Chapter 247: A Bumper Harvest and the Taste of New Chestnuts

Qi Fu proposed a trade. “I’ve got four Greenlight orange saplings, all sprouted this spring and already taller than a person. I’ll dig up two and bring them over for you.”

Xia Qing asked for advice. “Qi Ge, Sister-in-law, is it easier for saplings to take root if we plant them now, or will they do better right after the Xiang Rain next spring?”

Yuan Yan, delighted to get another kind of Greenlight tree, chimed in. “They’ll survive better if you plant them next spring. Our winters get bitter cold here. If too much snow falls, the trees could freeze to death.”

“Then we’ll dig them up next spring.” With the exchange set, Xia Qing grabbed a few Greenlight chestnuts and pressed them into Yuan Yan’s hands, leaving her no room to refuse, and then saw them off past the edge of her territory.

The pair carried such precious supplies, they worried someone might spot them. Only after waiting for the patrolling Inspection Team did they fall in with the group, following them along the North Barrier on their way home.

Back in their own territory, after a full day’s work, Qi Fu’s arms and legs ached, and both shoulders burned fiercely. Still, excitement over their haul of goods outweighed the pain. He whispered to his wife, “Last night I was so worried about needing a bathroom break in the Evolver Forest, but once I got inside, I didn’t feel like peeing at all. Every drop of water in my body just turned to sweat and poured out like a river. My clothes were soaked through.”

Over in Territory Ten, when Tan Junjie’s wife and son brought home a sack of chestnuts, Shi Chong was stunned. “These chestnuts grew so big after evolving, they’re nearly as big as that ancient jujube back in our old hometown!”

“Five pounds of Yellowlight chestnuts will buy enough rations to feed our family for three months.” Shi’s mother beamed at their fortune.

Because Shi Chong needed to take medicine long-term, most of their grains and vegetables were bartered away for medicinal herbs, despite how much they’d harvested.

Now Shi Chong was taking medicine prescribed by Zhang San. It cost double what the Safe Zone charged, but the effect was so much better. After a few days on it, the swelling in his ankles and knees vanished and he felt light on his feet again.

Seeing his dad’s health improve, Shi Du was happy enough to eat ration cakes made of grass every day. He was just waiting for the autumn harvest so he could make more trips to the Evolver Forest with Plot One’s team and Xia Qing to earn more points and buy extra medicine for his father.

Shi’s mother told her husband how capable Xia Qing was. “She single-handedly keeps her territory tidy. She didn’t just pull up all the Xiang Grass, she leveled every patch of land, picked up the big stones, and the place looks brand new. And she has not only a rooster that crows, but hens too. I wonder if she plans to hatch chicks next spring. If so, maybe we can trade for a few and raise them ourselves.”

Back in July, Hu Zifeng and Shi Du brought home a Yellowlight gosling from a mission, and the whole family doted on it. But it died after getting hit by an ultrasonic blast, and Shi’s mother lost sleep for days.

Shi Du figured it was best to check with Zhang San first. “Even Qing-jie’s chickens came from Zhang San. Next spring we’ll have to ask Territory Seven if they plan to hatch chicks. If Third Brother isn’t, then we’ll ask Qing-jie privately.”

In Territory Three, Xia Qing handed over thirty-two pounds of Greenlight chestnuts to Ji Li in exchange for sixteen bottles of medicine, then called Boss Sheep over, and together they carried the rest of the chestnuts home and stashed them in the storage room under the garage.

That afternoon, Xia Qing picked up a tip from Qi Fu, his wife, and Shi’s mother: fresh chestnuts can be stored straight in a cold room, as long as the temperature and humidity match what potatoes need. So that’s where she put them.

Yuan Yan said that before the calamity, as long as temperatures and humidity were kept steady, chestnuts could last up to two years in cold storage. So Xia Qing decided to store the whole batch.

Now her storage room was packed with an extra 290 pounds of Greenlight chestnuts and 1,200 pounds of Yellowlight chestnuts. She planned to keep them all—at least until she harvested new ones next year.

She still had more than twenty pounds of chestnuts with cracked shells in her kitchen. Xia Qing didn’t bother storing those, just tossed them in the fridge to eat over the next couple of days.

After two busy days, more than 1,500 pounds of food had been added to her reserves. Xia Qing was so cheerful she hummed to herself as she washed up in her room. That night, she made chicken with chestnuts for dinner and cooked up some chicken breast porridge for the sick wolf.

Watching the sick wolf lap up every last drop of porridge, Xia Qing smiled and stroked its neck. “If you’re eating, you’re getting better. Hang in there, Number Two. Just a couple more days—this is the last stage for getting rid of those parasites. You’ll feel fine when it’s done.”

After switching the medicine to a new concoction mixed with herbs the Alpha Wolf gathered, the sick wolf had the runs again. Xia Qing’s courtyard started to get pretty smelly, so she had to clean up after it more often.

After feeding the sick wolf, Xia Qing gave two pieces of dried meat to the Wolf with the Spinal Injury. “Thanks for helping me and Your Majesty take care of Boss Sheep today. Consider this your reward.”

So many people had been coming in and out of her territory that day, so Xia Qing had asked the Alpha Wolf and the Wolf with the Spinal Injury to keep Boss Sheep at home. Don’t let him strut around the village. The two wolves did a great job. The Alpha Wolf was out at the moment, so Xia Qing handed the reward over to the other wolf.

And the Wolf with the Broken Leg? That rascal hadn’t shown up all day—who knows what kind of mischief he was getting into.

After taking care of the wolves, Xia Qing washed her hands and caught a whiff of something delicious drifting through the house. She rushed over, lifted the lid, and nearly drooled over the fragrant meat in the pot.

It smelled amazing! Absolutely mouthwatering!

Greenlight chicken with Greenlight chestnuts—one whiff and she knew it would be delicious. She carried both the wok and a bowl of hot rice to her table, gave Boss Sheep a dish of premium feed, and picked up her chopsticks to snag a chestnut.

The taste was so good she felt like her soul was floating, spinning a few laps around the room before coming back.

Eyes bright, Xia Qing looked across at Boss Sheep, who was munching on pasture feed. “Boss, it’s a shame you can’t eat this. These chestnuts are just too, too, too good! I’ve never had anything like them—Blue Star’s evolved chestnuts are perfect! Third Brother will definitely want to trade for some. What great stuff should I swap him for?”

Boss Sheep stared at the dark wok on Xia Qing’s table, narrowing his sheepy eyes.

Xia Qing instantly knew what he was thinking and glared at him. “Touch my pot and I’ll twist your horns off and sell them to Tang Huai for bug digging!”

Boss Sheep huffed loudly through his nose, then buried his head in his feed.

Xia Qing picked up another chestnut, savoring it slowly, and coaxed him in a soft voice, “I know today was tough for you. I won’t leave the territory tomorrow. We’ll go for a run together and have a wrestling match.”

Boss Sheep just kept eating, ignoring her completely.

That sheep’s punchable face couldn’t spoil Xia Qing’s good mood. After a wonderful meal, she turned on the radio right on time to catch the weather forecast and a show on farming tips.

Tomorrow’s forecast called for more good weather—a big help for her crops. The farming segment detailed late-season cotton management and the best way to store harvested cotton.

As soon as the broadcast ended, Xia Qing switched off the radio and reached for her walkie-talkie, only to see the sick wolf trailing in after Boss Sheep, who’d just gone out for a bathroom break.

The wolf even washed its paws, stamping a few plum-shaped prints on the floor, and stared up at Xia Qing with pleading eyes.

Xia Qing was puzzled. “Number Two, you’re not sleeping with the Wolf with the Spinal Injury tonight? You want to stay with Boss Sheep?”

A few days ago, Xia Qing wouldn’t have minded, but now she wasn’t so sure—thanks to the wolf’s persistent stomach issues, it had a certain smell.

The sick wolf left a trail of paw prints all the way to the bathroom and looked back at Xia Qing.

She locked eyes with the wolf for a moment before asking, “Do you want a bath?”

The sick wolf wagged its tail and grinned at her, almost as if it were smiling.