Chapter 172: Prosperity
The rose was in excellent condition and had no objection to being planted in the valley.
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi didn’t hesitate. They moved it there directly.
With the rose in the valley, the sheep they raised there were well taken care of.
Xia Lu Nong no longer had to worry about the sheep escaping or being taken by someone else. His experience improved greatly, and his happiness increased significantly.
The rose was happy to watch over the sheep for them, receiving some energy as payment.
After returning to the base, they didn’t go out again.
During this time, they spent some days preparing the fields for spring planting, and on others, helping build factories on the plains below the mountain. Life was busy but not overwhelming—just right.
Since they started developing the plains, people gradually came to seek refuge with them. Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu briefly checked the backgrounds of the newcomers, and as long as everything seemed in order, they would be taken in.
However, the base didn’t provide supplies to these newcomers directly. Instead, it offered them a place to stay and work, giving them an opportunity to support themselves. Most of the people who came were from Yacheng Town, but some were from smaller places nearby.
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t realized how many people were living nearby until they started arriving.
The newcomers had mostly been struggling in their previous homes, so when they arrived, they worked hard and were a big help.
Xia Lu Nong commented to Kong Zhi, “I have no idea how much preparation my brothers did, but now it’s like people just show up, and the whole base is visibly flourishing.”
Kong Zhi, driving them down the mountain, responded, “Isn’t that a good thing? More people mean more resources and stronger resistance to risks.”
“It’s definitely a good thing. I’m just amazed,” Xia Lu Nong replied, gazing out the car window. “You wouldn’t believe it, but at the beginning of the year, when I had just woken up from hibernation, we were living on cabbage.”
Kong Zhi couldn’t imagine that.
With his ability to transform into a beast, even in the toughest times, he hadn’t been reduced to living on cabbage.
Reaching over, Kong Zhi gently patted his head. “That was the past. Things will only get better from here. Let’s focus on moving forward.”
Xia Lu Nong smiled. “Yes, we need to look ahead.”
As they drove onto the plains, they saw someone selling roasted sweet potatoes by the roadside after crossing the bridge.
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t seen roasted sweet potatoes for a long time and was visibly surprised.
He immediately sat up straight and called out to Kong Zhi, “Look, Kong Zhi! Someone’s selling roasted sweet potatoes outside!”
It had been ages since they’d seen anyone selling them.
Kong Zhi pulled the car over, stopped, and lowered the window.
The sweet potato vendor was an elderly man from the base.
He wore a large hat and a coat, warming his hands by the grill. His nose was red from the cold.
When he saw them stop, the old man looked up with cloudy eyes and greeted them with a smile. “Kong Zhi, you’re back! Want some roasted sweet potatoes? They’re the best in winter!”
“Uncle He,” Xia Lu Nong called out from the car window, “Why are you selling roasted sweet potatoes by the roadside?”
“Well, since there are more people down here on the plains,” the old man explained, “Everyone’s working, but there’s not much to eat. So I set up a stand. People can grab a bite, and I can earn some supplies.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “How do you move your stall back and forth? Is it safe out here?”
“It’s safe enough with all the people coming and going, and with the mutant plants you’ve planted near the riverbank. As for the stall, I’ll ask one of Old Liu’s team to help me take it back later.”
After getting a clearer picture, Xia Lu Nong gave him a thumbs-up. “Alright, give us two sweet potatoes. We’ll support your business. What do you want in exchange?”
“Just give me whatever you have. If you have some credits, that would be even better,” Uncle He smiled.
After buying the sweet potatoes, Kong Zhi drove Xia Lu Nong to the construction site.
On the way, they saw not only the old man selling sweet potatoes, but also a young guy selling boxed lunches. The young man worked under Old Liu as well.
When he saw their car, he greeted them enthusiastically, “Brother Xia, Brother Kong, you’re here!”
“Yeah, how come you’re selling lunch now?” Xia Lu Nong sniffed the air. “What’s cooking? It smells amazing!”
“Lamb today. Stewed lamb with radish and some chili. If you’re hungry later, come find me. My food’s way better than the stuff from the cafeteria, and it’s hot too.”
As he spoke, steam came from his mouth and nose, his cheeks red from the cold.
He didn’t mind, though, and with a smile, he lifted the lid to show Xia Lu Nong the stew in his pot.
Xia Lu Nong saw large chunks of lamb and floating radishes.
A fire was burning under the pot, and it was still bubbling. The lamb and radish had turned a rich brown color, looking incredibly tender, with bits of chili floating on top.
The lamb and radish stew looked delicious—definitely better than the usual cow offal stew.
Even though Xia Lu Nong had eaten breakfast before coming down, the smell made him hungry again.
He tapped on the window and asked, “How long will you be here today? We’ll come back at lunchtime.”
“Don’t worry, we’re here until five or six in the evening. We’ll pack up and leave with the others. If you’re hungry, just call for me, and I’ll push the cart over.”
After exchanging pleasantries, Xia Lu Nong closed the window, and they continued on their way.
Along the road, they saw many more small stalls.
Xia Lu Nong had no idea when these stalls had popped up or if they were making enough to get by.
But with all these food stalls, the plains were visibly livelier.
Time flew by, and soon it was the 28th day of the lunar month.
As the old saying goes, “Laba Festival is so cold, it can freeze your chin off.” It was indeed freezing outside, and Xia Lu Nong didn’t feel like going out anymore.
He stayed home, preparing for the New Year.
With their household now fully stocked with supplies, Xia Lu Nong decided to fry some meat for the holiday.
Kong Zhi helped him out.
All day, the house was filled with the delicious aroma of meat.
Xia Lu Nong stood by the stove, his whole body covered with the rich aroma of various meats.
Looking at the plate of ground meat and the stuffed lotus roots beside him, he said, “Once we finish frying these lotus root sandwiches, we’re done.”
The lotus roots were harvested in the fall. Back then, they had even encountered a huge snake, which was terrifying. Thinking back on it now, it all felt like a distant memory.
After bringing the lotus roots back, they had been buried in the mud of the rice fields and were still fresh. Throughout the autumn and winter, they had eaten fried lotus roots, stir-fried lotus roots, cold lotus root salads, lotus root stew with pork ribs, and lotus root with cured meat—yet they still hadn’t grown tired of it.
Xia Lu Nong looked at the golden fried lotus root stuffed with meat and felt his appetite growing again.
The meat was also fresh, coming from a pig that was slaughtered just this morning.
The pig was raised by Zheng Ling Guang’s family, and although it wasn’t fully grown—it would have been better to wait another year to eat it—no one could resist. Seeing the plump, white pig, they finally decided to slaughter it for the New Year.
The meat was incredibly tender and fatty, and now all of it was frozen solid outside. Over the next two weeks, they would enjoy plenty of pork.
This was home-raised pork, and the quality was excellent—perfectly balanced between lean and fat, with a unique and wonderful flavor.
It was far tastier than the pork from before the great disaster.
The only odd thing about the pig was its mutation—it had grown an extra nose.
Thinking about the pig’s extra nose from that morning made Xia Lu Nong chuckle.
Kong Zhi was tending the fire under the stove. Seeing Xia Lu Nong’s smiling face, he was about to ask what was so funny when he suddenly sensed an unusual presence.
Kong Zhi looked up toward the kitchen window.
The window was only single-pane glass, so they could clearly see outside. However, nothing was there.
Xia Lu Nong stepped back, following Kong Zhi’s gaze, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Kong Zhi replied, “I sense an unfamiliar presence.”
Xia Lu Nong’s beast form was a cat, so his sense of smell was nearly as sharp as Kong Zhi’s. Even in human form, his nose was still very sensitive.
Earlier, the strong aroma of fried meat had masked any other smells, so he hadn’t noticed anything. But now, after Kong Zhi’s reminder, he caught a strange mix of scents.
It wasn’t just one person—it seemed like several people were approaching.
A look of confusion appeared on Xia Lu Nong’s face. He set down the long chopsticks and skimmer in his hands, saying, “I’ll go take a look. Keep an eye on the fire.”
Kong Zhi said, “I’ll come with you.”
As he spoke, Kong Zhi moved the burning wood in the stove to the ash pile, putting out the fire, and took Xia Lu Nong’s hand to lead him outside.
Xia Lu Nong grabbed his apron and grew even more puzzled.
The two of them walked out together.
In front of their yard, they had planted Sichuan pepper trees and roses. The pepper trees had grown quite tall by now, and with the roses intertwined among them, the entire yard was wrapped up tightly, almost like a high fence.
They couldn’t see what was outside the yard, and people outside couldn’t see in.
To figure out what was going on, they had to step out of the yard.
Once they did, Xia Lu Nong quickly noticed about ten figures walking toward them side by side.
The weather wasn’t great today—it was overcast with no sunlight.
Xia Lu Nong’s eyesight was average, so he couldn’t make out who was there. But from their familiar walking style, he recognized his brother and Xi Nian.
Just by the way his brother and Xi Nian were walking alongside these people, he could tell that these visitors were definitely not ordinary.
Xia Lu Nong couldn’t figure out who would need his brother to accompany them.
After all, his brother wasn’t the sociable type.
He glanced at Kong Zhi, his eyes clearly asking, what’s going on?
Kong Zhi didn’t know either and shook his head slightly.
“Let’s go greet them,” Kong Zhi suggested, taking Xia Lu Nong’s hand.
Curiosity got the better of Xia Lu Nong, and he hurried over with Kong Zhi to take a closer look.
As they approached, they realized there was someone familiar in the group.
It was someone they both knew—Mai Dong from the Black Gold Base!
Xia Lu Nong was shocked. The Black Gold Base was far from their base, so why was Mai Dong here? And he was walking so leisurely, with an aura that seemed different from before.
Xia Lu Nong’s mind was spinning. He didn’t understand, but something felt off.
