Chapter 489: Chapter 29: A Wasp Pulls the Red Thread of Fate (Part 2)
That’s why it decided to stay, planning to breed a powerful progeny before going to duel with the Queen Bee. Little did it know that tonight, a formidable Cultivator would arrive, leading it to discover a bud that can greatly increase one’s Spiritual Power simply by being nearby.
The wasp, relying on its memory, flew in one breath to the small reservoir where Yezi and his party had settled, finding Yezi who was just about to rest.
"It’s that solitary wasp, finally back," Yezi was about to store it back into his ring, when suddenly the wasp started buzzing non-stop.
"What, you want me to send off a group of your companions because you’ve found a good source of nectar?" Yezi chuckled, he pinched the wasp’s wings, preventing it from flying, and carefully observed the wasp that had been alone for several months.
This look revealed some surprises. Yezi prided himself on how, under Fiji’s instruction and with the nourishment the ring provided, he had raised the wasps to be without equal in the world. He had expected that even if this solitary wasp could return after several months outside, it would be in a wretched state, lucky to be alive without missing limbs. But now, upon closer look, although this solitary wasp’s body size was similar to the others, its wings had grown a full centimeter longer, and its limbs had become sturdier. The patterns on its body, which were once yellow, had turned into golden rings, resembling those of a golden ring snake.
This particular species of wasp was already unique, with golden rings indicating the wasp’s lifespan and quality. With that in mind, Yezi glanced at the anxious solitary wasp fluttering around the room and no longer hesitated. With a flick of his hand, he released half of the wasps from the ring.
The capacity of the ring was able to hold many wasps, but with too many, they were bound to fight and kill each other. Allowing it to take some with it wasn’t a problem, Yezi also wanted to experiment to confirm whether the solitary wasp’s mutation was indeed due to finding a better habitat.
Watching the direction the swarm of wasps flew away, which was the complete opposite of Miyun, Yezi wasn’t worried about them getting lost. He laid down in bed, propping his hands behind his head, as Xiao Xian’s image came to mind.
"It’s almost half a year now, still no sign of Xiao Xian. That Huang Tengchong and Celeste are also without a trace; I’ve really let the strange stone down," Yezi tossed and turned in bed with these thoughts, unable to fall asleep.
Outside the house, the sound of water stirred, and Yezi, unable to sleep, simply went out.
Under the dim light, Uncle Lu wielded a long bamboo pole with a hook, fishing out aquatic plants from the crab pond.
The timely arrival of these aquatic plants not only saved the Hairy Crabs in the pond but also Uncle Lu’s business. Yezi remembered when they could not find aquatic plants in the city and were wary of the high costs and transportation fees to procure them from other places. One afternoon, as Uncle Lu brooded over his cigarette at the edge of the crab pond, a man in his forties arrived with several carts full of aquatic plants.
Upon seeing the man and the carts brimming with aquatic plants, Uncle Lu hurriedly offered a cigarette while choking up with repeated thanks. Yezi, not knowing the man, simply joined Uncle Lu in his gratitude. These aquatic plants, all local varieties, didn’t need to acclimate to new water, and they thrived within days of being submerged.
That night Uncle Lu insisted on hosting the visitor for dinner, and Yezi helped choose crab seedlings. When the visitor expressed a desire to inspect the aquaculture pond, Yezi accompanied him around and even personally tried catching crabs.
"Yezi, come take a look," Yezi’s thoughts were interrupted by Uncle Lu’s call. On the aquatic plants Uncle Lu had pulled up, there was a crab nibbling on roots. The pond had only been there for a month, and judging by sight alone, the shell of the Hairy Crab had shed another layer. Its two large pincers waved vigorously. Weighing it in his hand, Yezi reckoned that in another month, the crabs would exceed three liang each. Once they exceed three liang, the price of Hairy Crabs would rise.
"We really owe this one to you and Dr. Yu. If it weren’t for you helping me raise the Hairy Crabs and Dr. Yu finding the suitable aquatic plants, I would have been finished," Uncle Lu reflected emotionally. When he was at his lowest, he even thought of death, but thinking of his elderly parents and underage children at home stopped him from taking that path.
"Uncle, things will get better, don’t worry too much. Once we sell this batch of crabs, you’ll recover your capital and won’t have to fear the Huang anymore," Yezi comforted him.
"Ah, that’s difficult. Although this batch of crabs is good, there are a few clear flaws that can be spotted at a glance on the Beijing market," Uncle Lu said, pointing out what was originally considered the biggest advantage of this batch of crabs. First is their provenance—Yangcheng Lake crabs, which Yezi and Uncle Lu raised in top-notch conditions, were of quality no less than the local ones and would stand out on the market. Moreover, that Huang scoundrel was clever, swapping out their batch of crabs with Mingkun Lake-branded ones, which coupled with Huang’s brand, could seriously affect sales and potentially expose their identities, risking retaliation and harm to Uncle Lu and his aquafarm.
"Uncle, if we can’t sell locally, let’s sell them elsewhere," Yezi said after hearing this. He thought for a moment, realizing that the principle was quite simple, much like his father’s silverware—they sold well locally but even better elsewhere. True gold fears no fire; this was something Yezi had known since he was a child.
"Going elsewhere isn’t impossible. Ni Qiu and his group are all from the Southeast Coast, so why don’t we head southeast after the crab harvest? Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian—those regions have booming economies and many people who appreciate good crabs. We’re sure not to worry about the sales channel if we go there. If that doesn’t work, we’ll find another way," Uncle Lu, enlightened by Yezi’s suggestion, flung the aquatic plants into the pond. With a splash, ripples spread across the water. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we invite you to vote for us with your monthly ticket and recommendation ticket on . Your support is my greatest motivation.)