Lu Zhiyan did not disclose the specific details of the mission. His gaze lingered on her face, observing her reaction.
Ji Nanxi was momentarily taken aback, then nodded, her smile still in place, though her fingertips unconsciously curled slightly. “Alright, I understand. Be careful.”
She didn’t ask any further questions.
This understanding moved Lu Zhiyan deeply. He reached out, as if wanting to touch her cheek.
His fingers paused briefly in mid-air before finally landing gently on Ji Nanxi’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.
Lu Zhiyan said, “I’ll leave the house to you.”
“Mhm, I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
Ji Nanxi’s eyes curved into crescents as she nodded emphatically in agreement.
Lu Zhiyan looked at her deeply, his gaze complex—filled with guilt and reluctance. “Lock the door securely. If anything comes up that you can’t handle, go find Commander Liang. He’s my direct superior.”
Ji Nanxi smiled. “Understood. You… come back soon.”
Lu Zhiyan took a deep breath, shouldered his bag, turned, and strode into the night.
Ji Nanxi stood at the doorway, watching Lu Zhiyan’s tall figure being swallowed by the thick darkness before gently closing the courtyard gate.
Thinking of the pot of soup from tonight, the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
Lu Zhiyan had taken the Gene Repair Agent from the Mall System. It should help him avoid the severe injuries from the original plot, right?
…
Early the next morning.
Ji Nanxi woke up bright and early. After having breakfast at the military canteen, she returned home.
She retrieved the farming tools she had bought earlier from the corner of the kitchen, such as a hoe and a sickle.
The island enjoyed a perpetual spring-like climate, providing the weeds in the courtyard with an environment to grow unchecked.
Ji Nanxi surveyed the backyard but didn’t start working immediately.
Instead, she first planned in her mind how to utilize the entire backyard.
The backyard was overgrown with waist-high wild grass, interspersed with low shrubs and jagged rocks. This was the edge of the base.
When she had chosen this two-story old house, it was because the living space was indeed quite large, so the base did not allocate any private plots.
If she wanted a private plot, she would have to clear the land herself.
Ji Nanxi raised an eyebrow, then walked directly toward a small patch of land near the courtyard wall. This spot received ample sunlight and was sheltered from the wind, making it suitable for growing vegetables.
She rolled up her sleeves, bent down, and with one hand gripping the sickle and the other grasping a clump of weeds, she swung the blade, cutting them cleanly at the roots.
At first, her movements were a bit clumsy, but she grew increasingly proficient as she went along.
After all, Ji Nanxi had also been a soldier in the Interstellar era.
A robust physique and combat instincts were among the criteria for selecting elite team members.
In 22nd-century Huaxia, she had never farmed.
In the Interstellar era, there was no agricultural age.
Now, having arrived in this era of Huaxia, Ji Nanxi could experience a different way of life.
She had also taken the Gene Repair Agent last night, so this body was no longer the delicate, frail young lady who couldn’t even hold a chicken.
In just half an hour, Ji Nanxi had cleared all the weeds from this patch.
She didn’t discard the cut weeds haphazardly but piled them all in one spot.
Once they dried naturally, they could be burned into ash to fertilize the soil.
Ji Nanxi went inside, drank some cool boiled water, washed her face, then came back out, picked up the hoe, and began tilling the soil for the first time.
She tested the weight of the hoe, flicked her wrist, and the heavy tool felt as light as nothing in her hands.
The soil was more compact than she had imagined. As the hoe struck down, the earth was turned over cleanly and efficiently.
Swing after swing, Ji Nanxi’s movements were astonishingly fast.
Her arms swung with afterimages, her steps moved with the precision of a ruler, each landing avoiding stones as she dug deep and buried shallow, turning up weeds by their roots. The exposed weed roots and stems were carefully picked out and piled with the previously cut weeds, then she quickly broke up the clods of soil and raked them smooth.
Sweat soon soaked the hair on her forehead, trickling down her cheeks.
Ji Nanxi felt incredibly invigorated—this was a joy that slaying Astral Beasts in the Interstellar realm couldn’t provide!
After all, this land had no Mutated Plants and was still cultivable!
For three consecutive days, Ji Nanxi only went to the cafeteria at mealtimes to check in, eating quickly before returning home to continue reclaiming the land.
The result of three days of hard work was the initial shaping of the backyard’s reclaimed land, with ten neat vegetable beds.
The pile of weeds cut three days earlier had long since been baked dry and brittle by the scorching sun.
Ji Nanxi pulled out a match, struck it, and lit the weed pile. Orange-red flames licked at the dry grass blades, soon crackling as they burned, filling the yard with the distinctive charred aroma of burning plants.
The fire wasn’t large, burning slowly.
When it died out, it left behind a pile of warm plant ash.
Ji Nanxi poked the ashes with a wooden stick to ensure no embers remained, then carefully spread them evenly over the ten freshly turned vegetable beds.
Immediately after, she used a hoe to meticulously mix them with the raw soil beneath and rake it smooth.
This was the simplest method of fertilizing soil with plant ash.
With the ten vegetable beds tidied up, Ji Nanxi straightened her slightly sore back.
Just then, the unique, slightly cheerful electronic voice of the System, Yaoyao Zero, sounded in her mind on cue:
【Congratulations, host. Hidden Mission: Reclaim Wasteland on the Island. Mission Completion: 1/3.】
【Rewards Distributed: Credit Points +3, Enhanced Gene Agent x1.】
【Stored in System Space. Host may extract and use at any time.】
Leaning on the hoe, breathing slightly heavily, Ji Nanxi couldn’t help but curl the corners of her mouth upward.
Wiping the sweat from her face, she responded mentally to the System, “Only one-third completion?”
【That’s right, host hasn’t planted seeds yet!】
【And the planted vegetable seeds won’t count until they mature and the task is fully completed.】
Ji Nanxi: “…”
You make a very good point; I have no rebuttal.
At that moment, the courtyard gate was knocked.
Ji Nanxi frowned. Who could it be at this time?
She set down the hoe, wiped the mud from her hands, and quickly walked to the gate to open it.
She saw Soldier Xiao Zhou from the duty room saluting, a smile on his face. “Hello, sister-in-law! Uncle Mei and Auntie Xie from Gujia Village are waiting at the Base gate.”
“They said they’re here to deliver the wooden bed and wardrobe Regimental Commander Lu ordered earlier, as well as the chicks and ducklings you wanted.”
“You’ll need to come with me to the duty room to sign, then they can come in!”
Ji Nanxi’s eyes lit up, and she quickly replied, “Alright, I’ll go right away!”
She turned back into the house to change into a clean jacket, then followed Xiao Zhou to the duty room.
As she reached the duty room door, she heard Uncle Mei’s hearty voice from inside, “Xiao Li, this bed and wardrobe were made by my own hands—sturdy as can be!”
Pushing the door open, Ji Nanxi saw Uncle Mei chatting with another soldier, Xiao Li, while Auntie Xie sat by the oxcart holding a bamboo basket, a broad smile on her face.
“Regimental Commander Lu’s wife!”
Uncle Mei saw Ji Nanxi and quickly waved her over. “Come take a look at this wooden bed and wardrobe. I followed Regimental Commander Lu’s instructions and made them extra thick with pinewood. See if you’re satisfied?”
Ji Nanxi walked over, first signing her name on the visitor registration log handed to her by Xiao Zhou, then smiled at Old Mei. “Uncle Mei, thank you for your hard work. Your craftsmanship is truly excellent.”
“Let’s go, first take the bed and wardrobe to my house and unload them.”
Auntie Xie nodded repeatedly. “Old Mei, stop chatting with Xiao Li here. You should focus on the task at hand.”
“Regimental Commander Lu’s wife, today I also brought the ten chicks and five ducklings you wanted. They just hatched and are full of energy.”
“As promised, I also brought along some broken clay pots and old wooden basins for feeding them!”
Ji Nanxi looked at the fluffy little creatures in the bamboo basket, her eyes curving into crescents. “This is perfect!”
“I was just worried about no one helping me remove pests from the vegetable garden in the future. Once they grow up, they can help me keep an eye on it!”
Xiao Zhou chimed in from the side, “Uncle Mei, Xiao Li has already raised the barrier arm. Hurry and pull the ox cart inside.”
Old Mei nodded. “Alright, alright, thank you, Xiao Zhou!”