Ch 8: Daily Farm Life After Returning from Interstellar

Seeds

It’s already a bit hot and dry in the south in April, but the heatwave is kept outside the small courtyard of the Su family. This area remains breezy and cool, always maintaining a temperature suitable for human comfort.

As Mother Su was repeatedly discussing past matters, she was also packing things to send back to the city with her son. She prepared several slaughtered chickens and ducks, as well as corn and sweet potatoes. In a short while, she had packed several large bags, enough to fill the car’s trunk.

Su Chen carefully placed the orchid on the passenger seat. Such a valuable item was safer under his watchful eyes.

Seeing his mother bringing a few more bundles of leafy vegetables, he quickly interjected, “Mom, you know how my wife and I are in cooking. Taking these vegetables back would be a waste. Better keep them for yourself.”

Ignoring him, Mother Su gave him a disapproving look and placed the vegetables in the backseat. “These aren’t for you,” she clarified. “Didn’t Xiao Wei enjoy our vegetables? You’ll deliver them to him for me. The fresh bamboo shoots and mushrooms were dug out early this morning by your father. They won’t stay fresh for long. Make sure to tell him to eat them soon or they won’t taste as good.”

Su Chen scratched his head, feeling slightly embarrassed by his assumption. However, he understood that his mother was doing all of this for him, keeping in mind all the intricate details of social conventions.

“Okay, that’s enough. Dad, Mom, you’ve come far enough. It’s hot, go back,” he suggested.

He then turned to Su Mu and advised, “Little sister, don’t overexert yourself with the farming. If you need help, hire someone. Before making any decisions, discuss it with our parents. Let me know when you have the vegetables ready, and I’ll help you find a market for them.”

Su Mu nodded in agreement, “Don’t worry, I have it covered.”

The white car drove off, becoming smaller and smaller in the distance until it was out of sight. Only then did the three of them head back home.

Parents always wish for their children to be close by. With Su Chen leaving, the mood of the Su couple became instantly somber. Although the May Day holiday was coming up next month, young people preferred to travel and would not choose to come home. They didn’t know when the next reunion would be.

Seeing this, Su Mu felt a pinch in her heart. Was this how her parents felt every time they sent her off to school? While past laughter and joy echoed in her ears, a quick glance around revealed the emptiness of their home, with just the two of them remaining.

Attempting to change the mood, she started, “Dad, now that all the weeds in the field are gone, could you please help plow the land?”

Nowadays, agricultural machinery is very compact and lightweight. Their family owns a plowing machine, eliminating the need to hire outsiders, which saves a lot of hassle.

“No problem. I’ll get to work right away since it’s still early,” Father Su replied, his spirits lifting with a task to focus on. He energetically went into the storage room to bring out the agricultural machinery, checking if it was in good working condition.

Mother Su also inquired, “Have you bought all the seeds? Mu Mu, how do you plan to utilize the land? Which vegetables are you planning to grow?”

“They’ve already been bought online. The parcels from a few days ago contained them.”

Mother Su doesn’t understand online shopping and couldn’t help but worry, “Can seeds bought online be reliable?” She usually keeps her own seeds, selecting the full ones for planting, or buying them from the county town where there’s at least some guarantee.

“Reliable, I bought them from the official store of the Agricultural Science Institute. It can’t be wrong,” Su Mu reassured, then got up and said, “Mom, let me show you the seeds.”

Upon hearing that the seeds were from the Agricultural Science Institute, Mother Su’s worries eased. As a farmer, she had the most trust in the Agricultural Science Institute.

Su Mu brought out a large bag of seeds. She had bought several packets of almost every seed available in the store, regardless of whether they were suitable for the current season. With her special ability, seeds wouldn’t go bad under her care. If they couldn’t be planted this season, she would just wait for the next one.

However, Mother Su didn’t know any of this. She looked at the assorted seeds and almost couldn’t lift them all at once. She pointed her finger and tapped her daughter’s head, saying, “You child, even when you want to farm, you don’t know how to make a plan. You’re just acting recklessly. Radishes are planted in winter. Why are you buying seeds now? Do you have money to spare?”

Su Mu had been cultivating land in the interstellar for decades. With her special ability, seeds had long surpassed the limitations of seasons and environments. Therefore, she could plant whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, without needing to understand so much.

Now being pointed out by her mother, she suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. She realized that she wasn’t the esteemed planting master of the Star Empire anymore, but just an ordinary rural woman in the modern world.

If she were to grow vegetables that went against the seasonal norms and they turned out to be of exceptional quality, it might lead to some trouble. At the same time, Su Mu secretly decided that she would go online and buy some books about planting. She wanted to learn more about the current situation of vegetable and flower cultivation to avoid future misunderstandings.

She immediately admitted her mistake, “Mom, I’m sorry! I saw the promotional pictures and they looked really good, so I couldn’t help but buy them. What kind of vegetables should I plant this season?”

Mother Su’s attention was successfully diverted, and she began to discuss, “Although it’s already mid-April, the temperature in our Huayuan Village is a few degrees lower than outside. It’s still suitable for planting chili peppers, sponge gourds, water spinach, eggplants…”

She listed more than a dozen types of vegetables, which conveniently covered the twenty mu of land they had.

Turning over twenty mu of land was a lot of work. Father Su alone couldn’t handle it. So, Su Mu also invited several uncles and relatives to help. She had also talked to the elderlies, who were participating in weeding work, and informed them that she would need their help during the planting process. Since there was a job that could be done right at their doorstep and earn money, everyone agreed and promised to help.

Meanwhile, on the other side…

Around noon, Su Chen arrived in the city and after tidying up at home, he hurriedly headed to the company.

Carrying a jade-green orchid, he entered the company, inadvertently becoming the center of attention among his colleagues.

This orchid had caused a sensation on his coworkers’ social media circles a few days ago. The orchid expert had pronounced it beyond saving. How come Su Chen was now holding a pot of it? Was the boss trying to pull off a switcheroo?

Su Chen was unaware of his colleagues’ thoughts as he confidently made his way to his boss’s office door. He raised a hand and knocked.

“Come in,” Wei Liu, currently engrossed in company affairs, looked up. The overseas market had hit a snag in the past few days, leaving him incredibly busy and with no time to think about the orchid back in the countryside. He hadn’t even had a chance to view the pictures Su Chen had been sending him daily.

“Boss, the orchid has recovered very well. Please inspect it,” Su Chen said as he raised his head. Wei Liu, who had been busy with work, nodded and said, “You’ve worked hard.” His gaze turned to the orchid. Even though he had been prepared, he couldn’t help but be amazed at its current state. It was in much better condition than before! If he remembered correctly, was it sprouting new shoots now?

He efficiently completed the final payment and planned to take it home to its original place today. His grandfather would be back tomorrow. Thankfully, thankfully!

Remembering his mother’s request, Su Chen hesitated but then plucked up the courage to speak, “Boss, my mother asked me to bring you some local produce. However, there’s quite a lot, so I’ve placed them in the car trunk. Whenever it’s convenient for you, I can help you move them.”

Wei Liu was pleasantly surprised, stood up, and patted his shoulder. “You’ve really helped me a lot. Let’s go to the garage now!”

He even took the orchid with him.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

In the garage, Wei Liu drove his car out. He planned to take the items immediately. The ingredients he had sent to Gu Shi should be used up by now. It was a good time to replenish them.

After moving the items, Wei Liu looked at the capable Su Chen and said, “You should rest at home today. Come back to work tomorrow.”

Su Chen wouldn’t refuse extra time to rest, so he smiled and said, “Thank you, boss.” He had been away from home for a few days, and he wasn’t sure if his wife had been eating well. He planned to stew a chicken for her before she got off work.

Two cars left the company building, one after the other, merging into the bustling traffic.

Wei Liu went home first, placing the orchid in his grandfather’s greenhouse. As for the agricultural products, he kept a small portion for himself, and the rest he sent to He Fu.

At He Fu’s place, he was sitting on the sofa, reading Gu Shi’s medical examination report. The data from this checkup was much better than the previous one. He felt pleased but also pondered the reasons. Could it really be due to those ingredients? If only he had gotten them tested earlier. Now, everything had gone into that kid’s stomach, and nothing was left.

“Brother He, I’ve brought the ingredients,” Wei Liu entered the house with bags in tow. This time, there were fewer ingredients than before, but there were bamboo shoots and mushrooms. He also brought two well-prepared hens.

He couldn’t help but recall the delicious chicken soup from that night, and his throat moved.

After collecting the documents, He Fu walked to the dining table, eyes shining as he looked at the items. He praised, “You’ve done well, young man. But can you tell me where these ingredients come from?”

Wei Liu had been occupied with work after sending the ingredients last time and hadn’t received any feedback about their effects. Hearing He Fu’s question now, he assumed that the results must have been positive.

“They were grown by my secretary’s parents in their village. All of them are organically grown. Brother He, I must tell you, the environment there is really good. The water is spring water, and the air quality is excellent. You know, I usually wake up with some minor discomfort, but after spending a night there, I felt as if I’d taken a powerful tonic. I think it would be a great place for Gu Shi to recuperate.”

“Oh? Is it really that good?” He Fu seemed intrigued. However, it ultimately depended on Gu Shi’s own wishes.

Wei Liu nodded. “Definitely.” He paused and continued, “I accidentally almost killed my grandfather’s orchid last time. But I managed to nurse it back to health there!”

He retrieved the photos he had taken earlier and showed them to He Fu.

He Fu took Wei Liu’s phone and carefully examined the pictures.

Perhaps it was a shared interest among retired elderly people, but He Fu’s grandfather also liked flowers and plants. Therefore, he had some knowledge of orchids. Orchids were delicate and precious, and the prices in the market had always been high.

He had witnessed the sad state of Wei Liu’s orchid recently, and he knew that Wei Liu had even enlisted the help of many orchid experts without success.

He had thought the flower was beyond saving, but he didn’t expect someone to nurse it back to health! Maybe that place was truly worth a visit.

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