From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 25 - 23: This is also very good

Wei Heng recalled the information his captain had sent over a couple of days ago. After a moment’s thought, he hurried to catch up to Gu Xi.

’Since I’ve made up my mind to make a clean break with the past, it’s better to clear some things up sooner rather than later.’

"Gu Xi, I’m serious. I really didn’t know them before," he said, taking a few quick steps to get in front of her and walking backward.

"So you know them now?" Gu Xi turned her head, shooting him a smiling glance.

Wei Heng nodded. "Yes, I admit it. When I saw you plant sweet potatoes like that for the first time, and the mutation coefficient of the potatoes you grew was so low... I got excited and couldn’t help but report it..."

Wei Heng’s sincerity was obvious. Gu Xi studied him for a moment before replying calmly, "All right, I understand."

Wei Heng was speechless. ’...Huh? That’s it? Aren’t you going to say anything else?’

Just then, the sweet-faced Qin Yi walked over, her two dimples showing. "Gu Xi, is there anything you two need? I can have Mr. Shen bring it back this afternoon."

Her words suggested she wasn’t trying to hide her close relationship with Shen Yue.

Gu Xi raised a slight eyebrow, surprised. "He’s coming back this afternoon?"

"That’s right," Qin Yi said with a smile. "Mr. Shen is escorting Mr. Xv back to the camp right now. He’ll be back later to deliver a batch of important materials..."

Gu Xi nodded without a word.

’Ever since Shen Yue showed up, the two sisters’ attitudes toward her had clearly changed.’

’They were even volunteering information.’

’Like that... explanation just now?’

Everyone had their secrets, and Gu Xi wasn’t a particularly curious person. As long as they meant her no harm, she wouldn’t go digging into their private affairs.

Wei Heng, on the other hand, glanced at Qin Yi and asked in a teasing, probing tone, "I say, Qin Yi, how long have you known Shen Yue? You’re already calling him ’big brother’?"

Qin Yi answered frankly, "I’ve known Mr. Shen for over ten years. He saved my sister’s and my life back then, so why can’t I call him ’big brother’?"

Then she looked at Gu Xi, changing the subject. "But honestly, I never expected to see Mr. Shen here either..."

Qin Yi was telling the truth.

Before Shen Yue appeared, the sisters truly hadn’t received any notice from their superiors. So when they first saw him that morning, they were both taken aback.

Just then, Gu Xi’s steps faltered slightly.

Just as Qin Yi was wondering if she had said something wrong and made things worse, Gu Xi suddenly walked toward the upland rice plants nearby.

After exchanging a glance with her, Wei Heng hurried to follow.

They noticed that Gu Xi was looking at the mutated upland rice with a very serious expression.

’Is there something wrong with this mutated upland rice?’

The two of them were completely baffled, unable to figure out what was going on.

Over by the plants, Mr. Zhao, who was taking soil samples, saw the young people gathered around his mutated upland rice and walked over with a smile.

"This is a new breed of mutated upland rice our research institute has developed to stabilize the mutation coefficient of crops—Experiment No. 1. Its stability is the highest among all current grain crops, but it’s still not stable enough..."

Gu Xi had a flash of understanding. No wonder she’d felt these plants were a bit strange. Compared to the sweet potatoes she had planted using the same method, their mutation rate was significantly slower.

If these were those mutated sweet potatoes, after a morning of natural growth, their mutation coefficient would probably have reached around 3 by now.

But from what Gu Xi could tell, the mutation coefficient of the mutated upland rice before her was likely no higher than 1.

Moreover, they had already entered the heading stage, and Mr. Zhao had said that at their natural growth rate, they could be harvested in two days at most.

The only rice Gu Xi had seen before was in its edible form. She had never even seen a normal rice plant, let alone a mutated upland one.

She had originally thought that this difference was perhaps just due to the different growth characteristics of different crops...

But now, after hearing Mr. Zhao’s explanation, Gu Xi understood that the country hadn’t been idle all these years!

This mutated upland rice was the best proof.

The country she had once fought and bled for over many years had not only begun to orderly reorganize and restore production but had also cultivated a high-yield, stable variety like Experiment No. 1—all while other nations were still in a chaotic state of post-apocalyptic "warlordism."

In that moment, Gu Xi felt that all the blood she had shed and the hardships she had endured over the past years were worth it. She felt a deep sense of pride in her country and her people!

"I brought Experiment No. 1 out this time to see how its stability holds up in different natural environments..." ’It would be even better if I could find an ability user with a suitable planting gift to help improve its stability further.’

Mr. Zhao raised his hand and gently stroked the upland rice plant, his eyes filled with the same tenderness one would have for their own child.

’A handful of Wood Element ability users alone cannot feed the nation’s post-apocalyptic population of one hundred million.’

’But superior rice seeds could make it possible for everyone to have enough to eat.’

Gu Xi lowered her gaze to the small green sprout that had emerged from her fingertip at some point and suddenly gave a silent smile.

’This is good, too.’

Beside her, Wei Heng suddenly leaned in and waved a hand in front of her face. "Gu Xiaoxi, what are you smiling about?"

The sweet-faced Qin Yi leaned in as well, looking suspiciously from one of their faces to the other.

"Nothing," Gu Xi said with a slight shake of her head.

After a moment of thought, she glanced at the mutated upland rice plants beside her and turned to ask Mr. Zhao, "After it matures, could I trade for some of its seeds with you?"

Mr. Zhao didn’t seem surprised by her request. He nodded with a smile. "Of course. You’re the one who accelerated its growth, Gu..."

Wei Heng, however, found it a bit strange. "What do you want that for?"

Gu Xi was silent for a moment. "...I haven’t had white rice in a very long time."

At the side, the sweet-faced Qin Yi froze for a second, then shot Gu Xi an odd look and muttered under her breath, "But rice doesn’t even taste good. It’s not as good as sweet potatoes..."

’They might taste a little strange, but at least they’re sweet.’

Gu Xi was speechless. ’How am I supposed to tell you that’s because you’ve never had normal white rice?’

Nearby, Mr. Zhao, who had eaten normal white rice many years ago, also narrowed his eyes slightly at her words. A smile played on his lips, as if he were reminiscing about something.

Qin Yi couldn’t understand the nostalgia on their faces and decided to return to the previous topic.

"Gu Xi, have you decided what you want him to bring?" She opened her personal terminal. "Mr. Shen should be reaching the camp any minute now..."

As she contacted Shen Yue, she mumbled to herself, "I heard the base sent a special supply run this time because Mr. Zhao and his team came over..."

After a moment, Qin Yi heard no response and turned to look at Gu Xi, showing her the Light Screen. "Mr. Shen said he can help bring back anything you want..."

"We’re all going to be neighbors from now on, so don’t be embarrassed, Gu Xi..."

"They say a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. It’s only right for neighbors to help each other out..."

It wasn’t that Gu Xi felt embarrassed.

She just fell silent at the thought of her account balance: zero.

Last time, Wei Heng had taken those two big truckloads of goods back and exchanged them for a good bit of money.

But that money was immediately spent on a generator, Energy Blocks, and living supplies. Although there was a little left over, which Wei Heng had offered to transfer to her after he got back.

But at the time, Gu Xi had glanced at the pathetic three-digit balance remaining in his account and told him to keep it for himself.

Wei Heng, standing beside her, had clearly remembered this as well.

He glanced at Gu Xi. ’The girl’s new clothes are torn, and I don’t have a needle and thread. Plus, those undergarments Ye Lin said she ordered for her from the base should have arrived by now...’

’It would be awkward to ask a grown man like Shen Yue to bring those things back. But energy is scarce right now, and it wouldn’t be worth it to make a special trip just for that...’

For a moment, both of them fell silent, united by their poverty.

Qin Yi squeezed in between them. "Have you decided what you want him to bring? Mr. Shen says he can only stay at the camp for two hours..."

"No need, but please thank him for us. We’re not short on anything right now," Wei Heng said after a moment’s thought, deciding against it.

After Qin Yi left, he looked up at Gu Xi. "...How about we till the land again tomorrow morning and plant another crop of watermelons?"

Gu Xi raised an eyebrow. ’Didn’t you just say we’re not short on anything?’

Wei Heng met her gaze, his expression self-righteously declaring: ’We’re not short on *things*, but we are short on *money*.’