Gourd Farm Chapter 35
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 35: Tacit Cooperation
"He deeply understood this point. Quickly finishing breakfast, he had the two buckets of well-mixed gourd water loaded onto the car. This is the concentrated solution, you can add water when you get to the field."
"Let's go, I'll show you my greenhouses."
Guided by Yang Feng, the two of them went straight to the greenhouses on the two-acre plot.
"How do you like these greenhouses?"
"Well, I thought you only had a small one. I didn't expect three of these large ones. No wonder you always have so many fresh fruits and vegetables to sell."
When Xia Ying saw the three sets of greenhouses, she was quite surprised. This scale was already considered substantial in the countryside.
"Alright, let's go inside and take a look. There's nothing special outside."
The two of them first arrived at the first greenhouse, and there was nothing interesting to see in the others, as they were all empty.
As soon as they entered the greenhouse, Xia Ying was somewhat shocked.
"Yang Feng, what kind of varieties are you growing here? The yield is incredible!"
Xia Ying looked at the vines with more than a dozen cucumbers hanging from them, as if they would fall off at the slightest touch, and asked curiously.
"These are new varieties I developed myself," Yang Feng could only offer this explanation.
"Wow, these watermelons have four in a cluster, and they're all so big?"
Looking at these products, Yang Feng didn't feel much anymore, probably because he was used to it, but Xia Ying was utterly amazed.
"These are all new varieties I developed. You'll understand once you've been doing this for a while."
‘These aren't just new varieties; it's all thanks to the gourd water. But this secret can't be shared with outsiders.’ Yang Feng Thought.
"I’ve seen enough. Let's get to work. After all, you're paying my salary, and I can't be lazy on the first day," Xia Ying suggested after the tour. She was now Yang Feng's employee, and work had to be done.
"Alright, you're quite enthusiastic."
"Yang Feng, what are we going to do today?"
"We're going to transplant tomato seedlings today. I'll start by watering the area, and then we can start planting."
"I'll help you with that."
"Great, you can hold the hose while I connect the small pump to the battery and start drawing some water."
"Why don't you just use the water from the irrigation ditch directly? Why bring two buckets from home?"
"It's a habit I developed in my farming. The water I mixed in those buckets contains nutrients that can improve the survival rate of seedlings."
In no time, they had finished watering, with Yang Feng digging ahead with a hoe and Xia Ying following behind, planting tomato seedlings. In a short while, they had planted two rows.
Having an extra person made the work efficient, and working together as a team, they didn't feel tired.
After a couple more hours of work, the sun was high in the sky, and it was already 11:30 AM. It was time to go home and prepare lunch.
"Xia Ying, let's take a break for lunch and continue in the afternoon," Yang Feng shouted as he looked over to see Xia Ying still diligently planting.
"I'll be done in a moment," she replied.
This additional help was indeed worthwhile. Despite her slim physique, Xia Ying worked even faster than Yang Feng.
After waiting for a few more minutes, Xia Ying finished her work. She was drenched in sweat, and Yang Feng handed her a clean towel. Her hair at the front was soaked with sweat.
Yang Feng picked a watermelon, and they hopped on a bike to head home. On their way, they stopped at a small store to buy some groceries. He usually made do with whatever they had at home, but now that they had an extra person, they needed to prepare a couple more dishes to avoid seeming too frugal.
"Boss, give me half a chicken," Yang Feng said.
"Oh, Yang Feng, do you have guests at home today?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Why? Do I need guests to eat? Can't I eat by myself?"
"Come on, Yang Feng, in a month, I can count how many times you've had meat on one hand."
The shopkeeper quickly chopped half a chicken for Yang Feng.
They already had plenty of vegetables at home, so there was no need to spend money on them.
Back at home, Yang Feng initially wanted Xia Ying to rest for a while. However, she seemed restless and insisted on starting a fire in the stove, saying it was warm.
Unable to persuade her otherwise, Yang Feng went along with her. He cleaned the chicken and began frying it in the pot. Soon, a delicious aroma filled the air.
While the chicken was cooking, Yang Feng went to the garden and picked some strawberries. Since it was Xia Ying's first day at work and he knew she liked strawberries, he didn't hesitate to share the ones he had grown.
"The food's ready. Let's wash our hands and eat."
In no time, a plate of delicious braised chicken pieces was ready, along with stir-fried greens, cooked over a low flame.
Yang Feng handed Xia Ying a pair of chopsticks and placed the cleaned strawberries on the table.
"There aren't many dishes, so don't be shy."
"I didn't expect you to not only cook but also be so skilled at it. It all looks so appetizing," Xia Ying said.
"It's just basic cooking, so just enjoy it."
It seemed like girls had a natural weakness for delicious food. Xia Ying, who had been somewhat reserved earlier, couldn't resist and took a small bite of the chicken.
"Mmm, it's really good."
In fact, this was one of Yang Feng's signature dishes, and he could tell from Xia Ying's expression that she hadn't been disappointed.
They chatted and ate together. Perhaps it was because they were in a good mood today or because they were tired from work, but they both ate three bowls of rice.
Xia Ying had a small appetite when it came to rice, eating only half a bowl, but she indulged in a small bowl of strawberries.
*Burp~*
After eating their fill, they let out satisfied burps.
Xia Ying cleaned up the dishes and went to wash them, while Yang Feng covered the leftover food, planning to have it for dinner.
"Let's go, I'm all set here," Xia Ying called to Yang Feng as she finished washing the dishes.
"Yeah, let's get back to work."
The two of them worked diligently all afternoon, and now the sun was setting.
Looking at the second greenhouse, they had already planted about half of the tomato seedlings. They estimated that with another day's work, they would be close to finishing.
"Xia Ying, I think we're done for today. Let's wrap things up."
"Okay, I'll just tidy up the tools."
"By the way, these remaining seedlings should be soaked in water, or they'll wither by tomorrow, and it won't be good for planting."
"Yeah, I'll put them directly into the bucket of nutrient solution in a little while."
In reality, the so-called nutrient solution was just diluted with the gourd water, but its effects were incomparable.
Yang Feng prepared to take Xia Ying back home on his bike, as her electric bike was still charging at his place.
"Yang Feng, haven't seen you for two days. Have you found a girlfriend? She looks quite charming," a young man greeted them at the village entrance as they passed by.
"What nonsense are you talking about? She's a friend who came to help me," Yang Feng replied.
Upon hearing the young man's words, Xia Ying felt embarrassed and lowered her head, blushing.
Seeing how uncomfortable Xia Ying looked, Yang Feng didn't dare to linger. He revved the engine and headed straight home.
On the way, they encountered a few more people who greeted them. Most of the attention seemed to be on Xia Ying, but Yang Feng casually responded and didn't stop to chat.
If he engages in lengthy conversations with them, Xia Ying might get scared and refuse to come back tomorrow.
"Xia Ying, those people love to gossip. Don't pay them any mind," Yang Feng reassured her.
"Yeah," she replied.