"Young Master Gu, these fruit trees are not available on our mountain. We'll need to go to the town below to see if we can buy some."
Upon hearing Gu Qingcheng's detailed explanation, Liu Ding was overjoyed, feeling she had found a kindred spirit who enjoyed farming.
Gu Qingcheng's Tmall supermarket had a vast array of fruits, but she wondered if they could be propagated.
She thought about saving the seeds from oranges and tangerines to try and sprout them, potentially growing orange and tangerine saplings.
Any fruit with seeds could be a candidate, like cherries, lychees, and so on.
However, Gu Qingcheng's grandparents were fruit farmers with extensive orchards in the countryside. They had once told her that modern crops were constantly improved through hybridization. Planting seeds from the current fruit would result in traits regressing to the parent plants.
In simpler terms, the plants grown from seeds extracted from fruits wouldn't have the same delicious taste as the original fruit.
Still, having fruit to eat was a good thing, and there weren't many varieties available currently. Gu Qingcheng recalled seeing lychees, pears, and bananas in Wangchun City.
Even though her supermarket offered an endless supply of fruit, she couldn't possibly provide for the villagers from her own store, could she?
With less than a thousand people now, and potentially tens of thousands in the future, the amount of food needed would be staggering. She didn't want to exhaust herself by pretending to be perpetually joyful.
If she did that, her life would lose its meaning.
If fruits could be grown, then they should be grown.
Seeing that everyone had settled in, Gu Qingcheng returned to her residence.
The moment she stepped inside, she was enveloped by a lively atmosphere – this was what it felt like to have people around.
Previously, when she and Mi Guo lived there, it felt too desolate. Now, with two children and two adults, the house felt much warmer.
Gu Qingcheng had been surrounded by her parents her entire life. College was perhaps her only chance to leave them, but that opportunity was lost due to her transmigration. Ever since arriving here, she had been relying on her parents.
As a child, she had wanted to escape her family, but as she grew older, Gu Qingcheng found it rather nice to be doted upon by her parents.
She hadn't seen her parents in months and missed them dearly.
However, given the current circumstances, she had to suppress this longing and focus on managing Phoenix Village properly. Otherwise, they would have no fallback options.
With this thought, Gu Qingcheng had to temporarily set aside her yearning.
"Young Master Gu, we've finished preparing the meal. Would you like to try it? My cooking skills as a country folk aren't great! I don't know if you'll be accustomed to it!"
The speaker was Hehua.
Her defining characteristics were enthusiasm, a willingness to contribute, and a clear understanding of her own worth.
She knew she had nothing else to offer that others might covet, except her diligence. Therefore, wherever she went, she always acted diligently.
"Auntie Hehua's cooking is truly excellent. I was just learning the recipe for Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables from her," Mi Guo chimed in.
"Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables is a great dish to go with rice. I haven't had it in ages, just hearing about it makes me crave it."
Gu Qingcheng said with a smile.
She had smelled the aroma of food the moment she entered the house and hadn't expected Hehua to be the one cooking. It seemed there were hidden masters among the common folk!
"I also make Three Cup Chicken, cured duck, and my preserved salted eggs are a specialty. I guarantee every salted egg will have oil oozing out."
Hehua couldn't stop talking about her culinary skills.
Upon hearing about salted eggs, Gu Qingcheng's eyes lit up, and she said,
"Auntie Hehua, please go and help in the mess hall. Firstly, your cooking is excellent. Secondly, the chickens and ducks at our farm are starting to lay eggs, and we have more than we can eat right now. We plan to make them into salted eggs for emergencies, and you can help with that."
"Oh, I'm good at that!"
Hehua was also delighted and readily agreed.
Finding her value and place in the village gave Hehua a great sense of security.
Gui Xiang, seeing how quickly Hehua and Gu Qingcheng bonded, smiled enviously. She didn't have that kind of knack.
Gu Qingcheng noticed Xiao Jun and Xiao Lian looking longingly at the table laden with food. Without further ado, she invited everyone to sit down and eat.
After leaving home, Gu Qingcheng had been eating Mi Guo's cooking. A change in chef meant a change in style, and she enjoyed it immensely.
Fortunately, the rain didn't last long and stopped by midnight.
The next day wasn't sunny either; the sky was overcast, and the biting cold felt like a magical attack – something only those who had lived in the south would truly understand.
Early in the morning, Gu Qingcheng specifically asked Mi Guo to cook a pot of hot lean pork congee. Besides fresh lean pork, the congee contained scallops, minced sea cucumber, and a sprinkle of sesame and seaweed, giving it a refreshing texture.
Most importantly, they also made pan-fried flatbread and steamed a basket of xiaolongbao.
During breakfast, Xiao Jun and Xiao Lian were astounded. It had been so long since they had eaten such a hearty breakfast.
Especially for Xiao Jun and Xiao Lian, their memories were filled with hunger, and the most delicious thing they could recall was tender wild vegetables...
"Eat to your heart's content, there's plenty."
Gu Qingcheng said with a smile.
Encouraged by her, Xiao Lian and Xiao Jun tentatively began to eat the abundant breakfast.
"Young Master Mi Guo, you must have gotten up very early to make the xiaolongbao, right? It must have been hard work. If you need to make them in the future, just call me. I'll learn it quickly."
Hehua said enthusiastically.
Mi Guo chuckled and replied, "It's not that troublesome. Once you get the hang of it, it's fast."
He had, after all, only steamed the frozen xiaolongbao that Gu Qingcheng had provided. It was quick and not troublesome at all.
"Young Master Gu, the sky has cleared up. We'll move back shortly."
Gui Xiang felt it was improper to impose on Gu Qingcheng for so long.
"Alright," Gu Qingcheng nodded. "I'll have the craftsmen speed up the house construction. We don't know if it will rain again in the future. If it rains, you can come to my place without hesitation."
"Thank you, Young Master Gu. We won't be polite then," Hehua quickly expressed her gratitude.
Gu Qingcheng had gauged their loyalty, and they all scored above 80 points, meaning they could be trusted.
Since they had moved in last night until now, Gu Qingcheng had earned over 200 "satisfaction points" from the joy of helping others.
Speaking of preserved salted eggs, Gu Qingcheng took Hehua to find Uncle Kang. She arranged for Hehua to liaign with Uncle Kang, who would then deliver the collected eggs to the communal canteen for Hehua to pickle.
Gui Xiang and the children also clamored to see the cows and sheep, so Gu Qingcheng took them along.
Two little followers and two aunts trailed behind them, creating a lively scene, giving the impression of being escorted by a retinue.
On their way, they encountered Wang Daya. The moment she saw Gu Qingcheng, she said,
"Young Master Gu, my father went down the mountain again today. He said he's going to buy fruit tree saplings and see if he can buy more crop seeds. He also said he couldn't find a veterinarian last time and will try his luck again this time."
"Ha, Uncle Dai always thinks of what I need. Phoenix Village can't do without Uncle Dai!"
Gu Qingcheng chuckled.
Wang Daya also seemed pleased and said, "My father would be so happy if he heard you say that. Well, I won't chat with you any longer. I need to go back and take care of my mother."
"How is Mother's spirit?" Gu Qingcheng quickly asked.