297 Let’s Solve the Water Problem First
If they needed anything along the way, a bag could be used as a cover, and it would be very convenient for Du Yue to take the things she needed from her inters.p.a.ce. Of course, the premise was that she could not directly take out an impact cannon from her small satchel. Yu Xinya was the driver. She drove steadily and slowly, so she could spare some energy to talk to Du Yue and the others. “Yesterday, Mr. Wu said that there’s a place that sells seeds at the base. I want to go and have a look. If possible, I want to plant things in the open s.p.a.ce in the yard.”
Du Yue agreed with Yu Xinya. “Sure, it’s a waste to leave such a big yard empty.” It would be a waste to leave a few acres of land empty. If they could really plant something there, no matter how much harvest they could get, it would be able to solve the food shortage problem of the base.
They did not know where the seed store was, but it was not a big problem. They asked as they drove, and they found the seed store in about half an hour. The size of the seed store was similar to the Trade Center. There were a few men in strong clothes standing guard at the door. Obviously, this place was very important to the base.
When they arrived, it was almost 12 o’clock in the afternoon. The seed store was bustling with people, mostly asking about the improved seeds. Du Yue and the other three listened quietly for a while, and they roughly understood what they wanted to know. The improved seeds could be bought directly with contribution points or exchanged with ordinary seeds.
However, after the seeds were sold, they did not completely belong to the buyer. Only the official residents of the base were qualified to buy seeds, and the purchase record would be recorded on the residents’ ID cards. The growth cycle of the improved seeds was even shorter. Wheat could be harvested in about four months. As for the potatoes, they ripened in a month. Regarding the production of these improved seeds, the base had already thoroughly studied them.
All the people who bought seeds had to submit 30% of their grains to the base after harvesting them. Only the rest of the grains were their own. This reminded Du Yue of a policy from decades ago, where all farmers had to pay a grain tax. In the past, Du Yue would never have thought that she would be able to experience such a system in her lifetime.
It was fresh, and she could understand why the base had developed such a system. After all, after the apocalypse, natural disasters came one after another, and no one could say for sure when the next disaster would come. There were a lot of people in the base, and they needed to store more food while they could still grow crops, in case they could not supply food in the future.
After hearing this, Yu Xinya did not say anything. Her face was very serious. She might be calculating in her heart whether it was worth it to farm. Seeing that Yu Xinya did not respond, Du Yue and the other two just waited quietly. Yu Xinya thought for a while and nodded at Du Yue and the other two. “I still want to give it a try.”
Wan Dapeng also nodded. “I also want to try!”
Yu Xinya found a staff member. She was not curious about the seeds but about the water.
“If we’re going to farm, where can we get water to irrigate the land?”
“Where are you staying now?” the staff member asked enthusiastically.
“121 Sunshine Avenue. It’s a very big yard.”
The staff member entered the information on the computer and began to search. They quickly found the information. “There’s underground water in your location. You can make a well. Not only can you water the land, but it’ll also be more convenient for you to drink water and cook.”
After hearing the staff member’s explanation, Yu Xinya knew that the base was not managing the water well. The residents had to provide the manpower and money themselves. “What if there are bugs in the crops? Do I need to buy pesticides?” Yu Xinya asked again.
The staff member smiled and said in a gentle tone, “There’s no need for this. The improved seeds will not bring about insect disasters. But you can buy some nutrient solution.” Although the staff member did not say it directly, Yu Xinya knew that the price of the nutrient solution could not be low. There was no accurate data on how much it could increase production.
Yu Xinya was a cautious person, and this matter could not be settled immediately. After asking the questions that she was curious about, Yu Xinya thanked the staff member politely and left the seed store with Du Yue and the other two. Back in the car, Yu Xinya said, “The most important thing now is to dig a well. It’s too troublesome for us to eat or drink without a water source. As for the matter of buying seeds to plant, it’s not too late to make a decision after asking what the others think.”
“Alright, let’s do that!” After Wan Dapeng finished speaking, he immediately started the car.