Chapter 49: Planting Hopes and Forming Teams

Even though Xia Qing never tested the Life Drain element in the saplings and strawberry plants she’d traded for, she stayed optimistic. First, Luo Pei was still recovering in her territory, using her spring water, so the saplings from Azure Dragon Unit had to be good quality. Second, she’d picked perfect planting spots for them.

Both toon saplings she transplanted from under the big tree to the spring’s edge survived, still showing the green light status—they clearly liked the soil around here.

As for the five toon saplings she moved to the edge of the courtyard? No luck there. The wall that got smashed during her brawl with Boss Sheep collapsed right on top of them, crushing every last one.

While filling her buckets at the spring, Xia Qing strolled around the vegetable garden. Most of the transplanted seedlings looked healthy, and she couldn’t help daydreaming about a future bursting with fruit and veggies.

After screwing the lid tight on the water bucket and shoving it in her backpack, Xia Qing crossed the noisy stone bridge to water her sweet potato and potato seedlings.

A month in, the sweet potato vines stretched over half a meter and boasted several side shoots, all thriving with a vivid green light. The potato seedlings only reached palm height, but their shoots glowed green with tinges of red. Xia Qing started to doubt if she’d really gotten potatoes—these didn’t look like any potato seedlings from the Breeding Center.

From chatting in the Lord Channel, Xia Qing learned other lords’ potato seedlings looked the same way. She guessed it was because the base distributed yellow-light potatoes to lords, while the Breeding Center used green-light ones—hence the color difference.

Even though Xia Qing wasn’t thrilled about the potatoes’ color or slow growth, she carefully watered each seedling anyway.

If other lords caught wind of her attitude, they’d scold her for being a braggart—her seedlings were much taller. The others’ potatoes barely reached finger height.

After tending the potatoes and sweet potatoes, Xia Qing checked the wheat, mung beans, and cotton seedlings. All needed a good watering too.

Because Luo Pei went through so much water, Xia Qing didn’t have enough spring water saved up for the fields. Whether she’d soaked seeds in filtered water or spring water, the crops needed to be irrigated with water from the reservoir.

Xia Qing was just about to head back and haul out the water bike from the tool shed when Hu Zifeng called.

Zhang San had invited Hu Zifeng’s squad and another team he’d found to dig bamboo shoots in the Evolver Forest. Hu Zifeng phoned Xia Qing, asking if she wanted to join them. “Zhang found an eight-person squad. I’ll leave two behind to guard Territory Three, one for Plot One. If you join, we’ll have eight—perfect. We’ll bring in more than last time, and you’ll get your share based on support crew contribution if you’re in.”

Of course Xia Qing wanted in, but she added, “This time, I’m just extra support. No need for special treatment, Captain Hu.”

“Got it,” Hu Zifeng said, reminding her once more, “Only bring your personal essentials—our squad will handle the rest.”

Since she’d be heading into the forest for bamboo shoots again, Xia Qing put off watering the fields and turned her attention to chores at home instead.

The food dehydrator was still running. Xia Qing hauled a huge bundle of thick bamboo poles from the tool shed and started splitting them in the courtyard to make a frame for a rain shelter.

Boss Sheep lounged nearby, eyes half closed, soaking up the sun. Xia Qing switched on her walkie-talkie to listen in on the other lords chatting.

At this hour, Zhang San wasn’t online. Zhao Ze used the opportunity to pick Qi Fu’s brain about composting.

Qi Fu was still eyeing the Wild Boar Breeding Center. “Pigs eat everything, poop everywhere, root up everything—making a mountain of manure. I heard they’ve got over a dozen pigs in there and don’t even farm…”

Kuang Qingwei was doubtful. “The Breeding Center is under Safe Zone management. If we can think of turning pig manure into gold, so can they. The compost probably goes straight to the Breeding Center. We’ll have to think up another plan.”

Xia Qing agreed with Kuang Qingwei and keyed her mic. “Qi, besides animal manure, can we use leaves and grass for compost? I read about that in books.”

“Really?” Zhao Ze jumped right in. “Xia Qing, you’re a fountain of knowledge.”

Ever since the Zhao Chong incident, Zhao Ze had been going out of his way—sometimes obviously, sometimes not—to cozy up to Xia Qing. She just pretended not to notice.

Kuang Qingwei used the chance to fish for gossip. “Was it you who traded those green-light foods to Third Brother yesterday? I knew it—nobody but you on our patch could pull that off.”

“We’re not the only ones,” Xia Qing replied with a shrug. “There are more than a dozen lords around here with plenty of good stuff.”

Kuang Qingwei was stunned. “You can contact other lords, Xia Qing? How? Who are they?”

“Just some things I heard in passing, that’s all,” Xia Qing answered vaguely.

“Impressive!” Zhao Ze jumped in again.

Crack! Xia Qing split a meter-long bamboo pole cleanly, not saying another word.

Qi Fu chimed back in. “You could compost with leaves in the past, but not now. Word from the Breeding Center says: After the great biological evolution, dead leaves are riddled with microbes and insect eggs that normal fermentation temperatures won’t kill. Only manure that’s been through an animal is safe now. But you know, Xia Qing, you gave me an idea.”

“What’s that?” Zhao Ze asked right away.

“Worm castings. Get earthworms to eat the leaves and grass—should wipe out the microbes and eggs. But I have no clue how to collect that stuff. Xia, didn’t your team’s old guy Sun work at an organic fertilizer plant before the disaster? Ever meet him?”

Xia Qing set down her split bamboo and pressed the button. “Heard of him, never met.”

Sun Zhe was a year younger than Xia Qing. His whole family were regular Evolvers. Their luck: They’d been living in the city where Hui San Base’s Safe Zone now stood—so they dodged the apocalypse’s worst terrors and ended up among the luckiest in the early days.

Once the Safe Zone was established, Sun’s family stayed in their own house. But as supplies and food dwindled, his dad started taking missions outside the Safe Zone to earn points.

On one mission, his squad got attacked by mutant poisonous insects. During the escape, his dad fell, got bitten, and barely made it back alive—at the cost of his left lower leg and left arm. With him disabled, Sun Zhe—who had worked odd jobs for the Construction Crew—became the family’s main breadwinner.

Qi Fu let out a sigh. “Wish we had a signal out here.”

If they did, he’d just call Sun Zhe and ask about worm castings.

Xia Qing said nothing as Kuang Qingwei from Plot Six excitedly shared his news. “I just heard a car and thought the patrol squad was coming. Went out to check—you’ll never believe it! People from Third Brother’s territory showed up with a truckload of guys, all in camo gear and carrying guns. Now that’s a serious outfit!”

“Third Brother’s definitely not an average guy,” Zhao Ze jumped in right away.

Setting down her machete, Xia Qing realized why Zhang San hadn’t sent anyone to dig bamboo shoots today. He was short on manpower and had to bring in reinforcements from the Safe Zone.

When she finished splitting the bamboo, Xia Qing assembled the frame. Veggies wouldn’t grow taller than a person, so a two-meter-high rain shelter was enough—any higher, and the wind would rip it apart. Once she finished, Xia Qing heard the dehydrator beep and went inside to store the dried bamboo shoots in vacuum bags. She tossed a fresh piece of bamboo shoot to Boss Sheep while she was at it.

Since she didn’t want to overwork the dehydrator and risk it breaking, Xia Qing decided to give it a few hours off. She grabbed the bamboo frame and headed for the hillside at the back. It wasn’t heavy, just awkward to carry. With the road finished, she thought she should set up a trailer bed and hitch it to her rotary tiller for easy hauling.

If their bamboo shoot expedition turned out well, she’d trade with Zhong Tao for the key parts to build a trailer for her tiller.