Chapter 618: Farming
Chapter 618: Chapter 618: Farming
"Are you being childish?"
Quincy retorted, "How am I being childish? Weren’t you the one who told me to shut up and eat? I don’t know how to do that. Can’t I at least express my confusion?"
Wyatt Vaughn took the steamed bun from Quincy’s bowl and stuffed it into his chattering mouth. "Here, let me teach you."
Quincy didn’t dare spout any more nonsense. "Thanks, honey. I get it now."
Wyatt Vaughn huffed. "Keep yapping, and you can sleep on the floor in the living room tonight."
Quincy quickly begged for mercy. The others watched him with schadenfreude, but Zoe was the most delighted of all, even clapping on the side.
"I’m so exhausted today."
"Picking cotton is no easy task. My back’s been bent all day, and my spine aches."
"We’ll take tomorrow off," Evelyn Ford said quickly, seeing how everyone was collapsing from exhaustion.
Miles Vaughn hurriedly waved his hand. "No need. We’re tired, sure, but having work to do gives us peace of mind. Now is the time to pick cotton; we can’t delay. Besides, isn’t this just what farm work is like? We can’t just rest whenever we feel tired."
Officer Graham nodded. "That’s right. After we finish picking the cotton, we still have to dig up medicinal herbs. Evelyn, what are we planting next?"
"Once the cotton and herbs are harvested, we’ll plant wheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. We also need to plant several dozen acres of vegetables."
Having food brings peace of mind. Since they had the black soil, they had to cultivate it properly. After the earthquake, the land outside was riddled with gullies. Rhys Chase had chosen the Khoros Steppe as their destination with the intention of developing agriculture on the plains.
Agriculture is the foundation of survival. To stay alive, you need land suitable for cultivation.
"Logically, it should be winter right now. But ever since the earthquake, it’s like we skipped winter and spring and went straight into summer. This bizarre weather is so unnatural; it’s making me uneasy."
"It’s true. Unnatural climate changes can portend great disasters. We still have to be careful."
Liam Sterling’s expression instantly turned serious. "You mean there could be another earthquake?"
Evelyn Ford shook her head. "No one can say for sure. It’s just that the temperature has been rising every day. I estimate it’ll reach thirty degrees Celsius in a few days. I think if this continues, we might face a severe drought."
"Mr. Kendrick, can you take me outside for a bit later? I want to send a telegram to Mr. Chase. Oh, right, I received a telegram from him at noon. He said he’s made contact with the Third and Fourth Bases, and they’re also migrating to Khoros. Mr. Chase said that after discussing it with the other base Commanders, they’ve decided to merge all the bases. First, we can rebuild our homes together—there’s strength in numbers. Second, several foreign countries were likely hit by nuclear radiation. There’s no guarantee their sinister intentions won’t lead them to try and enter our territory and seize our land. So, merging the bases is the best solution."
After Liam Sterling said this, everyone was stunned silent for a long while.
A single base could have anywhere from several hundred thousand to a million people. If all the bases in Frelia merged, the population would be enormous. The bases in the Southward might also migrate back. Could the Khoros Steppe accommodate so many people?
"Is Central Base still out of contact?"
Liam Sterling’s expression darkened. "Still no contact."
"I’m sure we’ll be able to reach them," Taylor Vance said.
After dinner, Ronan Kendrick took Liam Sterling out of the space. The two returned only after the telegram was sent. It was still raining outside, though it had lessened to a drizzle. The wind was strong, and the temperature tonight was very low.
When Ronan Kendrick returned, Evelyn Ford was still studying a map. Her hair was half-dry, but the ends were still dripping with water.
Ronan Kendrick took a towel and helped her dry her hair. Then he took a small pair of scissors from a drawer. Evelyn Ford glanced back at him.
"What is it?"
"You have split ends."
Evelyn Ford glanced over. It was true; her hair had become much coarser. She sighed.
"I’m getting old. Even the collagen in my hair is disappearing."
Ronan Kendrick rested his chin on Evelyn Ford’s shoulder. They both looked into the mirror, and after their eyes met for a few seconds, Evelyn couldn’t help but smile. Ronan turned his head and kissed her on the cheek.
"Don’t talk nonsense."
Evelyn Ford smiled. "I won’t."
He snipped off the split ends, applied some hair oil, and gently combed out the knots. His movements were careful and tender, as if afraid he might pull her hair and hurt her. Watching Ronan Kendrick in the mirror, Evelyn Ford’s lips curled into a slight smile.
"You were frowning earlier. What were you thinking about?"
Evelyn Ford tapped the map twice with her finger. "I was wondering what’s suitable for planting on the steppes. The climate there isn’t actually good for crops. Normally, the winters are long, the summers are short, the daily temperature variation is huge, and it’s a continental temperate grassland climate. I’m worried that farming will be very difficult if we live on the steppes."
Ronan Kendrick chuckled softly. "You said yourself that the huge temperature swings are under normal circumstances. The climate is abnormal now, so maybe it’ll be just right for living there. I’ve looked into it before—not all grasslands are only for grazing. You can farm on some of them. The base has many brilliant people; they’ll have their own solutions for this kind of thing. Also, once desert soil is reclaimed, it can also be used to grow crops. Look at this area, where the steppe and the desert meet. I guess they’ll choose this spot as their location."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "You have a point. I’m worrying for nothing. We’re not the experts anyway. It’s better to leave this kind of thing to others."
Ronan Kendrick ruffled Evelyn Ford’s hair. "That’s the spirit. Relax. I’m here for you, no matter what. Go to sleep. You’ve had another busy day, you must be exhausted, right?"
"My stamina and energy are both great right now. Besides, I spend most of my time in the vehicle, so I’m not tired at all. It’s a good thing we’re not traveling too fast, so the people walking behind can keep up."
After lying down, Evelyn Ford felt no sleepiness at all. "Do you think we should add some other crops to the planting area? Like corn, rice, and soybeans?"
"We can."
Evelyn Ford tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She got up, went to the kitchen, and found a bottle of baijiu. "Want some?"
Ronan Kendrick knew she was tense and anxious. His eyes filled with worry and sympathy.
"Just one cup. Otherwise, you’ll have a headache tomorrow."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "I know, I know. A little drink is the only way I can fall asleep. Otherwise, I just have insomnia and a lot of dreams."
After a small cup of baijiu, Evelyn Ford lay down again and was asleep in less than three seconds.
Looking at her profile, Ronan Kendrick sighed.
The next day, the people in the convoy were much more subdued. Evelyn Ford and Wendy, on the other hand, got busy. Early in the morning, many people were already looking for a doctor. Most were just suffering from diarrhea due to the cold and were not in serious condition. However, the situation for a few severely injured patients in the front vehicles was not good. By the time Evelyn Ford got there, two of the patients had already passed away.
A team leader called two people over. They put the deceased in body bags and carried them away.
Several other severely injured patients inside the truck began to cry. One man, who had a broken leg, leaned against the inner wall of the vehicle with lifeless eyes. When Evelyn Ford changed his dressing, his eyes twitched.
"Doctor, don’t waste any more medical supplies on me."
Evelyn Ford ignored him, quickly applying medicine and bandaging the wound. After finishing the dressing on his broken leg, she stood up to leave but was called back by the man.