Chapter 42: Green Light Alfalfa

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Green Light Alfalfa

Tan Junjie didn’t mention Zhao Chong again, moving on to discuss a trade with Xiaqing. "Can I trade for another batch of Asparagus Chrysanthemum? With diesel. One liter of diesel for one jin of Asparagus Chrysanthemum."

Xiaqing confirmed that Tan Junjie didn’t know about her deal with the Green Dragon Team; otherwise, he wouldn’t have proposed such terms. His offer was very reasonable, and Xiaqing agreed. "Okay. How many jin does Captain Tan want?"

Tan Junjie replied, "In another half-month, the Asparagus Chrysanthemum won’t taste good anymore. I’d like to get more to put away. How many jin can you offer?"

Xiaqing wasn’t sure either. "There aren’t many sprouts right now. I’ll let them grow for a few more days, then I’ll pick them and trade with you. I’ll give you however much I have."

Thinking of his daughter, a gentle smile appeared on Tan Junjie’s face, and his voice softened. "Alright. I’ll bring a portable scale and the diesel over then. We’ll do the exchange on-site."

"Okay." Xiaqing agreed readily. She had no shortage of Asparagus Chrysanthemum, and for diesel, the more the better.

After a few seconds of silence, Tan Junjie couldn’t resist reminding Xiaqing, "Don’t pick it bare all at once."

Lacking any planting experience, Xiaqing also fell silent for a few seconds. "Will picking it bare kill the tree?"

The planting information she had collected didn’t include cultivation techniques for the Asparagus Tree, and neither did the Planting Guide issued by the base.

Tan Junjie’s silence was even longer. "I’ll confirm and get back to you."

That evening, Xiaqing received a clear text message from Tan Junjie: "The first-flush sprouts, which are the earliest to emerge at the tip of the branches, can be completely cut. The side sprouts that grow after the first-flush harvest are called the second flush. You shouldn’t harvest the entire sprig of these; you must leave two or three leaves at the base to form a nurturing branch and help the tree recover its vigor."

Xiaqing understood. The sprouts she had picked when she first arrived at her territory were the first-flush ones. The ones on the trees now were the second flush. It seemed she had to leave two or three leaves behind when picking.

There was one other detail that caught Xiaqing’s attention: the word "cut" Tan Junjie had used. The Asparagus Chrysanthemum she had traded him last time had all been snapped off by hand. Given Tan Junjie’s meticulous nature, he must have used that specific word for a reason.

’So, is using scissors better than pinching or snapping them off by hand?’

After Xiaqing jotted this down in her notebook, the daily news broadcast ended. The content was the same as always: most bases in Hua Country were in good condition, while the coastal bases were in dire straits.

Having listened for the past few days, Xiaqing was becoming desensitized. She turned off the radio and switched on her walkie-talkie. Unsurprisingly, the channel was silent tonight.

After five minutes, Zhao Ze from Territory Four broke the silence. "Xiaqing, are you there?"

Xiaqing pressed the button and replied coldly, "I’m here."

Zhao Ze apologized solemnly. "I’m truly sorry about today. It’s my fault for not managing the people in my territory properly. I guarantee this is the first and absolutely the last time it will happen. As compensation, I’d like to offer you twenty Green Light Alfalfa plants. Is that acceptable?"

Although Xiaqing had never mentioned on the Lord channel that she had an Evolutionary Sheep, her territory was adjacent to Zhao Ze’s. With Sheep Leader wandering around her land every day and someone from Zhao Ze’s territory spying with binoculars, it was only natural that he knew about the sheep. Alfalfa was one of a sheep’s favorite grasses. Regardless of whether he genuinely wanted to stay on her good side, was afraid of the gun she possessed, or had some other ulterior motive, Xiaqing accepted. "Alright."

With Xiaqing’s acceptance, the matter between her and Zhao Ze was considered closed.

Zhang San immediately piped up, "Zhao Ze, I’ll take twenty Green Light Alfalfa as well. A food dehydrator or a vacuum sealer—take your pick."

Zhao Ze replied politely, "Brother San, I only have eight Green Light Alfalfa plants left. Would it be alright if I used alfalfa leaves to pay the deposit for those two machines?"

Food dehydrators and packaging machines were needed by every territory. Zhao Ze claimed he only had eight alfalfa plants left, but it wasn’t a very credible claim.

Zhang San replied lazily, "The deposit for both machines is one jin of alfalfa. I have one dehydrator and one vacuum sealer left. Anyone want them? I’m only taking Green Light plants. If there are no takers, I’ll haul them back to the Safe Zone and trade them for food."

’Why does he have so many machines? Could he know more than just pharmaceuticals? Maybe he can build machines, too?’ Xiaqing made a note in her notebook.

Qi Fu, who was always enthusiastic about planting, remained silent. Kuang Qingwei spoke up, "Brother San, are three taels of Green Light chives enough for a deposit? I’ll make up the other two taels after the next harvest. And could the rest of the chives be a deposit for a kitten?"

Zhang San drawled, "Half a jin of chives is the deposit for both machines. And even if my cat could pop out a third kitten, I wouldn’t sell it to a Second-hand Dealer."

His intentions exposed, Kuang Qingwei gave a dry laugh. "Alright, Brother San calls the shots. I’ll cut the chives tomorrow morning."

Next to Kuang Qingwei’s name, Xiaqing noted, "Green Light chives, can harvest three taels at a time," and added a question mark to signify she was unsure how large his total supply was.

Her pen moved up to the entry for Qi Fu of Territory Five. This entry noted that Qi Fu’s territory had chives; of the ten plants he’d traded Xiaqing last time, three were Green Light. So, his silence now wasn’t because he lacked the deposit, but because he didn’t need a dehydrator or a sealer.

Through more than half a month of conversations on the Lord channel, Xiaqing had confirmed that Qi Fu was thoroughly prepared for farming outside the Safe Zone. ’I wonder if he has many building materials,’ she thought. ’If so, I’d like to trade for some insect-repellent putty to plaster my walls.’

’This wasn’t something to discuss on the channel, though.’

Once the discussion about deposits was over, the glacial voice of Hu Zifeng from Territory One cut in. "If any son of a bitch dares to monitor Territory One, I’ll blow his damn dog head off."

The "dog head," Tang Huai, acted as if he didn’t exist. The Lords’ nightly chat was over. Xiaqing switched off her walkie-talkie and started researching the edible plants discovered in the surrounding territories.

Garlic, chives, peanuts, ginger, and tiger ginger all propagate by their roots or produce their fruit underground, which was why they could still be found sporadically ten years after the Natural Disasters. Alfalfa is a perennial herb that is easy to grow and seeds prolifically. Spinach and scallions have short growth cycles and also produce a lot of seeds, so they survived as well.

Other common vegetables from before the Natural Disasters were either too delicate, or their fruit and stalks were destroyed by birds and insects, preventing them from propagating over the years. A decade after the Natural Disasters, finding a trace of them in the territories was likely impossible.

’So, if I want to find more edible plants, I have to go to the Evolution Forest.’

Xiaqing drew a line under "bamboo" with her pen. April was the season for spring bamboo shoots. Her territory had no bamboo, but the Evolution Forest north of Territory One did. All the bamboo Xiaqing used for her furniture came from that forest.

She had tested it before and found Yellow Light adult bamboo there. This meant that once April arrived, she would likely unlock a new vegetable. She just wondered what evolved bamboo shoots would taste like.

Just as Xiaqing closed her notebook, she received a text from Hu Zifeng:

"Miss Xia, do you need us to send people to keep an eye on Territory Four?"

The deal Xiaqing had made with Yang Jin was that the Security Team would be stationed within Territory One, available for her to deploy at any time.

As a Three Systems Evolver who also had a weapon, Xiaqing had no fear of the people from Territory Four. She replied earnestly, "No need. In a week, I’m going to the Evolution Forest north of Territory One to dig for bamboo shoots. I’ll be away from my territory for at least four hours. I’ll need to trouble you to help guard my land then."

Hu Zifeng’s reply came quickly:

"Alright, just let us know once you’ve set a time. Also, we want to go to the Evolution Forest to dig for shoots as well. Could we team up with you, Miss Xia?"

She had told Hu Zifeng about her plan precisely because she wanted to team up. Xiaqing smiled and replied, "Of course."