Chapter 310: Eliminating Hidden Dangers

Chapter 310: Chapter 310: Eliminating Hidden Dangers

As the inspection team reached the Northern Isolation Zone, Xiaqing emerged from her territory and handed Tan Junjie a folded slip of paper. The note contained a single sentence: At 12:20, Qian Lin of the Su Feng Team will pass through the North Isolation Zone of No.3 Territory from west to east.

Tan Junjie put the paper away without asking any questions and continued his patrol.

An inspection team member, Hu Zi, stopped and asked Xiaqing, "Sister Qing, can I buy a couple of pumpkins? I want to make that pumpkin jerky they were talking about in Territory No.5."

Compared to her other crops, the pumpkin yield was quite impressive. Although only seven Yellow Light Pumpkin plants and five Green Light Pumpkin plants survived the third Harmful Rain, each vine could produce around ten pumpkins. The large ones weighed over twenty pounds, while the small ones were still five or six pounds.

Xiaqing had already moved most of the mature pumpkins into her vegetable storage room, selling a small number of the Yellow Light Pumpkins to Zhong Tao or Hu Zifeng’s team. Since Hu Zi wanted to buy some, Xiaqing was happy to oblige. She immediately went back, picked two large pumpkins from the greenhouse south of the reservoir, and handed them to Hu Zi.

As Hu Zi took the pumpkins, he made small talk, asking, "Sister Qing, are you planning to fence in your territory?"

Xiaqing had mentioned her plans to build a fence in the Lord channel, which had sparked a lively discussion, so it was no secret. "I earned some points selling fish," she explained. "I’m planning to hire people to chop down trees after the autumn harvest and build a fence."

Hu Zi didn’t dare stare at Xiaqing’s fairer face, so he turned to look at the surrounding trees. "Fencing it in will make it much safer, and it’ll keep your sheep from getting out. But your territory is so large. Will cutting down trees only from the Buffer Forest be enough?"

The perimeter of the Third Territory was about nine thousand meters. Xiaqing certainly couldn’t clear out the entire Buffer Forest just to build a fence. "I plan to use thorny trees and bushes as much as possible. I’ll use the few I have inside my territory and then selectively cut some more from the nearby Evolution Forest."

"Mountain No. 51 has a lot of thorny Qiang Evolution shrubs. When you have time, Sister Qing, I can take you over to see them." Afraid Xiaqing would refuse, Hu Zi quickly added, "I haven’t taken my vacation days yet this year. I’ll be free right after the autumn harvest."

The last time he’d wanted to ask Xiaqing to gather Green Light Pine Nuts, an urgent transfer order had prevented it. So, Hu Zi was seizing this new opportunity to try and spend more time with her.

Xiaqing had long since figured out what Hu Zi was after and had no intention of going anywhere alone with him. "You’re talking about that patch of trees on the slope of Mountain No. 51, on the side closer to the territories, right? I’ve already checked them out; they’ll definitely work. I’ll start chopping after the harvest. If you’re free then, you can come over and help with Brother Qi, Shi Du, and Guan Tong. I’m not providing meals, but I’ll pay fifteen points a day."

"Okay, just let me know when, Sister Qing." Hu Zi’s heart bobbed up and down with her words. Cradling the two large pumpkins, he hurried to catch up with his captain.

After Hu Zi left, Xiaqing picked a mature Green Light Pumpkin from her terraced fields and headed home. She decided to have noodles with pumpkin sauce for lunch. As for the rest of the pumpkin, she would make jerky by slicing it, sun-drying the pieces, and then steaming them, just as Yuan Yan had described.

When Xiaqing got home, the Sick Wolf, who was sunning itself under the eaves, lifted its head and even wagged its tail in delight. ’He’s acting more and more like a dog,’ she thought.

On the eaves above, the little swallows that hadn’t yet migrated chattered away, as if debating whether the creature lying below was a wolf or a dog.

"I’m home! Feeling any better, Second?" Xiaqing called out, holding up the large pumpkin for the Sick Wolf to see. "Look, a pumpkin. I’m having noodles with pumpkin sauce for lunch. How about you have the noodle water with some pumpkin and jerky?"

The Sick Wolf stood, stretched lazily, and padded over to sniff the pumpkin in Xiaqing’s hand, its tongue lolling out in a happy pant. Xiaqing ruffled its fur, then went to the chicken coop and found two eggs. She decided to add a fried egg to her lunch and give the other to Hu Zifeng to take back to No.1 Territory for Luo Pei to build up his strength.

She was now getting two eggs a day, which meant she could save up enough for the Green Light Soybeans trade with No. 9 Territory in just five days. There was even less urgency to save eggs for the oil press from Tang Huai, since her corn and sunflowers hadn’t been harvested yet. The press would be useless until they were.

Xiaqing had already gotten her hands on an oil press today, and one was more than enough. She planned to sell the one from Tang Huai to her ally, Territory No.5.

In the afternoon, after picking all the open bolls in her cotton shelter, Xiaqing took a sack and went over to the Qiang Evolution cotton. Tang Huai had told her to be careful with it, which made Xiaqing think he must have discovered or sensed something. She decided it was time to sweep her territory for any hidden dangers.

The Qiang Evolution cotton, which could release flammable gas, was the first hazard she needed to address.

Xiaqing first picked the bloomed black cotton bolls, packed them into a sack, removed the air, and sealed it for storage. She would sell the cotton the next time Zhong Tao came by.

Cotton from Qiang Evolution plants sold for only four points per pound, a mere fifteenth of the price of regular white cotton. The price was hardly motivating. Adding to that the fire hazard when the bolls opened, Xiaqing decided that next year, she would just dry the Qiang Evolution plants and use them as firewood.

After she finished picking the cotton, Xiaqing contacted Territory No. 4 on her walkie-talkie. "Brother Zhao, you there?"

The voice that answered belonged to Mrs. Zhao. "Xiaqing, Zhao Ze is out working in the fields. If you need anything from now on, you can just talk to me."

Xiaqing asked, "Are you free right now, Aunt Zhao?"

Mrs. Zhao answered immediately. "I am. Should I wait for you by the riverbank?"

"Okay," Xiaqing agreed.

The meeting spot Mrs. Zhao chose showed that her powers of observation were far greater than her son’s. She understood that any conversation with Xiaqing had to be held far away from the Second Territory. Not only was the riverbank a good distance away, but the sound of the water would also mask their voices.

Mrs. Zhao wasn’t just more observant than Zhao Ze; she was also more prompt. By the time Xiaqing passed through the Wild Grass Wall and reached the designated spot, Mrs. Zhao was already standing by the water’s edge, waiting.

Mrs. Zhao wasn’t wearing a Protective Mask. The scar on her left cheek, a remnant from a poisonous insect attack, was clearly visible beneath her short hair. Xiaqing took off her own Protective Mask, hooked it to her belt, and hurried forward. "Aunt Zhao."

Mrs. Zhao was pleasantly surprised when she saw Xiaqing’s face. "Xiaqing, my dear, look at you! Your complexion is so much better. Have you neutralized the poison?"

Xiaqing nodded. "I traded for an antidote from Brother San, and it’s working quite well. Aunt Zhao, you should ask him about it. He might have a way to get rid of that scar on your face."

"I’ll go ask once I’ve harvested my crops and have some points to my name." Mrs. Zhao bent down and pulled a vacuum-sealed bag of dried wild greens from her basket, handing it to Xiaqing. "This is Green Light horse-ear vegetable. It should keep for a few months. When you’re ready to eat it, just soak it in water, chop it up, and you can use it as a filling for meat buns."

Dried Green Light vegetables were not cheap, and Xiaqing was about to refuse, but Mrs. Zhao pressed the bag into her hands. "We caught a lot of fish a while back, all thanks to you. This is just a little something to show our gratitude; we dried it all ourselves. Don’t you try to give it back now. I’ve only got one arm, I can’t win a shoving match with you."

Mrs. Zhao had been attacked by Poisonous Insects. Not only had the attack left her with the scar on her face, but it had also cost her her left arm.