To verify his theory, he pinched a little bit of the powder and licked it, instantly feeling a scorching sensation: "Isn’t this quicklime?"
He hastily spat it out onto the ground several times.
Healthy vegetables exposed to quicklime, it would be a wonder if their roots weren’t burned to death!
An Hao, hearing this, pulled out all the damaged vegetables, some with white salt crystals at their roots, others with alkaline powder, and yet others with quicklime; no wonder!
All these substances, in a certain concentration, are capable of killing plants.
What’s even more infuriating is that on the surface of the soil, nothing seems amiss at all; these materials have been directly poured into the plants’ roots after digging a hole in the ground.
So, if it’s poured deep and the land isn’t tilled, most people wouldn’t notice at all.
"Someone is deliberately causing trouble!" An Hao angrily said.
"Yes! Definitely!" An Shuchao also got fired up, walking back and forth restlessly in the field with his hands clasped behind his back, "This is outrageous! If I find out who it is, I’m blocking their door and dragging them straight to the police station!"
"Absolutely! We cannot tolerate this!" The key was to catch the culprit.
"Sister, have you discovered something new?" When An Ping rushed over, he found that An Hao had already drawn a conclusion, and after hearing it, An Ping was also extremely angry, "Sister, leave this to me! Even if it means I don’t sleep a wink in these coming days, I must catch the person who’s been sabotaging us."
"Alright, just be careful," An Hao instructed An Ping, "Our family’s greenhouse vegetables are selling like hotcakes, and every time I come back, I hear gossip on the streets. Who knows if there’s someone with ill intentions, jealous of others making money and plotting to cause trouble?"
"Exactly! If it were anyone else, they would’ve just stolen the vegetables. Why bother coming here to irritate us?" An Ping agreed.
"The keys." An Hao suddenly brought up the lost keys, "Your keys probably didn’t fall into the latrine; they must have been picked up by someone."
"That must be it. I’ll go buy some new locks and replace all the old ones."
"Don’t replace them yet."
"We should wait until we catch the person causing trouble in the greenhouse!"
........................
After settling things at home, An Hao returned to school. She had thought she could quietly study for two days that week but unexpectedly received a letter from the Qin family.
The letter stated that Qin Feng was getting married, with the wedding set for Sunday. Qin Jian couldn’t make it back for the wedding, and, as his sister-in-law, she definitely had to return.
An Hao wanted to politely decline, but then she thought about how the greenhouse situation at home was being handled and decided it would be best to go home for the weekend after all.
Before heading back, An Hao made a phone call to Qin Jian to fill him in on Qin Feng’s situation.
Qin Jian also asked her to check things out and to give Qin Feng a red envelope as a wedding gift.
An Hao felt she should inform her in-laws, and though they were reluctant, they didn’t stop her from going.
On Saturday, An Hao returned home and checked with An Ping. He said that he had been keeping vigil in the field every night for the past week, waiting to see who might show up.
But, after a full week of waiting, nobody came.
"They’re probably on guard, suspecting that they won’t come anymore," An Ping conjectured.
"That would be for the best," An Hao replied. Then, after thinking, she said to An Ping, "Tonight, you stay out one more night! If you still can’t catch anyone, then come back."
"Okay," An Ping agreed, but unexpected events took place that very night.