CHAPTER 635: CHAPTER 535: JUZI ISLAND

Ding Jiu thought for a while, then stepped forward and whispered a few words into Li Yu’s ear.

Li Yu reflected thoughtfully upon hearing Ding Jiu’s words.

He then addressed Hua Qian, saying, "Old Hua, you have a granddaughter who is 10 years old, right? Here’s what we’ll do. Tomorrow, let her enter the Inner City’s classroom for her studies."

Upon hearing Li Yu’s words, Hua Qian’s mouth started to tremble, and his eyes instantly moistened.

To have survived until now in this post-apocalyptic world was partly luck, and partly the result of his relentless efforts.

It was fortunate that they had met He Chao earlier; although they couldn’t eat their fill, at least they banded together and scraped by until later.

It was after following He Chao that they joined the Big Camphor Tree Base and finally found stability.

As time passed and they stayed longer with the base, although there was more work to do, the treatment got much better. From initially starving and calculating the food daily.

To later receiving more and more rations each month, they were now basically guaranteed two meals a day.

To him, this was enough.

In this apocalyptic world, being able to eat two meals a day was already a luxury.

Now, Li Yu had promised to let his only granddaughter enter the free schooling in the Inner City and also provide her with meals.

This was an immense favor.

He trembled, giving Li Yu a deep bow.

Li Yu dodged it and helped him up, saying, "Old Hua, I hope you can make a success of this Chinese Medicine Hall. I won’t say much more; rest assured, if you need any support, you can talk to He Chao, or you can come directly to me."

Hua Qian nodded heavily and said, "Okay."

After a brief exchange, Li Yu let Ding Jiu take him away.

...

After inspecting the current construction progress, Li Yu then headed to the farmland.

From a distance, he saw An Ya leading some people working in the fields. Li Yu looked intently and also spotted Xiao Shi.

Ever since Xiao Shi brought old Luo, old Bi, and others back from Furong Mountain, she did not manage them but handed all authority to Li Yu.

Instead, she returned to the Inner City and continued her previous routine, following An Ya in agricultural studies.

For her, before the apocalypse, even though she had everything she wanted due to her family’s connections, she lacked true friends. Those she met before were only interested in her because of her family.

After the outbreak of the apocalypse, she almost froze or starved to death that winter.

She learned the value of food and life’s preciousness.

Later being saved by Li Yu, initially she was useless, unable to do anything, and could only feed pigs to contribute.

Later, by following An Ya to plant crops, she seemed to have found the joy of life.

Such a noble cause, witnessing the rice seedlings gradually grow, and form ears...

The indescribable joy in her heart calmed her restless spirit.

Here, she had sisters like Bai Jie and met Li Yuan, someone close to her in age, and she felt happy.

Rotating duties, fighting side by side against enemies and zombies.

When there were no external threats, they busied themselves in the fields.

At night, within the high walls, chatting with a few good friends and watching the moon, she felt very blessed.

She was content with her current life.

"Director Li," An Ya stood up and said.

Others around her, including Xiao Shi, also greeted Li Yu.

Li Yu nodded and said with concern, "You should be careful about sun protection under the sun, the weather is quite hot now."

An Ya’s skin had grown healthier, and even Xiao Shi, who once had a fair complexion that glowed, now started to show a trend towards becoming more wheatish.

An Ya nodded and said to Li Yu, "The weather has been hot recently, and there has been some shortage of water in the fields. I am thinking about releasing some water from Mountain Pond. What do you think?"

Li Yu thought it over; he knew that the weather changed drastically in the apocalypse, and last summer, at its peak, the temperature reached over fifty degrees.

Water sources were extremely important.

So he said, "The black spheres used last year can also be put into Mountain Pond to insulate and prevent the evaporation of water; you’ve experienced last year’s high temperatures. Later, talk to Li Hang about it.

Furthermore, about the water supply for the fields, you can release some. But also think of ways to reduce evaporation of water in the fields."

An Ya remembered last summer’s temperatures, those extremely hot days. At that time, she hadn’t joined the Big Camphor Tree Base and nearly died from the heat.

Died a living death from the heat.

An Ya pondered and said, "We originally planted the early rice in early April; if not for the locusts, we could have harvested these days.

Later, following your advice, we replanted early rice in May, and I estimate that these rice plants should be ready to harvest in early August.

It’s only a difference of about ten days or so."

Li Yu looked at the rice in the field, color turning toward ripeness, the grains yellowing, and said, "We can release the water from the Mountain Pond, but we must utilize it well. This sweltering heat is just the beginning. Let’s try to save as much water as possible.

As for that black sphere, what do you think about using it in these rice paddies?"

An Ya stood in place and thought for a moment, then said, "We can give it a try, but it shouldn’t be too dense. If it’s too densely packed, the rice won’t be able to breathe, and it will easily suffocate and rot at the roots."

Li Yu nodded and replied, "Alright, you handle it. You’re the expert. Anyway, keep an eye on the water level at all times. If it reaches 15 meters, you must report to me immediately."

An Ya responded, "Understood."

The two then exchanged information about the cultivation of other crops.

Apart from rice, sweet potato was also extensively planted, covering about seven to eight mu. It is a crop that withstands poor soil and drought, with a tremendous capacity for nutrient absorption.

However, for a high yield, sufficient fertilization is necessary.

Besides carbon, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, sulfur, iron, magnesium, and calcium are also important.

The roots of soybeans can naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen, so they are intercropped with sweet potatoes.

At the Big Camphor Tree Base, crops like corn, soybeans, and sweet potatoes were intercropped.

The fertilizers currently in use are a mix of human and livestock excrement.

The septic tank and biogas pool are interlinked.

As the population and livestock increased, the amount of fertilizer produced also grew.

...

A gentle breeze blew through the stifling heat, bringing a touch of coolness.

With the increase in population, managing the base became more complicated.

Fortunately, Li Yu had the support of Second Uncle, Uncle, and his father, along with some professionals, who had managed to unravel the complexities, making everything clear and orderly.

Recently, Second Uncle heard opinions from everyone and relayed them to Li Yu, proposing to build an ecological and productive loop around the Big Camphor Tree Base.

The goal is to achieve the most rational ecosystem of supply and demand within the Big Camphor Tree Base.

From food for humans to all kinds of livestock, fish, flora and fauna, crops,

to human waste and water sources.

From the production of canned goods to the recycling and repurposing of metal cans.

From water management, photovoltaic, and wind power generation to the supply of electricity for machinery operation.

From the chemical extraction of diesel fuel to the production of bullets.

And so on...

This requires comprehensive community engagement.

It is complicated, but Li Yu believes it is worth pursuing.

Therefore, a team was formed, bringing together some of the base’s professionals to deliberate over major plans.

This endeavor requires ongoing effort; it’s not something that can be achieved overnight.

But once established, the benefits to the base would be unimaginable.

...

After spending half a day getting up to speed with the base’s operational condition, night fell.

Li Yu sat on the wicker chair on the balcony, leaning back.

The chair rocked gently to and fro, comfortable.

Li Yu looked up at the night sky, studded with stars.

He wondered how Third Uncle and the others were doing now.

Li Yu mused to himself.

...

Xiang Province, Sha City.

Before the apocalypse, it was a city known as a furnace, and despite being night, the temperature had reached an astonishing 40 degrees.

It was even hotter during the day.

Opposite Juzi Island.

At the top of the IFS International Finance Center, next to the Xiangjiang River, Third Uncle and Old Qin observed this once-famous tourist attraction.

The appearance of Juzi Island had completely transformed.

Juzi Island, 90 hectares.

The large island in the middle of the river now had high walls built around it, standing 5 meters tall at a distance of five or six meters from the riverbank.

The walls surrounded the river, an impressive sight.