Chapter 11: Test Field

In his previous life, Luo De liked to tinker with some flowers and grasses to plant when he had nothing to do.

Although he couldn't be called a farming expert, he still had some experience in planting things.

After discovering that the area around A Ru Cun was land, not sandy ground,

His first reaction was that this place should be suitable for farming; not to mention growing grain, planting some drought-resistant vegetables should be fine.

So why has a piece of land usable for planting been left unattended all this time?

Someone soon answered this question for him.

It was no one else.

It was Dixiya, who had returned to A Ru Cun again.

A few days were enough for the Blazing Light Hunter Beast to finish its commission and take on a new mission, then return.

"That plot of land can indeed grow things."

"But it requires a lot of Fertility Blessing."

Dixiya picked up a dry, hard lump of yellow earth; with a little force, the lump crumbled to powder, and the fine dry soil drifted down through her fingers like sand.

Watching the dust swirling in the wind before her, Dixiya sighed: "And even if you used Fertility Blessing, do you know what kind of place this is?"

After saying that, she stood up, looked around, and shook her head: "This is the most dangerous place in all of A Ru Cun; not only do monsters gather here most during sandstorms, but even without sandstorms, bandits and monsters appear here very frequently. If you farm here, however much you plant, they will destroy that much."

"What's more,"

"Sandstorms in the desert are the most terrible weather; unless there is a natural barrier like A Ru Cun, otherwise, if your planted land encounters even a single sandstorm, it will be uprooted completely, and all your effort will be wasted."

These words left Luo De silent.

From Dixiya's words,

he extracted several key words.

One is Fertility Blessing.

This thing Luo De is not unfamiliar with.

Earlier, when he was playing the game, this Fertility Blessing had been mentioned many times, claimed that no matter how barren the land or how harsh the environment, adding just a little would yield unparalleled results; at the time everyone jokingly called it Teyvat's Jin Kekwa.

In theory,

The essence of Fertility Blessing is actually just a kind of fertilizer.

But unlike ordinary fertilizer,

Fertility Blessing's effects are extraordinarily astonishing; it truly has the ability to grow crops even in utterly infertile yellow sand.

Of course,

its price is also not cheap.

Regarding Fertility Blessing, Dixiya's only supplement was that this thing costs A Ru Cun a great deal each year to purchase, in order to ensure that the farmland at the village's foothills can have a sufficient harvest.

And from Dixiya's words, Luo De obtained the second piece of information.

That is, if planting crops in the outskirts of A Ru Cun, monsters and bandits are secondary; the main problem is the sandstorm.

Luo De had experienced sandstorms and knew very well how terrifying this extreme weather is in the desert.

Not to mention crops planted on flat ground; even some trees that specifically grow in the desert could possibly be blown out roots and all.

Besides that,

there is also a problem that Dixiya did not mention.

After all, she is just a layperson; whatever she knows about these things likely came from casual chats with Kantisi.

Water and soil loss.

This is the most serious problem.

After Luo De conceived the intention to farm, he walked a large circle around this land, examining it carefully.

The final conclusion.

is that this land simply cannot retain water at all.

In other words,

without Fertility Blessing, this place absolutely cannot grow anything.

"What you're saying, those scholars in the village have also thought about before."

"But after conducting field investigations, their conclusion was the same as what I just said: this place is fundamentally unsuitable for growing crops."

Dixiya patted Luo De's shoulder: "I know you want to contribute to A Ru Cun, but there's no way; the desert environment is just like that. Unless you can make sandstorms no longer disturb A Ru Cun, otherwise don't even think about using this plot of land."

"Make sandstorms no longer disturb A Ru Cun?"

These words seemed to remind Luo De.

He didn't care about what Dixiya said earlier about him wanting to contribute to A Ru Cun; he cared about what she said afterward.

Wanting to make the desert no longer disturb A Ru Cun.

Isn't this just the most basic way to prevent water and soil loss?

Planting trees and afforestation, building slope protections, constructing water-saving irrigation channels, protective plowing, crop rotation.

I've never seen a pig walk, but I've eaten pork.

Luo De's previous life's country spent great effort to control water and soil loss, and his hometown had once been a region where water and soil loss was extremely severe; therefore, from childhood he had witnessed how his hometown dealt with water and soil loss.

Now, after Dixiya said that,

Luo De not only did not abandon his previous idea, but became even more motivated.

"Is this plot of land ownerless?"

His question also made Dixiya furrow her brows involuntarily.

She had already reminded Luo De repeatedly not to waste energy on this barren land that could yield no profit; how could this guy still be so stubborn?

"I'm just asking casually, don't overthink it."

Seeing that Dixiya seemed a bit doubtful, Luo De gave a brief explanation.

"All the outskirts of A Ru Cun, wherever no one lives, are unclaimed land."

Dixiya lightly shook their head, then pointed to the vast uninhabited areas around and continued: "If you want to give it a try, I won't stop you, but if you fail later, don't blame me for not warning you."

"Like that."

Luo De stroked their chin, pondering, and asked: "Then do you know where in the village one can buy Fertility Blessing and seeds?"

"You really want to farm here."

Hearing this question, Dixiya laughed helplessly and said: "Seeds are sold by someone in the village, but for Fertility Blessing you can only go to Kawanyi."

Kawanyi is another gateway between the Xu Mi Rainforest Region and the Desert Region, belonging to the Xu Mi Rainforest Region.

Saying this, Luo De smiled and said: "I've been off these two days; I haven't been there yet—could you be my guide?"

"It's possible."

"But."

"Ah, forget it, I won't try to persuade you anymore."

"When you hit a wall, you'll know to retreat on your own."

Dixiya had originally wanted to continue persuading Luo De, but seeing Luo De's determined expression, they gave up the idea, then later made an appointment with him for a departure time, and hurriedly left.

Luo De did nothing, standing on this wasteland, picking up a handful of dirt and crushing it finely in their hand, the corner of their mouth always bearing a smile.

Dixiya actually misunderstood a bit.

That is, he never intended to plant anything here right now.

The environment around this wasteland is truly harsh; even if Luo De could solve the soil erosion problem, it would be impossible for them to pay out of pocket to solve these issues.

He lacks the funds, and also lacks the ability to persuade A Ru Cun to spend money.

And the reason he wants to purchase Fertility Blessing and crop seeds is

It's simply because the house he rents also has this type of yellow soil.

Using that place as a test field would be a good choice.

(End of chapter)