Go back to the past to plant trees

"Captain, can we make tofu tomorrow? You said you'd make tofu after we planted the trees!"

At dinner, looking at the stir-fried vegetables, potatoes, and steamed buns on the table, Shen Mengyin couldn't help but ask Zhao Tianshan, who was sitting across from her, a question.

“Yes, yes, we’ll do it tomorrow,” Zhao Tianshan agreed without hesitation.

"Jin Quan, make some tofu when you have some free time tomorrow."

Zhao Jinquan asked, "Are you making soft tofu?"

"Yes, let's make soft tofu."

"Captain, can you make some tofu pudding? I want to eat tofu pudding," Shen Mengyin said, looking at Zhao Tianshan with anticipation.

Meng Yue also said, "Captain, I want to eat too."

"Then make more, and I'll make you each a bowl of tofu pudding."

Wu Yansheng said, "Captain, if you're going to make it, make more so that everyone can try it. Even if you make two more bowls, it won't be enough!"

Zhao Tianshan was in a dilemma. "I also want to make more so that everyone can try it, but there aren't many soybeans left in the camp. If we make them all, then there won't be any left to eat later."

"Soybeans are nothing. We can just go down and buy more when we run out. Listen to me, we'll finish all the soybeans at the camp tomorrow. I'll go down to the dam in a few days and we'll buy a few pounds. I promise everyone will still have soybeans to eat in the future."

Wu Yansheng waved his hand and generously made the decision for Zhao Tianshan.

"Then let's finish it all, Jinquan. Tomorrow, make all the soybeans and give everyone a bowl of tofu pudding. Make the rest into soft tofu. We'll have pickled vegetables and tofu stew for dinner tomorrow night."

Zhao Tianshan wasn't the kind of person who was difficult to talk to. Besides, Yu Zhenglai and Qu He both told him to take good care of these students. It was just a few pounds of soybeans; he could eat them without a care.

"Yay..."

Upon hearing Zhao Tianshan's words, Shen Mengyin exclaimed happily.

"Don't get too excited yet, I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you all something."

Zhao Tianshan gestured for everyone to be quiet, and only spoke when everyone's eyes were on him.

"Here's the thing, now that the trees have been planted, for a long time to come, even until the autumn planting season, we won't have much to do. Everyone will be quite idle. But since the government pays us salaries, we can't just sit around doing nothing. So I discussed it with Feng Cheng. In the coming period, we'll take some time to investigate the terrain, environment, soil, hydrology, vegetation, etc. around the camp. We'll compile this data and make it into maps, charts, and the like. Next year, Saihanba will build a mechanized forest farm, and we'll definitely need this data then. If we do it in advance now, it'll save us from being scrambling around later."

Qin Xuemei agreed, saying, "I agree with Captain Zhao. When the mechanized forest farm is established next year, we will definitely need to use this data. We also need to find out which places in Saihanba are suitable for large-scale mechanized afforestation, so that once the machinery is installed on the dam next year, we can start afforestation immediately."

"Captain, when do we start this work?"

"Qin Xuemei, don't be in such a hurry," Zhao Tianshan gestured for Qin Xuemei to sit down. "This job wasn't assigned by the bureau, so there's no rush or pressure. We'll discuss whether to do it, when to do it, and to what extent."

"Also, Qin Xuemei and Meng Yue are in charge of the laboratory work. Analyzing soil and water sources requires the use of laboratory equipment and materials, so the two of you should stay in the laboratory for the time being."

"There are also Yan Xiangli and Ji Xiurong. Ji Xiurong is currently learning meteorology from Yan Xiangli and can't go out for a while. She needs to learn the basics first. So, the only ones who can go out to investigate right now are Shen Mengyin, Da Kui, Sui Zhichao, and Wu Yansheng."

"Of course, I should be included too."

"Captain, Shen Mengyin shouldn't go out. Going out to investigate is tough; she's a girl, how can she stand the wind and sun? Let her stay at the camp!"

Sui Zhichao spoke up for Shen Mengyin.

"Alright, then Shen Mengyin, you can stay at the camp and help out in the lab, or in the nursery or afforestation area. You can decide what to do."

"it is good."

Shen Mengyin didn't want to do this job either. The sun was scorching, and the wind and sand were so strong that her face would be dried out after a day outside.

"As for us, let's discuss when to go out."

Wu Yansheng said, "Captain, we also need to take care of the newly planted trees. We've divided up the shifts, and someone has to go over every day."

Zhao Tianshan said, "I have considered this. Huang Qiang and Zheng Erqiang don't have much work to do right now, and the most critical period for the saplings they planted earlier has passed. They can go over and help take care of those saplings."

"Of course, if you're worried, you can take care of it yourselves. I'll have Huang Qiang and Zheng Erqiang come back, and we can investigate as well."

“I’ll take care of them! I planted the trees myself, I don’t trust anyone else to take care of them.”

In Wu Yansheng's eyes, Huang Qiang and Zheng Erqiang were in cahoots with Feng Cheng. How could Wu Yansheng trust such people to take care of the saplings he had planted?

Moreover, Wu Yansheng didn't want to go out with them to eat sand and conduct investigations. To put it bluntly, it was just running around in the wilderness. They wouldn't eat or sleep well, and they would be exhausted. The work on the dam was already hard enough; going out into the wilderness to suffer on top of that was something Wu Yansheng wasn't going to do.

"Okay, then you can go to the afforestation area to take care of the saplings. Will you be alone, or would you like to find someone to go with you?"

Wu Yansheng said, "Let's have Da Kui! Let Da Kui come with me."

Of the four boys, only Da Kui is on good terms with him now.

Shen Mengyin suddenly spoke up, "Wu Yansheng, I'll go with you. Anyway, I don't have much to do at the camp."

"also."

Whether to bring Da Kui or Shen Mengyin, is there even a question? Who would want to bring a rough guy when they can bring a girl?

Shen Mengyin smiled, and Wu Yansheng was in a good mood, but neither of them noticed that Qin Xue's expression was somewhat cold.

Meng Yue, who was standing to the side, noticed it, but she thought Qin Xuemei was jealous. After all, Wu Yansheng had liked her for so long, and now he was suddenly with Shen Mengyin. No one could accept that.

What Meng Yue didn't know was that Qin Xuemei's attitude towards Wu Yansheng had changed after hearing Feng Cheng's words at the nursery today.

Sometimes people are like that; telling them directly is useless. You have to let them think for themselves and fill in the blanks in their minds. Only what they think for themselves will they believe and have no doubt about.

The closer Wu Yansheng gets to Shen Mengyin, the worse Qin Xuemei's opinion of him becomes.

Developing a liking for someone takes time and attention to detail, but disliking someone can sometimes be very simple—a single word or action can make her resent you.

So, many times when others don't like you, it's not because you've offended them, but simply because your personalities don't match and you can't get along. This is what people mean when they say, "Don't force yourself to be around other people."