Chapter 638: Hiring Workers to Clear Noxious Weeds

While Xia Qing was standing on a wide iron-toothed rake, letting Ram Boss pull the rake to clear the noxious weed roots in her territory, she heard Tang Huai post a new message in the lord channel:

"Have you all heard? The Safe Zone has decided to abandon the western territory and open up a new territory just south of ours."

Xu Juan had already told Xia Qing this news, so she didn't react much, only feeling a little worried about the mother and son living in the ruins of the southern town.

The lords who had just received the news reacted strongly. "Brother Huai, is it being reclaimed right next to our territory like in previous years?"

Tang Huai replied, "The specifics aren't clear yet."

Qi Fu spoke up. "It's unlikely it'll be right next to us. The land to the south wasn't farmland to begin with—the terrain is uneven and the soil layer isn't thick enough."

Zhao Ze, however, thought it very likely. "I think they'll reclaim land right next to ours to the south, because we're the safest here. Even if there's less farmland, it can be cleared and used to plant fruit trees and terraced fields on the slopes."

Wen Nengjie's concern was more specific. "If they reclaim land next to our territory, will our iron-net walls have to be expanded too?"

No one could answer this question except Territory Eight, but the people of Territory Eight didn't like to chat, so no one answered.

Wen Nengjie, unable to get an answer, continued hawking and soliciting business. "Everyone's noxious weeds in your territory aren't cleared yet, right? If you don't clean them up soon, they'll go to seed. Which territory needs to hire people to pull weeds? Five points a day, no meals provided, guaranteed clean."

What Wen Nengjie didn't expect was that Xia Qing actually spoke up. "Brother Jie, how many mu can one of your people clear in a day? If the workers get hurt on the job, how is the responsibility divided?"

Territory Six was short on people, and Territories Four and Five were planting more and more fields. Xia Qing didn't want to keep troubling her allies to help her clear noxious weeds, so she decided to hire people from Wen Nengjie's territory.

Wen Nengjie answered immediately. "One person can clear at least three mu a day. We bring our own protective suits, tools, and food. As long as the injury isn't caused by people from the territory hiring us, or by aggressive evolved noxious plants or large beasts, it's on us. Sister Qing, how many people do you need and for how many days?"

An ordinary person clearing three mu of noxious weeds a day was already a heavy workload. Xia Qing replied, "I need eight people for five days. Can you start tomorrow?"

Wen Nengjie was overjoyed. "Yes, of course! I'll bring my people to the south gate of Territory Three at six-thirty tomorrow morning. Thank you, Sister Qing, for looking after our business."

Tang Huai spoke up too. "Xia Qing, have you caught all the rats in your territory? Want me to come help you catch rats? Free of charge."

Everyone……

Xia Qing held back Ram Boss, pulled the noxious weed roots raked up by the iron teeth off and tossed them onto the grass pile nearby, then calmly replied, "There are evolved wolves in my territory, and they've already been cleared out. How many mu are you planning to plant in Territory Two this year?"

Tang Huai answered immediately, "Twenty mu, all wheat."

Wen Nengjie quickly chimed in. "Twenty mu of wheat, if grown well, can yield over ten thousand jin. Brother Huai, do you have any extra wheat seed? I'd like to trade you for a few jin."

Tang Huai chuckled. "If I had seed, would I only plant twenty mu of wheat?"

Wen Nengjie was at a loss for words. The lords now weren't short on land; they were short on quality grain seed. Of course, Wen Nengjie could buy wheat seed from the Territory Management Department, but the yellow-light rapeseed the department sold last winter was truly terrible in quality, so unless absolutely necessary, Wen Nengjie didn't want to buy seed from the department again.

Otherwise, he'd likely work half a year and end up with nothing—a total waste of effort!

Work had to be done early. At six-thirty the next morning, Wen Nengjie arrived at Territory Three on time with seven people. Once inside the territory, he praised everything he saw. Even the wild-grass walls of Territory Three, he could praise as growing straighter and sturdier than those in his own territory, which made Tang Huai, who was digging worms in Territory Two, roll his eyes hard.

Xia Qing suddenly understood how idols felt. She cut him off expressionlessly and directly assigned the work area. "The uncleared portion south of the line drawn with white ash—that's all yours to clear. Brother Jie, don't let your people cross that line. There's an evolved wolf in my territory. If they cross the line and get bitten or killed, I won't take responsibility. Any snakes or other small animals caught during the clearing belong to you."

Not all the area south of the white-ash line needed to be cleared by Wen Nengjie's team. The flat, open land to the south, Xia Qing had already used the micro-tiller to cut the noxious weeds and had Ram Boss pull the rake to clear the wall-grass roots. What remained were uneven areas like abandoned village ruins, where machinery or Ram Boss couldn't work, which was why she hired people to clear them.

"Understood, Sister Qing, don't worry. We absolutely won't cross the line. We'll clear this whole southern area spotless for you!" After saying this, Wen Nengjie asked cautiously with a smile, "Sister Qing, do you have any extra wheat seed? The winter wheat we planted in our territory was ruined. We want to plant more spring wheat, otherwise these brothers will have to live on rations for the rest of the year."

Xia Qing shook her head. "All the wheat seed I saved last year has been planted. This spring I only managed to trade for thirty jin of seed—not even enough to plant two mu."

What Xia Qing said was true. A few days ago, after the mission to help the wolf pack drive off the monkey troop succeeded, Yang Jin helped her get 20 jin of green-light wheat seed from the base; last December, Tan Junjie also brought back 10 jin of yellow-light wheat seed from Red Eleven Base for her. So Xia Qing only had 30 jin of seed now.

Wen Nengjie continued asking, "Then do you have any extra green-light pumpkin seed?"

Wen Nengjie knew how to pick varieties. Green-light pumpkins didn't demand much to grow but yielded well, could be eaten as grain or vegetable, and stored for a long time. Xia Qing nodded. "How many green-light pumpkin seeds do you want to trade for?"

Last year Xia Qing had five green-light pumpkin plants in total. Each plant produced 6-10 pumpkins, and each pumpkin contained 200-500 seeds, so Xia Qing wasn't short on pumpkin seeds.

However, last spring many lords got pumpkin seed from the Territory Management Department, so the price of pumpkin seed had dropped this year. Green-light pumpkin seed that could sell for 20 points each last spring could now only fetch 4 points each.

Hearing that Xia Qing was willing to trade, Wen Nengjie's eyes lit up. "Can I trade for 200 seeds?"

Xia Qing agreed readily. "Sure, I'll go get the seeds for you."

The reason she handed the seeds to Wen Nengjie early was that breeding could begin in the next day or two. Wen Nengjie thanked her profusely, watched Xia Qing cross the white-ash line, then immediately loudly called his brothers to get to work.

After handing the green-light seeds to Wen Nengjie, Xia Qing started up the micro-tiller, took Ram Boss and the sick wolf to haul fertilizer, spread it on the newly opened farmland, and prepared to plow and sow.

Hearing the putter-putter of the machine, Wen Nengjie, who was pulling weeds, straightened up and cast an envious glance northward.

Apart from Territory Fourteen, Xia Qing's fields were the fewest, but her life was the best.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't jealous, but Wen Nengjie now had not a single crooked thought of robbery or theft.

He only wanted to cling tight to Xia Qing's thigh, just like Zhao Ze and Kuang Qingwei, and live a steady life.