It was clearly summer, yet many places were experiencing frozen disasters and frosts, which was highly unfavorable for crop growth.
Even though people in various places began to research cold-resistant crop varieties, there was little progress in the first year, so the crops distributed to different regions were still the original cool-weather and cold-resistant varieties.
For instance, wheat, potatoes, highland barley, buckwheat, and beets - crops originally grown in northern and highland areas - were now distributed to various regions for experimentation.
In tropical regions, people were cultivating rice, where the temperature was still acceptable.
Of course, this was just information Wen Qian heard from the radio. Although she had books on seeds, she lacked the environment and mindset for research, so she did not grow any grains in the first year.
Though she didn't grow grains, she did grow other crops like potatoes and beets.
Potatoes were initially cultivated within the walls, but later, seeing their growth was decent, she moved them to the fields outside.
Since potatoes were buried underground, external factors like strong winds, sand, stones, or frost and snow would not immediately affect the potatoes underground.
According to radio reports, the proportion of potato cultivation was still quite high worldwide.
Indeed, being well-prepared meant unexpected yields. Even though Wen Qian didn't grow grains in the first year, she would likely harvest enough potatoes for herself.
Some of these potatoes were ones she had picked up for free from the wholesale market, while others were different varieties she had purchased.
As for beets, she only grew a small amount, knowing they could be used to make sugar. However, she didn't grow too many as she hadn't really touched the white sugar she had previously stockpiled from wholesalers.
From childhood memories, sweet potatoes and regular potatoes were never grown from seeds. Potatoes sprouted from tubers, which were then cut and buried for cultivation, while sweet potatoes were grown from nursery beds and transplanted as vines.
So when preparing seeds, Wen Qian not only had conventional seeds but also tubers of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and taro, and even sugarcane roots and grape vines.
No one knew what the future held, so Wen Qian collected all the varieties she could grow.
With a vague dream and a powerful storage space, Wen Qian wasn't worried about food.
Her current concerns were safety and warmth.
Thus, after completing other tasks, she would either chop trees in the mountains to store firewood or learn to make clothes at home.
For ease of disassembly and washing, she learned to separate the cotton or down lining from the outer fabric, as described in books, and also wore quilted jackets.
This way, only the outer fabric needed washing, with the lining washed less frequently.
Thick clothes were very troublesome and laborious to wash.
Similarly, her bedding had cotton and silk linings that she had previously picked up and had re-fluffed at a cotton-batting shop, made to her desired size and weight.
Now, they came in handy. The fluffy bedding, whether used as mattresses or covers, was very soft and comfortable, with plenty of replacements.
If she felt the bedding wasn't fluffy enough after being compressed, she would replace it, taking out the previously used ones to air and beat.
Infrequent use would cause damage, but so would excessive use.
Therefore, Wen Qian frequently rotated her clothes and shoes to reduce wear and tear.
Far away in An Province, Auntie Chen took off her green sneakers, their soles now broken. She had just returned from the fields, her feet covered in mud.
Their family had also grown some potatoes. With the current environment, the local authorities had distributed some cold-resistant seeds for them to plant.
They heard that some seeds were from northern regions, and the locals were enthusiastic about planting them, aiming not for surplus, but at least to fill their own bellies. That would bring peace to the area.
As for the reports of higher temperatures near the southern coasts, where rice could still be grown, they expressed envy. However, many people had already gone there, so no additional help was needed.
Seed experts had been gathered at seed research institutes across the country to develop and cultivate crops.
Seed banks worldwide were searching for and cultivating cold-resistant varieties.
Before the volcanic eruption, people pursued money, using it to obtain desired things like houses, cars, education, and healthcare.
Now, the goal was clearer and more singular. If stomachs couldn't be filled, money was just scrap paper. Everyone's focus was on seed cultivation and development.
People also realized that, faced with the same plight, there was less helplessness or anger than before.
Because everyone was in the same boat, people under the volcanic winter faced similar challenges.
Previous helplessness stemmed from the inability to reach others' starting lines despite great effort.
Some struggled their whole lives to afford a down payment on a house, while others had several houses from birth.
Now, they couldn't see those disparities. Although some still had better conditions, internet and power restrictions prevented people from seeing such displays of wealth.
Life lacked peer pressure, so the resulting anxiety was slightly alleviated.
Now, hard work in cultivation yielded harvests, and filling stomachs was satisfying.
Even in the event of crop failure or reduced yields, those under the same sky suffered similarly.
With fewer distractions and differences in lifestyles, minds became clearer.
There was no more food waste. After half a year of consumption, most households had nearly depleted their stored food.
City dwellers now relied on rations, which were not enough for gluttonous eating.
Every meal and every drop of oil was precious. Before the eruption, the "clean plate" campaign was promoted, but afterward, no promotion was needed - people would pick up and eat every morsel that fell on the table.
Of course, while picking it up, they would lament their previous wastefulness, ordering too many dishes, and throwing away anything they didn't like or couldn't finish.
Before, even vegetable stems and leaves would be discarded, keeping only the prime parts. Now, even a yellowed leaf, as long as it was from a vegetable, would be tossed into the pot.
Previously, a thick layer of skin would be peeled off potatoes and sweet potatoes, but now they were just washed, any holes removed, and the skins eaten too.
Against this backdrop of precious grains, even Wen Qian in far-off Xia Province was influenced by this mindset, handling scraps with utmost care.
