Chapter 360: Lord No.8’s Hobby

Chapter 360: Chapter 360: Lord No.8’s Hobby

"Xin Yu, is now a good time to talk?" The moment Yang Jin left the territory, Xiaqing immediately called Xin Yu.

"It’s fine, go ahead." Xin Yu’s voice was so calm it betrayed no emotion.

Xin Yu wasn’t one for small talk or beating around the bush, so Xiaqing got straight to the point. "The machinery you’re using to build the compost-starter factory, is it being shipped from Hui Er Base?"

"Yes."

"Has your cargo been dispatched? I want to buy some wire mesh from Hui Er Base to fence in my territory. If it hasn’t shipped yet, we could combine our shipments. That would save on shipping costs." It wasn’t just Xiaqing who would save; they both would.

The straight-line distance between Hui Er Base and Hui San Base was over 900 li. As life on Blue Star evolved, the landscape between the two bases had changed dramatically. The mountain ranges and rivers were completely different, and the roads and bridges built before the Natural Disasters had been destroyed.

Large items like agricultural machinery or bulk construction materials were transported between the two bases by air. Smaller batches of goods were ferried by merchant caravans or combat teams traveling between the bases.

The materials Xiaqing needed weren’t delicate or fragile, nor were they particularly high in value, so they would typically be shipped by land—cheaper, but time-consuming. She couldn’t afford to charter a transport plane by herself, which was why she wanted to pay for a spot on Xin Yu’s flight.

Xiaqing was willing to pay even tens of thousands more in shipping fees. With the refugees about to arrive, she couldn’t afford to wait for ground transport.

Xin Yu was very direct. "My cargo is being loaded right now. If you buy the wire mesh from Reunion Mechanical, you can still make it."

’I made it!’ Xiaqing was pleasantly surprised and immediately listed the specifications and quantity of the wire mesh she needed. "Will it fit?"

"This is a small transport plane, so we’ll need to add another one." Xin Yu quoted her a price directly. "For the wire mesh and accompanying materials, including transport and installation, it’s 250,000. If you want anti-climb and anti-theft spikes installed, it’s another 20,000."

"I’ll get the spikes." The spikes would prevent humans and large animals from climbing over. Xiaqing wasn’t short on points, so of course she wanted them. "So, 270,000 in total. Should I come over now to transfer the points to you?"

Xiaqing’s quick agreement put Xin Yu in a good mood too. She asked, "What are the Qiang and Yi Element levels in your Green Light Eggs?"

’She didn’t just ask about Green Light Eggs; she specifically asked about their Qiang and Yi Element content. That means Xin Yu doesn’t just need eggs; she needs high-quality ones. The eggs from my Green Light Chickens, raised on Pollution-free Spring Water, have higher amino acid and taurine levels than even the idol’s. They’re definitely premium eggs.’

’That’s also why I can’t trade my eggs directly with other territories. I have to swap them one-for-one with the eggs from the chickens in Zhang San’s territory first.’

But Xin Yu had asked too late. "The Yi Element is around two ten-thousandths, and the Harmful Element is about four-thousandths. I just traded eggs for Green Light Soybeans from No. 9 Territory, and then used another 30 eggs to trade for Protective Suits with other territories. I won’t have many eggs left before the New Year."

Hearing that Xiaqing had no eggs to trade, Xin Yu agreed to let her pay the full amount in points and made a small additional request. "Could you take some pictures of the swallows’ nests in your territory from multiple angles for me to see?"

Of course, that was no problem.

After hanging up, Xiaqing immediately grabbed a ladder, propped it against the wall, and started frantically taking pictures of the row of nests belonging to the Little Swallows. A few Little Swallows that had been resting in their nests flew out, perched on the eaves, and chirped angrily.

After she finished taking the pictures, Xiaqing gave a couple of instructions to Sheep Leader, said a quick word to Hu Zifeng, and then left to pay for the shipment.

In the small hut by the road sign for No. 8 Territory, Xin Yu carefully examined the pictures Xiaqing had sent her and asked, "Do the swallows in these two nests poop on the edge of their nests?"

"Only the swallows living in these two nests poop on the edge. The others don’t."

Xiaqing had only recently learned that the habits of swallows could vary greatly. Some were clean and diligent, keeping their nests very tidy and not defecating nearby. Others were slovenly and lazy, not even bothering to fly out of the nest to relieve themselves, leaving droppings hanging off the outside. If these Little Swallows weren’t so good at catching insects and chasing away other birds, Xiaqing would have driven the messy ones away long ago.

Xin Yu, however, didn’t show any disgust. She asked patiently, "What kind of insects does the ground beneath the nests attract? Does it need to be cleaned and disinfected every day?"

"The swallows catch insects, so no flying bugs get near the nests, but it will definitely breed bacteria." Xiaqing scrolled down and showed Xin Yu a picture of the wooden boards she had hung under the nests. "Hanging these boards solves the problem. Just prepare a couple of extra boards, take them to the river every evening to rinse, and then let them dry."

"Do you drill holes directly and use expansion bolts?"

...

After answering many questions about how to raise swallows and chickens, Xiaqing transferred the points and returned to her territory. As she sat on the roof with Sick Wolf, guarding the corn, she mused, "Xin Yu really loves birds. She even likes chickens, which are a type of bird. She’s so worried the swallows will find her villa walls too smooth to build nests on that she’s planning to build a dedicated brick wall..."

On the rooftop, Head Wolf was resting with its eyes closed. Down in the sheep pen, Sheep Leader was busy playing head-to-head with Broken Leg Sister. Only Sick Wolf did her the courtesy of looking at her with its clear eyes.

"We’re going to have a territory wall, over three meters high. We’ll be much safer." Xiaqing stroked the well-behaved Sick Wolf, sharing her joy with it. After resting for a moment, Xiaqing asked Head Wolf and Sick Wolf to keep watch over the corn from the roof. She then went downstairs, hoisted out the sheep-powered water wheel, and called to her companion, who was busy bumping heads with the sister of the broken leg wolf—the one with only two working legs.

"Leader, let’s go work the water wheel first. You can come back to your play-fighting later."

"BAA."

Sheep Leader, who loved to work the water wheel, immediately followed. On the roof, Head Wolf glanced down, then turned its head and went back to sleep.

Seeing the human leave, the chirping of the birds flying overhead and waiting nearby grew louder.

Annoyed, Head Wolf opened its eyes, lifted its head, bared its teeth, and let out a low snarl. Not only did the restless flock of birds freeze, but the Red Squirrel behind a rock also gave up hope.

Although the reservoir had been cleared out once by lightning, Xiaqing didn’t dare let her guard down. She still set up the anti-fish net first before assembling the water wheel.

Without needing to be told, Sheep Leader immediately hopped onto the water wheel, pedaled a few quick times, and looked at Xiaqing with narrowed eyes.

Praising Sheep Leader had become a daily ritual for Xiaqing, the words flowing without thought. "Leader, you look so handsome right now! No matter how many animals or humans are in our territory, you’ll always be the most capable one. You’re my pride, the pride of the Third Territory, the pride of Hui San Base, the pride of Hua Country, the pride of Blue Star..."

Satisfied, Sheep Leader pedaled the water wheel furiously, and the water it drew up flowed down the irrigation ditch and into the fields with a RUSH.

Shouldering a shovel, Xiaqing walked along the ditch to clear the weeds in the fields. The weather had been good lately. If she irrigated the fields today, she could plow and sow in a few days.

’I hope the Lord Management Department gets its act together and delivers the rapeseed before I need to plow.’

She hadn’t even finished watering one greenhouse when Tan Junjie’s voice sounded over the Lord channel. "To all Lords, the refugee resettlement policy has been officially issued. The broadcast will now begin. All Lords, please confirm if you are online."