Chapter 58 : Who the hell picked two leaves from me?

When Su Ranran got up the next day, Shen He had already left the house.

Looking at the unfamiliar furnishings in the house, her still confused mind gradually cleared up.

Shen He had told her the night before that he had to go to the military camp very early and wouldn’t be back until noon.

Now, she was the only one in the whole house, and she didn’t need to be as cautious as she had been at Shen’s house.

Su Ranran quickly washed up and ate the breakfast Shen He had brought her. 

Then she picked up the hoe that Shen He had brought back last night. She was planning to tidy up the yard, plant trees where needed, and plant grass where it should be. She had even prepared the seeds.

They were the first batch of experimental plants cultivated in the space.

The sapling looked like an ordinary fruit tree, but in fact, the roots grew in the space, and the branches above were grafted. However, this tree would need to be “brought back” from outside by Shen He in a few days, to be planted properly.

Yesterday, Shen He had brought back two hoes, one long and one short.

It turned out that everyone living in the family compound could get a small patch of mud and a large patch of sandy land.

The muddy land was transformed from soil that the soldiers carried back home from the mainland in bags, where vegetables could be grown. The sandy land could only be used to grow sweet potatoes, peanuts, and similar crops.

As for rice, it couldn’t grow on this island. Most villagers on the island would go fishing or trade fish for rice if they wanted to eat it.

This practice continued until she left the island, with no improvements.

Su Ranran had been in the production team for quite a while. Although she wasn’t particularly skilled at farm work, she at least knew what she should know.

Besides, she had originally been a gardener. If she couldn’t even manage a small yard, she would feel ashamed.

After a while, Su Ranran dug up a piece of sandy land near the shower room.

As she was about to take out the grass seeds and scatter them, she suddenly heard someone calling her at the door.

“Are you home, wife of Shen He?”

“I’m here.”

Su Ranran quickly put down the hoe and walked toward the door.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw a woman with short hair who looked a little serious.

“Sister-in-law, come in and sit down.”

Su Ranran didn’t know this person, but in the military family compound, it was appropriate to call her sister-in-law.

Zhang Aizhen’s eyes scanned her, and when she saw her skin, so tender it seemed to be squeezed out of water, she frowned slightly and then said, “I’m Cao Zhifang’s wife, Zhang Aizhen. I heard that you arrived yesterday, so I came to see you today.”

It was meant to be a caring remark, but her slightly serious tone made it sound a little condescending.

Shen He had told her who lived in the family compound the night before. Su Ranran had a good memory and quickly realized that this was the wife of the regiment commander.

Su Ranran didn’t mind her attitude. She just did her best and didn’t want to leave anyone with anything negative to say.

“Thank you, sister-in-law, for your concern. I slept well last night and feel more energetic today.”

As she spoke, she politely invited her into the yard.

Zhang Aizhen nodded and followed her into the yard.

In fact, the houses in the entire family compound were exactly the same. From the yard to the rooms, there were no differences to be found.

But Zhang Aizhen still looked around the yard out of habit.

Her face, which was already serious, now seemed even more like a director on an inspection visit to the countryside.

Su Ranran didn’t take it personally and maintained her polite attitude, making sure no one could find fault with her.

“Sister-in-law, come in and sit down. I’ll pour you a glass of water.”

Shen He had told her the night before that even if she met her superior’s wife, she didn’t need to lower her attitude.

He hadn’t said it explicitly, but if she didn’t like it, she could simply ignore it.

Su Ranran was touched by his care for her, but she wouldn’t let herself jeopardize her husband’s future.

Having more friends means more opportunities, but making too many enemies can be dangerous, you never know who might trip you up one day.

Although she didn’t particularly like the serious-faced wife of the regiment commander, she had come to see her on the surface, so she couldn’t be impolite.

But hospitality was hospitality, and it was limited to superficial courtesy. If it went too far, it would disappear.

Zhang Aizhen didn’t want to sit in her living room. In fact, she didn’t want to stay there much longer.

Just as she was about to decline, she suddenly saw Su Ranran digging a piece of land in the corner.

“Are you going to do this?” Zhang Aizhen asked.

Su Ranran looked down at the land she had dug and nodded.

“Yes, I plan to plant something here,” she said, but she didn’t mention what exactly she planned to plant.

Hearing this, Zhang Aizhen’s already serious face frowned even harder, as if she could barely pinch a mosquito to death.

“You may not understand the situation of the island when you first arrived. This is sea sand, and it’s difficult to grow anything here.”

She looked like she thought Su Ranran was completely messing around.

Su Ranran, however, didn’t react. She knew the situation on Pingzhou Island very well.

Pingzhou Town was called a town, but in reality, it covered less than one-tenth of Hongqi Commune. Moreover, the island was far from the mainland, making it unrealistic for residents to transport large amounts of soil to improve the island’s soil.

Additionally, saline-alkali sandy land couldn’t just be mixed with some soil to grow vegetables.

The sand here was different from desert sand. The sea sand on Pingzhou Island Reef had large particles, poor adhesion, and contained a lot of salt and alkali, making it difficult to grow anything.

The reason Su Ranran wanted to plant something here was simply to test how well the plants from the space could adapt to the sandy soil.

Thinking of this, she smiled and continued, “I heard Shen He say this before I came here, but this land has been sitting empty anyway, so I thought I’d give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, it’s okay.”

Zhang Aizhen had heard this many times before, and seeing that Su Ranran didn’t listen to her advice, she was too lazy to say more.

Anyway, if the plants didn’t survive, she would know that she was right.

“Did Old Shen tell you that you have a vegetable plot and a sand plot?”

As the wife of the regiment commander and the director of the family compound, Zhang Aizhen felt it was her responsibility to arrange such matters for the new military wives.

But seeing the delicate and fragile-looking new wives, she couldn’t help but frown.

The family compound wasn’t very large, but there were many things to do every day.

Today, it’s this military wife at odds with that one, and tomorrow it’s another one. She had to manage all the big and small matters, and after years of dealing with it, she had become quite serious.

Shen He had already told her about the situation in the family compound the night before.

“I know, sister-in-law. I’m planning to visit the Wanwan Base later,” Su Ranran replied.

The Wanwan Base was a vegetable field with mud soil, and the South Island Base was a sandy land used mainly for growing sweet potatoes and other crops.

“It’s good that you know. If you have any questions, come and ask me,” Zhang Aizhen said.

With that, she nodded and left, as abruptly as she had arrived.

After Su Ranran sent her out the door, she was about to go back to get her grass seeds when she suddenly heard an angry shout from outside.

“Who the hell picked two vegetable leaves from me?”