Chapter 742: Comfort in Hard Work

After handing the rabbit to Zhao Ze, Xia Qing headed back to her own territory to resume pulling weeds from the empty land outside the greenhouse.

With all this rain lately, the weeds were growing like crazy. They had to be cleared out regularly, otherwise the tall grass would block out sunlight and pests or microbes hiding in the weeds might spread into the greenhouse, putting the crops at risk.

Clearing the weeds outside the greenhouse on the flat farmland was easy enough; Xia Qing just circled a few times in her rotary tiller and finished the job. But for the ones sprouting on the open ground twenty meters from the terraced slopes and near the woods, she had to tackle them by hand.

Weeding outside the greenhouse after the rain wasn’t exactly the safest kind of farming job.

That’s because some of these weeds had definitely evolved into Devastation species. Their stems could be as tough as wood, their sap highly toxic—or worse, the leaves might even have sharp serrated edges strong enough to cut right through a basic field suit.

On top of that, thick patches of grass could be hiding pesticide-resistant bugs or nasty microbes. A single bite or infection from one of these could be fatal.

This time of year, the weather was stifling hot. Working in a protective suit felt stiflingly uncomfortable, so some people risked it by wearing less—maybe just boots and pants—making work outside the greenhouse even more dangerous.

Only yesterday, the Inspection Team used megaphones and walkie-talkies to keep broadcasting the latest safety announcements.

Four people in Section One of the North were weeding without face masks and were bitten by evolved flying ants carrying deadly pathogens. They died of sepsis. The Territory Management Department issued a warning: when working outside the greenhouse, all lords and their people must wear the proper protective gear and face masks.

The sun was climbing higher, the heat climbing with it. On the edge of the greenhouse in Section Three’s northern buffer forest, Xia Qing was yanking up weeds with her hoe.

Grass grew in every which way. Some crept flat along the ground, spreading outward. Others tangled around nearby plants, while certain types just grew a tuft of soft leaves, their roots burrowed deep in the dirt—if you only removed the leaves, a patch would shoot right up again in a couple of days.

That’s why Xia Qing used a custom-made, wide-bladed hoe to dig up the roots instead of a sickle. It was a cleaner result, but it took way more effort.

The mountainside was strewn with rocks, and even with her strength evolution, Xia Qing was hot and exhausted after working for so long.

After she finished clearing the weeds and shrubs from the barrier zone outside the lower slope greenhouse, Xia Qing went inside, took off her face mask, wiped the sweat from her face and neck with a towel, and chugged a big cup of cool water before letting out a long, relieved breath.

Being an advanced evolutionary, Xia Qing’s resistance was leagues better than a normal person’s, but whenever she worked in the parts of her territory not covered by the greenhouse’s insect net, she stuck to full protective gear—no matter how hot it was.

These days whenever she was working in the territory, she wore protective clothing and sprayed herself with the insect repellent she’d gotten from her idol.

If you got bitten by a venomous animal or infected by evolved bacteria, you had to take medicine to detox. But right now, Xia Qing couldn’t use any remedies.

Next month, she had to start her course of body recovery elixirs for healing injuries. If she used medicine now, it could mess up the effects of the recovery treatment. All her pain would be for nothing.

After finishing her water, Xia Qing went to rest in the shade beneath the grapevine by the spring cave, grateful for the shade the vines and cave created. Old Goat, who’d spent the whole morning grazing on the hillside, ambled over to flop down next to her.

Stretching out her legs in her lightweight, airy lavender pants, Xia Qing wiggled her new shoes and flexed her arms in her matching breezy shirt. She let out a content sigh. “Old Goat, you really do get what you pay for—these clothes are so unbelievably comfortable.”

Old Goat, covered in thick wool, narrowed his eyes and ignored Xia Qing completely.

The outfit Xia Qing wore now was the new summer gear she’d traded for with Yang Jin last time.

The color and style might have looked ordinary, but the price was up there with a level-3 field suit, and it was just as protective as a level-2 suit. So when working in the territory, Xia Qing didn’t have to wear bulky field gear—this was enough.

After Yang Jin had Hu Zifeng deliver the clothes, Xia Qing tried them out, realized they were every bit worth the price, and immediately got in touch again to trade for another set from the same line.

This new summerwear came in all sorts of designs, so prices varied a lot. Xia Qing picked the plain and practical set—the cheapest, too—but it still cost her 4,500 credits per outfit.

Now she had three full sets: camo, lavender, and aqua green, all with long-sleeved tops and pants. More than enough to rotate.

With just one day in her new gear, her old cotton underwear felt rough and uncomfortable by comparison.

After searching online and finding underwear made from this miracle fabric, Xia Qing used her friend Xin Yu’s connections to get three sets, swapping them out with her outerwear as needed.

Besides underwear, with Xin Yu’s help, Xia Qing also picked up two pairs of summer protective boots, a couple of lightweight face masks, plus a handful of hoods, gloves, and socks.

The pile of protective clothing and gear cost a fortune in credits—her heart ached just hearing the price—but when it came time to pay, she didn’t hesitate.

Whenever she could, Xia Qing made sure to eat the best food, use the best gear. She’d done it even back in the Safe Zone—so now, with more resources, why stop?

What’s the point of working so hard, if not to let yourself live a bit more comfortably? Why even bother if there’s no reward?

After a short break, she put on her new face mask and left the greenhouse again, clearing the last of the weeds near the high slope in one burst. She shook off the dirt from the roots, bundled up the cut grass, and loaded the bundles onto Old Goat’s back so he could carry them to the open space by the yard to dry. You couldn’t use this grass for woven mats or chicken nests, but it made great ash for potassium fertilizer.

Potassium fertilizer was absolutely essential for growing corn, tomatoes, and potatoes.

With the morning’s farm work done, one girl and one sheep plodded home together to make lunch and rest.

“Xia Qing, are you there?”

Yue Haiying’s voice popped up in the lords’ channel.

Xia Qing pressed the button. “Here, Brother Yue. What’s up?”

Yue Haiying asked, “The military’s clearing out a batch of old cars—thirty thousand credits a piece. Interested?”

Buying a car would mean Xia Qing planned to leave her territory, so this had to be above board. They used the walkie-talkies to keep the purchase honest.

During these disaster years, supplies were so scarce that even an old car for thirty thousand credits was a steal. Xia Qing figured Yue Haiying had more cars than that, but she played along: “Brother Yue, how come even a used car costs this much?”

“Hmph.”

In Territory Fourteen, inside the cramped shipping container cabin, Feng Wen let out a mocking snort. “Complaining about a thirty-thousand credit junker—she’s clearly never seen the world. Meng, let’s get a car too. The territory’s so big, it’s a pain getting around on foot.”

Yan Meng sat on a wooden stump by the bed, eyes glued to his phone, not even bothering to reply. Feng Wen pursed her lips and snuck a glance, craning her neck to see what he was looking at.

Yan Meng spun around, sharp-eyed. “Stop bothering me and get up—go pull some weeds!”

Feng Wen stayed flopped on the bed, putting on a pitiful act. “I just woke up, I feel awful, and I haven’t even had lunch. How am I supposed to weed like this…”

With Yan Meng staying silent, Feng Wen immediately changed her tune, sweet as honey. “Meng, can you put out a bucket of filtered water for me? I want a shower.”

Yan Meng frowned impatiently but got up and left anyway.

The moment he was gone, Feng Wen spun around and tugged open the other window, squishing as close as she could to the filthy mesh screen for a breath of fresh air—just in time to catch Tang Huai’s voice over the walkie-talkie. “Brother Yue, those off-roaders the army bought back in disaster year nine were top notch. Why are used cars down to thirty grand?”