Chapter 70 - 71: One Winter
The coriander in the eight greenhouses grows better each day, all thanks to this year’s unusually warm winter. However, everyone knew this was only temporary, and that the cold would eventually come.
As expected, the temperature began to drop
after a while, frost started to appear, and the ground started to freeze. Inside the greenhouses, though, the temperature was still manageable, nowhere near as cold as outside.
Furthermore, coriander plants are frost-resistant, so after enduring the freezing cold for several days, Tang Zhinian began to feel relieved. His main concern was the cold damaging the coriander leaves, but they remained perfectly fine, still a vibrant shade of green.
They were now waiting for the snowfall, for which they were well-prepared. In truth, their preparations were quite simple; everyone in the village knew what to do. They needed a wooden board suspended on a long bamboo pole, one long enough to reach the greenhouse made of plastic.
Suddenly, Tang Zhinian opened his eyes wide and sat up. He gently touched his blanket, pulling it up slightly. Tang Yuxin was sleeping beside him. She was well-behaved and didn’t kick off her blanket or roll around in her sleep. Tang Zhinian was thankful for that, because had she done so, he would have been too worried to sleep soundly, fearing his daughter might kick off her blanket, fall ill, and then what?
He also took care not to accidentally hit her, hence sleeping quite a distance away. There were only two heated brick beds in their winter house. Therefore, Tang Yuxin had to sleep on the brick bed instead of her usual small wooden bed.
Tang Zhinian put on a jacket, put on his shoes, then quietly opened the door. When he just stepped outside, the door to the other room also opened.
From inside, Tang Zhijun came out, rubbing his eyes and yawning.
“Oh, bro, why are you awake?”
Tang Zhijun yawned again, struggling to open his eyes as he was still sleepy.
“I came out to see if it’s snowing.” Tang Zhinian tightened his cotton jacket. The moon outside was bright, casting a frosty glow on the ground, and also on the withered tree in the courtyard that had already lost all its leaves.
The stars were sparse and the moon was clear. Tomorrow was going to be good weather, unlikely to snow.
It’s a good thing that it hasn’t snowed. Tang Zhijun rubbed his hands together, admittedly they were apprehensive about the snow. They had to worry about sweeping the snow, so he hadn’t slept well for half a month, fretting about the coriander in the field and the greenhouses.
If the greenhouse remains intact, the crops inside will grow well. If the greenhouse collapses, everything inside is ruined, leaving their year’s hard work essentially wasted, leading to a big financial loss.
“Big brother, you should go back to sleep. You still have to keep an eye on Xinxin. Don’t let her kick her blanket off. It’s so easy to get sick in this cold winter.”
Tang Zhijun repeated the most frequently spoken words to Tang Zhinian this winter. There is only one child in the family. No matter what happens to them as adults, they can handle it, but they must never let their child go hungry or cold.
“Don’t worry, she’s very well-behaved.” Whenever Tang Zhinian mentioned his daughter, he couldn’t help but smile. “She has never caused me any trouble. She dresses herself and eats on her own, even goes to the bathroom without needing help.”
“Our Xinxin is easier to take care of than other kids.”
Speaking of this, Tang Zhijun also wore a proud look. Initially, he was worried that they, two grown men, couldn’t take care of such a small child. But in fact, not only could they take care of her, but they also managed to keep her clean and beautiful.