Chapter 86

Gu Xixi smelled the soil in her palm, pinched some with her fingers, gently rubbed it, and let a pinch fall naturally, observing how it scattered.

Meng Chengping whispered to Mu Nan Zhao, "How is this like a doctor examining a patient, needing inspection, smelling, questioning, and palpation?"

Mu Nan Zhao ignored him, simply standing there silently.

Meng Chengping, however, could not bear the loneliness; after a while, if he didn't say a few words, he felt uncomfortable all over.

He glanced at Mu Nan Zhao's black silk-embroidered cloak, smiling, "The lining is gray rat fur, and the outside is silk fabric— not cheap, right?"

"Brother Mu, how come I've never seen you wear something this good before?"

"Gu Xixi must have just bought it for you; it looks brand new."

"Gu Xixi is so generous; have you two made some progress lately?"

Meng Chengping babbled on, only earning two words from Mu Nan Zhao: "Noisy."

Finally waiting for Gu Xixi to turn around, "General Meng, do you know where nearby we can find a water source?"

Meng Chengping replied, "Go north another li, and there's a river."

Gu Xixi nodded, then took out from her slung small cloth bag a piece of rice paper pre-cut to palm size.

She bent down, quickly grabbed a handful of soil and wrapped it up, "Let's go check out that river now."

The river Meng Chengping spoke of is a seasonal river; its source is the melting snow on distant mountains.

From mid-spring thaw to deep autumn, this is the river's high-water season.

Now it is in the frozen dry season; the riverbed is shallow, and through the thick ice layer, various stones are clearly visible.

Gu Xixi gazed toward the river's source and asked, "With mountains at its back, the climate around here should be similar to that of Huachi Du Cun, right?"

"If the year is normal, spring sees evenly distributed rainfall, mild and moist; summer often brings thunderstorms; autumn sees continuous rain; in winter, when it snows, the snow depth can reach up to submerging the calves."

Meng Chengping stared, dumbfounded, "Gu Xixi's words are spot on; it's as if she had lived here long and seen it herself."

Gu Xixi pondered, "The irrigation water is still sufficient; that's good news."

Upon hearing that, Meng Chengping anxiously asked, "Any other good news? How did the land look just now?"

Gu Xixi then felt playful, extending her foot to step on the ice formed on the river surface.

After confirming it was solid, she boldly stepped onto it, a smile tugging at her lips as she said, "The soil has moderate stickiness, is rather loose, and is rich in fertility—these are good points. Overall the soil leans saline-alkaline, which is the biggest drawback."

"Saline-alkaline," Meng Chengping narrowed his eyes, "I know that."

"Xi Bei has plenty of saline-alkaline flats; when the wind blows, a white frost of salt and alkali forms on the surface, and the groundwater drawn nearby is bitter—except for some wild grasses, nothing else can grow."

He asked somewhat dejectedly, "You're saying that all this wasteland around here is saline-alkaline, meaning we can't grow grain."

Gu Xixi turned her gaze, half-smiling, "When did I say we couldn't grow anything?"

Meng Chengping startled, then delighted, "Gu Xixi, do you have a solution?"

Gu Xixi hummed in affirmation, saying, "It's not difficult; once I bring back the collected samples, I can find a solution."

Meng Chengping thought, "This is probably the secret method rumored about."

Gu Xixi turned back toward the shore, "No more playing; business comes first."

Mu Nan Zhao naturally reached out his hand.

Gu Xixi looked at the hand extended before her—long, slender fingers with even joints, exquisitely beautiful, clearly the hand of one who had once lived in comfort and privilege.

By contrast, Gu Xixi lowered her gaze to her own hands, which had been unattractive before and after crossing into the book; her fingers were fleshy, and from long contact with reagents, water, and handling various plants, her skin was inevitably somewhat rough.

She hesitated a moment, then steadied herself and placed her hand into Mu Nan Zhao's.

Mu Nan Zhao appeared not to be exerting force, and Gu Xixi easily stepped onto the ground.

She then naturally withdrew her hand, smiling and thanking him; in an instant she saw Meng Chengping's eyes gleaming with amusement, as if watching a grand show.

Gu Xixi calmly said, "General Meng, I'm very interested in the saline-alkaline flats you mentioned; may we go take a look?"

"It's possible, but..." Meng Chengping's face showed difficulty, "The saline-alkaline flats lie farther west."

Mu Nan Zhao pondered, "To the west, bordering Beili, not far beyond the pass is Beili's largest military camp."

Meng Chengping nodded, "Exactly so."

"Thus, the chances of encountering Beili spies there are greater."

"The commanding general ordered me to ensure your safety no matter what; otherwise, we'd better not go."

Mu Nan Zhao asked Gu Xixi, "Why go to the saline-alkaline flats?"

Gu Xixi said, "Do you remember me saying before about grass suitable for horses to eat? That place might have it."

Upon hearing that, Meng Chengping exclaimed in excitement, "Gu Xixi, you can actually solve the warhorses' fodder?"

Gu Xixi cautioned, "I haven't guaranteed anything; we'll know only after we go see."

Mu Nan Zhao and Meng Chengping exchanged a glance, having made up their minds.

Meng Chengping solemnly declared, "Gu Xixi risks personal danger for the Northwest Army; we will stake our lives to see that you are brought here and sent back exactly as we fetched you!"

Back in the carriage, Mu Nan Zhao said, "Anything beneficial to the Northwest Army obviously helps Meng Chengping, and I too would be pleased to see it succeed."

"For Meng Chengping and me to undertake this adventure is only natural, but you need not do so."

He looked across, his eyes deep, "You can still call them back now."

Gu Xixi crossed her arms over her chest, half-smiling at Mu Nan Zhao, "You all have your own calculations; who knows I don't?"

The two stared at each other for a moment; Mu Nan Zhao gave a wry smile, "Forget it—since nobody loses out, let's go together."

Gu Xixi certainly had her own calculations, aside from the reason she told Meng Chengping, hoping for peace in the frontier.

There is another reason: "passion."

Passion for discovering different crops, passion for conquering cultivation on various lands.

Heading west all the way, one can see the sun slowly sinking toward the horizon.

Gu Xixi couldn't count how many times she had lifted the curtain to look outside.

Finally hearing Meng Chengping's excited shout, "We're almost there! Up ahead you can already see the saline-alkaline flats!"

To prevent any sudden developments, the carriage stopped a short distance away and hid behind a pile of rubble.

Gu Xixi and the others walked toward the saline beach.

The saline beach abuts the desert, a mudflat where land and silt mix; its edges naturally form a boundary, and when viewed from high ground, the large irregular shapes resemble a huge brand.

The weather was cold, yet the muddy water in the saline beach did not freeze, a sign of its high salinity.

Gu Xixi waded through the muddy water and carefully searched a patch of enclosed land.

Here there are only two types of plants: some grass can grow to half a person's height, with thick, tough leaves; even though they are withered yellow in this season, blown by the northwest's cold wind, they still stand firm and unbroken.

The other part, hidden beneath these tall grasses and growing close to the ground, has already dried up and withered.