Chapter 50 Chapter 50 New Features

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The air was filled with the fragrance of soil. The three square dark brown pieces of land were out of tune with the dry and hard soil around them. However, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the soft and fertile land was 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 exact principle, but this space itself is very abnormal. 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 the seeds are mixed with grass seeds. How about that? It is very convenient and efficient. It can be said to be painless farming."

Liang Zhao lowered his eyes and looked at the muddy ground, and said nothing for a long time.

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 my tolerance range. At least the seed didn't take root and sprout immediately, and grow into a cabbage right under my nose."

Gu Mengran chuckled, "That's a nice thought."

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 having to weed or fertilize, there is nothing special about it. The crops grow at the same speed 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 didn't realize 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?"

That's right! Gu Mengran suddenly realized, looked at the stream a few hundred meters away, and shook his head helplessly.

If 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, they are too far from a water source and 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 was never able to fill his stomach and did not have the conditions to raise crops. It was only at this moment that Gu Mengran realized that raising crops and farming seemed to be in conflict.

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 be vegetarians forever, 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 originally wanted to drive them away, but he couldn't think of a solution. He also wanted to see if the chickens would dig out the seeds and eat them, so he gave Liang Zhaochen a look and stood aside without moving.

"Cluck, cluck—"

The three little chicks pecked and dug at brisk steps as they approached three dark brown plots of land that did not blend in with the surroundings.

The chicken with the brightest color took the lead in attacking, raising its claws and heading towards the black soil. But just as its claws were about to fall, it seemed as if blocked by an invisible force, and the yellow and black chicken claws suddenly stopped in mid-air.

The chick was not surprised. It paused for two seconds, then 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 "here" for a long time, shocked and ecstatic, "Liang Zhao, did you see it? They seem unable 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 chickens beside him. Suddenly, he rushed out and grabbed a chicken when it was off guard.

Ignoring the chicks' struggles, Liang Zhao carried the chicks and stepped onto the black soil.

There was no obstruction and he brought the chick in. Then he let go of the chick and it landed successfully 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 figured it out!" Gu Mengran nodded frantically, his cheeks flushed with excitement, and he spoke incoherently, "I never thought that space could have this function. It's just perfect! 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 piece of land depends entirely on his own exploration. He is not even clear about 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 seeds before?

Even if he had tried it himself, even Grandpa Meng only knew about the space afterwards. How did Gu Mengran know that the space could 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 the 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 is in a good mood. He casually threw the cabbage seeds on the ground, humming an unknown tune happily, pouring out the cabbage seeds and stuffing 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, "She's 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."

…

After a busy afternoon, the two of them 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.

Afterwards, the two buried a row of fruit tree seeds along the stream, such as walnuts, apples, peaches, pears... These woody fruit trees take several years to bloom and bear fruit, so the earlier they are planted, the earlier they can harvest.

It was convenient to water the plants next to the stream, so Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao used seed bags to hold water and ran over and over again without getting tired of it, completing the first simple irrigation.

There is only one stream, and it will only get farther and farther in the future. Gu Mengran thought that it was still necessary to dig a ditch, but he thought that digging a ditch with his bare hands... forget it, he should wait until he has time and bring the coolie Zheng Yijie to dig with him.

I came out of the space and took 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 Yijie had already had dinner.

After a busy day, Gu Mengran had no energy to rest, so he cooked a pot of hot and sour noodles and heated up some buns, thus solving a simple dinner for the two of them and the dog.

After cleaning the kitchen, Gu Mengran rubbed his bloated belly and walked towards the bedroom. He thought he could sleep early 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 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 I tell you to, hurry up!"

Without giving Gu Mengran a chance to refuse, he fell silent after saying this.

Gu Mengran raised his head and exchanged glances with Liang Zhao, pouted helplessly, "Let's go."

At nightfall, the Wind Wing was anchored on the river, but the anchor chain was not lowered for a long time.

The lights in the cockpit were on brightly. 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 cockpit from time to time, and 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 unusual in the cab, Gu Mengran walked to the back of the captain's chair with a gloomy face, leaned on his grandfather's shoulder and muttered: "What are you doing? We are all 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 smiling here, go take a look outside."

The tone certainly didn't sound like a joke. Gu Mengran's heart, which had just calmed down, began to hang again. He turned around and waved to Liang Zhao, then quickly walked towards the glass next to the driving platform.

It was already dark, the cab was brightly lit, and the Huangjiang River, shrouded in the night, was pitch black. The transparent glass reflected some light, and when Gu Mengran approached, 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" and all the lights above his head went out.

Thick darkness instantly enveloped the driver's cabin, 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, gradually adapting to the darkness, glanced out the window, and his slightly opened mouth suddenly seemed to have swallowed an egg.

As the night deepened, the calm river had long since fallen asleep and should have been silent along with the darkness. In the distance, the mountains undulated like waves, with thick smoke rising and flames looming.

Gu Mengran's heart skipped a beat, and his lips trembled, "This is..."

Meng Gaoyang: "Mountain fire!"