Chapter 247: Over Fifteen Hundred Jin of Edible Chestnuts

Qi Fu proposed an exchange, "I have four green-light orange saplings, all sprouted this past spring, already grown taller than a person. I'll go back and dig up two to bring over to you."

Xia Qing asked for advice, "Brother Qi, Sister-in-law, is it easier for the trees to survive if we plant them now, or after the spring rains next year?"

Yuan Yan, who now had another kind of green-light tree, was also very happy. "Easier to survive planted in spring next year. Our winters here get cold, and if the snow falls too heavy, the trees can freeze to death."

"Then we'll dig them up next spring." After settling the sapling exchange, Xia Qing grabbed a few more green-light chestnuts and, leaving no room for refusal, pressed them into Yuan Yan's hands before seeing them off the territory.

The two of them, carrying such precious supplies, were afraid of being seen. They waited for the patrolling inspection team, then followed them back to their own territory along the northern buffer zone.

Back in their own territory, after a day's work, Qi Fu's arms and legs were all sore, and his shoulders burned with pain even more. But what he felt even more was the excitement of the supplies gained. He whispered to his wife, "Last night I was still worrying about what to do if I couldn't hold it and had to pee in the Evolution Forest. Once I got in, I realized I didn't need to pee at all, because all the moisture in my body turned to sweat, pouring out in streams. My clothes were soaked through."

In Territory Ten, seeing his wife and son bring back a bag of chestnuts, Shi Zhong was stunned. "After evolving, these chestnuts are almost as big as that big broken jujube tree back in our hometown."

"Five jin of yellow-light chestnuts, and the grain we traded for is enough for our whole family to eat for three months." Shi Zhong's mother was happy about today's harvest.

Because Shi Zhong needed to take medicine long-term, although they had grown quite a bit of grain and vegetables, most of it had been traded away for medicinal herbs.

Now Shi Zhong was taking medicine made by Zhang San. Although it cost twice as much as what could be bought from the Safe Zone, its efficacy was far better. After taking it these past few days, Shi Zhong's ankle and knee swelling had gone down, and his whole body felt lighter.

Seeing his father's health improve, Shi Du would be overjoyed even if he had to eat grass-made rations every day. Right now he was just waiting until after the autumn harvest to team up with Territory One and Xia Qing, make more trips into the Evolution Forest to earn points, and buy his father more doses of medicine.

Shi Zhong's mother told her husband how capable Xia Qing was. "She tidied up the whole territory all by herself, neatly as can be. Not only did she pull up all the weeds, she raked the whole territory over. The plots are flat and even, the big stones all picked up, it looks so open and bright. Besides the rooster that crows, she also has hens. I don't know if she'll hatch chicks next spring. If she does, let's trade with her for a few to raise."

In July, Shi Du went on a mission with Hu Zifeng and brought back a yellow-light gosling. The family raised it like a treasure, but it ended up killed by ultrasonic waves, and Shi Zhong's mother was so heartbroken she couldn't sleep well for several nights.

Shi Du felt he still had to ask Zhang San first. "Sister Qing's chickens were also traded with Zhang San. Next spring, let's wait and see if everyone asks if Territory Seven will hatch chicks. If Third Brother doesn't hatch them, then we'll privately ask Sister Qing."

In Territory Three, after handing over the thirty-two jin of green-light chestnuts exchanged for sixteen bottles of medicinal liquid to Ji Li, Xia Qing called over Ram Boss, had him carry the remaining chestnuts home, and put them in the storage room beneath the garage.

During this afternoon's chat, Xia Qing heard from Qi Fu and his wife and Shi Zhong's mother about how to store chestnuts. Once shelled, chestnuts can be put directly into cold storage. The temperature and humidity requirements are the same as for potatoes, so Xia Qing placed them in the same storage room.

According to Yuan Yan, as long as the temperature and humidity of a pre-catastrophe cold storage are properly controlled, chestnuts can keep for two years without spoiling, so Xia Qing decided to store this entire batch of chestnuts.

With this, the grain in Xia Qing's storage room increased by another 290 jin of green-light chestnuts and 1,200 jin of yellow-light chestnuts. She planned to keep all these chestnuts. Even if she sold some, she'd have to wait until she harvested new chestnuts next year.

She still had over twenty jin of chestnuts in her kitchen, some with cracked shells. Xia Qing didn't put them away, but stuffed them straight into the refrigerator, planning to eat them over the next few days.

After two busy days, the grain reserves had increased by over fifteen hundred jin. Xia Qing was humming a little tune while going back to her room to bathe. In the evening, she made chestnut chicken, and also cooked some chicken breast porridge for the sick wolf.

Watching the sick wolf lap up the porridge clean, Xia Qing happily stroked its neck. "If you can eat, you'll get better soon. Wolf Lao Er, hold on for two more days. This is the final deworming stage. Once these two days pass, you'll be fine."

After switching to medicine made from herbs gathered by the lead wolf, the sick wolf started having diarrhea again. Xia Qing's yard also became smelly and needed frequent cleaning of feces.

After feeding the sick wolf, Xia Qing stuffed two pieces of jerky at the broken-waist wolf. "You and Queen my lord worked hard today helping me look after the boss. This is your reward."

Today the territory had a steady stream of visitors, so Xia Qing had asked the lead wolf and the broken-waist wolf to keep Ram Boss at home and not let it strut around outside the village. The two wolves carried out the task well, but the lead wolf wasn't here right now, so Xia Qing gave the reward to the broken-waist wolf.

The broken-leg wolf? That guy didn't show up today, no one knows where it went off to run wild.

After feeding the wolves, Xia Qing went back to her room to wash her hands. The room was already filled with fragrance. She couldn't wait to lift the pot lid, and looking at the meat inside nearly drooled.

Smells so, so good!

Green-light chicken with green-light chestnuts—you can tell from the smell it'll be delicious. Xia Qing carried the wok and the steamed rice straight to her dining table, set out mixed concentrate feed for Ram Boss, then picked up her chopsticks and picked up a chestnut.

The taste was so good that her soul nearly floated out of her body, drifting around the room following the aroma for several circles before returning to its place.

Xia Qing opened her eyes, sighing to Ram Boss across from her, who was eating the forage concentrate. "Boss, too bad you can't eat this. These chestnuts are just so, so, so delicious. I've never tasted chestnuts this good. These are absolutely the most perfect chestnuts Blue Star has evolved! Third Brother will definitely come to me to buy chestnuts. What good thing should I trade him for?"

Ram Boss stared at the blackened wok on Xia Qing's table and narrowed its sheep eyes.

Xia Qing knew exactly what this one was up to at a glance, and immediately glared. "If you dare touch my wok, I'll break off your horns and sell them to Tang Huai for digging bugs."

Ram Boss let out a heavy snort through its nose and buried its head back in its food.

Xia Qing picked up another chestnut and put it in her mouth, savoring it carefully, speaking softly and gently to coax. "Sorry to put you through this today. Tomorrow I won't leave the territory. We'll go running and brawling together."

Ram Boss kept eating, ignoring Xia Qing.

Ram Boss's punchable face couldn't affect Xia Qing's good mood while eating. After a wonderful meal, Xia Qing timed it perfectly to turn on the radio and listen to the weather forecast and farming knowledge broadcast.

Tomorrow would still be good weather, very helpful for crop growth. The farming knowledge was about how to manage cotton in its later stage and how to store picked cotton.

After listening to the farming knowledge broadcast, Xia Qing turned off the radio and was about to turn on the walkie-talkie when she saw the sick wolf follow Ram Boss, who had gone out to relieve itself, back into the room.

This guy had also shaken its paws, leaving a few plum-blossom prints on the floor, and gazed at Xia Qing longingly.

Xia Qing was surprised. "Wolf Lao Er isn't sleeping with the broken-waist wolf today, but wants to sleep with the boss?"

A few days ago, Xia Qing wouldn't have objected, but today she really didn't quite feel like agreeing. Because the sick wolf had diarrhea and carried a smell.

The sick wolf padded along leaving plum-blossom prints to the bathroom door, then looked back at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing stared back at it for two seconds before asking, "You want a bath?"

The sick wolf wagged its tail once, opened its mouth wide, as if smiling at Xia Qing.