Chapter 165: Stir-Fry
Xia Lu Nong was busy digging up the rose bush.
The rose overheard their conversation and found it rather baffling.
Suddenly, it asked Xia Lu Nong, “If I change my name to Xia Yue Ji, will there be any benefits?”
Xia Lu Nong laughed as he uprooted the freshly planted rose. “Are you tempted?”
The rose decisively shook its leaves.
Xia Lu Nong glanced at it and said slowly, “Of course, there are benefits. If you change your name to Xia Yue Ji, we’ll be family. Right now, we’re just partners, and the way you treat a partner is different from how you treat family.”
The rose didn’t think much of changing its name and readily agreed, “Then I’ll change it.”
“You can’t just change it like that. Adding a family member is a serious matter. All our family members must agree, including Xia Hua Jiao,” Xia Lu Nong said, pointing at Xia Hua Jiao.
Hearing its name, Xia Hua Jiao perked up its leaves, its branches swaying with pride, making a “shuu-shuu” sound, clearly pleased with itself.
The rose’s branches waved toward Xia Hua Jiao, giving a little threatening shake, and it sulkily said, “Then forget it.”
Holding the rose bush with its flowers, Xia Lu Nong made a gesture toward one of its branches. “Can I break this part?”
“Go ahead,” the rose replied, retracting its thorns as much as possible. “You can break it short—it’ll grow back eventually.”
Following its instructions, Xia Lu Nong broke off a short branch, buried it in the hole he had just dug, then watered it and infused it with some of his energy.
The newly planted branch had some consciousness, but it was very weak, almost in a dormant state.
Looking at the rose in his hand, Xia Lu Nong sincerely praised, “This ability of yours to split yourself is amazing.”
“It’s not bad,” the rose admitted. “But I’m nearing my limit. If I start feeling unwell, I’ll have to kill off some of my other bodies to maintain my condition.”
Hearing this, Xia Lu Nong, feeling a bit sorry for it, raised his hand, thinking to give it some more energy.
As he lifted his hand, he sensed the rose’s anticipation and joy.
It was a natural reaction from the rose, an instinct it couldn’t hide.
Sensing this emotion, Xia Lu Nong quickly realized that the rose had been playing the sympathy card on purpose.
“You’ve really become crafty,” he said, pulling back the hand that was about to transfer energy. Instead, he gently pinched the tender bud at the tip of the rose, causing it to let out a disgruntled protest. Amused, Xia Lu Nong added, “Why do you learn these sneaky tricks so quickly?”
“Stingy,” the rose huffed, curling its branches around his fingers, though it didn’t hurt him.
Xia Lu Nong ignored its complaints, placing the rose back into its pot before returning to the armored vehicle, ready to head back to the base.
Having been away for several days, Xia Lu Nong found himself missing the base as it came into view.
There were guards stationed at the top of the mountain. Seeing their vehicle, the sentries allowed them to enter.
It was cold now, and the fields were frozen. Aside from a few crops like radishes and cabbage, everything else was barren.
With nothing much to do, most of the people at the base would head out in groups to gather supplies and hunt for food.
As they entered, two other teams were also returning at the same time.
Unlike Xia Lu Nong’s group, the other two teams didn’t have vehicles. Some members were in animal form, while others were in human form, carrying the game they had hunted.
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes immediately fell on the wild rabbits and sheep they had caught, and his appetite was piqued.
It had been inconvenient to cook while traveling, and he hadn’t had stir-fry in days. Right now, all he could think about was a nice stir-fried dish, preferably with steaming hot rice.
Kong Zhi, sitting next to him, noticed his expression and patted his shoulder. “I’ll go with you to the canteen later to swap for some.”
“Sounds good,” Xia Lu Nong replied. “Let’s have spicy rabbit stew tonight.”
Finally arriving home, Xia Hua Jiao eagerly jumped into its familiar spot and planted itself there. After confirming it was fine, Xia Lu Nong gave it a bit of energy.
With Xia Hua Jiao taken care of, only the rose remained.
Xia Lu Nong carried the rose around the front and back courtyards and asked, “Where do you want to be planted?”
“The front yard,” the rose said. “I want to face Xia Hua Jiao.”
Xia Lu Nong readily agreed. “Alright, I’ll plant you under the tree. You can spread your branches in both directions.”
Excited at the thought of settling down, the rose twisted its branches, swaying in happiness.
Meanwhile, Kong Zhi and Xia Huo Qu were busy moving and organizing things.
Xia Lu Nong had some free time. Looking down at the soil beneath his feet, he asked the rose, “What kind of soil do you like? I can mix some for you, but I’m not very skilled at gardening, so it’ll be a rough mix.”
The rose, surprised by the special treatment, felt a bit shy. “I don’t know. I’ve never grown in mixed soil before.”
Xia Lu Nong chuckled. “Then I’ll follow the book. I’ll get you some bamboo leaf soil and add a bit of fertilizer.”
The rose had no objections, so Xia Lu Nong grabbed a hoe and a basket and headed up the mountain to collect bamboo leaf soil.
Curious about everything, the rose wanted to go with him.
With time to spare, Xia Lu Nong took it along.
“This place is really nice,” the rose said enviously.
“It’s the result of our whole group’s hard work. Once we develop the plains at the foot of the mountain, that area will be great too,” Xia Lu Nong explained. “When your body down there grows, help us protect that area. When it flourishes, you’ll be a hero.”
Uninterested in his grand plans, the rose asked bluntly, “What’s the benefit of being a hero?”
Xia Lu Nong, amused by its practicality, laughed and said, “Of course, there are benefits. If you become a hero, everyone will respect and admire you. You’ll get all the fertilizer and water you need, and people will eagerly help you. Human emotions are simple like that. You’ll understand in time.”
The rose said nothing.
Xia Lu Nong could tell the rose didn’t quite believe him, but he wasn’t in a hurry. After all, there was plenty of time, and they could slowly show the rose these things through their daily interactions.
When Xia Lu Nong brought back the bamboo leaf soil, Kong Zhi and the others had already finished organizing their belongings.
They were chopping wood and boiling water to prepare for dinner. The house hadn’t been cleaned in days, so it needed some tidying up too. Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian were too busy, leaving only Kong Zhi to help out.
After planting the rose and watering it, Xia Lu Nong said, “Rest here tonight. I’ll check on you tomorrow morning. We’ve got some things to take care of now.”
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi headed to the canteen to exchange for rabbit meat.
Though they could have asked the canteen to cook for them, after coming back home so many times and always relying on the canteen, they were getting tired of it. Since they weren’t too tired today, they decided to take the rabbit meat home and cook it themselves.
They had some pickled chili peppers soaking in a jar in their storeroom.
These peppers had been pickling for half a year, becoming extra sour and spicy, with a bright red color, far better than the ones in the canteen.
The canteen staff saw them take the rabbit meat and asked, “We just harvested some baby bok choy and radishes today. Do you want some? Frost has sweetened them up.”
“We’ll take some,” Xia Lu Nong agreed, then asked, “Do you have any big bones we can trade for? We’ll use them to make soup.”
“We’ve got some, but they’re not pork bones—do you want beef bones?”
The cattle here were mutated, and if not processed well, the bone broth could have a slight bitterness.
Xia Lu Nong thought for a moment but decided to take them anyway.
Later, he would add some dried mushrooms to the soup, which would give it a rich flavor. Drinking such broth in winter would be incredibly comforting.
Though Xia Lu Nong wasn’t the fastest cook, he worked methodically and with great care.
Kong Zhi, even without saying a word, felt a sense of peace just sitting quietly beside him, watching him wash and prepare the food bit by bit.
Xia Lu Nong was a skilled cook, and the spicy rabbit stir-fry paired with beef bone and radish soup was a perfect combination for dinner.
Yan Xi Nian drank three bowls in one go and patted his stomach, saying, “Good thing we often go out hunting and gathering supplies. If I ate food this good every day, I’d be round as a ball by now.”
Holding his soup bowl, Xia Lu Nong laughed, “Brother Xi Nian, you’re exaggerating. Once life settles down and everything’s back on track, you’ll definitely become a fitness fanatic. There’s no way you’d get fat.”
Yan Xi Nian grinned. “You’re right. Besides, I haven’t found a partner yet, so I need to keep in shape.”
Hearing this, Xia Lu Nong didn’t respond but glanced over at his older brother.
His brother lightly tapped the back of his hand with his chopsticks and said calmly, “The soup’s getting cold. Drink it.”
Xia Lu Nong instantly understood—his brother probably wouldn’t be thinking about relationships for a while.
After dinner, Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian washed the dishes and went back next door, while Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi went to take a bath.
The weather was cold, and without heating in the house, bathing together was warmer, and they could help each other scrub their backs.
Of course, with the rare chance to be alone, the bath was not just about bathing.
That night, Xia Lu Nong was thoroughly satisfied, in more ways than one.
Afterward, he lay on the bed, too tired to move, while Kong Zhi tidied up. He didn’t wake up until almost noon the next day.
He got up, put on his down jacket, ran a hand through his hair, and went outside to check on Xia Hua Jiao and the rose.
The rose, seeing him, said in a ghostly tone, “You said you’d see me in the morning.”
Xia Lu Nong: “…”
Feeling awkward, Xia Lu Nong coughed.
He hadn’t expected to sleep so late because of certain activities the night before.
Had he known, he wouldn’t have made that promise.
Now much thicker-skinned than before, Xia Lu Nong said, “Going out was exhausting. I overslept by accident, but I won’t be this late tomorrow.”
“Spare me the excuses. I heard everything last night,” the rose said disdainfully. “Don’t blame it on being tired from the trip. You slept the whole time in the car.”
This cheeky brat!
Even with his thick skin, Xia Lu Nong couldn’t handle it. Blushing, he watered the rose, pretending not to understand its words. “I’m going to the backyard to water the honeysuckle.”
The rose wasn’t satisfied and wanted to keep going, but Xia Lu Nong quickly ran off.
The rose, with its many branches and flowers, couldn’t chase after him like Xia Hua Jiao could when it was younger. Defeated, it retracted its branches.
Meanwhile, the simpler honeysuckle and Xia Hua Jiao were much easier to please.
They didn’t understand anything. After being watered, they affectionately brushed against Xia Lu Nong’s fingers.
Xia Lu Nong sighed in relief. Despite all being mutant plants, these two were far easier to deal with.
After finishing the watering, Xia Lu Nong returned to the front yard just as Kong Zhi came back from outside. Seeing Xia Lu Nong, Kong Zhi took the watering can from his hand and asked, “When did you wake up? Have you eaten?”
“I was just about to eat. Where were you? Where’s my brother and the others? Why is no one else around?”
“I went to check on the fields. Your brother and the others are in a meeting. Tomorrow they’re going out to retrieve the tool trucks and form a small convoy.”
“That’s efficient,” Xia Lu Nong said with a shake of his head. He’d never realized his brother was such a workaholic before.
“There’s still time before the New Year. We want to get things done before we take a break, and then we’ll prepare for spring,” Kong Zhi explained.
“So, does that mean we should start planning a trip to check things out as well?” Xia Lu Nong asked.
