Chapter 93: Crab Shell Fertilizer from Gui City Base

Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Crab Shell Fertilizer from Gui City Base

Zheng Kui was a man of few words, but he spoke with great clarity. "The territories suffered huge losses during the last Harmful Rain. More people have abandoned their land and fled back to the base, making the territories sound even more dangerous than the Evolution Forest. The higher-ups are worried the territory project will fail, so they’re planning to have the Lords bring their own homegrown vegetables and grains back for a public trade fair. They want the people in the Safe Zone to see the benefits with their own eyes and be motivated to take up farming."

Before Xiaqing could speak, Zhong Tao shook his head. "That’s impossible!"

But Zheng Kui had a different opinion. "As long as the benefits are good enough and they can guarantee the Lords’ safety, some Lords will be tempted."

Zheng Kui had a point. As Xiaqing carried the earthworm manure back to her territory, she thought, ’If the Safe Zone really holds a produce trade fair, I’d actually want to go back and take a look. I could trade for some edible plants and animals my territory doesn’t have.’

’Also, after several months of use, my farming, carpentry, and electrical tools all need to be replenished or replaced. I don’t want to rely too heavily on the Green Dragon Team for all my important supplies.’

’There was another very important reason: the person who messaged me last year to tell me about the territories. If I can make a trip back, I plan to give them some of the grain and vegetables I’ve grown to thank them.’

"True, it depends on how the base arranges it." Xiaqing then asked, "Brother Tao, Brother Kui, have you heard if there’s any phosphate fertilizer for sale anywhere? My cotton plants are flowering and need a top dressing of phosphate fertilizer."

After the great biological evolution on Blue Star, applying organic fertilizer became the only option to promote the growth of evolved crops. Xiaqing had heard Qi Fu and Shi Zhong mention that phosphate-rich organic fertilizers mainly fell into two categories: fermented and composted soybean cake fertilizer and bone meal. They lacked the raw materials in their territories, making it impossible to produce large quantities of organic phosphate fertilizer themselves.

After exchanging a look with Zheng Kui, Zhong Tao lowered his voice so much that even Tang Huai, who was straining his ears to eavesdrop from the Second Territory, couldn’t hear. "You’ve asked the right people. Someone smuggled a batch of crab shell fertilizer from Gui City Base. But this deal is... shady. And it’s not cheap..."

The news had been reporting for months about the marine life attacking Gui City Base in the south. Xiaqing followed it daily and knew that a crab army was among the sea creatures attacking the Gui City Base Safe Zone.

Crab shells were a type of bone, so crab shell fertilizer was naturally a phosphate fertilizer. Xiaqing also lowered her voice. "Is it reliable? Sea crab shells must have a lot of pollutants and parasites. Can we use it if it’s been shipped directly?"

Zhong Tao leaned in close to Xiaqing’s ear, his voice barely a whisper. "Absolutely reliable. We can scam anyone, but we wouldn’t scam you. Gui City uses this crab shell fertilizer for their own farming; we just don’t know how they process it. This batch has a shady origin, and our base’s Safe Area Planting Center drove the price down way too hard, so they decided to trade with the Lords instead. Think about it, if the stuff wasn’t up to standard, would the Planting Center even make an offer?"

’So that’s how it is,’ Xiaqing thought, then asked in a low voice, "How are they selling it?"

"Forty points per pound. Any lower and they’ll just sell it to the Safe Zone."

Three months ago, Xiaqing would have found this price far too expensive and refused, but things were different now. The crops in her territory needed phosphate fertilizer, and investing in the crab shell fertilizer would bring in more food. "Okay. But I don’t have any points. Will they take supplies instead?"

Zhong Tao nodded. "Gui City Base is at war every day. What they lack most is medicine. Do you still have any of that White-haired Chicken Shit Vine in your territory?"

The Qiang and Yi Element levels in the White-haired Chicken Shit Vine were within the normal range, so it could be traded. "I do, but I’ve been so busy with farm work lately that I haven’t had time to dry it. It’ll be a few days before it’s ready."

"They can’t wait a few days; they’re in a hurry to get back. Twenty points per pound for it fresh. What do you say?"

Xiaqing nodded.

"Get it ready by tomorrow, and I’ll deliver the fertilizer the day after. Brother Kui and I are taking a big risk here, so you absolutely can’t tell anyone else, or we’re toast. Of course, we won’t breathe a word about you getting the fertilizer, either. How many pounds do you need?"

’They’re definitely taking a risk, transporting private goods during their official work hours. But I’m just trading White-haired Chicken Shit Vine, something I’ve sold before, for fertilizer. For me, the risk is practically zero.’

Xiaqing nodded and asked in return, "How much can they provide?"

"I actually didn’t ask, but they definitely have tens of thousands of pounds."

"It’s a rare opportunity. I’ll take a thousand pounds," Xiaqing said, keeping her voice low. ’I can’t afford any more than that.’ "If the White-haired Chicken Shit Vine isn’t enough, I’ll make up the difference with dried Yellow Light Bamboo Shoots."

After settling the deal, Xiaqing carried the five bags of earthworm manure home, taking three of them directly to the fields.

She hadn’t had enough fertilizer last time, so Xiaqing hadn’t been able to top-dress the cotton plants that were already in their flowering stage. Without a timely application of phosphate and potassium, the flowers wouldn’t have enough nutrients to set bolls, and any that did form would just fall off.

After more than three months of hard work, the crops in the Third Territory were thriving. Not to mention the fruits and vegetables on the hillside planting zone, the meter-high wheat in the fields south of the reservoir had already grown ears, the first batch of flowering green beans had formed pods ready for picking, and the flower buds on the lowest fruiting branches of the cotton plants had bloomed.

Within her territory, Xiaqing’s favorite place now wasn’t the vegetable garden, where she could pick melons at her leisure, but the cotton field. The cotton flowers were incredibly beautiful.

Surprisingly, the color of the evolved cotton petals would constantly change.

When they opened on the morning of the first day, the petals were white. After exposure to sunlight, they gradually reddened, becoming a lovely pink by the afternoon. When they opened again on the second day, the petals had turned purplish-red. Xiaqing took photo after photo of the cotton, documenting the changes in petal color.

It wasn’t just the cotton; Xiaqing diligently photographed and documented the cultivation process of every crop in her territory to build experience for next year’s planting.

The Qiang Evolution cotton, which had been moved out of the netted enclosure and had grown over two meters tall, also bloomed. If not for her records, Xiaqing wouldn’t have even wanted to photograph those demonic flowers, which were a dark, blackish-purple. If that patch of demonic flowers grew bolls after withering, Xiaqing wouldn’t be surprised if a few little imps popped out when the bolls burst open.

"Cotton is pretty, sure, but it attracts too many bugs," Zhao Ze complained in the Lord channel. "My insect-proof nets are crawling with them."

Qi Fu was puzzled. "You didn’t spray insecticide?"

After suffering huge losses in the second Harmful Rain, Zhao Ze’s attitude toward farming had become much more serious. He humbly asked Qi Fu for advice, "I did, but it’s not working. Brother Qi, what kind of insecticide are you spraying, and how often?"

"I spray Evolutionary Aconite Juice and insecticide, once in the morning and once at night. The effect isn’t as good as it used to be, but it still helps a bit," Qi Fu replied.

Shi Zhong from Territory Ten asked Qi Fu, "Brother Qi, how do you dilute the Evolutionary Aconite Juice?"

"A one-to-twenty ratio. Any more concentrated and it’ll burn the leaves," Qi Fu shared his experience, then asked Shi Zhong, "Brother Shi, how do you get rid of your pests?"

Shi Zhong shared his own experience. "I also found that insecticide isn’t working very well anymore, so I hung up some Glue Insect Boards. The effect is pretty good."

’Glue Insect Boards?’ Xiaqing, who was in the cotton field digging furrows for fertilizer, perked up her ears and listened.

Shi Zhong explained the method for making the Glue Insect Boards in detail. "You just use those Evolutionary Pumpkin Vines, the ones that mutated in the last rain. Crush them, spread the sap thickly on some cardboard, and they work great for trapping bugs."

’If an Evolutionary Pumpkin Vine could stick to and even corrode a shovel, what chance did a tiny bug have?’ Xiaqing took the lesson to heart, feeling a pang of regret for selling all her Evolutionary Pumpkin Vines to her idol, Brother San.

Qi Fu felt the same regret. "Brother Shi, do you have many of those Evolutionary Pumpkin Vines? I’d like to trade for some to try them out."

Luckily, Territory Ten hadn’t gotten their walkie-talkies yet when the second Harmful Rain hit. They didn’t know Zhang San was buying up Evolutionary Pumpkin Vines; otherwise, they would have certainly sold theirs to him, too. Then they never would have discovered that the sticky vines could be used to make Glue Insect Boards.