Chapter 175: The Greenhouse
The pesticides delivered by Fireseed Base were stored in the White Building.
After breakfast, Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi went to check on them.
Yan Xi Nian had already informed the person in charge of the White Building about this yesterday.
When they arrived, the White Building staff gave them the key and let them in directly.
Xia Lu Nong looked at the simple warehouse and muttered, “It seems kind of basic.”
As soon as Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi opened the door, they were hit by a strong smell of fertilizer.
The smell was so pungent that, with their sensitive sense of smell, it was almost unbearable. They nearly stumbled from the intensity.
Xia Lu Nong rubbed his nose—the smell was so sharp it made his nasal passages ache.
Kong Zhi wasn’t feeling too comfortable either, but he was better at enduring and didn’t rub his nose.
He glanced at Xia Lu Nong’s reddened nose and frowned, “You go outside first. I’ll bring the seeds out for you to check.”
Xia Lu Nong pulled up the collar of his sweater to cover his nose and said, “It’s not that bad. You get used to it after a while.”
Kong Zhi patted him on the shoulder and didn’t insist.
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes lit up as he looked at the fertilizers and pesticides of varying heights on the shelves, marveling, “Fireseed Base must have rebuilt their industrial system.”
“Maybe,” Kong Zhi glanced at the fertilizer, noticing it was labeled as a compound fertilizer. “Check the ingredient list on the back.”
“Got it.” Xia Lu Nong took a look, “Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium… seems like just regular fertilizer.”
Before the catastrophe, Xia Lu Nong had studied art and had nothing to do with agriculture.
He hadn’t had any interest in gardening or farming either, so he knew little about the field. It was only in the past year that he’d picked up some knowledge from reading, but even so, he couldn’t make much sense of the ingredient list.
Fertilizers were confusing enough for him, and the pesticides were even more incomprehensible.
Although he was interested, Xia Lu Nong had no choice but to set them aside after a quick look, then turned his attention to the seeds.
He was much more familiar with seeds than with fertilizers and pesticides.
As soon as he saw the seeds, he knew they were of excellent quality.
Regardless of the variety, the seeds were all plump, full of life, and looked like they would grow strong and healthy.
Seeing the seeds in the clear plastic boxes, Xia Lu Nong couldn’t resist taking some into his palm for a closer look.
“Rice seeds, wheat seeds, corn seeds, oh, and even potato seeds…” Xia Lu Nong counted them one by one, “There’s also rapeseed, peanut seeds… Fireseed Base has been so good to us.”
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He suddenly understood why his brother and Xi Nian had such a strong fondness for Fireseed Base.
Fireseed Base was truly generous, giving them real, substantial help.
In the past, Xia Lu Nong and the others had visited other bases to trade for seeds.
Whether at Yacheng or Black Gold Base, other places guarded their own cultivated seeds strictly, making sure they didn’t leak out.
To get any seeds, they had to pay a high price on the black market.
Xia Lu Nong once found some mutated wheat seeds in Yacheng.
When he saw them, he had to pretend he hadn’t noticed and use a different excuse to buy them.
Other bases kept a tight grip on their seeds, and their base was no exception.
Even among the base members, Xia Lu Nong and the others weren’t completely transparent.
Xia Lu Nong felt each type of seed, and after finishing, he sighed and said, “When it comes to generosity, we really don’t compare to Fireseed Base.”
Kong Zhi replied, “When you’re struggling, you protect yourself. When you’re prosperous, you help the world. That’s common. Once we get through this tough time, things will improve.”
Xia Lu Nong patted his chest and said, “Then we’ll strive to be the kind of people who help the world when we prosper.”
Kong Zhi put an arm around his shoulder, “I’ll work hard with you. Come on, let’s take the seeds outside. The smell in here is too strong, and it wouldn’t be good if it damages our noses.”
Xia Lu Nong had no objections and said, “Let’s take the rice and wheat seeds outside first. I’m most curious about these two.”
These two types of seeds were crucial for the people’s livelihood. If the seeds were good, they would start planting them next year. First, they’d do a trial planting to gain experience for the main planting next year.
The rice and wheat seeds were each in a separate bag.
They didn’t take all the seeds out, just a small handful of each, to examine them outside.
The more Xia Lu Nong looked at the seeds, the more he liked them. Weighing them in his palm, he said to Kong Zhi, “I’ll take a few seeds of each crop back, and let’s start planting them today.”
Kong Zhi asked, “Are we going to accelerate the growth, or let them grow naturally?”
“Let’s try both. I’ll speed up the growth first, then let them grow normally,” Xia Lu Nong said eagerly, looking at the seeds in his palm. “I wonder what they’ll turn out like. Let’s go dig up some soil from the fields.”
Kong Zhi glanced outside, where it had snowed a little the night before, and said, “The weather is so cold right now. Will it work?”
“It should be fine, we’ll be planting indoors. Plus, with my abilities, even if the temperature affects the crops, it won’t be decisive.”
After making up his mind, Xia Lu Nong grabbed a plastic bag and took ten seeds of each crop to bring back for planting.
Since these were government-provided seeds, he made sure to inform the person in charge of the seeds at the White Building.
After registering the seeds, they were allowed to leave.
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi braved the wind and discussed taking a detour to the fields to get soil.
Just as they stepped out of the White Building, a voice called from behind, “Xia Lu Nong, Kong Zhi, wait up!”
Xia Lu Nong instinctively turned around and saw Professor Yan Ming Qing standing on the second floor, waving at them.
Xia Lu Nong waved back and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting, “Professor Yan, do you need something?”
“Are you guys taking the seeds back to plant?”
“Yeah, we took ten seeds of each type to plant and see how they do,” Xia Lu Nong raised the seeds to show him. “We didn’t take much.”
“Where are you planting them?” Yan Ming Qing shouted, “Did you take the matching pesticides and fertilizers? Using the right ones will improve the results for these seeds.”
Xia Lu Nong laughed, “We’re just running a trial to check the quality of the seeds. I’m not very familiar with the pesticides and fertilizers, so I’d rather not waste them. My abilities should be enough.”
Yan Ming Qing shouted back, “That’s not ideal. If you’re doing an experiment, aim for perfection! Ugh, shouting like this is tiring—I’ll come down to talk.”
At his age, about forty or fifty, Professor Yan wasn’t as fit as the younger people, and shouting in the cold wind was clearly uncomfortable for him.
Xia Lu Nong, being considerate, said, “Wait there, Professor, we’ll come up to you. We need to grab the pesticides and fertilizers anyway.”
Yan Ming Qing, catching his breath, agreed, “Alright, come up then, and I’ll explain things to you.”
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi went back upstairs.
Seeing Yan Ming Qing standing alone in the wind, Xia Lu Nong felt sorry for him and asked, “It’s the 29th of the lunar calendar already, Professor. Aren’t you going home to prepare for the New Year?”
Yan Ming Qing wiped his glasses and said, “There’s nothing much to do at home. I’d rather stay here and work a little longer, sorting out the pesticides and fertilizers. Come on, I’ll show you.”
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi followed him back to the storage room for the seeds and fertilizers.
Yan Ming Qing, being an expert in agriculture, was much more knowledgeable about the pesticides and fertilizers than Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi.
He walked them through each item, explaining their uses and effects one by one.
After his explanation, Xia Lu Nong looked enlightened.
There was definitely a difference between having a professional explain things and figuring them out on your own.
Yan Ming Qing said, “Your abilities are useful, but sometimes technology is just as important. I suggest you try using both together.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded seriously, “You’re right. I was overconfident before. We’ll plant the seeds first, and if needed, I’ll come back for the pesticides and fertilizers.”
Yan Ming Qing replied, “I’m just offering advice. I spoke with Captain Yan, so I’m overseeing this area. If you run into any problems or need anything, just come up to my office.”
He then asked, “Where will you plant the seeds? At home?”
Xia Lu Nong nodded, “It’s too cold outside, and even though the New Year is almost here, it’ll take another half month before it really warms up. I’ll start by planting them in pots at home.”
Hearing this, Yan Ming Qing couldn’t help but suggest, “In that case, why not consider using a greenhouse?”
Xia Lu Nong froze.
The idea of using a greenhouse hadn’t even crossed his mind!
He looked at the seeds in his hand and asked, “Can all these seeds be planted in the same greenhouse?”
“Why not? Most seeds require similar growing temperatures. Besides, if you’re planting them at home, it’s all in the same space anyway,” Yan Ming Qing said. “You’ve got a big empty yard, don’t you? If you set up a greenhouse with a temperature control system, it wouldn’t take much effort.”
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t thought about using a greenhouse before, but after hearing this, he felt it made sense and immediately said, “This requires some technical skill, which we don’t have. We’ll need to trouble you for help.”
Yan Ming Qing replied, “I can handle the planting techniques, but I’m not familiar with the equipment.”
Kong Zhi chimed in with a serious tone, “Leave the equipment to me. I’ll find the necessary information, and I should be able to figure it out.”
Xia Lu Nong happily put his arm around Kong Zhi’s shoulder, “With you handling it, I’m relieved. You’ll be in charge of setting up the greenhouse and building the temperature control system. Professor Yan, you’ll be the overall supervisor.”
Yan Ming Qing nodded, “The materials are available at the White Building. I’ll write a note, and we can go pick them up together. I don’t mind overseeing the project, but…”
Xia Lu Nong knew what Yan Ming Qing was hesitating about, and before he could finish, Xia Lu Nong jumped in and said decisively, “I’ll handle my brother. He won’t have much to say.”
The three of them quickly agreed and went inside to gather tools and materials.
The plastic sheeting and temperature control parts were quite heavy, so they had to rent a small tricycle to transport everything.
After loading everything onto the tricycle, they helped Yan Ming Qing climb in and drove back home.
When they arrived, the house was empty as Xia Lu Nong’s brothers hadn’t returned yet.
Looking around, Xia Lu Nong rolled up his sleeves, “Let’s build this plastic greenhouse now. If we’re quick, we should finish by the end of the day.”
Both Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi were young and energetic, especially Kong Zhi, who was strong and agile, quickly assembling the greenhouse.
The three of them were so focused on the task that they barely paused for lunch, only grabbing a few fried meatballs and lotus root snacks before continuing to work.
By the time Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu arrived, the greenhouse was already halfway built.
Yan Xi Nian was surprised, “Wow, it’s New Year’s Eve, and you’re still busy with this greenhouse? Why not leave it until after the holiday?”
“Finish today’s work today. After the New Year, there’ll be other things to deal with,” Xia Lu Nong said, stretching his back and pulling his brother aside to speak in a lower voice, “Bro, we got Professor Yan’s help to build this greenhouse, and we’ll need his guidance when the crops start growing.”
Xia Huo Qu glanced at the project and said, “As long as you’ve got it under control.”
“Of course!” Xia Lu Nong grinned, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
Xia Huo Qu didn’t say much more and joined them in building the greenhouse.
Once the greenhouse was up, they realized the soil in the yard wasn’t fertile enough. So, they made two trips to the fields to bring back more soil, evenly spreading it in the greenhouse and adding fertilizer from Fireseed Base as the base layer.
Everything was ready, and all that was left was to plant the seeds.
Xia Lu Nong was excited, “I’ll go grab the seeds now, plant them, and see how the crops turn out!”
Xia Huo Qu asked, “Do you need our help?”
Xia Lu Nong shook his head, “No need, Kong Zhi and I can finish it quickly.”
Xia Huo Qu nodded, “Then we’ll head inside to prepare some dumplings. Professor Yan, why don’t you join us? The more, the merrier.”
Yan Ming Qing, surprised by the invitation, smiled and nodded, “Sure!”
Xia Lu Nong shouted, “I want cabbage and pork dumplings!”
“They’re already prepared,” Xia Huo Qu replied, “You just plant the seeds, and then come help with the filling.”
Xia Lu Nong grinned, showing his teeth, “Got it!”
