Chapter 94 (continued)

Qing Mengzhu put on her coat. "Then let's go."

Bamboo shoots are difficult to dig, so Qing Mengzhu specially bought a chainsaw to save effort.

Now they don't bring machetes when they go up the mountain anymore; they bring chainsaws instead.

Once they reached the mountain, they selected bamboo that wasn't growing very well, quickly sawed it off with chainsaws, removed the branches and leaves, bundled it up, one bundle per person, carried it down the mountain, and transported it home in a small tricycle.

They cut the bamboo in less than forty minutes, which was incredibly fast.

There were more things in the front yard, Qing Mengzhu set up a charcoal fire in the back yard. First, she split the bamboo to boil fresh bamboo juice. After boiling the fresh bamboo juice, she would send the bamboo to the dry distillation machine for dry distillation.

Ming Chunxi had to go to work, so she went to work after finishing breakfast.

Qing Mengzhu was busy working alone in the backyard.

The two dogs that had chased the goose into the pond returned and ran to the backyard to keep him company and watch.

When Zhao Hexi heard that he was cutting bamboo to make bamboo vinegar, he was puzzled. "Why are you making bamboo vinegar again?"

Qing Mengzhu: "My throat is a bit sore from the change of seasons. I'll make some fresh bamboo sap to soothe it."

Zhao Hexi: "No wonder. I was wondering why you cut down the bamboo when it was growing so well. Is your throat very uncomfortable? Should you go to the hospital? I feel like you haven't been feeling well lately; you haven't been coming to the fields much."

Qing Mengzhu has been so busy planting the seed for the Interstellar Mall these days that she's really neglected her real-world work.

He coughed lightly. "It's alright. I've been busy with other things these past few days, but I'll be done in a couple of days."

Zhao Hexi: "Remember to tell me if you're not feeling well. Chunxi is too busy to go to the hospital with you, but I can try to accompany you for a bit."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "He's free, there's no need to force him."

After a pause, Qing Mengzhu added, "Thank you He Xi."

Zhao Hexi shuddered on the other end of the phone. "What you're saying is giving me goosebumps. I have to go now, I'm busy. Call me if you need anything."

Qing Mengzhu smiled as she looked at the phone that had been immediately hung up, and waited for the bamboo vinegar to come out.

With the help of a dry distillation machine, the process of obtaining bamboo vinegar this time went smoothly. The liquid obtained from the dry distillation was the same as last time; it was initially yellowish-brown, but after settling and filtering, it turned dark brown.

He had read in the materials that the factory would refine the liquid again and generally did not use crude bamboo vinegar.

But since the Interstellar Mall sells these things, it won't hurt if he uses one.

The seed was slow to sprout, and now he was desperate to try anything.

After Qing Mengzhu waited for the bamboo vinegar to cool, she took a small bowl, poured out a small amount, and then dug out the seeds from the flowerpot again. Without washing them, she threw them directly into the bamboo vinegar to soak.

He himself has no hope for this operation; it's basically a last-ditch effort.

In the evening, Ming Chunxi returned and looked at the seeds soaking in bamboo vinegar. She didn't have much hope and asked, "Should we take them out tonight and replant them in the flowerpot?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Let's plant them. They've already been soaking for so long; if we soak them any longer, I'm afraid the seed coat will wrinkle."

Ming Chunxi seemed to find something funny and chuckled.

Qing Mengzhu looked at him with a puzzled expression.

He reached out and ruffled Qing Mengzhu's hair. "The expression on your face when you said that was adorable."

Qing Mengzhu grabbed his hand. "You're not allowed to describe me as cute!"

The two replanted the seeds in the flowerpot and placed the flowerpot on the windowsill.

There are only two days left. If the flowers can bloom, great; if not, so be it.

Qing Mengzhu had no expectations. The next day, instead of getting up to check on the flowerpots, she hugged Ming Chunxi, coiled around him like an octopus, and dragged him to stay in bed.

In autumn, it gets light late; it's still dark outside, the wind is howling, and you can occasionally hear the crowing of chickens from the village.

It's very comfortable to stay in bed in this kind of environment; it gives you a sense of blissful "stealing half a day of leisure from a busy life."

After lingering in bed for a while, Qing Mengzhu released Ming Chunxi and began to wriggle in the covers.

Ming Chunxi chuckled, patted his bottom, and then got up to wash up.

On her way to wash up, Ming Chunxi passed by the window, glanced at the newly sprouted green shoots in the flowerpot, and asked in surprise, "They've sprouted?"

Qing Mengzhu buried her head under the pillow. "I won't listen, don't try to trick me into getting up!"

Ming Chunxi simply carried the flowerpot to the bedside. "It really sprouted, take a look."

Qing Mengzhu then pulled her head out from under the pillow and turned to look at the bedside. "Huh, it seems to be real."

Yesterday, a tender, green stem suddenly appeared in the bare flowerpot, looking a bit like a newly sprouted fern. However, it didn't have the characteristic small curls of a fern; instead, it only had a slightly swollen bud.

Qing Mengzhu gestured with her fingers and exclaimed in surprise, "It's as long as my little finger! It's growing faster than a bamboo shoot!"

Ming Chunxi: "Bamboo shoots are faster."

Qing Mengzhu jumped up. "Then it'll be here soon too. Let me see if it really is Morning Glory Flower."

This thing grows too fast; Qing Mengzhu suspects it might have grown from some other seed.

He gently brushed away the surface soil with his fingers along the stem and saw the seed underground that looked like a pine nut.

This stem actually came from Morning Glory Flower, and the bamboo vinegar solution really works.

Qing Mengzhu's mouth gaped open. "Bamboo vinegar really works?"

They haven't made bamboo vinegar or soaked the seeds in it during this period.

Thinking about the germination-promoting effect of bamboo vinegar, Qing Mengzhu felt sorry for him.

If they had known beforehand that bamboo vinegar could promote germination, wouldn't the germination rate of the Polygonatum they bought have been further improved?

Ming Chunxi could tell what he was thinking just by looking at his expression, and said, "It's also possible that it will sprout at this time on its own. The Interstellar Mall probably wouldn't deliberately organize a competition that can't be completed."

Qing Mengzhu: "That makes sense. The Interstellar Mall wouldn't be trying to scam us out of our 50 Star Coins registration fee... would it?"

Ming Chunxi: "It seems you won't be able to dispel your doubts about it anytime soon."

Qing Mengzhu muttered, "Ten times the price, who wouldn't be suspicious? The owner of the Interstellar Mall is a swindler!"

I don't know if it's due to the bamboo vinegar or if this is just the natural growth rhythm of the Morning Glory Flower.

It grows very quickly after sprouting; in the morning it's just a stem, but by evening the flower bud at the top has swelled up.

Qing Mengzhu lingered beside it, wondering when it would bloom.

Before going to bed, Qing Mengzhu took another look. The flower buds were bulging, but showed no signs of opening.

Ming Chunxi pulled him back. "It probably won't open tonight."

Qing Mengzhu: "It's hard to say. Looking at how plump its buds are, they might have quietly opened in the middle of the night."

Ming Chunxi: "I'm more inclined to believe it blooms in the morning. Isn't its name 'Morning Glory'? It's more likely to bloom in the morning."

Qing Mengzhu: "That makes sense. Let's get up early tomorrow and check it out."

Qing Mengzhu wanted to set an alarm clock, but before the alarm clock could ring the next morning, they were awakened by an extremely delicate fragrance.

The fragrance wafted from the windowsill, filling the entire room and even the whole yard.

When Qing Mengzhu sat up, she was completely stunned.

It was the first time he had ever smelled such a wonderful floral scent; it was better than any perfume he had ever smelled before.

Sitting amidst such ethereal fragrance, he even felt a sense of inner peace.

Ming Chunxi also sat up. "Let's go take a look."

Qing Mengzhu seemed to wake from a dream as she searched for her slippers and went to the windowsill with Ming Chunxi.

The sky outside wasn't fully light yet, but the pale blue horizon was already tinged with the orange glow of dawn, and the black glazed flowerpot sat against this backdrop.

In the soft light, the stems in the flowerpot appeared even more tender and green, while the flower bud at the top had the orange hue of the morning glow.