Rebirth: Seven Years in a Great Dream

Chapter 50: Garlic 101

After the county TV station aired the program, it sparked a huge response. First up was Old Man Su, who rushed over, all excited, to express his gratitude. This was because, during the interview, Mu Dong had mentioned that he’d been inspired by an elderly artist, which had led him to sponsor more folk artists. And the one who’d inspired him was, of course, Old Man Su. To mark the occasion, the county TV station specially filmed a segment with Old Man Su and edited it into the interview program, giving Old Man Su a taste of what it’s like to be on TV. Next were the villagers. Originally, they had no idea what kind of interview the station was airing, as the county TV station’s ratings were pitifully low. Unexpectedly, Mu Huafeng took it upon himself to make an announcement over the village loudspeaker: “Mu Dong from our village is on TV! It airs tonight at 8:00 p. m. on the county TV station. Please tune in, everyone…” Several villages are clustered around Mu Village. As a result, not only did the people in their own village find out, but those in the neighboring villages did too. When Mu Dong later heard about this, he was so furious he wished he could find a piece of noodle to strangle Mu Huafeng with. That evening, the villagers saw Mu Huashan’s son on the screen. The young man was smartly dressed and spoke with ease. Most importantly, he spoke fluent Mandarin—which sounded much better than the local dialect. Having spent four years at Quancheng University and worked in sales for many years, Mu Dong’s Mandarin had long been fluent and natural. “That Mu Dong—he’s made a fortune and become famous, so why did he get married so early?” Some villagers shook their heads in disbelief. Some of the more observant ones began to wonder: Mu Dong was married, but Da Guo—his second uncle’s son—seemed to still be single. The two brothers were said to be close, and Da Guo might be able to follow in Mu Dong’s footsteps to make his fortune. Should they ask a matchmaker to find out more? So, over the next few days, all the well-known matchmakers in the area paid a visit to Mu Daguo’s home, only to receive the disappointing news that he already had a girlfriend and was set to become engaged soon. Mu Dong’s aunt and many other relatives also called to congratulate him on appearing on TV. The final wave of strong reaction came from the media. After the program aired, media outlets received numerous calls from the public, with an outpouring of praise. As a result, media outlets from all over rushed back to Mu Dong’s home, lining up to interview him, seeking in-depth coverage and promising continued attention. This time, it wasn’t just the county media—media outlets from the city and the province had all sprung into action upon hearing the news… Mu Dong was on the verge of tears. “I really don’t want to give interviews,” he thought, feeling utterly frustrated. County Magistrate Liu called to thank Mu Dong for his cooperation. He said the initial publicity campaign had been very effective and hoped Mu Dong would continue to cooperate with follow-up publicity efforts, and so on… Feeling helpless, Mu Dong set a single, agreed-upon time. On the afternoon of June 29, he sat in his office at the elementary school and gave a joint interview to the various media outlets. After the interview ended, he turned off his cell phone and drove to Quancheng. Xiao Xiao’s summer vacation was about to start, so Mu Dong had to go back to pick her up. By the time he arrived at the Telecom Housing Complex, it was already past 9:00 p. m. Mu Dong had called on the way, so his mother and Xiao Xiao knew he was coming. He opened the door quietly and slipped inside. Mu Dong’s mother was still waiting on the sofa, watching TV. When she saw her son come in, she hurried to bring out the dinner. She whispered to Mu Dong, “I sent Xiao Xiao to bed early.” Xiao Xiao hadn’t fallen asleep either; hearing the noise, she came out of her bedroom. And so, the two most important women in his life sat together, watching Mu Dong eat his dinner. Mu Dong felt warm and content inside; in that moment, all his worries and frustrations vanished into thin air… The next day, Mu Dong went to see Han Yong, shared his next investment plan with him, and invited him to participate. Mu Dong actually had quite a bit of capital of his own; this invitation was really just to repay the favor from last time. Mu Dong’s investment project this time was garlic storage. He recalled that around May Day in 2001, garlic prices had been driven up to an unbelievable level, with retail prices reaching over 12 yuan. Canglan County in Southern Shandong was a major garlic-producing region. It was now late June, right in the middle of the garlic harvest season, and Mu Dong was ready to make his move. To avoid the awkward situation he’d faced with Han Yong and Cai Jiaojiao last time, Mu Dong took the initiative to draw up a commission plan this time: he would take a 10% commission from the investment returns. This way, the investors would receive a return on their investment and feel much more at ease; otherwise, the back-and-forth of favors would be never-ending. After hearing Mu Dong’s plan, Han Yong asked, “Are you inviting Cai Jiaojiao and Cheng Qiang to participate this time as well?” Having dined together on numerous occasions, they naturally knew that each of them had worked with Mu Dong. Mu Dong replied, “Of course I’ll invite them—we’re all friends.” Han Yong said, “Then let them know so we can all get together and discuss it.” Mu Dong had already planned to meet with Cai Jiaojiao and Cheng Qiang that afternoon, but now that Han Yong had suggested it, he thought it would be better to discuss things together—that way, he wouldn’t have to explain the same things twice. At noon, Mu Dong went to the tech market to buy a new desktop computer. The elementary school was long overdue for a computer; this would make it much more convenient to look up information online in the future. At 2:00 p. m. , the group gathered at a tea house to discuss their next major investment plan. Mu Dong began by explaining the feasibility of the investment. He said, “In China’s garlic market, the primary sales channel is exports, not domestic retail. Driven by export growth and lucrative profits in recent years, the national garlic cultivation area has continued to expand. In 2008, due to the financial crisis, imports of fresh garlic and dehydrated garlic products into European and American markets continued to decline. Consequently, garlic prices hit an unprecedented low that year, with the initial purchase price for the lowest-grade garlic at only a few fen per jin. With garlic prices so low that farmers suffered, I predict that last year’s planting area will continue to shrink, and this year’s market volume will naturally decline as well. Overseas markets, after a year of adjustment, have gradually stabilized. “I believe that investing at this time will yield reliable returns…” What Mu Dong said was actually quite vague and lacked substantial data to back it up. The problem was that this was all he could say. Cai Jiaojiao asked, “Where did you get all this information?” Mu Dong replied, “Some of it I found online, but the key information comes from our local area. Canglan County in our city of Lunan is a major domestic garlic-producing region, and my hometown, Shuhe County, is a key industrial base for exporting fresh garlic products and dehydrated garlic products.” Mu Dong concluded, “To be on the safe side, I’ll only accept investments from you up to 1 million. Within that limit, if there are losses, I’ll cover them; if there are profits, I’ll take a 10% commission.” In other words, investors might not make a profit, but they definitely won’t lose any money. The other three exchanged glances—these terms were simply too generous! “How can this be? Nobody’s money grows on trees—how can we let Mu Dong shoulder all the risk alone?” Cai Jiaojiao spoke up first: “I don’t agree. This isn’t accepting an investment—it’s charity. Do you look down on us?” Han Yong and Cheng Qiang chimed in as well. Cai Jiaojiao continued, “Investment risks must be shared. As the person actually running the operation, it’s only fair that you take a cut of the profits—but the percentage is too low. I suggest raising it to 20 percent. What do you think, Brother Han?” Han Yong said, “I agree, I agree. 10% is too little.” It was precisely for this reason that Han Yong had asked everyone to discuss it together in the first place. Mu Dong said, “20% is too much. How about this: let’s bump it up a bit to 12%? What do you think?” After a heated debate among the four, they finally settled on a 15% commission rate. As for the specific investment amount, Han Yong consulted his wife and settled on 1 million. After discussing it with her father, Cai Jiaojiao also decided to invest 1 million alongside Cheng Qiang. In the evening, the group printed out the agreement, signed it, and then held a small celebratory dinner. In Cheng Qiang’s words, it was a “victory banquet.” On July 1, after breakfast, Mu Dong carefully checked the doors and windows, as well as the water, electricity, and gas, locked Xiao Xiao’s Audi in the garage, and then drove back to his hometown with his mother and Xiao Xiao. Xiao Xiao was going to spend her two-month summer vacation in their hometown. This was one of the great perks that came with being a teacher. Mu Dong was worried that Xiao Xiao would get too tired from sitting for so long, so they stopped at a rest area along the way to rest and have a meal. To his surprise, he spotted Liu Wei having a meal at the restaurant. Mu Dong was torn, unsure whether he should go over and say hello. After a moment’s thought—a man should be magnanimous—he walked over and said, “Hello, Liu Wei. I didn’t expect to run into you here. Are you heading to Shuhe County?” Liu Wei had actually spotted Mu Dong a long time ago, but feeling awkward, she’d been pretending not to see him. She’d hoped Mu Dong wouldn’t notice her either—or at least pretend not to—so they could both finish their meals and leave as quickly as possible. But Mu Dong actually came over to say hello. She silently grumbled to herself, “What a busybody!” But on her face, she wore a bright smile: “Hi, Mu Dong. It’s great to see you. I’m going to visit my aunt.” Both of them looked cheerful on the surface, but deep down, they felt uneasy. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they went back to their meals. Liu Wei cast a few glances at Xiao Xiao, thinking to herself, “That Mu Dong sure’s got it made—his wife’s pretty, and she looks like she might be pregnant, too.” Xiao Xiao also surreptitiously sized up Liu Wei. “This woman has such great poise,” she thought. “Mu Dong said she was a former colleague of his, but I’ve never seen her before?” Around noon, Han Yong and Cai Jiaojiao each called to say that their respective payments had been transferred to Mu Dong’s account. A little after 1:00 p. m. , Mu Dong and his two companions arrived at the elementary school. Their home had been completely razed to the ground, so the entire family was now living at the school. Fortunately, there were plenty of rooms available. The two rooms on the east side of the office building had already been tidied up and furnished with bedding and furniture moved from their home, so they were ready to move in right away. Mu Dong notified his family to come at 3:00 p. m. to discuss some matters together. He also asked his eldest and second aunts to come as well. Aunt Mu knew that Xiao Xiao had returned, so she was the first to rush over, pulling Xiao Xiao into another room to whisper to her. The close bond between Mu Dong and Aunt Mu had now been seamlessly transferred to Xiao Xiao—though, of course, this was mainly because Xiao Xiao was such a well-behaved child and had won Aunt Mu’s heart. At 3:00 p. m. , in the elementary school office, everyone from the Mu family had gathered. Everyone was speculating that Mu Dong probably had a new plan in the works. Mu Dong began announcing his new plan: to buy up garlic and sell it to large supermarkets in Quancheng (which was, of course, complete nonsense), and he welcomed everyone to invest. However, what was different this time was that Mu Dong announced he would take a 10 percent cut of each family’s profits, but he guaranteed there would be no losses—and if there were, he would cover the losses himself. Aunt Mu was the first to express her support: “No problem. Ten percent is too little—I think you should take half.” Mu Dong laughed, “Auntie, please don’t stir up trouble, okay?” Aunt Mu San chimed in, “Exactly, Aunt Mu. Let’s just listen to Xiao Dong.” Aunt Mu’s remark terrified Aunt Mu No. 3. A 10 percent cut was something she could barely accept, but half? That was terrifying! The others all agreed that it was fine. Aunt Mu took the lead, contributing 200,000 herself. Mu Xiaoxia also said she’d put in 200,000. Then Uncle Mu No. 2 contributed 150,000, and Aunt Mu No. 2 contributed 100,000. Aunt Mu San said her family would also contribute 200,000. Dad Mu sat in the corner smoking. Finally, he said, “I don’t have any money—what I’ve got isn’t even enough to build a house.” Everyone burst out laughing. Mu Dong scratched his head and said, “Dad, you could actually put in some money—I’ll cover the cost of building the house.” Dad snapped back, “I’m not contributing. I’ll build the house myself, and if I run short, I’ll ask you for more.” Alright, Mu Dong sighed in resignation and said nothing more; after all, his dad wouldn’t be short on spending money. Everyone was thrilled; they’d all reaped the benefits from the sand deal last time. If they could pull off something like this again, they’d be set for life. Uncle Mu, who had been smoking with Mu’s dad the whole time, suddenly asked, “Xiao Dong, where are you planning to rent a cold storage unit?” Mu Dong asked in confusion, “Why would I rent a cold storage unit?” Uncle Mu San looked even more puzzled than Mu Dong and asked, “Where are you planning to store the garlic?” Mu Dong replied, “Right here. We can store it upstairs, and in the yard, I plan to set up a platform underneath—just like we do with the willow branches—and cover it with a tarp…” Uncle Mu III lost his patience: “Stop right there! A tarp? After all this time, you still don’t know anything, do you?” Mu Dong replied, “What’s the problem? Uncle San, I’ve seen it before—lots of purchasing stations just keep their garlic in their own yards, don’t they?” Uncle Mu San curled his lip and said, “Have you ever seen anyone’s yard still piled high with garlic after October?” Mu Dong was at a loss for words—he really hadn’t thought of that. He figured that with so many rooms at the school, it would be perfect for storing garlic. Uncle Mu San had sold vegetables in his earlier years and knew a thing or two about garlic. He took a drag on his cigarette and said slowly, “Garlic is harvested every June. It can be laid out to dry in the fields, allowing the moisture in the skins to evaporate naturally. Once the skins become thin and dry, it can be stored naturally for up to three months. If it’s stored for longer than three months, it needs to go into a cold storage facility for low-temperature storage. Do you know why, Xiao Dong?” Uncle Mu kept him in suspense, exhaled a puff of smoke, and asked leisurely. Mu Dong had no idea and shook his head blankly. Aunt Mu grew impatient: “Just spit it out!” She saved face for Third Brother by not saying the last four words. Uncle Mu cast a disapproving glance at his eldest sister and continued, “Because, under natural conditions, garlic will sprout after three months!” Mu Dong sucked in a sharp breath! Thank goodness Uncle Mu was around to set him straight—otherwise, the joke would have gone way too far! He and his family and friends had invested over 20 million, and it had nearly turned into piles of sprouting garlic! Mu Dong was utterly stunned and couldn’t speak for a long time. Uncle Mu III asked again, “What grade of garlic do you plan to stockpile? And what variety?” Mu Dong actually knew a little about this. He replied, “I plan to buy standard-grade garlic—the ordinary kind you find on the market.” Uncle Mu San nodded approvingly, then asked, “Do you know what other grades of garlic there are besides the standard variety?” Mu Dong didn’t know the answer to that. He shook his head helplessly and said, “Uncle San, why don’t you fill us in?” Uncle Mu continued, “Garlic, classified by variety, can be divided into two types: hybrid garlic and four-and-six-clove garlic. Hybrid garlic doesn’t produce scapes; the bulbs are large, generally over six centimeters in diameter, and some can reach ten centimeters. The skin is very thick, usually consisting of three or four layers or more, and each head has more than ten cloves, with three or four very small cloves often mixed in the innermost layer. This type of garlic has a high yield, and because it doesn’t produce scapes, field management is relatively simple, so the price is lower. Hybrid garlic has a loose internal structure and a relatively poor texture; the garlic commonly found on the market is generally this type.” Mu Dong was surprised and said, “I always thought that these large garlic bulbs were of good quality. So they’re actually inferior?” Uncle Mu San continued, “The ‘Four-Six Clove’ is a variety unique to southern Shandong, primarily grown in the Canglan County area. It produces scapes, which are harvested every spring, while the garlic bulbs are harvested in the summer. It gets its name because each head typically has four to six cloves, growing tightly around the central scape. There’s a riddle that goes, ‘Several brothers circle a pillar’—that refers to the ‘Four-Six Clove’ variety. Hybrid garlic doesn’t have that central ‘pillar.’ ” Mu Dong quickly asked, “What about the taste?” Uncle Mu San shot him a look and continued, “The ‘Four-Six Clove’ variety has a low yield and a high price, and the bulbs are relatively small. But because each bulb has only four to six cloves, the individual cloves are actually larger than those of hybrid garlic. Four-to-six-clove garlic has a dense texture; when sliced or crushed into a paste, it releases plenty of juice and has an excellent flavor. This type of garlic is rarely seen on the market; it’s usually sold sporadically in some high-end supermarkets, or in small quantities by farmers who braid their garlic into large plaits to sell in the city.” Mu Dong felt helpless. The garlic sold in city supermarkets was the inferior-tasting hybrid variety. The garlic braids that farmers hung from their bicycle handlebars by the roadside, on the other hand, were actually the high-quality four-to-six-clove variety. But how many city dwellers understand this? Most, like Mu Dong, probably assume that hybrid garlic is of better quality, don’t they? Mu Dong thought for a moment and continued, “Uncle San, since we don’t see the ‘four-and-six-clove’ variety on the market, where does it all go?” Uncle Mu San replied, “The vast majority is exported—either as whole bulbs or peeled and processed into shelf-stable garlic granules. Several fruit and vegetable processing plants in the county specialize in this kind of business.” Mu Dong felt a lump in his throat. The good stuff gets exported, while the mediocre quality is left for domestic consumers—what kind of business is this! Mu Dong had long known that garlic relied primarily on exports, but he’d assumed the garlic exported was the same as what you bought in supermarkets! Mu Dong then asked, “Why don’t we eat the four- or six-clove garlic here in China?” Uncle Mu San replied, “Why wouldn’t we? There are sporadic sales domestically, but the main issue is the high price—many people just won’t buy it.” Mu Dong was speechless. It was true—when they were displayed side by side, hybrid garlic cost three yuan per jin, while four- or six-clove garlic cost five yuan per jin. He was sure the vast majority of people would choose the hybrid garlic. “That covers the varieties—what about grades?” Mu Dong asked next. Uncle Mu San continued, “There’s no concept of grades for hybrid garlic—it’s basically all the same, so it can be classified as ‘generic’ garlic. For four- or six-clove garlic, bulbs with a diameter of 6 centimeters or more are Grade 1; those between 4 and 6 centimeters are Grade 2. Anything under 4 centimeters in diameter is what you call ‘generic’ garlic.” Mu Dong then asked, “Since there’s four-to-six-clove ‘common-grade’ garlic on the market, why don’t we see it in supermarkets?”