Lu Xi'an heard Luo Ping's words and laughed, saying, "Looks like I've really helped you guys a lot. Not only did I scare off the people, but I also got you a horse. You guys made a big profit, how are you going to repay me?"

Luo Ping said, "There's definitely a reward! We brought some good stuff, right, Shu?"

"Bro, did that person leave?"

Shu finally spoke at this moment, without showing himself, and asked Lu Xi'an.

Lu Xi'an said, "Left, it's all good now, you can come out."

After hearing Lu Xi'an's words, Shu finally appeared. He instinctively looked southward and then said, "Bro, we brought some good stuff for you, we'll get it for you, just wait!"

With that, he climbed onto the pickup truck.

And Luo Ping said to Lu Xi'an, "Ah... It's a pity there's only... one horse. Didn't you just say there was one horse, right?

"If there's only one and it dies, then that's it. I'm thinking if I get the chance, should I go find Tang again, and get one or two more horses, then they could give birth to foals, which would be great.

"Anyway, I think that guy wasn't telling the truth, he definitely has more than one horse. If I pull out some stuff to trade with him, I should be able to get some."

Lu Xi'an suggested, "In that case, you might as well establish a connection with him. Whenever you have things you don't need, you could take it to trade with him.

"Isn't he really good with animals? You can have him deal with more of them, so we'll never have to worry about meat in the future."

As he continued, he thought for a moment and said, "Hmm... This is indeed a good idea. When you think about it, Type C Neo-Humans are practically born livestock magnates.

Using pheromones to control livestock, grazing, feeding, adjusting animal exercise, ensuring livestock emotions, even inducing livestock mating and giving birth can all be achieved through their abilities.

If we can find some livestock and give them to Type C Neo-Humans, it might develop quickly.

Yet the people of this world only know to use Type C Neo-Humans for fighting, or indulging in desires, never considering other directions for development. What a waste of resources!

Luo Ping scratched his head upon hearing Lu Xi'an's words and said, "It's a good idea, just don't know if that guy can put aside his pride to do it.

"After all, he's a Neo-Human, how could he possibly do the work himself?"

Well, Lu Xi'an understood where the problem was.

Brahmans must be despising doing Dalit's dirty and hard work, aren't they...

Luo Ping thought for a while and said, "No matter what, we have Liu Hua, let her start by raising chickens well.

"Later, if we can get anything else to raise, we'll revisit Shanyang County, and expand a bit. We've increased our numbers of Neo-Humans now, and have the ability to defend ourselves.

"However, I can also go talk with Tang afterward. If he can get things going, exchanging livestock with us for goods will make ties closer, and we can trust him to guard the south more securely."

The guy really has a good plan.

Just as they had said this, Shu came down from the pickup truck, holding a large basket in his hands.

The basket was woven from twigs and vines, something that people from 923 Base usually carried when going out gathering.

This was made by Shu during the time at 923 Base, as he had to slap his head and recall for a long time how to make this old thing, finally making it for everyone to use.

In today's basket, there were quite a few things, Lu Xi'an glanced over it: among them were scallions, radishes, eggplants, and lettuce.

They were all varieties included in the seeds previously given to Luo Ping, all piling up to fill the basket to the brim.

Lu Xi'an was slightly surprised, "This many?! We've only been gone for a few days, and these seeds have all grown?"

Shu said, "Thanks to the space you gave us, our greenhouse, I even took bro and sis to see it before you left, inside things were sprouting quite a lot.

"But right now only these have grown, the rest like chrysanthemum and green pepper, still need some time."

Previously, when Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei returned to 923 Base, Shu indeed took them to see the greenhouse in the research area, where there were vegetables planted all over the floor, and racks collected from other rooms had been planted with seeds too.

When Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei looked, these seeds had indeed sprouted, appearing full of life, quite enjoyable to see.

But since neither Lu Xi'an nor Yao Wei were farming experts, they didn't understand much, so they only took a brief look and afterward stopped inspecting.

Shu said, "We have limited space; these were only experiments, so not much was planted. This time we brought just a little for you two, please don't mind."

Lu Xi'an said, "Come on, this is already a lot for us, it'll be enough for quite a while. Thanks."

For him and Yao Wei, this was truly a pleasant surprise. They didn't expect that after "calling" Luo Ping for him to come receive an underdeveloped apple tree, they'd receive such a bounty.

How long had it been since he tasted fresh vegetables? Along their journey, dehydrated vegetables were enough to make him feel satisfied, now there were newly grown vegetables to eat, something he hadn't dared to think before.

After a heartfelt thanks, he stored the basket of vegetables back in the car, and then led Shu and Luo Ping to the apple orchard, through what people initially called "dead trees," to the slim apple tree.

Seeing this small tree, Shu and Luo Ping couldn't help but be surprised.

Luo Ping said, "No wonder for all these years no one has been able to find it. Hiding here, no one can discover it!"

Shu nodded repeatedly, agreeing with Lu Xi'an. He even doubted whether these fruit, which didn't resemble apples, were edible.

It was Lu Xi'an who picked the fruit from the tree for him, and only then did he hesitantly eat it, grimacing as he couldn't help but wince with a distorted face.

Luo Ping was the same, grinning as he exclaimed, "Sour! So sour!"

But sourness has its merits.

Shu ultimately collected the leftover apple cores that he and Luo Ping hadn't finished, and he even told Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei to pick more from the tree.

Shu said they should replant the tree, and once it grows well, there would be plenty of apples at the base to eat. His friends back home didn't have such convenience, so it was better to collect some now to have as a treat to curb cravings occasionally.

Lu Xi'an laughed, saying how could something so sour be a snack, but Shu replied, what if one's mouth got a bit dull? Moreover, slicing them and soaking them in water could be nice too.

Lu Xi'an's eyes lit up at Shu's suggestion.

That was indeed a solution; why hadn't he thought of it himself?

However, soaking slices of these "apples" in water didn't make apple water but rather lemon water...

So he shared the apples with Yao Wei and took them back to the car.

As for the tree, they only looked at it and didn't immediately move it.

By this time, it was already late, and Shu and Luo Ping planned to set off the next day. They had no choice but to rest here tonight.

Embracing the rare gathering, Lu Xi'an cooked a simple meal to entertain them, made with rice cooked together with dehydrated vegetables and sausage slices—a dish that received unanimous praise from Luo Ping and Shu.

Especially Shu, who ate with tears, saying something like, "I feel like I've tasted the flavors of my childhood."

Luo Ping marveled, adding, "Delicious! Delicious! Truly delicious! I've noted down how this meal is cooked, and I'll definitely prepare it back at the base for the folks to taste.

"Though it's a pity we have limited stocks, and once it's all eaten up, we'll need to be frugal, unable to enjoy it every day. We'll have to plan how to distribute the food in the future."

Lu Xi'an suggested, "When you return, maybe treat this day as a festival—celebrate it once a year or a month, have a good meal, let everyone relax and enjoy themselves, and lift their spirits.

"In the meantime, keep busy as usual, and distribute food as needed."

Shu nodded repeatedly, saying, "Makes sense! We used to have New Year on the first day of the first month, the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth—celebrations where everyone takes a break, gathers, eats and drinks, and has fun! Why don't we go back and have a good meal, treating it like New Year's?"

Luo Ping thought for a moment and clapped his hands, saying, "Alright, let's go with your idea!"

That night, Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei slept in the RV while Luo Ping was in his pickup truck, and Shu went off to lie down in the apple orchard, under those apple trees that bore no fruit, closing his eyes as he said he wanted to find that old feeling.

Lu Xi'an, Yao Wei, and Luo Ping could all see that the old man really wanted to lie under the trees, so they left him to it.

Early the next morning, they all had a simple meal of corn brought by Luo Ping in his car before starting their work.

Under Shu's guidance, Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei carefully excavated the tree from the ground and moved it outside onto Luo Ping's pickup truck, securing it with ropes.

Luo Ping originally wanted to help, but his strength was too small compared to Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei, so they shooed him away.

After securing the tree, Shu cheerfully said, "Now we're set, we've got staples, vegetables, and now fruit; we even have a horse and chickens—the days are truly getting better."

Luo Ping listened and laughed, nodding repeatedly, saying, "Yes!" From Shu's words, he seemed to see hope for the future.

After tying the tree, there was still the horse. Luo Ping and Shu originally intended for Lu Xi'an to help put the horse into the back trough of the pickup truck, but the horse was too big, and after placing the tree, it couldn't fit. They had no choice but to tie it with ropes and let Shu lead it.

Luckily, that horse, perhaps thanks to Tang's training, was obedient and allowed Shu to put the bridle around its neck, walking when led, without any signs of struggle.

"Alas, this horse doesn't even have a saddle; otherwise, I could probably ride it a bit."

Sitting at the back trough of the car, Shu sighed as he led the horse while looking at the tree.

Luo Ping asked, "Then why could Tang ride without a saddle?"

Shu glared at Luo Ping, saying, "How can that be the same? He's a Neo-Human, and what am I? They can even make the horse excited through pheromones; can you do that?"

Luo Ping: "..."

He was momentarily speechless, and quietly drove away.

The pickup truck leisurely made its way onto the road back to the city, unlike the journey coming. With the tree, Shu in the car, and the horse at the back, Lu Xi'an inexplicably recalled the quartet's pilgrimage for scriptures.

"Alright, we should continue on our journey too."

Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei said, boarding the vehicle.

Yao Wei responded with an "Mm," and got into the passenger seat.

The RV started up, heading in the opposite direction from the pickup, growing farther and farther away.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.