It's because they discovered it too late, mixing those adapted to the mutated sunlight with those that weren't.

If we wait until winter to plant the newly saved seeds, it's one thing if those that are not adapted to the changed sunlight don't germinate, but if they do germinate, grow, and produce ears of grain, then in the end we won't be able to tell the difference between the bitter and the sweet.

Why not plant seeds from before the apocalypse, or even from the two years prior? When the grains ripen, we can re-sort them, and that way we'll get grain seeds that won't taste bitter.

Of course, these are all ideas of the guards themselves; the specific procedures will require notification from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

After all, they're professionals; they must have considered these things long ago. It's just that conducting experiments takes time, which is why they haven't released the results yet.

They did this to prepare for both possibilities.

Lying on the bed, Yuan Ruoxi was still somewhat unwilling, and complained to Lu Nanfang and Tong Xianbao, "The food is so bad, is there really no other way?"

Tong Xianbao shook his head, and Lu Nanfang also remained silent.

Both of them were thinking, "You clearly have so much food, but you're unwilling to share it. You're really stingy. In that case, everyone should just eat the simple meals. Why should you be the exception?"

Yuan Ruoxi wore a pained expression, on the verge of tears. Although Tong Xianbao was dissatisfied, he still felt a little sorry for her.

He looked at Lu Nanfang, wondering if she had made any recent discoveries.

Lu Nanfang originally didn't want to be so ruthless, but seeing that pleading look in his eyes, she smiled.

"I heard that recently a lot of people have been digging for a food called 'xu' (pronounced xu, fourth tone, made up, please don't take it seriously) in Songzhushan. I heard it's wild, looks similar to sweet potatoes and potatoes, and tastes slightly sweet, but you can't eat too much of it."

"Oh, really? Why didn't you say so sooner?" Yuan Ruoxi said excitedly.

Lu Nanfang smiled gently: "Didn't I tell you that you can't eat too much of that stuff? I just heard the older women talking and they said that eating too much is bad for your health, so I didn't mention it to you."

Yuan Ruoxi frowned and said with certainty, "Those aunties must have said that on purpose to prevent others from going to pick them. What kind of thing is it that could make people sick? If it were really bad for their health, they wouldn't have dug it up and eaten it."

Tong Xianbao didn't say anything, but his eyes were full of suspicion.

"I don't know about that. I just overheard them talking about it. They stopped talking as soon as they saw me glancing in that direction."

"See, see, they must be afraid you'll find out, that's why they said that on purpose."

Yuan Ruoxi held Lu Nanfang's hand and said affectionately, "Afang, could you help me dig some up tomorrow? It doesn't have to be much, just enough for the three of us to have one meal. If it's really as delicious as you say, I'll have Bao Bao help you dig some up too."

Actually, they were afraid that Lu Nanfang wouldn't tell them where to dig the potatoes, or that she would embezzle them.

Lu Nanfang pretended to be hesitant and remained silent for a while before saying, "You really want to eat it? I've heard that it's bad for your health. Why don't we ask the locals and then decide?"

"Why ask? If you ask, you're just telling people there are potatoes around here, aren't you?"

"Don't worry, let's dig up a little and try it. If there's any problem, we just won't eat it. But if we feel great after eating it, then let's hurry up and dig up all the sweet potatoes on Songzhu Mountain before they know it."

Yuan Ruoxi made the final decision, and Tong Xianbao did not object.

Seeing this, Lu Nanfang could only nod, "Alright then, I'll go to Songzhushan tomorrow to look for it. If I can find it, I'll ask Tong Xianbao to come along."

“How can I let you do all the heavy work by yourself? I’ll have Abao keep you company tomorrow,” Yuan Ruoxi said, her eyes darting around.

Sending someone to follow them is much better than waiting for Lu Nanfang to dig it up before telling them. That way, she won't have any chance to keep it a secret.

Lu Nanfang could roughly guess what she was thinking, so she didn't refute it, nodded, and went out.

The moment she closed the dormitory door, a smile crept onto her lips.

Dealing with a fool like Yuan Ruoxi doesn't require any elaborate planning. Just a few casual leaks and she'll be ready to dig her own grave.

What I said in the dorm just now was true; potatoes are indeed bad for your health.

However, its effects on the body only become apparent under specific circumstances.

She'd emphasized it repeatedly, but Yuan Ruoxi still wouldn't believe her. So, if anything goes wrong in the future, she won't be blamed, right?

Lu Nanfang went to work in a good mood, leaving Yuan Ruoxi and Tong Xianbao whispering in the dormitory.

"Abao, if that stuff is really delicious, secretly write down the address. When she goes to work, dig up a lot and store it in our storage space."

"Isn't that a bit unfair? The intelligence was provided by Nan Fang. If we exclude her, wouldn't that be unethical?" Tong Xianbao said, feigning concern.

Yuan Ruoxi was exasperated and whispered in Tong Xianbao's ear, "I know you feel bad for her, but she's not really on our side. What if she leaves later and wants to share supplies with us? Will you give them to her or not?"

Tong Xianbao...

He never even considered the possibility that Lu Nanfang would leave. And the thought of his woman in another man's arms made him feel so uneasy.

Since that's the case, let's control her diet and make her dependent on us.

Thinking of this, Tong Xianbao looked at Yuan Ruoxi and nodded firmly, "Okay, I will dig up more sweet potatoes."

----------

Time flew by and it was September 7th.

After a week of hard work, Shen Yanming successfully completed this month's financial work.

Early in the morning, he and his wife came out of the space with their two babies and called Zeng Yiming.

"Yanming, aren't you busy today?" Zeng Yiming asked with a smile.

"It's alright, I'm busy at night, but I usually rest during the day. How about you?"

“I’m more free than you; I rest both day and night. By the way, I’ve decided to sign up as a laborer.”

Shen Yanming had anticipated this outcome. He smiled and asked, "Well, do your aunt and uncle agree? Which option do you plan to participate in?"

"I'm in China. Although I don't know when I'll be able to come back, my parents are much more at ease knowing that I'm at Tsinghua University in China."

Shen Yanming nodded in agreement, agreeing that it was a good decision.

"However, my cousin and his family decided to go abroad to try their luck. They figured it would only be a year, and with the guards around, nothing serious should happen."

Zeng Yiming said with a smile, as if he were sharing a funny story from a relative's house, but in reality he wanted to hear Shen Yanming's opinion.

But Comrade Shen only said, "If you've thought it through, that's fine."

Zeng Yiming didn't want to press further, asking, "Do you think it'll work out?" He could only smile awkwardly and change the subject, saying, "Why do I hear the little baby's voice? Are they your twins?"

Shen Yanming looked at An'an and Nuannuan, who were constantly reaching out to grab the phone in Bi Qiao'an's arms, and smiled: "Yes, my son and daughter are saying hello to you."

After saying that, he turned on speakerphone and placed the phone in front of the two children.