Chapter 20 – Greenhouse Weeding

This snowfall either wouldn’t come, or once it came, it wouldn’t stop. It fell continuously for two days and nights, and no matter how much they shoveled, it never seemed completely clean.

Last night, Wang Yi’s mother had already told the five aunties that the next day they would clear the snow and weed the greenhouse.

Wang Yi’s greenhouses used only farm manure as fertilizer and no pesticides, so weeds grew quickly.

When Wang Yi got up in the morning, she saw that the snow had finally stopped.

Stepping outside, her foot sank into the snow ankle-deep. In the Northeast, this kind of snow usually happens only a few times each winter.

Suddenly, cries and shouts came from the street. Her father immediately ran outside.

Wang Yi also wanted to go see, but her mother stopped her, because that sound likely meant an elder in the village had passed away. Her mother didn’t want to scare her.

Half an hour later, her father returned, looking very grim.

Her mother hurriedly asked, “Whose house?”

Her father replied in a low voice, “Old Meng has passed away.”

Her mother was shocked. Just a few days ago, he was lively and well—how could he just be gone?

“What illness?” Her mother couldn’t accept it; he had seemed fine.

“He froze to death last night,” her father said, changing clothes to go help.

“Was he drinking?” her mother raised her voice.

Old Meng was a particularly kind man. When Wang Yi and the other children were young, he always shared good food with them. His only flaw was that he loved drinking. Each year, he bought about 500 jin (≈250 kg) of 60-degree liquor.

After drinking, he wouldn’t cause trouble; he would just sleep.

Wang Yi knew that after drinking, his body would be warm, so lying in the snow wouldn’t feel cold immediately. But once hypothermia set in, the extremities froze first, eventually leading to death.

Her father said sadly, “He was drinking alone at home last night. His wife saw he had been drinking until past ten and didn’t wait for him to sleep first. Who knew why he went outside again? He froze to death outside his own gate.”

Sigh! Every year in the Northeast, incidents like this happen a few times.

Wang Yi knew her parents couldn’t go to the greenhouse, so she went with her brother.

Her brother set up the snow removal equipment for insulation, while Wang Yi led the aunties in weeding, using forks, and thinning seedlings.

It had been two days since anyone came to the greenhouse, and the weeds had grown a lot. Inside the greenhouse felt like a completely different world from outside.

By noon, their stomachs were growling. Just as Wang Yi was thinking about lunch, her brother rode a tricycle into the greenhouse, with his wife and their little nephew sitting behind.

As soon as the little nephew got off, he shouted, “Auntie, we brought lunch!” Wang Yi smiled and went to greet them.

Opening the lunch boxes, a familiar aroma wafted out. Wang Yi immediately realized they were having homemade rice wraps for lunch.

Fresh cabbage leaves, steamed soft potatoes, fragrant rice with meat sauce—simple, yet incredibly delicious. Everyone sat together, eating and chatting about daily life.

Talking about Old Meng, everyone sighed in sympathy.

Her brother shook his head and said, “People really need to be careful. Drink in moderation.”

Wang Yi nodded in agreement. After finishing their meal and resting briefly, everyone returned to work in the greenhouse.

Looking at the thriving crops, Wang Yi’s heart was full of hope.

Though life had sad moments, like Old Meng’s passing, most days were filled with ordinary warmth. As long as they worked hard, life would steadily improve.

“Two flowers bloom, each on its own branch.”

While Wang Yi worked energetically, Lu Yan ran into a problem.

He had scheduled a visit to Tianchi, but due to the snowfall, Tianchi was closed all day. The opening time would be announced later.

He didn’t know whether to wait or move on to the next location.

Lu Yan saw that he had nothing urgent to do, so he decided to wait a bit! He extended his stay at the guesthouse for a few more days—the food here was still very good.

Sometimes, even regret can be a kind of beauty.

Lu Yan stayed in Changbai Mountain for three days. The guesthouse informed him that the Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) would open tomorrow.

When he saw the full view of Tianchi, he was truly amazed.

Standing at the edge of the lake, a gentle breeze brushed his face, carrying a hint of coolness.

He gazed long at the water, calm and deep like a mirror, feeling awe in his heart.

As the light grew stronger, he felt as if the surrounding air had frozen.

Within the light, vague images began to appear—ancient tribal rituals, people singing and dancing around the lake, chanting words that seemed to be prayers for the gods’ protection.

In an instant, all the scenes vanished. It was truly magical; this wait had not been in vain.

Meanwhile, Wang Yi and her family had to pull weeds for several days. Unexpectedly, the farm fertilizer she applied was so effective that the weeds grew incredibly tall.

After finishing a day’s work, Wang Yi went straight to her grandfather.

Were her dad and the others there? Were they waiting for her?

“Maybe our farmhouse restaurant can officially open. I see Yiyi’s vegetable greenhouse is ready for harvest. Let’s plan the opening day,” her grandfather was the first to speak.

“Then our menu will focus on authentic Northeastern farmhouse dishes: big-pot stews, chicken, duck, goose, rice bundles, and we should also bake potatoes and sweet potatoes,” her mother and aunt summarized together.

Wang Yi added, “I’ll take care of the vegetables—guaranteeing fresh, pure green produce every day.”

“Later, we’ll put the guesthouse on Meituan and Ctrip, make the promotional photos and copy. Once it’s up, we can accept reservations,” Wang Yi thought.

“Okay, so once there are customers, we can start operating?” her sister-in-law asked uncertainly.

“Yes. Once we have bookings, we can prepare,” Wang Yi replied.

After viewing Tianchi, Lu Yan planned to move on to the next destination: Yanbian.

It was his last day in Changbai Mountain, and he visited the hot springs to experience the local culture.

Arriving at the hot spring pool, he relaxed in the steaming water.

Nearby, he overheard people talking about a soon-to-open guesthouse specializing in authentic Northeastern farmhouse cuisine, using fresh, green ingredients.

Lu Yan thought to himself, “This is exactly the style I like. I must try it if I get the chance next time.”

He asked where to book that guesthouse, noticing it was in Songyuan—the place he intended to visit.

He saved the information and planned to book it when he went to Ganhu.

Meanwhile, Wang Yi’s family was busy preparing for the guesthouse opening.

The promotional photos and copy were quickly uploaded on major platforms, and soon they received their first booking.

The whole family was cheerful, busy cleaning rooms and setting up the dining area.

Wang Yi carefully selected vegetables for the next day, each one fresh and tender.

That evening, the family gathered to taste the dishes, trying the signature dish planned for the opening—stewed chicken with mushrooms.

Wang Yi’s mother and aunt cooked skillfully; the chicken was tender and fragrant, and the mushrooms absorbed all the juices. Everyone nodded in approval after tasting.

Lu Yan left Changbai Mountain and headed to Yanbian, traveling through picturesque scenery.

He felt that only a fraction—perhaps one-tenth—of Northeastern China had been properly developed.

Northeast China was truly a treasure, with its unique culture and customs. The people were warm and hospitable, always welcoming guests with good food and drink.

Indeed, the land shapes the people who live on it.