The kang (heated brick bed) for left-behind women

Chapter 27 Successful Seedling Cultivation

Lin Dachun devoted all his energy to the planting of sea buckthorn.

The reclaimed seedbed was leveled and smoothed, like a dark brown velvet blanket spread on the sunny slope.

Following a method he learned from the older generation and combined with his own ideas, Lin Dachun soaked the sea buckthorn seeds he had collected last year in warm water for a day and a night, and then mixed them with some clean fine sand, saying that it would help them break open.

Li Ruoxue carefully scattered the seeds evenly on the seedbed, and then covered them with a very thin layer of fine, flour-like fertile soil sifted on a fine sieve.

This work required immense patience and meticulousness. The two knelt on the ground beside the seedbed and worked for most of the day, as if they were not sowing seeds but performing some kind of devout ritual.

Each tiny seed carries their heavy hopes.

After sowing the seeds, Lin Dachun cut thin bamboo poles and willow branches and built a low, arched trellis along the edge of the seedbed.

Li Ruoxue found all the old plastic sheets and tattered burlap sacks she could find in her home and carefully pieced them together to cover the shed.

"What's going on?" Li Ruoxue asked, puzzled. Did farming really require this?

"It retains moisture, keeps out birds, and protects against frost at night," Lin Dachun explained, pressing down on the taut plastic sheet. "Sea buckthorn seeds are small, and the seedlings are delicate. When they first sprout, they can't break through the hard soil and can't withstand the frost. With this shed, it's warm and humid inside, so the seedlings sprout evenly and grow stronger."

From that day on, this seedbed on Wild Fox Ridge became the most important concern in the hearts of Lin Dachun and Li Ruoxue.

Every day before dawn, Lin Dachun's first task is to go up the mountain, open one end of the seedling shed for ventilation, and check the humidity.

Before sunset, make sure the shed is completely covered.

He cared for this budding hope, which had yet to turn green, as if it were a baby.

The days of waiting felt exceptionally long.

About ten days later, on an ordinary morning, Lin Dachun went to lift the shed as usual.

When he bent down to examine it closely, his breath caught in his throat.

On the dark brown soil surface, tiny, tender yellow-green shoots, topped with their seed coats, are trembling as they break through the soil!

They are so small that they are almost imperceptible, yet they possess a tenacious vitality that is startling, densely covering the seedbed!

"Ruoxue! Ruoxue! Come and see!" Lin Dachun's voice was filled with rare excitement as he shouted towards the cave dwellings at the foot of the mountain.

Li Ruoxue ran over upon hearing the sound, and when she saw the patch of new green, she immediately covered her mouth, her eyes instantly turning red.

These aren't weeds; they're sea buckthorn seedlings they planted themselves and eagerly awaited day and night! They've really sprouted!

The two squatted by the seedbed, looking at it again and again, as if they could never get enough of it.

That tender green, glistening under the rising sun, seemed to contain sunshine and hope in every inch of its verdant hue.

"It's out...it's really out..." Li Ruoxue murmured, tears finally falling, but they were tears of joy.

Lin Dachun stretched out his rough fingers, wanting to touch them but not daring to, and in the end just hovered them above the seedlings, feeling their burgeoning vitality.

"Yes, they're sprouting." He stood up, gazing intently at the vast, uncultivated hillsides in the distance. "The seedlings are sprouting; that's half the battle won!"

In the days that followed, tending to the seedlings became the top priority.

Watering should be as fine as rain or mist; too much water will cause root rot, while too little water will cause the plant to dry out and die.

When the sun is too strong, provide shade; when it's too cool at night, cover yourself up properly.

Lin Dachun practically lived on the mountain, and Li Ruoxue would make several trips there every day.

The seedlings were also very promising, changing every day, from pale yellow to light green, and then gradually turning dark green. Although the leaves were small, they were plump and swayed gently in the spring breeze.

Occasionally, curious villagers would wander up the mountain to take a look. Upon seeing the lush, thriving sea buckthorn seedlings covering the entire shed, their initial mockery would gradually diminish, replaced by surprise and complex contemplation in their eyes.

Could it be that Lin Dachun... actually managed to figure something out?

Lin Dachun and Li Ruoxue didn't care what others thought.

All they knew was that the roots of hope had already been planted in the soil.

The next step is to frantically water, fertilize, and weed to protect these seedlings as they grow, and then transplant them to a wider hillside, turning that barren land into their "green bank."

As the spring breeze grows warmer, the new greenery on Wild Fox Ridge grows thicker and more vibrant each day.