CHAPTER 61: SOMEONE IS BEARING THE BURDEN FOR YOU

Since her promotion, Mrs. Jing’s workplace had changed. She was now at the Planting Research and Development Management Department, located between the former city center and the current villa district. Comparatively, at only 14 kilometers, the journey was much shorter now.

Yet, Jing Shu still dared not drive too fast. In Wu City, apart from the city center where bulldozers cleared the earth daily, the soil in other areas had piled up significantly high, forcing her to follow the tracks left by larger vehicles.

It was 4:40 a.m., with the temperature at 3℃. Jing Shu turned up the air conditioning and listened to the 949 broadcast while driving. Since petroleum was no longer sold to the public, most logistics businesses had shut down. Consequently, the prices for energy vehicles, now dubbed ’luxury cars,’ continued to skyrocket.

The price of gasoline vehicles had plummeted to rock bottom. Major companies had ceased their production to start manufacturing energy vehicles; however, a lack of raw materials, among other reasons, meant that current production was still scarce.

Mrs. Jing, sitting in the passenger seat, cracked open the apricot pits from the fruit she had eaten and placed the almonds into a small bag. This was her little snack for work. "I don’t know why our apricot tree at home produces so many apricots; I can’t finish them all even if I eat them daily."

Jing Shu rolled her eyes. To ensure her dear mother could eat her favorite apricots every day, she always tended to the tree meticulously with diluted water from the Spiritual Spring. There’s a saying: When you feel the journey is easy, it is only because someone else is carrying the load for you.

This saying couldn’t be more accurate. In her previous life, she lived easily while her parents bore the burdens. Now, it was her turn. However, she would also learn from past mistakes and firmly refuse to foster any ingrates.

They arrived on time at Mrs. Jing’s workplace. The entrance had iron railings and several security guards in bulletproof vests wielding electric batons, who verified identities before allowing entry.

Rows of expensively constructed temperature-controlled greenhouses came into view, brightly lit. Through the windows, one could see the bustling figures inside. Just as they parked the car and got out, a government-designated vehicle also arrived, bringing the last batch of workers.

Yu Caini, her hair resembling a bird’s nest, stumbled out, pushed by the crowd. Six months ago, she had been graceful and sharp, her professional OL attire striking. Today, she looked disheveled, her clothes wrinkled and creased, presenting a completely wretched appearance.

After straightening her hair and clothing, Yu Caini was about to enter when she saw Su Lanzi and Jing Shu. She immediately shot them a resentful glare, then clicked her way over and said haughtily, "Find some time to handle the transfer procedure, okay? I’ll return that apartment to you, and you return my money to me."

Damn it! Heaven knows I thought I’d snagged a great deal buying that apartment, but it depreciated several-fold in less than half a year; a 1,400,000 yuan apartment can’t even sell for 300,000 now! That bastard Liu Ke Yuan sweet-talked me back then, saying the downtown apartments would only crash if it were the end of the world. And damn it, hasn’t it just crashed in the blink of an eye! For every bit the housing prices dropped, Yu Caini cursed Su Lanzi in her heart. Wouldn’t it have been so much better if I had used that money to buy an energy vehicle? It’s all because of that damn Su Lanzi! Otherwise, I’d be driving an energy vehicle to work every day instead of squeezing into this designated bus! Yu Caini seethed with internal hatred.

Su Lanzi pulled Jing Shu, who was holding a box, and turned to leave. Jing Shu looked back and said, "Congratulations to you, the housing market indeed has crashed! This is what you call karma!" Su Lanzi quickly covered Jing Shu’s mouth and hustled her inside.

Yu Caini snorted and said to their retreating figures, "You can run, but you can’t hide forever. Su Lanzi, you are bound to lose the upcoming competition. This time, I will definitely crush you underfoot so you can never rise again. Then you’ll learn that in politics, those without connections can only ever remain mere clerks. Humph."

Jing Shu was dragged by Su Lanzi into the specialized research room, all the while listening to her mother’s incessant muttering, "Why even bother with her? We’ve already benefited so much, let’s just keep quiet. Besides, all the money’s spent, and I never want to live in that tiny apartment again. Let her report to the leadership however she wants!" she said this in a somewhat sulky tone.

The Planting Research and Development Management Department was divided into several sections. The newly built rooms, supplied with electricity for at least 8 hours and maintained at a constant temperature for 16 hours daily, were under the Director’s jurisdiction. Each of the two Deputy Directors managed a Dark Day research and cultivation site. In a few days, they would need to submit their research reports and results, and whoever performed better would be promoted.

Once at the site, Jing Shu understood how Yu Caini could afford to be so arrogant.

Yu Caini’s research facility featured rows of shelves where lettuce, spinach, and other plants grew under 24-hour artificial lighting, shielded from natural sunlight. It was staffed by more than a dozen researchers and was spacious. A special nutrient solution was supplied, and all available resources had been invested in it. The facility was also equipped with various advanced instruments for observation and recording. Additionally, a few professors visited daily to oversee progress and provide guidance.

Yu Caini’s daily task was merely to check on the progress, encourage everyone to work hard towards mass production as soon as possible, and she could even brazenly take fresh vegetables home for "taste testing" every day.

In contrast, Su Lanzi’s research site was a warehouse, temporarily converted. It was not only cramped, but the few lone light bulbs barely illuminated the malnourished, wilting vegetables on the shelves. It was staffed by just three experienced farmers; as for any other equipment or instruments, those were out of the question.

The disparity in treatment was like night and day. No wonder Su Lanzi had been sighing so much these past few days. "What can I do? Since I claimed the vegetables were homegrown, this is the setup they gave me. Yu Caini’s uncle is a professor at the research institute; he specifically allocated personnel to her. I heard they even used a catalyst..."

No wonder Su Lanzi felt so hopeless. Faced with such unfair treatment, there was nowhere to complain, especially for someone like Su Lanzi who truly had no connections. She could only silently serve as a stepping stone for others to climb higher.

"You sit and rest for a bit, Mom. I’ll go spread the soil," Su Lanzi said, addressing Jing Shu.

Su Lanzi then spread the soil from their villa over the vegetables cultivated on the shelves. She, too, was puzzled as to why the vegetables at home were thriving while those here were half-dead. It wasn’t until her daughter suggested that the soil might be the reason that she brought some today to test. Naturally, this soil was mixed with earth from the Spiritual Spring and the Magic Cube Space.

Due to the Dark Day, the main vegetables being researched were those that didn’t require much sunlight. These included garlic, spinach, crown daisy, lettuce, and mushrooms. Mostly, these types of vegetables lined the shelves.

Su Lanzi and the three farmers got to work, and once they started, there was no end in sight. Jing Shu’s stomach growled with hunger, so she found a deserted step to sit on and began crunching on charcoal-roasted cashews.

Suddenly, a pair of small eyes fixed on her, catching Jing Shu somewhat off guard. She immediately stopped chewing.

"What are you eating?" As the owner of the small eyes approached, Jing Shu saw it was a dirty, snot-nosed, chubby boy of about five or six.

Jing Shu shook her head, not daring to chew anymore in the dim light.

The chubby boy just stood there, patiently staring at Jing Shu’s cheeks. When Jing Shu got up and walked further inside, the chubby boy followed her pitifully. Though he didn’t speak, his expressive little eyes conveyed a dozen different ways of saying he wanted to eat.