Chapter 270: Spraying Pesticide and Hidden Motives

Tang Huai turned on Hu Zifeng with a smirk. “Territory One—your ‘training ground’ must be crawling with caterpillars, right? Don’t tell me you’re waiting for the helicopter to come spray pesticide too?”

Hu Zifeng shot back, not missing a beat. “Who do you think you are? You want to stick your nose in Sufeng Squad’s business now?”

Before their argument could heat up, Zhang San spoke up, sounding exhausted. “Territory Seven can handle pest control on its own. We don’t need the helicopter.”

Territory Nine chimed in right after. “Territory Nine doesn’t need the helicopter either.”

“Copy that.” Tan Junjie’s reply was still steady and serious, but Xia Qing could tell he was finally relieved.

Territory Seven, flanked by mountains, combines its farmland and buffer forest for a total of 6,700 mu—making it the largest among all 200 territories. Territory Nine, without a buffer forest, comes to 2,300 mu.

Together, the two territories cover 9,000 mu. By not relying on the base’s helicopter for pesticide spraying, they save two hours. In other words, the buffer forest can be treated two hours earlier.

Xia Qing had just started to smile when Tang Huai piped up mischievously. “Xia Qing—what about you? You’ve got the biggest territory. Going to need the helicopter for pesticide too?”

Xia Qing’s land is also surrounded by mountains. It used to be the third largest, but after she annexed the 1,500 mu of high ground into Section Three, she became the largest lord of all.

Even though she has the biggest territory, Xia Qing actually has the fewest people. Calmly, she pressed the button and answered, “Yes, I need it.”

“Acknowledged,” Tan Junjie said. “The spraying helicopter applied to refill at Section Three’s reservoir. Section Three Lord, do you approve?”

This whole region may have plenty of surface water, but only Xia Qing’s territory has a reservoir. According to the Territory Law, all resources within a territory belong to its lord. So even if the base sends the helicopter for pest control, they need the lord’s permission to draw water and mix pesticide from her reservoir. Only then can they land.

Xia Qing pressed the button. “Section Three lord Xia Qing approves the helicopter landing by the reservoir to collect water.”

“Copy.”

After Tan Junjie replied, Xia Qing grabbed her sheep and two wolves and climbed to the attic. She watched through the window as the helicopter landed, drew water, then took off again to keep spraying.

On the lords’ channel, Tang Huai started needling them again. “Territory One—why did that helicopter stay over your place so long? Taking a shortcut, huh?”

Hu Zifeng chuckled, “We can’t compete with bug-digging pros like you. We’re just here to farm, broke our backs reclaiming 1,000 mu of land. Of course it took longer to spray ours.”

Surprisingly, Tang Huai dropped the trash talk with Hu Zifeng and pointed at Xia Qing instead. “Xia Qing, how much land have you opened up? And why has that helicopter been looping around your territory for nearly an hour?”

Xia Qing hadn’t planned to respond, but Tang Huai poking at her repeatedly was odd. She guessed Sufeng Squad put him up to it, so she answered coolly, “I haven’t cultivated much, but I did clear several hundred mu of Scourge Grass roots with an iron fork. That counts as reclaimed land too.”

Tang Huai sounded genuinely surprised. “You’ve got time to burn or what? Are you that bored?”

This time Xia Qing didn’t need to clap back—Tang Zhengbo cut in sternly, shutting his son down. “Tang Huai!”

Back in Territory Two, Tang Huai clutched his head and wailed. “I’m doomed! I’ve seriously ticked Xia Qing off now. She’ll never let me visit her sheep and wolves again.”

Over in Section Three, Xia Qing returned to the attic for a better view of the helicopter drawing water from her reservoir. About 150 meters up the slope to the north sits her territory’s most precious resource—a pure spring.

Using the excuse of protecting her ever-expanding green grape vines, Xia Qing had extended her greenhouses up the lower slopes, bringing the spring inside to safeguard it.

Still, she kept a close watch in case someone might hop off that helicopter during water collection and snoop around her territory.

The two wolves and Old Goat followed her into the attic. Old Goat had zero interest in helicopters and lay down to chew his cud beside Xia Qing. Er Gou crouched beside Crippled Wolf, who used his hind legs to prop himself up while his front paws mimicked Xia Qing’s motion—peeking outside by nudging aside a corner of the curtain.

Xia Qing had to shut her own curtain and lean over to join Crippled Wolf in watching, just in case someone from the helicopter was scoping them out.

Even though the helicopter was at a distance, they probably had binoculars. With her level-nine vision, Xia Qing saw the helicopter pump water through a thick hose, then lift off with no one left behind. Only then did she finally relax.

“Hey, everyone—you got stinging bugs in your greenhouses?” Zhao Ze shouted over the walkie-talkie. He’d shortened the name for stinging caterpillar larvae to just ‘stingers’ for convenience.

Kuang Qingwei replied in a hurry, “They’re here too. I’m grabbing all the hands I can to catch them.”

“Same here,” Qi Fu said.

Shi Du added, “We’re busy catching bugs as well.”

Tan Junjie reminded everyone, “It’s pesticide spraying time. Lords, if you have to go outside, suit up properly—protective suit and mask, top standard only.”

The explosion of caterpillars crawling through the territory was bad enough, but no one expected to find them burrowing up in the greenhouses and fields too. The crisis had escalated again, and the lords were all frantic.

Everyone knew you shouldn’t go outside during spraying, but standing by and watching bugs crawl up the seedlings they’d spent months growing? What lord could stay put in the house?

Even while grabbing bugs, Zhao Ze found time to check on his good neighbor. “Xia Qing, are you managing on your own? I’ve got enough people to spare—want me to send a couple over?”

Tang Huai jumped in at once. “I can come help too.”

Xia Qing pressed the button and answered politely, “Thanks, Zhao, but I’ve got it under control here.”

Tang Huai? Xia Qing didn’t even bother responding.

Hearing that Xia Qing could handle it, Zhao Ze exclaimed, “You’re amazing as always.”

Xia Qing and Zhang San actually traded soil pesticide and specialized borer pesticide outside the public channel, so she hadn’t mentioned how few bugs she had in her greenhouse.

Since Xia Qing kept quiet, Zhang San brought it up. “How’s your greenhouse holding up, Xia Qing?”

The moment her Idol spoke, Xia Qing knew what he meant and answered right away. “Barely any pests here. Thanks, San, your borer pesticide is a lifesaver.”

The pesticide currently being sprayed by helicopter was only good for stingers and leaf miners—not borers.

Anything from Zhang San was guaranteed first-rate.

As soon as he heard Zhang San had borer pesticide, Kuang Qingwei—who was so busy he wished he had eight hands—called out, “San, my territory’s green chive seeds are almost ripe. Can I trade you some for the borer pesticide?”

Though his voice was weak, Zhang San still had a soothing presence for the anxious lords. “Yes, I’ll have Ji Li bring it over to you.”

Kuang Qingwei replied at once, “Thanks, San.”

Qi Fu quickly followed up. “After the spray, I’d be thrilled if half the stingers are dead. Xia Qing, seriously—not even a single stinger in your greenhouse?”