Chapter 179 Building a Villa on Sakhalin Island: Not Every Piece of Land Can Grow Leeks

In May, Moscow is sunny and full of spring flowers; but 10,000 kilometers away on Sakhalin Island, the wind is biting cold, and unmelted snow can still be seen on the rocks in the shade outside the airport.

Only the soft, tender green shoots peeking out from between the rocks stubbornly proclaim that spring has also arrived on this large Far Eastern island.

Unfortunately, the Siberian wind was so cold that it hurt people's ears and chilled their hearts. Even the bidders who were waiting to greet them at the airport couldn't show any cheerful expressions.

The representatives of the bidding parties were all worried, and they all had the same concern: Are you serious? Do you really want to develop the oil and gas fields on Sakhalin Island now?

Douglas, the American representative who bears a striking resemblance to Hollywood star Harrison Ford, sighed deeply and expressed his concerns in English: "Dear Miss Wang, as your loyal friend, I solemnly advise you to think twice before you act."

"Oil and gas fields are valuable, but it depends on when you invest. Oil prices are very cheap now, and they are still falling. Entering the market now is very risky because the cost of developing oil and gas fields is unlikely to decrease, and transportation costs will not decrease either."

"There's one more thing, and it's very important. I have to remind you, my dear friend, that the Moscow government is not trustworthy. The policies here are just one piece of waste paper after another. Anyone who takes them seriously will be in big trouble."

He spoke with deep feeling, and his words were not without reason.

But both Wang Xiao and Ivanov were moved but refused.

To imagine that your peers genuinely care about you? Ha! In the business world, who would dare to be so naive? They would have been chewed up to nothing long ago.

The American oil company was telling the truth, but the purpose behind that truth was also obvious.

Firstly, if I dare not take a bite, you shouldn't expect to swallow it either. By blocking the newly established Wuzhou Petroleum Company, no one can get the first taste of Russian oil and gas fields.

Secondly, if you can't stop them, emphasize that as bidders, these major international oil companies are actually quite hesitant about this project and have no intention of joining. If your client really needs us to do the work, then you know what will happen with the price.

Ivanov raised his beautiful almond-shaped eyes and smiled, "Thank you, my dear friend, I deeply appreciate your kindness. But if you're worried about not being able to take on the oil and gas field projects here, that's alright, we can continue with the bidding process."

Regardless of the butcher's surname, the absence of any butcher will not prevent people from going without pork.

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. I believe in your abilities, and I ask you to believe in our perseverance. We didn't move last year because we were waiting for spring to arrive. Now that spring has come to Sakhalin Island, of course we have to get moving."

She extended a warm invitation, "Come on, come on, maybe you'll want to see our non-staple food supply base. When construction starts, you don't need to worry about the workers not eating well here."

Just kidding, their greenhouse vegetable project, which they planned last year, has been going on for more than half a year, so it has to be fruitful by now.

One after another, bulletproof cars transported the bidding parties and tenderers to the suburbs.

Well, that's not quite right, because there are basically no towns on Sakhalin Island.

This island is larger than Taiwan and Hainan combined, but due to its harsh climate, its total population is only about 500,000, and that number has likely decreased since then. Throughout Siberia, residents who are able are migrating to warmer, more prosperous areas.

Against this backdrop, areas on Sakhalin Island slightly off the coast of towns were practically deserted.

Fortunately, the arrival of the Chinese brought liveliness to the suburbs. In the distance, rows of small wooden houses showed their vibrant energy.

Before the car even entered the village, the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking filled the air. The Chinese rural dogs that had come from afar clearly considered this place their own territory, barking loudly at the unfamiliar car.

The old woman who came out of the wooden house cursed and made a move to kick it. Only then did the loyal dog tuck its tail between its legs and slink away to the side with its head down.

The old lady grinned at Wang Xiao as he got off the bus, and without saying a word, she called out to the back, and the village secretary, who was wearing a cotton-padded coat, came over.

Well, you could also call the old man the village chief, since he also serves as the village party branch secretary.

However, the old Party Secretary emphasized that once abroad, one must emphasize Party spirit and always remember that they came here to earn foreign exchange for the Party, for the motherland, and for the people.

Therefore, when you're out in the world, don't call someone the village chief, call them the Party branch secretary, especially in Russia where the red flag has changed color.

Wang Xiao and the others found it amusing, but Ivanov, upon first hearing the news, was filled with melancholy and even downed half a bottle of red wine in frustration.

Of course, even without this incident, he could find other things to be melancholic about in order to maintain his mood.

Now, when Ivanov sees the village party secretary dressed as a typical old farmer, he is no longer depressed, but instead smiles and hugs him, showing the enthusiasm of a comrade.

Fearing they would keep going on and on, Wang Xiao quickly called to the village secretary, "Old secretary, show our foreign guests the vegetables we grow."

The village secretary quickly broke free from Ivanov. The old Russian kept babbling on and on, and it wasn't good to ignore him; thankfully, Boss Wang came to his rescue.

He grinned at Wang Xiao, proudly puffed out his chest, and led the team to the greenhouse like a general leading his troops on a tour.

"We now have 300 mu of greenhouses, and this is where the Chinese cabbage is grown."

It takes more than two hours to drive here from the airport. It's a little past one in the afternoon, a precious time of bright sunshine on Sakhalin Island, so the greenhouses are open to let the vegetables get more sunlight and photosynthesize.

The Chinese cabbages are growing well, each one plump and quite large.

The village party secretary sighed, "There are so few people here, and the land has hardly ever been cultivated. So the fertilizer is good, and the vegetables grow very well."

He then pointed to the greenhouse next to him, "They're growing cucumbers over there, they should be ready to harvest in July."

Further into the adjacent greenhouse, farmers who had traveled from afar were busy planting tomatoes.

These are popular vegetables in Russia that are easy to store and transport.

The oil company representatives found it all quite novel. As someone from a different industry, they hadn't seen greenhouses much before, and even those who had hadn't paid much attention to this area. So, they were quite intrigued by the wind-resistant greenhouse film.

Ivanov finally found a place to show off, and immediately pointed to the crisscrossing mesh of fine lines inside the membrane, emphasizing: "The sea winds are strong on the island, this is for wind resistance."

His hand moved down again, "This kind of greenhouse film has poor light transmittance, so it also needs fluorescent lights to supplement the light and meet the needs of vegetables for photosynthesis."

The village secretary didn't have much of a chance to speak, because the boss even explained the significance of the plastic film: "Covering the greenhouse with plastic film can effectively increase the surface temperature and promote vegetable growth."

Wang Xiao smiled and extended an invitation: "What vegetables do your workers need to eat? Can you give us a list and we'll try to grow them?"

She repeated it to the village secretary in Chinese.

The latter nodded repeatedly, showing no fear whatsoever, and even offered to introduce, "We raise chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, and sheep. If you want to eat roast chicken, that's fine too."

The reason they didn't raise cattle is because they had never raised beef cattle in their villages back home and lacked experience in this area. Besides, the Russians themselves raise cattle.

Raising other poultry and livestock serves three purposes: first, it provides eggs and duck eggs; second, it provides meat; and third, it accumulates organic fertilizer.

Tsk, the Russians may be down on their luck, but they still have a ton of rules. They even regulate the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Without composting livestock manure, even the most fertile land on this island would be ruined after a few years of growing vegetables.

Vegetables are fatter than crops.

Just as he was about to continue his introduction, a chattering voice came from the side. Everyone turned around and saw a middle-aged woman in a short coat talking to the vegetable farmer with gestures.

The village secretary explained somewhat awkwardly, "That person is from North Korea, and he came to buy cabbages. Well, we're all neighbors, so it wouldn't be right for us not to sell to him."

As previously agreed, the vegetables they grew were to be supplied to shops in the city before the oil and gas field project started.

But it would definitely be more convenient if outsiders came to buy it.

The North Korean woman noticed the foreigners, immediately lowered her head, and quickly dragged the cabbage she had just bought away.

There are quite a few Koreans on Sakhalin Island; it is said that in slightly larger towns, Koreans make up as much as a quarter of the population. Their ancestors were mostly Korean laborers who were forcibly conscripted from Korea to work in mines during the Japanese occupation of Sakhalin Island.

Originally, they lived in groups, did not associate with Russians, and spoke Korean. However, after the 1960s, the Korean schools on the island closed, and the new generation of Korean residents became mostly Russian-speaking, although they still did not intermarry with Russians and had a relatively low social status.

The North Korean woman who came to buy groceries today spoke Russian.

Wang Xiao didn't argue with the village secretary much, and only asked, "Are there any other buyers?"

The village party secretary laughed it off, saying, "They're all neighbors, just neighbors."

But no sooner had he finished speaking than another customer arrived. This time, it was a Japanese customer who bought lettuce and spinach, a whole bagful.

The village secretary continued to laugh, trying to hide his embarrassment: "Well, they are all guests who have come from afar. They traveled all the way from Hokkaido, so they can't just get off the ship and not even be able to eat any fresh vegetables."

It sounds so difficult, but in reality, it only takes a few hours to get to Sakhalin Island by boat from Hokkaido.

In recent years, many Japanese people have made this place a tourist destination, and there are Japanese shops in the town.

Wang Xiao nodded without saying anything.

Upon seeing this, the village secretary did not hide his regret: "The Japanese wanted to buy radishes, but unfortunately it was too cold the day before, and the soil temperature was not good enough. We couldn't grow white radishes; we only grew radish greens."

The translator relayed their conversation to the guests, and the unsuspecting oil company representatives sincerely complimented them: "You Chinese are really amazing; you can even grow such good vegetables here."

Wang Xiao chuckled and looked at the village secretary with a meaningful expression.

Seeing this, the old Party Secretary finally felt ashamed and subconsciously began to look around, desperately trying to change the subject.

He pointed to the surrounding area where tractors were tilling the land: "We're going to do open-field planting on these 1,000 mu of land here now that it's warmer. We'll plant some potatoes, onions, soybeans, and the like. We'll also plant a few plots to see if we can grow wheat."

Sakhalin Island is at too high a latitude and has too short a frost-free period, so rice is something they would never dare to try. However, it doesn't matter if they plant less wheat. If they encounter hail or premature frost and the wheat doesn't have time to grow properly, they can just harvest it and use it as green fodder to feed the livestock.

Wang Xiao nodded, thinking the idea was feasible, and then gave the old Party Secretary another suggestion: "You just said that the ground temperature was too low before, and the radishes only grew seedlings but did not produce radishes. Actually, you could try this method."

She pointed to the freshly tilled land, "You can lay bricks on the ground and plant radishes in the gaps between the bricks. This way, the radish roots can grow in the air, and the influence of soil temperature is limited."

Not only the former Party Secretary, but also the Chinese veterans in her bodyguard team were dumbfounded.

Hey boss, you're from a big city, have you ever farmed? Radishes definitely grow in the soil, how could it grow outside the soil?

The village party secretary retorted directly, "This can't be grown." He was also afraid that the boss would lose face on the spot, so he specially came up with an excuse for her, "You're talking about lettuce, right? That does grow outside the soil."

Wang Xiao didn't understand the concept of yielding to the opportunity at all; instead, he stubbornly insisted, "It's just a radish. You can try it and see. It will grow. The soil here is fertile, and the roots alone can absorb enough nutrients."

She pointed to the weeds growing in the cracks between the stones, saying, "Weeds can grow out of cracks, and so can vegetables. I see that when you grow vegetables, besides planting and harvesting, the thing you do most often is weeding. If you grow vegetables in the cracks between the bricks, the vegetables will grow in the cracks, and weeds can't grow on the bricks, so you don't have to weed."

The village party secretary was stunned by what she said on the spot.

This was the first time he had heard of someone specifically using the gaps between bricks to grow vegetables.

But he couldn't find a way to refute the young female boss. Because, just as people say, grass can grow in the cracks of bricks, so why can't vegetables?

If you say that the bricks are blocking the way and affecting the vegetables' absorption of nutrients from the surrounding soil...

The boss could refute it on the spot.

"Moreover, covering the soil with bricks has a real advantage: it effectively reduces the loss of water and fertilizer. Look—"

Wang Xiao reached out and flipped over a small stone at his feet, pointing to the exposed, dark, damp soil. "In other places where there are no stones, the water evaporates quickly due to wind and sun. The fertilizer is also washed away by rain. Only here, the stone acts as a barrier, preserving the water and fertilizer. The plants growing in the gaps next to it can absorb this water and fertilizer, so there's no need to water and fertilize frequently."

Those present who could understand Mandarin had no way to refute it.

Who didn't turn over rocks to find earthworms when they were a kid? The soil under those rocks was incredibly fertile, truly perfect for growing vegetables.

After listening to the translation, the representatives from the oil company agreed wholeheartedly, and some even took the opportunity to flatter Wang Xiao: "Miss Wang is indeed knowledgeable and knows everything."

Wang Xiao waved his hand with a smile: "Not at all, I'm just adopting what I've learned. This is what I've observed about different races in China."

What she said was half true and half false. It was true that she had indeed seen people of different races, but it was false that it wasn't from this world, but rather something she had seen online before she traveled through time.

The girl from Northeast China with the innate talent for growing vegetables is so popular.

As an internet celebrity, Wang Xiao has to capitalize on trending topics. So she set one up in her own backyard. Of course, she didn't have time to grow it herself; she only supervised the process. But that didn't stop her from posting the finished product online.

How heartbreaking! At that time, she had also grown radishes in her small courtyard, but before she could harvest them, she wore them first.

Wang Xiao looked around and saw shepherd's purse swaying in the wind from the cracks in the rocks. Heaven knows where shepherd's purse came from on Sakhalin Island. She had eaten it all over Russia, from St. Petersburg to Siberia, and this was the first time she had ever seen it. But this gave her the opportunity to make her own.

She pointed to the shepherd's purse, "Look how well this vegetable is growing. No one has watered it for so long, but it's still thriving. Vegetables can grow even in the cracks of rocks, so how could Sakhalin Island, which is rich in oil and natural gas, not produce oil and gas?"

A bunch of foreigners, none of them knew anything about shepherd's purse. To them, it was no different from any other weed.

Wang Xiao explained to Ivanov, "The kind of dumpling-making activity during Chinese New Year."

Ivanov's eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded vigorously, repeatedly assuring the representatives of the Stone Company: "It's delicious, a real delicacy. Once you've tasted it, you'll absolutely love it."

Whether or not people like shepherd's purse is something we can't judge since we can't eat it now.

But at dinner time, the guests from Europe, America and Asia were all won over by the authentic Northeastern Chinese mixed vegetables.

Delicious, so delicious! All kinds of freshly picked vegetables, so fresh and juicy, dipped in egg sauce, the aroma alone is irresistible to the whole table of guests.

And then there's that braised pig's head. Russians on Sakhalin Island eat pork, but they don't eat pig's head.

The village party secretary let it slip that people even travel long distances to buy their braised pig's head.

Now, I stir-fry pork head meat with garlic, and people can easily eat three bowls of rice with it.

For those who aren't used to eating rice, steamed buns are a delicious treat.

On the table were pork bone and kelp soup and stir-fried rabbit pieces.

The kelp is wild, and the beaches of Sakhalin Island are undisturbed by people, so the wild kelp grows extremely thick and is excellent for making soups and stir-fries.

The rabbits are also wild. There are few people and many wild animals here. Although larger animals such as bears and wild boars live deep in the forest, wild rabbits are not afraid of people. They will even run into vegetable gardens to steal food, which is why experienced Chinese farmers turn them into butcher shops.

Wang Xiao took a couple of bites and felt that the meat wasn't as tender as farmed meat, but it was crispy and chewy.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the oil company representatives stopped trying to persuade the client to give up.

Everyone was so full that there was no need to go to the hotel to open a conference room; they could just have a small meeting to discuss important matters.

“We need to build workers’ communities,” U.S. Representative Douglas emphasized first. “Our oil workers will be working here for years, and we need them to feel at home.”

Ivanov believed this request was reasonable and that the workers' accommodation problem should be properly resolved.

But he didn't like what Douglas said next.

Isn't what you said a bit excessive? Is that a workers' housing area? That's all luxury villas.

Stop bragging. You American oil workers all live in small villas, complete with hot spring saunas, each one more luxurious than a five-star hotel? Do you even believe it yourself?

Douglas, however, refused to back down, repeatedly emphasizing: "This is the most basic thing. No worker wants to work abroad, especially here in such a desolate place with no recreational facilities. If even accommodation cannot be guaranteed, then our workers simply cannot work with peace of mind."

A representative from BP was the first to step forward, stating that the Americans were right. Oil and gas field extraction conditions are harsh, and workers must receive the best possible rest and relaxation.

Ivanov wanted to argue further, but Wang Xiao nodded slightly to him, and he stopped talking.

“OK, are there any other requirements?” Wang Xiao took a sip of tea and smiled. “We can start planning the accommodation area now. Once the bidding is completed and the companies that will be involved are selected, we will begin building the workers’ community according to the style preferred by your company’s employees.”

Douglas sighed again: "I won't advise you to give up, my friends. I pray for you sincerely before God and wish you good luck."

"No, they're praying for us, wishing us good luck," Wang Xiao emphasized. "There's an old Chinese saying: 'Those with money contribute money, those with strength contribute strength.' To be honest, in the current situation, our Wuzhou Petroleum Company is also dancing on the edge of a knife."

"At any moment, the slightest disturbance could cause us to be shattered to pieces. However, right now, someone has to break the deadlock. Wuzhou Company has already entered the game and needs your full support."

"But once we succeed, gentlemen, we will break this deadlock. Subsequent oil field development projects on this island will then have a clear path to follow."

"So let us all pray. Let us pray that God will bless this island with good fortune."

Douglas suddenly burst out laughing: "Miss Wang, do you believe in God too? God will bless every one of his people."

Wang Xiao shook his head: "We Chinese have our own beliefs. But if this island has beliefs, then God should bless it."

Everyone sat together, finished their tea, and finalized some key points.

Before leaving, Wang Xiao asked the old Party Secretary, "Why didn't I see the Russian working?"

When they previously agreed with the Sakhalin regional government to cultivate vegetables and grains on the island, they mentioned that they could hire locals to work there.

The village party secretary immediately began to complain: "Forget it, we can't afford to hire those Russians. My goodness, they're all so demanding. People working in factories have to work overtime to meet production deadlines when there's an urgent job. But these Russians are like government officials, they can leave work on time and abandon even the biggest problems."

The old Party Secretary was furious. "How can we lose this? It's all about timing! If we miss the opportune moment, the whole year's harvest will be ruined."

He originally felt quite sympathetic to the Russians' plight because of his Soviet sentiments.

He felt particularly heartbroken when he learned that many people in his former Soviet Union were now starving.

But after arriving on Sakhalin Island and interacting with the Russians, the entire village felt that it was only right for these Russians to go hungry.

There's no logic to working like that.

I didn't ask you to work overtime every day, nor did I say I wouldn't pay you overtime. It's just that timing was crucial, and when we needed someone to fill in, you just walked away. Did I hire you to be my boss?

Forget it, we can't afford to mess with them. Their temple is too small to invite a big shot.

Ivanov was quite embarrassed, but there was nothing he could do. Sometimes, when outsiders mocked Russians, he truly couldn't refute them.

Especially in Siberia, those who remained were generally hopeless about the future and had given up. Those who were motivated and wanted to create a future almost all left.

However, he still stubbornly defended his compatriots, saying, "It's because you are too hardworking."

Indeed, when he saw Chinese farmers sleeping in the fields to save time and rush to finish their work, he believed that no one could compete with them in terms of diligence.

The old Party Secretary said matter-of-factly, "Farming doesn't wait for anyone; it's not like going to work for the government."

Wang Xiao touched his nose and changed his mind: "Forget it, if we don't have enough manpower, can you see if we can hire North Koreans to do the work? They are also residents of the island."

The village party secretary then smiled and said, "That's fine. The Korean villagers are quite hardworking and honest."

During this period, they had a lot of dealings with North Koreans and knew how deep the divide was between the older and younger generations.

Previously, the older generation wanted to return to North Korea (Note: This refers to both North and South Korea, as North and South Korea were one country when Japan occupied Sakhalin Island and forcibly conscripted Korean laborers), while the younger generation actively wanted to integrate into Soviet society.

Now that the Soviet Union has collapsed, life on Sakhalin Island is getting worse, but the number of Japanese and South Korean tourists on the island is increasing, and Japanese and South Korean shops are appearing in the city; while the young North Koreans on the island dream of working and living in developed South Korea.

For this reason, they even began to relearn the Korean language from their elders.

On the contrary, the older generation of North Koreans who are used to living under the socialist model are somewhat at a loss. They dare not go to South Korea and only hope to find a stable job on the island to continue living.

It is evident that national sentiments can change with a person's circumstances.

To put it simply, the universal desire of people is to live a better life.

After saying their goodbyes, everyone got into their armored cars and headed to the hotel before it got too late.

Otherwise, wandering around on an island where the sea breeze howls and you can hardly see a soul in the middle of the night would be quite an unpleasant experience.

As soon as Ivanov got into the car, he complained, "They really think we're easy targets. Ha! Is that a workers' housing area? That's a vacation villa for high-ranking government officials! We haven't even seen a glimpse of oil and gas. How much money do they want to squeeze out of us? Tens of millions of dollars isn't enough, they want hundreds of millions?"

The bodyguards and assistants in the car secretly gasped; the Americans were indeed up to no good.

“This money has to be spent,” Wang Xiao sighed. “When the Americans were fighting, they were known as ‘spoiled soldiers.’ It’s normal for American workers to have high expectations.”

She reassured Ivanov, "But don't worry, we won't waste this money. Villas, hotels, we'll build them. As you can see, the island is so big, but there aren't many decent hotels. There are more and more Japanese and Korean tourists on the island now, and I expect there will be even more in the future. At worst, we can let the workers live there for a few years, and after the project is completed, we can renovate the residential area and turn it into tourist hotels."

Ivanov was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up and he nodded repeatedly: "That's fine."

To be honest, their most profitable projects right now are foreign trade and commercial streets.

But everyone knows that this line of work profits from the prevailing economic climate. Once the economic order in Russia, other CIS countries, and Eastern European nations stabilizes, their profits will plummet. They might even become relics of the past after a new round of power reshuffling.

Therefore, they have always tried to adjust their business portfolio, putting their eggs in different baskets, so that they won't all go bankrupt if the situation changes.

Ivanov's mind started wandering again, and he asked Wang Xiao, "Wang, what do you think about us developing real estate here?"

Since we're already preparing to build a luxury hotel to attract foreign tourists, building some vacation villas is just a side effect.

Wang Xiao wanted to facepalm: "My dear Ivanov, from now on, you should pray that the island's inhabitants will stop migrating out."

Developing real estate in a region with a rapidly declining population? What are you thinking!

Do you think leeks can grow vigorously on any piece of land?

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Well, I was originally planning to finish writing it before posting it, but since I have some drafts saved up, I'll post it now. I'll continue to update at this time every day, starting with 6000 words.