The morning dew of late autumn still clung to the tips of the thatch in the corner of the courtyard when Lin Wanqiu was already awake. Beside her, Shen Tingzhou was breathing evenly, his arm still gently wrapped around her waist; he was clearly still fast asleep—he had spent the entire day in town dealing with local thugs, and then reinforced the courtyard gate until late at night, so exhausted he fell asleep the moment his head hit the bed. Lin Wanqiu carefully moved his hand away, and as she got up, she deliberately tucked the blankets in to keep out the chill before quietly reaching for the jade pendant hidden under her pillow.
The moment her fingertips touched the cool jade pendant, the scene before her abruptly changed. Familiar black earth stretched out beneath her feet, and warm sunshine bathed her, without a trace of late autumn chill. In the nearby field, the tomato seedlings planted just yesterday had already grown to half a foot tall, their tender green leaves unfurling, glistening dewdrops clinging to their tips, swaying gently in the breeze like a group of tiny, tiptoeing sprites. Lin Wanqiu hurried over, crouched down, and examined them closely. As her fingertips brushed against the leaves, she could clearly feel their vibrant life force, and a surge of warmth welled up within her—in the sub-zero temperatures of the 1960s, to grow such lush and vibrant tomatoes was nothing short of a miracle.
She remembered the "off-season crop cultivation method" mentioned in the space skill panel, and had spent half an hour studying it yesterday, even finding a bag of modern organic fertilizer in the warehouse. Looking closely at the roots, the soil was moist, loose, and incredibly fertile; the seedlings' roots had already quietly taken hold, diligently absorbing nutrients. Lin Wanqiu couldn't help but smile. She took a small shovel from the warehouse, carefully loosened the soil around each seedling, and sprinkled some diluted nutrient solution—according to the time flow in the space, these tomatoes would flower in three days, bear fruit in five days, and ripen in seven days, ten times faster than outside.
"Mom, what are you doing?" Shen Nian'an rubbed his eyes and walked in, his little face still flushed from just waking up. He had heard his mother say yesterday that there were tomato seedlings in the space, and he had been thinking about it since early this morning, almost buttoning his clothes wrong while getting dressed. Lin Wanqiu picked him up and sat him on her lap, pointing to the seedlings and saying, "Look, these little seedlings will bear red tomatoes in a few days. Then Mom will make you tomato and egg soup, okay?"
Shen Nian'an's eyes lit up instantly. She gently touched the leaf with her small hand, afraid of damaging it: "Really? Is it sweeter than the candy we eat during the New Year?" Lin Wanqiu nodded with a smile, but in her heart, she was already making plans—there were no fresh vegetables on the market right now, and in winter they could only eat cellared radishes and cabbages. If she could take these off-season tomatoes to town to sell, she would definitely get a good price. Moreover, Uncle Zhou from the supply and marketing cooperative had mentioned before that the commune canteen had been worried about not having enough fresh vegetables to improve the cadres' meals. If she could supply the canteen, not only would the sales be stable, but she could also build a good relationship with the commune, which would reduce the trouble of building houses and opening workshops in the future.
Just then, Shen Tingzhou walked in. He hadn't seen his wife and children since waking up, and guessed they had gone into the space. Seeing the thriving tomato seedlings, he couldn't help but be surprised: "They've grown so tall in just one day?" Lin Wanqiu told him her idea, and Shen Tingzhou immediately nodded: "That's a good idea, but we need to talk to Uncle Zhou first and see if he can help us contact the commune canteen. Also, we need to keep a low profile and not let anyone know that the tomatoes were grown in the space. Just say that we asked a distant relative to bring the seeds from the south and cultivated them in a greenhouse."
Lin Wanqiu understood his concerns—in this era, anything "abnormal" could easily attract trouble, and the consequences would be unimaginable if the secret of the space were discovered. She nodded, took a bag of modern vegetable seeds from the warehouse, and handed it to Shen Tingzhou: "When you go to town today, take this to Uncle Zhou and tell him we want to try growing off-season vegetables. Ask him to inquire about the canteen's needs." Shen Tingzhou took the seeds, carefully tucked them into his pocket, and patted Nian'an's head: "Dad's going to town on business. You stay home and help Mom take care of the seedlings, okay?" Shen Nian'an nodded vigorously, her little face full of seriousness: "I'll take good care of them and make sure the bugs don't bite them."
When Shen Tingzhou pushed his wheelbarrow out the door, the sun was already high in the sky. The poplar trees lining the dirt road had mostly shed their leaves, their bare branches stretching towards the sky like a simple ink painting. He met Aunt Li on the way, who was carrying baskets of vegetables to town to sell radishes. Seeing Shen Tingzhou, she greeted him with a smile, "Tingzhou, going to deliver goods? The thugs' matter was resolved yesterday, it's truly a relief!" Shen Tingzhou stopped and chatted with her for a few moments, even mentioning his desire to grow off-season vegetables. Aunt Li immediately said, "If you need any help, just let me know. My wife used to grow garlic sprouts in the cellar, she has experience."
Upon arriving at the supply and marketing cooperative, Uncle Zhou was organizing inventory lists behind the counter. Seeing the seeds Shen Tingzhou handed him, his eyes lit up: "These are vegetable seeds from the south, aren't they? I've seen them before when I was in the army in Guangzhou. I didn't expect you could get them!" Shen Tingzhou smiled and said, "I asked a distant relative to help me try growing off-season vegetables in a greenhouse. If it's successful, I'd like to supply them to the commune canteen. Uncle Zhou, could you help me make the connection?" Uncle Zhou immediately patted his chest and said, "No problem! I'll go to the commune to see Director Wang this afternoon. He was telling me yesterday that the canteen's food is too monotonous, and the cadres are complaining. But you have to guarantee the quality of the vegetables. If they taste good, the price is negotiable."
Shen Tingzhou felt relieved and chatted with Uncle Zhou about prices. According to current market prices, fresh vegetables can sell for 10 cents a pound in winter, and off-season tomatoes are even rarer, selling for at least 20 cents a pound. If supplied to the commune canteen, there would be a discount for large quantities, making 15 cents a pound a good deal. Uncle Zhou also said that if the tomatoes were of good quality, he could help contact several restaurants in town, which would broaden the sales channels.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com