Gourd Farm Chapter 42
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 42:
After saying this and without waiting for Yang Feng's agreement, Yang Meng casually lifted the curtain and went inside.
Seeing Yang Meng, whose skin was thicker than a brick wall, Yang Feng exchanged a glance with Xia Ying and shrugged, expressing his exasperation.
Since he had already come in, they couldn't just chase him out. After all, they had grown up together. Let it be.
"So, had enough of looking around?" Yang Feng asked.
Both Yang Feng and Xia Ying had nearly finished clearing the grass on this side, while Yang Meng was still examining everything. This made Yang Feng furrow his brow.
"Not bad, really not bad. This whole area looks great," Yang Meng crouched down, touched the tomato leaves, and muttered to himself.
Now the tomato plants in the greenhouse had grown considerably taller, and at a glance, they looked lush and green, truly pleasing to the eye.
"Yang Feng, your greenhouse is good, but there's quite a bit of grass. You should consider using weed killer. It'll take forever if you keep pulling weeds like this," Yang Meng remarked.
Yang Feng shook his head in response, "Hmph, what do you know? Do you understand what 'green and pollution-free' means?"
"Just because it's pollution-free doesn't mean you can't use weed killer. Are you planning to keep pulling these weeds one by one forever?"
"What, you've looked around for a bit, and now you're going to lecture me?" Yang Feng raised an eyebrow, sounding impatient.
"Oh, no, just offering a suggestion."
"Well, thanks in advance," Yang Feng replied sarcastically.
Yang Meng's narrow eyes shifted, "Yang Feng, don't you need anything special for this type of cultivation? I've noticed the tomatoes we grow in our backyard garden always turn out particularly sour, different from the ones sold in the market."
"Our homegrown tomatoes ripen naturally, while most market tomatoes are grown in greenhouses. Some of them are forced to ripen prematurely. Do you think they can taste the same?"
Without waiting for him to continue, Yang Feng ushered him out, saying, "Let's go; it's time for us to have lunch."
"Fine, let's go then."
Seeing that he wasn't exactly welcome, Yang Meng felt a bit embarrassed and didn't linger any longer. He turned and left the greenhouse, hopped on his motorcycle, and soon disappeared, leaving behind the scent of gasoline.
"Yang Feng, why does this person seem a bit off to me?" Xia Ying, who had been silent all along, asked softly.
"It's not that he's off; he probably just wanted to see how I grow tomatoes," Yang Feng replied.
"Then why did you let him in?"
"It doesn't really matter. He won't learn much just by looking. Come on, let's go back and have lunch."
"Okay."
...
"Dad, open the door quickly."
Yang Meng rode his motorcycle all the way back home and shouted loudly at the door. It was broad daylight, but the door was locked, and there was no one else around.
"I'm coming, what's the rush?"
Uncle grumbled while making his way to the door.
"Creak."
The heavy iron gate was pulled open, and Yang Meng revved his engine as he rode into the yard.
"Mmm, it smells so good. Dad, did you make braised pork again?"
As soon as Yang Meng arrived home, he caught whiffs of the delicious aroma of meat, and his mouth couldn't help but water.
"It's your sharp nose. Tell me, how was your visit today?"
Uncle had been sitting uneasily at home all morning, pacing back and forth near the door, eagerly awaiting his son's return to hear if he had gained any insights.
"Dad, not to criticize, but you always say I'm impatient. It's because of you. At the very least, you should offer me a glass of water."
"You're always so fussy. Hurry up and tell me."
As Yang Meng looked at the beautifully red-braised pork on the table, its enticing aroma filling the air, he couldn't resist and ate four or five pieces in quick succession.
"Dad, your culinary skills haven't declined a bit."
"Of course not. In this whole neighborhood, have you heard of anyone making braised pork better than me?"
Uncle's face was filled with pride. This was his unique skill. Whenever someone in the village had an event or needed to host guests, they would politely invite him to take charge of the cooking. Over the years, he had built quite a reputation in the community.
"Hurry up and tell me how your visit went today."
"Well, I have to say, I actually learned quite a bit today."
"Oh, tell me more."
Seeing his son's proud expression, Uncle perked up his ears.
"They prepare the soil for tomato cultivation by using chicken manure, and they also lay a layer of rice husks on top."
"Why do I need you to tell me this? Get to the point."
Uncle had been farming his whole life, and he wasn't interested in such basic knowledge.
"Well, the interesting part is that they don't use pesticides for these tomatoes. They claim it's green and pollution-free."
"Hmm, if they don't use pesticides, how do they protect against diseases and pests?"
"Uh, I really don't know about that. I just saw them weeding."
"What else? Continue."
"Well, what else is there to say?"
"I mean, like the tomato varieties they're planting, overall density, and such."
"Um..."
Yang Meng was suddenly at a loss. Dealing with tomatoes seemed more complicated than researching nuclear physics.
"What's wrong with you? You didn't even ask about these things?"
Seeing his son's bewildered expression, Uncle couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
"How would I know? I've never been involved in farming, and besides, these are trade secrets. Even if I asked, they wouldn't tell me."
Uncle slapped his thigh, frustrated. "So you came back saying you learned a lot, and now you're ruining my enjoyment of this braised pork."
"I did see a lot, though. Those lush tomato plants were quite impressive."
"Why do I have such an unreliable son? Is your brain filled with mush?"
Initially, Uncle felt somewhat pleased to see his son being so proactive, willing to put aside his pride and learn about farming techniques. He had even bitten the bullet and spent money to buy two kilograms of pork belly from the local store. Given the current high prices of pork, it was quite a sacrifice.
However, after his son's return, it seemed like he hadn't learned anything and had wasted the entire morning.
"I..."
"What 'I'? I've told you before, when are you going to grow up and stop making me worry about you?"
Every time Uncle saw his son now, he felt a surge of anger, grinding his teeth so loudly that they made a "creaking" sound.
"Fine, you're right about everything. I'm done here; I'm going to work."
Yang Meng stood up after saying this and turned to leave.
"If you dare step out of this door today, I'll break your leg."
Uncle slammed his chopsticks on the table, causing the dishes on it to rattle.
Seeing that Uncle was genuinely upset this time, Yang Meng obediently returned to his seat.
"Later, go with me to the seed store in town and ask around. We can't wait forever and still not see any tomatoes even in our graves."
Since their attempt to learn from Yang Feng had failed, they needed to come up with another plan.
"Xia Ying, your cooking skills are really something."
Yang Feng complimented her as he looked at the plate of delicious green pepper shredded pork and the bowl of tomato and egg drop soup on the table.
"It's just simple home-cooked food; it's not as good as you make it out to be. Let's eat."
"It's really good."
"By the way, we need to water the strawberries in greenhouse number three this afternoon. Did you prepare the nutrient solution?"
"Yes, I prepared it last night. After we finish eating, we can take it directly over there."
