My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 19 Mountain People
"Susu, cut the meat and wash and prepare the vegetables. I'm going to Uncle Wu's house. I'll cook when I get back."

Chen Ling packed two bundles of green vegetables and a bag of peanuts into a urea bag, and then said.

"what?"

"Are you going to return the donkey cart to your fifth uncle now? The backyard gate is locked, I'll get you the key."

Upon hearing this, Wang Susu got up to go inside and get the keys.

Chen Ling stopped him, saying, "No need for the key. I'm not going to return the donkey cart. I need it again tomorrow. I'm going to let Uncle Wu know."

"Oh, that's how it is."

"Then I'll go get you a flashlight, it's getting dark."

Wang Susu didn't ask what the donkey cart was for tomorrow; she turned around and went inside to get a flashlight for Chen Ling.

Chen Ling smiled upon seeing this.

It's so nice to have such a wonderful wife.

When Wang Susu brought the flashlight, Chen Ling took it and left the house.

It has to be said that the nights in mountain villages were really dark in those days.

Not to mention streetlights, there are hardly any houses with even electric lights on.

It was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Firstly, the current power supply is not very good, otherwise the decision would not have been made to erect high-voltage power lines this year.

Another thing is that the mountain people are very frugal; they continue to live the way they did in the past.

We can't afford a TV, and we hardly use any lights. A few cents a month for electricity is considered a lot.

The phrase "pitch black" is perfectly apt for the current situation.

Chen Ling walked to Wang Laishun's house with a flashlight. The whole family was there when he entered.

They ate around a round stone table in the courtyard, with kerosene lamps lit.

"Hey, Fifth Uncle, Aunt Guizhen is eating!"

Chen Ling turned off the flashlight and went inside carrying the peanuts and vegetables.

"We've arrived with wealth! Have you bought everything?"

When Wang Laishun saw that it was Chen Ling, he put down his bowl, got up and got him a stool.

“I bought it!”

Chen Ling nodded, then said, "But Fifth Uncle, I need to use the donkey cart for another two days..."

As soon as the words came out.

Wang Laishun's wife, who hadn't said a word since Chen Ling greeted her, immediately frowned, while Wang Laishun's two daughters-in-law rolled their eyes.

"Huh? A donkey cart?"

Wang Laishun was taken aback for a moment, but didn't react much. He said while eating, "Go ahead and use it. Anyway, we haven't gotten busy yet, so use it if you want."

Are you preparing to plow the field?

"It's not about plowing the land; I also have to make several trips back and forth to the county town to haul some things."

Chen Ling waved his hand and explained.

His words even made Wang Laishun frown:

"Fugui, what are your plans?"

"I don't have any plans. I just want to buy what I need and then start working on that piece of land."

Chen Ling smiled. He wouldn't tell outsiders what his plans were.

Upon hearing his words, apart from Wang Laishun, the rest of his family secretly sneered, thinking that this big idiot must have lost his mind.

Is there anything to mess around with in Erzhu's place?

Why bother going to the county town to spend money on this and that? What good will that do?

Watch how he cries at the end!
"Alright, you decide for yourself."

Wang Laishun sighed, not knowing what to say in front of his own family.

"By the way, Fifth Uncle, I brought you some things from the city."

Chen Ling opened the urea bag and took out a bundle of green beans and a bundle of eggplants first.

Finally, there are the peanuts.

Wang Laishun's family was quite surprised to see that Chen Ling had brought out fresh vegetables.

These days, nobody in the countryside spends money to buy vegetables; every family has their own vegetable garden.

In winter, vegetables are also stored in cellars or pickled in jars.

Only people from the county town buy vegetables.

But no matter what, even in the county town, vegetables are not cheap this season.

And they weren't mistaken, were they? These are eggplants and green beans?

"Green beans? Eggplant? Peanuts?"

"Are they all fresh?" Wang Laishun picked them up and looked at them, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes, it's fresh."

"These are all grown in greenhouses, just picked. I bought some when I came back from the county town."

Chen Ling smiled and nodded.

"What? Grown in a greenhouse?"

Wang Laishun was even more surprised.

"Is it the greenhouse that the higher-ups have been supporting for the past two years? The one Erzhu is going to set up in a while?"

Chen Ling continued to nod.

At this point, everyone else at the table put down their chopsticks and looked over.

Wang Laishun's wife, Liang Guizhen, who had been too lazy to pay attention to Chen Ling, came over, picked up the green beans and eggplants, and took the initiative to strike up a conversation with him:

"Wow, these vegetables in the greenhouse must cost a lot of money per pound."

"Yeah, not bad."

Chen Ling gave a light, nonchalant reply.

Seeing that Liang Guizhen was holding onto the two bundles of vegetables and wouldn't let go, everyone knew what she was thinking.

These vegetables are different from the ones he has at home.

He found a secluded place before returning to the village and temporarily created it from the outside world.

Like peanuts, it's only slightly tastier than regular vegetables.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be willing to give it to anyone else.

"Aunt Guizhen, these peanuts are fresh too, they just came from the greenhouse."

"It would be good to get up early tomorrow to cook porridge for the kids."

Chen Ling offered a reminder.

Liang Guizhen smiled and said she understood, but she still held onto the two bundles of greens without giving the peanuts a second glance.

why?
Green beans and eggplants are generally not available during this season.

Can it be made cheaper?
Although peanuts are not cheap, they don't seem so precious compared to greenhouse vegetables.

Seeing this, Chen Ling found it amusing and said, "Fifth Uncle, I'll be going now. I'll bring the donkey cart back to you when I'm done using it."

"Let me see you off!"

The greenhouse vegetables had already been delivered, and Wang Laishun felt embarrassed to sit still.

Chen Ling hurriedly said no, but Wang Laishun still escorted him to the gate of the courtyard.

After watching Chen Ling walk away, he returned to the courtyard with his hands behind his back.

He suddenly frowned and said, "Fugui got a beating, he's probably up to something. This time he might actually cause some trouble."

"What can he possibly accomplish? He's just a lazy, good-for-nothing spendthrift."

Liang Guizhen spat and carried two bundles of vegetables into the house.

The two daughters-in-law exchanged a glance, neither daring to say a word.

……

When she got home, Wang Susu had already washed and chopped the vegetables and cut the meat into two separate bowls.

When Chen Ling returned, she couldn't help but ask about the origin of the vegetables.

After all, in this day and age, the appearance of off-season vegetables is quite intriguing.

Unlike in later generations, where even a small child would take it for granted.

"This is something produced in a greenhouse. You know what a greenhouse is, it's the kind of thing Erzhu is going to build this year."

"After it was covered, it was like spring all year round inside."

"You can grow watermelons and vegetables even in winter..."

"Things that can only be eaten in spring and summer can now be eaten all year round, whenever you want, thanks to greenhouses."

Chen Ling explained with a smile.

"what?"

"So, it seems like you can really make a fortune growing crops in greenhouses?"

Wang Susu stared in surprise, her mouth agape.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she stammered, "Then, buying so many vegetables must have cost a lot of money, right?"

"It didn't cost much, my little housekeeper."

Seeing her adorable appearance, Chen Ling reached out and pinched her little nose.

Wang Susu was easily embarrassed and couldn't stand this.

A blush instantly spread across her face, her heart pounded, and she glared at him shyly and reproachfully before lowering her head to wash the wok, not daring to look at him again.

(End of this chapter)