It rained again that night, and the torrential storm did not subside until dawn. Listening to the sound of the rain, Luo Bi slept soundly through the night.
Now that there was rice in the house, Luo Bi no longer planned to eat at the base cafeteria. She went to the large balcony, took out two cups of rice to wash, and put them in the pot to steam. In the meantime, Luo Bi picked a few heads of green vegetables, removed the withered leaves, washed them, and blanched them in boiling water, seasoning them with salt for a cold dish.
As for scallions, ginger, and garlic, there were none at home. Ordinary ones were hardly worth adding, and the nutrient-enriched varieties were too expensive for most people to buy.
With the refreshing cold vegetables paired with steamed rice, Luo Bi sat at the dining table, feeling satisfied just by the aroma. One bite made her realize how delicious it was—this was what real food tasted like. After breakfast, Luo Bi washed the dishes and was just about to inspect the spiritual plants her father had sent when a flash of green in the corner outside the glass hall caught her eye.
Luo Bi found it strange; the red fruit seeds she had planted yesterday were placed in that exact spot. After a moment of hesitation, she walked over. The closer she got, the more confused she became. It was clearly a cluster of small green seedlings, but what kind of plant could they be?
Red fruit seeds took at least ten days to germinate; it couldn't be red fruit.
Finally approaching, Luo Bi widened her eyes and looked closely, time and again. Damn, they really were red fruit seedlings. Something was wrong. A plant that was supposed to take ten days to sprout had germinated in just one, and it was growing vigorously, with emerald green leaves and a height of about an inch.
That wasn't even the main point. Luo Bi felt a surge of excitement as she stared at the seedlings, counting them one by one. After counting twice, there were twenty-four. The germination rate was quite high; although they were uneven in size, having twenty-four out of fifty-four seeds sprout was already quite good.
Resting her chin in her hands, Luo Bi pondered the reason. What had accelerated the seeds, and why was the germination rate so high? After thinking it over, she suspected the issue lay with those medicinal dregs and ash. This was merely a guess and could not be confirmed for now. Luo Bi estimated the distance between the seedlings; they were too crowded. She had to transplant half of them as soon as possible.
Glancing at the sky, the rain was a hazy mist, which wouldn't hinder transplanting. Thus, Luo Bi carefully dug up ten red fruit seedlings and planted them in the cultivation field under the rain, which served as irrigation and saved her the trouble of watering.
Only after finishing this did Luo Bi open the box containing the spiritual plants to inspect them. There were sixty spiritual plants of various sizes, categorized into twelve different types.
While Luo Bi was busy, someone rang the doorbell. She didn't rush to answer; she put the spiritual plants away first before getting up to open the door. As soon as the door opened, the person outside leaned their head in so close that Luo Bi startled and took a step back.
The visitor was a woman dressed simply whom Luo Bi did not recognize. The woman acted as if they were old friends, saying immediately, "You're home! I've been ringing the bell for ages; I thought no one was in."
"Who are you?" Luo Bi disliked such people, and her tone and expression were not particularly pleasant.
The woman didn't seem to notice and smiled. "My name is Lan Qiao, and my husband is Zhang Cheng, a member of the Second Combat Team. We just moved in yesterday, right downstairs from you."
"Oh," Luo Bi nodded to acknowledge she understood.
Lan Qiao was clearly someone lacking social tact, and she said enthusiastically, "I came by to let you know that my family is hosting a lunch today. You must come over later!"
Luo Bi didn't really want to go, as they weren't acquainted, but she gave a perfunctory response: "I see."
Lan Qiao had no intention of leaving immediately and poked her head inside to look. "I heard your family just moved in too. Have you finished unpacking?"
(End of Chapter)