<h4>Chapter 114: Sol Hundred and Thirteen, Tomorrow Will Be Better</h4>


    Trantor: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon


    Mai Dong could understand Tang Yue. She had already forgotten the feeling of being able to eat and drink as she did on Earth. On the United Space Station, her daily intake had to be restricted. Recently, Mai Dong’s dreams would mostly be about eating—fried chicken, ham, shrimp, and fish—but all the food that entered her mouth tasted like wax, dull and tasteless.


    When she woke up in horror, she would realize that she had forgotten what food tasted like.


    As for Tang Yue, he was living amidst feces every day in Kunlun Station, so he naturally viewed the pittance inside the containers as valuable. He also missed the inexhaustible feces found on Earth.


    He wanted to swim in a pool of feces!


    He wanted to jump in to swim in it!


    After Tang Yue had finished heating the fertilizer, he poured it all into a water trough. Back then, he and Tomcat had prepared enough soil to fill two water troughs. These would be the hotbeds for the tomato seeds.


    “So I just nt the seeds next?” Tang Yue turned his head to seek Mai Dong’s advice.


    “Yeah.” The girl nodded. “Go ahead and nt them.”


    Tang Yue took a deep breath as he prayed. Carefully, he used a pair of tweezers to nt the ten tomato seeds into the soil, his actions as gentle as a parent carrying his child.


    “What do we do next?”


    “Next...” Mai Dong paused. “All that’s left is to wait. And also pray!”


    ...


    In order to ensure that the tomatoes would grow normally, Tang Yue had to ensure that the nts remained in an environment of 25°C. He had nned on using Kunlun Station’s temperature control system, but with Tomcat not returning, there was no way to fix the temperature control processor. Therefore, Tang Yue could only manually use inelegant methods to keep these precious saplings warm.


    Tang Yue cleared out a spot in the Hab, brought over the manual antenna he had used three months ago and erected it there. When the parabolic dish antenna remained in an unfolded state, the antenna resembled an erect metal pole. It was best used as a support beam.


    Next was the RTG. With the temperature control system defunct, the RTG was thest thing keeping Tang Yue alive. He propped it up and ced it beside the antenna.


    “Tang Yue, you are going to ce the RTG in Kunlun Station?” Mai Dong was a little worried. “If... if I remember correctly, this thing produces radiation, right?”


    Tang Yue nodded and patted the circr beam, which was about half a meter tall. “That’s right. Its energyes from Plutonium-238. It emits very strong radiation.”


    “Doesn’t that matter?”


    Tang Yue smiled. “Don’t worry. It radiates alpha particles. They won’t be able to prate the protectiveyer. On Earth, people ce it into the heart to work as a pacemaker.”


    Tang Yue ced the tomato trough close to the RTG, and then covered it with a stic sheet, creating a tent that nketed both. Then, he used all kinds of items to press down on the sides of the stic sheet... This greenhouse appeared very crude, but it was the best Tang Yue could manage.


    “Can this guarantee the temperature?” Mai Dong asked.


    “Not yet.” Tang Yue pped his hands and turned to don the Radiant Armor. “There’s still plenty of work needed.”


    “Such as?”


    “Light.”


    Tang Yue carried his toolbox and opened the hatch to the airlock. He then headed out of Kunlun Station to open the garage door.


    There was a series of high-pressure sodiummps on the ceiling of the garage. As they consumed a lot of power, they were usually shut down. However, these kinds of high-intensity light bulbs were perfect for providing the light needed by nts for photosynthesis. After Tang Yue shut down the power switch to the entire garage, he stuffed his entire set of tools into the bag by his chest. Then, he slowly climbed up the maintenancedder by the wall. At that height, he could reach for a light bulb simply by extending his hand.


    “Tang Yue, are you in the garage?” Mai Dong’s voice sounded through the earpiece.


    “Yes.” Tang Yue lifted his head and slowly drew in a breath. He worked hard to reach out and gently grab the light bulb. “I’m dismantling the light bulbs in the garage.”


    The high-pressure sodium light bulbs were tube-shaped. The outeryer was made of hard silica ss, but it was brittle. Therefore, Tang Yue was very careful. With a thick glove, it was often easy for him to exert excessive strength identally.


    Tang Yue removed tube after tube, stuffing them into the pocket on his chest before he slowly climbed down and ced them in his toolbox.


    Just the light bulbs alone were insufficient. High-pressure sodiummps couldn’t be used directly in Kunlun Station. He still needed to set up ampstand, dismantling the wiring and current stabilizer. This was a massive task, so Tang Yue had brought scissors, hammers, and pliers. All kinds of screwdrivers and wrenches hung over him, upgrading the Radiant Armor to a home depot outfit.


    “Will you be okay doing it alone?”


    “I’ll have to do it regardless.” Tang Yue panted. He had just removed two tight screws, dropping a section of the electric cable that was fixed to the ceiling.


    “All the best, Tang Yue! I’ll support you in spirit!”


    “Can’t you give me some tangible help?” Tang Yue rolled his eyes. “Damn it... why is this screwed so tight?”


    “The problem is... How can I provide you tangible help? I’m on the space station. It’s not like I can give you a hand.”


    “Why don’t you sing a song?” Tang Yue gritted his teeth, removing the stuck screw. Then, he held onto thedder and gasped for breath. As he perspired profusely, he asked, “Do you know how to sing?”


    “Uh...”


    There was silence. Clearly, Mai Dong was in thought.


    “How about ‘ Your Mother is Shining Along the Horizon ?’”


    “What the hell is that?” Tang Yue frowned.


    “Don’t you know? It was the most popr song before Earth vanished. It’s from that postmodern-styled music genius’s new album. There’s also ‘Grandpa is Building a Nuke in the Basement ,’ ‘ High School Teacher’s Gatling .’” Mai Dong exined. “All the young people around me loved them.”


    “You... You also like such music?” Tang Yue curled the corners of his lips. He couldn’t imagine a schrly and quiet chick like Mai Dong listening to ” Grandpa is Building a Nuke in the Basement ” from a head-banging non-mainstream singer.


    “I don’t like it. I prefer absolute music and piano pieces.” Mai Dong shook her head. “I thought you would like that.”


    “I don’t like it either.” Tang Yue hurriedly shook his head. “What I like is the old-school music before the music industry became a mess. I like the old-school songs from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. Do you know that choral song, ‘ Tomorrow will be Better ?’”


    Mai Dong thought for a moment before she hummed a few notes. “Is it this one?”


    “Yes! It’s that one. Lightly knocking and waking up the soundly asleep heart and mind, slowly open up your eyes ... That line.” Tang Yue also hummed a few lines. “Can you sing it? I haven’t heard anyone sing in a long while.”


    Mai Dong nodded. “Let me find somepanion music.”


    Slow and soothing music sounded in Tang Yue’s earpiece. It was a very familiar prelude for him. Each note seemed to trample over his heart, making long-lost feelings return to him. Slowly, the girl’s gentle voice sounded.


    ” Lightly knocking and waking up the soundly asleep heart and mind, slowly open up your eyes. Look at the busy world to see whether or not it is still lonely turning around and around non-stop .” Mai Dong wasn’t very familiar with the song, so all she could do was follow the apaniment, resulting in her going off-tune in the first line. ” The spring wind doesn’t understand the feelings and emotions, and it blows the heart of the youth .”


    Tang Yue leaned on thedder as he rested. He wasn’t suited for physical activity thanks to the Radiant Armor. He turned his head to look out of the garage at the endless desert.


    He still remembered Tomcat heading out in that direction, but up to this day, it was nowhere to be seen.


    ” The sun called and woke up the morning, the grand earth reborn with splendor .” Mai Dong was still trying hard to follow the apaniment even if she had gone extremely off tune. Yet, she insisted on finishing the song.


    Thisdy sure is a gentle girl. Tang Yue grinned, but he couldn’tugh even though he wanted to. All he could do was stuff the wrench into his bag and begin humming.


    ” Let the warm wind breeze out the sounding topose the musical chapters of life ...”