Chapter 119: Chapter 117: Location Interfered With
Zhang Qingfang was even more excited than Shen Baoying. She crouched down, patting and examining the radish from all sides as if she’d found an incredible treasure.
She kept muttering, "My god, has this radish become a spirit? Can it talk?"
Everyone was amused and started laughing.
Jiang Si said, "It hadn’t become a spirit yet before I pulled it out. I’ve ruined its cultivation, so now we can only eat it."
"HAHAHA..."
Jiang Linhai peered into the bucket. Seeing the krill-like fish inside, he said excitedly, "What kind of fish are these? I’ve never seen them before."
Jiang Si wasn’t sure either. Jiang Linhai said casually, "Then let’s just call them long fish and small fish. This red one looks like a maple leaf, so let’s call it a maple leaf fish."
Jiang Si pointed to the red maple leaf fish and said, "I don’t know if this one is poisonous. We should probably release it."
In this frozen world, the standard for judging danger was color.
The more beautiful, the more venomous.
Jiang Si had never intended to eat them in the first place; she just wanted to show everyone.
Now that everyone had seen them, she was ready to release them.
Lu Zhifeng glanced at the hot spring pool and said, "This water’s a bit hot, isn’t it? The bottom is bubbling, and I feel warm just standing here. Your dad was just talking about taking a dip in the hot spring."
You’d get scalded raw in water that hot.
Jiang Si laughed. "The hot springs that aren’t as hot have a layer of ice on the surface. You can break the ice and take a dip."
"But for safety’s sake, we’d better not."
"Forget the Snow Monkeys and the creatures in the water. Just taking off our Antarctica suits would let the UV rays severely burn our skin."
They were exploring this frozen world step by step. They had to be extremely cautious and couldn’t afford any carelessness.
Everyone nodded, then looked at the green radish shoots behind Jiang Si and said excitedly, "Sisi, are we only taking one radish back with us?"
With so many more radishes back there, everyone’s eyes were filled with craving.
Jiang Si looked at the Snow Monkeys in the trees. "Let’s leave some food for them."
"Okay."
Besides, one radish should be enough for them to research and cultivate.
The group excitedly dragged the radish back. Shen Baoying went to the kitchen to prepare the long fish and small fish, while everyone else gathered around the radish to study it.
Jiang Si said, "The temperature around the hot spring is about negative five to ten degrees Celsius. The surrounding area is just barren soil mixed with sand and gravel. I wonder what the minimum viable temperature for this mutated giant radish is, and how different its growth rate and fruit size would be at normal temperatures."
This was exactly what Zhang Qingfang wanted to research.
She said happily, "If we can artificially breed and plant these radishes in low temperatures, then many people and many animals will be able to survive."
Jiang Si smiled. "We can try planting it in the greenhouse first, then compare that to how it grows outdoors at different temperatures."
"Even in this deep freeze, there might be specific times when the temperature rises, perhaps creating conditions where the radish can be grown away from the hot spring."
"Yes, yes, yes, I’ll go try it right now!"
Grandma impatiently had Grandpa drag the radish into the greenhouse for her.
A short while later, Grandpa returned carrying half the radish. "Your grandma said half is enough for planting. We’re going to see what this half tastes like."
Shen Baoying immediately put the half radish to use: one piece for stewing with ribs, one for a cold salad, and one for making shredded radish balls.
The rest was all used to make pickled radish, brined radish, and preserved vegetables.
Shen Baoying couldn’t handle it all by herself, so everyone pitched in to help.
Jiang Si was in charge of mixing the pickling sauce, Qin Shen was responsible for cutting the radish into chunks, Jiang Linhai moved the jars and prepared the saltwater, and Niu Niu assisted Shen Baoying, learning to cook and taste-testing along the way.
By the time the meal was ready, Zhang Qingfang and the others were still busy in the greenhouse.
Niu Niu went to call them for dinner, and Zhang Qingfang came out with an excited look on her face, telling everyone, "We not only planted the radish in soil, but we also tried growing it in water."
Hydroponics was already a very common method for cultivating vegetables in the modern era.
As long as the nutrient supply was sufficient, it could be grown successfully.
In Jiang Si’s space, one of the vegetable cultivation layers was dedicated to growing hydroponic vegetables, such as water celery, water spinach, and lettuce.
However, this was a first for Zhang Qingfang. She was very happy, and everyone was happy for her—that at her age, even in the apocalypse, she could still pursue her hobbies.
The fried fish strips, simply sprinkled with a little salt, were exceptionally crispy and delicious.
Shen Baoying said, "Next time, let’s try using them to make soup."
The cold shredded radish salad was incredibly refreshing. Compared to a normal radish, this giant radish had a surprisingly high sugar content.
You could taste the sweetness with the very first bite.
Jiang Si asked Shen Baoying, "Mom, did you add sugar?"
Shen Baoying shook her head. "I didn’t."
Jiang Si said, "It’s so sweet, you could eat it like a fruit."
After dinner, Jiang Linhai asked her, "What should we do with that Snow Monkey? Should we skin it and eat the meat?"
Jiang Si shook her head. "Let’s not eat it. Just keep the pelt."
If it was carrying some kind of virus, it wouldn’t be worth the risk.
It was best not to eat it if they could avoid it.
"Okay."
The next day, just as Jiang Si got out of bed, she heard a clamor of amazed shouts.
She followed the sound to the greenhouse, where Zhang Qingfang immediately pulled her over in excitement. "Sisi, quick, look! The radishes have all sprouted!"
Ordinary radishes usually take three days to sprout after planting. For the giant radish to sprout in just one day, it was highly likely that its maturation cycle would be drastically shortened under suitable temperatures.
If that were the case, even if they lost access to Jiang Si’s space in the future, they wouldn’t have to worry about running out of food.
The discovery of the radish delighted everyone. Jiang Linhai and Lu Zhifeng figured there might be other plants around the hot spring waiting to be discovered.
So, after finishing their daily study assignments and the task of building the ice house base, they slipped away to explore the surrounding area.
Jiang Si couldn’t keep everyone under her watchful eye all the time. In the long run, that would only make them lose their sense of danger.
She and Qin Shen had already scouted the immediate vicinity; there were no large, ferocious beasts around.
She felt at ease with Lu Zhifeng and Jiang Linhai going exploring.
But soon, when Lu Zhifeng and Jiang Linhai didn’t return at the agreed-upon time, Jiang Si started to get anxious.
She looked at Qin Shen. "Can you pinpoint my dad and Uncle Lu’s location?"
Qin Shen sniffed the air and, to Jiang Si’s surprise, replied, "Their exact location is being interfered with. I only have a general direction."
To keep the others from noticing, Jiang Si said to Shen Baoying, "Mom, Qin Shen and I are going for a walk. We’ll be back within an hour. Don’t worry, and fire a warning shot if anything happens."
Shen Baoying, thinking they were going on a date, smiled. "Okay, okay, you two go on. While you’re at it, see why your father isn’t back yet."
"Okay."
