Gourd Farm Chapter 78
Translated by Etherna
Chapter 78: Turning the Soil and Planting Vegetables
In the early morning, as the rooster announced the dawn, Yang Feng quickly got up, washed, and started his day.
Smoke rose from the chimneys of neighboring homes, and the villagers were getting busy again.
He settled the bill with the excavator operator early in the morning. After a full day's work yesterday, out of goodwill, he only charged 1500. It was a bit painful for him, but looking at the large piece of land that was now well-leveled – transforming from uneven terrain to a smooth field – he felt that the money was well spent.
He went to the greenhouse and arranged the goods to be delivered in the morning. "Xia Tian, be careful on the road, tomatoes are easily damaged in the summer."
Xia Tian put on his gloves, smiled, and nodded. "Don't worry; it's not the first time."
Watching Xia Tian leave, the first challenging task of the morning was considered complete.
Xia Ying looked around. "Yang Feng, why hasn't the excavator arrived today?"
"Oh, it was called over to Yang Meng's house today. It took a day off yesterday, and only because I knew someone, I managed to free up time," Yang Feng explained.
Yesterday, the excavator operator was a relative from Yang Meng's family. Early in the morning, the operator called himself, saying that it wouldn't be good for their reputation if they didn't switch between the two families.
Since they mentioned it in advance, it was a matter of giving face. Yang Feng thought there was no rush; the leveled land was enough for him to work on for a few days.
Yang Feng paused before continuing, "Xia Ying, I'm going to bring the tractor over. Today, I plan to turn over the well-leveled land. Bring any vegetable seeds you have at home."
Xia Ying frowned slightly, "Are we preparing to plant today? But the greenhouse hasn't been covered yet."
"In this season, I plan to plant about ten acres of vegetables first. They can survive just by sowing, and it's a waste to leave the land empty. It's better to make some money," Yang Feng explained.
After considering it for a few days, Yang Feng realized that covering the entire land with greenhouses in one go wasn't practical, and he couldn't afford such an undertaking.
The land lease fee had been paid, and although there was a six-month rent waiver, leaving such good land unused felt like a waste.
The quickest and most cost-effective solution was to turn over the land and plant vegetables, like garlic or onions. These crops had low costs, and the key was that they had a short growth cycle, allowing for a quick return on investment.
Back home, Yang Feng uncovered the tarpaulin on the tractor. Considering the current conditions, after the Chinese New Year, he would definitely need to build a storage shed; otherwise, leaving the tractor outside would be a real pity.
After checking the water tank, he decided to add some hot water to it; otherwise, after a long period of disuse, it would be difficult to start.
"Xia Ying, come over and give me a hand with the handlebars."
Xia Ying ran over, gripping the tractor's handles tightly, nervously looking at Yang Feng.
"Xia Ying, you don't need to exert so much force; just support it a bit."
Upon hearing Yang Feng's words, Xia Ying didn't quite understand, awkwardly smiling.
"Pfft."
She inserted the crank into the starting hole, and her hair swayed with the increased movement.
"Vroom~vroom~vroom~"
After five or six turns, the engine's speed increased, and with the increased throttle, black smoke puffed out of the exhaust pipe.
She remembered when she was a child during the busy farming season, running behind the tractor, inhaling the scent of the black smoke it emitted—such a pleasant aroma.
After searching around at home, Xia Ying could only find three or four bags of seeds.
As the tractor's noise was too loud, Yang Feng shouted at the top of his lungs, "Xia Ying, call Xia Tian and ask him to bring some from town for me. There's still time."
Xia Ying nodded and went inside to make the call.
Yang Feng pulled the clutch, shifted gears, and drove the tractor out. He unloaded the carriage and attached the rotary cultivator.
This rotary cultivator had seen some years, with about twenty or thirty of its tines replaced over time.
Although he used to borrow other people's tractors, he had to buy his own rotary cultivator.
Driving the tractor to the field, he planned to start plowing from the end of the greenhouse.
Observing that two other families were also plowing their fields, it seemed he wasn't the only one with this idea.
"Vroom, vroom, vroom."
Yang Feng turned around and saw Hua Wuque driving a tractor towards him. However, Hua Wuque had a sitting area, unlike Yang Feng's, which required him to walk alongside.
As Hua Wuque approached, he pulled the clutch and greeted, "Yang Feng, plowing the land?"
"Yeah, planning to plant some vegetables," Yang Feng replied.
Hua Wuque turned off the tractor, got off, and lit a cigarette.
"Aren’t you using greenhouses; what made you think of planting vegetables?"
Yang Feng took the cigarette, tapped it on his hand, and said, "Well, I haven't decided what to plant yet. I thought I'd start with some vegetables for now."
Hua Wuque, puffing on his cigarette, exhaled a plume of smoke, "I don't know what to plant either. Early in the morning, my old man called me up and told me to plow the field."
"It doesn't matter what you plant; just put some effort into it."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Yang Feng had to continue plowing and didn't say much.
Xia Ying arrived on an electric bike, carrying the seeds. "Yang Feng, should we also spread some urea while plowing?"
Yang Feng tossed away his cigarette butt and waved, "No need. After I finish plowing both sides, follow me and scatter the seeds."
"Vroom, vroom, vroom."
Yang Feng started plowing with the tractor. It hadn't rained much recently, and the ground was a bit hard, making the harrow under the tractor produce a crisp "crunching" sound.
After plowing back and forth, Yang Feng's arms were numb from the prolonged effort. This method of plowing wasn't effective; he had to put some mud into a bag and place it on the rotary cultivator. Otherwise, the harrow would be too shallow, and he would have to plow it twice.
Yang Feng beckoned to Xia Ying, signaling her to come over. "Xia Ying, go to the greenhouse and bring the snake-skin bags and the shovel."
Xia Ying ran over, and in less than two minutes, she brought them.
Xia Ying furrowed her brows, "Yang Feng, what are these for?"
"You'll see in a moment. Help me hold the bag open."
When the bag was almost filled, Yang Feng lifted it with his hands. "It's quite heavy."
He found a piece of cloth and tied up the bag. "Xia Ying, give me a hand. Help me lift it onto the rotary cultivator."
Xia Ying tightly gripped the corners of the bag with both hands, making a "creaking" sound with her teeth as she lifted it and tested it a couple of times.
"1, 2, 3, here we go."
Xia Ying was already quite slim, so with such a forceful swing, she didn't manage to stand firm. Although the bag landed on the rotary cultivator, Xia Ying also ended up climbing onto it.
Seeing that something was amiss, Yang Feng went up and gave her a hand. "Are you okay?"
Xia Ying brushed a strand of hair off her face, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I'm fine. I didn't expect you to be so strong."
Once the bag was in place, turning it became much easier, although the speed was a bit slower.
"Sis, these are the seeds you asked me to buy."
Xia Tian returned with the delivered goods, carrying the seeds he bought from the town.
Xia Ying opened the bag and took a look. "Are these chrysanthemum hearts?"
Sitting down, Xia Tian lit a cigarette. Even though he wore gloves on the way, his knees felt chilly from the wind.
"Yeah, they should be. I made it clear with the seller."
Only then did Xia Ying feel relieved. Yang Feng had insisted on buying chrysanthemum hearts. This vegetable sold well in the market, consumers recognized it, and it had a much better taste than regular Shanghai greens.
"Sis, look at how Brother Yang is plowing the land. It's like he hasn't eaten. I think I could do better."
Xia Tian was eager to give it a try.
Xia Ying looked at her brother in confusion. "Since when do you know how to drive a tractor? Why didn't I know about it?"