Chapter 295: Making an Example

Chapter 295: Chapter 295: Making an Example

Aided by her dual-system Auditory and Visual Evolutionary Ability, Xiaqing quickly located the culprit behind the damage to her greenhouse’s insect netting—a massive evolutionary cricket hiding under a leaf, munching on a green radish!

"SCRAPE—"

As Xiaqing smacked the palm-sized cricket dead with the back of her knife, its sharp teeth scraped against the blade, making a distinct sound.

After killing the cricket, Xiaqing pulled up the radish, which had been nearly eaten hollow. Her heart ached so much she could have died.

This radish was already thicker than her arm and would have been ready to harvest in another half a month!

After a careful inspection to confirm no other insects had gotten in to wreak havoc on her crops, Xiaqing replaced the broken greenhouse frame and patched the insect netting and rainproof cloth. Then, she decided to spray insecticide and Insect Repellent around the greenhouse first.

Last night’s thunderstorm had weakened the sprays she’d applied a couple of days ago. She had to reapply them quickly, or she’d soon be patching more holes in her greenhouse.

Xiaqing walked out of the greenhouse carrying the radish and the cricket. Seeing Sheep Leader approaching with a basket in its mouth, she tossed the cricket into its small basket and tried to bargain, "Look, Leader, a cricket ruined one of our radishes. Why don’t you eat radish for breakfast today? It’s juicy, it’s got to be delicious."

Sheep Leader didn’t make a sound. It just narrowed its eyes at Xiaqing and started pawing the ground, ready for a fight.

"Fine, you eat corn, and I’ll eat the radish. Let’s go, time to pull up some corn." Xiaqing tossed the radish into her own basket and led Sheep Leader down the path. After checking each greenhouse one by one, she entered the corn greenhouse and, under Sheep Leader’s expectant gaze, pulled up two corn stalks. One was an empty stalk from which she’d already picked the corn last night; the other had one large and one small ear of corn on it.

She broke off the large ear of corn and stuffed it into her back basket, then handed the rest to Sheep Leader to take home. "Leader, go back and feed the fish first. I’ll come back and make your food after I’m done spraying."

Xiaqing was a fast worker. She finished reapplying the spray around all seven greenhouses before seven in the morning.

Back home, Xiaqing chopped up the corn stalk and the underdeveloped small ear of corn, added a small piece of compressed rations, and mixed up a hearty breakfast for Sheep Leader.

And the large, fully-grown ear of corn? That, of course, was for Xiaqing to eat. Just as she was about to seal it and put it in the fridge, Sheep Leader’s big head poked over.

"You want some kernels? You already had half a plate last night." Xiaqing pushed its big head away but still shelled twenty kernels into its food bowl before giving a stern warning, "The books say you’re a herbivore. You can’t eat too much corn, or you’ll have digestive problems. This one is mine. The ones in your bowl are yours."

Sheep Leader narrowed its eyes and stared at the corn for a moment before burying its head in its bowl and eating.

Since she’d already started, Xiaqing went ahead and shelled a handful of fresh, tender kernels for herself before sealing the remaining large portion of the ear and putting it in the freezer.

The shelled corn kernels were added to a handful of rice to make porridge. She then shredded the edible parts of the radish she’d brought back for a cold salad and added a few pieces of jerky. That was her breakfast for the day.

Xiaqing sighed as she looked at the nearly empty rice bag.

There was only enough rice left for two or three more meals. Xiaqing had messaged Zhong Tao a few days ago, hoping to trade for more edible rice, but learned he didn’t have any in stock.

The rice from the Safe Area Planting Center wasn’t sold to the public. The rice Xiaqing ate was a "perk" issued by the military to its soldiers.

Although military missions were difficult and had a high casualty rate, the compensation was good, including a monthly distribution of staple foods. Soldiers without families would trade their surplus staples for other necessary supplies, which was how Zhong Tao got his rice.

Rice was in high demand, so Xiaqing was content to have been able to buy it twice in the last six months. If she couldn’t get rice, she could still eat the wheat, mung beans, potatoes, and Chestnuts in her storage room.

Come spring, she would plant the Green Rice seeds she’d be harvesting in a few days, along with the forty-four pounds of high-quality Yellow Light rice seeds she had just traded for. After harvesting them next June, she could finally eat her fill of high-quality, homegrown rice.

A beautiful life was beckoning to her!

"BAWK, BAWK, BOK-BOK."

Hearing the hen, Xiaqing’s eyes lit up. She immediately ran outside the henhouse and peered through the window to see a hen, having just laid an egg, clucking loudly as it hopped down from its nesting box.

In the nesting box next to it, another hen was sitting, looking like it was also laying an egg.

This meant she would get two nutritious and delicious eggs today!

Standing outside the henhouse, Xiaqing spun around twice in delight. She immediately did a lap around the henhouse and the chicken run, checking to make sure some foolhardy animal wouldn’t steal such a delicious treat.

While Xiaqing was busy in the yard, Sheep Leader finished the fodder in its bowl indoors. It lay on the tatami mat, its eyes narrowed as it stared at the pot of porridge in the kitchen.

In the end, Xiaqing came back inside and drank the entire pot of porridge herself. There was none for Sheep Leader. Its eyes narrowed even further.

Xiaqing didn’t notice anything was wrong with her companion. After excitedly sharing the good news about the hens laying eggs, she gathered her supplies and headed to the Northern Isolation Zone to wait for the inspection team.

After Xiaqing left, Sheep Leader clip-clopped up to the second floor. It stared at the locked refrigerator for a while, and only after confirming it couldn’t open it did it go outside to eat pasture grass.

When the inspection team passed by, Xiaqing entrusted them with trade goods for Xin Yu. She also gave two stiff, dried Yellow Light Fish to Tan Junjie and asked in a low voice, "Captain Tan, what about those two from the Jiang Bear Team?" ℯℯ𝘭.

Tan Junjie replied, "This is the most serious and malicious territory invasion incident at Hui San Base since the territory policy was implemented. The Base Commander has personally ordered the Territory Management Department to punish them severely. A patrol car will be here shortly to escort the two criminals back to the Safe Zone for trial. The other members of the Jiang Bear Squad will also return to the Safe Zone for investigation."

Xiaqing was thrilled to hear that the Jiang Bear Team was being made an example of. With the Jiang Bear Squad and their Evolutionary dogs gone, the Wolf Group would be safe.

After reporting the situation, Tan Junjie added, "Someone from the Territory Management Department will come by to ask you some questions. Just tell them what happened. The fall harvest is coming up, so the Territory Management Department won’t take up too much of your time."

"Understood." Xiaqing, of course, knew exactly how to "tell them what happened."

The average winter temperature at Hui San Base was about ten degrees Celsius lower than before the Natural Disasters, and winter also arrived earlier. Therefore, the farming knowledge broadcast repeatedly emphasized that the fall harvest period had been moved forward by more than ten days, now running from late October to mid-November.

After the fall harvest, the Lords had to fertilize, water, and till their land, then sow winter crops like wheat and rapeseed. This work had to be completed before the end of November. Any later, and the crops wouldn’t be able to take root and sprout before the cold snap arrived, causing the seeds to freeze to death.

This meant Xiaqing was going to be very busy for the next while. She asked, "Is there going to be an autumn agricultural trade fair soon?"

She wanted to claim the half-pound of rapeseed the Territory Management Department had awarded her as soon as possible so she could plant it before the end of November.

Tan Junjie shook his head. "Haven’t received any notice yet."

Su Ming asked curiously, "Sister Qing, I heard Captain Yan went fishing in your reservoir last night?"

Everyone on the inspection team, except for Tan Junjie, crowded around, staring at Xiaqing with eager eyes.