The First Base resumed its patrolling rhythm. Qiao Xuejun was studying farming at home, and Wang Juanfeng had already gone out with the patrol team again.
After she returned home that day, she went to the field to look for Qiao Xuejun and exclaimed in surprise, "Qiao Qiao, let me tell you, plum blossoms are actually blooming on Hongmei Mountain!"
Qiao Xuejun was at the end of the planting area, using a pair of large scissors to trim the extra branches from the tree. She brought the planer over and it was wagging its tail around her feet.
It is most convenient for the peach tree to bear fruit when the main branches are maintained at around three or four.
Qiao Xuejun threw the cut branches to the planer, and the planer held them in his mouth to grind his teeth.
She saw Wang Juanfeng coming over and opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't hear it. This is the end of the planting area, where the generator is installed, and the noise is very loud.
Wang Juanfeng knew that she didn't hear clearly, so he came closer and said loudly: "I said, there are plum blossoms blooming on Hongmei Mountain, a little bit of red buds, so beautiful. I didn't expect that they are not all dead yet."
It's been a hot year! And now it's so cold, but the flowers are still blooming.
Qiao Xuejun was also quite surprised: "The plum blossoms are blooming?"
It is not uncommon for plum blossoms to bloom in winter, and temperatures of more than ten degrees below zero are also challenging for plum blossoms. What is surprising is that the previous high temperature did not completely kill the plum blossoms.
Wang Juanfeng: "Only one tree has bloomed, but it's still remarkable. It's a pity that plum blossoms don't bear fruit. Is this a peach tree?"
Wang Juanfeng watched Qiao Xuejun pruning the branches and asked, "This should be able to bear fruit in two or three years?"
Qiao Xuejun smiled and said, "Yes, I'm lucky. This is a selected variety of red-heart wild peach. This variety will bear fruit in two or three years. It's not a completely wild peach."
Almost all wild peach trees have a long juvenile period, and it takes six or seven years before they bear fruit. Selected and bred peach trees are domesticated, and the fruiting period is shortened.
These were the seeds that Qiao Xuejun collected when he went to the mountains to plant. He planted three trees: a peach tree, a walnut tree, and a loquat tree. All of them will take several years to bear fruit.
It’s only been a little over a year now.
There are some short shrubs next to the trees, which were also planted from the original seeds.
Wang Juanfeng: "Two or three years, so next year will be the third year, can we eat it?"
As she spoke, she lowered her head to look at the dog, but the moment she lowered her eyes she paused.
The plane was hopping around the bushes, holding a branch in its mouth.
And in the bushes next to the plane...some small yellow and green fruits appeared! She asked in surprise, "Are you sending me rice fruits?"
The fruits are green and not ripe at first glance. They have just grown and still have some thorns on them. They are called roxburghii, but the locals call them "songfan fruit".
This is a kind of wild fruit that grows in large numbers on the mountains of Gongzhou. It tastes sour and has many thorns. When I was a child, I would pick it and eat it for fun.
Adults don't like to eat it very much, because when eating, you have to scrape off the thorns on the outside, and there are some small seeds inside. The taste is unique and not sweet. It is not a popular taste.
However, this thing has a very high vitamin C content, dozens of times that of oranges.
Wang Juanfeng: "When did this grow?"
Wang Juanfeng seldom comes here to see the trees and shrubs. She doesn't know how to plant trees, let alone shrubs. Plus, there's a generator installed here, which is very noisy. She almost never comes here.
Unexpectedly, when she was away, there was such a big surprise without any notice. The sea buckthorn had grown so much! There were seven or eight clumps!
Wang Juanfeng: "Why are there so many?"
Qiao Xuejun said, "Aren't there the most sea buckthorn trees on that mountain? So the broken tree roots and seeds we picked up are mostly from sea buckthorn trees."
Moreover, the sea buckthorn has a very strong adaptability and reproductive capacity, which is why it can grow all over the mountains and fields. It is much less troublesome than peach trees.
At that time, Qiao Xuejun spent a long time collecting seeds, about two or three hundred seeds, and some broken tree roots with branches. If all of them were alive, it would be no problem to plant a small orchard.
It normally takes three years to grow a sea buckthorn tree, but these ones must have been growing for many years when they were brought back, and they are some broken saplings.
Qiao Xuejun picked them all up as seeds, but unfortunately, only these survived. There are only 12 plants in total, most of which are sea buckthorns.
Wang Juanfeng squatted down and looked at the small fruit: "When can I eat it?"
Thinking of the unique sour and delicious flavor, Wang Juanfeng felt his mouth water. But now the fruit is still green and cannot be eaten. The ripe fruit is golden yellow.
Qiao Xuejun: "We planted them in August and September last year, and it's June now. Logically, they should be ripe by now. But the light conditions are not good, so we have to wait another month."
The prickly ash tree is also planted in spring and harvested in autumn, with a growing period of eight to nine months, and is harvested around October each year. However, planting in the shelter is not seasonal, it only depends on the time.
Wang Juanfeng reached out and touched the tail hair of the planer, staring at the fruits: "There is hope for life again."
Qiao Xuejun was amused by her: "Are you hungry? Go pick those little tomatoes over there and eat them yourself. They are all sour anyway."
Wang Juanfeng: "That's different. Your cherry tomatoes are pure sour. This sea buckthorn is a little sour, but it's delicious. I like to eat this."
After Qiao Xuejun finished her work, they returned to the cubicle together. Kuang Qianli was sitting in the cubicle, also busy making some metal racks.
Seeing the two people coming back, he was so busy that he didn't even raise his head. He just reminded them: "I'm boiling water for you in the thermos."
Qiao Xuejun said thank you and took a basin of water to wash her hands.
While washing, Wang Juanfeng said, "More people have come out these days. I see they are all wearing new clothes. They say they are made of our rabbit fur, hehe."
Qiao Xuejun replied: "Tailor Li made a very warm rabbit fur coat. It should be enough as long as the temperature does not exceed -20℃."
Wang Juanfeng: "It's true, those who go out to look for supplies can stay outside for a long time."
The two of them washed their hands and faces with warm water, and the radio next to them was turned on. This was the time when everyone had finished their work and could get together to exchange information.
"Zila - Hello everyone, this is the Sea Fort Base. As the temperature continues to drop, we have arrived in Gongzhou for development. Survivors who have high hopes for the Sea Fort Base, we welcome you."
"——We will provide you with 500g of fish meat and 100g of sea blanket vegetables every day as a living guarantee to welcome you into the base. We hope that survivors who have the same hope of life as us can join us. In addition to food, we also have warm clothes - fish skin coats!"
"I will never let you go hungry or cold!"
The tone was very encouraging.
Qiao Xuejun listened and wiped the water off her hands: "You're starting to advertise so soon."
You've only been here for a few days. Have you found your feet? You're hiring.
Qiao Xuejun had no objection to anything else, but the first base not only belonged to Zhao Xian, but was also recorded under her name by the system. She also had the task of expanding the base.
We must not let Haibao take everyone away.
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