Dig out the Forgotten River to plant fertilizer
With the help of Meng Po's pieced-together memories, they finally found the seeds of the red spider lily in the secret compartment of a large wooden box.
Each spherical bulb seed is about the size of a one-yuan coin and is packed in cloth bags in groups of fifty.
Taking the seeds out of the cloth bag and examining them in his hand, he found that these seeds were different from the seeds sold in the farm tool store that Tian Baozhu had seen. They were well preserved, the spheres were oiled, and the surface was wrapped with pine oil. The oil seeped into the surface, making it less likely to be worn and oxidized.
"No wonder your red spider lily can survive and bloom in the harsh environment of the underworld. You must have taken great care in preserving it."
"I have also gone through many experiments to preserve it. I have some experience in growing red spider lilies in the underworld. Sister, if you encounter any difficulties in growing flowers, you can come and ask me. I also want to see the Yellow Springs Road paved with red spider lilies as soon as possible."
"Thank you." Meng Po looked really cute as she blinked and looked at her seriously. Tian Baozhu couldn't help but touch her head to express her gratitude.
Meng Po was overjoyed and said, "I wanted to keep some for myself, but you need a lot to fill up the Yellow Springs Road. I'm giving you all of this."
"But I'm not familiar with the environment and climate of the underworld. I have no experience growing flowers there, so I'm a little unsure. I think I should try planting some of these precious red spider lily seeds first."
"If the red spider lily is planted well, its seeds will produce many bulbils. One plant can produce about a hundred bulbils."
"Oh, that's great! I'll plant them well." Red spider lilies were indeed a standard plant in the underworld; no human could possibly produce such a large number. Tian Baozhu felt hopeful. If the new seeds that grew later could be successfully propagated, it might be possible for the Yellow Springs Road to become a sea of red spider lilies! Although it was a daunting challenge, her eagerness to try was at its peak.
Tian Baozhu's farming spirit was burning. Why didn't he arrive soon tomorrow morning?
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Tian Baozhu was excited all night long holding the seeds she had obtained. She got up early in the morning. Today she was the one who went to call Hei Wuchang out.
When Hei Wuchang went out, he saw Tian Baozhu waiting for him, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, with Wuchang's clothes tied up to her waist.
"Good morning, Senior! Today we're going to Wangchuan to dig fertilizer for the fields. Let's go out when you're ready!"
Tian Baozhu was radiant today, completely different from the depressed look she had yesterday because she was late for going out.
She really loves farming...
Hei Wuchang's expression seemed to say this, but Tian Baozhu didn't hear clearly, so she asked, "What?"
"Nothing, let's go."
They arrived early, and the ghosts who wanted to draw lots by the Wangchuan River had just started lining up, and the employees had not started work yet.
Tian Baozhu first observed the terrain along the bank of the Wangchuan River. The surface of the Wangchuan River seemed calm, but in fact, bubbles of varying sizes rose from the bottom of the river. The river flow was extremely slow, forming silted black mudflats that were extremely sticky.
It was not yet the official working hours, the employees assigned to help had not shown up, and the farm tool store that sold fertilizer baskets was closed. Tian Baozhu took out her good helper, the rake, from her hiding space, and first probed it into the water from the shore to test the depth.
Unidentified objects can be vaguely seen floating in the water. Considering what the employees of the underworld said before, that ghosts fell off the bridge, these must be those unlucky ghosts. I don't know what their final fate will be.
Tian Baozhu clasped her hands together and bowed. I will go to Wangchuan to dig fertilizer later. Please don’t blame me for disturbing you.
At a corner of the river, she gently pushed aside the silted black mudflats. A stench of decay, accumulated for millennia, washed over her head. Bones and rotting flesh mingled together, the odor fermenting and pungent. Even an ordinary person, let alone entering, felt the river's presence would devour anyone who approached it.
"Be careful, don't fall down." Hei Wuchang hugged Tian Baozhu's shoulders from behind and reminded her. When he looked at the Forgetful River, his expression was complicated.
"Don't worry, I just used a rake to test the depth. I know the depth well. When I was working in the human world, I've been in muddy ponds that were even harder to maneuver in. I have experience in this area."
Tian Baozhu took off her shoes and socks, and stepped barefoot into the Forgetful River step by step. There was a hissing sound when she stepped on the black silt. After only a few steps, the sticky stuff had already wrapped around the soles of her feet. She walked smoothly at first, but when she was almost in the river, she had to use a rake to press into the water to use as a support point to steady herself.
The water in the river was above the knees, almost up to the hips. If one was not careful, one might slip and endanger one's safety. But Tian Baozhu had no time to care about these things. She was concentrating on digging fertilizer.
There are many gravels in the shallow layer of Wangchuan River. Tian Baozhu dug ten centimeters with a rake, but all she found were some debris mixed with silt. If she followed the instructions of the farm tool store owner and just covered the plants with such infertile silt, then the first step of planting the red spider lily would be a death sentence.
"These won't work, dig some more."
Tian Baozhu entered the state and muttered to herself softly.
The rake dug downwards and when it was inserted into the deep of the rotten matter in Wangchuan again, the rake teeth suddenly hit a hard object. Tian Baozhu frowned and stirred it vigorously a few times. Something like a tree branch was hooked out, covered with black mud. Tian Baozhu scraped away the mud and took a closer look. It turned out to be half a person's palm.
Tian Baozhu was mentally prepared that Wangchuan would dig out these things, but when she saw them for the first time, her heart still skipped a beat.
Is this what the ghosts who fall into the River of Forgetfulness will eventually face?
Unable to reincarnate forever, the body is corroded into pieces.
Tian Baozhu looked at the Naihe Bridge and secretly vowed that the restoration of the Naihe Bridge would ensure the safety of the ghosts' reincarnations, so she must grow new wooden boards made of golden nanmu wood.
"Turning into spring mud to protect the flowers." If the ghost leaves the river of forgetfulness where it has decayed, and stays with the flourishing and beautiful flowers of the other shore, becoming their nutrient supply, it would be a romantic ending for the ghost who has fallen.
Later, Tian Baozhu dug out several more pieces of debris in the same area. She picked them up in the air with a rake and piled them all on the shore.
Tian Baozhu looked at the rake in her hand with satisfaction. She had chosen a treasure. It could kill evil spirits, farm, and dig fertilizer. The multifunctional rake was a good helper for her. The good tool also gave her full motivation. She was about to find the next area to dig fertilizer when she heard a mature and lazy female voice calling her from the shore:
"Sister~" It was Meng Po. She still appeared in her usual black cape. Although today wasn't the day for the Ghost Gate to open, she had come to see Tian Baozhu.
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Tian Baozhu greeted her from the river and pointed to the bank to show her the fertilizer she had just dug up. Meng Po looked at the fertilizer and said, "These were formed by ghosts who fell into the Wangchuan River. They are indeed the best in terms of fertility."
"Does Lethe have other fertilizer ingredients?"
"Yes, and a large portion is made of the bones of the wicked who were sentenced to death, burned in the sea of fire. They flowed down into the River of Forgetfulness. Oh, and the concrete material for our staff dormitories was also taken from those bones. This kind of fertilizer can also nourish red spider lilies, but too much will burn the roots, so you need to mix the two."
"Are there any distinctive features in these calcined bones? I'm afraid I can't tell them apart and might be mistaken."
"No matter how big or small, burned bones will have black carbonized edges, making them easy to distinguish."
Meng Po held up a piece of paper and said, "I've drawn a map, and I've tried my best to mark the locations with fertile bones. You should be able to harvest as much as possible by digging along these lines. The red spider lilies I planted in Wangchuan are more abundant than the ones you're going to plant in Huangquan Road. You'll need more than just these places to dig. You may need to go further afield. I haven't been to places farther afield, so you'll have to explore on your own. I can only help you so far."
"Thank you, Master Mengpo."
"Hehehe, you're welcome, sister. And look, I found two helpers for you."
The two most diligent men under Meng Po, Bull Head and Horse Face, also came over. They had finished drawing lots and had some free time, so Meng Po called them over and they obediently came to help.
Without saying a word, they jumped into the Wangchuan River. As soon as they jumped out, they were splashed with mud, almost splashing onto Tian Baozhu.
Niutou was like a cow, plowing the field in a carpet-like manner from here to there. The advantage was that he plowed every inch of the land, but the disadvantage was that he plowed too much land, which was very tiring. He was out of breath after just a short while.
Looking at the Horse-Faced Demon, his method was more clever than the Ox-Headed Demon's. He used his long trunk to probe and sniff. If he sensed something suitable, he would dig with his front two hands, combining his hands and feet. Then, like a horse, he gave a powerful kick with his heels. With a whoosh, the fertilizer flew into the air and landed precisely on the fertilizer pile beside the River of Forgetfulness. However, this crude method of landing also resulted in much of the fertilizer being wasted, resulting in only a few results.
Their methods were time-consuming, laborious, and ineffective, so Tian Baozhu decided to wait for her arrival. She said to the Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced staff, "You two, please help me carry the fertilizer to Huangquan Road later. I'll take care of the fertilizer search."
"Okay, Lord Bai Wuchang, what should we put the fertilizer in and carry it over?"
"In these baskets."
Hei Wuchang took over.
While Tian Baozhu was completely absorbed in finding and digging fertilizer, Hei Wuchang had already gone off to do something else. He called the employees who were supposed to be working on the job to get out on time, and he also went to the farm tool store that took a long time to open to select some handling tools, and asked the employees to bring them over and put them away.
She was surprised to see Hei Wuchang walking down to Wangchuan.
"Senior, are you okay?"
Hei Wuchang shrugged, "Why not?"
Because you are very fragile and have poor physical strength.
Tian Baozhu muttered to herself in her heart, but didn't dare to say it out loud, because seniors also need to save face.
However, Hei Wuchang's next move surprised Tian Baozhu.
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