Chapter 186 30% Bonus Shares
"Little fan, the grass in this area looks more lush than elsewhere, but watering it is inconvenient. The nearest water pipe is more than 300 meters away."
"But don't worry, I'll build an underground passage and then get the water management department to connect the pipes," the old housekeeper said.
"Thank you, Grandpa Butler, but there's no need to get tap water. Using tap water to irrigate the land is too expensive. It's better to dig a well later and be self-sufficient," Zuo Shan said.
The old steward was probably not short of money, so he certainly wouldn't calculate the cost of farming. But Zuo Shan planned to get rich by farming, so he naturally had to take it into consideration.
"Drill a well? That's a great idea! I'll drill a well for you right away!" the old steward exclaimed excitedly.
Zuo Shan witnessed the power of a high-level earth-type ability user once again. As the old butler released an earth-yellow halo from his hands, a round hole about 40 centimeters in diameter appeared in front of her.
Zuo Shan thought that digging a well should involve checking where there is groundwater nearby before starting to dig. Why did they just start digging without considering this?
As the old butler moved his hands in unison, loose soil began to gush out of the wellhead, looking as if Xiao Bao were manipulating metal, but even more skillfully.
Half an hour later, a well more than ten meters deep was dug, and the old housekeeper also hardened and reinforced the well wall.
Peeking out from the left side, they quickly saw groundwater starting to seep out.
At first, the water was very murky because it was mixed with the surrounding loose soil, but it quickly became crystal clear.
"Grandpa Butler, your earth-based abilities are so powerful, so if there are treasures buried underground, wouldn't you be able to dig them up at will?" Zuo Shan asked casually.
She had an idea in her mind: if she could find the place where the rat stole the box, and there was no passage for humans to enter or exit, she might be able to ask the old steward to help with earth magic.
Of course, this is just a vague idea, and in reality, that place may not be found at all.
"Haha! You think too highly of Grandpa Butler. The range of my earth-type ability is only 20 meters underground at most, and only 50 meters in radius at most."
"I can help you dig a well and build a house, but the real treasures buried deep underground can only be found while we're digging the tunnel," the old butler chuckled.
"That's still amazing!" Zuo Shan said enviously.
"Now that you've chosen this location, I'll take the time to help you build a temperature-controlled greenhouse. I've already prepared the radiation protection and heat insulation materials for you."
"But this place is huge, a full ten thousand square meters. Manipulating this material requires more supernatural abilities than ordinary building materials, so it will take several more days to build. Don't be impatient," the old butler added.
"I'm not in a hurry. Grandpa Butler, you should also take care of your health and take your time," Zuo Shan said with a smile. She noticed that the old butler was much more enthusiastic about her planting than she was.
It seems he really loves gardening, but unfortunately he's a plant killer and can't grow anything, so he's pinning his hopes on her.
“Too slow won’t do either. I’m counting on this temperature-controlled greenhouse to be built so I can transplant the seedlings from my seeds here from the planting boxes,” the old housekeeper said.
"No rush. It'll be cold outside during the extreme cold weather, so we can spend all day in this plantation," Zuo Shan said with a smile.
They say old people are like children, and when the old man gets anxious, he really is just like a child.
The two then discussed how to divide the area. The poisonous plants were separated into a 50-square-meter area in a corner, and the partition in this space was to be thick to avoid affecting the other plants.
Common wild vegetables were naturally planted in the outermost circle, beans, peanuts, and cassava were planted in the second circle, the old housekeeper's 15 seeds were also planted in a separate 150 square meter area, and a 500 square meter area was set aside in the very center for planting special plants.
The old steward was still unsure what the so-called special plant was, but he trusted Zuo Shan's choice; in fact, Zuo Shan had reserved it for the precious grain seeds in the box.
After making the plan, Zuo Shan took out the small space button that Xiao Bai had given her the first time and took out a bunch of poplar flowers.
She figured that since she would be dealing with the old housekeeper and Madam Gu for a long time, it wouldn't be convenient to keep it a secret that she had a spatial button. Besides, they didn't lack such things, and they weren't the kind of people who were easily swayed.
When the old butler saw the spatial button she took out, he only paused for a moment before ignoring it and staring at the large pile of poplar catkins with great curiosity, asking, "What is this?"
“Grandpa Butler, you must have seen this before. This is poplar fluff, which contains the seeds of the poplar tree. Although poplar leaves don’t taste good, they can absorb radioactive substances in the soil and effectively reduce the soil’s radiation level,” Zuo Shan said with a smile.
The old housekeeper had already explained it to her on the way here, saying that this land could be rented for 5 to 10 years. This is because the authorities are worried that the number of residents in the 48th district may grow too fast in the future, and the existing residential housing will not be enough, so they dare not rent it for decades directly.
"Will it really work? Even if it only reduces the level by one, that would be great!" the old butler exclaimed excitedly.
The 48th district has a total population of over 50,000, with residential areas concentrated within a radius of about one kilometer.
This land is now two kilometers away from the central square, and the soil's radiation level is between high radiation level 1 and moderate radiation level 3, making it a wasteland.
Because it is only one kilometer away from residential areas, the edible wild vegetables here have basically become extinct due to over-harvesting.
That's why the authorities were willing to rent it out so easily. With Madam Gu's prestige, no one would dare to say anything even if the rent was waived. However, considering that the land was rented by the Left Gate after all, they compromised and rented it to her for 10,000 silver coins a year.
To put it bluntly, this amount of money is just a token gesture, a mere formality.
The old housekeeper also helped her apply for the qualification of "48th District Agricultural Science Experimental Field". In this way, whether it is connecting to the tap water or the management's security system, she only needs to pay the usage fee, without having to pay an extra system access fee.
"Grandpa Butler, I'll give you and Madam Gu a 30% share of this plantation. You can take 30% of the profits; otherwise, I can't use it with a clear conscience," Zuo Shan said after thinking seriously.
The old butler initially wanted to decline, but he still used his wristwatch to contact Madam Gu and convey Zuo Shan's message.
The two elderly people originally wanted to help the two young girls overcome the initial difficulties of starting their businesses, but they were also very gratified that Xiao Shanzi had such a strong and independent spirit.
Sure enough, Madam Gu thought the same as him and said directly, "Let her do whatever she wants. Money is just an external thing. Anyway, we can't take it with us when we die. What belongs to them will eventually return to them."
Therefore, Zuo Shan and the old housekeeper drafted a formal contract and had it notarized by the relevant department of the management system.
At this point, Zuo Shan finally felt at ease.
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