Daily Life in the Countryside After Being Reborn
Chapter 187 - 15: The Loving Hearts of Parents Everywhere (Part 2)

Chapter 187: Chapter 15: The Loving Hearts of Parents Everywhere (Part 2)

At the critical moment, it was Feng Xing who found a colleague of his. That colleague’s hometown was in the north-east, and eventually, they shipped a whopping ten bags of black earth all the way from there. The soil quality; just as it was poured out, instantly surpassed that of the mixed soil Zhuo Feng had surreptitiously dug from the flowerbeds downstairs.

At the end of August on a weekend night, the lights were rarely on in the old apartment building. Feng Xing set up a rack of bamboo right in the middle of the balcony, hanging a light bulb on top, which was powered by electricity pulled up from the lower floors. Additionally, a hallway light was installed along the corridor from the sixth floor to the rooftop.

To prevent water from seeping down to the lower floors, the area of the rooftop designated for cultivation was entirely covered with a layer of silver waterproof membrane, and then the soil was spread evenly on top.

While sorting through books at home a while ago, Zhuo Feng found a rooftop planting manual she had purchased during college, written by a Japanese agriculture planter who had personally experimented with rooftop farming methods. It stated that to cultivate plants, the most suitable soil depth was over ten centimeters, and the plants chosen should mainly consist of low-growing or vine species. She also specifically bought a batch of basic phosphate fertilizer from the flower and bird market and mixed it into the soil.

Xiao Xian had also gradually gotten used to the urban planting methods. The city was different from the mountain villages; it was impossible to find rice straws to fertilize the fields, and besides, Zhuo Feng was currently so enthusiastic, Xiao Xian hadn’t planned to use "Space Liquid" to alter this rooftop garden.

On a summer night, the fresh scent of the soil on the rooftop brought back Xiao Xian’s memories of her days in Ge Village.

Feng Xing walked out with a plate of watermelon just taken from the fridge and handed it to Xiao Xian and Zhuo Feng.

Watermelon from the fridge was quite refreshing, but its flavor couldn’t compare to that naturally brought out by chilling with well water. Xiao Xian thought this, her eyes filled with a certain wistfulness. When Zhuo Feng last left Ge Village, she left a phone number behind. Since the village probably still hadn’t had telephone lines installed, there was no way for Xiao Xian to contact Zhu Shijun; she considered writing a letter, at least then her grandfather would know her situation in the city.

After taking a bite, Zhuo Feng exclaimed with satisfaction and then said, "Xiao Xian, don’t worry. In just a couple of months, when you return from the boarding school, you’ll see lots of vegetable seedlings here, almost no worse than those in Ge Village."

Xiao Xian was momentarily stunned, her thoughts drifted back from Ge Village, and then she looked at Zhuo Feng who was awkwardly holding her fingers in an orchid shape, using only the two clean fingers to pinch the watermelon slice. Feng Xing chuckled beside them, suddenly understanding their diligent efforts. Both her aunt and uncle wished to create in this bustling yet indifferent city, a blissful haven akin to Ge Village for her.

"Don’t throw away the watermelon rind, we’ll dig a hole later and bury it to fertilize the soil," said Zhuo Feng, embarrassed by Xiao Xian’s gaze, picking up the watermelon rind to bury in the soil.

"By the way, there’s a letter in the mailbox for you today, Xiao Xian. It looks like it’s from Sacred Heart Middle School. Ah Feng, did you buy the athletic wear for Xiao Xian? She’ll need it for her daily long-distance running practice as a special-admissions recruit," Feng Xing still didn’t understand Zhuo Feng; the clothes she bought were all style over substance.

"Running? Didn’t I tell you last time? Xiao Xian isn’t a long-distance running special recruit; she’s a basketball special recruit," Zhuo Feng remembered as well. The day she received the good news via a phone call and had a joyful dinner, her mind wasn’t set on the details of the specific special-admissions recruit.

"Basketball? Xiao Xian is really good! Does your village have a basketball court?" Feng Xing became somewhat curious about Ge Village, a ten-year-old girl who did well in her academics, knew plenty about agriculture, and apparently even played sports like basketball.

Xiao Xian shook her head; there wasn’t any basketball court. An enclosure for pig farming was built, though, which was the doing of Uncle San Gouzi’s wife.

"And the basketball hoop?" Feng Xing continued to smile.

Shaking her head again, what basketball hoop? There were loads of bamboo-woven baskets, though.

Feng Xing choked on his words, without a basketball court or hoop, how did she came to play basketball.

"Oh, Xiao Xian, I forgot to tell you, once you’re a basketball special recruit, you won’t be playing alone; you need to learn to play with others. You’ll be playing with eleven people," Zhuo Feng finally remembered this detail she’d tucked away in a corner of her memory.

"Ah Feng, not by herself. What you’re talking about is soccer, basketball is played by five people. There are positions like point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. A formal basketball game has a total of fifty-eight rules," Feng Xing grew more animated as he spoke; he himself was a faithful fan of the NBA.