Chapter 39
Tang Yu'an looked at the message that popped up from the system, wondering if he was seeing things.
The appraisal fee for this tiny green seedling is 100 points?
The appraisal fee is 10% of the item’s value, which means... this little green seedling is worth 1,000 points?
Tang Yuan: 0.0
Although he was surprised at the value of the small green seedling, he thought about it and felt that it was understandable. After all, a mutant lantern fruit cost 50 points, so it was not outrageous that the value of the plant was 20 times higher than the fruit.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at the mature mutant lantern grass.
If the seedlings are so valuable, what about the mature ones?
However, when Tang Yu'an used a basic identification skill, the system prompt that popped up read:
[This item is a life form that has begun to show signs of intelligence. The current identification skill level is insufficient and cannot be identified.]
The first, first intelligent life form?
oO
Tang Yu'an was surprised again.
He looked at the mutated lantern grass, examined it carefully, and then looked at the unidentified prompts that kept popping up on the system, and finally confirmed that he had not misunderstood.
Does this mutated lantern plant have self-awareness?
Like his umbrella?
Tang Yu'an looked around the mutated lantern grass curiously. From the outside, apart from being taller than ordinary grass and more like a small tree, there was really nothing special about it.
So, will all mutant plants awaken their self-awareness, or is this lantern plant the only one that is special?
Is this the legendary...cultivation to become a spirit?
If it keeps practicing like this, will it be able to speak like the fairies in myths?
Questions popped up in Tang Yu'an's mind one after another, but the only person who could communicate with him at the scene was a three or four-year-old child, who obviously could not give him a real answer.
Kang Kang was chewing his buns in small bites. When he heard Tang Yu'an's words, he said, "Cao Cao, my friend!"
Tang Yu'an had heard him say before that the mutant lantern grass was his friend. At that time, he just thought that Kang Kang was young and had no playmates of the same age, so he regarded the mutant lantern grass as his spiritual sustenance.
I didn’t expect that we were actually friends!
Since she was An An's friend, Tang Yu'an naturally couldn't have any ideas about this mutant lantern grass, but...
His gaze turned to the small green seedlings on the ground.
If the mature one doesn't work, then this little seedling that hasn't even developed any self-awareness should be fine, right? Kang Kang said he'd give it to him!
This small plant is worth 1,000 points. If I could get it by overcoming the bug every day...
Tang Yu'an couldn't help swallowing, his eyes shining as he looked at the little green seedling.
"Kang Kang, I will bring you a bun or other delicious food every day from now on. Can you give me this little green seedling?" he asked.
Kang Kang looked at him strangely.
"When you grow up, give it to your brother!" he repeated.
"Can't we do it now?" Tang Yu'an said, "Just like the game we play every day..."
He didn't really want to take it back. It would remain with him like a mutated lantern fruit. He would just come here every day to exploit bugs and gain points.
But Kang Kang was extremely stubborn and said, "Wait for Miao Miao to grow up."
Tang Yu'an didn't give up and asked again: "Do we have to wait until it grows up?"
"Yeah!" Kang Kang nodded.
As if seeing that Tang Yu'an really wanted to play this "game", he explained: "Miao Miao will be sad."
Tang Yu'an was stunned. If he used the little green seedling to play games, would it be sad?
He lowered his eyebrows and looked at the small bud that had just emerged from the soil, and suddenly realized that in his eyes it was just a mindless plant, but in Kang Kang's eyes it was his good friend.
Maybe the world Kang Kang sees is different from his.
Suddenly I feel a little envious. Making friends with plants is so cool just thinking about it!
"Oh well."
Tang Yu'an didn't insist any more. He smiled and said, "Then I'll wait until Miaomiao grows up and then I'll come pick it up."
Although it's a bit of a pity, it doesn't matter if Kang Kang doesn't want to. There will definitely be new mutant lantern fruits growing in the future, and he can still exchange them for more points.
Kang Kang also started laughing.
"Um!"
Then he held the bun in front of Tang Yu'an, wanting him to eat it.
"I'm full, you eat." Worried that he would choke, Tang Yu'an fed him a few more sips of glucose water.
As for the identification of the small green seedlings...
Tang Yu'an looked at the appraisal fee of 100 points and finally decided to put it on hold for the time being. After all, 100 points could be exchanged for 3 special cold medicines or a roll of primary healing bandages.
Even if the function of the little green seedling is identified, it cannot be converted into cash for the time being. It is better to wait until it grows up and he has accumulated more points.
Because Kang Kang had just finished breakfast before they came, his belly was already bulging before he had even finished half of the bun.
"We can eat the rest later."
Tang Yu'an took out a transparent plastic bag and helped him pack the remaining buns. He taught him how to tie and untie the knots, then rewrapped it and stuffed it into his clothes.
"Thank you, brother!"
Kang Kang was smiling, and his spirits were obviously much better than before.
"You're welcome. This is what you deserve." Tang Yu'an touched his little head, picked up a few stones nearby, and taught him to play another game.
-
On the other side, Zhou Qi also helped Grandma Guo move the plastic box to a suitable place to bask in the sun.
After moving the rice seedlings into the sun, Grandma Guo went to get a metal basin filled with soil. The soil inside was very moist, a bit like mud dug out of a pond, probably the result of soaking in water all night.
Zhou Qi watched her squatting beside the rice seedlings, then picked one out and carefully transplanted it into the metal basin.
"Is this seedling different from the others?" he asked.
"Yeah." Granny Guo nodded, looking at the transplanted rice seedlings with a smile in her eyes, "It doesn't need that much water. Too much water is not good."
Zhou Qi suddenly realized and had a new understanding of Grandma Guo's abilities.
At least from his perspective, this rice seedling was as green and lush as the others, and about the same size, so it was hard to tell that it would require less water.
If this is the characteristic of wood-type abilities, then every wood-type ability user is a natural plant master.
Seeing Granny Guo transplant two more plants, Zhou Qi thought for a moment and asked, "Are you planning to cultivate upland rice?"
As soon as he asked the question, he felt that he might be overthinking it. Maybe the plastic boxes were just too crowded, and that intensive cultivation and individual differentiated management could better increase production?
However, Granny Guo nodded.
"Yes," she said, "Rice is good, but it requires too much water. It's really not easy to grow in the wasteland."
Watching her pouring water into the metal basin, the amount of water was only a little less than that in the plastic box, and the difference didn't seem big. Zhou Qi remembered what he learned in biology class.
He pursed his lips and said, "I'm afraid it will take a long time to cultivate it, right?"
Granny Guo nodded and said, "But I can plant it much faster than ordinary people. Although I don't know how long it will take, as long as I keep planting, I will be able to plant it one day."
Zhou Qi listened to her words, thought for a moment and asked, "What happens after that comes out?"
Granny Guo was startled, "After it's grown..."
She originally just wanted to make sure Kang Kang had enough food to eat and that he would have something to rely on for his future, but when the boy asked her this, she felt as if something warm was surging in her heart.
Is it really enough for Kang Kang to just have enough food to eat and live a good life?
In the end, Granny Guo just smiled and said, "Let's wait until the crops are grown. It's too early to talk about this now."
Zhou Qi nodded slightly and said in a firm tone: "Well, you will definitely succeed."
Grandma Guo showed a kind smile on her face and thanked him solemnly.
Without these two young men, she wouldn't even have such hope. It was their appearance that made this possibility possible for her and Kang Kang's future.
Then she took out a sweet fruit and handed it to Zhou Qi.
"Eat it, it will quench your thirst."
Zhou Qi did not refuse. The way Granny Guo handed him the fruit so kindly and gently made him feel as if he saw another figure that he would never see again.
He took a bite of the fruit, and the sweetness in his mouth diluted the sourness in his heart. The young man stood up and said, "I'll go get you some water."
Without waiting for Granny Guo to refuse, he picked up the bucket and left as if he knew the place well.
-
Soon, Zhou Qi completed three profitable transactions with Granny Guo, the most serious of which was the last one - he exchanged one and a half kilograms of rice for 35 mushrooms from her.
Yesterday I exchanged more than 40 mushrooms per pound. Today I exchanged more rice but fewer mushrooms, which can be considered a price reduction promotion, so this daily task was successfully completed.
The total profit was 57 points, and he obtained 35 mushrooms and 2 sweet fruits. His and Tang Yu'an's experience points also increased by 3 points respectively.
Grandma Guo didn't expect that he would take out refined rice again today, and although the mushrooms he picked were bigger than yesterday, there were fewer of them, which made her very embarrassed.
"Do you still want some sweet fruit?" She thought for a moment and said, "Shall I give birth to a batch tomorrow?"
"Don't you want to keep your superpowers to grow rice?" Tang Yu'an walked over.
Granny Guo hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Anyway, this batch of rice needs time to grow naturally, so delaying the harvest for a few days won't be a big deal."
Helping the fruit trees grow took a lot of toll on her, but now with the rice porridge, she felt she would recover faster and shouldn't have any major problems.
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi looked at each other. After seeing Zhou Qi nod, he unzipped his backpack and took out the potatoes he had prepared earlier.
"Mother-in-law, do you know what this is?" he asked.
Grandma Guo took the oval lump with a golden skin and small pits, and a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.
"Is this the rhizome of a plant?" she identified it carefully.
Tang Yu'an was slightly startled. He didn't expect that Granny Guo didn't even know potatoes! Is there no potato in this world?
"Haven't you ever eaten potatoes?" Tang Yu'an asked.
Granny Guo shook her head in confusion, then said, "Potatoes? They're beans that grow in the soil? So they can be eaten?"
Tang Yu'an suppressed his surprise and nodded, saying, "Yes, you can eat it."
"And it can be planted directly in the ground as seeds, and when it's time to harvest, you just dig up the soil and you get this potato."
Tang Yu'an pointed to the small pits on the surface of the potato and said, "These are its eyes. They can sprout. If you bury the whole potato or cut it into pieces and put it in the soil, it will grow into new potatoes."
Grandma Guo looked at the potato in her hand. It felt heavy and substantial, and she could feel the vitality contained in this oval lump.
Those buds seemed to be shouting loudly: Grow! I want to grow! I want to grow out!
Granny Guo, who possesses wood-related abilities, couldn't help but develop a strong interest in this plant she had never seen before.
"What are the conditions for its growth?" asked Grandma Guo.
Her ability to induce growth does not mean that plants can grow out of thin air, but rather requires providing the plants with a corresponding growth environment during the growth process.
For example, rice needs a lot of water during its growth process. When promoting the growth of fruit trees, she will look for places with fertile soil and do it in a time with sufficient sunlight.
Tang Yu'an had never grown potatoes before, so he didn't know about these details, but...
He thought of the thought that had just flashed through his mind, and couldn't help but stare at the potato, muttering to himself: item identification.
[Do you want to deduct 1 point and use the "Item Appraisal (Basic)" skill on this object?]
The appraisal fee is 1 point, so the value of a potato is the same as that of a fruit, both are 10 points.
Tang Yu'an chose "yes".
After the points are successfully deducted, the item information will pop up.
[Name: Potato, also known as potato, ground egg, etc.]
【Value: 10 points/each】
[Origin: KJ2548, KJ56486, DM53944, GM68254, MR154631, MR168845 planes]
Description: It has multiple characteristics of grain, vegetable, and fruit. It is a high-quality grain crop. The plant prefers cool weather and is drought-resistant. It has a high yield and can grow even in poor soil.
Looking at the information, Tang Yu'an was surprised to find that there were only six planes that produced potatoes. Does this mean... their world is in these six planes?
He took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement at discovering clues to the original world, and carefully read the identification description of potatoes.
After reading it, Tang Yu'an fell silent.
According to systematic identification, potatoes are indeed a high-quality crop with high yields, drought resistance, and the ability to grow in poor soil. But the problem is...
Potatoes can't stand the heat!
This is just like rice being intolerant to drought and is not suitable for cultivation in the current environment.
Tang Yu'an felt a headache. Is this the doomsday environment? It's really difficult to find a suitable high-yield food crop!
Granny Guo was still waiting for his answer, so Tang Yu'an had to control his frustration and told her about the growth characteristics of potatoes.
Although he likes coolness, he is not quite sure what temperature is considered "cool". However, according to the standards of their previous life, the temperature above 28℃ is definitely not considered cool.
"I see." Granny Guo nodded repeatedly, then asked, "You gave me these potatoes because you want me to help you plant them?"
Tang Yu'an hesitated for a moment, but nodded.
Now that everything has been taken out, there is no reason to take it back. Besides, Granny Guo is a professional in planting, so maybe she has a way?
"You can try growing some potatoes," he said. "You can share the potatoes among us."
"Do these beans taste good?" asked Granny Guo, stroking the potatoes.
"It's OK." Tang Yu'an said, "It's delicious when cooked. It's very filling. One is enough to make you feel full. And I heard that the production is quite large."
Hearing this, Granny Guo's eyes lit up slightly.
She didn't doubt Tang Yu'an's words at all, because there was no need for them to lie to her.
only……
"This is my first time planting, and I'm afraid I can't guarantee the yield." Grandma Guo hesitated.
Each plant has different requirements for growing conditions, and she needs to explore carefully before finding a way to make them grow quickly while ensuring quantity and quality.
Seeing that Granny Guo was very interested in growing potatoes, Tang Yu'an waved his hand and said, "It's okay, just plant them as you see fit. It doesn't matter if they go badly."
Even if the potatoes go bad, it doesn't matter. After all, he still has four potatoes in his portable warehouse, and they will not go bad if they are kept there. At worst, he can wait until the weather is cooler and take them out to plant them.
"That won't be bad."
Granny Guo said with a smile, "How about this, you just leave this potato here, and I promise to return you at least one later."
"Okay!" Tang Yu'an nodded, "Then it's settled."
After completing the transaction with Granny Guo and Kang Kang, they prepared to leave for the next stop. It was not yet nine o'clock.
Before leaving, Tang Yu'an thought of something and casually asked Granny Guo: "Granny, do you know where there is lantern grass?"
"Lantern grass?"
Granny Guo nodded. "I know, but if you're looking for mutant lantern plants, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
She has only seen the mutated lantern grass that she has at home. The other lantern grasses are short and small, and the fruits they produce do not glow.
Tang Yu'an shook his head, "No, I just want to see the ordinary lantern grass."
"Then I'll take you there."
Granny Guo left Kang Kang at home, told him not to run around, and then set off with Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi.
After a somewhat circuitous route, they finally came to a small mound covered with weeds.
Tang Yu'an lowered his head and recognized at a glance a common lantern grass growing at his feet.
Just as Grandma Guo said, it grows very short and its fruits are also small. The largest one is only as big as a thumb. It is buried by the surrounding thatch and is very inconspicuous.
"It's right here." said Grandma Guo.
Now that she was there, she said goodbye to the two teenagers and began to look for wild vegetables on the small hillock, preparing to take them back to eat today.
She pointed to a puddle at the bottom of the slope and said, "The water down there was originally over a meter deep, but now it's much shallower, making it much less dangerous. But you still have to be careful."
Granny Guo advised the two teenagers to avoid places with water as much as possible when they were in the wild.
"Okay, I should go back. You guys shouldn't stay here too long." Grandma Guo deftly threw the wild vegetables into her backpack, said goodbye to them, and left the slope with her sickle.
Zhou Qi watched her leaving with a puzzled look on his face.
"Brother Xiaoqi?" Noticing something was wrong with him, Tang Yu'an looked at him with concern.
Zhou Qi paused, looked away and shook his head: "Nothing."
He continued to squat down and began to pick the lantern grass on the ground.
Tang Yu'an has just identified that one plant of this common lantern grass is worth 20 points. It can be taken internally to treat colds, fever, mumps, sore throats and coughs, and applied externally to treat poisonous sores.
Such herbs are certainly worth collecting.
After discussion, they decided to transplant a few plants and plant them in the small botanical garden behind the grocery store in case of emergency.
Tang Yu'an took out an umbrella.
In such a wild place, it would be better for him to hide under the umbrella to make him feel safer, not to mention Granny Guo’s reminder just now.
Looking at Zhou Qi who was busy digging lantern grass, Tang Yu'an thought for a moment, then moved closer to him and asked softly, "Brother Xiaoqi, are you thinking about grandma?"
Tang Yu'an's grandmother passed away before he was born, so he followed Zhou Qi in calling her grandma since he was a child. When the old lady passed away, he also cried bitterly.
Zhou Qi stopped moving his hands.
He heard the boy say softly, "I miss her too."
Zhou Qi's hand suddenly trembled.
His eyes were slightly red. Finally, he took a deep breath, suddenly reached out and pulled Tang Yu'an into his arms, hugging him tightly.
He closed his eyes and his voice became a little hoarse.
"We must go back," he whispered.
Although his grandmother is no longer with us, he still misses the world where he lived with her.
"Yes, we will definitely go back." Tang Yu'an listened to his slightly trembling voice, and reached out her little hand to pat him on the back comfortingly.
The shadow umbrella hovered quietly above their heads, temporarily creating a small safe area for them in this dangerous ruin.
"Brother Xiaoqi, I know the number of our world!" Tang Yu'an suddenly remembered that he had not had time to share the good news with him.
Zhou Qi was stunned, then let go of him and asked, "How did you know?"
Tang Yu'an brushed off the dirt on his hands, took out the identification atlas, opened the page about potatoes, pointed to the six planes and said, "Only these planes produce potatoes, so our world must be in these planes!"
Zhou Qi's eyes lit up.
He reached out and rubbed Tang Yu'an's head vigorously, with a rare excitement in his eyes, "An'an, you are so smart. Let's go back and identify everything in the grocery store!"
Zhou Qi said: "As long as we find the common plane where these things are produced, we should be able to locate the number of our world."
There may be special products like mutant lantern fruit, so there is no need to exclude and screen them.
After he said that, Tang Yu'an realized that there was such a method, and he became excited. However, he frowned and said, "That will cost a lot of appraisal fees..."
"It's okay, take your time."
Zhou Qi's emotions had completely stabilized. He rubbed Tang Yu'an's head again and said with a smile, "Let's go, let's go find Grandpa Li."
Seeing that the sadness between his brows had disappeared, Tang Yu'an smiled and happily responded with a "OK".
The few lantern grasses they had dug out were collected along with the soil into plastic bags and then put into their personal space. In addition to the lantern grasses, they also collected a large bundle of thatch.
Old Li has a lot of this kind of thatch at home. The straw basket he gave to Lin Jue to hatch eggs was woven with dried thatch. He should need it.
When they arrived at Old Li's house, he had already finished breakfast.
Old Li was not sharpening arrows today. He was just holding a few pieces of oddly shaped wood and assembling something.
Seeing Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi, he was not surprised, but said to them: "Pack up and get ready today, I will take you to the market town tomorrow."
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