Reborn In The ’80s

spects.”

“That’s for sure.”

Cui Dingchen then said, “And all the greenhouse vegetables have already hit the market here.
What about yours?”

Xu Zhao hurriedly said, “We’ll put it in the market tomorrow!”

“Is everything prepared?”

“Just about.
Tomorrow before dawn, we’ll harvest the vegetables.
After the sun rises, Brother Li and I will push the ox cart to the county town and sell the vegetables.
Qingfeng will also be there for backup.”

“Not bad.
You guys will be very busy now.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Xu Zhao smiled and said, “I’m not afraid of being busy.
Anyway, Youngest uncle, when are you coming back? It’s almost the new year.”

“Soon.” Once Cui Dingchen finished speaking, he paused before asking, “Do you want…”

Cui Dingchen didn’t say the next words and Xu Zhao curiously asked, “Do I want what?”

“Do you want me to come back sooner?” Cui Dingchen asked him.

Xu Zhao laughed and said, “Of course.
Come back to celebrate the new year.”

“Okay, then.
I’ll come back soon.
I miss you all a lot.”

“Mn, come back soon.”

“Okay, you should finish eating.
Go to sleep early so you can wake up early.”

“Mn.
You too, Youngest uncle.
Goodbye.”

After hanging up the phone, Xu Zhao returned to the dining table and started eating noodles.

“Who called so late?” Mother Xu curiously asked.

“It was the Cui family’s youngest uncle,” Xu Zhao picked up the small piece of egg from his bowl and gave it to Xu Fan before saying, “Youngest uncle said that the greenhouse vegetables in the imperial capital have already hit the market and asked me how things were over here.”

Mother Xu asked in surprise, “The imperial capital also has greenhouse vegetables?”

“Of course, and their technology is more advanced than ours.
Once this season’s vegetables are finished, I want to visit the imperial capital to take a look and learn a bit.”

“The imperial capital is very far.
I heard you have to take the train.”

“Mn, we’ll discuss it again when the time comes.
Let’s see what happens at the vegetable market tomorrow first.”

Mother Xu nodded, ate a mouthful of noodles and looked at Xu Zhao and said, “Speaking of which, I’m still a bit worried.

Xu Zhao asked, “What are you worried about?”

“I’m worried that the vegetables won’t sell.”

“Don’t worry.
They will definitely sell.”

Although Xu Zhao said those words to comfort Mother Xu, he was also worried in his heart.
According to his past experiences, he predicted that the vegetables should sell very well, but those were all predictions and not reality.
Therefore, he was still a bit nervous.
While he laid in bed at night, he was so anxious that he even forgot to tell Xu Fan a bedtime story.

It was Xu Fan who reminded him, “Daddy, you haven’t told me a story yet.”

Xu Zhao suddenly remembered and asked, “What do you want to hear?”

“I don’t know.”

“How about the ugly duckling?” Xu Zhao asked.

Xu Fan immediately said, “You already told me the ugly duckling!”

Xu Zhao had been so busy these past few days and asked, “Did I?”

“Mn.
T-the ugly duckling became a swan in the end!”

He really did tell it before!

Xu Zhao didn’t plan on telling a new story, then asked, “Really? I already forgot.
Can you tell the story to Daddy?”

“I can,” Xu Fan replied.

“Then tell me.”

“Okay.” Xu Fan thought for a moment, then started, “Once upon a time, there was an egg.
A little duckling came out of the egg, and it was the ugly duckling.
The ugly duckling was very ugly, therefore he was called the ugly duckling.
The ugly duckling…”

Xu Fan’s small milky voice stumbled over the words, but it was very nice to listen to, as if it was a charm to soothe his anxiety.
Even Xu Zhao’s body relaxed and his exhaustion hit.
Not long later, Xu Zhao couldn’t hold on anymore and fell asleep.

And Xu Fan was still stumbling over the words as he said, “…The ugly duckling turned beautiful just like that.
Turned into a beautiful swan and flew away! Flew away! Daddy, I finished telling the story.”

Xu Zhao didn’t respond.

Xu Fan said again, “Daddy, I finished.
I finished telling the u-ugly ducklings.”

Xu Zhao still didn’t respond.

“Daddy!” Xu Fan sat up from bed.
Inside the dark room, Xu Fan’s eyes were still watery.
His small meaty hands rubbed Xu Zhao’s face as he whispered, “Daddy, Daddy, are you asleep? Daddy, are you asleep?”

Xu Zhao was asleep.

“Since Daddy is asleep, t-then I-I’ll also sleep,” Xu Fan said.
His plump little body drilled into Xu Zhao’s embrace.
He closed his eyes, and not long later, fell asleep.

The next day, the clock inside the main hall rang three times.
Da Zhuang’s father, Da Zhuang’s grandpa, and Da Zhuang’s grandma came to knock on Xu Zhao’s wooden door.
Father and Mother Xu quickly called Xu Zhao over for work.
Worried that it wouldn’t be safe for Xu Fan to sleep at home by himself, Xu Zhao and Mother Xu had Father Xu stay at home.

Afterward, the five people, armed with flashlights and kerosene lamps, went to the big greenhouse.
They found a place to prop the flashlight and the kerosene lamp, then began harvesting.

Tomatoes, string beans, garlic shoots, eggplants, chilis and the others could be harvested.
With the manpower of five people, they quickly harvested a full ox cart’s worth before stopping hustling about in the big greenhouse.
At this time, it was still only five o’clock.

Da Zhuang’s father wiped the sweat off his forehead and asked, “Xu Zhao, should we harvest a bit of the potatoes from the small greenhouse?”

Xu Zhao replied, “Yes, let’s harvest a bit and try selling it.”

Da Zhuang’s father happily agreed, “Okay.”

And so the five people pulled the ox cart to the old courtyard and collected a lot of potatoes.
Once everything was collected, it was six o’clock.
Many of the villagers had woken up already.
Mainly the people planning to head to the courtyard to catch the morning market to buy some food and clothes for the Minor Spring Festival.
Among these were Xu Zuocheng.

Therefore, many people saw the ox cart full of vegetables and were very surprised.

“Why are there so many vegetables?”

“Oh, there really are tomatoes, string beans, eggplants, and chilis.”

“Also garlic shoots.
Don’t they say “after March, garlic shoots won’t sprout? How are there garlic shoots now?”

“They really grew!”

“…”

The villagers were all amazed.

Xu Zuocheng’s expression was ugly.
He obviously heard the others say that Xu Zhao’s vegetables weren’t anything good, so how did he grow such appealing vegetables? And he grew so much.
Wasn’t everyone saying that a lot of the vegetables planted had died?