Director Qian liked it very much, but he did not eat much. After tasting two pieces, he had Li Long wrap it up, put it in his cabinet, and asked Li Long about the greenhouse again.
Before the New Year, Li Long had brought Director Qian some fresh vegetables. There had been too many people around then for Director Qian to ask in detail.
"The former owner of the courtyard I bought had researched this," Li Long said. "He built a glass greenhouse behind the Big Courtyard, but before he worked it out, he went to Shanghai for work. Later, his father sold me the house, so I modified the glass greenhouse, thinking it would be nice to grow vegetables in winter.
"At first, I could only grow things like little Chinese cabbage. Later, as I gradually figured it out, I managed to grow ordinary vegetables. But honestly, it's a real hassle. Every morning, I have to pull up the padded cotton mats covering the glass greenhouse, then lower them again at night. When it snows, I have to clear the snow, and I have to add coal to the stove every day. Once the vegetables grow and flower, I have to pollinate them too..."
It really was a hassle, but once he actually grew the vegetables, they really were a rare treat.
Li Long still remembered his brother's and sisters' astonished expressions when those vegetables appeared at the family's New Year's Eve dinner.
Being able to eat fresh vegetables in the depths of winter made the extra work worthwhile. In a few years, once greenhouses were being built everywhere, Li Long would stop working so hard to grow them himself.
For now, though, that process would probably take a long time. After all, greenhouse construction would not become widespread