Chapter 18 – Greenhouse Planting Finished

Wang Yi and the others worked quickly. They almost finished planting the strawberries, with only one greenhouse of celery left unfinished.

Everyone went home to rest, planning to finish the remaining planting the next day, and then all the work would be done.

That evening, Wang Yi went with her parents to visit her grandfather’s house for a while. Her eldest uncle lived next door to her grandfather, so a simple call meant everyone would come over.

Wang Yi packed some items from her space to give to her grandfather’s family: persimmons, strawberries, small leafy vegetables, eggplants, peppers, and beans—she packed a little of each.

Because of the busy days, her parents hadn’t visited her grandparents for several days.

In her father’s words, if they weren’t so busy, they would go to see them every day.

Wang Yi hadn’t realized that her father had a bit of a “mama’s boy” streak. At his age, he was still clingy—how embarrassing.

After spending an hour at her grandfather’s house, Wang Yi returned home. There was still work to do the next day.

She told her grandparents and eldest aunt to come to the greenhouses for lunch the next day, where a big pot of Sichuan-style hotpot would be prepared.

Her grandparents happily agreed.

Since it was still early, Wang Yi had time to check her space. If others had a space like hers, wouldn’t they use it fully?

Wang Yi didn’t want to rely entirely on the space—that would make her lose motivation. She wanted to “lie flat,” but her goals hadn’t been achieved yet.

Entering her space, she saw the medicinal herbs she had planted were growing beautifully.

The ginseng leaves were vividly green, having grown two more leaves, almost glowing with vitality. The lingzhi mushrooms had grown taller than last time, each like a delicate little umbrella.

She crouched down to inspect the herbs carefully, feeling a strong sense of accomplishment.

However, she also noticed some minor issues. A few herbs in the corners seemed to have small holes bitten by insects. Wang Yi thought that she couldn’t neglect them entirely and would need to take good care of them.

Just as she was preparing to get tools to deal with the pests, she suddenly noticed a small patch of plants she had never seen before in the space.

These plants had strange shapes, and their leaves shimmered with a faint glow.

Wang Yi was astonished—she had never planted anything like this in the space.

Could the space automatically generate new species? Curious, she approached and gently touched a leaf. A gentle energy flowed from her fingertips through her whole body, making her feel refreshed and invigorated.

Wang Yi decided to observe the mysterious plants for a while before studying their potential uses.

She summoned the small table and asked, “What kind of plants are these? I didn’t plant them!”

The small table replied in a plaintive voice, “You finally remembered me. Do you know how long it’s been since you last entered the space?”

“…later.”

“Sorry, I’ve been busy lately. Things will settle down after this period. Let’s get to the point—what kind of plant is this?”

Xiao Zhuozi thought for a moment: “I’m not entirely sure. The previous owner was from the cultivation world. Back then, he found this seed to make a resurrection potion, but he never succeeded. Unexpectedly, your ‘blind luck’ actually worked.”

Wang Yi got anxious: “Who’s blind luck? If this thing is useless to me, then just leave it there! I don’t care.”

“Maybe the previous owner can sense it?” Xiao Zhuozi whispered.

“What did you say? Speak louder—I didn’t catch that,” Wang Yi asked.

Xiao Zhuozi quickly hurried Wang Yi out: “Nothing, just go! If it gets too late, you still have work tomorrow.”

Wang Yi didn’t ask further, and Xiao Zhuozi breathed a sigh of relief.

After that, she left the space and lay on the warm kang, taking a long nap.

Her father knew what to do next. Wang Yi went into the street to buy ingredients for a Sichuan hotpot base.

She needed to buy three packs of dried seafood—this was essential for the Sichuan hotpot base. Without it, the flavor wouldn’t be authentic.

At the pork shop, she picked some pork belly. Today the pork she chose was particularly good—three layers of fat and lean. She bought two large pieces, totaling about four jin (≈2 kg).

She also bought 5 jin (≈2.5 kg) of fresh beef and lamb slices, some enoki mushrooms, while the remaining meatballs she already had at home.

Sesame paste, fermented bean curd, and garlic chive flowers completed the ingredients.

On her way home, she also stopped at the tofu shop for frozen tofu and dried tofu.

At home, she cut two heads of pickled cabbage, washed the vegetables, vermicelli, meatballs, potato slices, and sweet potato slices, and packed them into convenient bags.

Wang Yi and her mother moved the iron stove and large iron pot, borrowed from their aunt, onto the electric tricycle, placing all seasonings and vegetables into the iron pot.

Wang Yi drove the electric tricycle to the shop to buy two jin of noodles, then headed to the field.

Everyone was resting in Greenhouse No. 5. It looked like everything was in order—no need to rush.

Her older brother set up the large iron pot, and her sister-in-law fetched water and boiled it.

Then they added the dried seafood. They had to do it in three batches; otherwise, the flavor wouldn’t develop properly because the pot was so big.

After that, they added pork belly, pickled cabbage, and various meatballs. With the pot sitting on a wooden stove, everything heated quickly.

In this icy winter season, enjoying a Sichuan hotpot like this was truly a luxury.

Everyone sat around together. The food bubbled in the pot, sending aromas throughout Greenhouse No. 5.

Wang Yi first picked up a piece of well-cooked pork belly. She bit into it, full of flavor.

The aroma of the oil was enticing. “Mmm, really delicious,” she said.

Her brother wasn’t to be outdone; he scooped up a few meatballs, blew on them, and stuffed them into his mouth, mumbling indistinctly, “These meatballs were worth buying.”

Her mom smiled and served some pickled vegetables into everyone’s bowls. “Eat more pickles—they stimulate the appetite.”

At that moment, Aunt Li grabbed some beef slices from the pot with her chopsticks and shouted, “I want beef!”

Everyone burst into laughter. Her sister-in-law quickly took a few pieces of frozen tofu and said, “This frozen tofu is so delicious—every bite is full of juice.”

Everyone took a piece, sharing the foods they liked.

They ate and chatted, the conversation drifting from this year’s harvest to village gossip.

Wang Yi stayed quiet, listening carefully while eating—just the right pace for a meal.

Halfway through, she remembered the noodles hadn’t been added yet, so she quickly put them into the pot.

Soon, the noodles absorbed the broth and were ready to eat.

After finishing this hearty Sichuan hotpot, everyone leaned against the warm pot stand, satisfied and rubbing their stomachs.

Her father looked at the sky outside and said, “It’s getting late. Let’s finish planting the remaining seedlings and then pack up and head home.” Everyone got to work, each taking a section, and finished in under two hours.

Wang Yi settled the past few days’ wages with everyone, telling them she would call them for weeding next.

Seeing their joy at receiving the money made Wang Yi happy too—what a good feeling.

Everyone, tired but content, walked home, still savoring the flavors of the Sichuan hotpot.

Humming a little tune, Wang Yi reflected on the day’s work and felt deeply satisfied.

As she reached the village entrance, a group of children were playing. One ran over and tugged at her clothes, saying, “Sister, we heard you had something really delicious today. We could smell it!”

Wang Yi smiled and patted the child’s head. “Next time I make it, I’ll share some with you too.”

At home, Wang Yi helped her mom light the fire and cook dinner. The family gathered together again, enjoying a simple yet warm meal.

At night, Wang Yi lay on the kang, reviewing her accounts and planning the next planting schedule.

She thought that if the crops in the field had a good harvest, she could hire more people to help and improve her family’s living conditions.

Gradually, she drifted into sleep, dreaming of bountiful harvests and everyone’s happy faces.

The next morning, sunlight poured into the house. A new day began, and Wang Yi prepared with energy to face new farming challenges.