Chapter 8

With the completion of the concrete bridge and the floating bridge, the finishing of the chicken coop, the successful transplanting of the large willow tree, and the tidying up of the backyard, the雏形 of the entire farm was now formed. All that was needed was to divert the water from the Xiaoqing River to release the fish fry. Buying vegetable seeds was also an urgent matter.

After entrusting the water pumping work to his mother, Wang Haiming set off for the town with Xiong Da. Under the strong offensive of the morning dew, Xiong Da finally managed to pass the test, albeit with a wobbly ride, but at least he wouldn't fall off. Otherwise, Wang Haiming wouldn't have dared to do it. Waving his arm, they set off, one man and one bear, heading towards the town in the morning sun.

After a nerve-wracking journey, Wang Haiming finally arrived in the town an hour later, only to discover a new problem—spectators. Some thought he was from a circus, some were just curious, and others simply loved the commotion. They surrounded the tricycle in layers, discussing and praising the little brown bear for being cute, smart, and well-trained by Wang Haiming...

Wang Haiming deeply regretted bringing this foodie along, fully experiencing the Chinese people's talent for spectating. After buying seeds for chili peppers, eggplants, watermelons, and other vegetables, Wang Haiming fled with the little brown bear, heading to the chick hatchery a few miles away.

"Phew," finally escaped.

"Wang Haiming, where are you going?" Just as Wang Haiming was about to relax, he heard a familiar voice. Turning his head, he saw an old classmate, Zhang Dandan.

"Hehe, to buy some chicks. What about you, not working?"

"I'm on leave, and I don't want to be a waitress anymore. I want to learn something to have a skill."

"What have you been doing at home? Since graduation, you haven't even called."

Seeing his beautiful classmate, Wang Haiming felt a surge of warmth and his mood improved. The gloom from earlier vanished, and he had the urge to tease her a bit.

"Really? Haven't seen you in years, do you miss me?"

"Of course not, I don't miss you at all." Zhang Dandan's face turned red, and she protested with a small fist, "Annoying."

"Do you want a hug?"

"Go to hell!" Wang Haiming enjoyed seeing Zhang Dandan's shy face. In the past, they often went to and from school together, and they had a lot of fun, but it was always in good fun, and Zhang Dandan never got angry.

"Hmph, I'm not talking to you. Wow, such a cute little bear, can I hug it?"

Wang Haiming was frustrated; she had the same expression as his little sister. Zhang Dandan, still pouting, ignored Wang Haiming and played with the little bear, her laughter like silver bells.

Actually, Zhang Dandan wasn't really angry; she was just very shy. Soon, they started chatting again. They talked about who got punished at the hotel, which chef argued with the manager, and who was dating whom...

Before they knew it, it was already afternoon, and four hours had passed.

"Sorry, I forgot the time while chatting. Did I delay your chick buying?"

"It's fine. It's so late, are you hungry? Let me treat you to a meal." Wang Haiming said seriously. He was never stingy with his friends.

"No need, I have things to do in the afternoon. Besides, with Xiong Da, which restaurant would let you in? But I'll remember, next time in the city, remember to treat me to a meal." With a laugh, Zhang Dandan happily rode away.

Seeing it was getting late, Wang Haiming hurried to the chicken farm. While buying chicks, Wang Haiming unexpectedly found ducklings and goslings. In addition to two hundred chicks, he also bought thirty white ducks and thirty white geese.

Carrying the goods was different; on the way back, Wang Haiming was extremely nervous, sitting on the edge of the cart to support them, fearing any accidents. The most dangerous moment was when the cart almost flipped into a ditch, making Wang Haiming break out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, he managed to avoid the danger and safely returned home.

Wang Haiming gave Xiong Da a big passing grade for his performance. After placing the chicks, ducks, and geese in the chicken coop, Wang Haiming found some millet, mixed it with space water, and fed the little ones.

Watching them fight over the food, Wang Haiming smiled. He decided not to feed them any feed or hormones, only grains and green grass and insects.

Seeing the water level in the reservoir rise, Wang Haiming was in high spirits. He put all the small fish he caught earlier into the reservoir. Due to the completion of the concrete bridge, the original fish pond was divided into two parts, each 100 meters wide but 50 meters and 140 meters long, respectively. Although both parts needed fish fry, their uses were different. The smaller pond was for raising fish, shrimp, and crabs, and could also be used for raising ducks and geese, while the larger reservoir was for fishing.

Pushing a small cart, Wang Haiming also fetched some water plants from the Xiaoqing River and placed them in the reservoir. Although the reservoir was large, with the continuous effort of the water pump, it finally reached the predetermined water level by evening.

In the morning, the mist was thick, and a gentle breeze blew, causing the green leaves to sway as if dancing. The distant green mountains and clear waters were like a fairyland, a beautiful landscape painting. Various birds chirped, forming a unique symphony. As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm.

Wang Haiming didn't sleep in but got up early. Today's work was also heavy—planting vegetables. Some people thought planting vegetables was simple: just sow the seeds, water, and fertilize, and wait for the harvest. This was a big mistake. First, the land needed to be plowed and leveled, then the spacing measured, and the seeds or seedlings planted in equal rows. The number of seeds and the area were proportional, and the seedlings also needed a certain distance to avoid affecting their growth. Finally, watering and fertilizing were necessary, with the amount of water determined by the soil's dryness and the fertilizer not too much to avoid burning the young plants.

Wang Haiming planned to plant chili peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, rape, early peanuts, and watermelons. The night before, he had soaked the seeds in space water, which would greatly shorten the germination period. He decided not to use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, only organic fertilizers and space water, to create pollution-free green vegetables.

Although it had been several years since he last did farm work, Wang Haiming was not rusty. Although there were some initial errors, he quickly improved, and even his mother, who had been growing vegetables for over a decade, praised him.

First, he planted rape, whose seeds were very small and could easily slip through his fingers. After mixing them with some fine soil, Wang Haiming carefully and evenly spread them on the leveled land. For chili peppers and eggplants, which were seedlings, he first dug small holes, watered them, and then planted them.

When his mother wasn't paying attention, Wang Haiming added some space water to the watering bucket. With his mother's help, it still took four days to finish. Although there was more land, Wang Haiming decided not to develop it for now, as there were only two people at home, and they lacked the manpower.

"Hmm, hah." Seeing Xiong Da still practicing riding, Wang Haiming admired his persistence. The results were significant; his riding skills were almost at the level of a child, although still wobbly, much more stable. A reward was necessary, and the food mixed with space water made Xiong Da hum happily. A full large basin still didn't fill his stomach, so Wang Haiming had to make another one.