258: Plants begin to grow wildly

Jiang Fei only doubted herself for a second before walking into the villa's yard.

The flowers and plants that had died recently due to the hot rain were now revitalized, growing to ankle height within a day.

The green vegetables in the eastern and western fields of the yard also accelerated from germination to maturity.

Plants began to grow wildly.

When the polar day officially arrived, these plants would all wither and die.

It was like a final burst of energy before death.

The wild growth of plants in her previous life lasted for a whole month; she wondered if the time would be shortened in this life.

Taking out a packet of green vegetable seeds, Jiang Fei scattered them in the yard.

While the plants were growing wildly, she would plant more to sell later.

The Supermarket warehouse still had more than ten bags of seeds, so Jiang Fei took out four bags and sent them to Jiang Zhengkang and the others next door.

One bag per villa, for them to plant in their yards.

Lu Yu and the other three had not yet finished work, so Jiang Fei handed the seeds for Villa 10 and Villa 7 to Su Liuyuan to deliver later.

She stayed in Villa 9 along the way and had dinner.

Cao Xiuhong quickly cooked a large pot of beef noodles and gave everyone a bowl.

However, everyone had little appetite, thinking about the abnormally growing flowers and plants.

Su Liuyuan's imagination ran wild: "Do you think plants will mutate like animals and attack humans?"

Jiang Zhengkang: "Child, don't scare me... I'm old."

Jiang Fei comforted Jiang Zhengkang: "It's impossible for them to attack people. There are no man-eating plants here."

Niu Er said naively: "Why do I feel this is a good thing? At least we don't have to worry about not having food."

Yao Jin couldn't help but pat his head: "Something abnormal must be evil."

"What if the plants stop growing after one crop? We'll all starve to death."

As soon as he said this, the group became even more worried, eating their noodles with heavy hearts, when suddenly their walkie-talkie rang.

It was Ling Zhaorui calling the public channel.

"I just got news that plants have mutated and will accelerate their growth soon."

"Don't worry, plant mutation is not harmful to humans; on the contrary, it will solve the problem of insufficient food. You can plant some vegetables at home if you have time."

Jiang Zhengkang: "Did the Cultivation Park say when the plants will return to normal?"

"No, but both the Cultivation Park and the Research Institute predict that plant mutation might last about the same amount of time as animal mutation, around a month."

"I have to stay and work overtime tonight, so I'll stop chatting now."

Ling Zhaorui cut off the communication.

Su Liuyuan sighed: "Now the base doesn't lack meat, and in the future, it won't lack green vegetables. The Supermarket's turnover is going to drop again."

"Captain, should we introduce some new products?"

Jiang Fei thought for a moment: "Tomorrow or the day after, I'll deliver a batch of planting tools, fertilizers, and pesticides."

"With plants growing wildly, the authorities will definitely encourage residents to plant at home. There are only a few stores in the base that sell agricultural supplies, so we can make a fortune."

As Jiang Fei expected, the base's broadcast announced the news about plant mutation that night and encouraged residents to plant more vegetables, with the Central Building providing seeds for free.

In just three days, the base had transformed greatly.

Once barren roadsides grew weeds and wildflowers, and the sparse leaves of trees became dense and lush.

Even long-disappeared insects and birds like butterflies, bees, beetles, sparrows, and swallows reappeared in human sight.

Every day, one could hear insects chirping and birds singing, and see fresh flowers and green lawns. Residents swept away the gloom brought by the hot rain and were filled with motivation.

They rummaged through their homes for flowerpots, foam boxes, cardboard boxes, and other containers to grow vegetables.

If they couldn't plant enough at home, they went to the flowerbeds in the community.

All the newly grown wildflowers were pulled out.

What good were pretty flowers if they couldn't fill one's stomach? Cabbage, potatoes, and radishes were more practical, and just looking at them brought a sense of security.

Residents throughout the entire base began to cultivate land while plants were growing wildly, so much so that agricultural supplies in stores received unprecedented popularity.

The batch of goods Jiang Fei sent to the Ping An Small Mall three days ago had all been sold out.

Su Liuyuan kept nagging about restocking, and Jiang Fei promised him she would restock tomorrow, only then did he shut his mouth.

Early the next morning, Jiang Fei went to the Ping An Small Mall before Jiang Zhengkang and the others.

She entered the storeroom through the back door and collected the gold she had recently earned.

System: [Ding—Detected gold: 4,100,000 grams]

The turnover was not as high as before.

Valuable vegetables, fruits, and meat products were not selling well now, and not many rich people had come to the top floor during this period.

If Su Liuyuan hadn't priced agricultural products very high, and the Supermarket still sold daily necessities and beverages, they wouldn't have earned this much.

Jiang Fei, however, was not worried.

She believed that profitable days were ahead.

Taking out 10 large boxes of planting tools, fertilizers, and pesticides and placing them in the storeroom, Jiang Fei went to the first floor of the Supermarket to fill the three empty shelves for agricultural products, saving everyone the trouble of arranging them.

Nearly half an hour later, Su Liuyuan and the others arrived at the Ping An Small Mall.

Soon after opening, many people came to buy agricultural supplies. Jiang Fei stayed to help sell goods and occasionally overheard customers' conversations.

"Go get two more shovels. Today, after we get off work, we're going to the mountains in the suburbs to dig wild vegetables."

"Our neighbor said that a lot of shepherd's purse, wild amaranth, and dandelions have grown there, and there are plenty of mushrooms too."

"Then I'll call all my friends, and we'll try to dig several more sacks."

Wild vegetables are not only rich in dietary fiber, with effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling, and dissolving lumps, but they can also be fed to poultry and livestock.

Jiang Fei had the idea of going to dig wild vegetables.

When the Supermarket closed in the evening, she told everyone about it.

Su Liuyuan's leg injury had just healed, so he was not suitable for climbing mountains.

Jiang Zhengkang, Niu Er, and Yao Jin did not recognize wild vegetables.

In the end, it was decided that Cao Xiuhong, Han Yang, and Jiang Xiaoshi would go with Jiang Fei to dig wild vegetables tomorrow morning.

The temperature difference in the mountains was significant, and there were mosquitoes and other insects, so Jiang Fei reminded them to wear thermal clothing tomorrow.

At 6:00 AM the next day, Jiang Fei drove a small truck with the three of them to the foot of the mountain in the suburbs.

Taking out hiking poles, sacks, wild vegetable digging tools, gloves, and other items from the truck bed, Jiang Fei distributed them to Cao Xiuhong, Han Yang, and Jiang Xiaoshi.

The four walked up the mountain along a small path.

Dandelions, fiddlehead ferns, mugwort, bitter chrysanthemum, purslane, shepherd's purse, wild onions, rooster mushrooms, bamboo fungus, three-tiered fungus, and other wild vegetables and mushrooms were everywhere.

Cao Xiuhong's eyes lit up: "These are all good things!"

"Come, Xiao Shi, help Auntie hold the sack."

Jiang Xiaoshi was there to play, so only Jiang Fei, Cao Xiuhong, and Han Yang rolled up their sleeves and dug.

Few people came to the mountain in the morning, which made it convenient for Jiang Fei to secretly put the wild vegetables and mushrooms into the Supermarket warehouse.

Working until sunset, not counting what was in Jiang Fei's Supermarket warehouse, the four of them collectively dug 10 sacks of wild vegetables and 4 sacks of mushrooms.

They couldn't carry so much in one trip, so the four split into two groups and loaded them onto the small truck's bed.

Throwing away her dirty gloves, Jiang Fei got into the driver's seat and drove towards the Ping An Supermarket.

Sitting in the back seat, Cao Xiuhong suggested: "Boss, we dug so much shepherd's purse today, let's make dumplings tonight."

"Shepherd's purse dumplings are so fresh and tender, even better than meat-filled dumplings."

Jiang Fei: "Okay."

She hadn't eaten shepherd's purse in a long time either.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the Ping An Small Mall, Jiang Fei and the three others got out of the car and carried the first batch of sacks inside, only to hear an extremely arrogant voice—

"I took this alcohol by my own ability, why should I pay for it?!"