Chapter 183
“Eggs? So what about them?”
Li Sinian looked at his wife’s delighted expression, slightly confused. “Do you want to use the eggs to bake a cake? I think the kids would love that.”
Among the supplies they had purchased were several bags of flour, enough to last for a while.
Yan Ya shook her head and carefully packed the carton of 20 eggs as if they were treasures. After making sure none were cracked, she said, “If we eat these eggs, they’ll be gone. But what if we could hatch chicks from them?”
At breakfast, she had been mulling over how to improve the kids’ diets.
Monda Star was already one of the closer planets to this penal colony, but even using their fast military spacecraft, it had taken them a week to get here. For ordinary transport ships, it would take two to three months for a round trip.
This meant that if they ordered supplies from Monda Star now and got clearance from the Interstellar Alliance, it would still be two or three months before they received them. Would the food they had brought last that long? Obviously not.
Given this situation, they needed alternative solutions.
Vegetables and fruits were already growing steadily near the greenbelt and the riverbank. Although the variety wasn’t extensive, at least there was a reliable source.
What they needed to address urgently now was the supply of protein.
“Chicks will grow up to lay eggs or can be slaughtered for meat,” Yan Ya said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the carton of eggs. “They’re a stable source of protein.”
As the marshal’s wife, Yan Ya rarely needed to cook, but culinary skills were something she excelled in. And now, for the sake of the kids’ meals, she was actually considering raising chickens.
Li Sinian’s feelings were complicated.
Seeing his wife and children toil over basic survival was something he could never have forgiven himself for in the past. But now… there wasn’t much choice.
On the other hand, seeing Yan Ya full of energy and purpose was a sight he hadn’t seen in many years.
Perhaps this life wasn’t so bad.
“But do you know how to hatch eggs?” Li Sinian asked, looking at the carton.
This question stumped Yan Ya.
She’d never raised chickens, let alone hatched eggs. She knew the process required specific conditions, and without them, the eggs would eventually spoil.
After some thought, Yan Ya hesitated and asked, “Do you think Chirp Chirp can hatch eggs?”
Come to think of it, they hadn’t seen that little sparrow since yesterday…
Li Sinian thought of Xue Wei’s tiny pet and couldn’t help twitching his lips. That little bird wasn’t even as big as one of these eggs!
“Let’s check the star network for some information and see if the base has any related equipment,” he suggested.
Though he doubted the base had any egg incubators, it didn’t hurt to ask. Or perhaps…
“Why don’t we ask the caretakers first?” Li Sinian proposed.
If they actually managed to hatch chicks, they’d need space to raise them, which would require the caretakers’ approval anyway.
Yan Ya nodded in agreement.
So, just as Su Ci finished teaching the Spiritual Master’s Mental Method to the two botanists, Li Sinian and Yan Ya arrived carrying a carton of eggs.
Hearing their suggestion, Su Ci found it quite reasonable.
Although meat could be obtained through hunting, the long-term exposure to resentment in the local wildlife made the meat unsuitable for direct consumption, requiring purification in the cleansing pool—a tedious process. If the human base could establish a stable meat supply, Su Ci would certainly not object.
Moreover, eggs were indeed a versatile and valuable ingredient.
Recalling the various egg-based delicacies from his memory, Su Ci nodded in agreement. He took the carton of eggs and handed it to A-Yan, who had been silently standing by his side.
Seeing this interaction, Li Sinian and Yan Ya suddenly realized something—they hadn’t even noticed when this caretaker, Zhou Yan, had arrived. Had he been there the whole time? Why didn’t they have any impression of him?
A-Yan accepted the carton with a cheerful smile. “Got it. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Do you know how to hatch eggs?” Yan Ya asked curiously.
“I know a little,” A-Yan replied. “But we should probably build a chicken coop first.”
If all 20 eggs hatched, the flock would quickly grow in size, and a designated area would be needed for the chicks to live.
With the base still enveloped in blood mist—despite the five Spiritual Garlic plants working to dispel the miasma—it would take some more time to fully clear. For now, the coop would have to be built within the confines of the nursery.
Fortunately, there was still some space in front of the nursery building, particularly in the corner by the wall, which would be suitable for the chicken coop.
When Luo Shengfei received the request from the nursery and arrived with his team and building materials via the teleportation platform, he was momentarily stunned.
Was Su Ci no longer satisfied with planting and now venturing into raising livestock?
To be honest, Luo Shengfei was pretty excited.
Their meals had significantly improved recently. Previously, even the adults had been stuck with the same nutrient blocks as the cubs. Were the soldiers any less deserving than the kids?
Getting any extras required spending hard-earned points, and even then, the available food options were rarely fresh—not to mention expensive and unappetizing.
But things were different now.
The logistics department had begun delivering fresh fruits and vegetables daily. The most abundant of these was the Star-chain Fruit, often rated S+ in quality.
Although the supply couldn’t meet everyone’s daily needs, there was enough for an average person to enjoy a small portion of greens or fruits daily—and occasionally even a premium Star-chain Fruit.
Luo Shengfei had been lucky enough to enjoy it a few times. The taste was so exquisite it made him want to swallow his tongue.
Unsurprisingly, the biggest contributor to this improvement wasn’t the cultivation department but the nursery.
Who could have imagined that the small greenbelt cultivated around the nursery could yield such a significant supply of produce? Of course, some of it was supplemented by the cultivation department.
Still, after a few meals, Luo Shengfei could easily tell which fruits and vegetables came from the nursery and which were from the botanical garden. The Star-chain Fruit grown at the nursery was unmistakably superior—once tasted, its origin was obvious.
Now, hearing that the nursery was planning to build a chicken coop, Luo Shengfei was both surprised and eager.
Previously, local poultry farming had been nearly impossible due to the overwhelming pollutants. Beyond the challenges of sourcing feed, simply preventing the animals from mutating was a major hurdle.
After all, even humans needed periodic purification, let alone these unintelligent creatures that couldn’t regulate their emotions. It wasn’t feasible to ask the already scarce purifiers to spend their days purifying poultry. Moreover, once these animals mutated, they posed significant risks.
However, these problems seemed to be resolved now.
With the Spiritual Garlic plants driving away the blood mist, Su Ci’s unparalleled purification abilities, and the nursery’s lush greenery, the conditions were finally ripe for such an endeavor.
Attempting to raise poultry was absolutely feasible.
Meat? Luo Shengfei didn’t dare dream of that just yet. However, if the chicken coop really got up and running, would it mean fresh eggs every day?
“Uncle Camel, what are you doing?”
Luo Shengfei snapped out of his daydream at the sound of the lively voice of the little wolf cub.
He looked at the group of curious cubs peeking in at the construction site of the coop and couldn’t help but smile. “We’re building a chicken coop at Caretaker Su’s request.”
Chicken coop?
What’s that?
Almost every cub, including Xuewei, blinked in confusion, not understanding what he meant. The little wolf cub, however, immediately brightened up, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Is the nursery going to raise chickens?” he asked eagerly.
Back at the star pirates’ base, the pirate who had taken him in had kept a brood of hens for eggs. Cleaning the coop and collecting eggs had been one of his daily chores.
He was already an expert at this!
Luo Shengfei was a little surprised by the wolf cub’s reaction but shook his head. “I’m not sure about that. If you want to know the details, you’ll have to ask Caretaker Su.”
“Oh, okay.” The wolf cub scratched his head but didn’t rush off. Instead, he stayed with his friends, curiously watching the repair crew work.
These cubs were no longer the “little monsters” they once were, and the repair team had grown quite familiar with them.
During their last visit to build the greenhouse, they’d been treated to tea prepared by the cubs. This time, the crew brought their own tea leaves and coffee powder, taking the initiative to ask the cubs for hot water.
The water from the nursery really was different!
After taking another sip, they could clearly feel the difference. Each member of the repair crew was grateful they’d managed to snag this rare opportunity to work at the nursery.
Building the chicken coop was much simpler than constructing the greenhouse and required fewer workers. With limited spots and high demand, there had been a bit of a scramble to get assigned.
The nursery had become the most coveted assignment. Even without any additional perks, just being around these adorable, well-behaved cubs was enough to heal the hearts of workers who had endured years of hardship on this desolate star.
For those lucky enough to secure a spot, they were determined to make the most of this rare opportunity.
During breaks, they went out of their way to chat with the cubs. Some more strategic workers even brought small gifts, like candies, which instantly drew a small crowd of cubs clamoring around them.
Being surrounded by these adorable children with their beast ears and tails, their bright smiles shining, was pure joy. It was worth every point spent on the candy.
Even the panda cub toddled over, its chubby figure wobbling as it joined the others in asking for a sweet treat with a soft, “Ying~ Ying~ Ying~.”
Those repair workers who came empty-handed looked on with envy, glaring at the colleague who had come prepared.
Such a smug guy was clearly asking to be stuffed into a burlap sack!
No matter how much they dawdled, the chicken coop was eventually completed. As the repair workers reluctantly prepared to leave, Rong Heng, who had been calmly staying by his sister’s side and showing no interest in the tempting candies, walked over from a distance.
Somewhat awkwardly, he called out, “Uncle Luo.”
Rong Heng, having experienced persecution at the hands of the research institute, harbored animosity toward most adults in the base. For him to use this form of address was already a significant step forward.
Luo Shengfei, hearing that finally, a cub wasn’t calling him “Little Camel,” felt quite touched.
Squatting down to Rong Heng’s level, his voice unconsciously softened, becoming syrupy sweet as he asked, “Your name is Rong Heng, right? Do you need something?”
Hearing this suddenly sugary tone, Rong Heng was visibly uncomfortable and instinctively took a step back, regretting that he’d initiated the conversation.
However, glancing back at Lu Li, he hesitated for a moment before turning back to Luo Shengfei and asking, “Do you need fruit?”
“Fruit?” Luo Shengfei blinked.
“Yes, Star-chain fruit,” Rong Heng replied, pulling one out from his storage pouch.
Previously, when interacting with the two cultivators, he had cautiously concealed the existence of his storage pouch. However, now he’d come to a realization.
With Su Su around, who would dare steal their belongings? Moreover…
Rong Heng glanced toward the distance, where Li Sinian and Yan Ya were watching. Pausing briefly, he looked away again.
Though he still felt estranged from them and found their attempts at closeness hard to accept, they seemed to exert some influence over him.
“Is this fruit… for me?” Luo Shengfei’s voice was filled with emotion.
“No,” Rong Heng replied mercilessly.
Luo Shengfei’s expression fell. “Then you mean…”
“If you want it, we can trade,” Rong Heng explained.
This idea had come from Lu Li, who had inspired him. Previously, Rong Heng had traded with patrolling teams for items. Now, since Su Su restricted his travel, he had to think of alternative solutions.
“Sure, sure! What do you want in return?”
Although it wasn’t what Luo Shengfei had anticipated, the prospect of a trade still excited him.
“I want two communication devices,” Rong Heng said.
Luo Shengfei hesitated. “Two communication devices? I’m afraid one fruit won’t be enough…”
“Then how many fruits will it take?”
The two began negotiating how many Star-chain fruits would be needed to exchange for the communication devices.
In the distance, the marshal and his wife watched, feeling a pang of heartache. Their child, rather than coming to them for what he wanted, was scrimping and saving to trade his fruits instead.
Yan Ya wanted to step forward, but Li Sinian gently stopped her.
“This is Xiang Yang’s choice. We need to respect it,” Li Sinian said softly.
The child, though young, had a mind of his own.
Yan Ya understood this well and ultimately stayed where she was, watching as Rong Heng successfully concluded his trade with Luo Shengfei before returning to his sister’s side.
Although the young boy carried himself with calm composure, the light in his eyes and the slight lift in his brows revealed the joy he felt from completing the deal.
If this was what he wanted, then as parents, all they could do was support him…
After the repair team left, A-Yan took the box of eggs and carefully placed them, one by one, into the temperature control unit inside the coop.
Though the device wasn’t specifically designed for incubating eggs, with A-Yan, the all-knowing Rule Spirit, as its overseer, as long as the temperature could be adjusted, no other issues would arise.
After setting everything up, he temporarily left the coop.
Immediately, the cubs swarmed into the coop like a tidal wave. Thankfully, A-Yan had anticipated this and built the coop spacious enough to accommodate all of them at once.
Even Ran Lie, who usually liked to act aloof, couldn’t resist joining in to take a look.
Through the transparent glass, they could see each egg resting quietly under the warm glow of the light, creating a cozy and heartwarming scene.
So, what would emerge from each of these eggs? And what would the little chicks, said to eventually lay eggs, look like?
They’d heard they might resemble Jiu Jiu somewhat.
Thus, when Jiu Jiu was brought back from its underground seal for a bit of fresh air by Su Ci, it became the unfortunate target of the cubs’ intense scrutiny.
But… Eggs bought in stores aren’t fertilised ??