Chapter 50 Chapter 50 New Features
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The air is filled with the fragrance of soil. Three square dark brown pieces of land are out of tune with the dry and hard soil around them, but anyone with a discerning eye can tell that the soft and fertile land is more suitable for crop growth.
Liang Zhao's brows were furrowed, and doubt was evident in his eyes.
Gu Mengran didn't keep him in suspense any longer. He gave him half a handful of cabbage seeds and explained with a smile: "I don't know the specific principle. This space itself is very counterintuitive. Maybe it's a compensation for us not being able to use tools. There's no need to turn the soil. Just put the seeds in the soil and it will automatically become like this."
"Oh, yes, there is no need to weed or fertilize, unless there are grass seeds mixed in with the seeds. How about that? It is very convenient and efficient, and it can be said to be painless farming."
Liang Zhao lowered his eyes and looked at the muddy ground, and was slow to speak.
Gu Mengran poked his arm and asked, "Are you scared?"
"No, I just think it's... amazing." Liang Zhao dragged out the last line of his voice and looked up at Gu Mengran, "But fortunately, it's still within the tolerance range. At least the seeds didn't take root and sprout immediately, and grow into a cabbage right under my nose."
Gu Mengran burst out laughing, "That's a nice thought."
After that, he sighed again and shook his head with a hint of regret. "It would be nice if it were true. Unfortunately, apart from helping to turn the soil and not needing to weed or fertilize, there is nothing special about it. The growth rate of crops is the same as outside, which is very long, and they still need to be watered when necessary."
Watering? Liang Zhao was slightly stunned, then he looked up at the stream in the distance that looked like a silver ribbon, his throat moving up and down, "We seem to have overlooked a problem."
"Huh?" Gu Mengran has not yet realized the seriousness of the problem.
Liang Zhao looked serious and analyzed in a muffled voice: "The water source is too far away. How can we get water here for irrigation without any tools?"
Oh, right! Gu Mengran suddenly realized, looked at the stream a few hundred meters away, and scratched his head helplessly.
If the crops are planted next to a stream, they will certainly be destroyed by poultry and livestock. However, if they are planted at the other end of the space, too far from a water source, irrigation becomes a problem.
It’s hundreds of meters away, we can’t ask them to scoop water with their hands, right?
In his previous life, he could never fill his stomach and did not have the conditions to raise animals. It was only at this moment that Gu Mengran realized that raising animals and farming seemed to conflict with each other.
It would be a shame not to grow some vegetables on such a large piece of land, but if we don’t raise some small animals, the meat in the space will be eaten up one day. We can’t always eat vegetarian food in the future, right?
Gu Mengran was at a loss as he could not think of a foolproof plan. Just as he was about to put the cabbage seeds back into the bag and was about to go out to ask his grandfather, three fearless little chickens came strolling over.
They dug the soil with their claws and took a few bites from time to time. Three half-grown chicks pecked all the way from the other side of the stream to this side, ignoring Gu Mengran and walking leisurely to his legs.
Gu Mengran wanted to drive the chicks away, but he couldn't think of a solution. He also wanted to see if the chicks would dig out the seeds and eat them, so he gave Liang Zhao a look and stood aside without moving.
"Cluck, cluck—"
The three little chicks dug and pecked at brisk steps as they walked to three dark-brown pieces of land that did not fit in with the surroundings.
The chicken with the brightest colors took the lead in attacking, raising its claws towards the black soil. But just as its claws were about to fall, it seemed to be blocked by an invisible force, and the yellow and black chicken claws suddenly stopped in mid-air.
The chick was not surprised. After pausing for two seconds, it retracted its claws and walked past the area to the side.
One, two, three.
Each chick tried it once and the result was the same.
Gu Mengran was stunned, his pupils suddenly shrank, and he pointed at the ground and said "this" for a long time, shocked and ecstatic, "Liang Zhao, did you see it? They can't seem to get in. Does this thing have a protection mechanism?"
"I saw it." Liang Zhao was also surprised, but he didn't show it.
He stared at the black soil of different colors, then glanced at the leisurely chicks beside him. Suddenly, he took a step forward and grabbed a chick while it was off guard.
Ignoring the chick's struggle, Liang Zhao carried the chick and stepped onto the black soil.
Without any obstruction, he brought the chick in. Then he let go of the chick, and it successfully landed on the soft soil.
After repeated experiments, Liang Zhao came to an accurate conclusion: "The land where the seeds are buried does seem to have some kind of protection mechanism. Small animals cannot enter on their own initiative, but people can enter at will and bring small animals in with them."
"I see!" Gu Mengran nodded frantically, his cheeks flushed with excitement, and he spoke incoherently, "I never thought that space could have such a function. It's just what I want! Now I don't have to worry about it. I can plant whatever I want."
This major discovery made Gu Mengran happy, and all his unhappiness disappeared. He stuffed the cabbage seeds back into the bag and skipped towards the stream.
Looking at his back, Liang Zhao's eyes darkened slightly, and he sensed something was wrong.
Gu Mengran, who owns the space, does not seem to have received any "instructions for use". How to use this land depends entirely on his own exploration. He does not even know the specific details and functions, so...
How did Gu Mengran know about the automatic soil-turning function of the space when he had never sown any seeds before?
Even if he tried it himself, even Grandpa Meng only knew about the space later. How did Gu Mengran know that the space could be used to bring other people in?
Recalling the first time Gu Mengran brought him into the space, Liang Zhao's expression became more solemn, because that didn't seem like a first attempt. At that time, Gu Mengran was very sure that others could enter the space smoothly.
With doubts in mind, Liang Zhao followed Gu Mengran back to the stream.
It can be seen that Gu Mengran was in a good mood. He casually stamped the ground, hummed an unknown tune happily, poured out the cabbage seeds and stuffed them into the soil.
Liang Zhao did not go up to help immediately, but stared at Gu Mengran intently.
After about ten seconds, Liang Zhao leaned over and squatted beside Gu Mengran, and asked casually, "I'm curious, am I the first person to come to this space besides you, the master?"
"Of course!" Gu Mengran said without even raising his head, "I'm the undisputed first one. Even grandpa didn't know about it until later. Why are you asking this?"
Liang Zhao took the cabbage seeds from him and shook his head calmly, "No, just asking casually."
…
After a busy afternoon, the two planted nearly an acre of land beside the stream.
In the first attempt, only three crops were planted: cabbage, radish and sweet potato, all of which can be fed to small animals.
After that, the two buried a row of fruit tree seeds along the stream, such as walnut, apple, peach, pear... These woody fruit trees take several years to bloom and bear fruit, so the earlier they are planted, the earlier they can be harvested.
It was convenient for watering because it was close to the stream. Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao used seed packaging bags to hold water and ran over and over again without getting tired of it to complete the first simple irrigation.
There is only one stream, and it will only get farther and farther away. Gu Mengran thought that it was still necessary to dig a ditch, but thinking of digging the ditch with bare hands... forget it, I'd better wait until I have time and take the coolie Zheng Yijie with me to dig.
After coming out of the space and taking a shower, it was already dark outside.
There were fewer buns in the refrigerator, but the stove was still warm. Gu Mengran knew at a glance that his grandfather and Zheng Yiji had already had dinner.
After a busy day, Gu Mengran had no energy to work out, so he cooked a pot of hot and sour noodles and heated up a few buns, which was a simple dinner for the two of them and the dog.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Gu Mengran rubbed his bloated belly and walked towards the bedroom. He thought he could have an early sleep today, but unexpectedly, just as he said good night to everyone, the walkie-talkie on his waist suddenly rang.
"Liang Zhao, Gu Mengran, come to the cab!"
Hearing his grandfather's distorted but serious voice, Gu Mengran was obviously panicked for a moment, picked up the intercom and asked anxiously: "What's wrong? Is there a problem with the Fengyi?"
"No, just come if you're told to, hurry up!"
Without giving Gu Mengran a chance to refuse, he fell silent after he finished speaking.
Gu Mengran looked up and exchanged glances with Liang Zhao, then pursed his lips helplessly, "Let's go."
At nightfall, the Wind Wing was anchored on the river, but the anchor chain was still not lowered.
The lights in the cab were bright. The old man was leaning back in the captain's chair, looking straight ahead with a serious expression. Zheng Yijie sat next to him on a small stool with a small notebook in his hand. He would look up at the dashboard from time to time, then lower his head to write and draw.
Thinking about the Fengyi, Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao ran very fast.
After seeing that there was nothing wrong with the cab, Gu Mengran walked to the back of the captain's chair with a sullen face, supported his grandfather's shoulder and muttered, "What are you doing? You're ready to go to bed, but you called us over to play mahjong?"
"Playing mahjong?" The old man sneered and said in a deep voice: "I'm not kidding you, stop being so playful here, go take a look outside."
The tone certainly didn't sound like a joke, and Gu Mengran's heart, which had just calmed down, became tense again. He turned around and waved to Liang Zhao, then quickly walked towards the glass next to the dashboard.
It was already dark, the cab was brightly lit, and Huangjiang was shrouded in darkness. The transparent glass reflected some light, and when Gu Mengran got closer, it was like looking in a mirror.
"What?"
Unable to see anything clearly, Gu Mengran deliberately moved closer and put his face against the glass to look out, but the glass was highly reflective and he could not see anything except the dark surface of the river.
Just as he was wondering, a faint sigh came from behind him, followed by a crisp "click" sound, and all the lights above his head went out.
Thick darkness instantly enveloped the cab, with only a faint light on the center console. Gu Mengran was about to ask his grandfather why he turned off the lights, but his eyes, which had gradually adapted to the darkness, glanced out the window, and his slightly opened mouth suddenly seemed to have swallowed an egg.
The night was filled with darkness. The calm river had long been asleep and should have been silent along with the darkness. In the distance, the mountains that rolled up and down like waves were rising with thick smoke and flickering flames.
Gu Mengran's heart skipped a beat, and his lips trembled, "This is..."
Meng Gaoyang: "Wildfire!"
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