Li Ba, a graduate of Huaxia Agricultural University, was the sales manager at a well-known seed company in Wucheng before the apocalypse. When the apocalypse struck and order collapsed, the naturally timid Li Ba faced life-and-death situations and managed to scrape by and survive. By chance, he set aside the rules of post-apocalyptic survival to save a grandfather and his granddaughter, and in return, he received a magical bracelet. The bracelet contained a universe within—a plot of land, a stone trough brimming with spring water, and a Tower—all of which opened up a mysterious realm for him. What to do when food runs out? “My Fengshou Group has mountains of grain—I’ll trade it for crystal cores and jade!” Li Ba declared arrogantly. What to do when zombies attack the city? “The mutated plants cultivated by ‘Lord Ba’ can withstand a tide of a million zombies!” Li Ba said with absolute confidence. What if you’re not an Evolver and someone challenges you to a one-on-one duel? “I’ve got talismanic soldiers guarding me. Anyone who dares challenge me will get beaten so badly, even their own mother won’t recognize them!” said Li Ba, his bald head revealing a menacing expression as he spoke viciously. Using the mysterious space and his expertise, Li Ba cultivated crops and tended fields, determined to become a major farmer in the world of *Horse Herding* and pursue a happy life in the post-apocalyptic world.
Chapter 5: Miraculous Effects
The magical bracelet came from Yan'er’s grandfather and contained spatial spring water with a delightful taste. Li Ba, of course, wasn’t stingy; he secretly bottled some for Yan'er to taste. He didn’t reveal the secret of the bracelet’s spatial pocket to her, adhering to the fourth rule of post-apocalyptic survival: there’s no such thing as a wall that doesn’t let the wind through; only those who keep their secrets can live long. Li Ba resolved to keep the secret of the bracelet’s inner space strictly to himself, telling no one—not even his closest relatives. Li Ba dared not even imagine what would happen if others found out about this secret. He figured that if word got out, the very next moment, every survivor in the Xibu settlement would go mad with desire—they wouldn’t rest until they’d torn him to pieces to extract the secret. A wave of dread washed over him. However, seeing Yan'er's beaming little face, Li Ba felt inexplicably much more at ease. “Uncle Li, this water tastes so good.” Yan'er clearly couldn’t resist the wonderful taste of the spring water from the spatial realm; she drained the entire bottle in one go, licked her lips, and looked as if she wanted more. Li Ba was prepared for this; he reached out with his left hand, which had been tucked behind his back, and said with a smile, “There’s another bottle.” Yan'er's eyes lit up. She took the bottle and gulped down more than half of it. Suddenly, as if she’d sensed something, she stopped, looked a little embarrassed, and handed the remaining half-bottle of spatial spring water back to Li Ba. “Uncle Li, you… you drink it.” The little girl was quite sensible—she’d managed to resist the temptation of the spatial spring water’s wonderful taste and shared it with him. Li Ba laughed heartily, ruffled her little head, and said, “There’s plenty more of this spring water. You can have as much as you want—just drink your fill!” “Really?” Yan'er could hardly believe it. “I’ll let you in on a secret…” With Li Ba’s cunning and craftiness, fooling a little girl was a piece of cake. He concocted a lie, claiming he’d accidentally discovered a spring that yielded crisp, sweet mountain water. In the post-apocalyptic world, a clean water source was incredibly precious. Li Ba feigned great caution and repeatedly urged Yan'er to keep this secret; if anyone else found out, she’d never be able to drink from the spring again. Yan'er was completely taken aback by his story; she covered her mouth and nodded frantically. Seeing her adorable little expression, Li Ba broke into a happy smile. The water from the spatial spring tasted wonderful and even helped stave off hunger. Yan'er drank several bottles in a row, rubbed her little belly, and didn’t even feel like eating dinner. The bran buns and half a melon she’d received from Li Chao earlier that day had been put away by Li Ba as emergency rations. The refugee camp was chaotic; theft was commonplace, and murder and robbery were even more frequent. For safety’s sake, Li Ba took advantage of Yan'er’s inattention to quietly stow the bran buns and half a honeydew melon into the space within his bracelet. Only then could he rest easy. That evening, on the cramped wooden plank bed inside the hut, Yan'er curled up and nestled against Li Ba like a little kitten, drifting off to sleep before long. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy sleeping against Li Ba’s bulging belly. As moonlight filtered through the cracks in the planks, Li Ba saw a contented smile on the little girl’s lips, and his heart was filled with warmth. On any other day, after a long, tiring day, he would fall asleep the moment he lay down on the wooden plank bed. Tonight, however, Li Ba felt inexplicably excited and simply couldn’t fall asleep. The wonders of the bracelet’s space had brought a glimmer of hope into his once-bleak life. Perhaps, with the help of this magical bracelet, he could change his fate in this post-apocalyptic world! Clutching his fist, Li Ba lowered his head and saw Yan’er, curled up in his arms, fast asleep. He slowly lay down, focusing his consciousness on the tattoo on his left wrist. In the next moment, his consciousness had already entered that mysterious space. Huh! The moment his consciousness entered, a stream of wondrous information flooded his mind. By the time Li Ba came to his senses and looked over, his whole body jolted, and a look of disbelief spread across his face. On the patch of land before him, a small cluster of emerald-green sprouts had actually appeared. The faint strands of information were being transmitted from these sprouts. And they were all growing on half a honeydew melon. Beside it lay a few pieces of bran bread. “This…” Li Ba’s expression shifted from astonishment to ecstasy. The sweet melon, scientifically known as “Xiangguo,” is an annual, vine-like herbaceous plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, genus Cucumis, with heart-shaped leaves. Its flowers are unisexual and yellow; the plant may be monoecious (bearing both male and female flowers on the same plant) or hermaphroditic. The fruit is spherical, ovoid, elliptical, or flattened-round, with a rind that is yellow, white, green, or mottled with various patterns. The flesh is green, white, crimson, or orange-yellow, with a crisp or soft texture and a fragrant, sweet flavor. The plant thrives in high temperatures, dry conditions, and ample sunlight. Native to the tropics, it is widely cultivated throughout China with numerous varieties; those from North China and the Northwest are intensely sweet, while those from humid regions are juicier but milder in flavor. It is one of the finest summer fruits. As a top student at the Agricultural University, he knew better than anyone the variety of the half-melon given to Yan'er by Li Chao today. It was the locally produced “Green Jade” melon. This variety is early-maturing, easy to manage, and sets fruit readily; it is fragrant, crisp, and sweet, with high yields, thin skin, and high sugar content. Before the apocalypse, Green Jade melons were widely cultivated in Central China and were extremely popular among farmers. The seed company where Li Ba worked had once held the exclusive distribution rights for this variety’s seeds. Green Jade melons are easy to grow, but it’s absolutely impossible for their seeds to sprout overnight—especially seeds that haven’t been screened or bred. Yet now, the scene unfolding before Li Ba’s eyes was simply unbelievable: the remaining seeds inside that half-melon had all sprouted without even being planted in the soil. What astonished Li Ba most was that those tender sprouts were actually sending him a faint message through some mysterious connection: they wanted to enter the soil, and they wanted to grow quickly! Swallowing hard, Li Ba did his best to calm his emotions. With a thought, one by one, the tiny sprouts drifted out of the half-melon and, under his control, landed one after another on the ground. As soon as the seedlings touched the ground, they miraculously began to take root and thrive. In no more than ten or so minutes, green vines had already spread across more than ten square meters of land. “I’ve struck it rich! He’d known the bracelet’s space was full of wonders, but he never imagined it could actually accelerate plant growth. Li Ba danced with joy, acting as if he’d gone mad, his wild laughter echoing throughout this mysterious space. “One, two…” All thirteen melon seedlings took root. In just over ten minutes, they looked as though they’d been planted for nearly half a month—their vines spreading out and beginning to take shape. This is a treasure trove! With the gaze of a hungry wolf, Li Ba fixed his eyes intently on the small plot of land before him. At the same time, it was as if a mysterious connection had formed in his mind with each melon seedling, allowing him to clearly sense their growth. “Water! This was the message the melon seedlings were sending him at that moment. Li Ba’s consciousness immediately sprang into action, controlling the spring water in the stone trough and transforming it into a mist of raindrops that fell upon the plants. The miraculous effects of the spatial spring water were once again on full display. After being watered, the melon seedlings began to grow at a frenzied pace. In less than ten minutes, flowers emerged from the vines, exuding a delicate fragrance as they bloomed serenely. He watered them once more. The flowers began to wilt and wither… Before long, the vines bore fruits the size of ping-pong balls—vividly green and lush, exuding a faint, refreshing fragrance. Through the mystical connection, Li Ba learned that these fruits would ripen in just one night. The excitement and elation in his heart were beyond words. At that moment, Li Ba’s consciousness actually began dancing the “horse dance” in the mysterious space. If he didn’t let it out, he feared he wouldn’t be able to handle this unexpected windfall—he might go mad. Half an hour later, the frenzied Li Ba finally calmed down and used his “fat brain” to weigh the causes and consequences. Clearly, the bracelet given to him by Yan'er’s grandfather was a treasure—not only could it store items, but the space inside possessed miraculous and incredible properties. A plot of land measuring over ten square meters could accelerate the growth of plants. The spring water in the stone trough had the power to relieve fatigue, ward off hunger, and heal wounds, while also nourishing the plants, causing them to grow twice as fast. That left the Tower, whose specific function remained unclear. Li Ba had tried several times to enter it, but each time he was stopped by an invisible force; his consciousness couldn’t get even half a step closer. The plot of land, the stone trough, and the Tower—these three items certainly all had their own uses. So far, Li Ba had only figured out the general purposes of the land and the spring water in the stone trough. As for the Tower, he would have to explore it slowly over time; there was no need to rush. Don’t let the mysterious space’s modest size—just over ten square meters—fool you. If used properly, it will not only ensure Li Ba never goes hungry again but will also bring him unimaginable wealth. There’s no doubt about that. The consciousness entity withdrew from the mysterious space. Filled with delight and excitement, Li Ba embraced Yan’er and drifted off to sleep without realizing it. In his dreams, he seemed to transform into the male protagonist of a xianxia novel: with a wave of his hand, a silver bracelet appeared, imbued with supreme power—capable of slaying gods and Buddhas, destroying heaven and earth, and leaving no one able to stand against him… Giggles, mingled with the sounds of deep sleep, drifted out from the narrow, dimly lit shack.
