Chapter 116 The Good Things Take Time Plan: Rain
Thanks to the fertile soil and Ray's magic, a batch of small radishes in the field quickly ripened.
Cucumbers ripen early, and after seeing the small cucumbers with blossoms and thorns on top, they changed every day. Soon, Lai and Neil were able to eat their first batch of homegrown cucumbers.
Laiyi doesn't grow many cucumbers, just enough for her own consumption. The tender cucumbers picked fresh from the vines can be eaten raw after washing them with water.
They have a crisp texture and a slightly sweet taste, which is quite delicious. Neil would even bring two to school as a snack.
The green beans have slowly grown, but they're still small and it's not worth eating them now.
The potato vines in the field have started to bloom with small white and purple flowers. Before long, Lai and Neil will be able to eat fresh potatoes they grew themselves.
Lai spent some time selling all the vegetables that were ripe at home.
If the vegetable garden is well cared for in the early stages and weeds are removed frequently, then after the first batch of early-maturing vegetables is sold, it basically doesn't need much care. You just need to wait for the green beans and potatoes to come down and sell the second batch of vegetables.
The matter that had been weighing on Lai's mind for days was finally put on the agenda; he planned to go and see the place Yiru had mentioned.
“Neil, your brother is going away for three days. Can you stay at Uncle Hagrid's house for a few days?”
"Three days? Is that a long time?"
Neil's mood had clearly soured, and he looked disappointed.
"Is there something very important you need to do?"
"Yes, I plan to buy a piece of land to plant some fruit trees."
"Aren't there plenty of land near my home?"
Neil looked at Ray with a puzzled expression.
“I plan to plant a lot of fruit trees, but if it takes up too much land, it will cause complaints from the villagers.”
"All right."
Neil was barely convinced by this excuse, and Ray did indeed have this intention as a cover for the energy stone mine.
Neil was silent for a moment, then tentatively probed in a low voice.
"Is it okay if we don't stay at Uncle Hagrid's house? Like the other day, let Brother Lamb come over. I can cook."
Ray considered Neil's suggestion.
It is indeed inconvenient to let a somewhat introverted child stay with someone else, even if that person is a close relative.
The reason why Ray hasn't been able to visit any further places after being here for so long is largely because he's worried about Neil.
"Okay, then I'll ask Lamb."
"Uh-huh."
Neil nodded vigorously.
Lamb unsurprisingly agreed to Ray's request, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and two consecutive days of heavy rain thwarted Ray's plans.
This year there has been little rain, and the vegetable garden was initially sustained by Lai carrying water to irrigate it. The two consecutive days of rain are actually a good thing.
The wheat seedlings in the field were wilting from the sun. The previous showers could only provide temporary relief. It was this two-day downpour that truly resolved the crisis in the field.
The soy sauce jars in the yard were covered tightly with wooden boards and canvas by Lai, so that not a drop of water could be poured on them.
The sheds for mules and red rockbirds were originally built very securely, and there were no signs of leaks.
The yard had become a muddy mess, all mud and water, and every step you took left your shoes covered in mud. So Ray and Neil tried to stay home as much as possible.
—With such heavy rain, Neil said that schools usually close, so he naturally stayed at home.
Ray didn't force Neil to go to school, firstly because it wasn't safe and he was likely to catch a cold if he got wet in the rain; secondly, it was a way of compensating for his childhood self.
The rain came and went, and the sky was filled with heavy, gray clouds, giving the impression that something was about to fall.
The first half of the day was fine, but by the afternoon, the air felt humid.
Ray put on his clothes, went to the barn to get some wood, and lit the fireplace. The living room became warm and cozy, which made him feel a little better.
At night, the two brothers turned on the glass lamp and sat around the table to eat beef hot pot.
The vegetables and meat slices were bubbling in the pot, and although they were a little hot when I ate them, they soothed my irritable mood because I couldn't go out in the afternoon.
Unfortunately, the potato noodles and sweet potato noodles that my family made last year were limited and have already been eaten up, making this hot pot less delicious.
At night, Lai lay in bed, quietly listening to the pattering rain outside the window.
A flash of lightning illuminated the entire bedroom, and it was quite a while before the belated rumble of thunder could be heard.
Why do we see lightning before we hear thunder?
This is because the speed of light is faster than the speed of sound.
Lei was bored out of his mind, thinking about middle school physics problems.
For some reason, he couldn't sleep. It seems that people tend to overthink when they have free time.
Perhaps in the future he might spend money to build a greenhouse so he can have fresh vegetables to eat in winter; perhaps he could renovate this little cabin, or even build a larger house with a separate kitchen and bathroom; perhaps...
Water droplets slid down the eaves and pattered rhythmically on the wooden walkway in front of the house. Finally, the gaps between the droplets widened, and Lai fell into a deep sleep.
But the dark clouds in the sky showed no sign of dissipating, and sure enough, a light rain quietly arrived in the middle of the night. Temuqi got up and closed the living room door that had been blown open by the wind, then stretched his slightly sore neck.
The fireplace in the living room was covered with a layer of ash and was rather cold. He moved out some large blocks of wood and deftly lit the fireplace; as a blacksmith, he never lacked firewood.
The flickering flame gradually grew larger, finally igniting all the wood in the fireplace and bringing warmth to the half-dwarf.
Ray's suggestion provided him with a constant stream of inspiration, and ever since returning from the black market, he had been researching this thing called "switch." Temuji didn't care about the weather; he rarely went out anyway. The only problem was that the continuous rain made it difficult for him to obtain food.
He thought of his mother—that poor human being—who returned to the embrace of God on a rainy day like this. In her final moments, she held his hand and spoke her last words to him.
"You are you. Don't care about others. To me, you are the only one..."
The small sparks that jumped out woke up Timur, who was sitting in front of the fireplace. He got up and added some more wood to the fireplace, then found a piece of beef jerky and stuffed it into his mouth as a midnight snack.
He turned around and went back to his workbench to study it.
At that moment, the Gug family's house, fifty meters away from the Lei family's house, was lit by a faint candlelight.
As people age, their sleep becomes very difficult, and the pattering rain outside makes it even harder to fall asleep.
Old Gugge's white hair was bathed in the golden light of the candlelight. In his hand he held a small parchment scroll with a few lines of text written in Elvish. It was these few lines that made Old Gugge somewhat melancholy.
The letter was finally delivered to him a few days ago, and judging by the date, it was sent at least a month ago. It read—
Dear friend, if you encounter an elf who looks to be eighteen years old, please be sure to take him in. His name is Sepulia.
The fact that Western Europe would send him such a letter suggests that this little elf must be a very important person.
"well."
Gug sighed. He didn't think he was lucky enough to meet him, but at the same time he was a little worried about the disobedient little elf who had run away.
That was probably decades ago, when a nobleman in the royal city kept a long-haired elf as a pet.
That's right, it was kept in captivity. I only heard that the elf eventually died in the nobleman's house, and then there was no news of it.
"What a terrible thing."
Jenny, still half-asleep, lifted her head, nuzzled against Gugge's leg, and then lay back down to sleep.
The next day, it rained for most of the day, and the rain gradually stopped around dinner time.
The cucumbers in the field have absorbed plenty of water and grown quite a bit. Hidden under the dense cucumber leaves, they use their short thorns to tell people, "I'm prickly, don't eat me," but this still prevents people from having the idea of eating them.
The persimmon vines were bent and twisted by the rain, with many side branches, but they didn't bear many persimmons.
Once the sky has completely cleared up, Lai has to prune and discard the side branches of the persimmon vines, otherwise they will absorb too much nutrients, which is not good for the growth of the fruit.
The cabbage has already grown quite large in the field, with one layer covering another. Although it is only thin now, it will soon grow into a big one as thick as a head. One cabbage can provide enough food for several meals.
What a wonderful season and land! As long as you sow, you will reap a harvest.
"Brother, the water's boiling!"
"Okay, I got it!"
Lai returned to the small building with a basin of fresh vegetables he had just picked from the field, leaving his muddy shoes outside. There were a few yellowish persimmons in the basin.
These greenish-yellow persimmons are the best. Although they don't look ripe on the outside, they are fully ripe inside. They are crisp and slightly sweet.
However, not all persimmons are this delicious. If you don't pick them at the right time, you might end up with an unripe one.
Cucumbers grown after the rain are very juicy, probably because of the excessive rainfall, but they have lost their sweetness and even their cucumber flavor is much weaker compared to those grown on sunny days.
Lai only picked a few cucumbers; she'll use them to make cucumber soup tonight. She'll also make some simple pancakes, and dinner will be ready.
Rainy days always seem to pair better with hot pot and various soups.
Tata was sprawled in front of the fireplace as usual, warming himself by the damp air. He didn't want to move at all; he just wanted to sleep soundly.
The two puppies were also affected by this atmosphere, and they didn't make much noise. After eating, they played around with each other for a while and then fell asleep.
"Brother, has the rain stopped?"
Neil leaned against the window frame, watching the dark clouds in the sky gradually dissipate.
"Yes, the clouds have dispersed."
"Wow, there's a rainbow! Brother, come and see!"
Against a somewhat hazy background, a brightly colored rainbow hung in the sky, a truly beautiful sight.
I'm always busy with all sorts of trivial things, work and life, and it's been a long time since I've looked up at the sky like this and leisurely enjoyed the ease and pleasure that life itself brings.
"I wish I could see it every day."
Neil then expressed the beautiful expectations that only children have.
"Wouldn't that mean it would rain every day?"
Ray countered with a question that caused Neil's brain to freeze for a moment.
"Then forget it, the wheat in the field will be flooded and die."
Lei chuckled.
"When is brother leaving?"
"The day after tomorrow, maybe. The ground probably won't be dry by tomorrow, so it won't be easy to travel."
"Very good!"
Neil cheered with joy.
"Then brother..."
Without needing to say more, Ray immediately understood what Neil meant.
"Let's get up early tomorrow morning and go mushroom picking in the woods."
"good!"
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Author's Note: This is a post-New Year's revision. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-01-31 23:22:56 and 2024-02-07 12:41:03!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Ruyou (15 bottles); sechs792346, White-tailed Fox (10 bottles); 53172651, Zhiye Wuya, Yuanxu (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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