Chen Lan walked out of the detached villa but didn't immediately go to find Xiang Xi and the others. Instead, she found a shady spot with stones and sat down. She then used her mind to open the system and search for "fruit trees." Suddenly, the system's light screen was flooded with results, looking like it was about to explode! This startled Chen Lan, who thought there was a problem with the system.
Quickly, she typed "grapes" on the system's light screen, and another dense cluster of words appeared.
Chen Lan immediately changed it to "grapes suitable for planting in cold regions." This time, the system's light screen prompts finally became normal. It displayed "Kyoho grapes, Rose grapes, Jingxiu grapes, Bella Italia, Ruby, and so on."
Chen Lan then typed "jujube trees suitable for planting in cold regions" on the system's light screen. The prompts displayed "Jinsixiao jujube, Dongzhao, Yuanzaozi - Soft Jujube."
Figs are suitable for planting "Japanese Purple Fig, Stella, Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Hardy Chicago."
Persimmon trees are suitable for planting "Mopan Persimmon, Black Persimmon."
Pear trees are suitable for planting "Late Fragrant Pear, Nanguo Pear, Da (Xiao) Xiangshui Pear."
Cherry trees are suitable for planting "Russian No. 8, Meizao, Qizao."
Chen Lan decided to choose these six varieties of fruit trees first. If anyone wanted other fruits, she could buy them later if needed. She then compared the taste, sweetness, cold hardiness, and pest resistance of each fruit variety within the system and finally made her choices. For grapes, she chose "Kyoho grapes." For jujube trees, she chose "Yuanzaozi - Soft Jujube." For figs, she chose "Brown Turkey." For persimmon trees, she chose "Mopan Persimmon." For pear trees, she chose "Late Fragrant Pear." For cherry trees, she chose "Russian No. 8."
Having decided on the fruit tree varieties to plant, she immediately opened the system to place an order, purchasing ten saplings of each variety. Chen Lan planned to plant three types of fruit trees in her own yard: "Kyoho grapes, Brown Turkey figs, and Russian No. 8 cherry trees." She would set up a grape trellis in the backyard, and plant the Brown Turkey fig trees and Russian No. 8 cherry trees in the front yard. With this in mind, Chen Lan immediately got up and walked back into the villa. While they were busy cleaning inside the house, she quickly took out four grape saplings, five Brown Turkey fig tree saplings, and five Russian No. 8 cherry tree saplings from the system's warehouse and placed them next to the goji berry grove in the front.
She was about to turn around and run out to find Xiang Xi and the others. But after taking a few steps, she stopped again because Chen Lan suddenly remembered that she hadn't prepared the materials and tools for the work. If she called them over, they wouldn't be able to start working. So, Chen Lan stopped and found a shady spot. She then used her mind to open the system and purchase a large, three-meter-high and five-meter-long wooden anti-corrosion grape trellis; a curved anti-corrosion wooden platform; an anti-corrosion wooden swing with a double seat; and two hundred 100cm x 100cm anti-slip ginger-yellow floor tiles. The cement and sand needed for laying the floor tiles were already at the construction site. She had bought plenty in the system last time, and there was still a lot left after repairing the house foundation, irrigation well, and drainage ditch. The cart for pushing sand and the hoe for digging tree pits were also at the construction site.
Chen Lan planned to plant Japanese Zoysia grass in the lawn. It is suitable for sowing when the ground temperature reaches above 20°C in early summer, which is the current sowing season for Japanese Zoysia grass.
With this in mind, Chen Lan no longer hesitated. She quickly placed the order, took out the items from the system's warehouse one by one, and placed them next to the fruit tree saplings in the goji berry grove. Then, she unhesitatingly turned around and ran to the house construction site to find Xiang Xi, Xiao Shan, Lin Mao, and Xiao Shuan.
Chen Lan told them that she needed their help to build the grape trellis, assemble the swing frame, lay the floor tiles, plant the lawn, and dig tree pits for planting the fruit trees. Xiang Xi and the others didn't say anything. They informed Xiang Dong Ge and Er Hu Ge, who were responsible for building the house.
Then, each of them took a hoe from where the tools were kept. Xiang Xi suddenly asked, "Little Lan Zi, can we use a multi-functional agricultural tractor to till our yard?"
Chen Lan thought for a moment and said, "If we use a tractor, won't it till the soil too deeply? Planting grass doesn't require tilling too deep; we just need to scatter the grass seeds into 0.5 to 1 cm of soil. Then, water them twice a day, and in about 15 to 25 days, seedlings will emerge."
Xiang Xi said, "We won't use any other attachments, just the soil loosening attachment. How about that?"
Chen Lan thought it was acceptable and worth trying! If they could use a soil loosener, it would save a lot of trouble!
As soon as they decided, Xiang Xi turned around and walked to where the tractor was parked. He skillfully attached the soil loosening attachment, and the rotary tiller was instantly transformed into a soil loosener.
Xiang Xi drove the tractor, taking four hoes, six bags of cement, and Chen Lan. They left first and went directly to the newly built villa. The rest of the people pushed a cart of sand each and followed.
As soon as Xiang Xi arrived at the courtyard entrance, he unloaded the hoes and cement near the goji berry grove and drove the tractor into the yard to start the soil loosening operation. Chen Lan walked over and looked at the area he had loosened. The depth of the soil loosened by the soil loosener seemed a bit too deep.
Chen Lan thought about it and decided to let it be! It would do. Even if they used a hoe to till the ground one by one, it wouldn't be exactly one centimeter, would it?
Xiang Xi drove the tractor back and forth in the yard three times, avoiding the well area. Chen Lan quickly told him to stop, as three times was enough.
At this time, Xiao Shan, Lin Mai, Xiao Shuan, and the others arrived, each pushing a cart of sand. Chen Lan asked them to unload the sand next to the cement near the goji berry grove.
Chen Lan looked at the yard from the entrance and made a plan in her mind. She told Xiang Xi her idea: planting fruit trees on both sides of the main gate would prevent the yard from looking messy, make it neat and attractive, and also facilitate pollination for the fruit trees.
Xiang Xi listened to Chen Lan and said, "Little Lan Zi, I don't understand these things. You decide. Do whatever you think is best!"
"Fine! It's like you said nothing," Chen Lan grumbled inwardly.
Chen Lan said helplessly, "Little Watermelon, let's start digging then!"
Chen Lan chose the locations and marked the spots where the fruit trees would be planted. Then, she had them start digging. The fruit tree saplings were not very large, only about one foot seven or eight inches tall, and their root systems were not very long. They only needed to dig tree pits about one foot deep. The boys had strong muscles, and it only took about three to five hoes to dig a tree pit. The tree pits were quickly dug.
The group immediately brought the fruit tree saplings and planted them. Five fig trees were planted to the left of the entrance, and five Russian No. 8 cherry trees were planted to the right of the entrance. Water pumped from the well and left to sun for half an hour was used to water the ten fruit trees, and the task was considered complete.
Chen Lan, carrying the four grape vine saplings, led Xiang Xi, Xiao Shan, and the others, who carried hoes and the three-meter-high, five-meter-long wooden anti-corrosion grape trellis, towards the backyard.