Chapter 397: Peace and Warmth

"Fine. But you can't bring cameras, recording devices, or any eavesdropping equipment. And one thing I need to say upfront: the wolves and sheep on my territory are bad-tempered, you can only look, not touch. If you don't agree, forget it."

"Yes, of course! I know the rules!" Tang Huai, who had been coveting Territory No. 3's wolves and sheep for nearly a year, grew excited. "I know the animals on your territory don't like seeing people. I'll just look, not touch. How about I bring it over tomorrow at noon? The temperature will be just right then."

After sealing a deal that would make even Iron Rooster Yang Jin bow down in admiration, Xia Qing happily returned to her territory, bent down and scooped up Sheep Boss, who had grown impatient waiting, and said to the sick wolf beside her, "Lao Er, how about a race? Let's see who gets home first!"

With that, Xia Qing didn't wait for the sick wolf to respond, nor did she care how Sheep Boss struggled, and ran down the mountain path holding it.

Wolves have excellent night vision; even in the dark, their running speed isn't affected. The sick wolf cheerfully wagged its tail once and immediately gave chase.

In the end, of course, the sick wolf, with its four legs, won.

Xia Qing cheerfully set Sheep Boss down in the yard, and one second before it pawed the ground in fury ready to fight, she asked softly, "Boss, do you want some Chinese toon sprouts tonight? Didn't I dry a lot of Chinese toon sprouts in spring? I'll soak a handful later and mix them into your concentrate feed tonight, okay?"

"Baa~~~" Sheep Boss's fury was instantly doused by the delicious food, and it let out a long-absent bleat.

"Wait here, I'll go get them." Xia Qing smiled, went down to the underground food storage room and brought up a sealed bag of dried Chinese toon sprouts, soaking them in water right in front of the boss. "They'll soften up after soaking, and once they're soft, you can eat them."

At this season, the big Chinese toon trees on Gao Po have all shed their leaves, so the flavor of the Chinese toon sprouts is even more precious. Sheep Boss caught this familiar scent, and its whole being radiated joy and happiness—how could it still remember being angry and wanting to fight?

Having easily handled Sheep Boss, Xia Qing washed her hands and changed clothes, took a large chunk of frozen meat from the second-floor refrigerator, and showed it to the sick wolf. "Lao Er, this is frozen wild boar meat. Tonight I'll cook meat for you, add a green-light egg, how about it?"

The sick wolf wagged its tail and grinned widely.

Xia Qing hummed a little tune as she soaked the meat in pollution-free spring water to thaw.

Tonight, she was going to eat scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stewed meat with potatoes, and corn flatbread as the staple.

After preparing the vegetables, Xia Qing took out two jin of corn and one jin of wheat, ground them into flour with a flour mill, then sifted them through a fine-mesh flour sieve.

The sifted-out wheat bran and corn husks were partly used to mix into Sheep Boss's concentrate feed, and partly to mix into the chicken feed. Then, Xia Qing stirred the flour evenly and kneaded it into dough.

The thawed pork was divided in two: half was boiled in a small pot for the sick wolf, and the other half was cut into chunks and braised in a wood-fired pot, then topped with boiling pollution-free spring water and seasonings, with a ring of corn flatbreads stuck to the inside of the pot's rim, covered and slow-stewed.

The kitchen light was very warm. Sheep Boss stood by the basin soaking the Chinese toon sprouts, watching them, while Xia Qing sat by the stove with the sick wolf, both gazing at the warm flames.

She didn't turn on the walkie-talkie or radio, just sat quietly by the stove, listening to the sound of spring water boiling the meat and the occasional crackle of the firewood, smelling the increasingly rich aroma of the meal, and petting the sick wolf beside her.

After spending five consecutive days in the Evolution Forest handling defensive duties and dealing with all kinds of people, although Xia Qing's physical stamina had been sustained at peak condition by daily top-grade nutrient solution, her spirit was already exhausted.

So she especially cherished this moment of peace and warmth, a peace and warmth that soothed her spiritual fatigue.

In the tenth year of the catastrophe, Xia Qing possessed a territory enclosed by sturdy iron-mesh walls, with precious pollution-free spring water within, her companions, and ample green-light food.

All of this made her feel secure and happy. At this moment, she felt she must surely be the happiest human on the crazily evolved Blue Star.

Like Xia Qing, the other five territories within the Lord Alliance were all having a feast today.

Unlike Xia Qing, the aromas from these lords' meals were filled with human laughter and cheerful chatter.

Working tirelessly in the Evolution Forest for five consecutive days was nothing short of a miracle for ordinary humans who hadn't undergone evolution.

Although some of them were injured due to improper operation, not a single person was attacked by large evolved animals. They all walked out of the Evolution Forest alive, carrying out piles of yellow clay and thornwood.

If anyone heard this, no one would believe it!

So it turned out that as long as there were powerful evolved ones to protect them, ordinary people could also obtain supplies from the Evolution Forest.

So it turned out Xia Qing was even more powerful than they had thought.

Alliances with Xia Qing were truly the right call! Tomorrow they wouldn't do anything else, they'd all go to Territory No. 3 and build Xia Qing's greenhouse as quickly as possible, to let Xia Qing understand that allying with them also had its benefits.

The next day at noon, the temperature rose back to 15°C.

In one morning, Qi Fu, Shi Chong, Kuang Qingwei, and Zhao Ze, each bringing workers from their own territories, worked together with one mind to complete the earthen walls of Territory No. 3's greenhouse, then each returned home to build their own greenhouses.

Territory No. 3 was so quiet that only the sound of wind, water, and birdsong and insect chirping remained.

After lunch, Xia Qing brought Sheep Boss and the sick wolf up to Gao Po. Sheep Boss and the sick wolf rested behind the wild grass and shrubs under the big Chinese toon tree, and when Xia Qing walked out the north gate, she saw Tang Huai carrying a wooden tray covered with gauze netting, walking toward her.

Discovering that Xia Qing had actually come out to greet him, Tang Huai excitedly waved, ran over quickly, and complained slightly out of breath, "Your territory is already big enough, why did you have to enclose a whole slope? What's the use?"

Why? Of course, it was because this was Sheep Boss's territory, with a green-light Chinese toon tree, and a high-Yi element planting zone nourished by spring water.

Of course, Xia Qing had absolutely no intention of telling Tang Huai the real reason, and Tang Huai was also used to Xia Qing's taciturn nature and didn't expect her to answer. "Here. This tray has a hundred worms, all alive. How about it, generous enough?"

According to the trade price he had with Zhang San, this tray of worms was worth 3,000 points—truly generous enough. Xia Qing very much liked such a generous trading partner, took it and sincerely thanked him, "Generous, many thanks."

"Hmph! Consider yourself wise!"

After handing the tray to Xia Qing, Tang Huai began taking off his protective suit, and Xia Qing couldn't stop him in time.

After taking off and tossing aside his protective mask, jacket, and pants, Tang Huai, now wearing only a long-sleeved T-shirt and loose, comfortable long pants, stretched out his arms and spun around in front of Xia Qing. "See, no eavesdropping devices at all."

Xia Qing……

Although, but actually, there was no need to go that far.

"Alright. Put it back on." This was the buffer zone, only a little over forty meters from the Evolution Forest. Xia Qing was truly afraid that a sudden evolved poisonous insect might come and bite him to death, leaving her unable to explain it to Tang Zhengpo.