Therefore, the only option left was the public balcony, which fortunately, Lin Xiaoguai had observed in the past couple of days. Although the balcony outside their door was a common space, it wasn’t a thoroughfare.
There were only two apartments on the third floor—aside from their four-bedroom, two-living-room unit, there was an empty three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment next to them. However, the staircase was located inside the building, leading one way towards their apartment and the other way towards the vacant one, meaning there was no interference between the two.
The balcony, though public, was effectively theirs. It wasn’t as private as the small balconies, just like she saw others stacking briquettes on the balconies by their front doors. She could plant vegetables on this balcony without affecting anyone else.
As for clothes, the clotheslines were outside on the balcony now. All she needed to do was leave a passageway wide enough for one person on the balcony.
No sooner said than done, Lin Xiaoguai bought some vegetable seeds and seedlings suitable for this time of year from her space: bok choy, celery, radishes, lettuce, cabbage, peas, green onions, garlic, mustard greens, and rapeseed were all in season. Some were already late, but with the quality of the seeds and the help from her space, she wasn’t worried her efforts would be in vain.
Lin Xiaoguai first set up the tiered vegetable rack on the balcony and then planted various vegetables one by one. She didn’t plant much of each type, but it was still a big job. By the time she finished, most of the afternoon had passed, and Little Niangao had already grown bored by her side, dangerously reaching out for the seedlings on the rack. If Lin Xiaoguai hadn’t been quick to stop her, today’s labor might have largely gone to waste.
"Xiao Guai!" A voice calling out suddenly paused, then expressed surprise, "I was just about to ask you, how did you get things done so fast?"
Lin Xiaoguai looked up and immediately smiled, "Oh, it’s Sister-in-law Er Mei."
Then she answered her question, "I had some free time, so I fixed the vegetable rack. After all, it’s never too early or too late to plant vegetables." She pointed to an empty rack filled with soil but no plants yet and said, "This one is vacant; I’m planning to plant some potatoes here after some time."
Wu Ermei, looking at the neatly arranged three-tiered rack in admiration, couldn’t help but exclaim, "You did a really good job with the setup, girl. Did you make this rack yourself?"
The vegetable rack that Lin Xiaoguai had chosen wasn’t cheap, but it looked very simple, appearing to those unaware as if it were made from wooden pallets. However, in reality, the material of the rack wasn’t wood at all, but a material from Outer Planet that was very similar to wood, yet much more durable.
"It was a gift," Lin Xiaoguai bent her head, pretending to tidy up the watering can and small shovel, and gave a somewhat vague response.
"Must be homemade then, you can’t buy this kind of thing outside," Wu Ermei didn’t pay it much mind, merely nodding and saying, "I thought about it and decided to grow vegetables with you."
She was always straightforward. Although Lin Xiaoguai’s proposal had been appealing, she felt as if she would be picking up a ready-made bargain by following suit. After discussing with her husband, she decided to grow vegetables with Lin Xiaoguai.
"My husband Jiang Wei learned carpentry for a couple of years. I was actually coming over to ask if you wanted him to make your vegetable rack as well, but you’ve already done so much, even finished planting."
Lin Xiaoguai smiled at the kind offer, "I’m sorry to have made you come here for nothing."
"Not at all," Wu Ermei waved her hand dismissively. "It wasn’t a wasted trip. I wasn’t sure how to construct the vegetable rack at first, but seeing yours has given me a clear idea."
Hearing this, Lin Xiaoguai thought for a moment and then decided to caution her, "The wood I used for this rack is of good quality. Be careful when Jiang Wei makes yours; ordinary wood might not support three tiers."
"That’s true; the soil alone weighs quite a bit," Wu Ermei mused, then laughed, "I won’t delay you any further; I need to hurry back and get my vegetable rack done. If I wait too long, the seedlings might not survive."
After saying this, she quickly left.
On the other hand, Lin Xiaoguai began to reflect on herself, feeling like she was becoming too much of an "outcast." The items from the exchange store were good, but not everyone was as unconcerned with everyday life as Shen Chi. She might inadvertently reveal something, and even if others couldn’t guess the existence of her space and system, just the suspicions would be enough trouble for her.
After all, these were not times like the future, where neighborly relations were cold, social resources were abundant, online shopping was rampant, and no one would think too much into things; any new addition to a home could be easily explained away.