Chapter 185: Planting Fruit Trees

Peng Ziyun had heard about the incident involving the Wang family from his son. He didn’t consider the minor punishment a big deal and felt quite pleased. He was surprised that these mischievous kids could use their brains when out of her sight. However, he wasn’t worried about them going astray. With the presence of the elderly revolutionaries in the family, their children would surely stay on the right path.

When Zhang Lan mentioned the chaotic situation at the time, both of them laughed heartily.

“Dinner is ready,” Peng Ziyun brought out the meal from the kitchen. The mother and daughter had originally planned to make some fried pancakes for lunch. However, upon seeing the arrival of Zuo Xiangcheng and his wife, Zhang Lan brought out some tomatoes and cucumbers and cooked two additional dishes. The four of them enjoyed the two large dishes with the fried pancakes, and it was incredibly delicious.

The couple was delighted with the meal. They didn’t have access to such fresh vegetables in their military camp, where they mostly ate coarse grains.

“Sister, where did you get these? They’re so delicious. We don’t have these for sale at our base,” Peng Ziyun asked.

Zhang Lan smiled and replied, “Qian Qian and I saw our neighbor selling them, so we bought some while they were fresh. You can take the leftovers back with you. It’s like having some fruit. We’ll buy more later. Our vegetables will be ready in our area soon. When you have time, come over and take some.”

Peng Ziyun really wanted to eat the vegetables but felt a bit embarrassed. “Sister, it’s not right. You bought these with your own money. How can I take them?”

Wang Qian smiled and said, “Auntie, don’t be polite. These things from our village don’t cost much. Our own vegetables will be ready soon. When they are, you can come and take some.”

Peng Ziyun stopped being polite and, after finishing the meal, bid farewell to the mother and daughter as they had to go out for some errands. Before leaving, they took the persimmons and cucumbers with them.

Wang Qian still had some left in the space. Since there was still some time before they had to leave, Zhang Lan went inside to tidy up, and Wang Qian went to the space to pick a basketful. She then found a cloth bag in the kitchen and filled it with some vegetables.

“Mom, I’m going to take these to Auntie Shan. I’ll be back after that, and then we can leave,” Wang Qian said.

Zhang Lan knew that her daughter was still attached to the old feelings. If it weren’t for this woman’s help, they wouldn’t have been able to sell their goods in this area.

“Alright, go ahead. Don’t linger there. Just drop off the vegetables and come back,” Zhang Lan said.

Wang Qian carried the cloth bag and went to Wang Shan Shuzhen’s house. Shan Shuzhen, who was having a meal at home, was surprised to see the young girl coming to give her something.

“Auntie Shan, these are from my mom. We have to catch a bus later, so I won’t stay long,” Wang Qian said.

Originally, Shan Shuzhen had wanted to invite the girl inside, but after hearing her words, she changed her mind and said with a smile, “Alright, I won’t keep you. Next time you come to Auntie’s house, I’ll thank your mom. Take care.”

After returning home with the empty cloth bag, the mother and daughter checked to ensure nothing was left behind before boarding the bus back.

Today, the mother and daughter’s money bag was once again full. Zhang Lan didn’t dare to carry the money on her person and had placed the larger sum in her daughter’s space.

Upon returning home, the elderly lady was feeding the pigs. “Auntie, I’ll take over. You can rest. Today, we saw Third Brother and his wife,” Zhang Lan said.

As she fed the pigs, Zhang Lan recounted the encounter with the couple. Meanwhile, Wang Qian, carrying a basket, was about to head inside when Hao Lianchun took it from her. “Qian Qian, let Grandma take it. It’s so heavy. Why did you buy so many tomatoes and cucumbers? It’s good that you all like to eat them. Grandma will cook for you.”

However, when Hao Lianchun took out the cucumbers, she found a bottle of soybean oil hidden underneath. Seeing the puzzled look on the elderly lady’s face, Wang Qian stepped in and presented the pre-discussed excuse.

Although Hao Lianchun was a bit puzzled, the fact that they now had oil at home meant they didn’t have to worry about cooking. Therefore, she didn’t feel the need to ask too many questions about the matter.

“Grandma, we have oil at home now. Let’s use a little when we cook tonight. We usually eat frugally, but today, let’s indulge a bit,” Wang Qian suggested. With oil in the space, she wasn’t worried. Hao Lianchun didn’t want to disappoint the young girl and had a subconscious feeling that she wasn’t just being greedy, but rather wanted to provide for everyone.

The elderly lady was always with the young girl, and she had never seen her do anything unreasonable or indulgent. She even had the feeling that this child wasn’t like a typical kid. The resilience and selflessness she displayed were qualities that even some adults didn’t possess.

Patting the young girl’s tender face, the elderly lady said with a smile, “Alright, I’ll use more oil tonight to make sure your little bellies are well-oiled.”

After the elderly lady agreed to her request, Wang Qian obediently washed the cucumbers and tomatoes for Hao Lianchun. She then handed a washed tomato to the elderly lady and said, “Grandma, have some.”

After taking a bite, the elderly lady said, “Hmm, it’s delicious. It’s even better than when you wash them, Qian Qian. Help Grandma start the fire, and I’ll start cooking.”

As Wang Qian lit the fire, Zhang Lan finished feeding the pigs and came inside. The two chatted about the encounter with Zuo He’s parents.

With nothing else to do, Wang Qian strolled over to the orchard across the river. It was almost time to finish work, and Wang Zhenli was busy pruning the fruit trees. When he saw the young girl approaching, he warmly greeted her, “Qian Qian, how come you have time to come over? I haven’t seen you fishing these past few days. Don’t forget your Third Uncle when you catch a big fish next time.”

“I’ll go fishing for you tomorrow and bring it over. By the way, Uncle, I have a question for you. Do you have any small fruit tree seedlings in the orchard that you don’t need? I want to dig a few and plant them in the backyard of our house,” Wang Qian said with a smile, her hands behind her back.

Wang Zhenli had plenty of those small tree seedlings, and he had been planning to remove some to avoid affecting the growth of the fruit trees.

“Qian Qian, I do have the seedlings you want, but how many years will it take for them to bear fruit after you plant them at home?” Wang Zhenli asked. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to give them to her, but the seedlings were still quite small, and it would take a long time for them to grow into trees.

Wang Qian wasn’t expecting immediate results, so she didn’t mind the small size of the seedlings. “Uncle, I don’t mind the time it takes. As long as there are seedlings, it’s fine. Can you dig up a few of different varieties from the orchard?”

Wang Zhenli readily agreed to his niece’s request. He led Wang Qian to the deep part of the woods and dug up several different varieties for her. The seedlings were small and didn’t weigh much, so Wang Qian could carry them by herself.

“Do you want me to help you carry them back?” Wang Zhenli asked, feeling sorry to see the young girl carrying so much on her small shoulders.

However, Wang Qian refused. “Uncle, I can manage by myself. I’ll be on my way.”

After getting what she wanted, Wang Qian leisurely made her way down the mountain with a bundle of tree seedlings. When she reached the dam, she stored some of them in the space and continued to carry the rest back home.

Zhang Lan and the others had already prepared dinner and were waiting for their daughter to return. They didn’t know where the people who were present during the meal had gone, but they knew that the young girl had her own plans and had probably gone to take care of something.

As the family waited, they saw Wang Qian come in carrying a bundle. Wang Zhenhe quickly went out to take the things from her, but when he saw the bundle of what looked like tree seedlings, he couldn’t help but feel a bit amused and exasperated.

“Wang Qian, did you go out just to get these? How many years will it take for these seedlings to grow?” Even Wang Zhenhe felt a bit worried after seeing the small tree seedlings.

However, when the elderly gentlemen saw the seedlings, they all nodded in approval. “Not bad, Wang Qian. How did you think of this? With these seedlings, your family won’t have to worry about not having fruit to eat. Zhenhe, you need to think long-term. These small seedlings will grow into big trees in a few years. What’s there to worry about? Look at how open-minded Qian Qian is. My granddaughter is quite insightful,” Zuo Zanshan said, giving full affirmation to Wang Qian’s actions.

Zuo Zanshan’s words completely affirmed Wang Qian’s actions. “Zhenhe, don’t just stand there. We can eat later. Let’s quickly dig some holes and plant these seedlings. Don’t let them dry out,” he added.

Wang Qian had already thought of a place. She directed everyone to the backyard, where the elderly gentlemen and Wang Zhenhe quickly dug holes, while Mingyuan and Zuo Hao helped plant the seedlings. The four women in the family carried water to pour into the newly planted holes. As long as the seedlings were well-watered, their survival was guaranteed.

“Dad, don’t underestimate the seedlings. Where can we buy them now? It’s already good to have these. In a few years, we’ll be able to eat all kinds of fruits. You’ll be happy then,” Wang Zhenhe’s daughter said, and he understood her point. There were no fruit tree seedlings available nearby, and even if there were, they would be similar to what they had. This was why many families in the area didn’t plant fruit trees. The growth period was too slow, and those who had fruit trees had planted them many years ago.

After hearing about the prospect of having fruits to eat, Mingyuan and the others were ecstatic. Some families had fruit trees, and they had long envied them. They had been wanting to plant fruit trees in their own homes, and Wang Qian’s actions today had finally realized their dream.

“Sister, I’ll water the trees in the future. When the time comes, you can apply some fertilizer. The young trees will grow quickly, and we’ll soon be able to eat the fruits. Let’s not rush it,” Mingcheng reassured his sister, fearing that she might not have the patience to wait. He wasn’t entirely sure if his sister had brought the seedlings home on a whim or for some other reason.

Zhang Lan knew her daughter’s thoughts the best and suspected that her precious daughter had come up with another idea.

After dinner, the elderly gentlemen finished their lessons with the siblings and returned to their own residence. Winter had passed, and they couldn’t afford to be idle. They had to give an account to Zhang Qiang and Guo Xing, so the five elderly gentlemen left together. However, they ended up having dinner at the house before leaving. They didn’t have to do anything themselves, as Hao Lianchun would take care of the cleaning and tidying up. Everything returned to its usual state.