"Is this… wheat that you planted yourselves?"
Lu Mingming skeptically picked up a small handful of wheat ears, not much taller than wild grass, their heads already bowed and mature.
As the chief had said, the ears were scattered, competing with the wild bellflowers by the roadside.
From a single stalk like this, one could estimate obtaining very little. Perhaps a hundred stalks would be needed to make a bowl of rice.
"Yes, this one is considered to have grown well. It's a bit of a shame to pull it out."
The chief boasted, a hint of cherish hidden in her eyes.
"Mingming, how do you find this wheat? We haven't expanded to the banks of any large rivers, so being able to cultivate a field of wheat is enough for us."
As the words entered her ears, Lu Mingming silently put down the wheat stalk in her hand.
Even birds would find this small amount of grain too little to eat.
"...Are there any other substitute foods?"
Lu Mingming found it inconvenient to directly discourage them. She understood the hardship of food scarcity and immediately changed the topic.
"Yes, yes, this!"
The chief rummaged through the pile of crops on the ground and finally found a fist-sized fruit covered in sharp spines.
This thing looked like a sea urchin.
Lu Mingming curiously leaned closer, about to pick it up and play with it.
The next second, the chief placed the fruit on the wooden table and, from somewhere, produced a small iron hammer. Under Lu Mingming's gaze, she continuously hammered the fruit's shell.
"Dong—!"
"Dong—!"
With each hammer blow, Lu Mingming couldn't help but flinch.
Wasn't this way of eating a bit too arduous? The energy consumed was more than what was gained.
After about two minutes of pounding, cracks finally appeared on the outer shell. It then burst open with a crack, revealing the round, milky-white fruit inside.
"This fruit is a specialty of Blue Star, called a 'Hexi Guo'. It has a peculiar fragrance and is very crispy when eaten. It provides more energy than wheat. Usually, one Hexi Guo can barely provide satiety. The downside is that it's quite expensive."
The chief introduced it, handing the crushed Hexi Guo to Lu Mingming.
The chief's descriptions were always accurate. The Hexi Guo felt very smooth to the touch, exuding a savory aroma, mixed with a slight milky scent.
Lu Mingming tentatively took a bite. The crisp fruit immediately cracked with a clear sound, and a rich fragrance exploded in her mouth.
Although the fruit itself had no distinct flavor, the natural fragrance added a lot of points.
Didn't it taste like a pecan? Strangely, it was several times larger.
As a nut, it was normal for it to be high in energy.
Lu Mingming suddenly understood.
However, eating nuts long-term wasn't as satisfying as proper meals!
Next, the chief introduced several more crops to Lu Mingming. The one she remembered most clearly was Blue Star's specialty, the tomato.
Because these tomatoes had been improved, they were about the size of a head and mostly green. Even when ripe, they wouldn't turn entirely red. Compared to the tomatoes from the Interstellar Alliance, Blue Star tomatoes were sweeter.
After reviewing them all, Lu Mingming found it difficult to give a definitive opinion.
The chief, having received the expected outcome, chuckled without any disappointment.
She frankly admitted, "We tried planting the seeds that Elder Lu Yan gifted us, but due to lack of water, the yield is still insufficient. Fortunately, the fruits are growing well and help cut through the richness when eaten with roast meat."
"Actually, I think many varieties could be further improved."
Lu Mingming offered her suggestion with difficulty. The chief, however, was already bending down, carefully inspecting something.
"Never mind that for now. There was something I didn't introduce earlier. It rolled under your bed, and it's poisonous."
Poisonous.
Lu Mingming realized the seriousness of the situation and quickly crouched down to search with her.
"Mingming, next to your hand!"
Lu Mingming suddenly heard the chief's voice and turned her head to look—a small potato lay quietly by the foot of the bed.
The surface of the small potato was uneven with pits, and in a few places, the skin had broken open, revealing lush green sprouts, indicative of its tenacious vitality.
"This thing is really troublesome. We clearly cut it into two pieces and buried them in the ground, yet it grew new shoots!"
The chief carefully wrapped the potato in her palm with a handkerchief, her tone full of complaint.
"When we found this thing, we decided to roast it and eat it. But after eating it, everyone on Blue Star suffered from vomiting and diarrhea, forcing us to give up. There are many such fruits in the wild; they are difficult to deal with."
She took the poisonous crop from Lu Mingming to dispose of it safely.
Lu Mingming quickly stopped her, "Wait, this thing is a potato, it's edible!"
"Potato? What is a potato?"
The chief indicated that people on Blue Star didn't recognize this.
"Potatoes are great, they're very filling!"
Lu Mingming quickly vouched for the potato.
"Potatoes can be used in many dishes. Even stewed potatoes mixed with rice are delicious. Until more wheat is developed, they can be used to fill stomachs. Chief, could you please take me to see a field of these potatoes?"
"Oh, certainly."
The chief didn't understand Lu Mingming's excitement.
Thinking that she understood Blue Star better than herself, she didn't refuse and led Lu Mingming to a small field at the edge of the forest.
The potatoes in the small field had already grown green shoots, dominating the view.
The Blue Star people had helplessly built wooden fences around them, with signs reading: [Entry Prohibited, Internal Crops Are Poisonous].
My goodness, if all these potatoes were harvested, they could eat until they were sick!
Thinking of the soft texture of potatoes, Lu Mingming couldn't help but swallow.
"Can this thing be eaten?"
The chief was skeptical.
"We truly vomited and had diarrhea before. Some people nearly died in this poisoning incident and were forcefully saved. Now, the sight of this thing makes our legs tremble."
"That's because you ate them incorrectly."
Lu Mingming smiled, pointing to the green sprouts on the surface of the potato.
"Potatoes with sprouts cannot be eaten; they can cause food poisoning. So, we should choose potatoes without sprouts."
"But every time we find potatoes, they all have sprouts."
The chief countered.
"Let's wait a few more days to check. I believe then, the potatoes in this field will be ripe. I can cook potato and pork rib stew for you then. Do you have basic seasonings, right?"
Lu Mingming was eager to try.
She hadn't opened her secondary account's live stream for a long time and thought this would be a good opportunity to compensate some fans, perhaps give a gift. She wondered if interstellar delivery could reach Blue Star.
"Although we are down on our luck, we do have cooking utensils. They're just not as high-tech as the Interstellar Alliance's. We rely on fire stoves and large iron pots. Do you mind?"
The chief arranged for two small followers to carry over a large iron pot, about the size of two people embracing. It would be enough for cooking communal meals.
"That's fine!"
Lu Mingming's eyes lit up.
The chief, beaming with joy, said, "On the day you cook, I'll send over some pork ribs. There will be plenty of meat. Tell me what vegetables and fruits you need."
Having happily agreed on a date with the chief, Lu Mingming eagerly awaited the potatoes in the field to grow, caring for them more diligently than her own children.
Before her body had fully recovered, she entrusted a young boy to look after them and report back in the evenings when he had free time.
During this period, Lu Mingming took the time to visit Aunt Shi.
Aunt Shi's complexion was much paler than when they first met, but she had a sense of relief after getting her revenge. The frightening woman who had left the City of Sin with a somber face had transformed into a gentle and kind neighbor, always willing to help others.
Lu Mingming's main purpose for this visit was to return a necklace to Aunt Shi.
She had inadvertently glanced at the contents of the necklace, which were filled with valuable herbs and Aunt Shi's accumulated wealth over the years.
Unexpectedly, Aunt Shi readily refused, "I'll say the same thing as before, what's given to you is yours! I consider you half of my daughter, and you can consider me half of your mother."
Lu Mingming didn't say anything, but she quietly kept Aunt Shi's kindness in her heart.
She knew that Aunt Shi had lived most of her life in pain due to the loss of her daughter. If she could soothe Aunt Shi's lingering pain, becoming an adopted daughter was not an issue.
With this thought, Lu Mingming decided to host a small celebration someday to surprise Aunt Shi.
Another morning, there was a frantic knocking at the door.
"It's bad, Sister Mingming! Something has happened to our potato field!"
What??
Lu Mingming woke up from her dream.
She hastily got up, even putting her shoes on the wrong feet, and rushed out the door.
They were supposed to be close to harvest yesterday, so how could something happen today?!