Chapter 967: The Grapes Have Ripe

Xia Qing examined the video closely and asked, "All six seeds are like this?"

The information Zhang San had given her stated the germination rate of Qiangwu Grass seeds at 35%. By probability, of the six seeds Yang Jin took, two should have been viable.

"All six are like this, just softened to different degrees. I took soil and air samples and brought them back along with the ruined seeds. I'll send them to Territory Seven later and ask Sange-ge to take a look at what's going on." Yang Jin raised a hand to rub his temple. "No wonder Sange-ge sent people to investigate Lanwu. The situation there isn't optimistic."

Xia Qing, who had her head lowered watching the video on her phone, gave an acknowledgment without picking up the thread. "Did you bring back the spring water?"

"I brought water samples, but I'm not sure yet whether they're usable." Yang Jin discussed with Xia Qing, "To be safe, let's use the pollution-free water from your place for cultivating the cordyceps fungus going forward?"

"Fine." Xia Qing naturally had no objections. In another half a month, this batch of cordyceps fungus would be ready for harvest. If water quality issues caused the cordyceps fungus quality to drop, or if they dissolved into water like the Qiangwu Grass seeds did, the loss would be too great.

Yang Jin, his left hand propped on the table gently rubbing his temple, continued discussing with Xia Qing, "You'd better start storing spring water from December onward, to cope with the dry season."

The growth cycle for cultivating cordyceps fungus using hydroponic spinach is four months. Their underground cultivation chamber grows 4,000 stalks of High-Yi Element spinach per batch, requiring 2,000 liters of pollution-free spring water.

The spring water from Lanwu couldn't be used, and the spring on Xia Qing's territory was in its dry season from mid-January to mid-February. To ensure normal cultivation of the cordyceps fungus, the spring water had to be stored in advance.

Xia Qing nodded calmly.

Yang Jin quietly watched the perfectly calm Xia Qing and teased with a smile, "Sister Qing being so calm makes me feel like you have plenty of confidence. Could it be that you have another pollution-free spring that doesn't have a dry season?"

Xia Qing shot Yang Jin a look. "If your head hurts, stop overthinking."

Yang Jin, who had been pressing his temple the whole time, took the cue and pitifully proposed a trade. "Can Sister Qing give me a few Green Lantern Mountain walnuts first? I've been overusing my brain these past few days, and my headache is almost unbearable."

In early July, Xia Qing traded ten jin of Green Lantern Mountain walnuts with Yang Jin for information on a Class B Magnetic Perception Evolver discovered in the Hui-Three Safe Zone. According to their agreement at the time, this batch of walnuts was to be delivered between September and November of this year. In September, the walnuts on Mountain Sixty should be ripe.

Taking a glance at the bloodshot eyes, purplish-black fingernails, and bruised wrists of Yang Jin, Xia Qing didn't ask who he had fought. She stood up, turned, and went home to fetch the Green Lantern Mountain walnuts.

After Xia Qing's figure was out of sight, Yang Jin slumped over the table facing the spotlessly clean floor and broke into a huge grin.

Soon, Xia Qing returned with a pack of mountain walnuts. She set them on the table and said calmly, "This is five jin. The remaining five jin will be given to you in September at the earliest. Mountain walnuts really do help the brain, but they're not medicine. You can trade with Sange-ge later for some headache-relief medicine."

To supplement her brain, Four-System Evolver Xia Qing needed to eat five Green Lantern Mountain walnuts every day, and Little Feimao needed one every day. After Xia Qing set aside enough for her and Little Feimao for two months, she brought over all the remaining five jin.

If it weren't for Yang Jin's current state, Xia Qing wouldn't have delivered early. Because she had been hungry before, and having insufficient food reserves made her uneasy.

Yang Jin, who had already composed his expression, took them weakly, stood up, and took his leave. "Many thanks, Sister Qing. No need to trouble Sange-ge over such a small problem. I'll just tough it out."

Hiding his brain-domain evolution ability was, for Yang Jin, a decision whose benefits outweighed the drawbacks. He had to deal with all kinds of people every day. If the other party knew he was an Observation and Thinking Evolver, they would become more cautious in front of him, which was not conducive to his reading their actions and micro-expressions to understand their true inner thoughts.

Telling Xia Qing was only because he didn't want to hide it from her. Telling Zhang San was entirely outside his consideration.

Xia Qing nodded and saw Yang Jin off the territory with an expressionless face.

Just now, a moment of carelessness from Xia Qing had nearly let Yang Jin discover her secret of having another pollution-free spring from which she could draw water. This lesson made Xia Qing realize that even within her own territory, she had to stay fully alert. Because besides Yang Jin, who knew how many hidden Brain Domain and Class C Magnetic Perception Evolvers might appear before her!

Carrying the mountain walnuts on his back as he left Territory Three and entered Section Three of Mountain Forty-Nine, Yang Jin walked with light steps and a smile on his face. Xia Qing had taken the initiative to care about him today, and his relationship with Xia Qing had advanced another step!

Seeing a pair of amber wolf eyes in the grass ahead, Yang Jin greeted it amiably with a smile. "I'm Yang Jin. I hope I'll have the chance to work with Handsome Wolf-ge in the future."

Broken-Waist Wolf assumed an attacking stance, staring fiercely at the ill-intentioned human. Only after he walked far away did Broken-Waist Wolf stand up, limping as it continued forward with the bag's mouth in its jaws.

Broken-Waist Wolf dragged the bag back to Territory Three, stopped on the downhill path outside Shed Number Two, and stood there looking at Xia Qing inside.

"Broken-Waist! You caught a whole bag of bugs so fast? You're amazing!" Xia Qing happily showed it the grapes in her hand. "Look, the grapes I've been growing for two years are finally ripe and ready to eat!"

After Yang Jin left, Xia Qing went to check the Qiangwu Grass seeds in the spring cave. After confirming none had dissolved into water, she began her routine observation of the twelve bunches of grapes on the trellis, and delightedly discovered that the skin of one grape had turned completely purple.

This was the first grape to ripen within her territory!

Broken-Waist Wolf sensed Xia Qing's happiness, and it too happily placed its stiff left paw on the bulging bag.

Xia Qing understood what it meant. "I understand. Tonight I'll roll out some noodles for you!"

Broken-Waist Wolf bared its little fang tips and smiled very happily.

Broken-Waist Wolf had taken a liking to noodles these past two days and proposed that it wanted noodles for lunch today. As a trade, it would help Xia Qing catch a bag of bugs to feed the fish and the chickens.

Xia Qing washed the grape clean with spring water and popped it into her mouth. The long-awaited sweet-and-sour taste instantly set her taste buds alight. She ate the grape skin and seeds too before walking out of the greenhouse and picking up the bag Broken-Waist Wolf had brought back, immediately knowing that what was inside wasn't bugs.

Because bugs wouldn't be this heavy, nor would they be this shape. What was inside? A wild boar piglet? A rabbit?

By the fish pond, Xia Qing undid the drawstring sealing the bag's mouth and poured out two large bamboo rats and six snakes. Snakes could count as long bugs, but bamboo rats had absolutely nothing to do with bugs.

Xia Qing asked, "Broken-Waist, who helped you catch these bamboo rats? Broken-Leg Girl?"

Broken-Waist Wolf closed its mouth.

"Black Wolf-ge?"

Broken-Waist Wolf grinned, revealing its cute little fang tips.

Xia Qing smiled too, unzipped her backpack, and asked, "Although bamboo rats aren't bugs, the fish in the pond like eating them too. You did a great job. Let's test the quality of this bamboo rat first. Broken-Waist, what equipment should we use to test it?"

Broken-Waist Wolf's eyes immediately lit up, and it accurately picked out the Qiang Element Tester from inside.