Chapter 28: Germination Rate

Chapter 28: Germination Rate

After the Great Biological Evolution of Planet Blue, the evolutionary multiplier for animals was generally higher than that for humans. Many animals that were originally no threat to humanity had become extremely dangerous.

Consequently, during the chaotic period immediately following the evolution, many humans were attacked or accidentally injured by domestic pets. This caused the relationship between humans and pets to become extremely tense or even hostile, leading to many pets being killed or abandoned.

By the time humans realized that evolved animals could become powerful combatants and assets, it was difficult to bring pets back.

First, after the Great Biological Evolution, humans—who had previously held a vast lead in the biological world—had lost the means to control animals, especially high-level evolved ones. Second, humans could no longer provide sufficient food or safe spaces to raise animals. Thus, ten years into the apocalypse, very few people had the capacity to keep pets.

Domesticated pets were roughly divided into two categories: the first were ordinary pets that relied on humans for survival after evolving; the second were high-level evolved pets.

The relationship between ordinary pets and their human owners was not much different from the human-pet relationship before the natural disasters. However, the relationship between high-level evolved pets and their owners depended on the owner's strength. Either the owner's strength was enough to crush the evolved animal and force it into submission, or a certain transaction or emotional bond was established between the human and the animal, forming a partnership.

Xia Qing and Boss Sheep belonged to the partnership category, and she was also curious about the relationship between Zhang San and his evolved cat.

Cats were different from dogs; they were a type of animal that humans had kept for over three thousand years yet had never fully domesticated.

Not just Xia Qing, but the other lords were also curious, pricking up their ears.

Zhang San remained lazy and slow, seemingly talking while petting his cat. "What level it is has nothing to do with a stinky meat seller like you. Return my antidote tomorrow, and I won't exchange any more supplies with Territory No. 2 ever again."

No matter how Tang Huai explained that the mutton was still good when it left his hands, Zhang San didn't say another word; he had likely turned off his device.

Xia Qing couldn't bother with petting the sheep anymore. She took out the protective suit she had exchanged from Territory No. 2 and inspected it carefully under the firelight. Only after confirming there were no issues did she feel at ease.

Three days later, when Hu Zi came to deliver sweet potato seedlings to Xia Qing, he took the initiative to ask, "Sister Qing, has the rat problem in your territory been cleared up?"

Xia Qing nodded. "Cleared twice. It should be clean now; I haven't seen rats digging up seeds these past two days."

"That's good then." Seeing that Xia Qing was only staring at the sweet potato seedlings and had no intention of looking at him or speaking to him more, Hu Zi could only leave somewhat dejectedly.

Holding the sweet potato seedlings, Xia Qing returned to her territory without looking back.

Through these interactions, she had naturally noticed that Hu Zi had some feelings for her. She had absolutely no such intentions toward him, so she handled it decisively and cleanly.

The sweet potato planting method sent to Xia Qing by Tan Junjie mentioned that it was best to use sandy soil that was both fertile and had good drainage. Xia Qing didn't know how to accurately judge soil fertility, so she chose a patch of sandy soil on higher ground near the reservoir.

Because the roots of the sweet potato seedlings did not have soil attached to them, Xia Qing first soaked the roots in mountain spring water for half an hour before planting them in the field. After watering them thoroughly with spring water, Xia Qing sat by the field, gazing affectionately at the two short rows of sweet potato seedlings.

Boss Sheep, returning from grazing on the back hill, walked over, sniffed, and opened its mouth to take a bite. Xia Qing grabbed its horns and issued a stern warning, "No, you absolutely cannot eat this."

Boss Sheep narrowed its eyes, shook its head forcefully to shake off Xia Qing's hand, and took a few steps back, digging its hooves into the ground in an attacking stance.

Xia Qing raised an eyebrow. "You want to fight? Fine!"

Taking advantage of the time it spent posing, Xia Qing quickly sprayed the area within a few meters of the sweet potato seedlings with "Three-Defense Juice"—a scent-evolved camphor juice designed to prevent insects, birds, and sheep.

"Moo!" Boss Sheep was enraged. It stomped its hooves and charged toward Xia Qing at high speed.

Xia Qing turned to lead Boss Sheep away from the farmland, then put down the sprayer and met it head-on.

*Bang!*

The strength-evolved human and the strength-evolved sheep collided with full force, the sound wave making the leaves tremble. Unsurprisingly, Xia Qing, whose strength was inferior to the sheep's, was sent flying.

However, she performed a crisp mid-air turn and landed steadily on her feet. Then, Xia Qing charged again, dodging the lethal horns with a side step and reaching out to grab its spiral horn. "Get out of here!"

*Bang!*

Boss Sheep had not yet learned its lesson. After slamming hard into the ground, it rolled and scrambled up, colliding with the charging Xia Qing again. Xia Qing would fly, land, and throw the sheep again.

Within a fifty-meter radius of the battle between the human and the sheep, everything was in shambles.

"Get out again!" For the umpteenth time, Xia Qing grabbed Boss Sheep's spiral horn and exerted sudden force, but this time it didn't go as planned.

When Xia Qing grabbed its horn, Boss Sheep stomped its hind legs hard to change the direction of its momentum and kicked Xia Qing in the chest and abdomen with its front hooves. Xia Qing immediately let go and tried her best to dodge, but she was still hit by its hoof and fell to the ground.

Having prepared for another attack, Boss Sheep retracted its hooves, raised its head, and squinted at Xia Qing on the ground.

Actually not feeling much pain, Xia Qing sat on the ground, took off her protective mask, and put on a "mask of suffering." "I'm not fighting anymore. You're the boss, I surrender."

Boss Sheep was satisfied and turned to head up the mountain.

Why? It was tired from fighting and wanted to drink water. Xia Qing followed behind it with the same goal.

After the human and the sheep finished drinking, they sat by a rock to rest. Boss Sheep's squinted eyes suggested it was in a good mood. The smile on the corners of Xia Qing's mouth didn't fade either. Every once in a while, fighting Boss Sheep with all her might was not only exhilarating, but she was also becoming stronger, and so was Boss Sheep.

Facing the evolved creatures of the entire planet after the natural disasters, the stronger one became, the greater the chance of survival and the more likely one could achieve what they desired.

Xia Qing stood up, stretched, and looked down at her territory.

The feeling of relief at seeing the two thousand acres of farmland, which had been swallowed by various colored weeds just a few days ago, was indescribable.

Wait!

Xia Qing stared at the farmland where the seeds had been planted. Green—an unmistakable, orderly green. The mung beans had sprouted! She let out a cry and rushed down the hillside.

Boss Sheep was startled by her sudden outburst and jumped, but after seeing where she was going, it lay back down and continued to chew its cud.

Of the three types of seeds planted on the same day—wheat, mung beans, and cotton—the mung beans sprouted first. Upon careful observation, Xia Qing discovered that the germination rate of mung beans soaked in spring water was significantly higher than those soaked in filtered water.

The tender yellow, fragile little bean sprouts breaking through the soil were a joy to behold; Xia Qing truly wished she could just squat in the field and watch them forever.

After the mung beans sprouted, the wheat and cotton also began to push through the soil one after another. Once no more seedlings emerged, Xia Qing conducted a careful tally and reached a conclusion: the germination rate of seeds soaked in spring water was indeed higher than those soaked in filtered water.

The germination rate for seeds soaked in filtered water was around 40%, consistent with what was described on the radio. The germination rate for seeds soaked in spring water, however, was as high as 60%!