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 14: Sentimental Dialogue
Lunch was plentiful: one meat dish and three vegetable dishes, along with a steaming bowl of vegetable and ham soup. When Li Ba arrived, he didn’t even glance at Zhou Yan and the others; he simply served himself some rice, sat down, and began eating heartily. “Have a bottle of beer!” Zhou Yan opened a bottle of beer and handed it to Li Ba. “I don’t have any grain coupons!” Once bitten, twice shy. Li Ba remembered clearly that when they settled the bill last night, these money-grubbing women had actually charged him twenty jin of grain coupons for a single bottle of beer. It was too expensive—he simply couldn’t afford it. “It’s on the house,” Zhou Yan said with a twinkle in her eye and a smile. First braised beef, then ham soup, and now beer on top of that… There’s no such thing as a free lunch—if someone’s being overly generous, they’re either up to no good or trying to steal something. Something’s not right! Li Ba’s face was full of suspicion. He couldn’t figure out what kind of underhanded scheme these cunning, money-grubbing women were hatching this time. “Look at you! You’re a grown man—don’t be so petty and narrow-minded. Aside from a layer of fat, what else do you have that’s worth thinking about?” Zhou Yan was both annoyed and amused as she tossed out, “Drink it or not, it’s up to you. I won’t force you!” Hearing that, Li Ba realized she had a point. After all, his pockets were empty—he didn’t have a single grain coupon left on him. “Might as well drink it while I can!” Thinking back to the hefty sum he’d been extorted for last night, Li Ba felt his heart bleed. He picked up the bottle and downed more than half of it in one go, then clicked his tongue with a look of pure satisfaction. After the meal, the two sisters cleared the table while Li Ba crossed his legs and picked his teeth with a toothpick. The meal had been sumptuous—the canned beef had been cooked into an exquisite delicacy, and Zhou Yan’s culinary skills were second to none. If he hadn’t been so annoyed, Li Ba would have given her a thumbs-up in praise long ago. Yan'er was very considerate and took the initiative to help the sisters clear the table. With only Zhou Yan and Li Ba left, this naturally alluring woman let her eyes wander seductively and called out to Li Ba in a teasing tone, “Qilang, you’d better hurry up!” That single “Qilang” sent shivers down Li Ba’s spine. But he quickly snapped back to his senses—this flirtatious woman was reminding him to pay back his debt! “Sister Yan, don’t worry. What I owe you… I’ll pay it off in full when the time comes!” Li Ba stood up, ready to turn and leave, but then he thought better of it. Unwilling to let the moment go, he leaned in close to Zhou Yan’s face, took a deep breath, and flashed a cheeky grin: “And by the way, you’ve got a great figure, and your striptease is even better. Once I make a fortune, I’ll definitely book ten shows in a row so I can get my fill!” Laughing loudly, Li Ba strutted off. Zhou Yan was left sitting there; her pretty face flushed slightly at first, then she spat at Li Ba’s retreating back: “You fat pig, if you’re really capable of making big money, forget about booking the whole show—I wouldn’t even mind selling myself to you!” Back in the bedroom, Li Ba’s consciousness immediately entered the bracelet’s space to continue monitoring the wheat seeds’ growth. Based on the results of the previous two plantings, under normal conditions, the crops would mature in just twelve hours. Now that he was experimenting with watering them using diluted spring water, he estimated the maturation cycle would be slightly longer. For dinner, Li Ba stayed in his room and had Yan'er bring him just a few steamed buns. By eight o’clock, the wheat seeds had been planted for twelve hours. At this point, the growth of the wheat seeds in the various test plots varied. The seedlings watered with a one-to-three dilution of spring water had already formed ears and were filling out, nearing maturity. However, the stalks stood over a meter tall, and the grains were as big as peanuts—clearly, a mutation had occurred. The first test plot—a failure! The wheat seedlings irrigated with spring water diluted at a ratio of 1:5 showed a similar pattern: the stalks were slightly shorter, but they had also mutated, producing grains the size of soybeans. At the third site, where the wheat was irrigated with spring water diluted at a ratio of 1:10, growth was slower; the plants had just begun to form ears, but they also appeared to be mutating, though the degree of mutation varied. Summarizing the experimental results, the wheat seeds in all three plots irrigated with diluted spring water underwent mutations. Only in the fourth plot, where the wheat was watered with an external water source, did the plants grow well. The stalks were about the same height as normal wheat, around 50 centimeters. The ears had not yet emerged, but based on Li Ba’s visual inspection and assessment, they appeared to show no signs of mutation. The cause of the plant mutations was, as expected, related to the spring water from the stone trough. Even when watered with diluted spring water, the wheat seeds underwent mutations to varying degrees. Upon reaching this conclusion, a satisfied smile spread across Li Ba Fei’s face. Three days later. On the plot of land in front of the Tower, three of the four experimental plots where wheat seeds had been planted had been cleared, leaving only one. Six or seven wheat plants grew there, golden in color and nearing maturity. Huo Xuan’s consciousness entity stood nearby, observing them closely. These plants looked and were about the same size as ordinary wheat, though their ears were slightly plumper. “Mission accomplished!” After three days of experimentation, he had finally figured out how to cultivate ordinary crops within the bracelet’s spatial realm—a cause for celebration. With the bracelet’s spatial realm providing magical soil capable of nurturing plants, there was no need to water them with spring water from the stone trough; in just three days, he could harvest a batch of grain. There were seven days left until the debt repayment deadline. Li Ba had to use the plot of land in the bracelet’s space to make a fortune before then. Otherwise, he and Yan'er would end up sleeping on the streets. Without wasting any time, Li Ba immediately got to work. He first harvested several experimental wheat plants, then cleared all the crops stored inside—including green jade melons and others—out of the bracelet’s space and piled them haphazardly in the room. Since the bracelet’s space was limited, leaving these items inside would take up valuable farmland. Next, Li Ba sowed a batch of wheat seeds. Once planted, the seeds quickly took root, sprouted, and began to thrive. Another three days passed. Li Ba harvested his first batch of wheat. The plot of land in the bracelet’s storage space was only about a dozen square meters—roughly the size of a single room. Even with the entire area planted with wheat, the harvest amounted to only about two hundred jin. “This plot is way too small!” Li Ba exclaimed. He had to find a way to plant high-yield crops. After some consideration, he decided to plant corn. Given the magical properties of the plot in his bracelet’s space, he didn’t need to worry about crop density. Under optimal conditions, he estimated he could plant 120 to 150 corn plants; if each plant yielded five jin, he could harvest around 700 jin of grain. No sooner said than done, Li Ba immediately planted a batch of corn. He made the most efficient use of the land possible, and when he was finished, he counted—to his surprise, he’d managed to plant 155 corn plants. Gazing at the corn seedlings taking root and sprouting in the field, Li Ba’s face was filled with excitement. He knew he had taken the first step toward building a prosperous life! Three days later, Li Ba stepped out of his room around eight or nine in the morning. Yan'er had already eaten breakfast and was watching cartoons in her room. Zhou Yan’s hot spring resort Villa was fully equipped, complete with computers and air conditioning. Yan'er was watching cartoons on the computer—though, of course, the internet had long since gone down in the post-apocalyptic world, so she was watching shows she’d downloaded beforehand. Li Ba didn’t want to disturb Yan'er, so he tiptoed out the door. The path from the Villa to the restaurant was the only way to reach the main street. When he arrived at the restaurant, he saw Zhou Yan and the twin sisters washing vegetables. He didn’t recognize many of them—they were likely wild greens from the mountains. “You’re going out?” Upon seeing Li Ba, Zhou Yan greeted him with a cheerful smile. Ever since that night, the chubby man had been holed up in the Villa all day, never showing his face, and even had his meals delivered. “Oh, I’m planning to head out of town for a bit,” Li Ba said with a shrug. “You’re going out of town?” Zhou Yan stood up, looking utterly incredulous. Danger lurked everywhere outside the city. In her mind, she thought: that fatso was so timid—yet now he was risking his life to go out of town. Could it be that… “I’ve had my fun. If I don’t go out to get some supplies, how am I supposed to pay off my debts!” Li Ba spoke with a tone of bitter resignation, as if he were being forced into prostitution by a villain. And that villain was none other than Zhou Yan. “Actually… you don’t have to be in such a rush.” Zhou Yan hesitated for a long time before saying this, and her pretty face actually showed a hint of guilt. She knew full well that the fat guy was being forced out of town solely because she’d drained him of all his savings and left him with a mountain of debt. If the Fat Man weren’t a good person, it wouldn’t matter so much. But from what Yan'er had told her, although the Fat Man was a bit of a womanizer, he wasn’t a bad person at heart—he could even be considered a good man. Zhou Yan’s feelings at that moment were complex and indescribable. “This woman actually has a shred of humanity!” Li Ba thought to himself as he noticed the complex expression on Zhou Yan’s face. Then he laughed it off, shot a leering glance at her ample bosom, and said, “Sister Yan, even if I didn’t owe you money, I’d still have to leave. We made a deal—once I make a fortune, I’ll book you for ten shows straight so I can get my fill!” “Get lost, you fatso!” Hearing this, Zhou Yan’s pretty face flushed crimson; she spat in disgust, no longer caring whether this fat bastard lived or died. “Sister Yan, please take good care of Yan'er. If I don’t come back… have pity on her and just give her something to eat!” Li Ba dropped his smile and suddenly delivered this emotional plea. Hearing this, Zhou Yan couldn’t help but feel her eyes well up with tears. “You’d better not leave town. Just find some odd job to do—there’s no rush to pay back the debt… Hey, Fatso, you fatso, are you really going to leave town…?” Women are emotional creatures. After a few emotional words from Li Ba, Zhou Yan changed her mind; she no longer intended to pressure him to repay the debt and even tried to persuade him not to take the risk of leaving town, but to stay and find a job within the city. But before Zhou Yan could even finish speaking, Li Ba had already turned on his heel and walked out. “I thought this slut was some kind of cunning vixen, but turns out she’s nothing special after all!” Zhou Yan’s shout rang out behind him. Li Ba was overjoyed—a few emotional pleas had actually moved the woman to the brink of tears, and he’d managed to get his revenge.
