Rapid growth

Alanna looked at Helen, who was frowning and remained silent. She said, "Helen, did we make a mistake? Why haven't the seeds sprouted after so many days? Normally, a fresh seed would have germinated in just a few days. Could it be that our seed is dead?"

Helen pursed her lips, wearing an expression of doubt and uncertainty. "It shouldn't be, right? Waldo wouldn't have given us dead seeds. After all, they came from the supplies box. Maybe we did something wrong."

Alanna contemplated for a moment and said, "There's no reason for that. We watered the seeds multiple times every day—morning, noon, and evening. Besides, there is abundant sunlight in the yard. How could we have killed them?"

With a serious face, Helen clasped her hands together and confidently declared, "I know! It must be that we didn't use enough fertilizer."

Alanna pointed to the heap of fertilizer in the foam box, surprised and somewhat skeptical. "Not enough? But we already used half a bag of fertilizer. Isn't that too much?"

Shaking her head, Helen explained with conviction, "Alanna, we have been thinking too conventionally. Just think about it. If we don't need a large amount of fertilizer for composting, then when will we ever finish using that big bag of fertilizer? So, we must use more fertilizer to ensure that the seeds absorb sufficient nutrients."

Convinced by Helen's earnest analysis, Alanna nodded unconsciously. "Alright, let's pour the fertilizer into the foam box together."

Helen smiled and said, "Great!"

The two girls enthusiastically covered the seeds with the remaining fertilizer, full of anticipation for the sprouting and growth of the seeds.

At that moment, Waldo had already walked from the rooftop to the yard. He pretended to be nonchalant, but in reality, he wanted to see how Alanna and Helen were planting the seeds and gather some intelligence.

Just as Alanna and Helen finished applying the fertilizer onto the seeds, they noticed Waldo approaching and blocking their path to the foam box.

Alanna refused, "Waldo, no way! We are in a competition now, and what you're doing is considered cheating."

Scratching his head, Waldo replied, "I just wanted to see what you've done. I've already seen it from upstairs, and covering the seeds with so much fertilizer definitely won't work."

Helen scoffed, not convinced. "You don't understand. Seeds need sufficient nutrients to germinate."

Waldo's mouth twitched involuntarily. "Helen, your image as a top student and beauty is starting to crumble."

Helen heard Waldo muttering under his breath, and she noticed a faint pulsation of veins on her pure forehead.

She gritted her teeth but maintained a smiling face as she said slowly, "Well, as a liberal arts student, I know nothing about agricultural cultivation, so there's no image to crumble. But you, Waldo, you claimed to be a cultivation expert. If you can't grow vegetables, it would be quite embarrassing."

Waldo raised an eyebrow, showing disdain. "It seems like I have to show some real skills; otherwise, you both will take my words lightly. Just wait and see how I handle you."

Faced with the challenge, neither side was willing to back down. However, only they knew what they truly thought in their hearts.

Alanna and Helen were full of confidence, eagerly waiting for the seeds they had planted to sprout and bear fruit. They planned to flaunt the fresh vegetables in front of Waldo and make him drool.

On the other hand, as Waldo lay in bed at night, he thought to himself, "Damn, it's been two days, and they still haven't sprouted. I hope I didn't jinx it by boasting earlier. It would be really embarrassing if I lost and had to do their laundry."

Two more days passed, and just like his daily morning routine, Waldo went to the rooftop terrace to water the seeds. He had started to give up hope.

No matter what he did, the seeds refused to sprout. He simply watered them twice a day, morning and noon, and spread a little fertilizer, paying little attention to them.

Waldo carried a small watering can as he approached the foam box. The touch of lush green inside the foam box made him feel somewhat bewildered.

They had actually sprouted! These self-sown vegetable seeds unexpectedly sprouted despite being left to chance. Waldo hurried to the other foam boxes to check the seeds of different vegetable varieties. They all had green sprouts emerging and were thriving.

Gently, Waldo caressed these little lives that had come so unexpectedly in a post-apocalyptic world and chuckled foolishly.

The vibrant green filled him with joy. Unlike the yellowish-dark green of the withered trees and grass in the wilderness of the post-apocalyptic world, this newborn life radiated a fresh gleam of tender leaves in the sunlight.

Over the next few days, the sprouts grew rapidly, developing small branches. These seeds from the supplies boxes seemed somewhat different.

Since germination, they had been growing at an astonishing pace. In just a few days, the first batch of fresh vegetables was ready for harvest.

Meanwhile, Alanna and Helen's seeds showed no signs of progress. This planting competition ended with Waldo as the victor.

That evening, while enjoying the fresh vegetables grown by Waldo, Alanna and Helen, although feeling a bit sheepish, let Waldo propose a condition. However, Waldo wasn't in a hurry and decided to save it for later.

They planned to establish a cultivation area and eventually transfer these foam boxes to the underground bunker.

Everything Waldo did had a purpose. The meteor shower was approaching, and their supply of canned vegetables was not abundant. Even though they had sufficient staple food and meat, the human body required various vitamins, minerals, fiber, and more.

If the meteor shower lasted for a long time and they ran out of canned vegetables, they would have no way to gather supplies outside. Without replenishing essential nutrients, prolonged deprivation would harm their bodies.

Therefore, it was crucial for them to grow fresh vegetables. They needed to cultivate fresh produce before the meteor shower arrived.

In fact, because of the uniqueness of these seeds, Waldo and the others had already harvested two or three rounds of fruits and had accumulated a considerable stockpile.