Chapter 261: Fluffing Cotton

Chapter 261: Chapter 261: Fluffing Cotton

Hu Zifeng nodded. "Alright. Once we’ve collected the pine cones from the second Green Light Pine Tree, you’ll get five percent."

Hu Zi had told Xiaqing the location of the two pine trees, which Xiaqing then found with a team. According to the team’s rules for distributing gathered resources, even if Xiaqing didn’t go the second time, she was still entitled to a share of the harvest from the remaining tree.

After Hu Zifeng’s team left, Xiaqing returned home with the two large bags of pine cones she had received. She moved the cotton plants that were drying on the warehouse roof down to the courtyard, using the cleared space to dry the pine cones.

The pine cones, a harvest from three days of hard work, covered the entire roof. Xiaqing couldn’t stop smiling.

’During the Disaster Years, is there anything that makes a person happier than harvesting food?’

’If there is, it must be harvesting even more food.’

Xiaqing carefully inspected the insect netting on the roof. After confirming it was undamaged, she sprayed Deodorant and Insect Repellent on the roof before going downstairs for lunch.

It was called lunch, but it was already three in the afternoon. She had worked hard today, so Xiaqing didn’t skimp on her meal. The rice, meat, and vegetables were all the best her territory had to offer.

After eating and drinking her fill, Xiaqing went up to the second floor. She gathered the dried, clean white cotton and peanuts and stored them in the storeroom. Normally, cotton didn’t need to be kept in a storeroom.

But Xiaqing’s storeroom was still mostly empty, and it was protected by a Yi Stone. It would be a waste not to use it for storing supplies.

Placing the bundled cotton on the shelf, a sense of satisfaction welled up inside Xiaqing, making her already bright eyes shine even brighter. After returning from the basement to the tool shed, Xiaqing checked on the lively Green Light and Yellow Light Fish in the large water tank.

Because it was her first time digging a fishpond, Xiaqing lacked experience and had chosen a location too close to the river. As a result, both ponds were washed away during the third Harmful Rain, merging with the river. To repair the pond embankments, she would have to wait until winter when the river’s water level dropped.

Either that, or she would have to dig new ponds to raise fish.

After discovering the Spring Water Fish were doing well in the tank, Xiaqing decided to just wait until the fish spawned next spring before returning them to the repaired ponds.

Evolved fish had a tenacious Life Force. As long as they had enough food, they thrived even better in a tank mixed with a certain proportion of Pollution-free Spring Water than they did in the ponds. Keeping them indoors only required a lightbulb for supplementary light, which wasn’t a major expense for Xiaqing, who had eight solar panels.

However, she didn’t want to bring her poultry inside anymore. The smell was bad, and the roosters’ crowing in the morning was too loud.

With her chickens crowing inside the house, not only Tang Huai but now even Zhao Ze to the east knew Xiaqing was raising them.

Taking advantage of her free time over the next two days, Xiaqing planned to build a chicken coop next to the sheep pen. It would be located where the wolf and sheep’s latrine was, and their latrine would be moved to the south of the coop. Once the coop was built, when the wolf and Sheep Leader went to relieve themselves at night, they would have to pass in front of it, which would serve as a patrol of sorts.

No sooner said than done. After finishing her meal and resting, Xiaqing drove the micro-tiller out of the garage, hitched up a cart she had welded herself, and went with Sheep Leader to haul red bricks and stones cleared from the Deserted Village.

The moment the micro-tiller started up in the Third Territory, Tang Huai in the Second Territory grew restless. But he had learned his lesson and didn’t ask Xiaqing directly. Instead, he took an indirect route and asked someone else, "Shi Zhong, are you there?"

Shi Zhong responded quickly, "I’m here. Do you need something, Brother Huai?"

After using the medicine he had traded with Zhang San, the pain in Shi Zhong’s joints had lessened considerably, and his voice was much stronger.

Tang Huai asked, "I remember you said a few days ago that you know how to fluff cotton?"

Fluffing cotton involved using a stringed bow to make the deseeded cotton fibers soft and fluffy. After being fluffed, the cotton could be spun into yarn, smoothed out, and used to make quilts and cotton-padded clothes.

Xiaqing wasn’t on the comms much, so she hadn’t heard that Shi Zhong had this skill. She listened attentively.

Shi Zhong explained in detail, "I saw people fluffing cotton when I was a kid. I recently figured out how to make the tools for it and tried fluffing enough for two quilts. My craftsmanship is definitely not as good as the machine-fluffed cotton from the Safe Zone factories, but it’s still pretty soft and usable."

Tang Huai snorted. "Who told you the Safe Zone factories use machines to fluff cotton? In this day and age, if it can be done with manual labor, no one’s going to waste electricity, oil, or machinery. I want to have enough cotton fluffed for five quilts. What are your rates?"

Shi Zhong asked, "Brother Huai, do you want single or double quilts? And how heavy?"

Tang Huai replied, "Double. Something warm for the winter."

"The winters are colder than before the Natural Disasters. If you have heating in your house, a five-jin quilt is enough for a normal person. If not, you’ll need a seven-jin one. Evolvers have better physiques, so they can go a little lighter."

"Four seven-jin quilts and one five-jin quilt." Tang Huai specified the quilts’ weights and then asked, "Do you have enough cotton in your territory? I want the white, odorless kind. I’ll buy it at the Safe Zone’s purchase price. What’s your fee for fluffing?"

This was Shi Zhong’s first business deal since he had made his cotton-fluffing tools. He asked happily, "It’s enough. Brother Huai, are you just buying the fluffed cotton, or do you want the cotton seeds too?"

After Tang Huai and Shi Zhong settled on a price, Xiaqing also pressed her walkie-talkie button. "Uncle Shi, when you have a moment, I’d also like to have some cotton fluffed."

According to what Shi Zhong had just said, one jin of raw cotton could yield at most half a jin of fluffed cotton, and he charged one point to process one jin of raw cotton. Xiaqing planned to send over all the clean white cotton she had picked to have enough fluffed for two winter quilts and two for spring and autumn. She would store the extra fluffed cotton for other things. She dearly missed the feeling and sun-baked scent of a soft, new quilt.

Shi Zhong replied immediately, "Are you in your territory right now? I’ll have Little Du come over to pick it up."

"I am. I’ll go home, pack up the cotton, and bring it to the road sign." Xiaqing dusted herself off and instructed Sheep Leader, "You stay here and guard our micro-tiller, Boss. I’m going home to get the cotton and give it to Shi Du. In a few days, we’ll have new quilts to use."

Sheep Leader, covered in wool and having never used a quilt in its life, narrowed its eyes. Xiaqing deftly placated it by putting a block of compressed rations into its saddlebag.

Xiaqing kept the Green Light cotton but packed up all the clean white Yellow Light cotton and carried it to the road sign.

Shi Du, who was talking with Tang Huai at the road sign for Territory No. 2, quickly ran over. "Sister Qing, let me take that."

Xiaqing handed the two bags of cotton to Shi Du. "This is a hundred jin. Do you have your points card and ID card? I’ll transfer the points for the processing fee to you."

Because Tang Huai, an outsider, was present, Shi Du didn’t say anything more to Xiaqing after the points were transferred. He just shouldered the cotton and left.

Seeing Xiaqing about to return to her territory, Tang Huai quickly called out to her, "Xiaqing, where were you this morning? Did you hear the Evolution Bear’s roar? It sounded like it was right on Mountain No. 50, which isn’t far from your territory."

Xiaqing was busy and had no time for his idle chatter. "If you have something to say, just say it."

Tang Huai chuckled and gave Xiaqing a wink. "What are you so busy with? Need any help? I’m free right now. I’d even work for free, no points needed."