Chapter 23: Solar Power

The next day, after the sun rose and the temperature climbed, Xia Qing mixed the soaked seeds with insect-repelling powder, planted them at the depth, row spacing, and plant spacing the broadcast had specified, then sprayed them once with water mixed with Evolved Camphor leaf juice.

After spraying, Xia Qing noticed that not only had the birds stopped coming down because they disliked the smell of the Evolved Camphor leaves, but even Boss Sheep had taken off.

This way, she no longer had to worry about Boss Sheep wrecking the crop seedlings.

Because cotton and mung beans are dibble-planted with wide row and plant spacing, she planted one mu of cotton in each of the two plots and half a mu of mung beans in each; wheat is drilled in rows, and six jin only filled two fen of land, so Xia Qing simply planted it all on the thirty-mu side.

After planting, over ninety percent of the plowed land was still empty, but she wasn't in a hurry.

The potatoes hadn't sprouted yet and couldn't be planted for now; for the other four kinds of vegetable seeds—pumpkin, cucumber, tomato, and eggplant—Xia Qing chose to raise the seedlings in the vegetable garden at home before transplanting them over.

Besides the vegetable seedlings, she also had six sweet potato seedlings.

Besides the sweet potato seedlings, she could also head north to explore the new 1,500-mu territory on Gao Po, the hillside higher than the one with the mountain spring, to look for edible plants she could transplant.

Xia Qing daydreamed about the good life of stir-frying three dishes for one meal, and ate an extra bowl of rice at lunch.

In the afternoon, just as she was about to set off with Boss Sheep to explore the new territory, she got a call from Captain Tan. Xia Qing thought it meant the sweet potato seedlings could be planted, but it turned out to be even better news.

The base had decided to install solar panels on territories with buffer forests on their edges! Her territory was on the outermost edge, had a buffer forest, and met the requirements!

Xia Qing jumped up excitedly, "When's it Number Three's turn? In an hour? Sure, of course! Want me to help carry the solar panels? Okay!"

After hanging up, Xia Qing rubbed Boss Sheep's head, "Boss, we're getting electricity, electricity, electricity!"

Boss Sheep shook his head in disgust; Xia Qing spun around in excitement.

The one who came to Territory Three to install the solar panels was the strength-evolver Hu Zi. Without needing Xia Qing's help, he easily carried the big box into the village and quickly mounted two solar panels on the slanted roof of Xia Qing's house, then told her how to maintain them: "This equipment was made before the Catastrophe, but I guarantee it works. Don't forget to rinse the panels in time, Sister Xia Qing, and cover them during acid rain, hail, and snow. And one very important thing—you must protect the wires, don't let insects chew through them."

After the Catastrophe, many insects on Blue Star evolved powerful biting ability, and several even evolved into rodents, developing a love for gnawing; wires and network cables are their favorite things to chew.

The original rodents, like rats and pine squirrels, evolved terrifying gnawing ability—this is why, ten years into the apocalypse, the human bases still haven't restored regular communication and power grids.

It's not that they can't; the construction and maintenance costs are just too high. Compared to that, the sharply reduced human population after the Catastrophe has many more important things to do.

Xia Qing quickly asked, "Can I sleeve the wires in steel pipe?"

Hu Zi nodded, "If you can sleeve them and protect them, that's even better. Does Sister Qing have steel pipe?"

"Yes, and I have the tools too. Once the power's on, I can get it done." Xia Qing had accumulated quite a few tools over the years; she had a welding torch and welding rods.

Unexpectedly, Hu Zi—who had been very quiet the few times they'd met before—was quite helpful: "Two panels can only generate five kilowatt-hours a day at most. I brought a gas welding torch. Bring the steel pipe up, Sister, and I'll weld them before heading to Territory One."

Xia Qing didn't stand on ceremony any longer. She took out the steel pipe, sleeved the wires, and welded them tight, thoroughly protecting the outdoor portion of the solar equipment's wiring. Steel pipe of this thickness can keep out evolved insects, as long as she's careful to guard against evolved rats and squirrels.

After Hu Zi finished debugging the power generation equipment and batteries, he reminded Xia Qing again, "Sister Qing, when you use lamps and flashlights at night, you must shut the doors and windows tight—don't attract moths or anything like that."

Nearly all insects are phototactic; if she accidentally attracted dangerous evolved insects, that would be trouble.

Xia Qing had always been careful about this. When she lit a fire in the living room at night, she always blocked the windows with thick wooden boards so no light leaked out.

When seeing Hu Zi out of the territory, Xia Qing asked why the base had agreed to install solar equipment on the territories. Solar power was a hot, scarce commodity in the Safe Zone.

Hu Zi sighed, "Our Safe Zone has thirty territories on the outer edge with buffer forests. After the acid rain, thirteen territories were attacked by evolved plants and animals. So far, fifty-six people have died and eight are seriously injured."

Medicine was scarce after the Catastrophe; the time from serious injury to death was only a few days. Xia Qing had expected casualties after the acid rain, but not this severe.

"Because Sister Qing promptly contacted the inspection team to clear the danger, Territory Three is the only outer territory where high-risk acid-rain-evolved attackers appeared but no one was hurt. So the General overrode the objections and ordered solar panels and walkie-talkies installed for the outer territories, to make sure that when danger strikes, the lords can call for rescue immediately."

After saying that, Hu Zi explained to Xia Qing why she hadn't been given a walkie-talkie: "Walkie-talkies are limited in number, and Sister already has a satellite phone, so we didn't give you one. Instead, we gave you ten safe sweet potato seedlings."

Xia Qing beamed, "Hu Zi, thank Captain Tan for me."

Hu Zi, carrying a stack of solar panels on his shoulder, turned red in the face and neck at the sound of Xia Qing's laughter—luckily his protective mask hid it.

Xia Qing went on asking, "Are the walkie-talkies frequency mode or channel mode? I have a professional frequency-mode walkie-talkie with a ten-kilometer range."

Hu Zi cleared his throat, "Frequency mode. The frequency is used to contact patrol and security personnel. The lords can use it to communicate with each other. Sister Xia Qing can use the walkie-talkie in her territory to reach the lords of the nearby territories, but you must be careful about safety. You're alone out here—you can't drop your guard against people."

Xia Qing noted down the frequency, "I understand. I won't let anything happen to me."

Outside the Safe Zone, the wariness between people grew heavier. Though Xia Qing's territory bordered Territories One, Two, and Four, everyone tacitly kept their distance and didn't bother each other.

Hu Zi, afraid of scaring Xia Qing, told her about the surrounding territories: "Besides the people on Territory Two being a bit domineering, the others don't look too dangerous for now. When Sister feels bored, you can switch on the channel and chat with them about farming."

Xia Qing had spent years in the noisy Safe Zone and now enjoyed the quiet. Still, it was necessary to contact the neighboring territories by walkie-talkie, to find out what seeds they'd received and what edible creatures they'd discovered on their lands.

If she could trade for things she didn't have, that would be even better.

Hu Zi went on, "Territories Four and Five were lucky—no large evolved creatures appeared. Territory One got hit with evolved highly venomous caterpillars; the territory's already empty. Territory Six had three people injured. Sister Xia Qing, head back now. I can make it on my own."

This was the downside of being out of touch—Xia Qing hadn't known Territory One was already empty. "Then what'll happen to Territory One?"