Chapter 351: Is 7,000 Points a Lot?

After watching the investigation team's car drive off, Cao Xianyun, the auditory-evolution member of the Hazard Inspection Team, returned to the dormitory, reported to Captain Tan Junjie the conversation he had overheard between Xia Qing and Lu Ying, as well as the talk between Lu Ying and the investigation team members while the car was still nearby, and then sighed:

"When I brought Section Chief Lu over, I was worried Sister Qing would panic the moment she saw the investigation team. I didn't expect her to be so calm—her mental fortitude is really impressive."

Hu Zi, who was writing in the patrol logbook inside, looked up. "It's not just her mental fortitude—her overall ability is very strong too. That's why she can hold Territory Three and keep doing better and better."

Tan Junjie opened his phone, looked at his daughter's beaming smile on the screen, and resolved to increase his daughter's training intensity. If something happened to him, Tan Junjie hoped his daughter could be like Xia Qing—capable of holding a territory on her own and surviving by her own skills.

The next day, Tang Huai carried an oil press into Territory Three to help Xia Qing harvest corn, and, unsurprisingly, saw Hu Zifeng.

The two, who couldn't stand the sight of each other, bristled the moment they met, just like the rooster Xia Qing kept in her chicken coop, itching to start fighting on the spot.

Xia Qing couldn't be bothered with them. She swung her small hoe and began digging up corn.

Hu Zifeng snorted coldly, ignored Tang Huai, and skillfully turned on the shredder, shoving corn stalks and mung bean vines inside. Once shredded and mixed with compost fungus powder to ferment, by next spring they'd become organic plant fertilizer—not only high in fertility, but also able to improve the soil and prevent water and soil loss.

Tang Huai, who hated noise most of all, wished he could throw both Hu Zifeng and the shredder into the reservoir. He entered the corn shed, saw Xia Qing digging up corn, and immediately put on an eager show.

"You rest. I'll do this work."

Once he got started, Tang Huai realized the farm work Xia Qing had done so lightly and quickly was extremely strenuous for him.

Damn it—why is the hoe so heavy, why do corn plants have so many roots, and why the hell does the corn silk keep showering down from the ears? Sweating, with corn silk stuck to his neck and itching like crazy, Tang Huai wanted to curse someone out.

When he gritted his teeth, drenched in sweat, and finished chopping all the corn in one shed, the hand gripping the small hoe had actually been rubbed into four blisters. Tang Huai drank half a bottle of water, collapsed onto the corn stalks he'd scattered everywhere, and panted, "Xia Qing, let your sheep out so I can have a look?"

Because Tang Huai was coming over, Xia Qing had told the head wolf and the sick wolf to keep Sheep Boss at home to watch the house and not wander around the territory.

Letting Sheep Boss out was absolutely not happening.

Based on Xia Qing's understanding of Sheep Boss, if it came over it would definitely butt Tang Huai flying. Because Sheep Boss, who often overheard lords chatting on their walkie-talkies, would narrow its eyes at the sound of Tang Huai's voice, looking very annoyed.

If Tang Huai wanted a beating, that could happen another day—not today. Xia Qing still had an important trade to discuss with him.

Today, Xia Qing wanted to trade Tang Huai for two kinds of protective gear: three sets of Level-4 field protection suits for dogs, and one set of Level-4 field protection suit for humans.

"Human ones I can't get—my friend doesn't handle that." Tang Huai flipped over and lay on his stomach on the corn stalks, grinning at Xia Qing who was shucking corn. "What do you need Level-4 protection suits for? Going to fight high-level evolved creatures? Who's your team?"

Xia Qing shucked out a useless ear that had grown only one kernel, tossed it into the bag, and said, "Not going."

Like hell! If you're not going, why do you need Level-4 protection suits! Hu Zifeng's shredder was too noisy. Tang Huai crawled forward two steps and negotiated with Xia Qing: "If you agree to take me along, I'll get you six sets of dog protection suits. How about it? One set of dog protection suit sells for 7,000 points."

Is 7,000 points a lot? Xia Qing, who was no longer what she used to be, just laughed. "Nine and a half eggs."

Tang Huai choked so hard he nearly cursed, and shot back angrily, "Your eggs will only be worth money for a few more months. Once more people raise chickens next spring and summer, the price will naturally drop. Huh? This ear of corn grew nicely!"

Xia Qing had just shucked a very promising ear of corn—the cob was packed full of kernels, not even a bare tip. Though Tang Huai wasn't a professional farmer, hearing lords talk about it every day, he also knew what counted as a good ear of corn.

Xia Qing put this promising ear of corn into her pocket and haggled with Tang Huai: "Three sets of dog Level-4 protection suits for thirty green-light breeding eggs."

Tang Huai was surprised. "What do you need so many dog protection suits for? Raising a wolf pack?"

Xia Qing replied, "While eggs are still worth money, I'll stock up on a few more sets."

Tang Huai flipped over and lay on the corn stalks, hands behind his head, stared at the clouds in the sky for a while, then agreed to trade with Xia Qing: "Deal. When do I get the eggs?"

"Middle of next month." Although Xia Qing had six hens, she could only collect three to four eggs a day, so gathering 30 would take time.

"Fine." Tang Huai agreed, lay on the corn stalks and propped up one leg, and eagerly shared his grand development plans with Xia Qing: "Once I get your eggs, I'll trade another 30 with Third Brother. With 60 total, I should be able to hatch at least 30 green-light chickens. The bugs I dig up can feed them…"

Even Tang Huai, who loved digging bugs, had started thinking about how to raise chickens. Xia Qing, a proper farmer, naturally had to work even harder.

However, she didn't think Tang Huai could trade green-light eggs with Zhang San. Because when it came to green-light food, Territory Seven only ever took in, never let out.

After Hu Zifeng and Tang Huai left, Xia Qing called Sheep Boss over, had it carry the shucked corn home, and spread it out to dry on the cement rooftop of the rack building.

Once this territory began harvesting late-planted corn, flocks of birds gathered again. The cats from Territory Seven and the eagle from Territory Nine went back on duty, earning their keep with their skills.

Territory Three, which had no cats or eagles to help, had even more birds. After Xia Qing used a slingshot to kill a few of the leading birds, she handed the corn-guarding task to the sick wolf, and sat in the shade of the solar panel to read a book on raising chickens.

Although this book was from before the catastrophe, much of its content was still useful as reference.

For example, it explained that the reason chickens don't lay eggs in winter is low temperature and short daylight hours.

So, to get chickens to lay eggs, one had to raise the temperature of the coop and increase the daylight hours. These two points were not difficult for Xia Qing to handle.

She had already planned to build a greenhouse for growing vegetables. Once the greenhouse was up, she could leave a spot for chicken cages and install a light above them.

It probably wasn't that simple either—the requirements for lighting, temperature, and ventilation time would definitely differ between greenhouses for animals and those for plants. Xia Qing didn't yet know how big the difference was, but her allies Qi Fu and Shi Chong certainly would.

She'd ask in detail when she went to Territories Five and Ten to learn about building greenhouses.

What mattered most right now was drying the corn and mung beans and storing them well, then watering and fertilizing the fields to plant the overwintering wheat and rapeseed. The corn stalks harvested today had already been moved out of the shed and shredded. In the afternoon she could clear the weeds from the field, have Sheep Boss water it, and after a few days of drying, spread fertilizer, plow, and sow.

It sounded like a lot of work, but the seeds Xia Qing had on hand were only enough for two mu of wheat and one mu of rapeseed—just three mu in total. For her and Sheep Boss, watering and plowing three mu was a piece of cake.

The only thing was she didn't have a seed drill, so sowing would take more time. She didn't know if Qi Fu and Shi Chong had better sowing methods.

Xia Qing picked up her phone and contacted Qi Fu, arranging for the alliance members to meet at six that afternoon. First they'd discuss grain storage, then she'd take the chance to ask about sowing.