Chapter 250: Rice Heading

Chapter 250: Chapter 250: Rice Heading

Xiaqing’s outdoor Level 3 protective suit and helmet were completely unrecognizable. They looked a lot like the clothes people wore to flee during the first few years of the Natural Disasters, back before protective suits were even invented.

Since Zhang San was interested in the pumpkin vines that became sticky after their Qiang Evolution, he might also be interested in sticky chestnut leaves. That was why Xiaqing told Zhang San about the most important trait of the Evolutionary Chestnut Tree. ’As long as my idol is interested, this will be easy.’

Zhang San was indeed interested. "Do the chestnut trees belong to you or the Green Dragon Team?"

Xiaqing’s reply was crisp and clear. "They belong to me for the next few years. We signed a contract back then."

Zhang San immediately took the bait. "Give me one Green Light chestnut tree seedling, and it’ll count for twenty jin of Green Light Chestnuts. I want the roots as intact as possible, with plenty of soil."

"Okay, Brother San. I’ll go dig one up for you tomorrow." Xiaqing grinned just like the Sheep Leader.

Zhang San continued laying out the terms of the deal. "This year, and for the next four years, you will give me 400 jin of Green Light Chestnuts annually. Any shortfall can be covered by Yellow Light Chestnuts at a rate of four jin of yellow for one jin of green. If the harvest is poor, you can extend the delivery into the fifth and sixth years, until the full 2000 jin is paid. How about it?"

’My idol really is magnanimous!’ Xiaqing immediately felt relieved. "Of course, that’s fine. Thank you, Brother San. The Green Light seedling for this year covers 20 jin, so that leaves 380 jin..."

Zhang San sounded pleased. "Not 380. You also traded for 80 jin of grain seed. However, your chestnuts are high-quality, so 16 jin was enough for the Insect Repellent Spray. You sent 32 jin, which is 16 jin extra. In total, you now owe me 384 jin. You can give me 260 jin of Green Light Chestnuts and make up the rest with Yellow Light Chestnuts."

’As expected of my idol. Not only are his medicine-making skills incredible, but he also calculates everything so clearly. He even takes his fan’s needs into account and isn’t taking all of my Green Light Chestnuts.’

Xiaqing readily agreed. "Okay, Brother San. 260 jin of green and 496 jin of yellow. I’ll bring them to you tomorrow."

"No need to wait for tomorrow. I’ll send someone over to move them now. Da Ya will go with them and use a device to check the condition of your muscles and bones." Zhang San’s voice was still lazy, but Xiaqing detected a clear seriousness and a warning. "The medicine I’m preparing for you this time is a special supply used by High Level Evolvers in the military. If you leak a word about this, you’re finished."

Although she didn’t know what "finished" entailed, Xiaqing, who had no desire to find out, immediately gave a solemn promise. "Don’t worry, Brother San. I absolutely won’t tell anyone, not even the Sheep Leader or the Wolf Group. Thank you, Brother San."

Zhang San was very satisfied with Xiaqing’s attitude and replied lazily, "No need for thanks. It’s a fair trade. Just take good care of your chestnut forest."

After hanging up, Xiaqing rubbed her face and broke into a silly grin. ’I’m just a small Lord with no powerful backing, yet thanks to the Green Light Chestnuts I’ve gathered, I’m about to use medicine specially supplied to High Level Evolvers in the military. How could I not be happy?’

By the time Xiaqing arrived at the Northern Isolation Zone, hauling and carrying over seven hundred jin of Chestnuts, Ji Li and Da Ya were already there, carrying two large crates.

"Brother Ji, Brother Ya, it took me a while to bag the Chestnuts, so I’m late," Xiaqing said, greeting them first. She set the Chestnuts on the ground. "Two bags of yellow and one bag of green, already marked."

While Ji Li was inspecting the Chestnuts, Da Ya patted the crate beside him and gave Xiaqing a quick wink. "These are the small interior wall panels and supports you wanted. I thought we were out, but who knew, I found some yesterday while rummaging through the warehouse, so I brought them along to show you how to install them."

’From the way Da Ya said that, it seems even Ji Li is being kept in the dark about my medicine trade with Zhang San.’ Xiaqing wasn’t very expressive around outsiders to begin with, so her face betrayed nothing. She just hoisted one of the crates. "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Brother Ya."

Ji Li conferred with Da Ya, "Brother Ya, you go help Xiaqing with her stuff, and I’ll call someone to come move the Chestnuts?"

Da Ya nodded cheerfully. "Sure. I’ll have Xiaqing take me back later."

"Of course," Xiaqing said, lighting the path with her flashlight. "Watch your step, Brother Ya."

When Da Ya arrived at Xiaqing’s house, he saw there wasn’t a single wolf in the yard. His slight disappointment immediately turned to a pleasant surprise when he entered the room, for a wolf and a sheep were lying inside. "Is this the one with the back injury? It looks so clean, and its fur is so smooth."

’Of course it’s smooth. I just washed it.’ Xiaqing nodded. "That’s the one. The one that was infected with parasites is also much better. It’s patrolling the territory right now."

Da Ya...

There was nothing to say. He had just one word for it: Envy!

After greeting the wolf and the sheep, Da Ya carefully opened a crate. "This one has the interior wall panels and supports. You can assemble them to use as a safe. This crate here has an ultrasound scanner. Brother San wanted me to check your arms, legs, and lumbar spine."

’An ultrasound of just my limbs and lumbar spine won’t reveal my other Evolutionary Abilities.’ Xiaqing’s fluttering heart immediately settled back into her chest. She helped Da Ya set up the ultrasound equipment, taking the opportunity to pull the wheat seeds out of the crate and set them aside.

She would have to wait until the rice was harvested in November to get the rice seeds.

’Assembling a safe? I don’t need Da Ya to teach me that. After installing them with him in a storeroom once before, I already knew exactly how to use the supports and wall panels.’

After checking Xiaqing’s physical condition, Da Ya exported the results and put the equipment back in its crate. "Brother San said to leave this crate with you for now. You’ll need more check-ups during the course of the medicine. Keep it in your basement and don’t let anyone see it."

The medicine to treat her physical injuries wouldn’t work in a single dose; it required continuous use for six months, with one dose taken as a bath every ten days. Xiaqing immediately thanked him, "Don’t worry, Brother Ya. My yard is guarded by the Wolf Group, so it’s completely safe. Thank you for your hard work, Brother Ya."

’Zhang San kept even Ji Li in the dark but had Da Ya come over to run the scan on me. What does that mean? It means what I guessed before was right: Da Ya is Zhang San’s man, and a trusted one at that!’

Da Ya was easygoing. "It’s what I should do. Just remember to share some with Brother San next time you find something good to eat."

After Da Ya left, Xiaqing carried the device into the underground storeroom. Looking at the chestnut shelves that had just been filled this afternoon but were now half-empty again, she couldn’t have been more delighted.

’Fewer Chestnuts, but now I have eighty jin of high-quality grain seed and special military-supply medicine for repairing physical injuries!’

Zhang San was satisfied with this trade, and Xiaqing was even more so. As she went through her routine nightly training, the corners of her mouth were constantly turned up in a grin.

Early the next morning, while patrolling her territory, Xiaqing discovered that the Green Rice in her fields had begun to sprout ears.

She had traded for one hundred Green Rice seedlings from Zhang San in June. Although Xiaqing guarded them like the apple of her eye, five of them still died, leaving ninety-seven. Because the Green Rice had been planted more than half a month earlier than the Yellow Light rice she’d traded for from the Safe Zone, it naturally began to sprout ears sooner.