Zuo Ling showed Researcher Tang a few sweet potatoes and potatoes that she had kept for seed.
Researcher Tang's eyes widened: "You grew these?"
"Yes...yes, maybe it's because it's hot at my house that I grow better."
Zuo Ling couldn't find any other reason.
The two elders checked the room temperature and found it was warmer than theirs, but just because the temperature was higher, it shouldn't be that much different.
"Young lady, do you have any brilliant ideas? Tell me, I can't keep them to myself. At this critical moment, every extra pound of grain produced can save a life."
During the extreme cold and darkness, the entire country suffered a complete crop failure. Planting some grain on a small scale was like a drop in the ocean and could not make much of a difference. Vegetables and fruits were nowhere to be seen.
Sweet potatoes and potatoes can be used as both staple food and vegetables. If the problem of yield can be solved, people will have hope for survival.
Zuo Ling had a bitter pill to swallow:
"Aunt Tang, you taught me my planting techniques, don't you know my skill level? I planted them exactly as you instructed, it's not a temperature issue, maybe the seeds I got were good?"
When Zuo Ling attributed the blame to the seeds, she felt that she was quite quick-witted.
Researcher Tang naturally knew Zuo Ling's skill level, but this still didn't make sense. Could it really be a seed problem?
Unable to get an answer from Zuo Ling, the two elders took a few sweet potatoes and potatoes and returned home disappointed.
The incident with sweet potatoes and potatoes served as a reminder to Zuo Ling and also stirred up her competitive spirit.
I got more than a dozen flower pots and placed them on the north balcony, south balcony, and near the fireplace, planting hardy potatoes and sweet potatoes to see how they would grow without needing much space.
Fearing the seedlings wouldn't survive, the well water was diluted tenfold to irrigate them.
I found some materials and had Pei Nansheng weld two three-tiered iron frames, installed light tubes, placed planting pots on them, and grew some lettuce, bok choy, and rapeseed suitable for hydroponics, as well as some tomatoes and cucumbers.
Under the guise of visiting Researcher Tang, I would occasionally stroll around the greenhouse in the community and, when no one was looking, pour some diluted well water into the seedlings.
While large-scale control is impossible, increasing the production of sweet potatoes and potatoes in the community is still an option. Ensuring that the community members have enough to eat will make her safer.
Three months later, the potatoes ripened first, and a total of more than 6,000 jin (3,000 kg) were harvested, causing a stir in the neighborhood.
The 6,000 jin of potatoes distributed among everyone wasn't much, but it at least gave everyone a glimmer of hope.
A month later, the sweet potatoes ripened, and a total of 1 jin (500 catties) were harvested.
Noah's Ark became famous, and Researcher Tang rose to prominence. Many people went to the Noah's Ark community to ask for planting advice, which even caught the attention of city leaders.
What's most scarce in the apocalypse? Food!
Researcher Tang, who seemed so successful to everyone, was losing clumps of hair from worry; she really didn't know what was wrong.
Researcher Tang's old colleagues came most frequently, saying, "Old Tang, this concerns lives, you can't keep anything to yourself."
"Yes, Lao Tang, no one can deny your achievements. Please share your planting experience with us."
"..."
Having no other option, Researcher Tang had to recount her planting experience.
Finally, it was pointed out that the technology for cold-resistant sweet potatoes and potatoes is still immature, and the planting temperature should ideally not be lower than 10 degrees Celsius.
This single task stumped the people who came to seek the scriptures.
In extremely cold weather, most people's living environment cannot reach 10 degrees Celsius, let alone crops.
The final conclusion is that the planting experience of Noah's Ark Community cannot be widely promoted.
In extreme cold, the growing temperature of crops can reach over 10 degrees Celsius, which would consume a lot of fuel!
The Noah's Ark residential community quickly gained a reputation for its extravagance, becoming the talk of the town for a time.
Zuo Ling never expected that her simple intention to help the residents of Noah's Ark Community would cause such a big problem for the community.
But not helping is also troublesome; the residents of the community are not getting enough to eat, and her living environment is equally unsafe.
It's true that you can't have it both ways.
After disappearing for four months, Bai Hongwei returned.
"Dad, the Ding family is in a factional infighting, with heavy casualties, but I've searched many places and still can't find Ding Fengguo."
Bai Liyu frowned:
"He has been operating in Sichuan for many years, deliberately hiding himself. How could you possibly find him? Forget it, the Ding family has suffered a great loss. After this calamity, it will be difficult for them to recover in several decades."
He sighed and said again:
"With natural disasters occurring frequently these days, the situation is not optimistic. I heard that your Noah's Ark community has had a bumper harvest of cold-resistant sweet potatoes and potatoes. Keep an eye on it; if it can be widely promoted, it would be a great thing for the country and the people."
When Bai Hongwei left, the harvest of cold-resistant sweet potatoes and potatoes was not ideal. How come there was such a bumper harvest after only a few months!
I rushed back to my neighborhood excitedly and heard that the community's planting greenhouse had actually grown a pound of sweet potatoes and potatoes. I was thrilled and ready to work hard.
Lin Wang, Li Mingli, and He Guizi were also greatly stimulated, and the four of them discussed how to increase production.
Researcher Tang trembled with worry, his hair turning white, yet he still couldn't understand why this output was so different from the previous two.
She wanted to lie down and quit.
Upon learning this, Zuo Ling had no choice but to sign up for the planting group in order to have a stable living environment.
Only in this way could she water the sweet potato and potato seedlings with well water without attracting attention.
Pei Nansheng mocked her, "You've really brought this upon yourself."
After spending a few months together, Pei Nansheng realized that Zuo Ling was a very lazy person at heart.
She could still force herself to eat even when she had nothing to eat or drink. She had no worries about food and drink and no other needs. Making her go to work every day would be almost like torture.
Zuo Ling asked angrily, "Then what do you suggest we do?"
"Make me two sets of clothes, and I might consider covering your shift."
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