Chapter 26: Exchange

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Exchange

The Lords were all very interested in this question, and each reported the grain and vegetable seeds they had received.

Then they discovered that everyone had received the same six catties of seeds: wheat, mung beans, cotton, and potatoes. The vegetable seeds came in four small packets. The common ones were pumpkin, cucumber, and eggplant, but the last type wasn’t the same for everyone.

Territory Two and Territory Six had tomatoes, just like Xiaqing. Territory Four and Territory Five had green beans, and Land No. 7 had chili peppers.

Xiaqing wanted both green beans and chili peppers, so she pressed the button on her walkie-talkie and spoke up. "This is Xiaqing from the Third Territory. I have tomato seeds, but they’ve already been planted. Once the seedlings sprout, I’d like to trade for green bean and chili pepper seedlings, one for one."

"Holy shit!" Kuang Qingwei blurted out, startled by the sound of a woman’s voice. He quickly apologized, "Sorry, sister, that was a slip of the tongue. I was behind Zhao Ze in line at the Mission Hall. Remember me? I was fourth, just one spot away from getting a double ration."

Xiaqing...

"I don’t."

Tang Huai, who had been chewed out by that bitch Tang Lu and used as a punching bag because Xiaqing had received double rations, spoke up first. "I think Xiaqing’s proposal is excellent. Trading healthy seedlings is better than trading seeds."

Qi Fu from Territory Five stated, "I agree."

Zhao Ze from Territory Four followed, "I agree."

Kuang Qingwei from Territory Six chimed in immediately, "I agree. It’s fairer this way."

Zhang San from Land No. 7 added slowly, "I agree. If my people can’t manage to grow a single seedling, I’ll buy them with points, or I can trade medicine for them."

Tang Huai immediately asked, "Brother Zhang, what kind of medicine do you have?"

Zhang San replied slowly, "Trauma medicine, antidotes. I have them in various qualities."

Tang Huai instantly agreed. "Great, I’ll trade. What are your rates?"

After they negotiated and settled on a price of 100 points per seedling, regardless of type, Xiaqing asked, "Has anyone found any edible plants in their territories? Are they up for trade? I have Evolved Perilla, no radioactive elements, and a Harmful Element content of 0.13%."

As soon as Xiaqing’s message went out, Zhang San, who had been speaking slowly and lazily just a moment ago, was suddenly electrified. "I’ll trade! I want it! I’ll trade medicine, you set the price. Is seven-thirty tomorrow morning okay? At the road sign for the Third Territory?"

Food with a Harmful Element content below 0.5% was considered safe. The lower the content, the more beneficial it was for the body. Who could refuse something with a content of just over 0.1%?

Kuang Qingwei immediately followed up, "Sister Xiaqing, I have a Green Light elm tree. Once the elm seeds grow in a few days, how about three catties of elm seeds for one catty of Perilla?"

’He only mentions Green Light without stating the Harmful Element content, which means it was tested with a Basic scanner. It could be safe food or optional food. Three catties for one is a reasonable offer.’

Qi Fu also spoke up. "Little Xia, I’m Old Qi from the Third Construction Team. I have Green Light chive seedlings. How about ten chive seedlings for ten rooted Perilla seedlings?"

Tang Huai chimed in as well, "Termite mushrooms, Harmful Element content of 0.2%, one catty of mushrooms for one catty of Perilla."

’Termite mushrooms? After the great biological evolution, anyone who dared to eat fungi wasn’t afraid of ending up in a coffin. Xiaqing was afraid of dying, so she wouldn’t eat them.’

But before Xiaqing could speak, Zhang San piped up again, "I’ll take all of yours! Take your pick, points or medicine!!!"

Zhao Ze added, "I want to trade for chive seedlings and Perilla seedlings. I have sprouted Green Light tiger ginger."

The channel became as noisy as an argument. Kuang Qingwei stepped in to take charge. "Let’s go one by one. Xiaqing, you first. What do you want to trade for, and how?"

Xiaqing spoke. "I’ll trade for everything except the mushrooms, but I won’t do face-to-face exchanges. We can have the patrol team handle the transfer. After we confirm the trade amounts the night before, I’ll hand over my goods when the patrol team makes its first pass by the territory the next morning."

Tan Junjie’s squad was responsible for the security of Territories One through Ten, patrolling a round trip every morning and evening. Having them deliver the goods was both convenient and safe.

His high-quality, safe termite mushrooms had actually been rejected. Tang Huai immediately changed his offer. "Three liang of mutton with a Harmful Element content of 0.8% for one catty of Perilla."

’Three liang of mutton for a whole catty of my Perilla? Just like the Tang Family.’

Meat classified as optional food, with a Harmful Element content of 0.8%, was priced at fifty points per catty in the Safe Zone.

Safe vegetables also started at fifty points per catty, but her Perilla’s Harmful Element content was below 0.2%, so its price should be at least 100 points per catty.

Stroking her sheep, Xiaqing flatly refused. "I don’t eat mutton. Do you have anything else?"

Frowning, Tang Huai looked at his team members, who were all scratching their heads. He gritted his teeth and pressed the walkie-talkie button again. "A brand-new, Level 1 wilderness Protective Suit. It sells for 1,500 in the Safe Zone. I’ll trade it for fifteen catties of Perilla."

’That’s more like it,’ Xiaqing thought. She pressed the button. "Twelve catties. One catty at a time, once a week at most. I can’t grow it any faster. You give me the Protective Suit first."

’The Protective Suit must be something Tang Huai brought from the Tang Family, not his personal property. He can just trade one for vegetables and report it as a loss later,’ Xiaqing guessed, ’so he won’t refuse.’

Xiaqing offered only one catty of Perilla at a time to make them think she didn’t have much in her territory, preventing them from getting any ideas.

As expected, Tang Huai agreed. "Deal. I’ll give the Protective Suit to the patrol team tomorrow morning. You give me one catty tomorrow, and we’ll figure out the rest later."

After Tang Huai finished, Zhang San immediately chimed in, "I’ll take the meat and the termite mushrooms. I’ll trade medicine for them."

Zhang San was just as gluttonous as Sheep Leader; they were like two peas in a pod. After settling the times and quantities with them, Xiaqing turned off her walkie-talkie and leaned over her desk to write down what she would be getting: one Protective Suit, one Antidote, chives, tiger ginger, and, after a while, elm seeds, green bean seedlings, and chili pepper seedlings.

With every item she wrote down, Xiaqing’s smile grew wider. By the time she finished, she was grinning like an idiot. She had just added five new types of vegetables to her collection.

Xiaqing hadn’t offered to trade the Asparagus Chrysanthemum because its Harmful Element content was terrifyingly low. If she took it to the Safe Zone, it would undoubtedly cause a sensation, and the spring in the Third Territory would surely be exposed.

Once exposed, she was nowhere near strong enough to protect the Asparagus Tree, the spring, and Sheep Leader.

The spring was one thing, but the Asparagus Tree grew right on the hillside. She had even mentioned it to Tan Junjie, so it was impossible to hide. If Tan Junjie wanted to trade for some, that was fine, but he would have to help her keep it a secret.

There was one other person, too. The one who had texted her the information about the territory. But that would only be after she confirmed their identity and intentions.

「The next morning」

Early the next morning, Xiaqing dug up fifteen rooted Perilla plants. She then selected the large ones that Sheep Leader hadn’t nibbled on and cut a catty’s worth. Five Perilla plants were for a sprouted tiger ginger from Territory Four, ten were for ten chive seedlings from Territory Five, half a catty was for an Antidote, and the other half was for the Protective Suit.

From the methods of exchange, she could tell that the people in Territory Four and Territory Five were down-to-earth farmers like herself, trading seedlings for seedlings. The person in Territory Six, though shrewd, also intended to put down roots here. Territory Two and Land No. 7, however, were wealthy households with no shortage of supplies.

Territory Two belonged to the Tang Family, but what was the background of Zhang San from Land No. 7?

Hearing the footsteps of the patrol team in the distance, Xiaqing said a word to Sheep Leader and carried the Perilla towards the new northern quarantine barrier.

"Sister Qing!" From a distance, Su Ming waved and greeted Xiaqing enthusiastically. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Xiaqing had just started to wave back when Sheep Leader charged out—THUMP THUMP THUMP—and stood before her, striking a pose as if to say, "One man holds the pass against ten thousand."

Xiaqing chuckled and rubbed its head, softly feeding it some seductive soup, "Sheep Leader is the best! You heard a noise and came out to protect me without even finishing your food. I’m so touched! You’re so wonderful, Sheep Leader!"

"Old Cao, what’s Sister Qing whispering to the sheep?" Xiaqing heard Su Ming ask Cao Xianyun in a low voice.

"Can’t hear clearly," Cao Xianyun replied quietly.

"Quiet," Tan Junjie said, his voice low. "Less chatter."

With her head still lowered, Xiaqing raised an eyebrow, confirming that Cao Xianyun’s Auditory Evolution was not as advanced as hers. This matched her estimation—her Auditory Evolution was at least Level 4.