Chapter 169: A Rainy Day and the Seeds of Collaboration

“Thunder’s rolling in, looks like rain!” Zhao Ze’s shout echoed through the Lord’s Channel. “Not sure if it’ll be Xiang Rain, so everyone, hurry up and cover your sheds!”

“What the hell? The weather report just said no rain last night!” Kuang Qingwei cursed, his heavy breathing giving away the fact that he was running.

Shi Chong chimed in, “Doesn’t feel any colder. Shouldn’t be hail.”

Hu Zifeng added, “Don’t panic. The weather monitors in Plot One show low Xiang element in the rainclouds. It’s not Xiang Rain.”

Zhao Ze cheered in the Lord’s Channel, “Plot One has weather monitors now? That’s awesome!”

His excitement was clear, but the sound of running in the background never slowed.

Xia Qing had already thrown the rainproof tarp over the greenhouses on the highland planting area and dashed toward the low slope. Even if there was just a one percent chance of Xiang Rain, she refused to let her greenlight crops risk it.

Hu Zifeng’s squad raced over to help Xia Qing cover everything. By the time there were just two sheds left, the rain started falling. Everyone picked up the pace, finishing up the greenhouses and sprinting back to the farm shed by the fields.

Hu Zifeng pulled out his Xiang Tester. After a check he said, “It’s just regular rain.”

Xia Qing let out a breath. She decided the moment this rain stopped she’d find Shi Du to learn how to quickly roll up and lay out the rainproof tarps and make good use of the skill.

The rain was light but looked like it’d last. The tarps were pressed down snug. After thanking Hu Zifeng’s squad and sending them back to Plot One, Xia Qing looked up at the sky with a smile.

“Heaven’s really on my side today.”

She hoped the rain would last longer and get heavier. That’s the only way Xia Qing would feel at ease.

After a round through the fields, Xia Qing headed home for breakfast then slipped into the cellar beneath the tool room. It’d been raining almost an hour, but the bottom of the three-meter-deep cellar stayed dry. That meant it was good to use.

Pleased, Xia Qing decided to dig the food storage pit under the cellar another meter deeper. To make full use of the Yi Stone’s protection, she planned out a square storage room with the Yi Stone hanging dead center, ensuring every inch was covered. That way, there’d be no corner for harmful mutant bacteria to survive.

She packed the dirt and stones she dug out into sacks and used the foot-holes carved into each side of the cellar shaft to haul them up.

Once the new storage room was finished, there was still no sign of water seeping in at the bottom. Xia Qing felt even more reassured.

By the time the rain stopped, she had the rotary tiller out of the garage and attached its trailer to haul out the dirt. Even after three hours of rain, the tracked tiller rolled easily over the path Xia Qing had repaired. It didn’t slow her down a bit.

What really got in her way was the wound on the base of her right thumb. If it weren’t for that, digging out a thirty-cubic-meter cellar wouldn’t have taken her nearly as long.

The rumbling of the rotary tiller startled the three wolves in the sheep shed, but the moment Boss Sheep trotted out from the house and climbed up on the tiller, all three wolves relaxed. They flopped back down to focus on recovering from their injuries.

Xia Qing and Boss Sheep drove the tiller to the southeast side of the territory, where the ruined village lay, and dumped the dirt from the trailer. Then they started loading up bricks.

She’d inspected every broken wall and ruin in all three local villages, salvaging whatever materials could be reused and storing them carefully.

Bricks were a precious resource. Xia Qing didn’t know how to fire them herself and didn’t want to waste points buying them, so she made do with old bricks scavenged from the villages.

Once they’d filled the trailer with whole and half bricks, Xia Qing steered the tiller back with a loud rumble. Not far away in Plot Two, Tang Huai was groaning and clutching his head.

The houses in Plot Two were built to the north, just a few hundred meters from the ruined village where Xia Qing was gathering bricks. Tang Heng, hearing the noise and seeing how much his brother was suffering, brought over a protective mask. “Here, put this on.”

Tang Huai waved him off, weakly complaining, “That woman never sits still for a day. Doesn’t she ever get tired or bored?”

Tang Heng grinned, “After starving for ten years, she’s finally got the chance to work for herself, to grow her own grain and vegetables. Of course she’s motivated.”

“But she’s way too enthusiastic…” Tang Huai flopped back onto the bed and groaned. “She’s got more drive than every man in this whole territory.”

“She’s a Strength Evolver, at least level five.” Tang Heng sounded a little jealous.

Tang Huai, still reeling from the earlier sonic attack, found himself envious too. “Strength Evolution really is perfect for farming. They ought to put every Strength Evolver from the Safe Zone to work in the fields.”

Xia Qing hauled the bricks home just in time to hear Shi Du call her in the Lord’s Channel. “Qing-jie, you there?”

Xia Qing pressed the button. “Yeah, I’m here.”

Shi Du sounded cheerful. “Our greenlight water celery seeds just ripened. Want me to bring them over now?”

“Perfect, thank you.” Xia Qing knew exactly why Shi Du chose this timing. She quickly washed her hands and took out thirty pounds of vacuum-packed yellowlight wheat.

Greenlight seeds traded between lords cost twenty points each. The Safe Zone bought yellowlight wheat at twenty points a pound. Xia Qing had agreed with Shi Chong to swap thirty pounds of wheat for thirty greenlight water celery seeds.

When the lords in Plot Ten heard the greenlight seeds were ready, Liu the assistant from Plot Nine popped online. “Mr. Shi, could you drop off Plot Nine’s greenlight water celery seeds, too, while you’re at it?”

Back in June, Plot Ten had exchanged greenlight water celery seeds with Plot Nine for some high-efficiency compost starter.

Shi Du agreed. “Sure thing. Uncle Kuang, Aunt Qi, you two around? I’ll bring over your seeds too while I’m at it.”

Kuang Qingwei replied right away, “Here, thanks, Shi Du.”

Yuan Yan said, “Thank you so much, Shi Du. I’ll wait for you by the road sign.”

Tang Zhengbo, lord of Plot Twelve, asked, “Shi Du, do you have any extra greenlight water celery seeds? I’d like to trade, too.”

Shi Du apologized, “We’ve only got a few water celery plants, so seed output’s low. Everything available is already swapped out.”

“No problem,” Tang Zhengbo answered.

Zhao Ze’s voice came up in the Lord’s Channel, “My alfalfa seeds are about ripe. Once I harvest, I’ll bring some around for everyone, too.”

A lord’s territory was their home now, but this ‘house’ was enormous—far bigger than any pre-disaster village, spanning over a thousand acres.

Knowing Shi Du had such a delivery route, Xia Qing took it easy. She let Boss Sheep carry the grain sack as they ambled along toward the territory three road sign.

When she got close, she realized Shi Du was actually a kilometer away at the territory four road sign, chatting with Zhao Ze.

Wasn’t Zhao Ze not involved in the greenlight water celery trade?

Xia Qing perked up her ears and heard Shi Du telling him, “Zhao, let’s catch up later, I have seeds to deliver.”

Zhao just snorted, “Pfft—”

As soon as Shi Du said that, Tang Huai’s snickering burst out from Plot Two. Xia Qing’s eyes sparkled as a clever idea came to her.