The Nangua hadn't been trellised, so its vines spread out along the base of the wall. They were incredibly dense, covering a large patch of ground; you had to part the thick leaves to find any of the squash. The hyacinth beans, however, were quite flamboyant, crawling all over the eastern wall. The remaining water spinach, scallions, and chives were also a delightful, verdant green.
Juhua surveyed the garden, first picking a few eggplants, then a basketful of tender green chili peppers, along with some cowpeas and a small, young Nangua. Then, Huai Zi brought over a carrying pole with two buckets of diluted manure. He went down the line, watering each of the eggplant and pepper plants. He also splashed a ladleful onto the soil around the Nangua—watering too close to the roots could easily kill the plant.
