Chapter 214: Preparations Before the Harmful Rain

Chapter 214: Chapter 214: Preparations Before the Harmful Rain

Xiaqing immediately agreed, "Okay, thank you, Brother San. Should I send them over now?"

Zhang San replied cheerfully, "I’ll have Ji Li come get them."

After hanging up, Xiaqing had just stepped into the greenhouse when she saw a flash of red light outside through the insect netting. The two peanuts on the rock were gone.

Xiaqing smiled and squatted in the field to pick peanuts for Zhang San. No matter the price of these selenium-rich, edible peanuts, the five pounds of Green Light wheat seeds from Zhang San were more than enough.

With five pounds of Green Light wheat, added to the three and a half pounds she had harvested in June, she could plant it all. By next summer, her standard of living would jump to a whole new level—she could finally phase out Yellow Light Wheat and eat only Green Light from then on!

Besides the amount she was exchanging with Zhang San, Xiaqing sent another bag of slightly younger peanuts to the North Isolation Zone of No.3 Territory. "This bag is a bit tender. They’re good for boiling. A little something for Brother San, Brother Ji, Sister Yan, and Brother Ya to try."

Xiaqing had always been on good terms with No.1 Territory, so Ji Li was surprised she didn’t know that Yan Long had gone with Yang Jin to the Evolution Forest. He took the peanuts, thanked her, and didn’t say much else.

After seeing Ji Li off, Xiaqing returned to the greenhouse on the High Slope. She saw the Red Squirrel had returned to a tree branch outside the greenhouse, rubbing its little front paws together and staring eagerly at the basket of peanuts.

Xiaqing chuckled. "Still want more?"

Seeing it had been spotted by Xiaqing, the little squirrel scurried away in a flash, disappearing without a trace.

Xiaqing took all the peanuts home. She set aside a portion for herself and spread the rest out to dry on the concrete roof of the warehouse.

If time weren’t so tight, Xiaqing would have preferred to dry the peanuts on her second-floor balcony. Only with a layer of glass between them and the outside would she feel at ease. Since they were on the roof, she had to take extra precautions.

Still not feeling secure after covering the peanuts with wire mesh and two layers of insect netting, Xiaqing sprayed them twice with a solution to block the scent and repel bugs. She then tossed a small piece of dried meat to the Sick Wolf, who had followed her up. "Second, you stand guard over the peanuts. Don’t let any birds or insects mess with them. I’m going to pick cotton."

The Sick Wolf wagged its tail once and happily lay down beside the peanuts, gnawing on the dried meat.

Xiaqing went downstairs with a small bag of peanuts and sent a message to Luo Pei, asking if he wanted some boiled peanuts. Although they were Yellow Light, they were the black-skinned, selenium-rich variety, more nutritious than ordinary peanuts.

Luo Pei quickly replied, telling her that the peanuts in No.1 Territory were also the black-skinned kind and that she should keep them for herself.

’It seems the peanuts from No.1 Territory and my own territory were dug up by small animals from the same patch of land. I just don’t know where that patch is.’

Xiaqing left the peanuts in the kitchen and took a bundle to the field to pick cotton. It was cotton harvesting season, and the bolls on the plants, starting with the large ones at the bottom, were cracking open one after another, revealing the soft, snow-white cotton inside.

Xiaqing picked cotton every few days. By now, she had harvested over a hundred pounds of it, which was more than enough for her needs. She planned to sell the surplus. Next year, she would only plant a patch of Green Light cotton—not for anything else, but simply to enjoy its flowers, which changed color over three days.

While picking cotton, Xiaqing also uprooted the plants whose upper halves had few bolls. Although a few Yellow Light cotton plants still had small bolls, Xiaqing pulled them out too because they were too close to the Green Light ones.

With seventy hours of Harmful Rain coming, including no fewer than three red-level downpours, any plant could undergo Qiang Evolution. Xiaqing wasn’t willing to take the risk.

She picked two bundles of cotton but uprooted over three hundred plants. Xiaqing stripped all the leaves from the uprooted plants, leaving only the bare stalks with their bolls, and laid them out in the sun to dry.

Over the next two days, Xiaqing harvested ten Yellow Light Pumpkins, two baskets of cucumbers, tomatoes, and other assorted vegetables. Adding ten pounds of wheat, she traded the lot to Zhong Tao for three large sheets of rainproof cloth, just in case.

After the trade, Zhong Tao reminded Xiaqing, "You’ve grown a lot of grain and vegetables these past few months. When the rain starts, save what you can from the fields. But if you can’t, it’s not worth letting go. Whatever you do, don’t get hurt trying to protect your crops."

Getting injured in the Harmful Rain could easily be fatal.

"I understand. You and Brother Kui be careful too." The two of them were soldiers; they couldn’t go out during the Harmful Rain but would certainly be on guard duty in the Safe Zone. Xiaqing then asked, "Brother Tao, could you do me a favor and ask that Lord with the Green Light Soybeans if we can trade for just one pound first? I can give him two pounds of mung beans now. I’ll deliver the remaining five pounds of mung beans after he delivers the rest of his soybeans."

Zhong Tao asked, "What’s up, sis? Worried there’s a problem with the soybeans?"

Xiaqing nodded. "I grew a few Yellow Light Soybeans in my territory. I harvested them a few days ago and found they were still tough to bite even after boiling for two hours. I’m afraid his Green Light Soybeans might be the same evolved variety."

Zhong Tao understood. "That person isn’t from our area. I’ll have to ask around and get back to you. But even if he agrees, he won’t be able to deliver the soybeans until after the Harmful Rain."

Xiaqing nodded.

Zheng Kui asked, "Do you have any edible fish in your reservoir? I’d like to trade for one."

Zhong Tao explained with a cheerful grin, "His wife just had a baby girl, and she’s in her recovery period."

For a child to be born safely during the Disaster Years was a huge happy occasion. Xiaqing first offered her congratulations, then said, "What a coincidence. I have seven Yellow Light Fish in my pond—three males and four females. I just pulled them out this morning and was planning to keep them in a tank during the Harmful Rain. I’ll go get one for you."

Zheng Kui was overjoyed. He had already asked more than a dozen Lords today and hadn’t been able to buy one. He never expected Xiaqing to actually have some. "Thank you so much."

Xiaqing went home and netted a male Yellow Light Fish, putting it in a storage bag with some water. She also grabbed half a pound of Green Light Dried Meat and gave both to Zheng Kui.

Green Light Dried Meat was even more precious than a Yellow Light Fish. Zheng Kui, a man of few words, was so moved his face turned red. After paying the points, he thanked Xiaqing profusely.

After seeing Zhong Tao and Zheng Kui off, Xiaqing was about to hoist the rainproof cloth onto her shoulder and return to her territory when Tang Huai called out to her.

"Xiaqing, you’re raising fish now too? You’re all alone, but you haven’t missed a beat. I’m impressed, truly impressed."

Xiaqing turned, her expression foul. "Tang Huai, if you really can’t kick that disgusting habit of eavesdropping, I can help you by puncturing your eardrums."

Tang Huai cursed her inwardly but put on a fake smile, continuing to try and get friendly. "Are those solar panels I gave you still working well?"

Even though Xiaqing was a Strength Evolver, the large roll of rainproof cloth felt heavy. She asked coldly, "Just say what you want."

Tang Huai took two steps away from the main path, lowered his voice, and asked, "How’s that wolf of yours? Is it still alive?"

Tang Huai was making no effort to hide that he knew the Su Feng Team had sent Xu Juan and Zhang Yong into the Third Territory with cameras. Xiaqing also lowered her voice. "You want to know?"

Tang Huai nodded emphatically. "I do. Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul."

’As if I’d believe you!’ Xiaqing gave him a thumbs-up. "Ten Green Light Crabs for the information."

"Are you fucking crazy..." Tang Huai was so angry he was hopping mad. He forcefully suppressed the torrent of curses about to erupt and held up one index finger. "One, at most!"

Xiaqing haggled. "Two. One male, one female. Alive."

"Impossible." After Xiaqing had passed through the Wild Grass Wall and was some distance away, Tang Huai stormed back towards the Second Territory, cursing as he went. "That fucking bitch deserves a beating even more than Tang Lu. How the hell has she stayed alive this long?"