Cultivating Farmland in a Fluffy S-Rank Game – CH39

Chapter 39: Wasp

Wasps!

Having read the Beekeeping Field Construction Manual, Chu Jiu naturally knew just how dangerous wasps could be to a beekeeping site:

Though they’re both called “bees,” wasps are much more aggressive, larger in size, and far less social or hardworking than honeybees. While they occasionally feed on nectar, their main food source is small insects—like honeybees.

Once autumn begins, wasps enter their peak breeding season and need large amounts of protein. They start hunting bees more frequently.

These wasps would linger at the entrance of the hive, biting and chewing any bees that came and went. They would even invade the hive to attack the queen.

Ordinary honeybees were no match for wasps. Just two or three wasps were enough to destroy an entire colony.

And what’s worse, if bees sensed that a location was already occupied by wasps, they would avoid it and refuse to settle there.

So when Chu Jiu heard that word from Aman’s mouth, a sense of dread settled over him.

Still, in front of Aman, he forced himself to stay calm and asked, “What happened? Don’t cry—take your time and explain.”

Aman sniffled, eyes red, and began to speak.

It turned out that after Douglas and Grandpa Du finished building the beehives yesterday, they coated the inside and outside of the boxes with honey, hoping to attract bees faster.

Aman, restless early in the morning, had rushed to the beekeeping site, eager to see if any bees had moved in.

What he saw wasn’t bees—but a swarm of large, aggressive wasps with golden rings on their bodies rampaging through the beekeeping field!

Having read the Beekeeping Manual to Grandpa Du twice over the past couple of days, Aman knew exactly how dangerous wasps were.

In a panic, without thinking, he ran straight to Chu Jiu for help.

After hearing Aman’s report, Chu Jiu rushed to the beekeeping site.

When he arrived, Douglas and Grandpa Du were already there. Regg, who had stayed in Bean Village to help, was also present.

Regg had considered using his fire-based powers to burn the wasps, but Douglas had stopped him—this area was full of dry vegetation, and the beehives themselves were flammable. One flame arrow might take out the wasps, but it would destroy everything else too.

So the group had no choice but to use smoke from barely-burning torches to drive off the wasps, swinging branches to swat at them while constantly trying to avoid being stung.

Despite the effort, Grandpa Du, not as spry as he used to be, still got stung right in the face by a vicious wasp. When Chu Jiu arrived, the old man was hopping around in pain while still stubbornly waving his branch.

Chu Jiu immediately pulled him aside to sit down, sent Aman to fetch a sewing needle and some vinegar, and instructed him to remove the stinger and rinse the wound with vinegar. Meanwhile, Chu Jiu used his spiritual energy to make ice, handing it to Grandpa Du for a cold compress.

With the emergency under control, Chu Jiu turned his attention back to the beekeeping field:

Despite having one current and one former ability user, neither of them had gained the upper hand against the buzzing swarm of wasps.

Without hesitation, Chu Jiu quickly crafted a Mini Insect Net, smeared it with honey, and handed it to the two of them. “Use this!”

The Mini Insect Net was made with silk from the Treasure-Hoarding Spider, originally designed to trap vampire mosquitoes. With finer mesh and baited with honey, it was more than enough to trap the wasps.

In under ten minutes, most of the wasps around the hives were caught.

Meanwhile, Aman had gone to get Irene for help. She removed the stinger from Grandpa Du’s wound and cleaned it. The old man, pressing the ice against his face, sighed in relief: “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Chu Jiu thought, Yeah right. It definitely still hurts—it’s just a bit better now.

Luckily, Grandpa Du wasn’t allergic to bee venom, so his life wasn’t in danger.

Staring at the captured wasps, the old man looked both guilty and upset. “I shouldn’t have put honey on those hives yesterday… Now we’ve drawn in the wasps. How will bees dare to come here?”

Regg shook the insect net. “It’s alright. We’ll stay on watch at the beekeeping site for the next couple of days. If a wasp comes, we kill it. The manual says once wasps realize coming here means certain death, they’ll stop showing up.”

Douglas asked, “Grandpa, are there a lot of wasp nests in the back hills?”

The old man’s face fell. “Now that you mention it… yeah, quite a few. I usually avoid those spots whenever I go into the mountains. Never even considered trying to deal with them.”

Douglas frowned deeply. “Then the most reliable solution is to take out all the wasp nests. Otherwise, even if this group stays away, another group could show up. It’ll never end.”

He glanced up toward the hillside. “But it’s wildfire season… Regg can’t freely use his powers. And I don’t have mine anymore…”

Chu Jiu silently agreed. Burning the nests combined with the insect net would be the most effective method.

But the risk of fire was real…

Was there a way to use fire and still avoid a wildfire?

…A fire…

Wait! Back in ancient China, there was something they used to control fire!

And if it was that—he could make it in just 10 minutes!

Chu Jiu was about to share his plan when Little Can, perched on his shoulder, let out a low “meow meow” and described a method that could burn the nests without causing wildfires.

After listening, Chu Jiu hadn’t even responded before Little Can fixed him with a look and asked, “What was your idea just now?”

Chu Jiu was a bit surprised—How did Little Can know I was thinking something else?

Still, he didn’t dwell on it and simply explained his idea from beginning to end.

When he finished, he pursed his lips and added, “Actually—”

At the same time, Little Can said, “Meow…”

Chu Jiu blinked. “Ah, you go first.”

The kitten replied slowly, “Meow meow.” — “You go ahead.”

Chu Jiu felt like this moment of mutual deference was oddly familiar… but there was no time to think about it. He continued:

“Actually, I was thinking—our methods could complement each other.”

“Start with fire, then use water to back it up. That way, it’s totally safe, right?”

Little Can: “…Mm. That’s what I was thinking too.”

Chu Jiu’s eyes lit up. “Great. I’ll go talk to Regg and the others.”

Following the boy-and-cat duo’s plan, Chu Jiu asked Regg, “When you use fire magic, do you have a system to categorize the intensity or range of your flames?”

Regg hadn’t expected the question. He paused, then said, “I do.”

He explained his categories—for example, if a flame could ignite leaves from 10 meters away, it was level one; if it could burn down a tree, level four.

Chu Jiu nodded. “Got it. I—well, I can tell what level of flame is safe for what range. Let’s go to the back hills together. That way, we can burn the wasp nests without risking wildfire.”

Regg and Douglas exchanged a look, both visibly hesitant.

It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Chu Jiu.

On the contrary, they knew that despite his harmless and gentle appearance, this boy was no ordinary teen. He could enter and leave the wildlands alone and repeatedly brought back magical creatures as food. His abilities were anything but ordinary.

But…

Autumn wildfires were no joke.

Regg said sincerely, “That plan sounds great, but Ah Jiu, if I miscalculate the intensity and a nearby dead tree catches fire, we could lose control of the whole situation.”

Chu Jiu nodded. “I understand. That’s why I have a backup plan.”

After he explained it, Douglas and Regg visibly relaxed.

Regg even nodded immediately. “Alright. Once you’ve finished making the tools, we’ll go together.”

Chu Jiu turned and sprinted toward the Pioneer’s Cabin.

*

His backup plan?

A set of Basic Fire Suppression Devices—

Water Tank and Bamboo Tube Water Gun

The water tank was simple—a large wooden box that could store water and be carried on one’s back.

The bamboo tube water gun, on the other hand, used air pressure principles. It was a water-sucking, water-spraying device made from a bamboo segment. You’d cut a thick piece of bamboo about 40 cm long, remove one end’s node, and leave the other. 

A hole was pre-drilled in the center of the remaining node to allow water in and out. Then, a straight wooden stick of suitable thickness was wrapped at one end with a good amount of hemp cloth and tightly bound with rope—just tight enough to move smoothly inside the bamboo tube. Once assembled, you’d dip the hole-end into water, pull the stick to draw water in, and push it to spray water out.

According to legend, ancient Chinese “firefighters” used these simple bamboo water guns to put out fires.

As he worked, Chu Jiu couldn’t help but marvel, “Bamboo truly is a treasure of the Chinese people,” while quickly packing the fire-suppression tools into his bag and running toward the mountain.

*

Chu Jiu rarely ventured into the back mountain.

But today, once he stepped in, he was struck by the golden hues of autumn. Wild chrysanthemums bloomed everywhere, and the mountain breeze carried a faint floral scent.

Still, no one in the group was in the mood to admire the flowers. Heads tilted up, they were all ready to start the “massacre.”

Grandpa Du led the way, pointing out hornet nests hanging in trees based on years of mountain experience.

Unlike the intricate honeybee hives, hornet nests were crude and gave off a raw, fearsome aura.

After Du pointed out each nest, Chu Jiu would say to Reger, “Use a level 2.5 flame. Aim at the top-left of the nest when firing—that’s where the entrance is…”

Reger followed the instructions to the letter.

A burst of flame shot out, and the nest immediately ignited from within, sending thick black smoke curling into the air. Before open flames could spread, the nest was completely incinerated.

As for the hornets scrambling to escape, Douglas wielded the [Insect Net] to take them down one by one.

Finally, Chu Jiu used his bamboo water gun to thoroughly douse the trees and nest remains, preventing any stray sparks from causing problems later.

And so, the group spent half the day clearing out nearly all the hornet nests in the vicinity.

Reger even suggested going farther into the mountain to completely wipe them out, but Chu Jiu shook his head after some thought.

“No need to kill them all—for now.”

“If we diversify our crops in the future, hornets might actually come in handy.”

The others didn’t quite understand how hornets could be useful, but since Chu Jiu said so, no one objected.

The moment they agreed not to destroy the remaining nests, a system message popped up for Chu Jiu:

[Congratulations! You’ve triggered the hidden condition: “Ecological Balance”!
Reward received: “Mutual Dependence”!
Effect: In arable areas such as fields and forested land, the number of different crops that can be grown simultaneously increases by one.]

Huh? Such a simple decision triggered a hidden reward?

Nice. Very nice.

Chu Jiu closed the prompt with satisfaction.

After some final cleanup, the group, exhausted, found a flat rock to sit on and prepared to eat lunch.

Chu Jiu reached for his bag to take out some dried roasted meat and wild potato fruits when Douglas cheerfully unwrapped his food parcel.

“Come on, this is bread baked by Irene—she used extra fine flour. It’s really fragrant, try some.”

Reger and Grandpa Du each grabbed a dry, rock-hard bun. They gnawed on them with cold water and praised the taste.

Chu Jiu: …

Douglas handed Chu Jiu the biggest one. “You’ve worked hard, A-Jiu. Eat more.”

Chu Jiu hesitated. “I, uh…”

Just then, Little Can meowed softly.

Chu Jiu quickly said, “Oh right, I brought food earlier to share with my cat, so I’ll skip the bread.”

Everyone in the village, even Douglas who had only moved in recently, knew how special Chu Jiu’s pet cat was to him. No one thought it strange.

Douglas shrugged and bit into the bread with satisfaction. “Definitely used fine flour. Delicious!”

Chu Jiu quietly shared some dried grilled fish with Little Can, thinking: it wasn’t that he was picky, it’s just that bread of this era was often made with coarse wheat flour including bran, kneaded with water and baked directly. The flour was coarse and tough, and with no proper fermentation, the texture was, well… “challenging.”

Most of the time, this type of bread had to be soaked in water to even be edible. Some say it could double as a blunt weapon…

And since it usually lacked sugar or milk—both rare luxuries—it had little to do with being “sweet” or “fragrant.”

Irene’s version, mixed with fine flour, was already a luxury.

But still, that “luxury” bread wasn’t remotely like what Chu Jiu had eaten in his previous life.

So rather than struggle to choke it down, he was happy to let Douglas and the others enjoy it.

*

After the meal, Grandpa Du stood and pointed to the wild chrysanthemums not far away.

“This time of year, the mountains are full of blooming chrysanthemums. If you could harvest honey now, you’d get top-grade chrysanthemum honey.”

“In spring, there’ll be even more flowers—milkvetch, azaleas, just fields and fields of them.”

“When the flowers are plentiful, bees will come. And when bees come, there will be hives—and honey.”

“But bees are smart. Their hives are usually on cliffs. When I used to collect honey, I had to tie myself to a tree with rope. Otherwise, one slip and I’d fall to my death…”

“I fell once anyway. Smashed my arm on a cliff—it took three months to heal.”

“And just when you’re about to reach the hive, the bees know you’re coming. They’ll go all out and sting you like crazy.”

Grandpa Du sighed. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d live to see the day we could keep bees at the foot of the mountain.”

The others fell silent.

Chu Jiu had known that harvesting honey wasn’t easy, but he hadn’t realized it was this dangerous. He remembered that even in ancient China, some leaders died without fulfilling their dying wish to taste honey—a reminder of how precious it truly was.

After a moment, Chu Jiu said firmly, “Don’t worry, Grandpa Du. Our beekeeping site will make plenty of good honey. You’ll never need to climb cliffs again.”

*

After lunch and tea, the group wandered the mountain once more, checking for any missed hornet nests.

As they prepared to head back, Regg looked toward the scorched remains of a nest and said to Chu Jiu, “Your method really worked. I’ve never thought about controlling my fire ability with such precision before.”

Douglas added, “Not just your control plan—the fire extinguisher you made was incredibly helpful. Honestly, without it, I wouldn’t have dared use fire in the mountains.”

He patted Chu Jiu on the shoulder and smiled. “In short—your method was amazing!”

Chu Jiu blushed and felt a bit guilty, brushing it off with a vague reply.

Sure, the fire suppression gear was his own handiwork.

But all the calculations—what level flame to use, what angle to strike from—those were just his translations of Little Can’s “meow meow meows.”

So really, the one who deserved the praise… was Little Can.

After parting ways with the others, Chu Jiu held the small cat in his palms and said, “Thank you, Little Can. It’s all thanks to your spot-on judgment that we were able to safely burn the nests without starting a wildfire.”

Too bad he couldn’t tell the others that the real hero was his little kitty.

Even Little Can himself sternly reminded Chu Jiu: No one must know.

His tail gently brushed against Chu Jiu’s palm. “Your water gun… was more important.”

Chu Jiu smiled. “They were equally important.”

Little Can’s icy blue eyes stared at him, silently.

For some reason, Chu Jiu thought he saw a flicker of… reluctance in that gaze.

It was a strange, fleeting feeling. But Chu Jiu didn’t have time to dwell on it.

A moment later, Little Can slowly looked away, let out a yawn, and said softly, “Chu Jiu?”

Chu Jiu: “Hmm?”

Little Can: “I’m sleepy…”

Chu Jiu: “Ah, then go to sleep—when you wake up, I’ll make you some stir-fried fish slices. Sleep tight.”

Little Can: “I might sleep for a long time… When I wake up… my memory might be a bit fuzzy… You… don’t need to worry…”

As he spoke, his eyes grew drowsy. He lifted a tiny paw and gently stroked Chu Jiu’s cheek, then wobbled into Chu Jiu’s pocket and drifted off to sleep with soft, even breaths.