Chapter 407

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Building six greenhouses, this workload is actually relatively large, and it's also quite urgent.

At first Chai Mi only planned to do two greenhouses to get started, so the time was still sufficient. Now it has become somewhat urgent.

However, these people work efficiently, so Chai Mi isn't particularly worried anymore.

Afterwards she hired a few more people and dug a well.

Two days later, electricity was connected here, and the well was also dug. That would save more trouble.

And the first greenhouse also took three days, the main structure was completed.

After the greenhouse main structure was completed, they started preparing to put up plastic and shelves.

Chai Mi watched Zhu Shukun leading twenty-plus people working busily in the field, earthen walls rammed up layer by layer, the outlines of six greenhouses becoming increasingly clear on the east-of-river plot. But she knew clearly in her heart that the earthen walls were just the first step; the framework, covering film, and insulation behind were the key, and time was getting tighter. The biggest problem was stuck on materials—the free plastic cloth and half-price bamboo poles promised by the township were given to her only at the quota for one greenhouse, telling her to go haul them back this afternoon, but the remaining five greenhouses were still up in the air.

She rode her bicycle and went to Liu Zhanggui Jia's house to ask what was going on.

"Xiangli Chief." Chai Mi's voice broke the quiet inside the room.

Liu Zhanggui Jia looked up, saw it was her, and habitually furrowed his brow: "Chai Mi? How are the greenhouses coming along? You've come here several times today, still wanting plastic cloth and bamboo poles? The township only gave those, according to the quota for one greenhouse signed at the beginning! Those five behind yours must follow the rules, or you figure it out yourself. The township said, greenhouses not erected, not accepted, quotas can only be given according to what's built! Yours have just rammed the walls!"

"Rules are dead, people are alive." Chai Mi got straight to the point, not beating around the bush: "Mine? Just because they're built a bit later, the policy doesn't count? Once the frozen ground seals up, everything is wasted."

Liu Zhanggui Jia sighed: "It was reported as six! But the township's rule is, build one, accept one, materials are issued one! Those four you added later haven't moved yet, so they don't count! The one in charge of the project clings to the ledger, what can I do?"

"The ledger is dead, but the greenhouses in the field are alive. Xiangli Chief, let's both make a trip to the township and explain clearly to the person in charge. Six greenhouses have walls up, plain to see. If they insist on giving materials only after completion and refuse to release them, delaying the winter vegetables going to market, who bears the loss? Besides, the vegetables grown in my greenhouse would bring glory to your face too."

Liu Zhanggui Jia hesitated for a moment, looked at the gloomy sky outside the window: "Fine! Desperate times call for desperate measures, I'll go with you!"

The two of them went to the township.

Old Wangtou at the township government in charge of farm supplies was indeed a stickler for rules.

Holding the roster and records, pointing to the words "Chai Mi: 6 greenhouse quotas confirmed, first batch materials (1 greenhouse quota) can be issued," he directly refused Chai Mi's idea of taking out materials for all six greenhouses at once.

"No no, Xiangli Chief Liu, Comrade Chai Mi, it's written clearly in black and white! The policy is free plastic cloth for the first three years, half-price bamboo poles, but distribution is according to construction and acceptance progress! Her first batch materials can be for one greenhouse, right? Those remaining five, the walls are up? The top isn't sealed, no acceptance signature, so it doesn't count as built and put into use! No quota, what can I give? The warehouse key isn't up to me alone! Township unified policy, no exceptions!"

Chai Mi didn't waste words, pulled Old Wangtou to the window, and pointed outside: "Leader, look over there."

Outside the window, Chai Youqing had parked the inverted donkey in the township government courtyard. On the cart bed were piled several bundles of bamboo poles just received, at the quota for one greenhouse, and one roll of plastic cloth, looking lonely and meager.

"Look at what?" Old Wangtou didn't understand.

"That stuff is only enough to cover one greenhouse roof. Come with me to see east of the river? The foundations and earthen walls of six greenhouses are all up, just sitting there. Let me get it all in one trip, otherwise I'd run ten or eight trips, too exhausting.

Besides, the framework materials I've already prepared, the professional frame-building master arrives tomorrow. You say no acceptance?! But the weather doesn't wait for anyone! The greenhouses can't wait! Once the frozen ground seals up, no vegetables can be planted, the township's promotion task for this season will come to nothing in our village. If you don't believe me, get in my father's cart now, we'll go to the site immediately. If even one greenhouse wall is fake, or I'm deceiving you, I, Chai Mi, will pay out of my own pocket to buy double materials to make up the shortfall!"

Liu Zhanggui Jia hurriedly chimed in: "Old Wang, it's true! I guarantee it! Chai Mi has great ambition, six greenhouses started at once, hired twenty-plus people to ram walls, what a scene! The Township Head came down to inspect progress and would nod too! Rules are dead, but our greenhouse business can't be stalled by this bit of procedure! You be flexible, treat it as an advance on the quotas for the next few greenhouses? This trip done once saves trouble, otherwise running back and forth leaves no time. Or... special circumstances, special handling? If there's any omission, deduct the material costs from my salary! I, Liu Zhanggui Jia, take responsibility!"

Old Wangtou looked at the shabby pile of materials downstairs, then at Chai Mi, and felt uneasy in his heart.

This project was being pushed by the county, pushed very strictly, with all kinds of supervision.

But in actual effect it was not very good. Old Wangtou knew this clearly in his heart.

One reason was that ordinary people didn't think highly of this project and had resistance. Second was that the cost was too high, many people had no money now, and loans were troublesome.

Someone like Chai Mi starting six greenhouses at once, without a loan, was truly the first case.

He paced two circles in the room with his hands behind his back, and Liu Zhanggui Jia's guarantee took effect.

Finally Old Wangtou gritted his teeth: "... Sigh! Liu Zhanggui Jia, Chai Mi, you two really give me a difficult problem! Like this, bamboo poles, the half-price quota, I'll approve all six greenhouses for you! Anyway the quotas are on the register, they'll have to be given sooner or later! Plastic cloth... free for the first three years is issued according to the number of completed greenhouses, this opening really can't be opened casually, but I can specially approve it, for the remaining five greenhouses, give them to you at cost price first! After your greenhouses are all accepted, I'll return this cost money to you! This is already my maximum authority! Sign the paper, hurry to the warehouse to get things! If there's any omission, neither of you can escape!"

"Thank you, Leader! Guaranteed nothing will happen!" Chai Mi agreed immediately, otherwise going to the township would take two or three days per trip, and she wouldn't have time to do anything else.

Liu Zhanggui Jia also breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly signing and pressing his fingerprint on the list.

The warehouse clerk, looking at the approval slip, immediately led Chai Mi out to fetch things.

After the bamboo poles were brought out, six large rolls of transparent plastic cloth were also moved out.

Chai Youqing looked at the courtyard full of things and worried: "This inverted donkey can't pull it..."

"Dad, you first pull this cart of bamboo poles and plastic cloth back, hand it to Zhu Shukun, he knows where to put it. Put the plastic cloth in a cool place, don't expose it to the sun, especially don't let it get torn. The rest, I'll hire a vehicle."

She turned to the township transport society, spent money to hire a tractor with a trailer, and hauled all the remaining bamboo poles and plastic cloth back in one go.

The materials were there, but building the greenhouse roof frame was technical work.

While unloading, Chai Mi heard a warehouse person mention that next door in Liushutun there were a father and son surnamed Xia who specialized in building greenhouse frames for people, with good skills and fast speed.

She didn't even have time to drink a sip of water, immediately got on her bike and headed straight for Liushutun.

When she inquired and found the place, Lao Xia and his son were busy working on someone's greenhouse.

Only to see the back wall was already up, Lao Xia's son was fixing thick iron wire on the wall, while Lao Xia on the ground was quickly building an arched frame with thin bamboo poles. His fingers flew, using specially made clips and thin iron wire to tie and bind, movements nimble and precise, one arched frame after another quickly formed, spacing even, arcs smooth.

His son cooperated, lifting the built frames section by section, fixing them on the iron wire rings reserved on the wall top, then tightening and fixing horizontally with steel cables.

The father and son said little, cooperated with tacit understanding, in half a day more than half of one greenhouse's frame was already built, looking neat and sturdy.

Chai Mi watched for a while and knew what to do.

So Chai Mi walked over and said: "Xia Shifu..."

Lao Xia stopped the work in his hand, turned back smiling and asked: "Yes, yes. What is it?"

Chai Mi walked closer, her gaze sweeping over the nearly formed greenhouse frame: "Xia Shifu, your skills are authentic. I am Chai Mi from Sanjiacun, six greenhouses are being built on the east-of-river plot, lacking good hands to build frames."

Lao Xia's hands didn't stop, using pliers to tighten the last section of iron wire, then he straightened his waist, wiped his sweat: "Sanjiacun? I know it. What? The greenhouse walls are up?"

"They are. Six of them. The earthen walls are mostly rammed, just waiting to put up frames and cover with plastic cloth. The schedule is tight, the frames must be finished before the ground freezes. I heard you father and son do good work, want to invite you over."

Lao Xia's son also stopped his work and came over to listen.

Lao Xia narrowed his eyes to size up Chai Mi, then looked at his nearly finished greenhouse: "Six? That's a big job. But... can't take it on right now. See?"

He pointed to the greenhouse in front of him, "The Wang family's, can finish today. Tomorrow and the day after are all booked, there are still two waiting in Lijiawa. At the earliest... also have to wait until the day after tomorrow to free up time."

Chai Mi's brow faintly furrowed: "The day after tomorrow is too late. The day after tomorrow at the latest, by morning. Price is negotiable."

Lao Xia shook his head and refused: "The day after tomorrow? No. Once you've taken someone's job, you can't drop the load. The road to Lijiawa isn't easy to walk, those two greenhouses need rushing too, can't be fast. Going the day after tomorrow would already be rushing it."

"Hmm, right, Xia Shifu, how many greenhouse frames can you and your hand put up in a day?"

"Depends on size. A standard one like the Wang family's, my old man and I do one in a day and a half, tops. Your six, even working straight through, no less than ten-plus days. Going the day after tomorrow, you'd be working until... hmm, early next month to finish."

"That speed is passable, there's still time before the freeze," Chai Mi said.

"Rush it a bit, roughly. Premise is no rain, materials ready, the fixing rings on the wall pre-installed, don't let us arrive and still have to drill holes and thread wire."

"Materials ready, work done. Bamboo poles hauled back, thickness and length all prepared by the rules. The rings that should be on the wall, the contractor Master Zhu knows, he's watching it, no mistakes." Chai Mi smiled, actually knowing it was a money issue, so she asked directly: "You can't free up, afraid of delaying Lijiawa? Are they pressing urgently?"

Lao Xia nodded: "Signed and stamped, promised to go tomorrow, tomorrow and the day after can't finish anyway, going the day after tomorrow would be late getting to your place, this thing has procedures, promising you that point is already a stretch."

"How about this: your old man and your day's wages, I'll count as eighty. No meals provided, you handle your own, saves trouble. As for Lijiawa, you negotiate with them, go two days late, or I'll pay rush wages on my end, you subsidize them a bit, count it as my loss. Anyway, by morning the day after tomorrow, I want to see you two east of the river."

"Eighty? No meals?" Lao Xia was visibly stunned, quickly doing mental math. Usually he and his old man earned only fifty or sixty a day, and still had to eat a meal at the employer's. This eighty was clear profit, and saved the trouble of food. "This price... is indeed fair."

His son's eyes lit up too, softly interjecting: "Dad, eighty a day, ten days of work is eight hundred..."

Lao Xia glared at his son, turned to Chai Mi, tone much softened: "Comrade Chai Mi, you're a straightforward person. Eighty a day, no meals, fine. But as for Lijiawa... if they're unwilling to be late, making trouble is also a hassle."

"If not, find someone else to help, finish for them tomorrow, come to my place the day after." Chai Mi was crisp and decisive.

Lao Xia waved his hand: "Hiring help isn't needed. I'll knock off work tonight and swing by Lijiawa, work in the dark a bit, add a shift tomorrow. Should... be no problem." He was basically agreeing, "Then it's settled, morning the day after tomorrow, we'll arrive east of the river at dawn. Is the place easy to find?"

"Easy to find. East of the river, only our patch is breaking ground, lots of people, lively. You can look for Master Zhu Shukun or my father Chai Youqing." Chai Mi breathed a sigh of relief, adding: "Bring your own handy tools. Bamboo poles, kaizi, iron wire I've all prepared, what else do you lack?"

"As long as there are bamboo poles and iron wire. Kaizi we bring our own, ones we're used to." Lao Xia nodded, "Then it's settled like that, going the day after tomorrow."

"Fine."

Chai Mi nodded, said no more, turned and left.

Lao Xia watched Chai Mi's receding back, muttered to his son: "This girl, she's someone who'll do big things. Speaking and acting both have drive. Alright, we'll also put in effort, finish this today, tonight we still have to run to Lijiawa."

"Tell them, let them do one first, the second find someone else or wait until we're both done. That side pays only twenty-five a day, this side forty, so we're definitely going to work where the money is."

After Chai Mi got home, afterward she found several people to bring the plastic sheeting home, afterward she started worrying again.

Then Chai Mi went to the side room, Chai Xiu was reading, Chai Mi asked: "Xiu'er, how many persimmon seedlings can you plant on one mu of greenhouse? The books you've been reading recently, any about this kind of vegetable greenhouse?"