Chapter 203: Trading for Survival: Deals in the Terraced Fields

Yang Jin explained, “A standard tracker has a monitoring radius of about two hundred meters, but this is an upgraded model. It’s not only waterproof but also comes with automatic charging. That’s why it costs a bit more—three thousand points.”

Three thousand points was totally reasonable for Xia Qing at this point. “That’s a fair price. Last time you came by, you offered to purchase my green-light spinach plants with six ten-thousandths Yi element content at six hundred points a pound. Is that deal still on?”

After asking Zhang San about how to use green-light spinach to create premium nutrient solution, Xia Qing had decided to trade over six hundred spinach plants from her terraced fields to the Azure Dragon Unit, and two hundred from the greenhouse to Territory Seven. Yang Jin’s offer was indeed fair.

Yang Jin nodded. “It still stands.”

Relieved, Xia Qing smiled. “Great. Once the spinach seeds are harvested, I’ll pull the plants and we can trade that same day.”

She said “we” instead of “you”, and Yang Jin’s smile got even warmer. “Alright. I want to trade for a hundred liters of uncontaminated spring water. Can I pick it up tomorrow morning at five thirty?”

“No problem.” Xia Qing could only trade her spring water with the Azure Dragon Unit, and a hundred liters wasn’t much—definitely doable.

“Thanks.” With that settled, Yang Jin moved on to the next matter. “After the last fight with the evolved birds, Luo Ge’s physical burden worsened. The Lord of Territory Seven suggested he stick to green-light food until he’s fully detoxed. I’d like to trade for green-light vegetables from your terraced plot for Luo Ge, especially spinach leaves. Is that alright?”

Luo Pei wasn’t just Xia Qing’s instructor—she was a critical shield for Hui San Base. Xia Qing agreed straightaway without even asking about the price. “Right now, the green-light veggies ready to eat in my terraced fields are spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, scallions, pumpkins, and even the sweet potatoes. Luo Ge can have whatever he’d like.”

“Thanks.” Yang Jin had known Xia Qing wouldn’t turn him down, but her swift answer still took him by surprise. He continued, “If it’s for juicing, how much green-light spinach can you supply per day?”

Xia Qing answered honestly, “No more than thirty milliliters a day. If I add the medicine from Third Brother, it’s capped at fifteen milliliters daily. Because once the medicine is added, each fifteen milliliters has more energy than a pack of premium nutrient solution. Any more would be harmful to the body.”

After her first spinach seed harvest, Xia Qing uprooted over fifty spinach plants and ate them all in one meal. If the seeds hadn’t ruined some of the leaves and stems—and if she hadn’t shared all the roots and thick stems with Boss Sheep—her body definitely couldn’t have handled such a high Yi element load in one go. There would have been consequences.

Thinking back on it, she still felt a bit rattled.

Yang Jin negotiated, “The premium nutrient solution from the Safe Zone contains food preservatives. They’re harmless to most people, but Luo Ge can’t handle them in his condition. Can I trade for fifteen milliliters of spinach juice with added medicine each day at three thousand points per serving? The exchange would start today, at a minimum of ten days and a maximum of half a month.”

One pound of green-light spinach leaves produced about eighty milliliters of juice. The medicine Third Brother sold her cost ten thousand points per hundred grams, and each fifteen milliliters needed one gram. At six hundred points per pound for spinach, how much would fifteen milliliters of medicated spinach juice cost…

Xia Qing was never great at math, so she tapped away at her phone’s calculator and finally got a price. “No need for three thousand. For Luo Ge, every fifteen milliliters of spinach juice with medicine is just two hundred fifty points. Green-light vegetables are priced at one hundred fifty points per pound, Safe Zone rate.”

Yang Jin knew why Xia Qing set the price so low, but he couldn’t agree to it. “Three thousand for the spinach juice, and two fifty per pound for the vegetables. Friendship is friendship, business is business. Your supplies are worth their market value. Only in long-term or bulk deals should you discount. Make sure you hold to this principle with everyone—it’ll save you a lot of trouble and arguments.”

From the edges of Yang Jin’s sharp features, Xia Qing saw genuine sincerity. He was honestly sharing his experience with her. She thanked him just as sincerely. “I get it. My stuff really is worth those prices. Let’s go with your rates. Is the spring water also for Luo Ge?”

Yang Jin nodded. “There’s still one herb missing for Luo Ge’s detox. After months of searching, we’ve pretty much pinpointed the herb’s growing area. We plan to head into the Evolver Forest tomorrow for it, and the spring water is for the detox process.”

Herbs? Xia Qing handed her phone over to Yang Jin. “Are these the two herbs you need? Third Brother gave me these pictures yesterday and told the Wolf Pack to search for them. Said one would be for Luo Ge.”

Yang Jin took her phone and enlarged the photos. “That’s right. The best time to harvest them is late August to early September. We can’t pin all our hopes on the wolves.”

Xia Qing reminded him, “The third Xiang Rain is about to hit.”

Venturing deep into the Evolver Forest during a Xiang Rain was basically suicide.

Hearing her concern, Yang Jin’s mouth curved into a smile. “It’s crazy dangerous entering the Evolver Forest during Xiang Rain. Unless, that is—you’d lend me your Yi Stone…”

“No way.” Xia Qing shut him down flat. She barely had enough Yi Stones for herself—no chance she’d trade them away. If the Azure Dragon Unit wanted Yi Stones, they could go find someone at the Safe Zone, not her.

For once, the cold, strict look in Yang Jin’s eyes was replaced by a grin. “So not the Yi Stone, but could you give me a Yi Stone Protective Shell? The ones you make are tougher than what I can buy at the Safe Zone.”

Gift one? Not a chance. He could smile all he wanted, but she wasn’t giving any away for free.

Xia Qing’s expression turned serious. “Friendship is friendship, business is business. The small Yi Stone Protective Shells are two hundred points each. Large ones are three hundred.”

“Hahaha—” Yang Jin laughed loudly. By the time he left the farm shed, even the usually irritating Evolved Sheep looked kind of cute.

Boss Sheep certainly didn’t find Yang Jin all that charming, but with the Alpha Wolf gone, Boss Sheep only squinted and stared at his back instead of starting trouble.

Back at Plot One, Yang Jin was still in a fantastic mood, looking nothing like his usual stern self.

Resting against a chair, Luo Pei remarked, “Xiao Xie was dead right—you’re totally asking for a beating like this.”

“Once you’re back to full health, you can beat me up all you want.” Yang Jin sat at the table with a grin he couldn’t hide. “We reached an agreement—starting today, until the medicine is ready, you’ll have a dose of spinach juice every day to get your strength back, plus vegetables from her terraced fields.”

Seeing Luo Pei’s puzzlement, Yang Jin explained, “When I walked down past her terraces, I noticed she grew all sorts of vegetables. That’s why I brought it up, and she agreed.”

Originally, Yang Jin had planned for Luo Pei to eat green-light veggies from Plot One, but with a better option, why not take it?