Tempting Wealth Hidden in Dangerous Greenhouses

They look like ordinary greenhouses, but you need a gas mask to go inside. A moment of carelessness brings painful lessons. Fever, gas masks, and a smoky haze filling the air - what is being grown in these greenhouses? Because of a leg disability, Liu Chunlong's family believed his only way to support himself was through education. His younger brother went out to work to support his studies, yet he gave up his undergraduate education. Relying on this dangerous thing in the greenhouses, 3 years later his annual sales exceeded 10 million yuan, and he bought his brother a car and a house.

In Yutai County, Jining City, Shandong Province, these greenhouses appear unremarkable, but to enter them, everyone present acts as if facing a great enemy. Liu Chunlong is handing out gas masks to those preparing to enter the greenhouse.

Liu Chunlong: Before entering the greenhouse you must put this on, otherwise it won't do. I'm not giving you this one, this is mine, don't ask about that, come on, everyone take one. When you take it off, whatever you do, don't take it off, no, you can't let the air in, letting air in is very dangerous.

Reporter: I see you are very rigorous.

Liu Chunlong: Right, because of this thing, I've suffered losses before.

These seemingly ordinary greenhouses - what exactly is so terrifying about them? Perhaps only those who have suffered losses in this regard know its terror best.

Picking worker: Doing this work until the afternoon makes you feel awful, headaches. Did you wear a mask at the time? No, she forgot, didn't wear one.

Working inside these greenhouses without a gas mask can cause serious fever and coughing all night long. To attract workers to come in and work, Liu Chunlong raised the pay from 50 yuan a day to 80 yuan. But even so, some people were still frightened off by what was inside the greenhouse.

Picking worker: It's toxic and harmful in there. The money I earn isn't even enough to see a doctor. I'm not going.

Liu Chunlong: I've already raised your pay. Normally it's only 50 yuan, now I'm adding 30 yuan, plus a gas mask, it's fine. I'm not going, even with more money I don't want to go.

The dozen or so workers he had worked so hard to recruit had just reached the greenhouse door when three of them got cold feet. After lifting the greenhouse vents, a smoky substance drifted out. What exactly was inside the greenhouse? After the workers entered wearing gas masks, what they saw was actually a type of mushroom. From the outside, this mushroom was not much different from ordinary mushrooms, but the entire greenhouse was filled with dense smoke and dust. The workers began picking mushrooms, when suddenly one worker felt suffocated and wanted to take off her gas mask. Liu Chunlong's heart instantly leaped into his throat.

Reporter: What was she trying to do just now?

Liu Chunlong: She was just trying to take off her mask. I saw she was suffocating. You go outside first, staying in here is too dangerous. Right, you go out first, get some air, come back after you've gotten some air. Take the mask off after you go out, take it off after you go out.

Liu Chunlong: I've experienced this symptom before too - squatting half-crouched holding my legs, the shaking made my internal organs hurt, coughing while clutching my organs, you have to do this, it's very uncomfortable.

However, Liu Chunlong never expected that because he had only loosened his gas mask for a few minutes while being interviewed inside the greenhouse, after going home that evening, Liu Chunlong showed some symptoms. Hearing this news, our reporter hurried over to check on him.

Liu Chunlong: My head hurts terribly, coughing. When I was walking in the office, I wanted to rest for a while, getting colder and colder. I don't know what's going on, maybe I lifted the gas mask a little while talking.

Reporter: So how do you feel now?

Liu Chunlong: The world is spinning, I'm still dizzy now.

Reporter: Have you taken any medicine?

Liu Chunlong: I took medicine at home before coming.

Fever, gas masks - what is stored in Liu Chunlong's greenhouse? Since childhood, because of his leg disability, Liu Chunlong was once thought to only be able to support himself through education. Unexpectedly, he hid it from his family and gave up his undergraduate education. Relying on this dangerous thing in the greenhouse, starting with 10,000 yuan he borrowed, 3 years later his annual sales exceeded 10 million yuan.

Liu Chunlong is 27 years old this year. Because he contracted polio at age 3, walking is not very convenient for him. In primary school, other classmates could participate in various sports, while Liu Chunlong could only watch from afar. Liu Chunlong was very unwilling to accept this. He vowed to change himself and become strong.

Liu Chunlong: A truly strong person recognizes that through his own efforts he can change. For example, my legs are not good, but my upper body is healthy, so I thought I could exercise. At that time I basically exercised every day, training my upper body, training these muscles, finding confidence in myself physically.

Starting from middle school, Liu Chunlong became obsessed with the horizontal bar and parallel bars, determined to make his upper body better than others, and finally developed muscles that others envied. But no matter how strong and muscular Liu Chunlong's upper body became, his legs still could not bear too much force. Falls like this became routine for Liu Chunlong.

Liu Chunlong: Are you okay? I'm fine.

Because walking was inconvenient due to his legs, Liu Chunlong felt very inferior. For a long time, his favorite thing was to stay at home. Liu Chunlong's parents began to worry about their son, thinking that in the future Liu Chunlong might not even be able to get a wife, or even support himself. Finally, they came up with a solution, believing that only education could give Liu Chunlong a way out.

Mother Qiu Airong: Even if I have to beg, I will support you through school. I didn't want him to not study. I just felt his leg was a bit disabled, and I had to think about him having a way out in the future, being able to get a good education, being able to support himself, being able to do well on his own, so the whole family could feel at ease. That's what we all thought.

Younger brother Liu Shangbin: If my brother didn't study, it would be hard for him to find a job in the future, including getting married and so on, after all, he has a physical disability.

In 2009, Liu Chunlong was admitted to Shandong Economic and Trade Vocational College. Liu Chunlong's parents were both farmers with limited income. To support Liu Chunlong through college, the whole family gave everything they had, and even his younger brother and sister went out to work after finishing middle school.

Mother Qiu Airong: His younger sister and younger brother worked outside, and whatever money they earned they gave to him, all supporting his education. He couldn't be short of money while away.

Younger brother Liu Shangbin: If I earned 1,800 yuan a month, I might send him 1,000 or 1,200, because I had no expenses of my own, since the factory provided food and lodging.

In June 2012, Liu Chunlong was admitted from vocational college to an undergraduate program. The whole family happily spread the news. Unexpectedly, a few days later, Liu Chunlong went to visit a classmate's home, and after returning, Liu Chunlong actually decided to give up the opportunity to pursue his undergraduate degree. Why on earth was this?

In Yutai County, Shandong Province, this thing can be seen in many places. This thing is called hairy wood ear (Auricularia polytricha). Compared with ordinary black wood ear, hairy wood ear has its own characteristics.