Today’s farm work had already been finished, but Song Ziyao did not make it known as she had yesterday. Instead, she followed everyone else and started and ended work according to the whistle.
When it was time to work, she found a shady spot and slacked off. If someone happened to pass by, she would get up and put on a show of working.
Only in the afternoon did she leave work half an hour early and return to the dormitory to cook.
There were still steamed buns left over from yesterday. She only needed to cook some rice porridge and make a stir-fried tomato and egg dish.
By the time the other Educated Youth returned, she was almost finished eating.
Song Ziyao found Wang Yiguang. “I want to open up a vegetable plot. Could I ask you to organize some people to help? It won’t be for free. I’ll make something delicious for everyone.”
Before Wang Yiguang could speak, Shi Lei and Shi Changjiang, who were nearby, came over. “No problem, we’ll help!”
Wang Yiguang also smiled and said: “It’s a small matter. The vacant patch of land beside your room will do. I’ll go apply to the team for permission.”
The small room where Song Ziyao lived was located at the very edge. Outside was a narrow path, and on the other side of the path was an empty piece of land.
The land was not large, probably only about three li in size.
Song Ziyao said to Wang Yiguang: “Then I’ll have to trouble you to apply to the team.”
Wang Yiguang replied with a bright smile: “It’s no trouble. We’ll start tomorrow. After work, we’ll help you clear the land and try to get it reclaimed as soon as possible. Then you can plant cabbage and radishes.”
Song Ziyao said: “I’m completely clueless when it comes to growing vegetables. I don’t know anything. When the time comes, I’ll definitely have to ask you all for advice.”
Wang Yiguang said: “We’re about to start planting ourselves anyway. You can just watch from the side as we go through each step. It’s not difficult.”
“Hmph! Always cozying up to male comrades. Have you no shame!” Liao Hongmei walked past the two of them, her expression gloomy and sinister.
Song Ziyao’s expression remained unchanged. She did not take Liao Hongmei’s words to heart at all.
Instead, Wang Yiguang looked embarrassed and said: “Then let’s leave it at that. You carry on with your work. It’s my turn to fetch water today, so I’ll get going.”
Song Ziyao smiled and nodded.
The people helping Song Ziyao reclaim the vegetable plot were all male comrades. Aside from Zhou Shuguang and another nearly invisible person, Chen Mo, the other four all participated.
Song Ziyao provided them with one meal a day. Although there was no meat, everything they ate was refined grain, and the stir-fried dishes contained plenty of oil.
The four of them were completely satisfied.
After three days, the plot had been deeply tilled three times and fertilized once. It was more or less ready for planting vegetables.
During those three days, Song Ziyao went to work as usual and did not run into Tan Jinhe even once.
Only then did she realize that the interactions between the Educated Youth and the local commune members were actually not very deep.
They worked separately, and ordinarily there was little reason for them to interact.
As an Educated Youth, if she and Tan Jinhe did not deliberately seek each other out, even meeting once was difficult.
Looking at it this way, the fact that she had kept running into Tan Jinhe during the previous two days really had been Heaven helping her.
But why did Heaven stop helping her now?
Before Song Ziyao had even finished sighing, she suddenly remembered that Tan Jinhe’s father was still making furniture for her!
She could go ask about the progress.
That reason was perfectly legitimate!
But when Song Ziyao eagerly went to Tan Jinhe’s home and shamelessly lingered there for quite a while, she still failed to wait for Tan Jinhe to return.
By the time even Tan Youliang, who had been working, was becoming impatient from all her questions, she finally left reluctantly.
After Song Ziyao left, even the usually honest and taciturn Tan Youliang could not help complaining: “What does this girl mean? Is she afraid I’ll cut corners when making her furniture?”
And she’s even standing here watching.
Tan Jinhe, who walked out from inside the house, said indifferently: “She’s probably just curious.”
Tan Youliang said: “…I’ve never seen a young woman curious about carpentry work.”
Tan Jinhe walked to the entrance of his courtyard and looked in a certain direction. He could still see a tiny retreating figure.
His gaze gradually deepened.
His half-clenched fist unconsciously tightened.
The peanut plant that Song Ziyao had pulled from the Production Team’s field had been forgotten by her for several days.
When she finally remembered it, she had assumed it would already have withered. However, when she entered the space and checked, she found that it was still as fresh as when it had just been pulled from the ground.
Did this mean that food stored in a refrigerator could remain preserved even after being taken outside?
Song Ziyao decided to conduct an experiment.
After taking out a portion of the food, Song Ziyao returned to the garden and prepared to plant the peanut.
The peanut plant she had pulled had not yet matured, and the seed coat and shell had not yet separated. She casually dug a hole in an empty patch of ground and planted the peanut seedling there.
Just like the flowers and plants in the garden, the peanut seedling quickly began to change.
Its leaves gradually turned yellow, the plant became looser in structure, and it started to topple over…
After it stabilized at a certain stage, Song Ziyao tried pulling the peanut plant out.
Distinct patterns had already appeared on the peanut shells, and their shape was fully formed. When she cracked open the shells, the kernels inside were already completely mature.
It seemed her guess had been correct. Crop seeds from outside the space could also rapidly grow and mature inside the space.
Moreover, even if they were not harvested, they would not wither or rot.
On one side of the garden was an empty tract of land of approximately three mu. It had originally been intended for a plum grove. Ever since Tan Jinhe left, however, she had lost interest and had left it vacant.
If needed in the future, it could be used specifically for growing grain.
After that, Song Ziyao went to inspect the other items inside the space.
Another seven-day cycle had arrived.
During this period, she had used many of the things in the space. She had even cut up one piece of clothing and altered it into sleepwear.
Then she discovered that aside from the clothing, which had not returned to its original state, all the other daily necessities had been restored, just like the food.
Song Ziyao finally felt reassured.
She no longer had to worry about running out of toilet paper and sanitary pads.