Feng Qingxue had no experience growing vegetables, so she turned to older relatives with whom she had a good relationship, such as Feng Ershu's wife, Hongling.
It was a time when spring was ending and summer was approaching, so many vegetables could not be planted, but seedlings could be transplanted.
Each family gave her some seedlings they had grown themselves – some gave her a few luffa seedlings, others gave her a bundle of chili seedlings, and there were eggplant, cucumber, and pumpkin seedlings too. She was also given pak choi and mustard seeds, a few sprouted ginger and potato tubers.