Chapter 67: Going Up the Mountain
Yan Xi Nian soon returned accompanied by a specialist named Yan Ming Qing.
Yan Ming Qing, a stocky, bald man in his forties, had a simple, farmer-like demeanor. After carefully examining the field, he remarked, “This kind of wheat is something I’ve never seen before. It has mutated excessively.”
He then shone his flashlight on the plants, clicking his tongue in amazement.
Yan Xi Nian asked, “Can you tell what the wheat will turn out like when it grows?”
“No, it’s too early. There’s no precedent for this. We’ll have to take it step by step.”
After examining the seedlings thoroughly, Yan Ming Qing suggested, “You should separate the mutated wheat from the normal wheat. Set aside an acre just for the mutated plants, and make sure to give them enough water and fertilizer.”
Xia Lu Nong took note of this. “Is there anything else we should pay special attention to?”
“Not for now. If it’s convenient, I’d like to take some samples back for research.”
Xia Lu Nong agreed and gave him one normal wheat seedling and one mutated seedling for sampling.
Yan Ming Qing meticulously organized the seedlings into a bag before expertly demonstrating the transplanting process. He meticulously outlined the precise depth for digging, optimal spacing between plants, and the recommended fertilizer, ensuring that every crucial detail was addressed.
Finally, Yan Ming Qing sighed, “If only we had pesticides and chemical fertilizers.”
Xia Lu Nong cast a sidelong glance at him. They didn’t even have electricity yet—talking about pesticides and fertilizers seemed a bit premature.
Yan Xi Nian patted the expert’s shoulder, “One step at a time. We’ll get there.”
After transplanting the mutated wheat seedlings into the new field, they started growing rapidly, changing almost daily.
Xia Lu Nong now visits the field every morning and evening to water, fertilize, and weed, while tracking the seedlings’ growth and how they respond to care.
There wasn’t much to tend to in the vegetable garden anymore, just occasional weeding and watering.
Meanwhile, the peanuts had started to bloom with little yellow flowers, and it wouldn’t be long before they produced peanuts.
Thinking of boiled peanuts, fried peanuts, and peanut brittle, Xia Lu Nong could practically taste them already.
As time passed, the watermelons and cantaloupes outside Xia Lu Nong’s house grew larger day by day, while the strawberries had already been harvested and eaten more than a dozen times.
The pumpkins and winter melons hanging from the large trees had also begun to bloom and bear fruit.
Whether it was due to their regular watering or Xia Lu Nong occasionally channeling some of his powers into the plants, the pumpkins and winter melons growing on the vines were enormous. One of the winter melons, for example, was already as big as a small boat. One of the long winter melons measured at least 1.5 meters, taller than the kids in the base.
The winter melon was still covered in a layer of frost and showed no signs of stopping its growth. Worried that the vine couldn’t hold the weight of the melon, Xia Lu Nong tied a hemp rope net around it and secured it to the tree to prevent it from falling.
The pumpkins, though smaller than the winter melons, were still quite large, about the size of a millstone. Their skin was patterned with green and light yellow spots, and they showed no signs of ripening yet. Several of them were in the same condition, and Xia Lu Nong estimated it would take at least two weeks before they could be eaten.
Among the many fruits and vegetables growing at home, aside from Xia Lu Nong, who tended to them every day, the person most captivated by their growth was Yan Ming Qing. Almost every morning, Yan Mingqing would walk around the fields with a notebook, a pen tucked into the front pocket of his shirt, recording the growth data of Xia Lu Nong’s plants.
Xia Lu Nong didn’t mind and often offered him fresh vegetables as a kind gesture.
They weren’t short on supplies now, rotating through cucumbers, gourds, eggplants, beans, tomatoes, bitter melons, and snap peas. Their meals were never repeated.
In fact, their family had the most variety in vegetables and cooked the best food in the entire base.
Despite this, Xia Lu Nong would occasionally visit the cafeteria to exchange for some special ingredients. The cafeteria offered a variety of rare and tender vegetables, such as potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, and lotus root, which are usually hard to find. These were brought back by the scavenging team and cost quite a lot to trade for.
One day, Xia Lu Nong headed to the cafeteria with a basket, hoping to trade for something fresh. As he approached the kitchen, he saw several people cleaning mushrooms at the entrance.
It had been a long time since Xia Lu Nong had eaten mushrooms, especially wild ones. His eyes lit up, and he went over to take a closer look. “Is that Yunnan termite mushroom?”
Yunnan termite mushrooms were the most famous kind, and he recognized them immediately.
The cafeteria staff smiled at him. “Yes, these are Yunnan termite mushrooms, freshly picked today.”
Xia Lu Nong crouched down. “They look so fresh. How can I trade for some?”
“They’ve already been traded,” the staff member said. “The scientists from the White Building just requested all of them. If you want to eat them, you’ll have to negotiate with them.”
“Ah?” Xia Lu Nong sighed and looked around. “What about these other mushrooms?”
“Also traded,” the staff replied. “No one’s brought mushrooms back in a while, so when these arrived, everyone snatched them up right away.”
“I see.”
“You were just a bit late.”
In the end, Xia Lu Nong only managed to trade for three stalks of lettuce.
Lettuce was still delicious this time of year—crispy and tender, it could be stir-fried with a little salt for a refreshing meal.
But now Xia Lu Nong couldn’t stop craving mushrooms. He envisioned thick mushroom slices stir-fried, simmered in soup over an open fire, or baked in an oven, and it made his mouth water.
Seeing how much he was craving them, his brother said, “What’s the big deal? If you want mushrooms, just go out and pick some. There’s no danger nearby.”
“Picking mushrooms means going up the mountain,” Xia Lu Nong said. “That’s at least a day’s trip.”
“Then take a day. We don’t have anything urgent to do right now. I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
“Aren’t you working on setting up the electricity? Wouldn’t it be bad to leave suddenly for something else?”
Kong Zhi, who was nearby, chimed in. “I can take Lu Nong out.”
Xia Huo Qu turned to him and didn’t object but asked, “Do you know mushrooms well?”
“Not too well, but we can bring them back for the cafeteria staff to identify. If they’re edible, we’ll bring them home.”
Xia Lu Nong quickly added, “There’s a mushroom guide in my e-reader. We can follow that when we pick.”
Xia Huo Qu thought for a moment. “That works. You two should leave early and come back as soon as possible.”
Xia Lu Nong happily agreed.
He hadn’t left the base in ten days, as they had been busy planting wheat and rice and tending to the fruits and vegetables.
Just thinking about going outside the base made him too excited to sleep well that night.
The next morning, he woke up early, gathered water, washed the vegetables, and made a deluxe lunch for four—stir-fried bacon with chili, pickled vegetables, and eggplant, filling four large lunchboxes.
He packed large burlap sacks and hemp rope in his backpack for carrying their haul.
If they ended up picking too many mushrooms, they could chop down some branches in the wild to make a carrying pole to bring everything back.
Xia Huo Qu gave him a look, his gaze falling on the bulging backpack. “Isn’t this a bit overconfident?”
“Not really,” Xia Lu Nong scratched his head. “If we get lucky and find something good, we’ll need bags to carry it.”
Xia Huo Qu thought for a moment. “You think you’re going to get lucky on this trip?”
Xia Lu Nong quickly waved his hands. “I’m just assuming. I don’t expect to get lucky, don’t read too much into it, brother.”
“I’m merely making an assumption as well. What could you possibly find while mushroom hunting?”
Xia Lu Nong thought for a moment and shook his head.
The base was surrounded by mountains, vast and towering.
He didn’t really know what was in the mountains. He brought the burlap sacks just to be prepared.
Seeing he couldn’t get an answer, Xia Huo Qu waved them off, letting them head out.
Xia Lu Nong grinned and said, “We’re going out to have some fun. We’ll be back by evening!”
Kong Zhi transformed into a giant golden eagle in the clearing outside the house. Xia Lu Nong carefully tied a rope around him and climbed onto his back.
With a few strides, Kong Zhi took off, flying swiftly into the air. Xia Lu Nong sat cross-legged on his back, looking almost like an immortal riding a crane.
Flapping his wings, Kong Zhi quickly flew them away from the base toward a nearby mountain. He took Xia Lu Nong to a relatively tall mountain, where the temperature was cooler, the plant life was sparser, and the ground was clearer, making it easier for them to walk.
After landing and getting ready, they each grabbed a stick to help them find their way. Xia Lu Nong glanced around and felt that the vegetation was still too dense, completely blocking the sky.
Leading the way, Kong Zhi said, “Let’s go. We’ll head up along the slope.”
“Okay!” Xia Lu Nong snapped out of his thoughts, using his stick to help him climb the hill step by step.
Not long into their climb, Xia Lu Nong noticed the ground was covered with round, brown pellets, making it hard to find a place to step. He hesitated and asked, “What kind of droppings are these? They’re everywhere!”
Kong Zhi examined them closely and said, “These are probably from rabbits.”
Xia Lu Nong was stunned. He looked around in surprise. “Are there really that many rabbits in this mountain? It looks like the ground is covered with their droppings!”
“Maybe rabbits have been living here for years, and the droppings just accumulated over time,” Kong Zhi said, continuing forward. “This area is a pine forest. We should be able to find a good amount of mushrooms.”
Nodding, Xia Lu Nong cautiously walked over the droppings and followed. The pine forest floor was thick with fallen needles, with fewer weeds, so the path wasn’t too difficult, though it was a bit slippery. Xia Lu Nong, lacking anything to hold on to, slipped several times.
Luckily, the pine needles were thick enough that aside from getting his knees and backside dirty, he didn’t suffer any real injuries.
As they maneuvered their sticks to clear away the dense layer of pine needles, they discovered an array of mushrooms in a spectrum of colors—vivid yellows, striking whites, and rich greens—though they were not present in abundance. Xia Lu Nong was able to recognize one variety, the golden chanterelle.
The tender yellow chanterelles were hidden in the grass, and they managed to collect 23 mushrooms in two clumps—enough to make a small bowl of soup. If they found more later, they might have enough for a big dish.
Kong Zhi was more skilled at mushroom hunting. Xia Lu Nong, with his average eyesight and tendency to be disengaged, often lagged behind, only noticing mushrooms when Kong Zhi summoned him to gather them.
Mushroom hunting was exhausting. They had to climb the mountain inch by inch, pushing through dense undergrowth, often dealing with the disappointment of finding inedible or poisonous mushrooms. Many of the fattest and juiciest ones turned out to be either toxic or tasteless, much to Xia Lu Nong’s frustration.
After discovering yet another inedible mushroom, Xia Lu Nong wiped his brow and sighed inwardly.
“If these mushrooms were safe to eat,” Kong Zhi remarked, “they’d probably already have been eaten by other animals.”
“Good point,” Xia Lu Nong replied, exhaling as he stretched his back. As he did, something caught his eye—a gray figure moving in the distance.
Looking closely, Xia Lu Nong realized it was a rabbit. But not just any rabbit…
Thanks for the chapter!