Chapter 185: Comparison
Xia Lu Nong had encountered plenty of plants that could move, but this was the first time he’d seen one that could talk. He stood frozen for a moment.
The cactus remained a few meters away, shaking its petals as it spoke again, “What’s the matter? You were sent by the honeysuckle, right?”
The cactus, as if afraid they’d deny it, raised its voice, “Honeysuckle already described what you look like. You’re definitely the ones! Don’t try to tell me you’re not!”
Xia Lu Nong replied in a somewhat dreamy tone, “Yes… We just didn’t expect…”
The cactus’s petals shook as it let out a loud “hahaha” laugh.
The laugh was rough and boisterous, as if a middle-aged man was laughing heartily in front of them.
It all felt very surreal.
Xia Lu Nong quietly rubbed his arm, trying to brush away the goosebumps that had appeared.
After it finished laughing, the cactus smugly said, “You didn’t expect me to talk, did you?”
“Yes,” Xia Lu Nong replied dryly. “You’re truly impressive.”
The cactus chuckled, “You flatter me, hahaha. I just had some free time, so I studied your language. Come on, don’t just stand there—come and sit!”
After a few more sentences, Xia Lu Nong noticed that the cactus spoke with a slight southern accent, its pronunciation soft and indistinct in some places.
It had clearly learned the local dialect.
But Xia Lu Nong couldn’t help but wonder how the cactus had learned to speak, or who had taught it.
As they pondered, the cactus extended one of its long stems and invited them over, “Move your own chairs. I’m too weak to lift them.”
“Okay.” Xia Lu Nong came to his senses and introduced himself, “Honeysuckle probably told you already, my name is Xia Lu Nong, and this is my partner, Kong Zhi.”
“Yes, the honeysuckle told me, and it said you’re both very nice, and that your place is lively. If I go there, I’ll definitely like it.”
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t expected Honeysuckle to speak so highly of them. Rubbing the seam of his pants, he replied, “Honeysuckle is very kind too; it helped us a lot.”
The cactus swayed its flowers in agreement, “Yes, yes, Honeysuckle is well-known for being nice. Everyone trusts it.”
After some casual conversation, the atmosphere relaxed. Xia Lu Nong said, “The reason we’re here today is to invite you to our base. We can help with watering and fertilizing, and in return, you could provide us with flowers, fruits, and other products. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
The cactus swayed its petals and said, “I heard about that. But I don’t think my flowers and fruits are of much use to you. Are you sure this will work?”
“It’s fine. We’ll determine what’s useful or not. As long as you’re willing to provide them, that’s all that matters.”
“That’s no problem. My flowers wither every day anyway. If you want them, take them, just give me a little something in return.”
The cactus was even more agreeable than they had expected.
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi exchanged a surprised glance.
Xia Lu Nong smiled, “So, shall we call it a deal?”
The cactus swayed its flowers, “How about we first discuss my terms?”
Xia Lu Nong’s smile grew a little wider.
He had thought this cactus had no desires, but it seemed to be more cunning than he had anticipated.
It looked like plants were becoming sly too.
Xia Lu Nong nodded, “No problem. What are your terms?”
The cactus hesitated, “I’ve never worked with humans before, so I’m not sure what to ask for. Why don’t you suggest something first, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll negotiate. If it does, I’ll go with you.”
Xia Lu Nong said, “When we cooperate with plants, we usually follow the principle of equivalent exchange. The treatment we offer depends on what the plant can provide us in return.”
He gave an example, “For instance, we have a rose plant at home. Its petals contain a lot of energy, so we provide it with our abilities every day. We also have a Sichuan pepper tree that guards our home, and we frequently give it energy while helping with watering and fertilizing.”
The cactus thought for a moment and said, “If that’s how it works, I can do that too.”
Xia Lu Nong smiled, “Exactly, so we have a foundation for cooperation.”
The cactus immediately replied, “Then if I can provide flowers like the rose, I should get the same treatment as it does.”
Xia Lu Nong responded, “The rose produces a lot of flowers…”
The cactus, feeling indignant, interrupted, “I have plenty of flowers too.”
Xia Lu Nong paused, “Shall we give it a try then?”
“Let’s try it,” the cactus said, shaking its flowers. “But if it doesn’t work, can you send me back?”
Xia Lu Nong chuckled, “Of course. If you’re not satisfied and want to come back, we can bring you back anytime.”
The cactus replied, “Then there’s no problem. I’ll go with you!”
The negotiation between Xia Lu Nong, Kong Zhi, and the cactus went surprisingly smoothly. In less than half an hour, they had reached an agreement.
Xia Lu Nong glanced at the sky and said, “It’s getting late. We need to rest here for the night, and tomorrow we’ll head back to the base.”
The cactus promised, “Don’t worry. You mentioned your Sichuan pepper tree watches over your home, right? Tonight, I can stand guard for you.”
Xia Lu Nong wasn’t entirely sure about trusting this cactus they had just met, but he went along with it and said, “Thank you, then.”
“No problem. We’re friends, after all.”
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi didn’t bother looking for another place to stay. They simply cleaned up the abandoned courtyard, set up a makeshift stove with some stones in the middle of the yard, and that was enough.
As night fell, the temperature dropped.
They lit a campfire, and the flickering flames cast a warm glow over the abandoned yard.
Xia Lu Nong sniffed the air, sat down by the fire, and took out the fish they had caught that afternoon.
The fish was fresh and firm, and when held up, you could smell its sweet, fresh aroma.
If it weren’t impossible to eat raw fish in these times, Xia Lu Nong would’ve been tempted to slice up some sashimi.
Kong Zhi pulled out a cutting board and said, “Give me the fish.”
“Sure. How about we make fish slices soup?”
“Don’t you like pickled fish soup? I have a small jar of pickled vegetables in the bamboo tube. Tonight, I’ll make you pickled fish soup.”
Xia Lu Nong gave him a thumbs-up, “I’ll cut the dried chilies, then.”
They had only brought one pot with them, and since it would be used for both cooking the fish and making dinner, there was no way to make rice. Xia Lu Nong decided to soak some rice noodles instead. Once they’d eaten most of the fish slices, he could cook the rice noodles in the leftover broth—perfect for a hot, comforting meal.
The two of them were experienced in outdoor living and worked together seamlessly. They didn’t need to talk much—just a glance, and the other would know what to do.
The cactus, having learned to speak for the first time, didn’t expect to encounter two people so close that they seemed to exclude a third person.
Several times, the cactus tried to join the conversation, but sensing it wasn’t the right moment, it gave up and shrank back into a corner, sulking and ignoring the two humans.
Xia Lu Nong didn’t notice the cactus’s mood.
Plants didn’t need food.
After the two finished cooking and washing up, they sat down to enjoy their meal.
The pickled fish was flavorful and rich. As soon as Xia Lu Nong tasted it, he could sense the balance of sourness, spiciness, freshness, sweetness, and richness in the broth.
The fish was tender and well-prepared; as soon as it touched his tongue, it melted.
It was so perfectly smooth and delicate that Xia Lu Nong hesitated to swallow. After savoring the flavor for a while, he finally let the fish slide down his throat.
The moment he swallowed, his eyes lit up, and he picked up another piece of the perfectly white, slightly curled fish, staring at it, “This fish is fresher than the river fish we usually eat!”
“It contains more energy, so it naturally tastes better.” Kong Zhi scooped a bowl of fish for him, “Eat quickly, or it’ll overcook.”
“You eat too. Let me try the pickled vegetables.”
The pickled vegetables were made from mustard greens and had been fermenting for almost a year. They were perfectly seasoned.
Xia Lu Nong took a bite of the golden, crispy pickled vegetable. Its sour and fragrant flavor, combined with the spiciness and the taste of the fish, was unbeatable.
Though it had a different texture from the fish, it was equally perfect.
After savoring the taste carefully, Xia Lu Nong squinted his eyes in satisfaction, “This pickled vegetable is amazing—nothing beats homemade pickles.”
Kong Zhi smiled.
The two enjoyed a meal that was nearly perfect. Even as Xia Lu Nong was getting ready for bed, his mouth was still curved in a smile.
He grabbed his journal and carefully recorded everything that had happened that day, especially emphasizing how perfect the fish and pickled vegetables were. He reminded himself to catch more fish and prepare more pickled vegetables when they returned.
After looking over his journal, Kong Zhi suggested, “If you like it, next time we can bring a fishing net and catch more.”
“Sure,” Xia Lu Nong agreed after some thought. “Let’s see if we get the chance to sail here. Otherwise, it’s a bit dangerous.”
Kong Zhi nodded, “With our current production capabilities, making a boat might be a project for next year.”
Xia Lu Nong waved his hand dismissively, “No rush. We’ll just catch a couple more fish this year to satisfy our cravings.”
The two took turns keeping watch.
With the chatty cactus keeping them company throughout the night, they didn’t feel sleepy.
After a peaceful night, Kong Zhi woke up early the next morning, and together with Xia Lu Nong, they went fishing.
In their bamboo tube, they had a collapsible fishing rod. Though they couldn’t catch any big fish, reeling in medium-sized fish, around a few dozen pounds, was no problem.
They considered digging for worms to use as bait, but before starting, Xia Lu Nong had a clever idea: why not split the bait into two types? One would be worms, and the other would be the fish meat they caught yesterday.
The fish meat bait worked much better than the worms. Since no humans had fished there before, when the bait was cast, fish swarmed toward the energy in the meat, like goldfish in a park pond before the disaster, fighting to get to the food.
They didn’t even need to use the fishing rod—they could just scoop the fish up with a ladle.
Xia Lu Nong scooped the bucket several times, pulling up more than ten fish.
Looking at the mass of wriggling, dark-backed fish in the water, Xia Lu Nong remarked regretfully, “If only we had brought a fishing net.”
“We’ll bring one next time,” Kong Zhi replied as he tossed the heavily mutated fish from the bucket back into the sea. “Next time, we’ll come by boat and bring the net.”
The two spent the entire morning fishing, then cleaned up the camp before heading back with the cactus.
Kong Zhi shifted back into his beast form. Xia Lu Nong tied the potted cactus to the golden eagle with a rope, then sat behind it, holding onto the cactus as they flew back.
The golden eagle moved swiftly.
By a little after 5 p.m., they had arrived at the base.
The sentry on duty saw them, waved, and shouted to the base, “Xiao Nong and Kong Zhi are back!”
Xia Lu Nong had been in and out of the base all year with Kong Zhi, but he had never received such a welcome.
When he heard the shout, he was puzzled and asked Kong Zhi beneath him, “What’s going on?”
The golden eagle didn’t know either and couldn’t answer. It simply flapped its wings and dove down faster.
The cactus, strapped to the eagle’s back, was nearly bent in half by the wind and shouted in panic, “Slower—slow down!”
Xia Lu Nong opened his jacket to shield the cactus from the wind and reassured it, “Hang in there, we’re almost there.”
“I can’t hold on much longer! The wind’s tearing my flowers apart!”
Before the trembling petals could settle, Kong Zhi had already landed smoothly at the courtyard gate. He calmly said, “We’ve arrived.”
“Phew, we really made it,” the cactus’s petals shook violently. “That scared me.”
Xia Lu Nong was about to comfort it when someone came running down from the hill, shouting from several meters away, “Xiao Nong! You’re finally back! Come quick and look at the wheat sprouts in the field—they’re growing much faster than the ones at the Fireseed Base!”
Xia Lu Nong blinked, confused.
“Huh?”
