Chapter 293 Planting Trees
When Chen Peiqiong came to work in the afternoon, Xia Xiaoman told her about the steel-toothed rabbits and asked her to be careful and not let the crops be eaten by them.
When Chen Peiqiong heard about the steel-toothed rabbits, she was delighted. "Another steel-toothed rabbit? I'll go back to catch rabbits after work tonight. This time I won't sell the rabbits I catch, I'll just eat some meat for myself."
Xia Xiaoman kindly reminded, "Don't be happy too soon. You know the destructive power of the steel-toothed rabbit."
Chen Peiqiong didn't take it seriously. "It's okay. These steel-toothed rabbits have been caught before. The number now is probably less than half of what it was before. They can't cause any harm."
"By the way, I heard on the way here that two more families were killed, just like before, with a single knife to the throat, and all the supplies in the house were not lost. Isn't it strange? How could someone just kill people and not take the supplies? If it were me, I would definitely take the supplies away."
"What's so strange about this? The world is so big that there are all kinds of strange things. Don't think too much about those messy things, but think more about how to find Wang Shijin and inquire about the news of the underground city!"
Chen Peiqiong was a little confused when she heard what Xia Xiaoman said: "Xiaoman, why are you so nervous about the news about the underground city? Do you know something?"
"What can a commoner like me know? I'm tired of living in a mud brick house. I always feel it's not safe. I want to live in an underground city."
"Didn't the officer who came from the capital last time say that the underground city wasn't damaged much during the earthquake? If we live in the underground city, we won't have to worry about encountering any disasters."
Xia Xiaoman didn't tell Chen Peiqiong about the problem with the ozone layer. What's the point of telling Chen Peiqiong? She can't stop the ozone layer from being destroyed. Instead, she will be anxious and angry about it. Anyway, even if she didn't tell her, Chen Peiqiong would still work hard to collect supplies and points.
As they were talking, there was a knock on the door. Xia Xiaoman opened the door and saw two unfamiliar women. However, judging from the armbands on their arms, they were probably official staff.
"Who are you looking for?" Xia Xiaoman asked.
One of the staff flipped through the book and said, "Excuse me, are you Xia Xiaoman?"
"It's me, what's up?"
After confirming that the personnel were correct, another staff member said, "Many places in Xia Country have suffered from locust plagues and droughts. Many plants have withered as a result, seriously affecting the ecological environment."
"It is required that people over the age of 12 plant five saplings per week. Saplings can be collected at trading points, and a maximum of 10 saplings can be collected per week. If all 10 saplings are collected and the required number of trees are not planted, the person will be punished with three days of unpaid road construction."
Xia Xiaoman's mouth twitched. "In this kind of weather and environment, they asked us to plant trees. Are you sure you are not kidding?"
The staff member said in a serious tone, “We are not kidding you.”
"Don't worry, these saplings are specially cultivated by the Agricultural Affairs Office. They are drought-resistant and cold-resistant. They can survive in places with strong sunlight as well as in dark areas without light. They are easier to grow than cacti. As long as you don't deliberately slack off on watering, they can basically survive."
Xia Xiaoman's eyes lit up when he heard this, "So amazing? Will these saplings bear fruit? Can the fruit be eaten?"
This time it was the staff's turn to be speechless. "You think too much. These trees cannot bear fruit. Even if they really mutate and bear fruit, they cannot be eaten."
"This sapling is poisonous all over, but the smell it emits can repel pests. If we plant more of them, locusts will take a detour when they encounter our floating city."
Xia Xiaoman was a little disappointed when she heard this. She hadn't eaten fruit for a long time and wanted to plant some fruit trees. Although these saplings could not bear fruit, they were already very good and could drive away pests.
Xia Xiaoman said, "Then how can you be sure that these trees are planted by me? After all, every tree looks almost the same."
The staff explained: "We will put a button on each tree seedling. Unless it is violently destroyed, the button cannot be opened. There is a tree code on the button. When you pick up the seedling, someone will record these codes, and we will match each tree according to the code."
"What if others see that my trees are growing well and cut off the buttons?" Xia Xiaoman asked.
The staff member smiled and said, "This is your business. If the buttons are destroyed, it's because you didn't supervise them properly. We are only responsible for checking the survival of the saplings according to the corresponding codes."
Xia Xiaoman: “…” So cunning.
“Are there any regulations on where these trees should be planted?”
The staff shook their heads and said, "No, you can plant wherever you want."
Xia Xiaoman was relieved when she heard this. That was good. She planted the trees in the yard, so she didn't have to worry about others destroying her saplings. If the yard was full of trees one day, she would think of other ways.
The reason for planting trees is not only to restore the ecology, but also to slow down the destruction of the ozone layer. Although this will not have any effect, it is much better than just looking at the bare mountains and doing nothing.
Moreover, there will be many places that will need wood in the future. If they don’t plant trees, all the dry big logs on the mountain will be picked up. Where will they find wood?
Trees must be planted. Only when the jungle on the mountains is lush can the soil be prevented from desertification, the water sources be prevented from drying up, and the ecology be gradually restored, even if the pace of recovery is very slow.
The collection of saplings and the registration for road construction were at the same time. Xia Xiaoman and Chen Peiqiong went to the trading point together to collect the saplings.
Xia Xiaoman received 10 saplings at once, including the five spare saplings. Seeing this, Chen Peiqiong kindly advised: "Xiaoman, you received 10 saplings at once. If all of them die, you will have no way to save them."
Xia Xiaoman said, "Don't worry, as long as these trees are really as drought-resistant as advertised, I have confidence that they will survive."
What a bunch of confidence! She just had no confidence and took 10 seedlings at once. She would plant five first and leave the remaining five in the space. If these five survived, she would have five more backup seedlings than others next week. By accumulating them slowly, she would not be afraid of killing the trees.
In order to avoid being discovered by Chen Peiqiong, she planted the five saplings behind the house. Behind the house was Maodan's territory, and Chen Peiqiong would not go there normally, so she would not notice that she only planted five trees.
It’s strange to say, but ever since trees were planted behind the house, Maodan has been unwilling to lie down behind it, as if he dislikes the smell of those trees.
However, Xia Xiaoman did not smell any strange smell. If she had to say there was one, it was the fragrance of grass and trees. She didn't know whether this faint fragrance could drive away locusts.
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