Gourd Farm Chapter 51
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 51: Orders
During this period, the entire village was in a very active state. Normally, this season should have been a quiet time, but the cultivation of greenhouses had brought life and excitement to the once tranquil village.
Now, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that almost every household had a greenhouse, and the number of greenhouses had already accounted for one-third of the village.
"Clatter, clatter, clatter."
It seemed that another family was going to build a greenhouse. A three-wheeled vehicle loaded with greenhouse frames was making its way here.
The village chief was riding a large tricycle and stopped under the old locust tree, accompanied by a few elderly men.
The old locust tree, at this time, had lost its former vitality. It resembled an elderly person in their twilight years, occasionally dropping some withered branches when the wind blew.
Seeing this lively scene, the one who was most delighted was the village chief. He had been eagerly anticipating this for many years.
To become wealthy, one must first get to work. Since Yang Feng was the first to return with the idea of greenhouse cultivation, many young people had gradually come back.
In the past, the village was so quiet that there was hardly any activity aside from the occasional sounds of chickens, cats, and dogs. Sometimes, there would be some excitement when two old women quarreled.
Now, things were different. You could hear the sound of vehicles at any time, and the busy figures of villagers could be seen everywhere.
"Yang Feng, it looks like a portion of these tomatoes is already ripe," the village chief remarked.
At this moment, Xia Ying was fondly holding a bright red tomato and couldn't help but ask,
"Now, in greenhouse number two, after these ten-plus days of growth, some of the tomatoes are ready for sale."
There were no less than forty to fifty fruits on each tomato plant in this greenhouse. They were all large and round, with a vibrant red color that gleamed when the sun shone on them.
"Xia Ying, pick a couple and wash them with water. Let's taste them and see how they are," Yang Feng suggested. He couldn't resist the temptation to try one himself. It was essential not only for the tomatoes to look good but also to taste delicious to win the market.
"Sure, here you go."
Xia Ying handed a washed tomato to Yang Feng.
Looking at the tomatoes she had grown with her own hands, Xia Ying felt a great sense of accomplishment. Watching the gradual transformation every day, from a tiny, inconspicuous seed to these bright red tomatoes, she couldn't resist trying one to see what they tasted like.
"Chomp."
Yang Feng didn't hesitate and took a bite of the tomato. He bit down too eagerly, causing tomato juice to trickle down from the corners of his mouth.
"Splish~"
Watching Yang Feng's enthusiastic eating, Xia Ying couldn't help but burst into laughter. It didn't look like he was eating tomatoes; someone unfamiliar might have thought he was devouring meat with bones.
Wait, something wasn't right. Xia Ying noticed that Yang Feng had been fine at first, but now his expression seemed a bit unnatural, and his eyebrows were furrowed.
"Yang Feng, are you okay? Did something go wrong with the tomatoes? It's your first time growing them without experience; it will get better in the future," Xia Ying reassured him, thinking it might be an issue with the tomatoes.
"Crunch, crunch."
Before Xia Ying could react, Yang Feng, who had been still a moment ago, was now taking large bites of tomatoes. In no time, one tomato after another disappeared.
"No problem, they're just too delicious," Yang Feng replied.
He hadn't expected the tomatoes he grew to be this delicious. As soon as the tomato entered his mouth, it was filled with juice, followed by a slight acidity but with a hint of sweetness. The pulp inside the tomato, combined with the pleasantly balanced taste, challenged his taste buds.
Seeing Yang Feng's intense reaction, Xia Ying didn't say a word. She took a small bite of a tomato herself. It was fine at first, but within seconds, Xia Ying, who had appeared calm before, widened her eyes noticeably.
After that, neither of them spoke, and they both devoured one tomato after another.
Watching Xia Ying, who had only one tomato left, sigh with unfulfilled desire, she glanced at the untouched tomatoes nearby. Xia Ying now understood why Yang Feng had stopped talking after biting into the tomato. The perfect combination of taste and texture didn't seem like a tomato at all. She couldn't put it into words, but it was undeniably delicious.
Yang Feng, not satisfied with just a few, picked a few more tomatoes, washed them, and devoured four in one go, wiping the juice from his mouth.
"Xia Ying, how does it taste?" Yang Feng asked.
Xia Ying, her mouth still occupied by the tomato, nodded vigorously. With her ponytail and cheeky demeanor, she looked exceptionally playful.
"Yang Feng, why does it taste a bit like strawberries to me?" Xia Ying asked in confusion after finishing the second tomato.
Yang Feng pondered for a moment. After hearing Xia Ying's observation and trying more tomatoes himself, he realized that there was indeed a resemblance. While there were slight differences in texture, the sour-sweet taste was remarkably similar.
…..
"Dad, I heard that Yang Feng's tomatoes are ready for sale, but ours are still these small seedlings. What's going on?"
In the greenhouse, Yang Meng crouched on the ground, looking at the tomato seedlings that were only finger-high, and he asked impatiently, "Do you think this is magic? You can't expect them to turn into money overnight."
Uncle, holding a leather tube, was watering the tomato plants. During the later stages of growth, it was crucial to fertilize and water them regularly. Neglecting these tasks could directly affect the yield.
"How long do we have to wait? I might as well become a security guard to make money faster," Yang Meng complained, accidentally uprooting one of the tomato seedlings he had been fiddling with.
"You useless brat, go sit aside!" Uncle's temper flared as soon as he heard his son mention becoming a security guard.
He had a decent reputation in the village, if not particularly wealthy. Yet, his own son seemed so unambitious. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of karma he had accumulated in his past life!
"Greetings to all villagers. I have an announcement to make. Due to our village's recent large-scale development of agricultural greenhouses, it has been decided by the higher authorities to assign a college graduate village official to our village. Villagers who hear this broadcast are requested to gather immediately at the village square."
Yang Feng was working in the greenhouse when he suddenly heard the village chief's voice over the loudspeaker. He stopped his work and listened carefully. It turned out that a college graduate was being assigned to their village.
"Yang Feng, you should go quickly. I'll take care of things here."
"Okay."
After contacting the wholesaler for tomatoes and arranging for them to come and inspect the harvest and negotiate prices tomorrow, Yang Feng and Xia Ying were in the middle of counting the ripe tomatoes in the greenhouse. They had counted about half of them so far.
Yang Feng rode his tricycle to the village center. Along the way, especially children ran ahead in pairs.
When he arrived at the square, there was already a crowd gathered.
