Chapter 397: An Ning and Warmth

Chapter 397: Chapter 397: An Ning and Warmth

"Okay. But you can’t bring any cameras, or any recording or listening devices. And I have to make one thing clear: the wolf and sheep in my territory have bad tempers. You can only look, not touch. If you don’t agree to that, the deal’s off."

"Okay, of course! I get the rules!" Tang Huai, who had been coveting the wolf and sheep of the Third Territory for nearly a year, was thrilled. "I know the animals in your territory don’t like visitors. I’ll just look, I won’t touch. How about I bring the stuff over at twelve noon tomorrow? The temperature will be perfect then."

After finalizing a deal so good that even the Iron Rooster, Yang Jin, would have to bow down in admiration, Xiaqing happily returned to her territory. Bending down, she scooped up the impatient Sheep Leader and said to the Sick Wolf beside her, "Second, how about a race? Let’s see who gets home first!"

Without waiting for the Sick Wolf to respond or caring about the Sheep Leader’s struggles, Xiaqing took off, running down the mountain path while holding the sheep.

A wolf’s night vision is excellent, so the darkness didn’t affect its running Speed. The Sick Wolf gave a happy wag of its tail and immediately gave chase.

In the end, of course, the four-legged Sick Wolf won.

Xiaqing cheerfully put the Sheep Leader down in the yard. Just as it was about to paw the ground in anger and start a fight, she asked in a soft, gentle voice, "Leader, do you want some Asparagus Chrysanthemum tonight? You know all that Asparagus Chrysanthemum I dried in the spring? I’ll go soak a handful and mix it into your concentrate for dinner."

"BAAA~~~" The Sheep Leader’s anger was instantly doused by the promise of good food, and it let out a sweet, high-pitched bleat it hadn’t used in ages.

"Wait here, I’ll go get it." Xiaqing smiled, went to the underground grain storage, and brought up a sealed bag of dried Asparagus Chrysanthemum. She soaked it in water right in front of the Leader. "It’ll soften up after a while, and then you can eat it."

This late in the season, all the Big Chuntun Tree Leaves on the High Slope had fallen, which made the scent of Asparagus Chrysanthemum feel especially precious. Smelling the familiar aroma, the Sheep Leader radiated pure joy and happiness, completely forgetting it had been angry enough to pick a fight just moments before.

Having easily placated the Sheep Leader, Xiaqing washed her hands and changed her clothes. She took a large piece of frozen meat from the upstairs refrigerator and showed it to the Sick Wolf. "Second, this is frozen wild boar. I’ll cook it for you tonight and add a Green Light Egg. How does that sound?"

The Sick Wolf wagged its tail and panted happily, its mouth wide in a grin.

Humming a little tune, Xiaqing soaked the meat in Pollution-free Spring Water to let it thaw.

Tonight, she was going to have scrambled eggs with tomato and a potato-meat stew. For her staple, she would make cornbread patties.

After preparing the vegetables, Xiaqing took out a kilogram of corn and half a kilogram of wheat. She ground them into flour with a grinder, then ran it all through a fine-mesh sieve.

Some of the sifted wheat bran and corn husks would be mixed into the Sheep Leader’s concentrate, while the rest would go into the chicken feed. Then, Xiaqing mixed the flour and kneaded it into dough.

She divided the thawed pork in two. She boiled one half in a small pot for the Sick Wolf. The other half, she cut into chunks and braised in a wood-fired pot. After searing the meat, she added boiling Pollution-free Spring Water and seasonings. Then, she stuck a ring of cornbread patties to the side of the pot, covered it, and let it simmer slowly.

The light in the kitchen was warm. The Sheep Leader stood by the basin, watching the Asparagus Chrysanthemum soak. Xiaqing sat by the stove with the Sick Wolf, both of them gazing at the gentle flames.

She hadn’t turned on her walkie-talkie or the radio. She just sat there quietly by the stove, listening to the water boiling the meat and the occasional crackle of firewood. She breathed in the ever-thickening aroma of her dinner and stroked the Sick Wolf by her side.

She’d spent five straight days in the Evolution Forest on guard duty, dealing with all sorts of people. Even with the Special Level Nutrient Liquid keeping her body at peak condition every day, her mind was exhausted.

That’s why she cherished this moment of peace and warmth. It soothed her mental fatigue.

In the tenth year of the Natural Disasters, Xiaqing had her own territory, enclosed by a sturdy iron mesh fence. Within it, she had precious Pollution-free Spring Water, her companions, and an abundance of Green Light food.

All of this made her feel safe and happy. ’At this moment,’ she thought, ’I must be the happiest person on this Crazy Blue Star.’

Like Xiaqing, the other five territories in the Territory Alliance were also having a feast today.

Unlike Xiaqing’s quiet home, the aroma of the other Lords’ meals was mingled with the sounds of joyous human laughter.

Toiling away in the Evolution Forest for five straight days was nothing short of a miracle for ordinary, un-evolved humans.

Though a few had been injured in accidents, not a single person had been attacked by a large Evolutionary Animal. They had all walked out of the Evolution Forest alive, bringing with them a mountain of yellow clay and thorn wood.

If word of this got out, no one would believe it!

So, as long as they had a powerful Evolver protecting them, ordinary people really could gather resources from the Evolution Forest.

And Xiaqing was even more powerful than they had imagined.

’Allying with Xiaqing was absolutely the right move! Tomorrow, we’ll drop everything and go to the Third Territory. We have to get her greenhouse built as fast as possible, to show her that there are benefits to being in an alliance with us, too.’

「The next day at twelve noon, the temperature rose to 15°C.」

Over the course of the morning, Qi Fu, Shi Zhong, Kuang Qingwei, and Zhao Ze brought workers from their territories and joined forces. Together, they finished building the earthen walls for the greenhouse in the Third Territory. Afterward, they all returned to their own lands to start on their own greenhouses.

The Third Territory fell quiet, leaving only the sounds of the wind, the water, the birds, and the chirping insects.

After lunch, Xiaqing led the Sheep Leader and the Sick Wolf up to the High Slope. The two animals rested behind a patch of wild grass and shrubs under the Big Chuntun Tree. As Xiaqing walked out of the North Gate, she saw Tang Huai approaching, carrying a wooden tray covered with a mesh screen.

Surprised to see Xiaqing had actually come out to meet him, Tang Huai waved excitedly and jogged over. He complained, slightly out of breath, "Your territory is already huge. Why did you fence off another stretch of hillside? What’s it for?"

’Why? Because this is the Sheep Leader’s turf, of course. It has the Green Light Big Chuntun Tree and a planting zone rich in High Yi Element, all nourished by the spring water.’

Of course, Xiaqing had no intention of telling Tang Huai the real reason, and he, being used to her quiet nature, didn’t expect an answer anyway. "Here, take it. There are a hundred insects in this tray, all alive. What do you think? Generous, right?"

Based on his trading price with Zhang San, this tray of insects was worth 3,000 points—a very generous offer indeed. Xiaqing loved such magnanimous trading partners. She accepted the tray and thanked him sincerely, "It’s more than enough. Thank you."

"Hmph!" ’So you do have some sense after all.’

After handing the tray to Xiaqing, Tang Huai began to take off his Protective Suit. Xiaqing didn’t even have time to stop him.

He took off his Protective Mask, jacket, and pants, tossing them aside. Now wearing only a long-sleeved T-shirt and loose, comfortable trousers, Tang Huai stretched out his arms and spun around in front of Xiaqing. "See? No listening devices."

Xiaqing...

’Well... he didn’t really need to go that far.’

"Alright. Put your clothes back on." This was the buffer zone, only about forty meters from the Evolution Forest. Xiaqing was genuinely afraid a random evolutionary Poisonous Insect might suddenly appear and kill him, leaving her with no way to explain it to Tang Zhengpo.