Chapter 861: Collecting Spinach Seeds

Xia Qing, who was happily picking spinach seeds, saw Wolf Lao Er burrow into Greenhouse No. 1, then stand on the terrace below and look up at her unhappily, and immediately asked, "Lao Er, what's wrong?"

The wolf-dog Lao Er turned around, then looked back at Xia Qing.

"Something's happening outside? Good, let's go take a look." It was just past five in the morning, and the sky was already light, so she didn't need to wear night-vision goggles. Xia Qing only slipped on a protective mask, casually stuffed the small bag of spinach seeds she'd picked into her pocket, covered the spinach she hadn't finished with protective film, stood up, and followed Lao Er down.

Ram Lao Da, who had been lying with half-closed eyes, glanced sidelong at his little brother leaving the greenhouse, immediately stood up, walked into the spinach terraces, and quickly snatched up two rotten spinach leaves exposed outside the protective film and ate them.

The person and the wolf walked out of Greenhouse No. 1 and stood on Gao Po. Xia Qing saw the lively scene over at Greenhouse No. 12 from afar.

Because the rainproof cloth of Greenhouse No. 12 had been blown away and the insect netting had been smashed by hail, the wheat inside the greenhouse, which was already at maturity, had attracted a family of red squirrels and birds big and small to peck at the wheat grains that hadn't been fully harvested.

With so many freeloaders, one wolf—Lao Er—couldn't drive them all away, so it came to find Xia Qing.

"Lao Er did very well. As soon as it discovered the red squirrel family and birds stealing our greenhouse wheat, it came straight to tell me." Xia Qing first praised her companion, then proposed a solution: "We worked hard to grow this wheat; we can't just let them have it all. Let's go home and catch two coops of chickens, let the chickens eat the wheat grains too. Okay?"

Lao Er loved it when Xia Qing spoke to it in a soft, gentle voice—whatever Xia Qing said made it happy.

The person and the wolf returned home, carried three coops of large chickens, and went back to Greenhouse No. 12.

These chickens had been put into coops by Xia Qing just past three in the morning, specifically so they would peck at the wheat grains in Greenhouse No. 12. It was just that she'd been working too happily in Greenhouse No. 1 and hadn't noticed how fast time had flown—the sky was already light.

Fifty-odd chickens certainly couldn't finish all the fallen wheat ears in one mu of land. Xia Qing signaled Lao Er not to bother with those birds and squirrels anymore, just to protect the chicken flock.

Various territories in the Northern Zone 1 had all suffered losses to varying degrees, attracting large numbers of omnivorous birds. Territory No. 8, at Xia Qing's request, released a White-bellied Sea Eagle to circle overhead. The inspection team was also shooting and driving away large birds, so there were no large predatory birds over the territories.

Territory No. 3 was protected by an iron-net wall. Xia Qing brought over the leaders of the chicken flock—the high-evolution Black-feather Rooster and the White-feather Hen, along with their dozen or so chicks. These chickens all ran incredibly fast and were very strong fighters, completely unafraid of small birds and squirrels. So Xia Qing felt at ease entrusting the chicken flock to Lao Er.

The wolf-dog Lao Er understood Xia Qing's intention, gave up its usual morning insect-catching and fish-feeding activity, and stayed by Greenhouse No. 12 to protect the chicken flock.

"Lao Er, you're amazing." Xia Qing fished a piece of jerky from her pocket as a reward for it, then returned to the spinach terraces beside Greenhouse No. 1 to continue working.

Ram Lao Da, with green spinach juice hanging from the white fur around its mouth, pretended to be nonchalant, squinting its eyes and staying perfectly still—delivering a masterclass in acting that perfectly illustrated "No silver buried here, three hundred taels."

Xia Qing glanced at the sheep hoof prints on the ground film, pretended she hadn't noticed anything, and sat down to continue working. Because from Lao Da's posture, she knew that if she called out its theft, it would definitely jump up and fight her. This wasn't the place for a fight, and right now Xia Qing didn't have time to fight either.

She was busy.

Ram Lao Da, seeing that its little brother really hadn't noticed, resumed chewing its cud.

Xia Qing held back a laugh, picked up a spinach leaf that had been riddled with holes by spinach seeds, and asked, "Lao Da, want some?"

"Baa~"

Ram Lao Da immediately opened its big, sparkling eyes, trotted over with clicking hooves, and snatched the delicious spinach leaf from Xia Qing's hand.

Xia Qing picked spinach seeds while chatting with Lao Da, who was standing beside her: "You glutton. Tang Huai said a while back he'd find a ewe of the same breed and send it over. I think even if one came, she probably wouldn't fancy you."

"Baa~~"

Ram Lao Da didn't care at all what Xia Qing was nagging about right now—its eyes were full of nothing but the fragrant spinach leaves, signaling Xia Qing to give it another one.

Xia Qing picked another leaf and handed it over. "Lao Da, eat less. We've already sold these leaves to Third Brother—280 points per jin."

Ram Lao Da didn't care how expensive the spinach was, still bleating in long, winding notes, demanding more.

Over at Greenhouse No. 12, Lao Er, seizing the right moment, used the spring of the greenhouse frame to leap over five meters high and caught the bold magpie that had dared to drop its droppings on it from the air. The pecking birds and squirrels scattered in fright, and the chickens were also startled, hiding far away.

The red squirrel mother and her two children put the wheat seeds in their mouths into the tree hollow, then ran back to look for seeds under the wheat stalks farthest from the evolved wolf.

A skinny little red squirrel with tufted fur on one ear tremblingly poked its small head out of the tree hollow, using its sense of smell to catch the sweet scent in the air.

A few minutes later, the little creature finally couldn't resist the temptation. Braving danger, it crawled out of the tree hollow and, using the cover of shrubs and stones, cautiously made its way to the outside of Greenhouse No. 1 in the northern buffer forest, hiding in the weeds and peering inside.

When Xia Qing turned around to grab a bag for the spinach seedlings, she spotted the tiny, patchy-furred red squirrel outside the greenhouse and felt a pang of worry for it. "Little Feimao, what are you doing out here? Hungry? Isn't your mom busy stashing wheat grains in the nest—won't she let you eat?"

That possibility did exist.

Survival competition in the evolved forest was extremely brutal—many small animals had to risk their lives to obtain food. A red squirrel just over two months old should rely on its own ability to find food; if it couldn't find food, it would become food for other animals.

On this point, most humans are "kinder" than many evolved animals—or rather, better understand the importance of the group. Humans take care of family members and the weak in their group who can't support themselves, providing them with food and treating their illnesses and injuries.

Little Feimao, hearing Xia Qing's voice, immediately opened its mouth, chewed a hole in the insect netting, squeezed into the greenhouse, and came to Xia Qing's side.

Xia Qing was speechless. "You little traitor! I never said you could come in!"

While Xia Qing got up to patch the insect netting, Ram Lao Da quickly snatched a spinach leaf, and Little Feimao snatched a spinach seed.

"Crack—pop."

Xia Qing, who was patching the net, heard this faint sound, immediately taped the hole in the insect netting shut with adhesive tape, rushed back, and grabbed Little Feimao. "You broke the insect netting AND ate two spinach seeds—your debt to me has grown. What are you going to pay me back with, hmm?"

Little Feimao, curled up in Xia Qing's hand, chewed rapidly and swallowed the spinach seeds. Ram Lao Da, taking advantage of Xia Qing's distraction, snatched another spinach leaf and swallowed it.

With this skinny little squirrel kit that was nothing but a handful of bones, Xia Qing couldn't really press the matter. She simply stuffed it into her pocket and continued picking spinach seeds—if she didn't keep picking, it would get hot, and Lao Da would be full.

"Lao Da, go watch over Greenhouse No. 12 with Lao Er. Don't let the birds bully our chickens."

Ram Lao Da squinted its eyes, pretending not to understand.

Xia Qing snorted. "Just you wait. I'll deal with you later."

Ram Lao Da squinted its eyes and snatched another small spinach leaf from beside Xia Qing's foot.