll treat him to dinner another day."

Director Han shook his head, "He's such a tomboy, it's worrying."

Zhou Qinghe picked up a cucumber with her chopsticks, took a bite and heard a crisp 'crunch', then frowned, "Mom, don't add soy sauce and vinegar next time. Winter cucumbers are meant to be eaten fresh and crisp; adding seasonings is just gilding the lily."

Director Han looked disgusted. "You should find a husband soon. I'm not willing to serve you."

"You wish! Even if I get married, I'll take you with me."

"No, I'm quite comfortable here and don't want to move."

Zhou Qinghe ate a few more bites of cucumber, enjoying it more and more. "Mom, I have something important to tell you. Could you introduce me to this cucumber seller?"

"Why introduce him? If you want to eat it, I'll buy it myself; it's not cheaper than what you get."

“It’s not about whether it’s cheap or expensive. I’m trying to figure out how these cucumbers are grown.” Zhou Qinghe put down her chopsticks and complained, “You don’t know, we agricultural students can only take care of the three winter vegetables in winter. You don’t want your daughter’s graduation thesis to be about Chinese cabbage, do you?”

“What’s wrong with Chinese cabbage? Let me tell you, don’t think cucumbers are expensive. They’re not considered vegetables. I don’t care if they sell for five or seven yuan, I won’t even blink. But if the price of Chinese cabbage goes up by even one cent, your mother will have to run herself ragged. You’re going to write your graduation thesis about Chinese cabbage.”

"Please don't interrupt me. I'm serious. We've already started preparing for our graduation thesis topics, and I've also thought of a research topic, but it's too cold to do anything right now. I just wanted to ask if anyone knows which type of cucumber to use? Could I borrow a piece of land to do my research?"

"Girl, you're oversimplifying things. It's your graduation thesis for you, but it's their livelihood. Why should they tell you?"

"Your daughter is a top student from an agricultural university, how could she possibly steal their vegetable growing business? I wouldn't dare say I'd teach them how to grow vegetables, but I can help them buy some high-yield seedlings. It's really hard to say who'll help whom."

"Alright, you can ask Sun Tao about this. I think Sun Tao and he have a good relationship; their families share a stall."

Zhou Qinghe stopped eating and stood up abruptly.

Director Han held her down. "Where are you going so late at night?" "To find Sun Tao."

“Sit down and eat. Don’t make a fuss about the weather. It’s getting dark, what kind of behavior is it for a young woman to run around outside? It’s better to go to the market to find Sun Tao tomorrow morning.”

"You're right." Zhou Qinghe sat back down at the table and continued eating, but seemed somewhat absent-minded.

……

Around 9 a.m., Zhao Tiezhu drove his tractor to the Chongwenmen vegetable market. It was already mid-November, and Zhao Tiezhu was wrapped up tightly, except for his face, which was red from the cold.

He saw Li Zhe waving from a distance. He drove over, parked his car, jumped out, stomped his feet, and covered his face with his hands while breathing on it.

Li Zhe said, "The pillar must be frozen. Go home and warm yourself by the fire. We'll take care of things here."

"It's okay, bro, I can handle it."

Li Zhe gave him a push, "Stop talking nonsense, just go. If you want to warm yourself by the fire, there's a coal stove in the living room; if you want to sleep, there are blankets in the guest room."

"Okay, call me if you need anything." Zhao Tiezhu jogged off towards Suzhou Hutong.

Li Weidong and Wang Jianjun also got out of the truck bed.

Li Zhe asked, "Was the journey smooth?"

"Smooth sailing, no stops along the way." Li Weidong pointed to the blankets under the truck bed, "We also brought some equipment."

Li Zhe nodded. "Brother Jianjun, leave forty catties of cucumbers for now. You can come with me to deliver some later. Brother, you and Dad take the rest of the cucumbers to the market to sell."

As they spoke, Li Zhe and the others worked together to place the cucumbers on the backward donkey. Li Weidong rode the backward donkey toward the market, with Old Li following behind.

Wang Jianjun asked, "Zhezi, how do we get these forty catties of cucumbers?"

"These forty jin are goods ordered by Quanjude. They need them for lunch, so we have to deliver them first."

Upon hearing the name Quanjude, Wang Jianjun's eyes lit up. "Quanjude has ordered our cucumbers!"

Li Zhe laughed and said, "Our cucumbers are freshly picked, so fresh and tender, they really love them."

A short while later, Li Weidong returned on his backbend. Li Zhe instructed him, "Jianjun and I are delivering some goods. If anyone causes trouble in the market, go ask Sun Tao for help. He's familiar with the area and can give you some advice."

"Don't worry, my dad and I aren't as experienced as you." Li Weidong waved his hand, looking unconcerned.

Li Zhe didn't bother to say anything to him; with Lao Li keeping an eye on things, nothing bad was likely to happen.

Wang Jianjun loaded forty pounds of cucumbers, mounted his donkey backwards, and said, "Zhezi, lead the way."

Li Zhe also got on his bicycle and reminded him, "Brother, it's still early, let's ride slowly and not damage the cucumbers."

Wang Jianjun said, "Don't worry, this road is much easier to travel than our village road."

The two arrived at Quanjude at Qianmen one after the other. It was only a little past ten o'clock, but there were already people queuing at the entrance of Quanjude, which made Li Zhe shake his head.

After Li Zhe entered the store, he explained his purpose to the waiter in the white uniform, who then led the two of them into the lobby to rest.

A short while later, Manager Liu strode out. "Comrade Li Zhe, I've been looking forward to seeing you since early this morning. Oh, Comrade Li didn't come today?"

“We have a vegetable stall at the market, and my dad keeps an eye on it.” Li Zhe lifted the quilt, revealing tender green cucumbers topped with yellow flowers.

Manager Liu wiped the cucumber on his handkerchief, broke it in two, took a bite, and found it crisp, tender, and juicy.

Hey, with these fresh and tender cucumbers, who needs special supplies?

(End of this chapter)