Chapter 528: Hatching Chicks?

Tan Qi found the Number Six ration porridge extremely delicious, but Xia Qing thought it tasted far worse than green-light rice porridge. Still, she drank every last drop, finishing it clean. Anyone who has known hunger understands the preciousness of food and would never waste it.

Although Xia Qing is currently in a recovery period and has only been eating green-light food these past few days, occasionally having a few bites of yellow-light food won't have much effect.

Besides, the corn grits in this bowl were very likely grown by her own hard work. The more arduous the process of growing the corn, the more precious this porridge becomes.

Seeing Xia Qing had finished, Tan Qi scooped her another bowl, then carefully discussed with her, "Sister Qing, can I take this egg back to my dad to eat?"

"No."

Xia Qing refused outright. For safety, and to honor her agreement with Zhang San, eggs laid by chickens within Territory Three are not exchanged outside. But she understood the little girl's thoughts perfectly and explained, "This egg was boiled for you to eat. If your dad wants some, he can trade with me."

"Okay."

Tan Qi peeled the egg with utmost reverence, and upon discovering the egg white was snow-white, grew even more delighted.

This egg was even better quality than the one she had eaten on her birthday last year. Exchanging for one such egg would probably cost at least 150 points. Tan Qi calculated her own points and found she couldn't afford it.

However...

Tan Qi first invited Xia Qing to try the buns she had brought, "Sister Qing, try these. They're filled with green-light wild vegetables, and I added yellow-light diced meat. I wrapped them myself."

"Delicious." Although the buns only had salt added, the wild vegetable flavor and meat aroma paired well together, and the taste was genuinely good. After Xia Qing ate two in a row, Tan Qi finally took small bites of perilla alongside her egg.

After the meal, Tan Qi hurried ahead of Xia Qing to wash the bowls with filtered water from another bucket, then discussed with Xia Qing, "Sister Qing, will you be hatching chicks next spring? If you do, I'd like to trade for a few to raise in my territory."

Once she raised the chicks to adulthood, she'd have eggs to eat.

Xia Qing explained, "My chickens were traded from Territory Seven. If Territory Seven doesn't hatch chicks for outside trade next spring, then I can hatch. Although no one formally set this rule, everyone follows it by convention. By the same logic, green-light alfalfa was discovered in Territory Four. Even though my territory now also has green-light alfalfa, if anyone wants to trade, they still choose to trade with Territory Four first."

Tan Qi hadn't known territories had such rules and immediately nodded to remember them. After packing up her things, Tan Qi slung on her bag and thanked Xia Qing, "I'm going back to weed. In a few days when the chives grow up, I'll cut some and bring them over. Sister Qing can make chive and egg filling dumplings."

After Xia Qing nodded in agreement, Tan Qi happily shouldered her big backpack, followed Xia Qing out of Territory Three's south gate, and quickly ran toward her own territory.

After watching her enter Territory Fifteen, Xia Qing returned to her territory, took out her phone, and reported Tan Qi's movements to Yan Long. The moment the message was sent, Xia Qing received a message from Tang Huai:

Xia Qing, busy? Are your bugs still alive? Should I bring you some more?

Xia Qing glanced back at the wild grass wall of Territory Two and replied:

Busy, alive, no need.

Having received Xia Qing's reply, Tang Huai got excited and sent a flurry of messages in one go. Xia Qing couldn't be bothered to deal with him anymore, put her phone in her pocket, shouldered a bamboo pole, and went to replace the supports in the greenhouse that creaked whenever the wind blew.

"What is everyone busy with?" Hearing Zhu Li asked in the group chat, "I think I heard a car sound on the corridor outside the territories. Is it the people coming to install the ground base station for us?"

Xia Qing also heard the car sound and accurately judged from the sound that it was the delivery truck from Territory Eight. However, since her hearing ability hadn't been publicly announced, she stayed quiet.

Sure enough, Tang Huai came online, "That's the delivery truck from Territory Eight. Seeing Xin Yu, the delivery truck's air filter is clogged and the engine sounds abnormal. You'd better get it serviced as soon as possible."

Seeing Xin Yu would never respond to such nonsense.

After waiting a few seconds, Xia Qing pressed the button, "I'm replacing greenhouse supports. When I checked last night, I found a few supports were about to break."

The neighboring Mother Zhao hurriedly asked, "We're pulling weeds in the greenhouse. Qing, what does a greenhouse support look like when it's about to break?"

Xia Qing explained, "If it creaks when the wind blows, or there are cracks on the bamboo pole, that means it's not sturdy and needs to be replaced soon. Otherwise, a strong wind might blow the greenhouse apart."

If the greenhouse is blown apart, the cold air at minus twenty-something degrees would rush into the rapeseed or wheat fields and frostbite the seedlings.

"Understood, I'll have Zhao Ze take people to check right away." Mother Zhao quickly responded, then asked Hearing Zhu Li, "Has Xiaoli's foot gotten any better?"

Hearing Zhu Li answered, "Auntie, I only knocked off a toenail. It hasn't affected my work at all for a long time."

Shi Zhong asked, "Is Brother Qi there? How are the chives growing in your greenhouse?"

Qi Fu answered, "Nutrients are lacking so they're a bit thin, but no disease. The first cutting will be ready soon."

After listening to everyone chat for a while, Xia Qing confirmed all members of the Lord Alliance were online, then pressed the walkie-talkie button, "Brother Qi, I want to trade you for half a jin of chives. Do you want corn or wheat?"

This was the code phrase established by the Lord Alliance. When Xia Qing asked about chives, it meant a meeting was about to start. Qi Fu immediately answered, "Either works. Should I cut them and bring them to you?"

"No need, I'll come get them later." "Later" meant 10 o'clock. Xia Qing timed it carefully, left her territory from the north gate at 9:35, and hurried to Territory Five.

When she and Zhao Ze arrived, they found quite a few people already in Qi Fu's basement. Kuang Qingwei and his wife, Shi Zhong and his wife, and Yue Haiying had all arrived. The table was also laid out with plenty of dried fruits and homemade snacks.

Seeing Xia Qing arrive, Hearing Zhu Li immediately greeted her warmly, "Xia Qing, are you cold? Come try the sunflower seeds I roasted."

Mother Shi explained cheerfully, "Today is the twenty-eighth. In three more days it'll be Year Eleven of the Calamity. No matter how many things have happened, we've all lived another year, so we wanted to celebrate together. Qing, why are you dressed so thinly? Don't catch cold."

"I'm wearing plenty, I'm not cold at all." Xia Qing smiled, set down her backpack, and pulled out a 20-liter bucket of water from inside. Because of the cold weather, the water in the bucket had already started to freeze, though it hadn't frozen solid yet.

"I brought a bucket of water. Brother Qi, please boil it so everyone can taste the water quality."

At the mention of tasting the water quality, everyone's eyes lit up.

"I'll do it." Yuan Yan immediately went back up to the surface, brought down a small wood-burning stove and a kettle, quickly boiled a pot, and poured a bowl for each person.

Kuang Qingwei took a sip and immediately asked, "This water has no fishy smell. What did you filter it with? Has the filter element been upgraded again?"

"This isn't water from our river, is it? This water feels much softer." Mother Shi also asked.