Raising crayfish, building hot springs—all in an effort to make it their own home…
Wu Jia Ning was sweating profusely as she ate, her lips turning bright red. She would take big sips of pineapple plum iced tea every now and then to try and relieve the spiciness.
On the other hand, Lin Changli ate a little chicken giblets, then quietly reached for the iced tea and elegantly downed the whole glass. One second he was making a gesture that he wouldn't touch it anymore, focusing only on eating sweet and sour pork ribs; a moment later he couldn't resist picking up two pieces of chicken gizzards.
It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I can't eat it.
Sangye looked at him with some sympathy; not being able to eat spicy food was a real pity, as he would miss out on many delicious dishes.
But seeing him sitting there obediently eating, with gentle features, he seemed like a harmless young man; recalling the warnings the emperor and others had given her, she suddenly felt that he was "unworthy of the name".
It doesn't seem that brutal.
If those guides who were scared away by Lin Changli or whose mental images were burned by him were here, they would definitely shake her head to see how much water was inside.
The paulownia tree swayed in her grotto, beckoning Sangye to come in and see. Sangye knew what it was excited about.
The spiritual food sent out would be fed back to Sangye, helping her cave to upgrade; this was Sangye's "opportunity".
If she were still in the world of cultivation, she would indeed find it difficult to obtain such an opportunity.
In the past few days, the pond she had been longing for finally appeared in Sangye's cave.
Behind the sycamore tree, a vast expanse of crystal-clear water stretched out, just waiting for Sangye to release the fish fry into it.
The pond continued to grow, eventually settling into a small lake of over 300 square meters.
The small lake forms a stable ecosystem on its own, and water exchange can be achieved by diverting water to the fields.
Sangye plans to convert some of his fields into rice paddies for the next upgrade, and then release crab seedlings into them. This way, he can harvest fresh rice-crabs full of crab roe. With flowing water, the crab seedlings can grow up.
Should we start raising fish fry in the pond now? We've been eating a lot of fish lately, and we still have plenty in stock.
Sanye thought.
Fish fry actually have a hard time surviving in extremely clean ponds. The old saying "where the water is too clear, there are no fish" means that without the combined effects of aquatic plants, microorganisms, and the bottom environment, fish fry cannot obtain the nutrients they need to grow and therefore cannot survive.
But crayfish are different; they need clean, flowing water and a suitable temperature.
If it's even slightly murky, it can immediately put on a "die in front of you" performance.
Using crayfish seedlings to test the waters first became the best option.
Although there is a high probability that there will be no problems, the cave will have a constant temperature and the water source will always be clean and flowing.
Furthermore, Sangye wanted to try whether crayfish could be raised in the base.
The base's reservoir is a type of flowing water. A pond can be dug next to the existing fields, and water from the reservoir can be diverted into the pond. Then, a circle of low shrubs can be planted around the edge of the pond to provide shade from the scorching sun.
However, the weather at the base was completely uncontrollable, and Kuwano had inquired about the specific methods of control. According to the adjutant, weather control was randomly simulated by the central artificial intelligence.
Humans have simply implanted known weather patterns that pose no harm to humans into its system. Sometimes, even the aurora borealis will appear.
Kuwano was quick-witted and immediately asked who had the authority to control the central intelligence.
The adjutant replied, "Theoretically, nobody has them. To change Eve's instructions, three keys are needed. And we don't even know who has the keys."
Eve is the name of artificial intelligence. Eve's authority ranges from controlling household affairs to remotely controlling warships, so her authority is not granted to anyone. Eve has been operating stably for thousands of years, constantly iterating and updating since the moment she was born.
She can control every aspect of human life. The Zerg once attempted to steal Eve's key and underlying code, nearly causing their annihilation. Since then, her underlying code and mainframe have been hidden in a military fortress on the capital planet. It is said that the mainframe is even sunk deep into the Earth's core. The path to the Earth's core is heavily guarded.
“But Eve at the base is a subsystem, and due to the special nature of Black Tower, Eve’s authority is very limited. She can only be used for domestic purposes, such as these domestic robots. Eve is actually controlling them all,” the adjutant said. “So we don’t need three keys, just a string of source code. But it seems that Admiral Aso doesn’t know the source code because she hates hot weather, and recently hot weather has been appearing randomly.”
She would definitely change it if she knew the source code.
Kuwano thought of this and looked up at the young man sitting opposite him: "Do you know the source code of the Base Eve?"
Lin Changli glanced back calmly, a piece of pork rib still unfinished on his fork: "Why are you asking about this?"
"Change the weather at the base."
"?" Lin Changli asked, puzzled. "Just to change the weather?"
The woman in front of him clearly didn't know what asking about Eve's source code meant, nor did she realize how sensitive and dangerous this topic was.
She told herself it was just to change the weather at the base.
“I want to raise crayfish at the base,” Sangye said with a fearless and uninhibited attitude. “Crayfish can’t survive in high or low temperatures; they are very fragile.”
"Crayfish?" Lin Changli frowned. "What's this?"
"..." Looking at Lin Changli's ignorant eyes, Sang Ye forced a bright smile and lied through his teeth, "It's sweet, even sweeter than the cake you just ate, it's delicious."
Lin Changli looked at her with suspicion for a moment: "Really?"
"Fine, don't believe me then, you won't get to taste it anyway." Sangye didn't believe he wouldn't take the bait.
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Changli replied, "I know the source code. What kind of weather do you want?"
"Ideally, the temperature should be kept around 25℃. The sunlight shouldn't be too strong, and there should be intermittent winds to cool it down from time to time," Sangye explained to Lin Changli. "Crayfish live in water and like to burrow, so the water temperature is naturally lower than the surface temperature, and the base temperature can't be any lower; but it also can't be too high, otherwise the crayfish will be scalded to death."
After listening to Sangye's complicated request, Lin Changli nodded: "I'll go and adjust it later."
Sangye then looked at him and asked, "It shouldn't have any impact on you, right?"
Although the artificial intelligence at the base is merely an auxiliary decoration.
Lin Changli smiled enigmatically: "So you've finally remembered to ask this?"
"Oh, so you agree to control artificial intelligence just to make a living?" Sangye retorted, not to be outdone.
Lin Changli had nothing to say about this.
"Don't worry, the Empire would never grant Eve's access to Black Tower, a planet full of mentally unstable sentinels." Lin Changli's tone was emotionless. "And it certainly wouldn't grant it to me."
Wu Jianing blinked her big eyes as she watched the two interact back and forth; it was impossible to tell that they had only met yesterday.
After finishing their meal, Lin Changli left the kitchen to the robot to clean up and then left the West Building first. Sangye took Wu Jianing out for a walk.
The soil in the small garden was originally about ten centimeters below the ground level, but now it has risen to the same level as the ground.
If the soil's vitality is not depleted, it will continue to replicate and grow, and with the frequent visits of the Ujali lemon tree, it will grow rapidly.
Wu Jia Ning's robot worked tirelessly to remove the surrounding paving, exposing the entire surface of the small garden.
Only then did Sangye realize that the soil brought out from the cave had covered the entire surface of the small garden! The base, which was originally gray and white and filled with death, was now covered with a layer of vibrant black soil, which was spreading downwards.
With the help of a machine called an excavator, the deep pit in the pond was dug out. This excavator was scrapped after the base mined the vein, but it was more than enough to dig the pit.
The fault lines between the black soil and the waste soil are particularly noticeable when viewed from this perspective.
It will not stop until the spiritual energy is exhausted. Once the spiritual energy is used up, it will stop to rest and accumulate another wave of spiritual energy to continue spreading.
Instead of disturbing the surrounding soil, Sangye dug out a lot more from the cave and covered the bottom and sides of the pond with a thick layer. Then he instructed the robot to dig a water channel to bring water from the reservoir to the pond, and then connected a giant pipe from the pond to the wastewater treatment plant.
Check valves and flow controllers are installed at the water channel interfaces to control the flow rate of the live water; water valves and fine nets are installed on the pipes to prevent shrimp larvae from escaping.
A simple shrimp pond is now ready.
Sangye could only simulate the previous environment. Before, she always relied on the mountains and rivers for her livelihood. There were many ponds in the Shifangwu Mountains, and she could raise whatever she wanted. This was the first time she had to dig a shrimp pond herself.
After doing all this and taking a break, Kuwano keenly noticed the drop in temperature and the weakening of the sunlight, which was even now visible directly in the sun.
After releasing the shrimp larvae, a ring of green shrubs was planted around the pond to provide them with a shady spot. The pond was filled with thick black soil both inside and out, providing ample space for the larvae to dig burrows for shelter. Deeper layers of waste soil would gradually replace the larvae before they grew deep enough to dig such burrows.
Everything was perfect.
But since the excavator was already running, and there was nothing else to do, Kuwano decided to try and dig out a hot spring.
An irregularly shaped area was created using hot spring stones to mark out a territory. The hot spring pool was paved with warm jade, so it wouldn't feel cold to step on even when there was no water.
Wu Jianing was already happily playing with the shrimp seedlings by the pool. She ran to the east, and the shrimp seedlings darted to the west. She ran to the south, and the shrimp seedlings darted to the north. Finally, she cornered them in a small corner, trembling with fear. Wu Jianing was as happy as a mountain tyrant.
So Sangye took out a leather bag from his storage ring. Inside were several hot spring stones. Each stone weighed over a hundred pounds.
The stone eye is aligned with the hot spring pool; when you need to use it, touching its back will automatically release the water.
The hot spring was built by Kuwano on the westernmost side of the small garden, next to the cliff. You can enjoy the magnificent tide from the poolside.
The hot spring pool's outlet is directly connected to the cliff face. When not in use, the hot spring water is turned on and flows down the cliff.
On the other side of the tidal sea, there was a cold wind and a bitter rain, while under the protective shield of the base, there was warmth from the Lantian jade and rising smoke from the spring water.
Sangye asked Lin Changli for a 20-day deadline. With the blessing of the cave's spiritual energy, 20 days would be more than enough for the crayfish to grow to its full size. Once Eve adjusted the weather system back, she could enjoy the snowy scenery from the hot springs when it snowed.
My master once said that she was someone who could enjoy herself anywhere, and now it seems that he was right.
After being adopted by her master as a child, she chose the treehouse in Shifangwu with the best view and the most abundant spiritual energy—later she learned that it was the house where her grandmaster had lived before—and transformed it into her favorite style. She boldly asked her master for anything she wanted. Raised by her master, she became unruly, free-spirited, and courageous.
Sangye doesn't plan to plant all the remaining small garden areas with fruits and vegetables. The land's carrying capacity is ultimately limited, and it needs time to rest and recuperate; otherwise, the depleted soil will become wasteland. This applies not only to ordinary people but also to places like Shifangwu, which possesses spiritual veins and land.
A ring of sycamore trees can be planted around the small garden. The sycamore trees come from a branch of her spiritual body and can use spiritual power to nourish the earth.
Four osmanthus trees were planted next to the sycamore tree, filling the house with fragrance in autumn. Of course, there is no autumn at the base; as soon as the weather gets warm, the osmanthus blossoms begin to bloom. Given the unpredictable weather at the base, I guess the West Building is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus every day.
Plant roses in the area closest to the west building. Don't waste the ancient meat stored in the kitchen warehouse. After thawing, take it out to nourish the roses. Roses will be more delicate and beautiful when nourished by meat.
The remaining wasteland can be planted with turf, and people can also take naps in the small garden.
One person's strength has its limits, but adding machines makes it extraordinary.
When Lin Changli returned to the West Small Building, he was greeted by a completely renovated small garden.
The trees are lush, the water is babbling, and the air is filled with the earthy smell of freshly turned soil, along with a faint, inexplicably refreshing fragrance.
He strolled silently in the back garden. Not far away, Sangye had made two small fishing rods and was pretending to fish for tiny crayfish, which were still shrimp larvae, with Wu Jianing.
Beside him was a tray with the leftover Sachertorte from lunch and two glasses of orange juice.
The two of them had been tormenting the crayfish for almost the entire afternoon.
Days can indeed pass by like this, peaceful and serene, warm and beautiful.
Those turbulent years seemed to have faded away from him at that moment.
Wu Jianing spotted Lin Changli with her sharp eyes: "The Marshal is back~ Sister, are you going to live with him?"
Sangye can understand the meaning of "cohabitation" by considering the context.
She lowered her head mysteriously: "If I don't live with him, I have nowhere else to go. The base only lets me stay here."
The two people's voices, which they thought were very quiet, had already reached Lin Changli's ears, and at this moment he could only pretend not to hear them.
Lin Changli walked up to the two of them, his eyes full of inquiry: "How did you conjure that up?"
The base does not import any green plants, and besides, there are many plants here that even he has never seen before.
Where did Sangye come from?
Sangye wasn't afraid of being seen through; she smiled frankly and said, "Guess."
Lin Changli certainly wouldn't guess; the person here couldn't escape, and there would be plenty of time to study them later.
He lowered his head to search, while Sangye tilted his head slightly in response, with a chubby little boy named Wu Jianing staring intently at them.
At least this "heartwarming" scene brought a lot of emotional impact to Wu Huansheng and his wife, who had just returned from their shift.
They looked like an unrecognizable family of three, a strange yet harmonious pair.
"Mommy, Daddy!!!" Wu Jianing was the first to break free from the role-playing of the family of three, nimbly got up and ran towards the two of them like a nimble little piglet.
The crow opened its arms to welcome the heavy baby.
Wu Jianing nestled in her mother's neck and said sweetly, "Mom, you were gone for so long this time. I missed you so much."
Wu Huansheng lifted her up effortlessly, feeling her weight: "I miss Ningning too. Ningning, you've gained a lot of weight. I heard from Luodas that you've been eating late-night snacks every night lately?"
Lodas was that adjutant.
After exchanging heartfelt words, the family of three walked towards Sangye and Lin Changli by the shrimp pond.
They were the first to salute Lin Changli, who merely nodded slightly indifferently.
Mu An smiled warmly: "Thank you for taking care of Ningning during this time. The child's spirits have improved a lot. We are really happy and grateful to see her so healthy and happy."
Sangye scratched her head a little embarrassedly. She wasn't entirely without ulterior motives in taking care of Wu Jianing. After all, Wu Jianing could make the black soil and plants grow quickly, and even the water flow was full of energy where she was.
"How are the sentries in the snow-covered mountains doing?" Sangye asked the question she was most concerned about. Judging from the mental feedback she received, the results should be surprisingly good.
"It's very effective. We've been providing them with three meals a day, and their mental state has stabilized considerably." Mu An, as the guide, knew the sentries' mental condition best, and he happily shared this with Sangye. "Before we came back this time, I gave them a mental test, and many of them actually improved their mental stability level to B!"
"Oh, by the way," Mu An said, as if he had just remembered something, "a sentry followed us back and specifically asked to see you. I wonder if you'll be willing to see him?"
"What?" Sangye asked, somewhat puzzled. "See me?"
"Yes, her name is Rong Cheng. She has been on Black Tower Star for a long time and has stayed in almost every branch base."
Sangye could no longer hear the rest of what was said; the name Rong Cheng gripped his mind tightly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
