CHAPTER 61 - PLANNING SUCCULENT SUCCESS THROUGH DESERT CACTI-VATION

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The days passed quickly and the crops started flowering. There were lots more plants this time, so I added a second beehive. Once again, we manually pollinated the corn that we had planted using the Three Sisters (plus one) method. Maybe I should call it the Four Sisters method now that I had added the sunflowers which were good for attracting pollinators.

As for the rice plants, they were now over two feet high and had small white flowers. Fortunately, the crop was self-pollinating, so we didn’t have to do anything.

“I hope we get regular white rice instead of something weird,” said Lari.

“The flowers are so tiny and cute!” said Mo.

“Stop it! Nooo, don’t pluck them. Don’t you know those are what will grow into rice? Leave them alone,” said Kharli.

Yep, she was the [Bossy] one of the bunch, all right.

We were inspecting the rice paddy for weeds when Shuye arrived with the news that I had been waiting for.

“Oh my gosh! That’s really cutting it close. I think we barely have enough time to get started…” I said.

“You said you would be there for seven days? Are you sure you have enough time before the harvest?” Shuye glanced at the rice. Like Lari, he had also expressed his concern about the rice plants producing a weird, mutant variety, but I had assured him that all would be fine.

Probably.

“We'll just have to work efficiently.” I waved my hand at my apprentices, indicating that they should finish the chores as usual, while I walked to the main house with my Farm Guide.

I had been planning this project for a long time, and I had told everyone about it, so now all I had to do was inform Fengying that we were leaving tomorrow.

“The prince will accompany you tomorrow, but he’ll have to return to the clan the next day because he’s very busy with the Fall Hunt,” said Shuye.

“What about you?”

“My wife is in a delicate condition, as you know, and I’m reluctant to leave her alone even for one day.”

“Of course, how thoughtless of me!”

“Remember what I told you about the cursed land. Here, take this medicine.” Shuye handed me a porcelain jar. “Promise me that you’ll apply this to any wound that you get. Even the slightest scratch can fester when you’re staying in that place.”

“Thank you.” I half expected to receive a new Herblaw recipe when I opened the lid and smelled it, but no such thing happened.

[The Bear Clan’s Ointment

An effective wound medicine that prevents and treats infections. Made with a blend of wild herbs and aloe vera.]

“Promise me.”

“I promise, okay!” Sometimes he was really like a mommy bear, but I already had Mr. Bear to take care of me.

“You know, there was quite a lot of discussion about your project.”

“Oh? I hope it was mostly positive.”

“Well, there were a lot of doomsayers, as you would expect-”

“Ha! My own household isn’t too thrilled about it. I can just imagine what other people have been saying.”

“Ah, but there’s a small group of people who have been trying to reclaim the lands. They were quite excited when the prince made his proposal.”

“That’s great.” We arrived at the house and I informed Fengying of the news. She ushered us into the formal reception room, then bustled away to start the preparations.

Lari had been chosen by lot to stay behind on the farm along with one of Deming’s assistants. The rest of us would travel to the desert and stay there for seven days while Lari took care of the farm.

We sat down and continued our conversation.

“Since Prince Baiyu is in charge of the project, it was decided that you will be granted the rights to develop the Blossom Valley at the foot of Skyfang Hill,” said Shuye.

One of the maids arrived with a tray of tea and rose candy. To be honest, I was not fond of rose-flavored food, but this was made from petals I had harvested myself from my Rose Garden, which made it special. There was just something better about eating food that was made using ingredients I had personally harvested.

“Which clan claims that area?” I asked as I munched on the candy. At least it made my breath smell nice.

“The White Tiger clan, of course. This one is a branch family, relatives of the prince’s father.”

I pouted a little because I had the impression that the White Tiger clan was probably going to take the credit when I started [Greening the Desert].

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

We exchanged a few more words, then Shuye left. He was a very busy man these days, what with his work and taking care of his pregnant wife. If I remember correctly, the player’s Farm Guide only visited a few times during the epic quest, which sounded about right.

I went back to my room and started packing.

***

The next day, I woke up at dawn as usual after dreaming of playing with a dragon child. I stumbled out of bed and blessed the System for giving the courtyard house heated floors and hot water. After showering as quickly as I could, I used the Cash Shop [Lady’s Salon], a vanity table with a large mirror that I could use to fix my hairstyle. Today I piled my hair on top of my head in a neat bun. Then I dressed in many layers to prepare myself for the day.

The first layer was normal Western underwear, followed by Asian-style “innerwear” which consisted of pants and a plain wraparound top with a Y-shaped collar, both made of fine, thin cotton. The next layer was a pleated red silk skirt, white silk robe with a Y-shaped collar, and a wide belt embroidered with an autumn leaf pattern. This was plenty warm enough for indoors, but I also had a padded jacket and fur cape I could throw over my outfit as needed. Prince Baiyu had gifted me the cape which was made of the fur of the Flamecoat Lynx.

Once I had finished dressing, I went to the dining room to check what the others were doing. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits as we ate our breakfast. The staff were bustling around doing some last-minute stuff, and the luggage was already placed near the gate, ready to be loaded onto the ox carts.

Outside, Prince Baiyu and his staff were waiting for us.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Good morning,” said Prince Baiyu. Today he was wearing what I thought of as his “working clothes,” a matching set of dark blue pants and robe with a simple cut, decorated only with one small White Tiger emblem in the middle of the back of the robe.

He and the others exchanged greetings and bows, then he introduced his staff to us. Apparently, we would be accompanied by half a dozen people who will serve as observers, advisors, and bodyguards during our time in the desert. However, because of the discomfort they felt due to the “curse,” they would only be able to stay for two to three days before they were replaced by another group.

“You’re going to love my new flying vehicle,” he said.

“We're not using a cart?”

“The cart is good for transporting crops, but I got a fine new carriage for you using the money from the Dusk Dandelion seeds.”

“Have people been able to grow the seeds properly?”

“Yes.” Prince Baiyu smiled proudly at me when we walked through a strand of trees to the clearing where the carriage was waiting for us.

“Wow!”

The carriage was made of dark polished wood with gold-painted carvings. Two gleaming silver horses, obviously mechanical automata, stood motionless in front of it.

I gaped wordlessly at it for a few minutes before saying, “This must have cost a lot.”

“You can afford it, Baroness.”

“Niiiiice,” I said.

The Prince thoughtfully helped me climb up the carriage, then the girls.

“Ready?” he asked after he closed the carriage door and settled down beside me.

“Uh, go slow, okay? I just ate breakfast.”

“It’s fine, I’ll turn on the security settings and close all the windows. You won’t even feel a thing, I promise.”

“Are you sure?” My stomach already felt queasy even though we were still on the ground.

“I tested it myself.”

“All right, if you’re sure.”

I sat back and tried to relax as the prince fiddled with the controls, and the glass of the carriage windows darkened until I couldn’t see anything outside. All I felt was a slight jolt as we became airborne, then nothing.

“This flight is so smooth, it’s like we’re not even moving!” I said.

“I knew you would like it.”

“This is awesome.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to accompany you during the Mid-Autumn Festival,” said Prince Baiyu once he saw that I had relaxed. “That’s a very busy time for us.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“The festivities lasted for a whole week, and I had to visit all of my relatives with my parents. On the last day, we held a big reception for all of the clan elders and their families.”

“Do you enjoy socializing?”

He shot a look at my two apprentices and didn’t answer, but his expression spoke volumes.

“Girls, why are you two so quiet? Come on, say something!” I giggled a little when they gave me horrified looks. Mo was no longer quite as shy as she used to be, but they really seemed intimidated by the prince and had barely spoken to him except to exchange greetings earlier.

Kharli mumbled something about hoping it would be a good trip. I took mercy on them by stopping my teasing and turning my attention back to the prince.

“What about the Fall Hunt? I heard you’re quite busy nowadays,” I said.

“I am.” He grimaced. “I’ll only be able to stay until sunset, then I have to return to the hunt.”

“That’s fine. It’s not like we’re doing anything exciting.”

“What are you talking about? I’m very interested in your project. What will you be doing today?”

“Oh, do you want the full lecture?” Of course, I had already given my Three Stooges the full details of what we would be doing.

“Yes, I do.”

“Okay, you asked for it!” I took my hands out of my mittens and got out a notebook from my System inventory. “Before we can even do anything, first we need this.”

I opened the notebook and showed him the page that contained the words “Blue Gold.”

Prince Baiyu frowned. “What language is that?”

Oops. I only realized now that I had written it in English. My apprentices must have used the System to read it.

“Nevermind. What I mean to say is that before we can do anything, we need to gather blue gold.”

“Blue gold?”

“Water! When it comes to farming, the most precious resource is water. Did you know that you can grow plants without soil? But you can’t grow anything without water.”

“I see. How are you going to get more blue gold?”

“Good question. We’re going to build contour swales.”

[Contour Swales:

Shallow ditches, often planted with grasses and native vegetation, that follow the contours of the land in order to divert or slow rainwater and surface runoff. They reduce erosion and allow water to slowly, passively drain into the soil.]

I showed him the drawing that I had made. “You see, when it rains, the water flows down the slope like this.”

Turning to the next page of the notebook, I showed him the drawing of the swale and berm. “What I am going to do, I mean what we are going to do, is to dig shallow trenches along the curvature of the lands on Skyfang Hill. Those are called ‘swales’ and will serve to collect rainwater.”

“I think I get it. It’s like the rice terraces in Hanzhong,” said Prince Baiyu.

“I’m not familiar with Hanzhong, but yes, that is correct. The principle is similar.” Pointing to parts of the drawing, I continued my explanation. “The water from the swale will slowly be absorbed by the soil, which is what it needs since the land is arid. The berm, which is a low earthen wall placed below the swale, will be planted with native wild grasses and shrubs with deep root systems that will hold the soil in place. Eventually, as the seasons pass, the groundwater will be replenished and the land will thrive”

Then I turned to the last page that I had drawn and concluded the lecture. “We will also plant trees, lots and lots of trees! They will help in water retention and even help improve the microclimate in Blossom Valley.”

I waited for applause, but my apprentices had fallen asleep. Kharli was even drooling.

“An excellent plan. I look forward to your results.” At least Prince Baiyu had the grace to pretend to be impressed.

Hmph, just you wait! I’ll knock your socks off when we get there!