Chapter 7: Receipt of the Greenhouse Blueprint

The day of the autumn harvest drew nearer, and the loudspeaker at the brigade headquarters had been calling all morning, urging every household to send laborers to the drying yard for a meeting. Su Yao had just placed the last bowl of sweet potato porridge on the table when a voice called from outside the courtyard, “Comrade Su, the meeting’s starting!”

“I know,” she replied, wiping her hands. Turning to her three children, she said, “Be good at home. Mother will be back soon.”

Lu Xingchen nodded. “Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll look after my little brother and sister.”

Su Yao patted his head, donned her straw hat, and headed toward the drying yard. The place was already crowded. Men squatted on the ground, smoking dry tobacco; women gathered in groups, chatting about daily life; children ran and played noisily, filling the air with laughter and shouts.

Secretary Li stood on a makeshift platform, clearing his throat. “Quiet down, everyone! The meeting is starting!”

The clamor gradually subsided as all eyes turned toward the platform.

“Today, we’re discussing increasing the autumn harvest,” Secretary Li began bluntly. “This year, there has been little rain, and the crops are growing poorly. The neighboring village has been using greenhouses and their yields are better than ours. Should we try it?”

The crowd immediately erupted.

“Greenhouses? Can that really work?”

“I heard it’s expensive. Does our brigade have that kind of money?”

“Even if we had the money, who would know how to build one? No one’s seen it before.”

Secretary Li frowned, waiting for the chatter to quiet down before continuing, “Don’t worry about the money. I’ve applied to the commune and we might get part of the funds. But no one here understands how to actually construct one.”

He glanced toward the technician, Xiao Ma. “Xiao Ma, you studied at the agricultural school. What do you think?”

Pushing up his glasses, Xiao Ma looked a bit embarrassed. “I’ve only studied the theory, never done it practically. I’m not sure about the exact design.”

Murmurs of disappointment spread through the crowd.

Su Yao, standing at the back, felt a stir inside her. She recalled the cabbage and potato seeds the system had rewarded her with yesterday, and her earlier claim about her family’s secret formula helping crops grow well. If they built a greenhouse and quietly used some of the spring water, perhaps the harvest could multiply several times over. She vaguely remembered the system having related rewards for greenhouses.

“I can draw the plans,” a clear voice rang out amid the crowd.

Everyone turned toward Su Yao.

“Comrade Su? You can draw greenhouse plans?” Secretary Li was surprised.

Su Yao nodded. “Yes, I read about it in books before, so I have a rough idea of how to draw it.” She didn’t mention the system, only that she had seen it in books.

At that moment, laughter broke out.

“Comrade Su, you city girl, what do you know about greenhouses?” sneered Liu Laowu, a seasoned villager. “Are you just talking theory without any real experience?”

“What good is drawing some scraps of paper? Can that feed us?”

“I think she just wants to show off. If she really tries, who knows what a mess she’ll make.”

The jeers echoed around her, but Su Yao’s expression remained calm. She looked at Secretary Li and said, “Secretary Li, could I borrow some ink and brushes? I’ll draw it now. Everyone can see if it’s workable.”

Secretary Li hesitated but, seeing she was serious, nodded. “Alright, go to the brigade office and get the materials.”

Soon, someone brought ink, brushes, and rough sheets of paper. Su Yao found a flat stone, spread the paper on it, dipped her brush in ink, took a deep breath, and began to draw.

Her movements were skilled, the lines flowing smoothly and accurately. She first sketched the rectangular frame of the greenhouse, marked the ventilation openings, drew a rough outline of a thermometer, and even labeled the height, width, and length.

At first, some people stood nearby, whispering and mocking. But as the drawing grew clearer, the murmurs died down, and more villagers gathered with keen interest.

Xiao Ma squeezed through the crowd, eyes brightening as he muttered, “This ventilation design is excellent; it can regulate temperature... and this thermometer is crucial...”

When Su Yao finished the last stroke and put down her brush, she said to everyone, “Look, this is the greenhouse design I made. With ventilation, the air inside can circulate; with a thermometer, we can monitor the temperature anytime, ensuring the crops grow well.”

Silence fell over the crowd. Those who had mocked her earlier looked embarrassed.

Secretary Li took the drawing, scrutinized it for a long while, then exclaimed excitedly, “Excellent! Comrade Su, your drawing is very professional! Xiao Ma, what do you think?”

Xiao Ma examined the plans repeatedly, nodding vigorously. “Secretary Li, this drawing is amazing! It’s even more detailed than what I learned at school. If we build according to this, it will definitely work!”

Liu Laowu opened his mouth to say something but was quietly tugged by someone nearby and swallowed his words.

Su Yao breathed a sigh of relief, about to speak again, when the system’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind: [Problem solved for the collective. Reward: list of greenhouse materials.]

She quickly summoned the list mentally. It included bamboo poles, plastic sheets, wires, nails, and detailed quantities. Most excitingly, at the end of the list was an item marked “special fertilizer,” with space left blank.

Su Yao’s eyes gleamed with an idea. She secretly filled in the “special fertilizer” section with: “Must be used in conjunction with family secret formula; significantly increases yield.”

This way, when building the greenhouse, she could legitimately add in the spring water. The only problem was how to convince the villagers to accept this “special fertilizer.”

“Comrade Su, you’re incredible!” Secretary Li said, handing the drawing to Xiao Ma. “Xiao Ma, calculate the amount of materials needed from this and make me a list. I’ll apply to the commune immediately.”

“Got it!” Xiao Ma took the plans and ran off excitedly.

Secretary Li addressed the crowd again. “Everyone heard that, right? Comrade Su has drawn the greenhouse plans. Once the materials arrive, we’ll start building! This autumn harvest might just be our best yet!”

Cheers erupted from the crowd. The villagers’ eyes now looked at Su Yao with newfound respect and gratitude.

“Comrade Su is truly remarkable!”

“Now our village has hope!”

Su Yao smiled and waved her hand. “Don’t praise me; this is just what needs to be done. Whether it succeeds depends on all of us working together.”

As the meeting dispersed, many came over to greet Su Yao warmly. Even Liu Laowu approached, slightly embarrassed. “Comrade Su, I was wrong earlier. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“It’s okay, Uncle Liu. You only want what’s best for the village,” Su Yao replied with a generous smile.

Back home, the three children crowded around her.

“Mother, how was the meeting?” Lu Shihan asked, looking up with a bright face.

“Mother drew the greenhouse plans, and everyone praised me,” Su Yao said with a smile.

“Really?” Lu Yuxuan’s eyes lit up. “Does that mean we’ll have lots of food from now on?”

“Yes,” Su Yao nodded. “From now on, we’ll have enough to eat every meal.”

Lu Xingchen looked at Su Yao quietly and said, “Mother, you’re amazing.”

Su Yao stroked his head, feeling warmth in her heart. She knew drawing the plans was only the first step. Next came building the greenhouse, planting crops, and many other tasks—especially dealing with that “special fertilizer.” She had to find a way to get the village to trust it.

Sitting by the kang stove, looking out the window, sunlight filtered through, casting mottled patterns on the floor. In the courtyard, Lu Shihan and Lu Yuxuan played with stones, while Lu Xingchen sat nearby, holding a stick and lost in thought.

Su Yao recalled the system’s rewarded material list and the miraculous spring water. She believed that with everyone’s united effort, and the spring water’s help, the greenhouse would be built, and the village’s harvest would improve.

But how to use the spring water in the greenhouse without arousing suspicion?

Frowning, she pondered. Perhaps she could first try it in her own small vegetable garden—plant some greens and water them with the spring water. When the crops grew better than others’, she could gradually share the secret.

Yes, that’s the plan.

With a firm decision, Su Yao felt much more at ease. She stood and went to the courtyard. “Come on, let’s check the vegetable garden and prepare the soil to plant some greens,” she said to the children.

“Yay!” The three kids cheered and followed her to the garden.

The garden behind the house was small, only a few plots. It had been neglected, overgrown with weeds. Su Yao picked up a hoe and started clearing the weeds. Lu Xingchen grabbed a small shovel, imitating her method, digging out the roots. Lu Yuxuan and Lu Shihan gathered the weeds, piling them to the side.

Though the heat made them sweat profusely, no one complained. Watching the weeds gradually disappear, revealing fertile black soil, filled Su Yao with hope.

She secretly dripped a few drops of the spring water into the soil, silently wishing, “Grow quickly, grow lush and green.”

As the sun set, the garden was finally tidy. Su Yao looked at the freshly turned earth, heart swelling with happiness.

“Tomorrow, we’ll plant the cabbage seeds,” she told the children.

“Okay!” they replied in unison.

Back inside, Su Yao prepared dinner—sweet potato porridge and corn cakes as usual—but the children ate with unusual appetite.

After dinner, she tucked the children into bed and sat by the kang, opening the system panel again. Looking at the greenhouse material list, a smile crept onto her lips.

Once the materials arrived, construction would begin. Then, she would show everyone just how powerful her “family secret formula” truly was.

As night deepened, the village fell silent except for occasional dog barks. Lying in bed, Su Yao thought about the days ahead, filled with anticipation. She believed that with hard work, everything would only get better and better.