At that time, someone asked, "Old Chu, what epitaph do you want to leave for yourself?"
Old Chu, a rabbit, answered five words slowly and firmly: Chu Shijian, a cow!
Chu's life is really great! He is the son of a farmer. At the age of 365,438+0, he was beaten to the right and took his wife and daughter to the farm for labor reform. At the age of 5 1, he took over Yuxi cigarette factory; at the age of 18, he became the king of China cigarettes; at the age of 7 1, he was jailed at the peak of his life. After being released on medical parole, at the age of 74, he started his business again and contracted thousands of acres of barren hills to grow oranges, at the age of 85.
Such ups and downs and experiences in life are enough to make people respect. Romain rolland said that there is only one true heroism in the world, that is, to love life and create life after seeing the truth of life clearly. Chu is undoubtedly such a hero and legend.
Wang Shi's classic evaluation of him is:
Look at a person, not at his peak, but at his resilience at the bottom!
He is the king of traditional enterprises, making wine, sugar, tobacco and growing oranges, and everything is the best!
His inspirational story of re-emergence from the bottom has inspired countless young people!
He, an entrepreneur who influences entrepreneurs, has deeply influenced some big bosses in China business circles, including Liu Chuanzhi and countless young people who want to fight for tomorrow.
He is Chu Shijian!
Chu, once described by reportage as brilliant as the sun, seems to be indifferent to his inner world, and no one can touch it. From his appearance and listening to his words, you may not be able to read the ups and downs of life, nor the vicissitudes engraved in the old man's warm smile, but you will not ignore the hands that created the legends of Hongtashan and Chu Orange.
Life is not achieved overnight!
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1. Young people nowadays are too anxious.
Nowadays, too many people in society want to do something that can be done overnight, and they all want to find a straight path. Young people, in particular, just want to get ahead after finishing college and entering the society for a few years, but this is not the case. Many things in life are not in a straight line.
I used to be a young man. Since the founding of New China, the society has changed a lot, and many hopes have been dashed. Especially in the forties, almost all hope is gone. When you have great hopes, you are disappointed a lot; When there is no hope, it seems that you can see it slowly.
Times are different, young people have high expectations, and many people want to get rich overnight and can't afford things that don't pay off in the short term. When I was a child, a family of three went to Yuxi from Kunming, and they were envious when they saw the temporary house where the road workers lived. At that time, we were all thinking: "If you can live in a house like this all your life, you will get it all your life!"
Young people today have more knowledge and information than we did then, but their characteristics are still the same: they think things are very simple.
Once, a young man from Fujian came to me and said that he had graduated from college for six or seven years, and nothing was successful. He has no patience and aims high. He wants to "climb higher step by step this year and next." I said to him: You have only been in business for six or seven years, and I have been planting fruit trees for 10 years. What's your hurry?
2. The lower the fall, the greater the rebound.
Young people are only in their twenties and thirties now, and their life journey is still very long. There is no need for everyone to do great things.
There are many difficulties. If we do better, we will have greater confidence. Only in this way, step by step. For example, oranges, as long as a catty can earn a penny, tens of thousands of tons can earn more. You can't be impatient.
In the past, many people seized the opportunity in the era of social change and made a fortune at once, such as real estate. Others rely on relatives and parents, and now they are very rich, and I know them. But now such an era has passed. Even by chance and parents, I don't think he can stay in the future. ?
Many people say that I 12 years of planting oranges is a "bottoming out". The lower the fall, the greater the toughness.
There are many people who grow oranges, but today it can be said that there are very few people who grow thousands of acres like this. Someone came to my orchard once, and when he came back, he opened a new orchard of 890 thousand mu, but in my opinion, if the foundation is not good, he will suffer in the future.
The difficulties we have encountered are unprecedented for more than ten years. After more than a month of continuous high temperature, the fruits were all sunburned. But you see, our five pipes come from the opposite mountain. Facing the high temperature, the orchard has water to maintain. If the foundation of other orchards is not good, the loss will be great. And we can keep the same output as last year, because the agricultural foundation is solid.
This is also the most difficult thing for young people to understand. When people are young, they must first learn to endure hardships and earn money in order to persist. Just like agriculture, if your quality is not good, after a while, 10 yuan's assets will become 8 yuan.
No matter what you do, you should have awe.
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When I started planting oranges in 2002, I borrowed more than 1000000, which was paid off in 2007.
In recent years, sales have been helped by friends. You buy dozens of tons, he buys hundreds of tons, and digest it slowly.
At that time, my wife was in charge of sales, took oranges everywhere to participate in trade fairs, and suffered a lot. Fortunately, a few years ago, the fruit trees were still tender, our technology was not perfect, and the output was not very large.
After 2008, my granddaughter came back from abroad to help me and my wife start their own sales.
In 2009, the output began to grow rapidly, and the sales were slowly on the right track, so there was no backlog of products. As a fresh product like fruit, the backlog is a great disaster, which is equivalent to being destroyed. Fortunately, we have never seen such a situation.
Before 20 14, our orchard has been increasing production, which is much higher than the previous year every year.
Therefore, I have always said that we don't have big years and small years, and there are really few orchards that increase production continuously 10. However, in 20 14, we experienced a reduction in production, which was related to the climate and the natural law of fruit tree growth: the relationship between years. Although we have taken many measures to save a lot of output, the law is the law and must be observed.
No matter what you do, people should have awe, and the laws of nature and market should be observed.
1. product: the competition of products is the competition of quality and price.
Our orchard has now expanded to tens of thousands of acres. By 2020, our fruit output will reach 60,000 tons. I know our oranges are selling well in the market now. I heard that some people compared it with the Hongtashan cigarette in those days, and both were in short supply.
I am glad that everyone is so flattering me, but I dare not be frivolous in my mind.
In the first few years, some people may buy oranges because I planted them, but if the fruit is not delicious or passable, I believe no one will buy it after several times.
We don't sell it cheaply either. If it's not delicious and the quality is not high, why should people buy an old man's account with real money?
So I have been telling my grandchildren and homework leaders, don't be intoxicated with how others praise you, how to praise you, do your duty well, plant oranges well, and get more and better every year. People will continue to wait for your oranges with money, otherwise their saliva will wait for you.
Now more and more sugar oranges are planted in Xinping County, and the total amount will reach 2 million tons in almost one year. We are large in scale and high in quality. However, it must be noted that this orange surplus is inevitable.
The relationship between supply and demand has always been loose and tight, and anything can happen. The market economy is ruthless. When there is a surplus of products, the first thing to do is to reduce the price, which may reduce your sales price below the cost. What should I do? By that time, there will still be competition in quality and price.
If my quality is good and others can't sell it all, I can sell it all. Besides, my cost is well controlled, and I can still make money if others sell at a loss.
2, management: only do big things.
My habit of doing things is that whatever I do with my own hands, I only care about the big things
This matter determines whether I can succeed in this field, and I don't care about other trivial matters
I used to have four or five deputy factory directors, and I gave them a lot of power. Each of them is responsible for a piece, and I asked them to sign an investment of 400 million to 500 million. If you want a power of attorney, write them a copy. I'll draw a box here for him to follow, and I'll bear any mistakes.
At the beginning of reform and opening up, everyone was bossing around. When I was in a small cigarette factory, there were 13 members in the party Committee. Every morning at 8 o'clock, all the members have to hold a centralized meeting to discuss trivial matters: there is a fight in this family, there is not enough pork in that family, and so on.
Can you handle that much? So don't worry about trivial things, there are many things that are much more important than this.
Sometimes you make mistakes and choose the wrong person.
Many people who don't know me think I am overbearing at work. In fact, my purpose at that time was to make Yuxi cigarette factory a success, making it the best in the country and reaching many similar national standards.
I won't give him a chance to make a big mistake.
At that time, I was too busy alone, and there was a thick stack of documents in the party Committee system, so I couldn't just sign and say that I had read them all. So I found someone else to be the party secretary, but this person started fooling around and wanted to be the factory director through activities when the time was almost up. In this case, I would say that he is damaging the image of Yuxi cigarette factory. Later, when he went to the province to report, he drove the party secretary away.
There is also a factory director in a similar situation, so people think I am overbearing.
3. Relationship: Be worthy of what you have done and the people you have dealt with.
I can't put anything down in my heart, so I'm a hothead.
Like 20 14 dry weather, it never rains. I think of my fruit tree every night, and I can't sleep at four or five in the middle of the night. I got up and looked through books and materials. I called the driver the next day to find an expert. I must find a way. I think, if I am so serious, the quality of the fruit will not be bad, right?
I have always stressed to my children and grandchildren that one should work hard, live seriously, make products seriously and treat people around him seriously. In recent years, our fruits have sold well. Apart from the excellent products, the support of people around us also has a great relationship.
For example, a few years ago, our fruit was immature, and without the help of friends, sales would be very problematic.
Now that our reputation is abroad, we should be grateful and learn to balance everyone's interests. ?
My partner and friends have always had a psychological problem, that is, fear of losing others. I've always had this habit.
Be a man and do things at any time and anywhere. Did my friend lose money doing this?
I have always reminded Chu Yibin not to be careless, but to always think of those who follow you around and get along with others sincerely. If our living conditions are better than theirs, we will take more care of them.
The farmers in our orchard are working here now. I hope they have better living conditions than other farmers. Our homework is very long, and I hope their income will increase year by year.
Xinping county magistrate once heard about the treatment of our operation team leader and was surprised: "The salary is higher than mine?" ! "
I am worthy of what I have done and the people I am with. I can do these two things. I have no regrets in these decades.
Looking back, I didn't waste my energy along the way. I am serious. I set goals and pursue them to the end. Every place where I work is marked by life, and there have been no major accidents at work.
I'm willing to think about it.
What am I living for?
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Just want to win, not lose.
Some of these difficulties were originally thought of and some were unexpected, but I believe I can overcome them. Over the years, no matter whether you are a large enterprise or a small enterprise, no matter what business you are engaged in, you will encounter different difficulties, and these difficulties will eventually be solved.
Therefore, people's confidence is very important. If we fail one after another, we will lose confidence.
When I was 74 or 75 years old, how did I come up with this hard job (growing oranges)? In a sense, I can say that because of our situation, there is no way (guarantee) for my source of life. I have only one way out, and I must succeed.
Busy since childhood, climbing high and climbing low. My family goes up eight times a day and goes down eight times. I still can't kill time, so I have to do something.
These are the habits I have developed since I was a child. I have decided what I want to do. I just want to win, not lose.
Wang Shi: Why am I a fan of Chu Shi Jian?
I have many fans, but I am a fan of Chu. He is not only the pride of Yunnan people, but also the pride of us entrepreneurs.
Therefore, every time I come, I can't say I'm visiting him. Learn from him with reverence every time you come. When he created 30 billion profits and taxes a year, Vanke's business scale was only 3 billion, which was quite different. We only paid 30 billion yuan in taxes last year. Director Chu reached this figure 20 years ago, and it was still 30 billion yuan 20 years ago.
So in front of director Chu, I came to study, and his touch on me has been very strong.
I went to Ailao Mountain for the first time ten years ago. When I met him, the old man was wearing a broken straw hat, and his clothes were still round neck, which was older than what he is wearing now. He is bargaining with a man. The man helped him repair the water pump and offered 80 yuan an offer. Director Chu said "60 yuan at most", and they bargained around eighty or sixty. Think about what an all-powerful man he used to be!
Then we started chatting, and I asked him curiously, "What you did before and after is so different. I believe you can do it, but I don't understand. Since oranges are planted, why not introduce internationally excellent orange seedlings, but introduce seedlings from Hunan? "
He gave me a reasonable explanation of the soil and climate of Ailao Mountain, saying, "I can certainly plant it." Later, he talked about what happened after hanging the fruit, saying how good the oranges were. I asked him how long it would take to get the result, and he said it would take six years, but I calculated at that time that he would be over 80 years old in six years. A 70-year-old man started a business and talked about the scene after 80 years old. What spirit is this!
And my arrangement for my old age is completely different from his realm. Therefore, I sincerely admire him. In the process of contacting with Director Chu, I can understand why he was able to make the enterprise so successful, not because of policy, franchise or accident.
Since then, we have always talked on the phone. Ten years later, everyone saw that Chu orange was already very famous.
On the whole, Director Chu and I will be regarded as the same generation of entrepreneurs. We've all started businesses. 1983 went to Shenzhen, 1984 founded Vanke. I remember very clearly that when I started my business, I wrote two lines on the floor of Vanke's office, quoting Kennedy's inaugural speech, "Ask not what society can do for you, ask what you can do for society"; The second sentence was said by General Patton, "The measure of a person's success is not when he stands at the peak, but when he falls from the peak to the bottom."
General Patton is my hero, and I appreciate this passage very much. After I arrived in Shenzhen, there were valleys, rebounds and many twists and turns, but no matter how twists and turns, it was not as tortuous as the factory director Chu, so I was deeply impressed. The factory director Chu is over 70 years old and still looks forward to the mountains and plains six years later, so it is more appropriate to measure the factory director Chu with the words of General Barton.
At that time, I specially wrote an article "Sugar Oranges on Ailao Mountain". But that article was not written for others, but for my feelings. After this article, many entrepreneurs know about the recent situation of Director Chu and want to visit this place, including Mr. Liu Chuanzhi, who visited Director Chu here last year. It can be said that Director Chu embodies the spirit of an entrepreneur in China, a spirit of how to get up from difficulties when encountering difficulties in progress.
This time, it is not only to absorb nutrition, but also to let more small and medium-sized entrepreneurs know him systematically. Therefore, I hope a business school will do his research.
Because director Chu did something seemingly impossible, and this kind of success can be demonstrated, used for reference and learned. He's here, he's doing it, he's doing it well, and he can provide a mirror for the world.
Chu Shijian and his wife cut the cake together
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Ma Jingfen: If Chu Shijian still wants me in the next life, I will marry him.
At Zhu's 90th birthday party, Ma Jingfen also recalled her and her wife's career in their later years. "It's really hard to start planting fruit trees. At first, many people thought we were having fun. "
She said that the hardest part of planting fruit trees is pruning. Now, I dare to say that (Chu Orange) has succeeded. "I didn't dare to say that my things were the best at any time before. I did it quietly and encountered many difficulties." Chu Shi Jian bought a book one person high. At home, the bed is full of books, which means learning from scratch.
What is touching is that Ma Jingfen mentioned a question someone asked her at the scene-how to live in the next life? She said, "If Chu Shi Jian still wants me, I will marry him." After that, I looked at some absent-minded Chu around me and complained that Chu didn't hear me.
Someone asked her why, and she said, "If I hadn't married him in my life, I wouldn't be where I am today. Although there are many hardships, it is precisely because of these hardships that I have today. "