The Post-Apocalyptic Big Farm Owner

Chapter 23: Transplant Experiment

If Li Ba knew that the Villas he’d purchased cost a full two times more than market price, he’d surely be kicking and cursing. Although real estate prices in the city weren’t cheap, in the post-apocalyptic world, grain was the most precious commodity. After spending the whole afternoon shopping, Li Ba’s legs were so weak he could barely walk, and he still hadn’t found a shop he liked. The ones in prime locations were mostly already taken, while the ones in out-of-the-way spots didn’t meet his standards. By evening, he glanced at the sky—it was getting late—so he had no choice but to head home. As he reached the intersection by the restaurant, Li Ba suddenly stopped in his tracks. Not far ahead, right in front of the restaurant, a Mercedes-Benz was parked. Zhou Yan was standing next to the car, along with an older man with a slicked-back hairstyle. The man had a potbelly three times as big as Li Ba’s; he was pointing at Zhou Yan, spitting as he spoke, though Li Ba couldn’t make out what he was saying. As he drew closer, the sound of their voices drifted faintly toward him. “…Don’t think you’re safe just because you’ve got Xiao Liang as your backer. Hmph! My son, Zhao Kang, is already a Level 3 Psionic Evolver—listen carefully, a Level 3 Psionic Evolver… Not to mention you—even Liang Shaoping and Long Sihai would have to give my Zhao Kang some face. That kid Xiao Liang is nothing…For the sake of our neighbors, I, Zhao Laifu, have been reluctant to use force against you… Yan Yan, this is my final warning to you. If you don’t give me an answer within ten days, you’ll face the consequences!” Zhou Yan kept her head down, saying nothing. After the old man haughtily delivered those words, he got into his car and drove off. After the Mercedes had driven off into the distance, Zhou Yan spat in the direction the car had gone, her face contorted with hatred. “That guy is that old bastard!” At some point, Li Ba had walked over with a smile on his face. When Zhou Yan saw it was him, she nodded: “Who else could it be but him!” “Do you want me to take him out for you?” Li Ba made a slashing motion across his throat. “Give it a rest.” Zhou Yan shot him a withering glance and turned to walk away. Perhaps realizing she’d been rude, she turned back and called out to Li Ba, “Hey, don’t just stand there—let’s go eat.” “Coming,” Li Ba replied lazily, strolling leisurely toward the restaurant. Dinner was as lavish as ever. Four dishes and a soup—in this post-apocalyptic world, that was already on par with what a wealthy family would have. Da Fang and Xiao Fang had spent the afternoon shopping, picking up some trinkets, and brought a gift for everyone. The others didn’t care much, but the two sisters were thrilled. At the dinner table, they kept serving the two brothers, chatting and laughing, the atmosphere was very warm and friendly. Upon asking, it turned out the gifts the two brothers had given them were the most expensive: a bottle of perfume each. Although not from a major brand, they had cost a good fifty jin in grain coupons. When Li Ba found out, he rolled his eyes: “These two… they treat my grain coupons like they’re blowing in the wind. Fifty jin of grain coupons—that’s enough to have a whole line of girls on their knees licking my boots!” “Uncle, did you find a storefront yet?” Yan'er suddenly asked during dinner. Li Ba had already asked the little girl for the afternoon off when he left, so she knew he was looking for a storefront. Before Li Ba could answer, Zhou Yan asked in surprise, “Why are you looking for a storefront?” “Oh, I’ve got some money on hand and want to open a general store. That way, Da Fang and Xiao Fang will have something to do.” Li Ba didn’t hide anything and explained his plan. “I see…” Zhou Yan thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Don’t bother looking anymore—just use my place.” Zhou Yan’s storefront was located at a crossroads in the center of town—a prime location. It saw heavy foot traffic, and there were no other general stores nearby. Li Ba was, of course, willing. Still, he asked, “You only have this one storefront—if you rent it to me, won’t you be closing your restaurant?” Zhou Yan smiled and said, “Things aren’t what they used to be. The best ingredients are all monopolized by a few big hotels, so it’s tough for small restaurants like ours to make a living. Giving you the storefront while I keep running the outdoor food stall won’t make much difference to me.” Since she put it that way, Li Ba naturally had no objections. “How much is the rent?” That was the key question. “Just use it. If you make money, give me whatever you can; if business is slow… the rent is waived!” Zhou Yan was being unusually generous—she was actually giving the space to Li Ba for free. Li Ba knew deep down that she was finding a way to thank him and make up for the loss of those mutated sweet potatoes. This woman isn’t a bad person at heart! Li Ba found himself liking her more and more; he smiled warmly at Zhou Yan, making her feel a little embarrassed. “Let’s have a great partnership!” Just as Zhou Yan was about to lose her temper, Li Ba raised his glass. With the storefront settled—a weight off his mind—Li Ba was in high spirits. He downed a good ten or so bottles of beer before stumbling home, drunk, to sleep. He slept through the night until dawn. Early in the morning, Li Ba called over the brothers Da Fang and Xiao Fang. After breakfast, they drove the tricycle to the market. There, he bought some decorating materials, as well as items needed to open the shop—such as counters, electronic scales, and office desks—and, while he was at it, found a few workers skilled in renovation. Then, the whole group headed home in a grand procession. At the restaurant, after Li Ba left, the four women sprang into action. Before the apocalypse, the restaurant’s front area had been the reception hall of Zhou Yan’s vacation home—a spacious space measuring over 100 square meters. After the apocalypse, Zhou Yan had partitioned the reception hall in half, using one section as a kitchen and storage room and setting up tables in the other. They needed to move all the stoves from the kitchen and the miscellaneous items and ingredients from the storage room out to the backyard. The backyard was right next to the vacation Villa. Along the wall, Zhou Yan planned to build a makeshift shed to serve as a kitchen. By the time Li Ba returned, the kitchen and storage room had already been cleared out. Seeing this, Li Ba was very pleased. “Yan Yan, good job.” He mimicked that “old bastard” from yesterday, calling Zhou Yan by her pet name. Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan shot him a glare—she looked fierce, but her eyes sparkled with a smile. “This is looking good!” Li Ba was a seasoned womanizer; he could tell at a glance that although Zhou Yan seemed reluctant on the surface, deep down she was giving her silent consent. It looked like this woman had a thing for him! “Three mutant sweet potatoes to get this woman into bed—that’s definitely worth every penny!” After indulging in a bit of fantasy, Li Ba got down to business. Under his direction, everyone took on their assigned tasks and set to work with great enthusiasm. Li Ba had already clearly explained the general layout of the supply store to Da Fang and Xiao Fang; as college students, they quickly grasped their boss’s intentions. Afterward, Li Ba left, saying he was going back to catch some sleep, but in reality, he had more important business to attend to. There were many supply stores in the city, and competition was fierce. To make his store stand out, he needed more than just food—he needed something special to attract survivors. Last night, he learned from Zhou Yan that ingredients were hard to come by—especially fruits and vegetables, which were monopolized by several large hotels. Li Ba took this to heart and came up with an idea: grow some fruits and vegetables to sell, thereby boosting his store’s competitiveness. This was undoubtedly a good idea, but putting it into practice would be difficult. The plot of land in his bracelet’s storage space was too small and could only be used to grow grain. Setting aside part of it for fruits and vegetables would, first, reduce the grain yield; second, fresh fruits and vegetables—unlike grain—could be found in large quantities outside. If they suddenly appeared out of nowhere, it would arouse suspicion. Therefore, he had to come up with another solution. He returned to the Villa. Standing in the courtyard, Li Ba looked around, and his eyes lit up. In the courtyard in front of the Villa, there was a ring of flower beds along the perimeter wall. After the apocalypse, the extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night made it difficult for ordinary flowers and plants to survive; most had withered and died. If he could first grow vegetable seedlings in the bracelet’s storage space and then transplant them into the flower beds, wouldn’t that solve the problem of limited space? That morning, Li Ba had already bought seeds for four types of vegetables at the market: Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans. More than five months had passed since the apocalypse began, and supplies were still relatively plentiful; vegetable and grain seeds were not hard to find on the market. After some thought, he decided to plant tomatoes first. Tomatoes are an introduced species, belonging to the category of tropical perennial herbaceous plants. Since their introduction, through hybridization and cultivation, they have developed characteristics that allow them to withstand both low and high temperatures. Among the four vegetables, they are best suited to thrive in the post-apocalyptic climate. Start with the easy and move on to the hard. That was Li Ba’s plan. Although he had planted the plot of land in his bracelet’s spatial pocket entirely with corn, there were still some gaps. He took out a few tomato seeds, entered the plot with his consciousness, and scattered them directly onto the empty patches of soil. Without the Space Spirit Spring to water them, it took half an hour for the seeds to sprout. Li Ba returned to the Villa, grabbed a shovel, and began loosening the soil in the flower bed. By the time he’d finished most of the work, the tomato seedlings in the bracelet’s space had already sprouted. He then carefully transplanted them into the flower bed. Tomatoes growing in a natural environment take at least three or four months to mature. How to speed up the maturation cycle was a challenge. Transplanting these few tomato seedlings was merely an experimental variety for Li Ba; he would have to find another way to secure the vegetables needed for the supply store’s opening. Li Ba already had a comprehensive plan in place for this. The corn in the Bracelet Space was nearly ripe and would be ready for harvest by tonight at the latest. Afterward, Li Ba planned to plant a batch of soybeans and mung beans to grow bean sprouts. That way, he would have a reliable source of vegetables for the supply store’s opening. At dusk, Li Ba crouched beside the flower bed, staring intently at the few tender seedlings without blinking. The tomato seedlings that had thrived in the Bracelet Space were faring poorly after being transplanted. Their leaves were drooping, and they all looked listless and lackluster—it seemed unlikely they would survive. All the plants cultivated in the bracelet’s spatial realm shared a mysterious connection with Li Ba. He could clearly sense the faint consciousness emanating from the tomato seedlings; the feedback indicated that the harsh external environment was preventing them from taking root and surviving. Li Ba had already watered them before transplanting them, so a lack of water wasn’t the issue. Tomatoes are naturally heat-tolerant; the hotter the weather, the faster they grow. Climate factors could essentially be ruled out. Based on his professional expertise, the problem likely lay with the water source. All water used in the settlement is drawn from underground hot springs. These springs contain sulfur and various other minerals; while safe for human consumption, they are unsuitable for irrigating crops. The water source! How could he solve the problem of irrigation water? Li Ba racked his brain but couldn’t come up with a solution. Experiments naturally involve both successes and failures. Even if these few tomato seedlings didn’t survive, it wouldn’t be a big deal. He’d wait and see; if they didn’t make it, he’d come up with other solutions. Li Ba watered the tomato seedlings a little more. He hoped that by morning, they would show some positive changes.