Chapter 116: Experiment

Chapter 116: Experiment
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
As expected, a child’s attention is easily diverted. Upon hearing about something new, Jiang Gu stared at the item in the man’s hand without blinking.
“Sister, what’s a photo? What’s a family portrait?” Jiang Gu asked curiously.
Jiang Xia furrowed her brow, pondering for a moment before she began to explain, “Taking a photo is a way to preserve our current appearance, so even when we grow up, we can still see how we looked as kids. As for a family portrait, it’s a picture that captures all of us together. This way, no matter where we are in the future, it feels like we’re still connected as a family.”
Jiang Gu nodded, partially grasping the concept. Her sister sure knew a lot.
The group spent two to three hours exploring several areas of land, all appearing in a similar state of desolation. Some wheat ears were so lightweight, practically void of grain.
Initially, the village chief was a bit reserved, but he loosened up as time passed. When people start speaking without restraint, they usually start pouring out their troubles, especially in such challenging times. When mere survival is in question, who wouldn’t harbor a measure of bitterness in their hearts?
Wang Wen didn’t shy away from the village chief’s complaint. He merely listened attentively. Occasionally, the man with the bag trailing behind them would jot something down in his notebook.
The sky was getting dark. If Wang Wen and the others didn’t return to the mountain road soon, it would be difficult to walk.
Therefore, the few of them bid farewell to the village chief and prepared to leave. However, before they left, Jiang Xia and Shen Mo met eyes for some reason. His eyes seemed to carry a deeper meaning, but she couldn’t quite understand it.
After seeing them off, the village chief, Jiang Chuan, and Xiao Wu walked ahead. Zhou Lan, along with Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu, followed behind with some distance. They could faintly hear the front group still discussing the previous matters.
Jiang Xia knew that after this, Shen Mo and Wang Wen would definitely visit other villages for investigations, though she had no idea what methods they would employ.
The field was filled with the chirping of insects, which echoed in their ears. Led by Zhou Lan, Jiang Gu was hopping along, with no trace of worry on her face. She was much more cheerful compared to when they first arrived.
The house was relatively clean since Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu had cleaned it when they returned. After a quick wash, they all went to bed.
Perhaps due to exhaustion, Jiang Xia slept soundly through the night without any dreams, enjoying a good night’s rest.
The next day, Jiang Chuan’s family was still planning to rise early and hit the road. Their objective was to collect a batch of viable seeds before the harvest season, so they couldn’t afford to waste any time.
However, this time Jiang Chuan’s family couldn’t sneak away as they had done before; the village chief and Little Wu were already waiting for them at the village entrance.
Jiang Chuan took the lead and greeted them, “Why are you here so early in the morning, Village Chief?”
The village chief started with a hearty laugh, “Last time you slipped away without us noticing, this time we thought we’d see you off.”
Having been through several experiences together, the village chief had come to believe that Jiang Chuan’s family indeed carried a streak of good luck. Although he was still worried, his apprehension had significantly reduced from before.
The village chief firmly believed that good deeds are rewarded, and Jiang Chuan’s family, constantly striving to do good for everyone, seemed to turn adversity into fortune each time.
Hearing the village chief speak in such a manner, Xiao Wu also approached them.
“Don’t worry, Third Brother. I won’t let anyone spread gossip about you guys. I’ll keep an eye on everything for you, whether it’s the village affairs or the previous rumors,” he said.
Having been asked so many questions by Jiang Chuan earlier, Xiao Wu naturally realized that Jiang Chuan was quite concerned about these matters, so he decided to address them upfront.
Jiang Chuan gave Xiao Wu a friendly pat on the shoulder, expressing his gratitude with a simple “Thanks, bro.” Thus, under the watchful eyes of the village chief and Xiao Wu, Jiang Chuan’s family left the Tong Shan Village.
Their pace was much quicker this time as they headed up the mountain, with Jiang Xia particularly eager to check on her experimental field.
To prevent their experimental field from being ravaged by hungry herbivores, Jiang Xia had intentionally sprinkled a considerable amount of ‘interspace water’ at a distance from their dwelling before leaving. With these more attractive offerings around, the animals would naturally lose interest in their crops.
When they returned to the wooden house, everything was as usual. Just as Jiang Xia had thought, their farmland hadn’t been damaged.
After a day, Jiang Xia realized that none of the seeds had sprouted, whether they were from the interspace or ordinary seeds. She even sifted through the soil to make sure, indeed, they were all the same.
Following this, Jiang Xia began watering the seeds with the interspace water. She applied the same amount of water to each type of seed, including the ones that she had confirmed to be dead..