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The workshop lights cast long shadows of the wheat seedlings.

At nine o'clock in the evening, all the other female workers had returned to their dormitories, but she was still sitting in front of the sewing machine, practicing her needlework with her fingers flying.

Teacher Bai's letter lay beside him, its edges already frayed.

"Maimiao, stop practicing! The social gathering is about to start!" Qiu Hong urged from the doorway, waving a bright red silk scarf in her hand.

Mai Miao rubbed her sore shoulders: "You guys go ahead, I'll practice a little longer."

"No way! The factory manager said we need to balance work and rest." Qiu Hong pulled her up without further ado. "Besides, you've been leading the training for a week now, it's time to relax."

The get-together was held in the factory auditorium.

Colorful ribbons and balloons decorated the simple space with a festive touch, while the tape recorder played the currently popular song "Heart Rain".

Mai Miao and her sisters sat in a corner, watching the other female workers dance and laugh with the young men.

"Girls from Ningxia, don't be shy!" the union chairman called out, holding a microphone. "Come on, let's change the music to 'The Loess Plateau'!"

As the familiar melody began, the eyes of the girls from Northwest China lit up.

Qiu Hong quietly nudged the wheat seedlings: "It's a song from our hometown!"

Several young men came over and invited them to dance.

Qiu Hong blushed and shook her head, while Mai Miao simply turned her face away.

She noticed that Wang Guohui from the driver's team kept looking this way, and a surge of irritation rose in her heart...

That person has been harassing her for two weeks.

"Sister Mai Miao, have some soda." The youngest, Chunyan, handed over a bottle of orange soda and whispered, "Just now, a guy asked me if you have a boyfriend..."

Mai Miao's hand trembled, and the soda spilled onto her skirt.

Ma Debao's tanned, smiling face suddenly appeared before my eyes...

She looks at that photo of herself standing in front of the ship every night before going to bed.

"I'm going to the restroom." She left her seat in a hurry, not seeing Wang Guohui chasing after her.

In the dormitory, Mai Miao found the latest letter sent by Ma Debao.

The handwriting on the letter was crooked and messy, as if it had been written while crouching in a construction shed:

“Maimiao, I’m doing great in Xiamen. I earn twenty-five yuan a day. The sea here is so blue, even bluer than the sky back home… Are you still angry? I really didn’t mean to leave you that day…”

Mai Miao's fingers traced the words, then she suddenly grabbed a pen and wrote on the back of the letter: "Ma Debao, do you know how long I waited for you alone at the station..."

The pen tip pierced the paper hard.

She crumpled the letter into a ball, tears falling onto the back of her hand.

Laughter drifted in from outside the window from a social gathering. Mai Miao wiped away her tears and unfolded another sheet of paper: "Dad, I miss home. I'll apply for leave at the end of the year to come back and see you..."

……

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Minning Village, moonlight shone on a newly built white greenhouse.

Ling Yinong squatted inside the shed, carefully checking the growth of the mycelium.

He was unshaven, had dark circles under his eyes, and hadn't been back to his dorm for three days.

"Professor Ling, haven't you rested yet?" Ma Defu walked in carrying a lantern, his trouser legs covered in mud.

“Little Ma! Perfect timing.” Ling Yinong said without looking up, “Look at the mycelium development, it’s 10% slower than expected. I suspect it’s because the nighttime temperature isn’t high enough.”

Ma Defu leaned closer to observe. Although he couldn't understand the technical terms, he knew it meant the harvest would be delayed...

But delays mean risks.

"County Chief Chen said he'll be holding a mobilization meeting in Jintan Village tomorrow..." Ma Defu rubbed his hands together. "Professor, could you talk to the villagers about temperature control?"

Ling Yinong finally raised his head: "Another mobilization meeting? Didn't you see the results last time?"

“This time it’s different!” Ma Defu’s eyes lit up. “Shuihua Group has built a demonstration greenhouse base. Those who don’t want to grow their own crops can go there to work and get paid monthly!”

Ling Yinong raised an eyebrow: "Li Shuihua? She certainly knows how to come up with solutions."

"Professor Ling, we at Xihai are really lucky to have the Water Splash Group back us up."

"Yes! With the financial and resource support from the Water Splash Group, my work here has indeed become much easier."

The next day at noon, the threshing ground in Jintan Village was bustling with people.

Li Dayou squatted in the front row, puffing on his pipe, glancing sideways at Chen Jinshan on the stage.

"...Button mushrooms can be harvested in three months. Shuihua Group guarantees sales. You get a minimum of two yuan per kilogram if you grow them yourself, and you can earn three hundred yuan a month working in the greenhouse!" Chen Jinshan shouted hoarsely.

A buzz of excitement erupted from the audience.

Li Dayou suddenly stood up: "County Chief Chen, no matter how much you talk, who has ever seen this thing before? What if it doesn't grow? Who will repay the loan?"

"Exactly!" several villagers chimed in. "Li Shuihua is so shrewd, would she give away money for nothing?"

"..." Chen Jinshan and Professor Ling were suddenly so angry at the villagers that they trembled all over.

It's unimaginable how difficult this button mushroom cultivation project would have been without the intervention and support of the Shuihua Group.

Ma Defu quickly went up on stage: "Fellow villagers, I've built a greenhouse in my own yard and I'm willing to be the first to try it!"

"Defu, where did you get the money?" someone shouted.

“I…I took out a loan.” Ma Defu’s voice lowered. “Although my aunt is sick and my sister needs to go to school…I believe this can be done!”

The audience was completely silent.

Li Dayou, the ultimate troublemaker, immediately sneered: "Of course you, a bachelor, would dare to gamble. We have families to support..."

"I'll lead the way!" An old man suddenly stood up. "My family will contribute five hundred!"

"I'll offer three hundred!"

"My family will provide the labor!"

Gradually, seven or eight households expressed their opinions.

Seeing this, Li Dayou stomped out his cigarette butt: "Fine! You plant them! I want to see if you can grow them successfully."

After the meeting, Ma Defu squatted on the edge of the field, lost in thought.

Chen Jinshan walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, things will be easier once we have a model household."

“County Chief Chen, what I’m worried about is the technology…” Ma Defu scratched his head, “Professor Ling’s talk about carbon-nitrogen ratio and humidity control sounds like gibberish to me.”

"Then learn more!" Ling Yinong's voice came from behind, and he tossed a notebook to Ma Defu. "I've simplified the operating procedures; you can explain it by looking at the pictures, right?"

Ma Defu was overjoyed and studied it by the light of a kerosene lamp until midnight that night.

The next day before dawn, he ran to Ling Yinong's greenhouse and clumsily but earnestly learned how to mix feed, bag it, and sterilize it.

"No! The material needs to be compacted!" Ling Yinong snatched the tools and demonstrated, "Like this, if it's loose, it won't grow well!"

Ma Defu was sweating profusely as he redid it, his hands blistered and bleeding.

Looking at his stubborn expression, Ling Yinong suddenly asked, "Why are you working so hard?"

Ma Defu was stunned: "I promised the villagers... and..."

He gazed at the distant loess slopes, "I want to lead everyone to a better life..."

Ling Yinong was silent for a moment, then tossed him a pair of gloves.

A week later, a simple but sturdy greenhouse was erected in Ma Defu's yard.

Villagers would glance at it as they passed by; some shook their heads, some chuckled, and only a few children were curious and wanted to squeeze inside.

"Brother Defu, can gold really grow in here?" the neighbor's son asked.

Ma Defu wiped his sweat: "It's more real than gold; it can even cover tuition fees!"

……

Meanwhile, in a garment factory in Fujian, Mai Miao faced her second assessment.

This time, she was seven seconds faster than the standard.

With a grim face, Director Yang had no choice but to announce that the entire Northwest team would return to the assembly line.

"Maimiao, you're amazing!" Qiuhong hugged her excitedly. "The factory manager said you'll be transferred to the quality control department next month!"

Mai Miao smiled, but her gaze drifted out the window—towards Xiamen.

She touched the photo of Ma Debao in her pocket and, for the first time, felt that perhaps she should give him a chance to explain.

In the twilight of Ningxia, Ma Defu squatted inside the greenhouse, carefully peeling off the plastic film.

A layer of white mycelium covered the substrate like the first snow, shimmering slightly in the twilight.

He rubbed his aching back and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

A night breeze swept across the Loess Plateau, carrying a slight dampness.

On the distant mountain ridge, a few stars lit up, like someone had sprinkled salt onto the deep blue sky.

Tomorrow will be another busy day.

……

In fact, Shuihua Group and Li Shuihua have a lot of influence in Xihai Gu. Most villagers are willing to believe in them, so the mushroom cultivation in Minning Village is going very smoothly.

Professor Ling, who had no shortage of funds and assistants, was particularly relaxed, and the villagers who couldn't go out to work also had an extra source of income. Only a top-tier oddball like Li Dayou would worry about this and that, but even Li Dayou was somewhat tempted.

Although he outwardly opposed growing mushrooms, he secretly had his son, Shuiwa, grow them.

He himself planned to work at the mushroom cultivation base of the Shuihua Group, which would guarantee him a steady income regardless of the circumstances.

In the early morning, Minning Village was shrouded in a thin mist, with more than twenty white greenhouses neatly arranged at the east end of the village, like a string of giant pearls.

Ma Defu squatted in front of his greenhouse, recording temperature and humidity data in his notebook.

In just one month, this once poorest immigrant village has changed its appearance.

"Thank goodness! My substrate is covered in mycelium!" Neighbor Ma Shuan ran over excitedly, holding a piece of culture medium covered with white mycelium. "Look, it's exactly as Professor Ling described!"

Ma Defu smiled and nodded: "The technicians from Shuihua Group will come to collect the first batch this afternoon, and the price will be 30 cents higher than the guaranteed price."

Not far away, Li Dayou strolled over with his hands behind his back, glancing into the greenhouse while muttering, "Hmph! All that white stuff, who knows if it'll give me a stomachache..."

“Uncle Dayou,” Ma Defu had already seen through his thoughts, “Your Shuiwa’s greenhouse should be ventilated these next few days, Professor Ling said so.”

"Who...who told him to plant it!" Li Dayou cried out like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "That little brat took out a loan behind my back!"

After saying that, he walked away quickly, heading towards the Shuihua Group's planting base.

The Shuihua base is located on flat land three kilometers away from Minning Village, where ten acres of connected greenhouses gleam silver in the sunlight.

Li Dayou hesitated at the door for ten minutes before reluctantly taking out his ID card to register.

“Li Dayou?” The girl at the registration desk looked up at him. “You’re from Jintan Village, right? Mr. Li specifically instructed that you should go directly to shed number three when you arrive, and your wages will be calculated as a skilled worker.”

Li Dayou was startled and cursed inwardly, "That Li Shuihua, she planned this all along! She's become more and more shrewd since marrying Su Ning."

But upon hearing the words "skilled worker," I couldn't help but straighten my back.

As Li Dayou passed through the disinfection tunnel, the scene before him left him instantly petrified...

Hundreds of steel frames are neatly arranged, each filled with mushroom bags, and a dozen villagers are busy spraying water and taking temperatures.

The most impressive part was the central control room, where a wall of screens flickered with various numbers and curves, and two young men in white coats were operating computers.

"This...this is farming?" Li Dayou stammered as he asked the technician who was leading the way.

The technician smiled: "Uncle, this is called factory farming. That's an intelligent temperature control system over there; it automatically adjusts according to the mycelial growth stage—"

"Hmph! All that fancy talk!" Li Dayou interrupted abruptly, his voice lacking its usual confidence. "We farmers rely on the weather for our livelihood..."

"Uncle Dayou!" a familiar voice called out.

Li Shuihua, dressed in simple jeans and a white shirt, walked over with a clipboard in her hand. "It's great that you can come. Studio No. 3 is in dire need of an experienced person like you."

Li Dayou snorted, but his eyes couldn't help glancing around: "I just came to see what you young people are up to..."

Li Shuihua didn't take it seriously and personally showed him around.

She lifted a mushroom bag: "Uncle, look at this mycelium, it's much denser than the ones in the open greenhouse, isn't it?"

Li Dayou took a closer look, and his heart skipped a beat...

The mycelium was as white as snow, densely covering the culture medium, far superior to what his son had managed to do at home.

He stubbornly insisted, "Who knows what it will look like when it grows out..."

A week later, during lunch break, Li Dayou squatted in a corner of the base's canteen, wolfing down his rice.

The food at the Water Splash Base surprised him secretly...

Two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, with unlimited rice—it's even better than what we eat at home.

"Uncle, please eat slowly." Ma Shuan, who was at the same table, handed him a bowl of soup. "I heard you were recognized as an advanced worker?"

Li Dayou wiped his mouth, unable to hide his smugness: "Hmph! What do those young people know? I can tell which bag is problematic at a glance!"

That's true. His years of farming experience have made him exceptionally sensitive to subtle changes, and he has already saved three batches of mushroom bags that were potentially contaminated.

After finishing his meal, Li Dayou inexplicably wandered into the experimental area.

Through the glass wall, he saw Ling Yinong and Li Shuihua discussing something, with several petri dishes on the table.

Ling Yinong's white coat was stained with mud, and his hair was a mess like a bird's nest. He looked nothing like a professor.
"...The Juncao formula needs to be adjusted; the sodium content is too high..." Ling Yinong's voice could be faintly heard.

Li Shuihua nodded and took notes: "Professor, the cold storage is ready, and the first batch of fresh mushrooms will be shipped to Fujian next week."

Li Dayou was so engrossed in listening that he didn't notice someone approaching from behind.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" His son Shuiwa's voice startled him.

"I...I'm just taking a walk!" Li Dayou hurriedly turned around and saw his son carrying several books, including "Edible Fungus Cultivation Techniques" and "Pest and Disease Control"...

What are you going to do with all this?

Shuiwa's eyes lit up: "Professor Ling gave them to us! Dad, our greenhouse is producing mushrooms! They're a bit small, but Shuihua Group bought them all, at two yuan and thirty cents a pound!"

Li Dayou felt a surge of warmth in his heart, but he cursed aloud, "Instead of farming properly, you're always getting into these crooked ways!"

After saying that, he walked away with his hands behind his back, but his feet unconsciously moved towards home.

That evening, Li Dayou, for the first time ever, went to his son's greenhouse.

Under the dim light, small round mushrooms sprouted from rows of mushroom bags, like countless little heads curiously peering out.

The water spout was being sprayed carefully, its movements as gentle as if it were a baby.

"Why spray so much? What if it rots?" Li Dayou reprimanded habitually.

Shuiwa didn't even turn his head: "Professor Ling said the humidity should be kept at 85% during the mushroom growing season. Dad, look at this."

He pointed to a mushroom bag, "Isn't it a little yellowish?"

Li Dayou leaned closer to take a look, and his years of experience allowed him to immediately identify the problem: "The ventilation is insufficient! Tomorrow, lift up some of the plastic sheeting here!"

Only after saying that did he realize he was actually "instructing" on how to grow mushrooms, so he quickly put on a stern face and said, "I'm going back!"

Walking on the dirt road home, Li Dayou's heart was in turmoil, like a ball of yarn that had been scratched by a cat.

He pulled out his paycheck for the day—eight brand-new 100-yuan bills.

This is only ten days! What if it lasts a month...

He didn't dare to think about it.

The next morning, Li Dayou arrived at the base half an hour earlier than usual.

As he passed through the packaging workshop, he saw a familiar figure directing the packing process.

"County Chief Chen? What are you doing here?"

Chen Jinshan turned his head, his eyes showing dark circles, but he looked energetic: "Uncle Dayou! I've been transferred to be in charge of logistics coordination. This batch of mushrooms needs to catch tonight's flight to Xiamen, and they'll be on the supermarket shelves tomorrow!"

Li Dayou watched as the workers packed fresh mushrooms into beautifully packaged boxes bearing the words "Sai Shang Golden Mushrooms," each box also bearing a QR code.

"This...this thing actually sells?"

"Demand far exceeds supply!" Chen Jinshan said excitedly. "They're selling for 28 yuan a pound in Fujian! Uncle Dayou, did you know that our mushrooms are even exported to Temasek?"

Li Dayou opened his mouth wide, his mind flashing back to the corn seedlings in his field that were always being bullied by the wind and sand.

During his lunch break, Li Dayou wandered off alone to the observation deck at the highest point of the base.

Looking out from here, rows of greenhouses gleam in the sunlight, and the Minning Village can be faintly seen in the distance, its white sheds resembling pearls scattered on the yellow earth.

Further away, the newly built highway stretches out into the distance like a gray-white ribbon.

Li Dayou suddenly recalled the scene many years ago when he was forced to reclaim wasteland in Jintan Village.

The wind was particularly strong that day, and the newly planted seeds were blown to pieces. His wife sat on the edge of the field crying, while he could only smoke one pipe after another...

"Uncle Dayou, what are you looking at?" Li Shuihua's voice interrupted his reminiscence.

Li Dayou hurriedly wiped his face and said gruffly, "I got sand in my eyes!"

She paused, then asked in a low voice, "Shuihua, do you think... this mushroom business can last?"

Li Shuihua smiled and pointed to the factory under construction in the distance: "That's a deep processing workshop. We can make mushroom sauce and dried mushrooms in the future. Uncle Dayou, times have changed. We farmers not only need to know how to farm, but also need to understand the market. Moreover, mushroom cultivation is just an intermediate project. What Shuihua Group really wants to do next is to grow grapes."

"Grape?"

"Yes! Shuihua Group is going to build a grape planting base in Ningxia and also make wine. At that time, the wine market will no longer be a European monopoly."

Li Dayou remained silent for a long time before suddenly saying, "I... I want to convert my five mu of dry land into two greenhouses next year..."

Li Shuihua's eyes lit up: "Great! I'll have the technicians give priority to your house!"

"No need!" Li Dayou retorted, "I...I can manage on my own!"

After saying that, he strode away, his back view much more upright than when he arrived.

As the sun set, Li Dayou finished his day's work.

As he walked out of the base gate, he looked back at the modern greenhouse and for the first time felt that those gleaming steel frames seemed to hold more hope than the yellow earth that his ancestors had guarded for generations.

At the fork in the road on his way home, he hesitated for a moment and then turned toward his son's greenhouse.

My pocket is full of today's wages, just as thick as yesterday's.

The wind sweeps across the Loess Plateau, bringing a touch of moisture...

In this arid place, this is the most precious gift.

...(End of chapter)