Chapter 176: Germination
Xia Lu Nong went inside to get the seeds.
The soil in the greenhouse was fresh and rich, so he didn’t need to dig holes. He just scattered the seeds on top and covered them with a thin layer of soil.
Xia Lu Nong was now skilled at planting, and it only took him about ten minutes to finish.
He poked Kong Zhi playfully, “Go fetch some water to irrigate the soil. I can handle the seeds myself.”
Seeing that Xia Lu Nong didn’t need his help, Kong Zhi nodded, “Call me if you need anything.”
Humming a tune, Xia Lu Nong was about to enter the greenhouse when he suddenly tripped over something.
Looking down, he saw a rose vine that had somehow crawled over and wrapped around his ankle.
Since it was winter and he was dressed warmly, and the vine wasn’t trying to harm him, Xia Lu Nong hadn’t felt it until he stumbled over it.
Surprised, Xia Lu Nong asked, “What’s wrong?”
The rose vine softly replied, “This greenhouse looks like it’s very useful.”
Xia Lu Nong was speechless.
The rose vine continued, “I heard it’s really warm inside.”
Xia Lu Nong hesitated, “Do you want to go inside?”
The rose vine asked, “What plant wouldn’t want to be in such a nice place?”
Xia Lu Nong patted his chest, as if comforting his conscience, “If you want, I can move you inside.”
Satisfied, the rose vine said, “Alright. If you move me inside, I can help keep an eye on things and let you know if anything’s wrong.”
Xia Lu Nong smiled, “Should I move one of your main bodies in, or all of them?”
Without hesitation, the rose vine replied, “All of them!”
There were only six main vines left in the yard. They weren’t very big, so moving them all into the greenhouse wouldn’t take up much space.
Xia Lu Nong said, “Okay, let me finish planting the seeds, then I’ll move you in.”
“No need, I can hop in myself,” the rose vine said, then added, “Do you want to bring in the summer pepper and honeysuckle as well?”
Xia Lu Nong glanced at the rose vine.
It remained still, like an ordinary plant.
But Xia Lu Nong could sense its mood and knew it definitely didn’t want to hear a positive answer.
So, Xia Lu Nong said, “Better not. Their bodies are too big, and they’d take up too much space inside.”
The rose vine was delighted and, while struggling to move its not-so-developed roots into the greenhouse, pretended to be calm, saying, “Yes, spring is just around the corner, and the weather is warming up. They really don’t need to move inside.”
Xia Lu Nong gave it an indescribable look, silently thinking, “If it’s warming up, why do you still want to move in?”
The rose vine, sensing his thoughts, defended itself, “I’m different! You promised to take care of me. If there’s something this good, shouldn’t I get to enjoy it too?”
Xia Lu Nong gently pinched one of its leaves, “Alright, just help me keep an eye on the crops inside, okay?”
It only took a few minutes to plant and water the seeds. After finishing, Xia Lu Nong grabbed a small hoe and transplanted the rose vine into the greenhouse.
Even though they had just started heating, the inside of the greenhouse was already much warmer than outside.
The rose vine stretched its branches and sighed, “I really don’t like winter.”
Xia Lu Nong comforted it, “Winter will be over soon. The day after tomorrow is the Spring Festival.”
Kong Zhi, having finished watering, came over and poured the remaining water around the rose vine. “All done. Let’s head back inside.”
“Alright,” Xia Lu Nong called out to the rose vine, “We’re going in now.”
When they went inside, Xia Lu Nong’s brother and Yan Xi Nian had almost finished chopping the vegetables and meat for the dumpling filling.
Yan Ming Qing, not very skilled at household chores, was quietly washing the vegetables.
Despite the cold winter, the Xia family wasn’t stingy with firewood and had boiled hot water for washing the vegetables.
Yan Ming Qing was meticulous, washing everything thoroughly.
Xia Lu Nong noticed the shiitake mushrooms in the basin and exclaimed with delight, “Bro, you’re using shiitake mushrooms now! And scallions too!”
“For the New Year, we have to eat well,” Xia Huo Qu said, gesturing to the cutting board. “The lotus root and minced meat are chopped. You can season them now.”
“Got it!” Xia Lu Nong asked, “By the way, is Major Leng and his team coming over later? They don’t have any dietary restrictions, right?”
“I asked, and they said no.” Xia Huo Qu turned to Yan Ming Qing, “Professor Yan, do you have any allergies or foods you avoid?”
Yan Ming Qing, still a bit reserved, hesitated for a moment before saying, “No, I eat everything. You can prepare it however you like.”
Xia Lu Nong smiled, “We eat everything too. I didn’t used to like ginger, but now I think everything tastes good.”
Yan Ming Qing smiled back and continued washing the vegetables.
Xia Lu Nong grabbed a pair of chopsticks and began stirring the filling vigorously in one direction.
Kong Zhi offered, “Let me do the mixing. Xiao Nong, you can work on the dough. I’m not good with the water-to-flour ratio.”
“Alright.” Xia Lu Nong took the cutting board outside to wash, humming a tune as he worked.
As they finished rolling out the dumpling wrappers, Leng Changkong and his two companions returned, bringing with them the chill of the winter air.
Today, Leng Changkong’s team had been conducting research near the base.
It wasn’t clear how far they had walked, but frost was still clinging to their hair.
Seeing them, Yan Xi Nian hurriedly washed his hands and poured them some hot tea. “It’s freezing outside. Here, have some tea to warm up.”
Leng Changkong smiled, “We walked quickly, so we’re actually warm now. It wasn’t too bad.”
As he spoke, he handed over a large piece of meat to Yan Xi Nian, “We hunted a deer today and sent most of it to the canteen for tomorrow’s feast. We kept this piece for tonight.”
“You’re too kind. Deer are so hard to catch these days!” Yan Xi Nian accepted the venison, passed it to Xia Huo Qu, and poured more tea. “Hurry and drink some tea to warm up.”
“We have guns, so it was a quick, clean shot. No trouble at all.” Leng Changkong accepted the tea and first handed it to Ming An, then to Zhao Mingfeng, before taking his own.
Xia Lu Nong quietly observed their actions.
Ming An was a woman, so it made sense for Leng Changkong to show her special care. But Zhao Mingfeng, as a male subordinate, being treated with the same consideration, indicated that Leng Changkong was truly a leader who led by example.
Xia Lu Nong’s opinion of Leng Changkong rose a little higher.
Leng Changkong, always sharp, noticed Xia Lu Nong watching him. He turned and smiled, silently asking if something was on his mind.
Flustered, Xia Lu Nong quickly shook his head and returned to kneading the dough.
Once the dough was ready, Kong Zhi stepped in, took over, and said softly, “I’ll handle it. Xiao Nong, you can start on the next batch.”
As Kong Zhi spoke, his tall frame blocked Leng Changkong from view, and Xiao Lu Nong didn’t think much of it.
However, Xia Huo Qu, standing nearby, glanced over at them curiously.
Dinner was a lively affair, with everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves. It wasn’t until after 10 p.m. that the guests finally left.
The water from cooking the dumplings was still warm, so Xia Lu Nong fetched some to take a bath.
Kong Zhi came over, effortlessly lifting the bucket from Xia Lu Nong’s hands, and casually remarked, “Military guys are really something, huh?”
Xia Lu Nong nodded, “It’s not just their looks; it’s their aura that’s so captivating.”
Kong Zhi muttered, “No wonder you couldn’t take your eyes off them all night.”
Caught off guard, Xia Lu Nong looked up, unable to hide his smile, and nudged Kong Zhi with his elbow. He laughed, “Is that why you didn’t dip your dumplings in vinegar tonight?”
Kong Zhi reached out with his free hand and playfully pinched Xia Lu Nong’s neck. “Shouldn’t you be reflecting on yourself?”
Xia Lu Nong shrank back, slipping out of his grip. “Actually, I was thinking how handsome you’d look in a uniform, so I took a few extra glances.”
That response seemed to pass.
Kong Zhi smirked, “I’m handsome even without a uniform.”
Xia Lu Nong blinked, “I was thinking we could get custom uniforms made for fun. Doesn’t that sound good?”
Kong Zhi’s breathing grew heavier as he grabbed Xia Lu Nong, who was trying to slip away. “We’re showering together tonight.”
“No way,” Xia Lu Nong protested. “You ate venison tonight, and besides, the walls aren’t soundproof!”
Kong Zhi lowered his voice, “It’s fine, we can be quiet later.”
In the end, Xia Lu Nong was still dragged into the bathroom.
It’s easy for people to stay quiet—just use their mouths for other things.
It was an intense and chaotic night. Naturally, Xia Lu Nong slept in the next morning.
As soon as he got up, he didn’t even bother to brush his teeth. His first stop was the greenhouse to check on the seeds he had sown the night before.
The temperature inside the greenhouse was well-maintained, showing 19°C on the thermometer.
Compared to the sub-zero temperatures outside, the greenhouse felt as warm as spring.
The conditions were perfect, and all the seeds had sprouted. When he lifted the plastic cover, a fresh patch of green greeted his eyes.
Xia Lu Nong was delighted as he carefully inspected each plant.
Among all the crops, the wheat was growing the fastest. It had already sprouted over an inch, with tender green leaves, yet its stalks were already thick and strong.
The other crops like rice, corn, and potatoes were also growing well.
Xia Lu Nong checked each plant—no pests, no diseases, just lush green leaves and sturdy stems, growing beautifully.
The rose vine, seeing him finish his round, brushed his leg with its branches and started chatting, “Don’t worry, all the crops are doing great. If there was a problem, I would’ve let you know the moment you walked in.”
Xia Lu Nong smiled and bent down to stroke its leaves. “Thanks for the hard work.”
The rose vine, very composed, said pointedly, “I’m not the one working hard—you are.”
Then it complained, “I really don’t understand you humans and your reproductive behavior.”
Xia Lu Nong: “…”
What kind of plant is this, so sharp?
