Chapter 201: No Luck with Cats

Chapter 201: Chapter 201: No Luck with Cats

When Xin Yu suddenly spoke, everyone craned their necks and pricked up their ears.

Luo Pei replied gently, "I’m here."

Xin Yu asked politely, "A Speed-evolved Red Squirrel came down from Mountain No. 49 and entered my territory several times to steal bird nests. I’ve captured it. May I ask if it’s one of your tamed beasts?"

A Red Squirrel that steals bird nests?

Before Luo Pei could answer, Xiaqing immediately pressed the button. "Xin Yu, this is Xiaqing, Lord No. 3. That Red Squirrel is mine. I’ll provide double compensation for the bird nests in the No. 8 Territory. Please don’t harm the Red Squirrel. Can you return it to me?"

The other Lords...

Luo Pei...

Tang Huai quipped, "Xiaqing, raising sheep is one thing, but why a squirrel?"

Xiaqing replied calmly, "Couldn’t manage to raise a cat, so I got a squirrel to pet for fun."

Zhao Ze was shocked. "You pet squirrels too?"

Xiaqing corrected him, "It’s a squirrel. Xin Yu, can you return the Red Squirrel to me?"

Xin Yu replied, "Yes, I’ll hand the squirrel over to the inspection team later. You don’t need to compensate me for the bird nests."

Xiaqing thanked her. However, there was a rule established by the Lords: double compensation was required for any damage a tamed beast caused in another territory. Xiaqing didn’t want to be the one to break it.

"Thank you. But I’ll compensate you double, according to the established rules. Are the bird nests in your territory made of Red Light Smoke? How much did the squirrel steal?"

’Bird nests are everywhere. If the nests in the No. 8 Territory weren’t special, the Red Squirrel would have no reason to specifically steal them.’

Xin Yu replied, "Six pounds of Red Light Smoke."

Tang Huai quipped, "Xin Yu, you’re so generous."

Xiaqing replied, "At the July agricultural trade fair, six pounds of Red Light Smoke could be traded for one pound of Yellow Light Mung Beans or Yellow Light Wheat. Do you need wheat or mung beans?"

Xin Yu answered, "Wheat."

Xiaqing agreed. "Alright, I’ll have the inspection team bring you two pounds of Yellow Light Wheat. Thank you for showing mercy."

Tang Huai started whining again, "Xin Yu, if you needed wheat, why didn’t you agree a few days ago when we offered twenty pounds of it to inspect your territory’s security?"

The Lord of No. 8 Territory didn’t even bother responding to such nonsense. Tang Huai started pestering Xiaqing instead. "Xiaqing, how did you tame an evolved squirrel? Did you catch it and raise it from a baby?"

Xiaqing responded, "It’s not fully tamed yet, which is why it runs all over the place. If it enters anyone’s territory, please show it some mercy."

Kuang Qingwei asked curiously, "What do you use to train the squirrel? Dried fruit?"

Xiaqing answered, "Vegetables."

Vegetables weren’t cheap either. Qi Fu spoke up, "Xiaqing, be careful not to get scratched by the Speed-evolved squirrel."

Shi Zhong also advised, "Squirrels are very timid. They’re not easy to train."

Hu Zifeng, who was currently petting his cat, felt sorry for Xiaqing. "Xiaqing, Brother San’s cat might have kittens next year. If you wait a few more months, you might be able to get one."

Zhang San spoke up listlessly, "Even if Princess has kittens, Xiaqing won’t be able to raise one. She’s just not fated to have a cat."

Everyone...

Covered in wolf fur, Xiaqing was on the verge of tears. Maybe she and cats really weren’t meant to be.

Tan Junjie’s calm and serious voice came over the channel. "Xin Yu, the inspection team will reach the No. 8 Territory’s road sign in ten minutes. Xiaqing, twenty minutes for you."

"Roger."

"Roger."

Xiaqing and Xin Yu replied at the same time.

Xiaqing ran to her kitchen and took a sealed food bag from a metal cabinet. To avoid revealing her underground pantry, she didn’t store all her food there. She kept a portion in the kitchen, inside a tin box, and had hidden a small piece of Yi Stone nearby to keep the food and seasonings under its protection.

She had four Yi Stones in total, obtained in a trade with the Wolf Group. Aside from the one she gave to Luo Pei, she never considered trading the others. She had already broken two of them apart. Pieces were now protecting her two underground pantries and her kitchen, and were carried by both herself and Sheep Leader. Even the Sick Wolf wore a small piece around its neck.

The reason she gave it a piece was that for a week after its surgery and deworming medication, the Sick Wolf had constant diarrhea, which attracted flies and Evolutionary Bacteria. Xiaqing was afraid it would get infected by some other potent pathogen, so she simply made it a collar and hid the Yi Stone inside.

In short, Xiaqing had used every method she could think of to save this wolf. And the wolf hadn’t disappointed her; despite being so horribly ravaged by parasites, it had pulled through.

After packing the grain, she saw Sheep Leader and the Sick Wolf standing at the kitchen door, watching her expectantly. Xiaqing took out a small piece of compressed rations, tore open the wrapper, and gave Sheep Leader half. Then she tore open a bag of Green Light Dried Meat and gave a piece to the Sick Wolf. "Boss, Second, you two watch the house. I’m heading out for a bit, I’ll be back soon."

While Xiaqing was preparing the grain for the trade, the conversation on the Lords’ channel continued.

Zhao Ze asked, "Brother San, the chicken I traded for with you was killed by ultrasound. Are you still hatching chicks next year? Could I trade for two?"

Zhang San responded, "The chicken may be dead, but you still owe me the Green Light Alfalfa. Not a single leaf less."

Zhao Ze replied instantly, "Of course, of course. I’ll plant a huge field of Green Light Alfalfa next year. Brother San, you can have as much as you want."

Qi Fu also asked, "Brother San, you were away for a while. I’ve dried the ripe groundberries into fruit leather. Should I send them over to you tomorrow?"

Qi Fu had traded the groundberries with Zhang San for a Yellow Light pullet. If he hadn’t been trying to protect the groundberry plants, Qi Fu wouldn’t have gotten his head split open by hail. Even though his head was injured and the pullet was already dead, Qi Fu had his wife dry every last one of the groundberries owed to Zhang San and store them in a sealed container.

Zhang San responded, "Give them to the inspection team tomorrow. Has the wound on your head healed?"

Qi Fu immediately answered, "It has, thanks to the medicine Xiaqing still had from her trade with you. Brother San, can I trade Green Light scallions for your hemostatic medicine? I planted a crop of fragrant scallions at the end of July, and they’re perfect for scrambling with eggs right now."

Shi Zhong came online too. "Brother San, I have Green Light Pumpkins. They’re delicious as filling for dumplings or deep-fried as pumpkin balls. Can I trade them for hemostatic medicine?"

"Cut me two pounds’ worth. I’ll send someone to pick it up at seven tomorrow morning," Zhang San agreed. You could tell he was in a good mood.

"Give me a whole one."

Shi Zhong was overjoyed. "Okay, thank you, Brother San! I’ll pick out the best one for you."

Tang Zhengpo also chimed in, "Brother San, would you like to try the Green Light Crabs we’re raising? Next month is the perfect time to eat them."

Zhang San asked, "What’s the trade?"

Tang Zhengpo was thrilled that Zhang San hadn’t blacklisted him along with his son for the stupid things he’d done. "Hemostatic medicine, if possible?"

"Deal. Save me six fat ones."

"Alright, thank you, Brother San," Tang Zhengpo happily agreed.

’Green Light Crabs...’

Xiaqing, standing by the road sign with her sealed bag, couldn’t help but drool a little.

’I want some...’

Kuang Qingwei asked, "Chairman Tang, how many points for one of those crabs?"

Tang Zhengpo replied unhurriedly, "Our crabs are raised on a pre-order basis. This year’s stock is already fully booked. The six I’m trading to Brother San were ones I’d set aside for my own family."

’I want some... but I can’t get any,’ Xiaqing sighed.

Qi Fu asked, "Chairman Tang, can we trade for some crab fry next spring?"

Tang Zhengpo responded, "Certainly. These are freshwater crabs. The water quality in our territories isn’t bad, so it can be used for crab farming after purification. If you stock the fry in the spring, they can grow to be three to seven ounces by fall, and you’ll have no trouble selling them. How many do you want, Brother Qi? They’re fifty points each, with a discount if you buy in bulk."

Fifty points each wasn’t expensive, but there was no telling how many of the fry would survive after being released into the water.

Just as Xiaqing was wondering if she should try raising a few herself, she heard the footsteps of the inspection squad.