Back to 1980: Farming the Sea and Expanding the Island

That evening, Lin Chuan arrived at the brigade headquarters. The transportation team's affairs were still being handled by Li Jianshe and Wang Pusheng.

The two of them had become familiar with the process, and the others were just waiting for the ship to arrive so they could go to the transport team to work as crew members.

They earned twice as many work points each month. As for Zhao Chenghu, they focused on keeping an eye on him. If he caused any trouble, these men weren't afraid.

After communicating with the village chief, Li Jianshe, Wang Pusheng, and others, he went to retrieve his letter.

He hasn't sent anything out recently, except for the articles he sent to various newspapers a few days ago.

Lin Chuan thought he must have received a reply and was very happy.

I signed the document, took the envelope, and it felt quite heavy.

Tearing open the seal, several items slid out: a document stamped with an official red seal, and a "Letter of Appointment for Observer" with a dark blue cover.

A small packet of seeds wrapped in kraft paper, a brand-new hardcover notebook, and a fountain pen.

Lin Chuan opened the seed packet, inside were several small, pre-packaged bags labeled: Sesbania, Safflower, Sweet Osmanthus...

He opened the file again; it was a copy.

Approval Regarding the Establishment of a Comprehensive Monitoring Point for the Tidal Flat Management of Qingpingzhou and Canhong Island...

His gaze quickly swept over the official terminology, finally settling on the most crucial sentence:

"After review, it is approved to establish a county-level long-term observation point for comprehensive tidal flat management on Canhong Island, Qingpingzhou, in your county... Comrade Lin Chuan is appointed as one of the first grassroots observers for this observation point..."

Lin Chuan had sharp eyes; if one thing didn't work out, another would. He hadn't expected that before the newspaper had even replied, his brother-in-law had already confirmed it. Was the efficiency really that fast?

Lin Chuan had just returned home in a good mood when Wang Hao's hesitant voice rang out from outside the gate: "Xiao Chuan... is he home?"

He didn't expect things to get so complicated.

He had also heard about the problems Lin Chuan and his group had with their boat purchase loan, but fortunately the village chief resolved them.

Lin Chuan went out to greet him and saw Wang Hao standing in the twilight, his expression somewhat complicated, holding a net bag containing two rather large mullet.

"Rat? Come in quickly." Lin Chuan said with a smile.

Wang Hao didn't move, but handed over the net: "Just finished selling, got two good ones, here you can try them."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "Um... Zhao Chenghu asked me to pass on a message to you."

Lin Chuan smiled and took the fish, then looked at Wang Hao and asked, "What did he say this time?"

"Xiao Chuan, Zhao Chenghu said that he has something urgent to attend to and needs to go out of town to handle a batch of goods. He can't come to the dinner party tomorrow."

"I'll make plans with you next time... I don't know what he's up to," Wang Hao said honestly.

Lin Chuan smiled and handed the fish to his mother, who had come out after hearing the noise: "Auntie, this fish was brought by Haozi. Good things are happening all day. Let's have an extra dish tonight."

Then he turned to Wang Hao, his tone as relaxed as if he were talking casually: "Okay, I understand."

Manager Zhao is a very busy person, I understand. Could you also pass on a message for me: we can eat anytime, there's no rush.

Wang Hao was stunned for a moment; the disappointment, anger, or questioning he had expected did not occur.

Lin Chuan's reaction was too calm, so calm that it made Lin Chuan even more uneasy.

"Chuanzi, you...you're not angry?" Wang Hao couldn't help but ask.

"Angry?" Lin Chuan laughed. "What's there to be angry about? It's normal for someone to have something to do."

He glanced at the kitchen in the yard, where smoke was already rising from the chimney. "Besides," he said, "we're busy with a lot going on in the house right now. The greenhouses have just been planted, so we'll just have to see how things go."

"No, I heard you're offering loans..."

"Don't worry, the village chief has already taken care of it, hasn't he?" Lin Chuan waved and laughed.

Looking at Lin Chuan's calm expression, Wang Hao suddenly felt that his previous worries and anxieties were somewhat unnecessary.

He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "That's true, you're quite busy these days. Okay, then... I'll head back now?"

"Stay for dinner, the fish is all here," Lin Chuan invited.

"No, no, I've already eaten." Wang Hao waved his hand, turned around and took a few steps.

He turned back and quickly whispered, "Chuanzi, if you ever need anything from me, just let me know."

Lin Chuan looked at him, smiled, and nodded: "Thanks, Mouse."

As dusk deepened, Wang Hao's figure disappeared at the end of the village road.

Zhao Chenghu's broken promise didn't stir any ripples in his heart. In fact, he thought it was for the best.

Instead of wasting time on pointless dinner parties and arguments, it's better to water the vegetable garden one more time.

He turned and went back to the courtyard, where he heard the sizzling sound of frying fish and his mother's coughing from the kitchen.

Father and grandfather washed their hands by the well, talking quietly about the work on the island tomorrow.

Xiaoman was doing her homework at the table in the main room, the lamplight casting a long shadow of her small body.

The next morning, the group arrived at the greenhouse.

Lifting the cotton cloth, the temperature inside the shed was much higher than outside, and a wave of heat rushed out.

"Brother Chuan, this tent is really warm."

Lin Chuan opened the gauze wrapping the celery seeds, revealing tiny white sprouts inside. The spinach seeds were also almost showing white sprouts.

Spinach takes a little longer; it will take some more time.

"It's done! It really sprouted!" Li Jiaye shouted happily. "Brother Chuanzi, your method really works!"

The water monkey reached out to touch it, but quickly withdrew, afraid of breaking the tender bud.

"Xiao Chuan, your breeding method is really good. These seedlings look so fresh and vibrant," Lin's mother said with a smile, her face full of joy.

"Mm, it's all from the books. This method is more scientific," Lin Chuan said with a smile.

"Monkey, family business, come here and let's start sowing."

Normally, celery seeds germinate in a cool, humid, and dark environment at a temperature of 15-20 degrees Celsius.

Generally, the white part begins to appear after 5-7 days, which is when the radicle just breaks through the seed coat and reveals a small white dot.

When most of the seeds show signs of sprouting (about 7% white), they can be sown into seedbeds or seedling trays.

Lin Chuan had experimental data from his previous life, and he obtained high-quality seeds from Chongming Island. With controlled temperature and humidity, the seeds quickly sprouted.

The two quickly responded.

Lin Chuan poured the celery seeds into a small basin, added some fine soil and mixed it well. As he did so, he explained, "Adding fine soil is to spread them evenly. Otherwise, they will grow in clumps and compete for nutrients."

"Sowing should be shallow, and after sowing, cover with half a centimeter of fine soil. Sandy soil is prone to hardening. If it is too thick, the sprouts will not be able to emerge. If it is too thin, the roots will not be able to take root firmly."

"This is the core technique for planting in sandy soil," Lin Chuan said with a smile.

Lin's parents followed along, learning from each other, while Wang Daopu and Li Jiaye were busy in shed number two. Sunlight streamed in through the plastic sheeting, making it warm and cozy.

"What's next?" Lin's mother couldn't help but ask.

"If the daytime temperature exceeds 25 degrees Celsius these days, open the shed openings for ventilation, and cover it with cotton cloth at night," Lin Chuan instructed.

"Once the seedlings have grown to the point where the two cotyledons have unfolded, thin them out, leaving one strong seedling per hole and removing the weak ones, otherwise the seedlings will grow too densely and not be strong."

By 10 a.m., the sowing in both greenhouses was completed.

The group stood outside the shed, gazing at the raised beds covered with a thin layer of soil, imagining the tender green sprouts emerging in a few days, their hearts filled with anticipation.

Wang Daopu wiped his sweat: "Brother Chuanzi, will we really be able to harvest vegetables by the New Year using this method?"

"Definitely," Lin Chuan nodded and smiled, his tone certain.

Lin's father patted Lin Chuan on the shoulder, his tone full of satisfaction: "This greenhouse is really a delicate job. Farming is so particular these days."