Chapter 114
After returning to the Qianjin Brigade, Zhou Jiani did not return the bicycle, but turned on the spot and went to the greenhouse.
Qiu Zeming was observing the emergence of seedlings in the third phase greenhouse and taking notes; Liu Jingguo was in the second phase, busy with several people who were studying there.
Zhou Jiani lifted the curtain and went in. Inside and outside were two completely different worlds. The wind was biting cold outside, and there was still unmelted snow in the shade. The whole place was bare as far as the eye could see.
When I opened the curtain, warmth mixed with the smell of earth hit me in the face, and I felt relaxed from head to toe.
Zhou Jiani pulled down the scarf that was wrapped above her nose and took off her gloves as she walked inside.
The edges of the dug-down greenhouse are relatively high. They padded it with broken bricks in the middle and placed a wooden board on it to make it easier to get on and off, but it is not as stable as steps.
Qiu Zeming heard the noise and stood up. He naturally reached out to help her down. Taking advantage of the angle to block her view, he held her hand for a while longer. He smiled and said, "Going to the commune?"
He heard it during the loudspeaker broadcast in the morning, and Zhou Jiani didn't come back at noon, so he guessed that she must have gone to the commune.
"Originally I didn't have to go, but I had a last-minute plan and wanted to ask Director Zhai for his opinion..." Zhou Jiani let him hold her hand and told Qiu Zeming about the plan to hold a ceremony for the second phase of picking.
Qiu Zeming nodded. Holding a ceremony and then reporting it would immediately change its meaning. The impact of everyone's efforts during this period would spread from the county to the city. Jiani was helping him build his resume.
Although the current results are already very good, he would certainly be willing to improve them even more.
It’s great to have a partner.
Since there was no news from the higher-ups, Zhou Jiani didn't go back and helped out in the greenhouse... She basically didn't have to do any work, but those who came to study couldn't learn for nothing, so they had to get down to work, and some odd jobs were assigned to them.
It’s the same for people like Liu Yan who go out to study.
Qiu Zeming observed, recorded data and made comparisons, while Zhou Jiani also observed the seedlings based on the knowledge she had learned during this period.
She stayed here until around four o'clock and then left, preparing to go back to cook. She thought that if the commune didn't call tomorrow, she would not be able to publish the report before making the presentation.
The picking can be delayed, and they can push back the delivery time by one or two days, but they cannot adjust the date of the city meeting at will.
As a result, just after they finished dinner, Zhang Baosheng came over, still a little out of breath. He even took Qiu Zeming with him when they passed by and said, "Comrade Xiao Zhou, the higher-ups have coordinated and agreed that you can come over for an hour tomorrow afternoon. I just asked Xiao Qiu, and he said that many vegetables can be picked, so it wouldn't be a big deal to come over tomorrow..."
He muttered, "It's a bit rushed. If we could postpone it for a few days to let the vegetables grow a little longer, it would probably look better. But there's nothing we can do. The leaders are all busy. The city and county leaders have to coordinate their schedules, and we have to contact the newspaper... The newspaper is busy too, so this temporary work has to be adjusted."
Zhou Jiani's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "No, no, no!"
This is not a rush at all. The draft may be sent out before the meeting.
Zhang Baosheng was walking so fast that a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead. He wiped it with his hand and said, "Okay, this is the only way. Zeming and I will go to the greenhouse, check along the edges, and wipe off the plastic sheeting."
He arrived in a hurry and left in a hurry. Before Yu Wanxia could even understand what was going on, Zhang Baosheng left. She grabbed Zhou Jiani and asked, "Jiani, what are you doing? Is the leader here to inspect again?"
"It's not an inspection, it's a harvesting ceremony," Zhou Jiani said. "We're the first in the city to successfully conduct a greenhouse experiment. Our last half-acre plot was too small, and the yield wasn't large, so we didn't do it. Now the second phase of the greenhouse has three acres, and the adjacent expansion is also quite impressive. We've invited leaders from higher-ups to come for a tour, setting an example. We'll have the newspaper report on the plastic greenhouses and let everyone know that anyone interested in greenhouse farming can come and learn."
"Really?" Yu Wanxia took a breath, a little surprised and excited. The place where she went to the countryside was going to be reported in the newspaper?
I quickly rummaged through the boxes and cupboards to find some clothes, took out two pieces, and said excitedly, "Jia Ni, will this look good on me when I take pictures tomorrow?"
Seeing the girl's eyes sparkling with excitement, Zhou Jiani said with some reluctance, "Um... not all villagers will participate in tomorrow's picking ceremony. We're not sure if they'll visit the factory after the ceremony, and even if they do, we're not sure if they'll take pictures."
The leader's schedule was so tight that the picking ceremony was also rushed. In the words of later generations, it was just a place to take a few photos and leave the rest to the newspaper.
But whether it is the superiors, the newspaper, or their team, they all need this kind of staged photo.
The leaders are proud of the achievements of the brigade under their jurisdiction, but without any publicity photos, who would know that they are shining? The newspapers have articles to write about the fresh green vegetables in winter, and the articles are as fresh as the vegetables in the greenhouse. Their brigade is in the newspaper, and the cadres in the team can brag about this honor for the rest of their lives, bringing honor to their families!
A win-win for all three parties!
Moreover, there will be subsequent rewards for the leaders' cooperation this time. We can't see anything at the moment, but once the promotion document comes out next year, they will know the importance of having a successful case locally, and their faces will be beaming.
The next morning, Zhang Baosheng asked Liu Tong not to go anywhere and just sit in front of the phone, worried that he would miss the call.
We also arranged for people to wait at the village entrance, for fear that they would arrive early.
He walked to the greenhouse with his hands behind his back and was surprised to find that Qiu Zeming had posted a red paper above the entrance to the second phase, with the words "Winter Picking Ceremony of the Vegetable Greenhouse of the Qianjin Brigade" written on it.
The date is also written in detail below.
He clapped his hands, hurried over to help hold the ladder, and said, "I didn't expect that."
Qiu Zeming smiled and said, "We'll arrange for the leaders to take a group photo in front of the door later."
“Okay, okay, okay!”
Meanwhile, Zhou Jiani went to the factory and organized some cleaning around the edges. Someone had piled some materials next to the no-smoking sign, blocking it. Zhou Jiani had them removed, saying, "No more storage in this area, especially not blocking the sign."
"I understand, Chief Zhou."
They were very nervous, but in fact the other party arrived at the appointed time.
At 1:30 in the afternoon, two cars drove into the village. Cars were not common in those days, and the fact that two of them came at once caused a sensation throughout the entire brigade.
The last time the county leaders came to visit, they came by bicycle. They usually don’t arrange cars unless it’s something very important. But this time, time is tight and they can’t take care of anything else.
A villager saw the car heading straight towards the plastic greenhouse and said with a proud smile: "Wow, you drive a car to buy vegetables."
It’s amazing! The vegetables from their village are so famous. Which cadre from the city would drive here specifically to buy them?
As a result, when they heard that there was a picking ceremony and that people from the newspaper were arranged to interview, many villagers became very excited. They were wondering if they would be photographed, so they went home to change clothes or tidy up their hair.
"Will we still be able to get some vegetables from the greenhouse this year?" someone asked. "With this leader coming, I guess there won't be enough vegetables to sell."
"The leader is not here yet, so we can't divide it. Doesn't the team still owe money? We have to sell the money to pay it back first."
"Yeah, if you really want to eat it, tell the villagers as soon as possible and ask them to save some for you so you can buy it with money..."
Not to mention the villagers who rushed to watch the fun, over at the plastic greenhouse, cadres from the city and county came down and shook hands enthusiastically with Zhang Baosheng, Qiu Zeming, Zhou Jiani and Liu Jingguo.
Liu Jingguo didn't expect that such a senior official would shake hands with him. He was a city official and he was so happy. Sheng Hongshan next to him was also very excited and laughed.
After the group finished their greetings and were about to go in, Zhou Jiani took out a few gold ingot baskets from a small room next to them and distributed them to the leaders one by one. She also gave one to a reporter from the newspaper and said with a smile, "Use this to pick them."
The brand new ingot baskets hadn't been used yet. When Zhou Jiani suggested bringing them over, Zhang Laosi and the others were distressed. But when Zhou Jiani mentioned that they could be featured in the newspaper, Zhang Laosi immediately picked up the shoulder pole and carried a bunch over, saying happily, "Give it to me, go ahead. If it's not enough, send someone to the factory for more. How about the lace baskets? Or maybe move a few storage stools in there so the leaders can sit on them or something."
Forget about the storage stool, the floor inside is uneven, it would be better to sit on a stable stool. If the boss falls, it will be big news.
During the harvest ceremony, the leaders weren't photographed while they were picking the vegetables? Well, the leaders couldn't just pick the vegetables by pinching them with their hands, right? They had to carry them in a basket. Then, when the reporters took photos of the leaders, they couldn't miss the whole picture, right?
Then when the leaders appear in the newspapers, they will be carrying their baskets.
There is no need to pay the spokesperson any fees, so it’s a great deal not to miss out.
A row of leaders entered the greenhouse carrying a row of baskets full of gold ingots.
Everyone who comes in for the first time exclaims, "Oh, it's so warm in here!"
The reporter also asked Zhou Jiani, who was following behind him, "Is the stove lit in here?"
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "No, no, it's the temperature of the plastic greenhouse."
The reporter exclaimed: "Why is the temperature so different from outside?"
It was freezing cold outside, but warm as spring in the greenhouse. Looking around, the reporter saw lush green vegetables growing well. He was stunned for a moment before raising his camera to look for a suitable shooting spot.
Don't forget to hang the basket of gold ingots on the wall next to you.
He knew that this gold ingot basket sold well in the city, and he heard that it had even been sold to the provincial market. Originally, they were planning to wait and see and then write a report, after all, the material was good.
I didn't expect it to arrive early, but it was a different material.
Well, the same team can provide him with two materials, and both are relatively fresh and alternative themes.
The leaders stood in a row at the edge of the field, looking at the vegetables below, their eyes filled with smiles. It was indeed good, and the trip was worthwhile.
Zhai Xiangqiang breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded slightly to Qiu Zeming with appreciation. The greenhouse vegetables were grown well, and he, as the inviter, was also proud.
This impromptu ceremony was quite impressive. The three acres of land looked completely different from the half acre of land we had last time. It was all green at first glance.
Moreover, they are arranged very neatly by category. Climbing vegetables are in one area, eggplants, peppers, lettuce, garlic sprouts, etc. are in another area; and spinach, leeks, and lettuce are in another area.
It's a pleasure to look at.
Some of the vegetables are still not ripe, like the cucumber, which is still a bit tender. They are edible, but it would be a pity to pick them at such a small size.
The tomatoes are hanging well, most of them are still green, with only a few red.
“This vegetable is grown really well!”
"Yes, it grows just as well as in summer and autumn."
The city leaders began to inquire about the greenhouse cultivation situation. Zhang Baosheng hurriedly pushed Qiu Zeming over and introduced him, "This is Comrade Qiu Zeming from our brigade, an educated youth from the capital. Comrade Zhou Jiani proposed the plastic greenhouse, and Comrade Qiu Zeming will be primarily responsible for the later stages..."
Qiu Zeming went to explain the planting process in plastic greenhouses.
The leaders were very satisfied and praised: "This is what young people should be like!"
He is full of energy, willing to think and study, has a flexible mind and dares to think and act. He couldn't be better.
The city leaders also called Zhou Jiani over and asked her a few questions, asking her how she came up with the idea of leading the team to build plastic greenhouses.
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "I happened to see this in a newspaper a few years ago, and I still remember it clearly. Combined with the situation in the brigade at the time, I was able to bring it up. Of course, there was also a lucky circumstance..."
Several leaders were intrigued by her, and one of them laughed and said, "Oh? What lucky conditions?"
Zhou Jiani said, "I think the team of leaders I met was great. As soon as I proposed it, the team leader and the others agreed. Frankly, at the time, no one knew if this experiment would succeed. The team wasn't well-off, and the experiment was self-financing. Our leadership team was actually under a lot of pressure."
Zhou Jiani was not simply flattering, she was speaking from the bottom of her heart.
Even if she has a lot of talents, it will be useless if her leader is hesitant and doesn't support her.
So Zhang Baosheng's support at that time also helped her.
Zhang Baosheng's old eyes were red with emotion. He did have this worry at that time, but he was more influenced by the enthusiasm of the young people. He gritted his teeth and made this decision. Now, when Comrade Xiao Zhou said this, he actually felt a little emotional.
Even the mayor looked at him and exclaimed, "Not bad, not bad. As a leader of the people, you must be decisive when necessary."
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Zhai Xiangqiang hurriedly greeted them and said with a smile, "Mayor Song, County Magistrate Wang, and all the leaders, let's not just stand there, why don't we go down and take a look?"
Everyone responded with a smile: "Let's go, let's go!"
Song Xinzheng waved the basket in his hand towards Zhang Baosheng, Qiu Zeming and the others, and said with a smile, "Captain Zhang, Comrade Qiu, we won't be polite then. Don't feel bad about it!"
The others laughed in good faith, and Zhang Baosheng also smiled innocently and said, "Please, please, please!"
Qiu Zeming followed and introduced to the leader the germination time of each vegetable in the greenhouse and at normal temperature, as well as the differences in growth time at each stage.
The leaders listened with great interest and asked questions from time to time, and Qiu Zeming could answer them fluently.
The reporters looked for suitable positions and angles and took photos.
After a walk around the greenhouse, everyone picked some vegetables.
Actually, joking aside, we all knew it wasn't easy to grow these vegetables, so we didn't feel comfortable picking more. It was Zhou Jiani who reminded us with a smile, "Leaders, pick more. We'll take a group photo outside later. It won't look good if there aren't enough vegetables in the basket. If this gets out, people will think our greenhouse vegetable harvest wasn't good."
The cadres laughed and said, "Okay, okay, let's do as Comrade Xiao Zhou said and pick more."
Coming out of the greenhouse, many people gasped and said, "The temperature difference is quite significant."
The temperature and humidity inside are completely different from those outside.
Mayor Song nodded, turned around and looked at the greenhouse in front of him, and said in agreement: "Yes, greenhouses are indeed worthy of careful and vigorous development."
Qiu Zeming invited everyone to take a look at the Phase 3 greenhouse next door. The visual impact once again deepened everyone's impression.
Next to it is the harvest point, where the seedlings have just broken through the soil, and some vegetable seedlings have not even sprouted yet. It is completely different.
The same season, the same land, similar vegetables, separated by only a wall, but in two different states.
After coming out of the third phase of the project, Zhou Jiani organized everyone to take a group photo at the door, paying special attention to including the words at the back.
They took a photo, and Mayor Song called the members who were gathered not far away to come over and take a larger group photo.
The members were all very happy. One of them said, "I should have changed my clothes earlier. Look at the patches on my body."
The other one said, "If I had known earlier, we should all have worn scrunchies. I think the photos wouldn't look bad."
The person next to him clapped his hands in regret: "Yeah, didn't you forget that?"
The villagers were discussing enthusiastically. A group of people over there were planning to walk around the perimeter of the greenhouse. Zhou Jiani took the baskets from their hands and asked the driver to put them in the trunk. She said with a smile, "Take them back and try them. See what the difference is between winter spinach and autumn spinach."
The newspaper reporter didn't take it because he was busy taking pictures, but his was definitely included.
After walking around the periphery, we went to the weaving factory.
County Chief Wang visited it last time, but the city officials haven’t seen it yet. Since they are here, they must take a look at this weaving factory.
This time, County Magistrate Wang enthusiastically acted as a tour guide.
I originally only planned to spend an hour and a half here, but I didn't expect to stay here until 4:30 before heading back.
When he left, Mayor Song left twenty yuan for the basket and vegetables.
Zhang Baosheng pushed a few times but failed, and looked to Zhou Jiani for help. Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Leading cadres don't take a single needle or thread from the masses. Have you forgotten that Director Zhai repeatedly emphasized this during our meeting at the commune?"
Zhang Baosheng looked confused. Did Director Zhai emphasize this?
But he understood the meaning and had to accept the money.
Later, Comrade Xiao Qiu told him that the reporter was still there, taking pictures. Do you want the leader to make a mistake?
Zhang Baosheng realized it belatedly and broke out in a cold sweat.
The newspaper reporter stayed and wanted to collect some more material.
Zhou Jiani was also among those interviewed, and at the end she asked when the article would be published.
The reporter's name was Wen Xiangqing. He said, "Don't worry, we'll try to prioritize yours. It will definitely be published before the New Year."
Zhou Jiani asked, "Can we release the information about the vegetable greenhouse first..." She then mentioned welcoming other brigades across the city to learn from it, and said, "Shouldn't something this meaningful be released sooner so everyone can see it and prepare? Besides, the city meeting is about to be held, and the leaders will probably bring it up there. Do you think it's better to release it before or after the meeting?"
Wen Xiangqing came this time mainly for the picking ceremony, so this manuscript must be put first. He calculated the time and said, "Wow, it's quite tight. I'll hurry up and report to the editor tomorrow to see how he arranges it."
"Thank you for your hard work, reporter. Don't forget to pick some vegetables from the greenhouse before you leave tomorrow."
"Okay, okay, this dish is indeed fresh. I won't be polite to you anymore."
After sending the reporter away the next day, Zhou Jiani went to the factory again to do the pre-delivery inspection work.
Everyone working there asked her, "Chief Zhou, can the photos we take of us be published in the newspaper?"
The leader also took a photo with all of them when he came to visit yesterday.
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "It depends on what the newspaper decides."
The leaders’ individual photos were published, but it’s unlikely that group photos will be published. It depends on the newspaper’s arrangement.
There was no new notice from the city, and there was no movement from the newspaper for the time being, but Zhou Jiani once again boarded the train to the provincial capital.
Qiu Zeming and his friends picked several large baskets of vegetables, along with a few jars of pickles, and sent them to Zhang Lihai's truck.
Zhang Lihai was given half a box of vegetables and asked to distribute them himself.
"Thank you, Zeming. Please also thank Comrade Zhou for me. Please help me pass this package to Comrade Zhou..."
Qiu Zeming said, "Send it to the provincial capital. My partner is there to pick it up and has already left by car."
Zhang Lihai didn't react yet and said, "Okay, I'll take him to the provincial capital."
Zhou Jiani pickled vegetables for him. Last time, she asked the people in the convoy to take away two jars. They had already been divided and eaten, and this time they took away the rest.
He brought a few more empty jars to Qiu Zeming and said, "Then please take these jars back to Comrade Zhou." He gave a thumbs-up and praised, "I have to say, Comrade Zhou's pickling skills are really good."
Qiu Zeming nodded, looked at him, and said, "Well, when we get to the provincial capital, remember to thank my partner in person."
Zhang Lihai was finally stunned for a moment, and said dully, "Your partner?" His eyes widened, "Are you dating Comrade Zhou?"
Qiu Zeming curled his lips slightly and nodded.
Zhang Lihai patted him on the shoulder and said happily, "Okay, haha, good boy, you can do it!"
Elsewhere, after getting off the train, Zhou Jiani faced her father who came to meet her at the station and raised her hand to show him over ten kilograms of fish. Zhou Wanli's eyes lit up immediately and he quickly lowered his voice and said, "Put it away quickly so no one can see it. Especially when we get back to the dormitory, be sure to hide it well."
Easy to get conjunctivitis.
After taking it home, Yu Huifang was even more delighted. She lowered her voice and said, "Oh, it's so hard to get fish, shrimp, meat, etc. now. You don't know how many people are queuing up. There are so many people that they don't dare to let you breastfeed, for fear that they will be squeezed out and hurt..."
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Let's eat these slowly."
There is also dried kelp, and I brought back some rice noodles and vermicelli.
When she went to pick up the goods the next morning, Zhang Lihai gave her a large bag of dried mushrooms as a thank you.
Zhou Jiani accepted it without hesitation.
The chef from the Second Textile Factory cafeteria, who had come with her to pick her up, took their basket of vegetables without hesitation. Zhou Wanli took the other basket back to the dormitory area, and Zhou Jiani gave him a list with the exact vegetables and prices clearly written down.
After delivering the goods, she gave the remaining money to two department store leaders, who were extremely precious.
The payment for the previous batches of goods was also settled smoothly.
Then we went to the Friendship Store.
Zhou Jiani was on the road all day and was very busy. She went back to the Second Textile Factory to collect the money for vegetables. When she returned to the dormitory area, she was surrounded by people who had not bought vegetables as soon as she entered the door.
I couldn't accept it this time. I exchanged greetings and apologized, went back to settle the accounts, took the money, and rushed back to the commune without stopping.
When they returned to the brigade, good news came one after another. Qiu Zeming was chosen to go to the city to give a report with her; in addition, the report on the vegetable greenhouse would be published the next day.
Zhang Baosheng asked his secretary Xiao Zhao to buy twenty copies of the newspaper for him. He turned on the loudspeaker and read every word three times before turning it off with a feeling of being unsatisfied.
The villagers also like to listen to it. After all, it is the village’s business, and everyone is very proud of it.
In a blink of an eye, it was time to give the report.
Zhou Jiani and Qiu Zeming went to the city together.
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