"Dad! My eldest brother has something to discuss with us; he's waiting for you under the grape trellis!"
A short while later, Grandpa Su slowly walked out, leaning on his cane.
"Jianguo, what's the rush?"
Grandpa Su sat down on the bamboo chair and squinted at his eldest son.
Su Jianguo took out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket, handed one to his father and one to his younger brother, lit one for himself, took a deep drag, and then spoke.
"Father, Second Brother, I've come back this time to discuss something important with you."
"What's the big deal?"
Su Jianjun exhaled a smoke ring and asked curiously.
"I plan to build winter vegetable greenhouses on the barren mountains I've contracted."
Su Jianguo said, emphasizing each word.
"What?"
Su Jianjun's eyes widened.
"Vegetable greenhouse? What's that?"
Grandpa Su also frowned.
"Jianguo, explain yourself more clearly."
Su Jianguo was prepared. He took out a few crumpled pieces of paper from another pocket, on which some simple diagrams were drawn.
He spread the paper on the wooden table and pointed to the diagrams on it, explaining them.
"Dad, look, this is a vegetable greenhouse. Simply put, it's a shed built with earthen walls and plastic sheeting. In winter, the sun shines in during the day, and at night it's covered with straw mats to keep it warm, so you can grow summer vegetables in winter."
Su Jianjun leaned over to look at the blueprints, his face filled with disbelief.
"Brother, are you kidding me? In winter, when it's below minus ten degrees Celsius, the ground is frozen solid. How could vegetables possibly grow?"
Su Jianguo patiently explained.
"Second brother, times are changing. Our village didn't even have electricity before, but now we have it, don't we? Who would have thought we could make phone calls back then? Now there are phone booths everywhere in the city."
"But this..."
Su Jianjun scratched his head.
Growing vegetables in winter sounds like a really unreliable idea!
Grandpa Su had been silent, squinting as he carefully examined the blueprints, when he suddenly asked a question.
"Jianguo, can this thing really work?"
"Dad, I've inquired around; someone in the Northeast has already succeeded."
Seeing that his father was interested, Su Jianguo immediately perked up.
"Just think about it, in winter in Beijing, a cucumber can sell for a dollar! A pound of chives can sell for 80 cents! Things that cost only a few cents in summer can fetch ten or even dozens of times more in winter!"
"So expensive?"
Su Jianjun gasped.
Su Jianguo nodded.
"Things are valued for their scarcity. Besides, think about it, what fresh vegetables are there in winter besides cabbage and radishes? If we could grow cucumbers, tomatoes, and chives in winter, wouldn't they be in high demand?"
Grandpa Su stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Jianguo, how exactly do you plan to set up this greenhouse?"
Seeing his father ask, Su Jianguo perked up and began to explain in detail.
"Dad, look, let's choose a sunny hillside. First, we'll build a north-facing wall with rammed earth to block the north wind. Then we'll erect a bamboo and wooden frame and cover it with plastic film. During the day, the sun will shine in, and the temperature inside can reach over twenty degrees Celsius. At night, we'll cover it with straw mats to keep it warm, and when it's coldest, we'll light a coal stove..."
"etc."
Su Jianjun interrupted him.
"How much plastic sheeting and coal would that take? How high would the cost be?"
Su Jianguo was prepared.
"Second brother, I've done the math. The initial investment for one acre of greenhouse is about two thousand yuan, but one crop in winter is enough to recoup the cost and even make a profit!"
"two thousand?"
Su Jianjun was so shocked he almost jumped off his chair.
"Brother, are you crazy? Two thousand yuan is enough to build three big brick houses!"
Grandpa Su waved his hand to quiet his third son and continued asking.
"Jianguo, do you think this vegetable can really grow in winter? Won't it freeze to death?"
"Father, I saw it with my own eyes!"
Su Jianguo said with great confidence.
"The greenhouses in Northeast China are lush and green even in winter, and the cucumbers grow just as abundantly as in summer!"
Su Jianjun still didn't believe it.
"Brother, even if it were possible to grow them, how much effort would it take? Winters are so cold, who would want to tend to those vegetables?"
Su Jianguo smiled.
"Second brother, do you know how much a worker in the city earns a month? Thirty-odd yuan! One greenhouse of ours can earn two thousand yuan a winter; hiring people to do it is worthwhile!"
Grandpa Su suddenly slapped his thigh.
"Jianguo, I remember now. You said these greenhouses are similar to the heated rooms in the imperial palace back in the day?"
Su Jianguo was taken aback. He hadn't expected the old man to have such insight, and immediately expressed his opinion.
"Dad, you've hit the nail on the head! That's exactly right! It's just that now there's plastic sheeting, which is much cheaper than glass."
Seeing that his father seemed to be persuaded, Su Jianjun said anxiously.
"Dad, don't listen to my brother's nonsense. Planting vegetables in winter? Isn't that ridiculous? What if we lose money?"
Grandpa Su ignored his second son and stared at Su Jianguo, asking him a question.
"Are you confident in building the nation?"
Su Jianguo took a deep breath.
"Dad, I can't say it's 100% certain, but I'm about 80-90% sure. I'm thinking of trying it out on a few acres first; even if I lose money, I can afford it."
After a long silence, Grandpa Su suddenly asked.
Do you have enough money?
In the old man's memory, Su Jianguo had bought up the mountains and land, but there wasn't much money left.
Su Jianguo replied directly.
"I borrowed 10,000 yuan from the bank."
"What?"
Su Jianjun suddenly stood up.
"Brother, are you crazy? Borrowing so much money for this?"
To everyone's surprise, Grandpa Su nodded.
"That's bold."
He turned to his second son.
"Jianjun, your second brother has seen a lot in the city. Since he dared to do it, he must have his reasons."
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