Chapter 129: Bountiful |
Getting up, he went to the field.
Qin Ziwen took out the Building Enhancement Card.
The surface of the yellow card shimmered with an orange-yellow luster, its front depicting a pattern of a bountiful harvest of all grains.
[Building Enhancement Card] Bountiful: Can grant the special effect "Bountiful" to agricultural-type buildings.
Bountiful: All crop yields from this building are increased. Furthermore, this area requires no fertilization or soil maintenance, remaining perpetually fertile. Plants requiring special planting conditions will have those requirements ignored.
The most suitable target for this enhancement card was the Level 3 Field.
Qin Ziwen used it on the field.
As the light faded, the field remained exactly as it was before.
[Level 3 Field: Level 3 Growth Acceleration, Level 3 Fertility] (Special Effect: Bountiful)
"Hmm?" He looked towards the corner of the field, at that mysterious tree transplanted from the Giant Toad's lair.
It had shown no movement since being transplanted back, but after the Bountiful effect activated, the tree's leaves seemed to be unfurling.
Walking over, he discovered the tree's roots were behaving strangely. Previously, considering the tree had grown in a rock crevice, he thought it might prefer that environment. So, he had deliberately moved some stones over and placed part of its root system on the rocks.
But now, these roots had almost completely detached from the rocks, winding around them instead and burrowing deep into the soil, showing a distinct "disdain" for the stones.
So... it didn't like rocks; it was just that it had no choice back in the mountain cave?
Thinking this, Qin Ziwen fell silent, then moved the stones away.
As he bent down, he glanced up. "Huh?"
Under the branches, some very tiny flower buds had quietly formed at some point, hidden beneath the leaves. Without careful observation, they were impossible to spot.
"Blooming so soon. I'll have to see what the effects are once it fruits." Qin Ziwen felt a flicker of anticipation. He suspected the Giant Toad's immense size might be related to this fruit, though this was just speculation.
He observed the other crops in the field again. Their development speed was rapid. Among them, the transplanted little tomato seedling had already grown into a tree and begun bearing fruit. Although the fruits were small, at this rate, it wouldn't be long before harvest.
"So this is a Level 3 Field." Qin Ziwen marveled. The speed was truly exaggerated.
Just then, a knocking sound came from the door.
Qin Ziwu opened it to find Zhao Pu outside, saying he had something to report to Mr. Qin.
Hearing this, Qin Ziwen came out. Zhao Pu stepped forward and said, "Mr. Qin, I've found a seller with fish. He has some at home. Regarding the price, as you suggested, trading for an equal weight of preserved meat, the other party agreed."
"Good, let's go." Qin Ziwen put on his jacket and followed Zhao Pu out.
By the river within the residential complex, a crowd had gathered on the bank, creating a lively scene.
As he approached, Qin Ziwen realized everyone was gathered to watch the crocodile in the river.
On the water's surface, a crocodile about five meters long floated like a piece of driftwood, its head exposed, staring at the people on the shore.
Plop~
Someone threw a stone into the river.
It nearly hit the crocodile, splashing up water.
Gurgle gurgle~
The crocodile submerged, disappearing beneath the surface.
Qin Ziwen noticed it wasn't just him; it seemed many people's fear of the crocodile had diminished considerably.
Of course, due respect was still maintained.
As the crocodile dove, those who had been standing closer to the river's edge quickly retreated backward.
Several people who had been fishing cursed under their breath, reeled in their fishing rods, and retreated up the slope.
One of them waved at Zhao Pu. "Over here!"
Zhao Pu led Qin Ziwen over.
Zhao Pu introduced him to Qin Ziwen, "Mr. Qin, this is Lao Xiang. He's a fishing expert in our complex. I only recently found out that before the transmigration, he was a fishing blogger with over a hundred thousand followers."
"Hey, that's all in the past now." Xiang Hongtao waved his hand dismissively.
Qin Ziwen looked at him a few more times, feeling a vague sense of familiarity.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit him. He remembered.
On the first day after transmigrating, the person selling fishing rods downstairs.
He immediately asked, "Brother Xiang, did you sell fishing rods before?"
Xiang Hongtao hurriedly waved his hands. "Not anymore, I don't sell them now."
Seeing the look in the eyes of the two men before him, Xiang Hongtao realized his reaction had been too sensitive.
He sighed and explained, "That day, after I sold a fishing rod to a woman, she broke it while fishing herself. Then she brought the rod back to me, saying I sold her a fake.
That was a branded product! I even had the receipt! It was only bought three months prior, how could it be fake?
She wanted me to give her a new one. When I refused, she just camped outside my door, refusing to leave, and kept knocking."
Zhao Pu was surprised. "So you gave it to her?"
Xiang Hongtao was silent for a moment. "Yeah."
"She asked and you just gave it?" Zhao Pu was even more astonished.
Xiang Hongtao sounded aggrieved. "What else could I do? She brought her whole family to squat outside my door. The whole family was cut from the same cloth, especially her father. They didn't need to sleep, but my family still did."
Xiang Hongtao didn't want to dwell on the topic. He lifted the bucket in his hand. "You said you'd trade preserved meat for fish by weight. I caught three this morning, and I have over a dozen more at home. If you want them, come with me now to get them."
Zhao Pu looked at Qin Ziwen. Qin Ziwen nodded. "We want them."
"Let's go."
Xiang Hongtao led the group to Building 8, Unit 1, 9th floor, apartment 901. His kitchen sink had been converted into a small fish pond. The bottom was layered with river mud, and some aquatic plants and stones were planted within.
Crucian carp, carp, and grass carp swam quietly in the pool.
Xiang Hongtao looked at Qin Ziwen. He had already figured out that among these two, this young man was the one in charge. "There are twelve here. There are seven in another pool. Plus the ones I caught this morning, that's twenty-two fish total. Are you sure you can trade preserved meat for them?"
"No problem." Qin Ziwen nodded.
"Alright then, I'll weigh them now." Xiang Hongtao fetched an electronic scale from his home.
He first put water in a basin, weighed it, then added fish, subtracting the water weight to get the fish weight.
After weighing several times, Xiang Hongtao gave a number. "Thirty-three jin. Let's round it down to thirty jin for you."
"Wait a moment, I'll go back to get the meat."
The distance between their homes wasn't far. Qin Ziwen went directly from the rooftop to Unit 2, then went home to fetch and weigh the meat.
Subsequently, he completed the transaction with Xiang Hongtao.
Qin Ziwen obtained twenty-two live fish.
Xiang Hongtao obtained preserved meat with a much longer shelf life. Moreover, the fish weight itself included entrails, bones, scales, etc.; the pure meat yield would be around seventy to eighty percent at best.
For both parties, it was a win-win.
Qin Ziwen couldn't wait to get home. These fish had already been kept out of the river for some time. He first released the fish into the pond.
The fish entered the water, swished their tails, creating ripples, and vanished beneath the surface in the blink of an eye.
He took out the Level 1 Fish Pond card and used it.
Light enveloped the entire fish pond. As the light faded, the edges of the pond transformed dramatically. The original dirt bank had become a stone platform built from stacked bluestones.
Furthermore, a wooden platform extended out from the front.
On the side posts of the wooden platform hung fishing gear: fish traps, fishing nets, multi-compartment river traps, dip nets, and other items.
The pond water was deep and serene, its color becoming darker, as if the overall depth of the entire fish pond had increased.
He picked up a long-handled dip net to test it.
He quickly confirmed that the pond's depth had indeed increased. It was now nearly 3 meters deep, a full meter deeper than before.
Not only that, but the aquatic plants, duckweed, and other vegetation in the pond had also become lusher and more abundant than before.
[Level 2 Fish Pond: Level 1 Fish Comfort, Level 2 Fish Growth Amplification, Level 1 Aquatic Plant Abundance]
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