Chapter 187: Mutated Strawberry

Chapter 187 -183: Mutated Strawberry

Liu Chunyan called from outside, “Xiaofeng, some of the strawberries you planted are ripe. Why hasn’t anyone picked them?”

Hearing this, everyone inside came out. Seeing the strawberries in the basket instantly whetted their appetites.

However, with Lin Feng’s mother present, they all held back from rushing forward.

The main reason was that the strawberries were just too beautiful. The bright red berries were slightly smaller than a baseball, with snow-white tips that looked incredibly tempting.

Lin Feng said with some surprise, “No one told me. I haven’t been over there these past few days. These strawberries are gorgeous.”

“Come on, everyone, have some strawberries. I’ve already washed them.

“Isn’t your dad helping you manage things? Didn’t he tell you?”

“My dad’s been busy with the water plant construction lately. The village employees are managing the vegetable greenhouses.”

He glanced at Zhao Shiyun. ‘Didn’t she and the others check on the strawberries when they went to pick cucumbers and tomatoes?’

Besides, the Restaurant staff picked vegetables every day, yet no one noticed.

Then his mother said, “Maybe they just didn’t notice. The strawberries are in the greenhouse at the very end, and only a small patch is ripe.”

Lin Feng thought for a moment. ‘It’s possible the strawberries ripened suddenly. Otherwise, the people managing the greenhouses would have definitely told me.’

“Here, everyone, try them.”

Zhao Shiyun said, “Boss, these strawberries ripened so quickly!”

Lin Feng answered vaguely, “Not that fast. Maybe they mutated.”

The growth rate of these strawberries was indeed a bit fast. Normally, they would take five to six months. Even with the Farmland’s boost, they shouldn’t have ripened this quickly.

“Mom, did all the strawberries in the greenhouse ripen?”

“No, I took a look. Only a small patch is ripe.”

Lin Feng was taken aback. ‘This really might be a mutation. Otherwise, it’s impossible for only a small patch to ripen.’

“You all eat first. I’m going to the greenhouse to take a look.”

He walked toward the greenhouses while checking his messages, but he didn’t find any notifications.

‘So, the mutation must have happened in the last few days. I’ve been too busy to check on them every day recently.’

When he arrived at the greenhouses, he saw someone coming out before he could even go in.

“Boss, there’s a patch of strawberries inside that’s not right. They looked normal yesterday, but today they’ve suddenly grown ripe fruit.

“Also, the soil under this patch has lost a large amount of its nutrients.”

“Okay, I get it. I’ll go in and take a look.”

He stepped into the greenhouse and saw Professor Zhou with Chen Mingming, taking samples from the strawberries.

[Fast-Growing Strawberry (Common Specialty): A strawberry that can grow and mature rapidly, requiring a large amount of nutrients to grow.]

Lin Feng hadn’t expected them to have actually mutated. This mutation was a bit special, though. If it hadn’t been discovered in time, all the surrounding plants would have been doomed.

“Boss, you’re here. There’s a problem with this patch of strawberries. They might have mutated.”

“Yes, I see that. What’s the situation?”

“The strawberries in this area absorb an enormous amount of nutrients from the soil. This spot will need a massive supplement of nutrients every day.

“Otherwise, the strawberries will absorb all the nutrients from the surrounding soil, causing the nearby plants to die off in large numbers, and these strawberries won’t survive either.”

In the current situation, using farm manure was definitely not going to work. It simply couldn’t replenish the soil’s nutrients fast enough.

“Professor Zhou, is there any way to replenish the nutrients quickly?”

Professor Zhou said, “I need to analyze the soil composition first and then create a special nutrient solution to ensure the survival of this patch of strawberries.”

“In that case, I’ll leave the situation here to you, Professor Zhou.”

Lin Feng looked around. The surrounding strawberry plants were already affected, their leaves looking a bit withered and yellow.

If this had been discovered a few days later, all the normal strawberry plants would have definitely died.

The patch of mutated strawberries stood in stark contrast to its surroundings. Not only were their leaves large, but their vibrant green color also made them look healthy.

Zhao Shiyun and the others had followed him. As they entered the greenhouse, they saw the mutated strawberries.

“The leeks mutated, and now the strawberries have mutated too,” Zhao Shiyun muttered.

Zhou Jun, who had sharp ears, overheard her and asked, already quite puzzled, “What’s this about mutations? And what was that you just said about leeks mutating?”

“I don’t know either. The boss told me.”

Lin Feng explained, “This mutation is like hybrid rice, just a bit more special.

“For example, these strawberries probably mutated in their growth speed. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have ripened at this time.”

Zhou Jun looked at the mutated strawberries. Compared to the normal ones around them, their growth speed was indeed much faster.

“Professor Zhou, please be careful to protect this patch of strawberries. We need to save some seeds.”

Lin Feng took a look. Thankfully, his mother hadn’t picked all the strawberries. The nature of this mutation was still unclear.

‘If they’re different from normal strawberries and can only bear fruit once, we’re screwed.’

Leaving the strawberry greenhouse, he walked toward the one where the leeks were planted, looking at the leeks inside that resembled sisal plants.

[Nutritious Leek (Common Specialty): A leek with higher nutritional value. Can only be harvested once.]

The leek mutation had its pros and cons. Its nutritional value was higher, but it had lost the ability to regrow after being cut.

Lin Feng was starting to realize that naturally mutated plants mostly came with both advantages and disadvantages.

This made the mutations from mission rewards seem exceptionally precious, as they didn’t come with negative side effects.

“Are these still leeks? Their leaves are thicker than Zhangqiu Leeks.”

Zhou Jun gestured with his hand, finding it incredible. His curiosity about Lin Xian Village deepened.

Not only was the architecture special, but even the plants growing here were extraordinary.

No wonder so many people online were saying Lin Xian Village was undergoing a Spiritual Qi Revival, just that current technology couldn’t detect Spiritual Qi.

Given the state of these plants, he was now also starting to believe that Lin Xian Village might truly be experiencing a Spiritual Qi Revival.

Otherwise, there was simply no way to explain the condition of these plants.

Although Sun Lili and her aunt didn’t say anything, the way they looked at the leeks had clearly changed.

Especially Wang Lihua. She was filled with gratitude that Lin Xian Village could treat her daughter, and she never expected to encounter something like this here.

Lin Feng took another tour of the newly added ninety acres but didn’t find any new mutated plants.

However, he had a feeling that as the plants on these ninety acres grew, it was only a matter of time before mutated ones appeared.

When he returned from the fields, he saw Hu Xia sitting on the sofa outside, eating strawberries and chatting with his mother.

“What’s with these strawberries? They weren’t ripe when I looked yesterday,” she said, taking a bite of one.

Zhao Shiyun said, “The strawberries mutated.”

Hu Xia asked in pleasant surprise, “Mutated? Does that mean this type of strawberry grows faster?”

Lin Feng explained, “Yes, but they need a lot more nutrients. They’re no longer suitable for conventional farming methods.”

“That’s fine. We have hydroponics now. We can use that technology.”

The power of a foodie is truly formidable. Lin Feng hadn’t even thought of it, but she had already come up with a solution.

“These strawberries taste so good. I thought greenhouse-grown strawberries would have very little sweetness.”

Lin Feng said, “Everyone, go ahead and eat. The ones in the greenhouse need to be saved for seeds. If you want to eat more of these mutated strawberries, you’ll have to wait for the next planting.”

Liu Chunyan said a little nervously, “Xiaofeng, did I do something wrong?”

“Mom, it’s fine. It’s just some mutated strawberries. I’m not short on them.”

Compared to these common mutated specialties, only the Jade Grapes and Lin Xian Tea were more valuable.

Even if these common specialties were destroyed, he wouldn’t feel bad. Their effects couldn’t compare to the special ones at all.

Zhou Jun suddenly asked, “Lin Feng, these mutated plants won’t be impossible to cultivate, like the Jade Grapes, will they?”

“Probably not. After these plants mature, Professor Zhou will conduct experiments, and we’ll know the results then.”

Zhou Jun ignored the rest of Lin Feng’s explanation, only remembering the “probably not.” To him, that meant these plants could be cultivated elsewhere.

Thinking about this, his mind was in turmoil. Based on what he saw in the greenhouse, this kind of mutation could happen to any crop.

Although he wasn’t pursuing a career in politics, he still understood certain things due to his parents’ influence.

If staple food crops underwent a mutation like the strawberries, it would absolutely affect the nation’s destiny.

No matter how the world developed, food was always the most important resource, bar none.

At this moment, Zhou Jun felt that Lin Feng’s one hundred acres of land was far too little, especially since he had planted so little wheat.

‘He should increase the planting area. A larger quantity would increase the probability of mutation.’

Of course, he didn’t say this out loud. He planned to call his father after he got back to discuss the matter.

Lin Feng had no idea that the strawberry mutation had caused Zhou Jun to start contemplating matters of national importance.

He said to Zhou Jun, “Help me spread a message. Everyone who wants to live in Lin Xian Village must first go and offer incense to the Earth God.”

Zhou Jun instantly understood what Lin Feng meant. “Alright, I’ll spread the word.”

“What are you two whispering about over there?” Hu Xia asked. “Quick, come look! Someone filmed that panda in the Southwest of Lin Xian Village.”

“They still haven’t found that panda? It’s come to the outskirts of Lin Xian Village!”

Zhao Shiyun snatched Hu Xia’s phone. The video showed drone footage of a bamboo forest to the Southwest of Lin Xian Village.

Lin Feng took out his phone, found the video Hu Xia was talking about, and sure enough, there was a panda in it.

The footage was very clear. The giant panda was eating bamboo in the forest, and the clip was three or four minutes long.

He checked the information from the signal tower. A panda’s trail had indeed appeared, and it was heading toward Lin Xian Village.

He sent a message to Director Cheng: “Director Cheng, a giant panda has been spotted near Lin Xian Village. Are you aware?”

“We’re aware. We’ve confirmed the panda’s location and are currently figuring out how to capture it.”

Lin Feng thought about it and gave up on the idea of forming a contract with this panda. ‘Once the application for a private zoo is approved, I’ll have plenty of opportunities.’

But to his surprise, the situation developed unexpectedly. The panda was spotted again, less than six kilometers from Lin Xian Village.

In the square of Lin Xian Village, a group of tourists with drones were flying them into the mountains, searching for the giant panda.

“Hey, buddy, you go one kilometer south, I’ll go one kilometer north. Anyone else want to join? Let’s search together.”

“Me, me, I’ll join too! I’ll search to the east. If we work together, we’ll have a better chance of finding it.”

“HOLY SHIT! I found wild boars over here! A lot of them!” someone shouted.

“Where? Where? Report the coordinates, quick!”

Another person shouted, “Hey, look what I filmed! The rock formations here are so weird. They almost look man-made.”

“They do look man-made. Mark the spot. We’ll investigate after we find the panda.”

The participation of these tourists made the search for the panda much easier.

The forestry department staff from Wuyuan County stood nearby, waiting for the tourists to find the panda.

Of course, they also had people operating drones to search for the panda in the woods.

Meanwhile, deep in the mountain forest, the team of four—Mo Yu, Xiaohong, Chasing Wind, and Ao Xue—were on an adventure.

For the past while, these four rascals had been spending their days playing in the forest, only returning at night.

A kilometer away from them, a black-and-white animal was stealthily making its way toward Lin Xian Village.

Before long, their paths were set to cross.