Chapter 190: Invitation
Moving the plum tree down the mountain was a major project.
Xia Huo Qu specially arranged for a construction team to join Xia Lu Nong and his group on the mountain.
The tree branches had begun to turn green, with fresh buds swaying in the spring breeze, carrying a refreshingly clean scent.
The construction team, not having been up the mountain for a while, felt invigorated by the breeze, standing up straighter.
Xia Lu Nong overheard someone quietly marveling, “It’s so pleasant here!”
He walked ahead, smiled, and looked up toward the peak.
If you ignored the mutated animals and plants, this place really was comfortable—much better than the environment before the catastrophe.
Xia Huo Qu asked, “How much farther?”
“Just to the top of that mountain. Look up, brother, and you’ll see it,” Xia Lu Nong pointed. Then, leaning closer to his brother, he whispered, “Brother, you brought so many people. Won’t it delay their work?”
“A day or two won’t matter.”
While they were talking, Xia Lu Nong slipped and almost fell down the mountain.
Kong Zhi, who was behind him, quickly extended a large hand, steadily holding his waist and gently lifting him back onto the path, the movement practiced and effortless.
Xia Huo Qu: “???”
Xia Lu Nong didn’t think anything was wrong and continued, “Brother, should we start building a signal tower next?”
Xia Huo Qu, recovering his composure, said calmly, “It’s being built. Once it’s done, we’ll have to wait for experts from the Fireseed Base to come and calibrate it. It won’t be finished quickly.”
The signal tower was a post-catastrophe communication facility.
Their base didn’t have the necessary technology, so they needed help from the Fireseed Base.
Xia Lu Nong had already seen people surveying the terrain in preparation for laying the foundation a few days ago.
The team doing the groundwork was the same construction crew behind them now.
It wouldn’t be long before signal towers would rise from the ground, piercing the sky.
They continued chatting until they reached the top of the mountain.
The peak was rugged, with a natural stone platform.
On the edge of the platform stood a large plum tree.
The plum tree was tall and sprawling, its branches covered in white blossoms, with a thin layer of slightly yellowed petals on the ground.
After just a day, the tree had started sprouting green leaves.
The mix of white flowers and green leaves made for a stunning sight.
Everyone was momentarily dazed by the beauty before them.
Xia Lu Nong caught his breath and said to the group behind him, “Wait here for a bit while I communicate with the plum tree.”
Everyone nodded.
Xia Huo Qu squinted at the scene ahead. “Go on, but be careful.”
The plum tree was massive.
Its trunk was thick, and its roots ran deep into the ground. It couldn’t uproot itself and walk down the mountain like Xia Hua Jiao.
It needed human assistance.
Xia Lu Nong patted the plum tree and said, “I’m here as promised.”
“I saw you coming as soon as you started climbing. You stand out among your kind,” said the plum tree. “I also saw your brother. He looks a bit intimidating.”
Xia Lu Nong laughed, “He just looks unapproachable, but he’s soft-hearted and easy to get along with.”
“That seems true; your kind doesn’t seem afraid of him.”
“You’re very observant! What else did you notice?”
“I noticed your partner constantly looking at you,” the plum tree said. “Human emotions are truly fascinating.”
Instinctively, Xia Lu Nong glanced back at Kong Zhi.
As expected, Kong Zhi’s eyes were on him. When Xia Lu Nong turned around, Kong Zhi looked slightly tense, the muscles under his clothes noticeably tightening.
Xia Lu Nong gently shook his head, indicating everything was fine.
The plum tree brought his attention back. “We envy the emotions you humans share.”
Xia Lu Nong said, “If you’re interested in us, you can observe us closely. I brought the seeds today. Once you’re moved from this spot, I’ll grow a new tree from them.”
The plum tree asked, “A new plum tree?”
“Yes, just a regular plum tree,” Xia Lu Nong said. “If you’re not satisfied with the new tree, we can cut it down and plant another one until you’re happy.”
The plum tree shook its branches. “No, that’s alright.”
With that, the plum tree began slowly pulling itself out of its spot.
Xia Lu Nong quickly said, “Wait a moment.”
He gestured for the construction team to come over.
The team, having planned ahead, immediately shifted into their half-beast forms, various animal ears popping up. Simultaneously, they pulled their tails from specially designed holes in their uniforms.
After half-beast transformation, many of them grew taller and more powerful, looking extremely strong.
They moved forward with their tools, skillfully securing harnesses around the plum tree.
Xia Lu Nong reassured the slightly anxious tree, “Don’t worry. They’re professionals who know how to calculate leverage points. You’ll be safely transported down.”
The half-beast team, with their immense strength, made moving the six or seven-meter-tall plum tree a manageable task.
Within about ten minutes, with the help of the team, the plum tree was successfully lifted out of its original pit.
It stood on the rocks, supported by its large roots.
Keeping his promise, Xia Lu Nong jumped into the massive hole left behind, planted the seeds, and quickly nurtured a new plum tree.
It was just an ordinary plum tree, with no special medicinal or spatial properties, so it grew quickly, sprouting before everyone’s eyes.
A few minutes later, a plum tree, comparable in size to the mutated one, appeared in its place.
This new plum tree was also full of blossoms, looking no worse than the mutated plum tree.
The mutated plum tree swayed its branches back and forth, genuinely amazed, “Impressive!”
Xia Lu Nong nodded confidently, “As long as you follow me, you can’t go wrong.”
Seeing that everything was ready on Xia Lu Nong’s side, Xia Huo Qu came over and asked, “Shall we head down?”
“Almost done,” Xia Lu Nong replied to his brother and then asked the plum tree, “Shall we go down now?”
The plum tree shook its branches. “Yes!”
The construction team began transporting the plum tree down, and Xia Huo Qu and Kong Zhi both lent a hand.
Xia Lu Nong also wanted to help, but his brother and Kong Zhi worked together to shoo him away, finding him a nuisance.
Feeling free, Xia Lu Nong happily walked ahead to lead the way down to find their vehicle.
Since the disaster, most mutated plants and animals had grown to massive sizes.
Although the plum tree was large, it was not particularly remarkable among mutated species, making the transportation back to the base quite smooth.
By that afternoon, the plum tree had settled into the yard outside Xia Lu Nong’s home.
The yard was filled with various mutated plants, including flowers, grasses, and trees, and the arrival of the plum tree was warmly welcomed by the others.
These mutated plants communicate by releasing chemicals.
These chemicals could either disperse in the wind or attach to birds and beasts, spreading their messages.
While their communication was slow, it had a broad reach.
Having lived in the same area for so long, most of them knew each other.
Even though it was their first meeting, they chatted as if they were familiar.
Xia Lu Nong created a shared space for them, which felt like paradise for some of the more extroverted plants. For the more introverted ones, the joy of being with companions was still quite significant.
With happy plants at home, they grew well.
Spring was a season of growth, and with the flourishing plants, Xia Lu Nong received plenty of flowers, leaves, branches, roots, and sap.
Under the guidance of the newly arrived Hua Yi, the medical clinic had begun using Huacai herbs, many of which Xia Lu Nong provided for sale.
These herbs had impressive effects, showing remarkable results in treating certain ailments.
Gradually, people from other bases heard about the clinic’s reputation and traveled great distances to seek treatment.
Among the patients at the clinic, the farthest came from the Fireseed Base.
As their collaborative farming with the Fireseed Base increased, many people were sent over to assist in establishing the new seedling base, while several from their base went to the Fireseed Base for training.
Both sides maintained close official relations, and informal exchanges were also frequent.
Xia Lu Nong, who didn’t pay much attention to current events, still heard various news about the Fireseed Base day by day.
Whether it was gossip about the prominent figures in the Fireseed Base or discussions about daily life, people around him often talked about it. Everyone in his base had a natural curiosity about the Fireseed Base.
In this context, when Xia Lu Nong heard Leng Chang Kong, who came over for dinner, ask if he wanted to visit the Fireseed Base, he found it surprising yet reasonable.
Xia Lu Nong was momentarily taken aback.
Leng Chang Kong observed his expression. “I know you really like your base, and I do too. Going to the Fireseed Base doesn’t mean you can’t come back. You and Kong Zhi are still young; it would be good for you to see more of the world.”
Xia Lu Nong collected his thoughts and replied, “The crops in the field are at a critical stage right now and need people to tend to them.”
“But you have Professor Yan and the others, right?” Leng Chang Kong said. “I heard you wanted to continue your studies. The Fireseed Base has reopened several universities, and if you want to go, we can arrange a transfer for you.”
“Thank you, Chang Kong.” Xia Lu Nong glanced at Kong Zhi. “We’ll think about it some more.”
“Take your time, but it’s best to decide before summer so we can handle the transfer procedures.”
After a pause, Leng Chang Kong added, “Your personal qualities are evident. You can apply for any major you like, and it should be easy to get in.”
“We’ll consider it seriously. Thank you for your concern.”
Leng Chang Kong laughed heartily. “It’s no trouble at all. We actually hope you can come to the Fireseed Base to provide us with some technical guidance. Your seeds are very interesting.”
Yan Xi Nian couldn’t help but interrupt, “We’re still here. Is it appropriate for you to poach talent right in front of us?”
Leng Chang Kong raised his glass to clink with Yan Xi Nian, laughing, “For the sake of all humanity, I think it’s very appropriate.”
