Chapter 51

That was actually a lucky draw chest. The Interstellar Mall always has a lot of lucky draw items, and it's normal for him to get a chest after spending so much.

However, given his luck, he usually doesn't get anything good from these treasure chests.

The most important thing right now is this piece of bamboo.

He immediately opened his personal center, found the bamboo he had purchased, and then gently clicked to extract it.

As a beam of light shone on the ground, the bamboo slowly emerged from the light.

The difference this time was that the bamboo appeared exceptionally slowly, so slowly that Qing Mengzhu felt her hand getting sore from holding the phone.

I wonder if it's because bamboo contains a lot of substances that it's so slow to transport things.

Fortunately, the bamboo eventually appeared intact in the light.

Qing Mengzhu opened her eyes wide and looked carefully.

It was a section of slightly yellowish-jade bamboo, very smooth, with only one node, and thin, short roots growing from the node, which didn't look very robust.

He picked up the bamboo and found that it was only about the length of his palm. It felt cool and heavy, completely different from ordinary bamboo.

Its texture is more like jade.

Based on his experience cutting bamboo and digging bamboo shoots during this period, he knew that ordinary bamboo of the same volume would not weigh even half as much as this section of bamboo.

Just by looking at the texture, Qing Mengzhu could tell that this bamboo was of good quality.

After a quick inspection, Qing Mengzhu immediately used the Mall Assistant to scan the bamboo section.

The scan results show that this bamboo is "Cloud Mirror Bamboo," and its quality is "Superior Grade," just as described in the product description.

Qing Mengzhu was thrilled and excitedly spun around twice before carefully placing it on the windowsill.

He took out a knife and cut off all the leaves that had grown from the roots of the Luring Grass. Then he took a clean bowl, poured in purified water, crushed the Luring Grass, and soaked it in the water. He then carefully soaked the bamboo section, root side down, in the water as well.

According to the description on the Interstellar Mall, one night's soak should be enough.

After soaking the bamboo, he immediately went to the backyard to get a small half-bucket of newly fermented fertilizer. Then he dug up a lot of humus-rich forest soil, took some chopped grass, wood ash, and fertilizer, and with the same piety as if he were conducting an experiment, he planned to mix a pot of soil.

He plans to plant the bamboo in a flowerpot first, and then, when the conditions are right, plant it on the mountain along with the soil from the flowerpot.

That will definitely maximize the survival rate of this bamboo section!

While Qing Mengzhu was busy, the two dogs watched from the side.

They not only looked, but also sniffed, their furry heads rubbing against Qing Mengzhu. He pushed them away several times, but they still didn't want to leave.

The otter and the red fox were drawn over and watched as well.

When Tan Wenlei arrived, he saw Qing Mengzhu stuffing soil into a flowerpot, with four furry little animals watching nearby.

It looks perfectly harmonious.

Chapter 51

When Tan Wenlei arrived, Qing Mengzhu and the animals also noticed him.

The man and the four beasts turned their heads simultaneously, their expressions even somewhat similar.

In that instant, Tan Wenlei fully understood what the phrase "like master, like pet" meant.

Qing Mengzhu, unaware of Tan Wenlei's inner thoughts, was only somewhat surprised. "Uncle Wenlei, is there something you need?"

Tan Wenlei: "Yes, I need to talk to you about something. What are you doing?"

Qing Mengzhu displayed the flowerpots in her hands. "I want to mix some soil to plant bamboo."

Tan Wenlei: "Planting bamboo is good. I remember there used to be a lot of bamboo growing on your mountain. I came here today to discuss planting something similar—do you know asparagus?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I've eaten asparagus, but I've never grown it. Uncle Wenlei, would you like to grow asparagus?"

Tan Wenlei nodded, then squatted down somewhat troubled to watch him mix the soil. "I've never planted this before, I wanted to ask you for advice."

Qing Mengzhu, somewhat puzzled, "Well, how do we decide on a place to plant some?"

Tan Wenlei: "Asparagus is different from other vegetables."

After Tan Wenlei's explanation, Qing Mengzhu realized that asparagus was different from other vegetables.

Asparagus is actually the tender stem of the asparagus plant.

What people want to eat is not the fruit that grows on the branches of the asparagus vine, nor the tubers buried in the soil, but the new branches that grow out.

These shoots look a bit like bamboo shoots sprouting from the ground, hence the name asparagus.

Unlike other crops, it has an exceptionally long lifespan, ranging from fifteen to twenty years.

At the same time, its harvest season is later than other crops. If planted this year, there will generally be a small amount of asparagus next year, and the official harvest will not be until the year after next.

After listening, Qing Mengzhu asked, "So, you mean that once you plant it, it will stay there for the next ten years or so, making it inconvenient to plant in the field?"

Tan Wenlei: "That's exactly what I mean. This is too long a time. I don't even know what I'll look like twenty years from now. Planting for twenty years straight, I have no idea what to expect."

Qing Mengzhu understood. "Don't plant in the fields. Plant in front of or behind the house, or just find a terraced field. That way, it won't prevent you from planting other vegetables. If you find the yield good, then expand the planting area."

Tan Wenlei considered it for a moment. "That works too. But there's another problem. Should I buy pre-planted seedlings or sow seeds? If I buy large seedlings, I can harvest them next spring, but if I sow seeds, I won't be able to harvest them until at least the year after next."

Tan Wenlei explained his dilemma, "Another issue is that asparagus grown from seed has a longer lifespan and produces better quality asparagus, while larger seedlings bought from the market have a shorter lifespan and may not be as good quality."

Qing Mengzhu glanced at him. "Why don't you just plant both?"

Tan Wenlei's eyes widened. "Huh?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Buy some large seedlings, and sow more seeds. Next year you can eat the asparagus grown from the large seedlings, and the year after that you can eat the asparagus grown from the sown seeds. If the large seedlings are expensive, buy fewer."

Tan Wenlei slapped his thigh. "That makes sense! Ugh, all that worrying for nothing."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and continued to adjust the soil with her head down.

The otter and the red fox ran off, while the two dogs lay down beside him.

After asking his question, Tan Wenlei didn't leave. He continued, "Mengzhu, do you want to plant it? I have some seeds here; I'll share some with you."

Qing Mengzhu was genuinely tempted, but after thinking for a moment, she said, "I've never planted this before, so I don't know what it's like. Let me check some information before deciding whether to plant it or not."

Tan Wenlei: "Hey, it's just what I said, nothing much to check, and it's not difficult to grow."

Tan Wenlei turned to look at the chicken coop, duck coop, and goose coop that Qing Mengzhu's family had built. "I think you don't even need to look for a place. Just plant them under the fence. You need to build a trellis for planting rock cypress anyway, so just use the fence to build the trellis. It'll save you extra effort."

If that's the case, Qing Mengzhu felt it was alright; planting a few seeds would be nice, adding another dish to the family, "Then share some of the seeds with me."

Tan Wenlei pulled a large bag of seeds directly from his pocket. "Here. If you're not going to start seedlings, could you help me grow some? I only need twenty or thirty. Your seedlings are good; asparagus ferns take so many years to grow, I want to lay a good foundation for them."

Whether you grow 100 seedlings or 130 seedlings, it's still growing seedlings. Qing Mengzhu readily agreed, "Okay, I'll give it a try first, and I'll call you when the seedlings sprout."

Tan Wenlei rubbed his hands together. "Then I'll wait for your good news."

Qing Mengzhu was unfamiliar with the cypress. "When can we start cultivating seedlings? Should we wait until the weather gets a little cooler?"

They typically choose to plant crops in spring or autumn, as summer is too hot and winter is too cold, making them unsuitable seasons.

Tan Wenlei: "It's possible now; the day before yesterday was the beginning of autumn."

Qing Mengzhu was a little surprised and took out her phone. "Has autumn begun? It really has."

Tan Wenlei: "Your life has gotten all messed up. It's the beginning of autumn now, the weather is gradually getting cooler, it's the perfect time to start seedlings. In a month, when the seedlings have grown a bit and the weather has cooled down, they can be transplanted."

Qing Mengzhu: "Then I'll arrange for the seedlings to be planted in the next couple of days."