125 The Green That Represents Hope

“Then don’t bother about him,” He Xing said casually, and Du Yue did not take the incident seriously either.

She shifted her gaze to the table. Just like yesterday, He Xing had prepared a lot of ingredients. “Teach me how to make braised pork today!” He Xing’s eyes were filled with anticipation. “I read from the recipe that the braised meat will melt in your mouth. It’s fragrant but not greasy. And the potatoes in it go well with the rice!”

Du Yue nodded. “Braised pork is indeed delicious! Adding some potatoes to the braised pork and pouring the thick gravy over the rice…” Just thinking about it made her drool!

He Xing opened a packet of self-heating instant hotpot. It was a beef hotpot with beef, tripe, bean sprouts, black fungus, kelp, and other vegetables. The instant hot pot and braised pork were placed on the table, which could be considered a meat and vegetable combination. The iron bucket was placed in the living room. When the two of them finished eating and came out, not only had the firewood burned out, but even the remaining ashes had turned cold. This was because the temperature in the living room was too low. In this case, it was hard to say whether this low temperature was a good or bad thing.

He Xing brought the cut potatoes and sweet potatoes to the living room. The two of them covered them with wood ash. The potatoes and sweet potatoes, which were covered in wood ash, were placed in a place with a suitable temperature. The two just had to wait for them to germinate now. Du Yue took her potatoes and sweet potatoes home. When she passed by the corridor, she took note of the scene below. The stairs were empty, and there was no sound at all.

Perhaps it was because the species had been improved by the base, or perhaps it was because the temperature in the bedroom was warmer, but after about 24 hours, Du Yue saw that there were already small sprouts when she went to look at the potatoes and sweet potatoes again. After looking at the white snow outside for a long time, Du Yue could not help but feel a little excited when she suddenly saw a touch of green that represented life.

These green sprouts, regardless of whether they could successfully grow in the future or not, had brought her long-lost hope. From that day on, Du Yue’s daily pleasure was watching the growth of these potatoes and sweet potatoes. A week later, the small tender shoots had grown slightly larger leaves, and it was time to transplant them.

He Xing brought back four bottles of nutrient solution from the base and gave Du Yue two. Du Yue poured some water into the storage tank and added the nutrient solution according to the right ratio. She poured them in together. After that, she carefully placed the potato and sweet potato seedlings into the storage box.

The five boxes were placed against the wall by Du Yue. Every day, she could see them at a glance upon waking up. She looked forward to the growth of these young seedlings. Since she didn’t have much to do, she spent the rest of her time in her bedroom and teaching He Xing how to cook. She didn’t leave the seventh floor even once.

Time passed quickly, and the potatoes and sweet potatoes had grown a lot. At this time, Du Yue suddenly realized the biggest difference between the improved variety and the previous ordinary variety. These potatoes ripened in less than a month. The growth rate of potatoes in her previous life was twice as long. After Du Yue’s potatoes ripened, He Xing brought news from the base.

Because potatoes and sweet potatoes were rare, they were sold at a higher price in the supermarkets at the base. However, after this period of time, the price of potatoes and sweet potatoes dropped a lot, and everyone could afford to eat them now. As long as one’s family had the means, they would also plant potatoes and sweet potatoes.

These two types of food could be both staple foods and side dishes. They could even be made into starch and vermicelli. Although they weren’t expensive ingredients, everyone thought that it was good enough to have something to eat after such a long time of hunger.

“Nowadays, you can buy 500 grams of potatoes and sweet potatoes with one contribution point. The price is one-tenth of the previous price.” He Xing scratched his head awkwardly. “I was thinking of selling the potatoes and sweet potatoes at a high price after planting them, but under the current circumstances, the money we earn from selling them won’t be enough to cover our costs. We can only keep them for ourselves.”

Du Yue was suddenly reminded of her previous dream of becoming an agricultural expert. However, reality told her that He Xing was right. Dreams and reality were the opposite. Du Yue had no intention of selling them anyway, so she was not upset at all. “It’s okay. It’s our first time planting these sweet potatoes and potatoes. It’s better to keep them for ourselves. I can teach you how to make French fries with potatoes.”