Without Xu Laidi in the educated youth dormitory, life could only be described in two words:
Peaceful bliss.
No more sarcastic comments during morning encounters, and no more sneaky behavior trying to take advantage of others when they weren’t paying attention.
However, word spread quickly that arguments had become a daily routine at the Liu family—minor quarrels every day and major fights every other day.
But gossip about the Liu family only kept people entertained for a day or two. There were far more important matters to focus on.
The plastic sheeting had finally arrived, delivered back to the village on a tractor.
Villagers who had gone to help purchase the plastic sheeting even hitched a ride back on the tractor, only to become the center of attention upon their return.
The brigade leader and his team stepped off the vehicle with beaming faces, carefully unloading the plastic sheeting from the back.
“Captain Lin, I’ll take my leave now,” said the driver—a young man with a crew cut, dark skin, and a spirited demeanor that exuded a military air.
Lin Zhen nodded, clapping the young man on the shoulder. “Thanks for the help. I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”
“Not a problem at all! I owe you for looking out for me back in the day. I’ve got other matters to attend to, so I’ll head off now. See you, Captain Lin.”
The tractor rumbled to life again and drove away.
The brigade leader approached Lin Zhen, giving him a hearty pat on the shoulder. “Good lad! Who knew you even had connections at the agriculture machinery station?”
The other young men around them gazed at Lin Zhen with admiration.
The trip to purchase the plastic sheeting from the factory had been no easy feat, requiring much negotiation to secure even this amount. They had also placed an order for additional stock to pick up later.
Transporting the sheeting back was a problem until Lin Zhen stepped in, leveraging his connections to secure a tractor for the job.
“Lin Zhen is really something. You think he’ll become a factory worker once his leg heals?”
“Factory worker? That’s not so easy.”
“But he’s a retired soldier! Back in my hometown, there’s a veteran who got a job at the steel factory after his discharge.”
“Seriously?”
This revelation caused quite a stir.
After all, factory jobs were highly coveted, with monthly wages and the security of an iron rice bowl—what’s not to envy?
While the chatter didn’t faze Lin Zhen, it didn’t escape everyone’s ears.
Deng Chunhua, in particular, took these words to heart. A factory job would be the perfect opportunity for her son! If her son could secure such a position, no one would look down on him again. She could hold her head high, and her husband wouldn’t dare talk about divorce because of that woman outside.
She had to find a way to secure that position for her son.
Though it was the dead of winter, the entire Ping’an Brigade was bustling with activity.
Villagers were chopping wood and bamboo, shoveling snow, and digging trenches to prepare for the construction of the greenhouses.
Strong young men and capable women worked together enthusiastically, motivated by the prospect of earning work points.
In the midst of a harsh winter, when other brigades had little to do, Ping’an’s ability to earn work points made everyone eager to participate.
“You see? Even without investing money, we can still earn work points. Who knows if those off-season vegetables will even grow? If they don’t, the money invested will go down the drain. At least earning work points is a sure thing.”
Those who hadn’t invested money worked cheerfully, mocking the “foolishness” of those who had.
Meanwhile, those who had invested were filled with mixed emotions, working even harder in hopes of seeing results soon.
Regardless of differing opinions, the greenhouses gradually took shape under the collective effort of the brigade.
The structures weren’t very tall—just high enough for an adult to stoop while walking inside. The frames were constructed from whole bamboo poles since Song Wei planned to add an additional layer of straw for insulation.
The technique resembled building thatched roofs, which many villagers were skilled at.
Once the plastic sheeting was in place, the villagers entered to loosen the soil and spread fertilizer, working diligently.
In the end, twenty-five greenhouses were constructed, each approximately ten meters long and five meters wide.
After the greenhouses were built, the villagers began planting seeds and fertilizing the soil.
Song Wei took the lead in organizing the process, assigning a few literate individuals to record the types of vegetables planted in each greenhouse and their subsequent growth.
Each of the twenty-five greenhouses was numbered. In greenhouses 1 to 5, Song Wei placed two charcoal braziers to slightly increase the temperature. Greenhouses 6 to 10 had one brazier each. This was part of an experiment to see which temperature conditions the vegetables preferred.
The charcoal was sourced locally, with villagers cutting wood and burning it themselves—costing only labor.
“Everyone, be careful when entering the greenhouses with braziers. Make sure to open a vent and wait at least ten minutes before going inside,” Song Wei instructed.
The workers nodded in agreement.
The five individuals responsible for managing and recording the greenhouses included two educated youths—Bai Yunjiao and a male educated youth—and three literate villagers, including Jiang Xiaowan.
These individuals took their roles seriously, treating the job as a genuine responsibility.
Four or five days later, the long-awaited news arrived: seedlings had sprouted in the greenhouses!
The announcement sent waves of excitement through the entire Ping’an Brigade.
Early the next morning, villagers bundled up and gathered around the greenhouses, eagerly peeking inside.
The brigade leader, sporting a scruffy beard and dark circles under his eyes, grinned from ear to ear.
For him, these days had been nerve-wracking.
As the driving force behind the off-season vegetable project, he bore immense pressure, barely sleeping since the seeds were planted for fear of failure.
Now, seeing the tiny green sprouts, he felt an enormous weight lift off his shoulders.
Inside the greenhouses, the straw insulation provided excellent warmth, creating a noticeable temperature difference compared to the frigid outdoors.
Against the soft, dark soil, the tender green shoots had begun to emerge, sparse but full of life.
Excited murmurs filled the air.
“They’ve sprouted! The vegetables have really sprouted!”
“Success! Our crops are growing!”
Though it was still too early to tell how well the vegetables would grow, this initial progress was a promising sign.
As days passed, the seedlings thrived, with visible differences in growth among the greenhouses based on their varying temperature conditions.
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