The purpose of Jiang Lianyue’s trip was to build a good relationship with Huang Xing and, through him, get in touch with the director of the tea factory, so she readily agreed.
Village Head Chen was also worried about that plot of land and immediately led them toward the jasmine fields.
The field they visited today was not the one Jiang Lianyue and the others had inspected the day before. When they reached the edge of the field, Jiang Lianyue noticed that the jasmine leaves, which should have been dark green and light green, were indeed turning yellow.
“Comrade Jiang, take a look.” Huang Xing picked a leaf and held it up in front of her, frowning deeply as he said, “There’s been a lot of rain lately. When I first noticed the yellowing leaves a few days ago, I asked the village head about it. He said the fields really haven’t dried at all recently, so I guessed it was caused by overwatering. I specifically told him to drain the standing water. But just now the village head said he followed my instructions, and the leaves are still yellow. What do you think is causing this?”
Jiang Lianyue took the yellowed leaf from Huang Xing and examined it carefully. Aside from the veins, which were still green, the rest of the leaf was yellowish green.
This was not a symptom of excessive watering but of iron deficiency.
“Have you applied any fertilizer recently?” Jiang Lianyue asked.
Village Head Chen replied, “We applied nitrogen fertilizer half a month ago. Technician Huang said nitrogen fertilizer helps jasmine leaves grow better.”
Jiang Lianyue nodded. “Nitrogen fertilizer does have that effect.”
Huang Xing’s frown deepened. “But the leaves that should have turned greener instead turned yellow. Comrade Jiang, do you know why?”
As he spoke, he looked at Jiang Lianyue with hopeful eyes.
Jiang Lianyue did not put on airs and answered directly. “There are two possible reasons for yellowing leaves. One is what you mentioned, overwatering. The other is iron deficiency.”
“Iron deficiency?” Huang Xing and Village Head Chen exclaimed in unison, their four eyes widening slightly.
Can flowers be deficient in iron?
Huang Xing was a technician and reasonably well educated, but he had only heard of people suffering from iron deficiency anemia. He had never known that plants could also lack iron.
“Yes, iron deficiency. If the leaves turn yellow after they fully expand, then it’s due to excessive watering.” Jiang Lianyue nodded slightly and held up the leaf, pointing to it with her right hand. “But these jasmine leaves still have green veins, while only the leaf tissue has turned yellow. That’s a symptom of iron deficiency.”
Village Head Chen nodded. “So that’s how it is.”
Huang Xing was more rigorous. He lowered his head, picked another leaf, examined it carefully for a moment, then bent down to check other jasmine plants. “Yes, that’s right. The veins are all green, only the leaf tissue has turned yellow.”
With confirmation from a professional, Village Head Chen trusted and admired Jiang Lianyue even more and immediately asked, “Comrade Jiang, then how do we supplement iron for the jasmine?”
He had only studied with a private tutor for two or three years as a child. Later, during the war, he learned a little here and there from political instructors. After liberation, he had shaken off illiteracy and could read newspapers and books, though only at a basic level. The more he learned, the more he realized how little he knew. He genuinely admired educated people like Jiang Lianyue from the bottom of his heart.
So his question was sincere.
Using the term “supplement iron” for jasmine sounded a little amusing. Jiang Lianyue almost wanted to laugh when she heard it, but seeing Village Head Chen’s serious expression, she felt that laughing would be disrespectful. She pressed down the corners of her mouth, turning a toothy smile into a gentle one, and said, “By applying fertilizer. Iron fertilizer.”
Village Head Chen looked confused. “Is there such a chemical fertilizer?”
After retiring from the army, he returned to his hometown. Although he didn’t farm much himself, he handled the village’s fertilizer procurement and knew what fertilizers were commonly used. He had never heard of iron fertilizer.
“There’s only urea and nitrogen fertilizer in town.” Village Head Chen looked at Huang Xing with some difficulty.
As a technician, Huang Xing should know where to find iron fertilizer, right?
Huang Xing looked embarrassed. “I’ve heard of iron fertilizer, but I don’t know where it’s sold.”
If neither of these locals knew, then Jiang Lianyue, as an outsider, knew even less.
Under the intense gazes of Village Head Chen and Huang Xing, Jiang Lianyue racked her brain for more than ten minutes before saying thoughtfully, “I vaguely remember that a PLA chemical factory produces iron fertilizer, but I can’t recall the exact name.”
Huang Xing said, “That’s fine. As long as we know how to treat it, I’ll report it to the factory director when I get back and have him ask around. He has wide connections and should be able to find out where iron fertilizer is produced.”
“Yes, indeed. It’s all thanks to Comrade Jiang for knowing what disease the jasmine has. Otherwise, we wouldn’t know what to do,” Village Head Chen said in agreement.
The three of them then walked around the jasmine fields, tallying the affected area, and did not return to Nahuan Village until the sun was high overhead.
The village head invited them to eat at his home. Huang Xing and Jiang Lianyue did not refuse, but neither went empty-handed. When they passed the small shop, Huang Xing bought two jin of rice wine, while Jiang Lianyue bought two packs of cigarettes.
Seeing them buy wine and cigarettes, Village Head Chen repeatedly tried to refuse, but when Huang Xing and Jiang Lianyue ignored his protests and carried the items into the Chen household and handed them to his wife, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
He did not covet the wine and cigarettes, but he was pleased that Huang Xing and Jiang Lianyue were so well-mannered. It showed they did not like taking advantage of others and understood reciprocity. They were people worth befriending.
Auntie Chen had already prepared the meal, and they waited for Chen Xiao to return before starting to eat.
There were still three dishes on the table today, braised pork, braised pork liver, and stir-fried sweet potato leaves. The pork liver had not been handled well, and a faint fishy smell lingered in the air.
Jiang Lianyue smiled and said, “I got to taste Auntie’s cooking again today. That’s wonderful.”
Auntie Chen was so pleased by the compliment that her eyes narrowed into slits. “Then eat more.”
Huang Xing was taciturn and not very good at polite conversation. Fortunately, he often came to Nahuan Village and was familiar with the Chen family, so there was no need for excessive courtesy.
After the meal, Huang Xing suddenly asked, “Comrade Jiang, I plan to return to the factory shortly to report to the director. Would you like to come with me? You’re familiar with yellow leaf disease and can explain it more clearly than I can.”
He was an honest man and worried that Jiang Lianyue might be unwilling to help with such trouble, so he added, “I’ll treat you and Comrade Zhou to dinner tonight.”
When Jiang Lianyue heard this, she thought, Perfect timing, and smiled as she said, “It’s just a small effort. No need to be so polite.”
That was her agreement. Huang Xing said happily, “I rode my bicycle here. I’ll give you a lift back later.”
“Alright,” Jiang Lianyue replied.
After a while, she remembered her morning appointment with Zhou Jiajing and turned to Village Head Chen. “Village Head, could I borrow the village telephone later to let Zhou Jiajing know?”
“No problem,” Village Head Chen readily agreed.
Zhou Jiajing was also eating at Village Head Ban’s home in Nakuan Village.
Village Head Ban had three more children than Village Head Chen. Five children, all still in school, so his family was less well-off. There were only two dishes on the table: braised pork and stir-fried sweet potato leaves. The pork had more fat than lean meat.
Village Head Ban did the cooking himself. His cooking seemed slightly better than Auntie Chen’s, but still not as good as Jiang Lianyue’s.
Zhou Jiajing thought to himself that he wondered what she was eating in Nahuan Village.
Judging by Village Head Chen’s attitude toward her today, he had no doubt the village head would invite her to eat at his home. He just didn’t know whether she would get any meat.
“Comrade Zhou. Comrade Zhou.”
Village Head Ban’s raised voice pulled Zhou Jiajing’s thoughts back from Nahuan Village. He asked blankly, “Village Head, what did you just say?”
“A-Qiang said that someone surnamed Jiang called from Nahuan Village earlier. She told you she’s going back to Hengzhou first and that you don’t need to wait for her when you return.”
Zhou Jiajing frowned slightly and gave a low response.
Village Head Ban wanted to ask whether he should call back to see if something had happened, but seeing Zhou Jiajing’s displeased expression, he quietly closed his mouth.
It was better not to meddle in young people’s affairs.
Zhou Jiajing was indeed a bit annoyed. He was here worrying that she wouldn’t eat well, yet she just left him behind and went back on her own.
Zhou Jiajing clenched his molars. If he kept worrying about her, then he really would be… really would be a fool.
At the same time, under the blazing sun, Jiang Lianyue let out a loud sneeze.
She was saying goodbye to Huang Xing and Village Head Chen. When she sneezed, both of them looked at her with concern.
Jiang Lianyue smiled. “My nose suddenly felt a bit itchy.”
Village Head Chen laughed. “The weather’s been hot one moment and cool the next. Comrade Jiang, take care of your health.”
Jiang Lianyue smiled and accepted his concern. “I will.”
After bidding farewell to Village Head Chen, Jiang Lianyue and Huang Xing returned to Hengzhou.
Hengzhou Tea Factory and the machinery factory were located at opposite ends of the county, one south and one north. Huang Xing rode his bicycle with Jiang Lianyue on the back straight to the tea factory.
Compared to the well-funded Hengzhou Machinery Factory, which even had several-story dormitory buildings, Hengzhou Tea Factory looked much poorer. The buildings were only two or three stories high, and the exterior walls had yellowed, clearly not repainted in a long time.
That was only natural. Jasmine tea had not yet become Hengzhou County’s signature industry, so it was normal for the tea factory to be poor.
As soon as they entered the factory grounds, a faint tea fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose. Jiang Lianyue took a deep breath, drawing the scent into her lungs, then slowly exhaled.
This familiar smell, She missed it so much.
Seeing that Jiang Lianyue had not followed, Huang Xing turned back and found her eyes half-closed, her expression complicated. He couldn’t help asking, “Comrade Jiang, what’s wrong?”
Jiang Lianyue opened her eyes and said softly, “There’s a tea fragrance in the air. It smells very nice.”
“I really like it,” she said.
She had grown up surrounded by this very scent. Smelling it again, memories from her previous life flashed through her mind without her realizing it.
“Heh heh, I like it too.”
A gentle laugh suddenly sounded from around the corner. Huang Xing turned his head and greeted “Director” respectfully.”
Director Liao?
Following Huang Xing’s gaze, Jiang Lianyue saw a thin, refined middle-aged man walking toward them.
This was Liao Anping, the director who had the insight and courage to develop Hengzhou County’s jasmine tea industry.
Jiang Lianyue admired this visionary and decisive director greatly.
She quickly greeted him. “Hello, Director Liao.”
Liao Anping smiled and nodded. “Hello, welcome to Hengzhou Tea Factory.”
Liao Anping’s father had been the previous director of Hengzhou Tea Factory. He had moved to Hengzhou with his father at a very young age and could be said to have grown up in the tea factory. He had deep feelings for it and an even deeper love for tea. Having just heard Jiang Lianyue say that she also liked tea, he immediately felt a sense of closeness toward this young woman.
Huang Xing introduced Jiang Lianyue to Liao Anping. “Director, this is Comrade Jiang Lianyue. Comrade Jiang was introduced by Village Head Chen. She has extensive knowledge of jasmine. The yellow leaf symptoms I reported to you last time still haven’t improved after our visit today. Comrade Jiang says it’s not caused by overwatering, but by iron deficiency.”