Lin Zhen’s purchase of a bicycle quickly became the talk of the entire village.
Everyone was envious beyond words.
The next day, he took Song Wei to the city.
“This Lin Zhen has really made something of himself. I thought his leg would never recover, but look how fast it healed! Now he looks no different from a normal person.
First, he renovates his house—it’s almost like a new one, and it’s huge. Now he’s bought a bicycle. It seems he’s made quite a bit of money. The army must’ve given him a substantial sum after he retired.”
“Song Zhiqing has good judgment. Why didn’t I seize the opportunity back then? My daughter, the flower of the neighboring ten villages, could’ve married him. With Lin Zhen’s strength, even if he didn’t have money, he’d definitely make a good living in the future.”
Seeing Lin Zhen living such a prosperous life, even Song Wei became an object of envy. Many of the village women deeply regretted not introducing their daughters to Lin Zhen when he was struggling.
“Even if you wanted to, Lin Zhen had to be interested in your daughter first.”
Auntie Wang stood among the crowd, cracking sunflower seeds and rolling her eyes dramatically.
“You all dream too much. Does your daughter look as good as Song Zhiqing? Is she as capable?”
“When choosing a partner, it’s all about chemistry. Song Zhiqing is pretty, fair-skinned, has a sweet voice, and is strong. She can work in the fields, gather firewood from the mountains, and even occasionally catch wild rabbits and chickens. Plus, her brother is in the army. Just tell me, aren’t these conditions excellent? Honestly, Lin Zhen marrying her is almost a loss for her.”
The other women fell silent.
“Well… you can’t put it that way. My daughter isn’t bad either.”
Auntie Wang rolled her eyes again. “Oh, please. Put her next to Song Zhiqing, and as a man, who would you pick?”
That shut everyone up.
They weren’t stupid.
The topic shifted again as Auntie Wang, now the center of attention, started talking about the Lin family.
“If anyone regrets things the most, it’s the Lin family, don’t you think?”
This perked everyone up, and the earlier tension was forgotten.
“Absolutely. Did you know? When Old Lady Lin found out that Lin Zhen bought a bicycle, she stood in the yard cursing for half the day. She said Lin Zhen was unfilial, not taking care of his uncle or anyone else. I heard that during the New Year, Old Fourth Lin went to invite them back for dinner, but Lin Zhen and Heidan didn’t go.”
“Why would they go? Lin Zhen’s family ate several meat dishes during the New Year, while Old Lady Lin’s family barely managed some cured meat after Old Second Lin stopped listening to her. Their New Year’s dinner was pitiful.”
“Even if there was meat, Lin Zhen wouldn’t go. He remembers how Old Lady Lin treated his parents. Heidan probably holds a lifelong grudge too. Blood ties or not, it doesn’t matter. If you don’t treat your children fairly, you’ll pay the price in old age.”
“Exactly. Old Third Lin and Lin Zhen are such good people, but Old Lady Lin ruined them. She deserves it.”
The gossiping women sat under the large jujube tree at the village entrance, chattering away with great enthusiasm. Men walking by shook their heads in disdain, pretending they didn’t want to join in. But in reality, some of them passed by several times, listening intently.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhen rode his bicycle for over two hours to reach the city and wasn’t tired at all.
Song Wei carried the film roll for Shuanzi’s family’s photos. She wore a light blue outfit, her chestnut braids resting on her chest, and her face full of youthful collagen.
Her small oval face, big bright eyes, and pleasant demeanor made her appearance one of the most charming and auspicious of the era.
Standing next to Lin Zhen, she looked petite and delicate, an endearing sight.
The two stood out in the crowd. The bicycle drew attention, Lin Zhen’s height was striking, and Song Wei’s looks were captivating.
Men envied Lin Zhen—owning a bicycle and having a beautiful wife was every man’s dream.
Women envied Song Wei too. A man with a bicycle must have decent family conditions!
“Let’s get the photos developed first.”
The two had a task to accomplish during this trip: buying watermelon seeds.
At the seed shop, the shopkeeper was surprised to hear about their interest in watermelon seeds.
“Wow, there aren’t many places around here where you can grow watermelons.”
He leaned closer to Lin Zhen and whispered, “Which brigade are you from? When the watermelons ripen, could you save a few for me?”
Song Wei asked, “So, do you have watermelon seeds in stock now?”
“No,” the shopkeeper shook his head. “It’s rare for anyone to grow watermelons here. But if you need them, I can figure out a way to get some for you. Come back in seven days.”
Lin Zhen and Song Wei nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
“It’s a bit of trouble, so about those watermelons…”
“We’ll definitely save a few for you once they’re ripe.”
The shopkeeper beamed with satisfaction.
As they were about to leave, Song Wei noticed a bag of rice seeds.
“Are these new rice seeds?”
“Yes, they are,” the shopkeeper replied. “They’re called ‘Nanyou No. 2.’ These hybrid rice seeds were distributed by the higher-ups. Would your brigade like to try them? I’ve heard they have high yields.”
Song Wei stared at them for a moment before saying, “These are hybrid rice seeds.”
“Yes, exactly.”
Rice, being a staple crop, was highly valued in the post-apocalyptic world.
Song Wei recalled a tattered novel from the past that mentioned the development history of hybrid rice.
It seemed hybrid rice wasn’t widely promoted yet. If she remembered correctly, based on the timeline in that novel, hybrid rice would be extensively adopted nationwide about two years before the college entrance exams resumed.
Though not yet widespread, it was clear the government was already making an effort.
“Great. I’ll have our brigade purchase these seeds.”
It was a must. The brigade needed to grow rice, and hybrid rice was undoubtedly the better choice.
After leaving the seed shop, Song Wei took Lin Zhen to buy a newspaper.
“Comrade, do you have newspapers about hybrid rice?”
“Yes. How many copies would you like?”
“Five, please.”
After buying the newspapers, Song Wei handed one to Lin Zhen. “Take a look.”
Lin Zhen, trusting her intentions, followed along without asking questions. He began reading the largest headline about hybrid rice.
When he finished, his eyes lit up.
“It really can yield a thousand catties per mu!”
His grip on the newspaper tightened.
If this were true, then the person who developed hybrid rice was undoubtedly a national hero, deserving the gratitude of the entire nation.
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