The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 455 - 453 Early Departure, Early Return

Chapter 455: Chapter 453 Early Departure, Early Return

Shitou had enclosed a fire pit with stones; next to it, a pile of neatly stacked firewood rested, and on the uneven stone wall, there were a few small ceramic jars.

There were also several large ceramic jars by the fire pit.

Song Chongjin briskly lit a fire, told Wang Yongzhu to sit and rest a while; he took the large jars out, washed them clean in the pond, and brought back half a jar of water.

He placed the jars over the fire to boil the water. Then he went out, and in no time, returned with a bag of freshly washed mushrooms and wild berries.

He handed the wild berries to Wang Yongzhu, "Try these, and if you like them, I’ll go pick some more for you later."

This was Song Chongjin’s territory; Wang Yongzhu naturally followed the host’s lead. Besides, when it came to wilderness survival skills, comparing herself to Song Chongjin, she was nothing but a newbie.

So, she decided not to get in the way.

Without hesitation, she accepted the berries, bit into one, and found it tangy and juicy, not bad at all.

Song Chongjin took out some dried meat from the package, tossed a few pieces into the ceramic jar, added the cleaned mushrooms, and the pot began bubbling away. Soon, the water boiled and the savory scent of meat and fresh mushrooms filled the cave.

Seeing the meat soup was boiling, Song Chongjin took out the flatbreads, skewered them on sticks, and placed them beside the fire pit to toast, softening them up.

He also fished out two rough pottery bowls from somewhere, washed them outside, and niftily snapped two fresh branches to use as chopsticks.

The meat soup was ready; he poured it out, the savory aroma wafting through the air. A sip revealed a rich and refreshing taste, which, along with the toasted flatbread and meat sauce, was blissfully satisfying.

After lunch, they tidied up the cave. Song Chongjin cleaned another jar and went out to fill it with half a jar of water.

After boiling the water, he took a bit of tea leaves from a small jar, threw them into the water, and poured a bowl for each person before finally asking, "The place you asked me to find last time, do you think this cave is suitable? What do you need it for?"

Wang Yongzhu didn’t keep secrets and explained her plan to cultivate Yellow Pine Mushrooms.

A glint of understanding flashed through Song Chongjin’s eyes; he didn’t ask further, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

Wang Yongzhu waved her hand, "Go about your business; I need to pick a suitable spot in the cave first, then I can make arrangements. It won’t be done in just a few days. Don’t delay your important work."

Song Chongjin felt a twinge of disappointment, but there was plenty of time ahead, so he said no more.

He just took Wang Yongzhu around the valley, briefed her about it, and yet, he was reluctant to leave.

Wang Yongzhu with a stern face said, "Hurry up and go, don’t delay my work; I still need to get down the mountain before dark."

Song Chongjin was still not giving up, "How about, once you’ve picked the spot, you wait a few days for me to come back and help you?"

"Go on, go on..." Wang Yongzhu hadn’t expected Song Chongjin to be so nagging.

It was only then that Song Chongjin reluctantly left, taking three steps and then looking back after each one.

Wang Yongzhu could only wave him away reluctantly, "Go early and return early—"

Song Chongjin hadn’t gone far when he turned back, suddenly pulling Wang Yongzhu into his arms.

Before Wang Yongzhu could react, he quickly let go, his ears tinged with red, as he hurriedly said, "I’ll come back as soon as I can—" and scurried away.

Wang Yongzhu watched Song Chongjin’s retreating figure, feeling a fleeting sense of loss.

But, she quickly regained her composure and returned to the cave.

"Xiao Tiantian, come out and scan to see which part of the cave is suitable for cultivating Yellow Pine Mushrooms?"

The Xiao Tiantian System acknowledged and activated the Scanning System. In no time, it determined the location.

In the southeast corner of the cave, where the temperature and humidity remained most constant and the ventilation was good, it was indeed the perfect place for cultivating Yellow Pine Mushrooms.

Wang Yongzhu confirmed the location, emptied his backpack, took a small hoe, and walked out of the cave.

This valley had been undisturbed for many years, and no one had cut down the trees.

Years of fallen leaves had accumulated into thick, fertile humus in the forest.

Wang Yongzhu loosened the rich leaf humus with his hoe and shoveled it into his backpack to carry back into the cave, where he meticulously spread it out into a cultivation bed.

The cave was spacious, much more so than the Wang Family’s firewood shed.

Though Wang Yongzhu was not very experienced at farm work, she had tireless strength. After a battle of an hour or two, she finally finished laying out a Yellow Pine Mushroom cultivation bed approximately two meters wide and five meters long in the cave.

Now everything was ready, all that was lacking was the east wind.

The mycelium of the Yellow Pine Mushrooms that she had cultivated in the spring was originally intended to be left for continued cultivation in the autumn.

But by summer, even though she had stealthily sprayed them a few times with diluted Gene Evolution Liquid, most of the mycelium had wilted and died.

Only a palm-sized clump remained, which she had kept in her room, barely managing through the summer and not recovering until autumn.

Now with such a large cultivation bed, this small amount of mycelium was certainly not enough.

Wang Yongzhu remembered the Seed Selection and Cultivation Laboratory that she had drawn last time and consulted with Xiao Tiantian, "Xiao Tiantian, for cultivating Yellow Pine Mushrooms, can I use that laboratory to cultivate the best mycelium?"

Xiao Tiantian answered decisively, "Of course, it can be used. As long as it’s related to plants, it’s possible! Host, do you want to use the Seed Selection and Cultivation Laboratory? Friendly reminder: using the laboratory requires payment in Points. The amount of Points depends on the category of the seeds and the quality level the host wishes to cultivate."

Only then did Wang Yongzhu understand that using this laboratory, which she had won, still cost her each time.

Why don’t they just rob me?

Xiao Tiantian sensed Wang Yongzhu’s emotions and hurriedly explained, "Host, you must understand that optimal cultivation requires energy consumption, which needs to be purchased with Points for energy replenishment. Please believe that our pricing is transparent and clearly marked!"

What else could she do? Wang Yongzhu, speechless, had accumulated so many reward points, only to find out she’d won a big pitfall that burned through her Points.

Now that she was on this ’pirate ship’, there was no point in thinking about anything else.

"How many Points are needed for the optimal cultivation of Yellow Pine Mushroom mycelium?" Wang Yongzhu asked.

"Yellow Pine Mushrooms belong to category B plants. For standard, good, excellent, and top-grade levels, the costs are 10, 20, 50, and 200 Points respectively," Xiao Tiantian displayed the price list, highlighting the category for Yellow Pine Mushrooms in red, so Wang Yongzhu could see it at a glance.

Such a rip-off! Wang Yongzhu felt the pinch.

She gave it some thought and took out the mycelium she had prepared the night before, "First check this clump of mycelium I have here, which standard does it belong to?"

In her mind, the door of the Seed Selection and Cultivation Laboratory opened, and a standard, emotionless mechanical voice sounded, "Please place the seeds to be tested into the System space! Please place the seeds to be tested into the System space! Please place the seeds to be tested into the System space!"

It repeated three times.

Wang Yongzhu followed the instructions, placing the mycelium into the System space.

Then she saw the doors of the laboratory close, and the mycelium also disappeared.