With the kerosene lamp lit, someone waited for the return.
Zhao Tianlei came back home exhausted and didn’t want to shout for his wife to open the door, so he climbed over the wall and entered. Upon seeing the kerosene lamp still burning in the room, he instantly felt his fatigue vanish.
No matter how late he got home, there was always someone waiting for him.
Hearing a familiar voice outside, Yun Xiaoxiao got up to open the door, and indeed, it was Zhao Tianlei.
"Did you manage to buy the seeds?"
"If we really couldn’t find any seeds, we could use last year’s rice grains as seeds."
She could help swap these seeds, mix them up, who would be able to tell the difference?
Zhao Tianlei was thinking that the seeds they procured were far from enough; after all, the entire town’s grain seeds were inferior. He and his son had visited many places that day to secure those seeds, but it still wasn’t enough.
"Are you worried we truly won’t be able to buy any seeds and will have to use last year’s harvest as seeds?"
Seeing his haggard appearance, Yun Xiaoxiao said, "I’ll make you a cup of malted milk, and there are cookies and egg cakes, make do with these."
After bringing out the egg cakes, she began to prepare the malted milk using the enamel jar on the table.
"Eat these first, I’ll go boil some hot water for you so you can wash your face and feet."
Zhao Tianlei stopped Yun Xiaoxiao, "It’s late, you go to sleep first, I’ll manage on my own."
Although his wife didn’t go to work, with two kids to care for and all the household chores, including cooking, she was indeed very busy every day.
Yun Xiaoxiao didn’t refuse, her thoughts turning to seedling cultivation.
"We could start the seeds early indoors. I looked through a few agricultural books when I had nothing to do, I can give it a try."
Seedling cultivation?
Yun Xiaoxiao briefly explained the steps, asserting that even if the rice harvest was low, if the fertilization kept up, the yield wouldn’t be too poor.
"Wife, do you really know how to cultivate seedlings?"
He hadn’t heard his wife mention this before?
"I’ve really read some agricultural books, let me give it a try?"
Now, with a significant shortage of rice seeds, he watched as his wife eagerly volunteered.
"Then let’s use last year’s rice grains to give it a try." If they were not seeds, why not let his wife have a go?
And so, the matter was settled.
The next day, Zhao Tianlei went to discuss this with his father.
"Dad, I plan to have my wife use last year’s rice grains for seedling cultivation. We’re still short on seeds, and if we can successfully raise seedlings, the collective members won’t have to go hungry."
Captain Zhao hadn’t been resting well these past few days, all due to seed issues.
"Take twenty pounds of rice grains and give it a try?"
If it could sprout quickly, there would be no need to worry.
His spouse had informed him that the neighboring team leader had come by yesterday inquiring about seeds.
Zhao Tianlei handed over last year’s rice grains to Yun Xiaoxiao, letting her slowly begin experimenting.
After seeing the children off to school, Yun Xiaoxiao referred to books she bought online, learning how to cultivate seedlings, the temperature requirements, soaking them in water, and also purchasing rooting liquid to stir into a wooden barrel, covering it afterward. After soaking overnight, draining the water, and adding more rooting liquid for another mix, she covered it again.
Every day, she sprayed it with warm water.
Zhao Tianlei didn’t intervene, busy as he was with preparing the fields.
The team leader’s office was aware of the seed shortage and knew that they might have to tighten their belts this year.
No one had anticipated a seed crisis.
"They’ve sprouted, they’ve sprouted..."
Upon hearing the news, Zhao Tianlei immediately went to see for himself and saw that the rice grains had indeed begun to sprout. It had only been a few days, right?