Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Unaffordable
Fortunately, they weren’t short on food, or the waste would have made them sick.
Zhang Qingfang’s heart ached as she buried a seedling back in the soil. She let out a sigh. "Just let them eat."
There weren’t many of them, anyway. If just a few of the giant radishes grew to maturity, they could pickle them and have enough to eat for a long time.
Holding up their lights, everyone gathered the uprooted radish seedlings that could still be salvaged, preparing to transplant them into the greenhouse.
Upon entering the greenhouse, they were all stunned by the scene before them.
The bedding on One and Two’s small cots was shredded, with cotton stuffing scattered everywhere. The railing of their enclosure was broken, and not a single vegetable seedling in the ground remained intact.
Some had been bitten once in a hurry and then discarded.
When the emergency light was switched on, Shen Baoying noticed bloodstains on the fur revealed through the torn backs of One and Two’s little padded jackets.
Upon closer inspection, she saw that both One and Two had been scratched on their backs.
Shen Baoying quickly sent Jiang Linhai to the igloo to grab the first-aid kit to treat their wounds.
The sting of the alcohol made One and Two cry out and bare their teeth.
Still, they were relatively well-behaved. Once bandaged, they hid off to the side.
Jiang Chengwu tossed them some corn cakes, then said to Jiang Si, "The monkey troop will be back, won’t they? Do you think they’re holding a grudge?"
Jiang Si shook her head. "I don’t know. We’ll see."
As long as Qin Shen was around, these monkeys wouldn’t dare to make a move.
Early the next morning, everyone got busy again, replanting the radish seedlings that had been pulled up the day before.
One and Two had been changed into new clothes—yellow, down-filled jackets that stood out vividly against the snow.
They obediently helped with the planting, working with surprising agility and not slacking off in the slightest.
When everyone else stopped, the two wouldn’t rest unless they were specifically told to.
Just one piece of candy from Jiang Si would keep them happy for a long time.
Mealtimes were their happiest moments. Shen Baoying always cooked extra and would give them a separate bowl.
The taste of such delicacies, which they had never experienced before, left them with expressions of pure wonder.
Jiang Si laughed. "Mom’s cooking is so good. That must be the real reason they don’t want to leave."
Shen Baoying smiled. "I think before long, they’ll be able to learn how to do it themselves."
After the meal, the men resumed construction on the wooden cabin.
Jiang Si and the other women didn’t have much else to do, so they went to help as well.
Besides the foundation, the most important material for building a wooden cabin was lumber.
Of course, to make it sturdier and more windproof, Jiang Linhai also decided to combine it with some building materials from the seed bank.
The lumber was all on hand. The tedious part was cutting and sanding it into the different shapes and specifications required for assembly.
Everyone was busy working at the woodcutter.
The sawdust could be saved for firewood, or used to make paper, produce fertilizer, and more.
Big Black and Little Black let One and Two ride on their backs, using a rake to gather the sawdust and wood shavings.
The scene was peaceful and harmonious, but Big Black suddenly began to bark furiously.
Everyone stopped their work and pulled open the tarp flap to look outside. At first glance, there was nothing to see but a vast expanse of white snow.
But if you looked closely, you would notice that some patches of snow weren’t like the others—they were gently rising, falling, and squirming.
Meanwhile, One and Two began making sounds like an alarm call at them.
After a moment, one of the Snow Monkeys couldn’t wait any longer and cautiously poked its head out.
Its red face was incredibly conspicuous against the snow.
Everyone saw it at once.
Shen Baoying gasped, "There’s another one over there." Immediately, another head popped up, then two... they started appearing one after another.
The monkey troop actually dared to appear in broad daylight.
It seemed they were truly out of things to eat.
Jiang Linhai asked, "Should we give them something to eat?"
Because of their success with One and Two, everyone was somewhat hopeful about the possibility of taming the Snow Monkeys.
Jiang Si shook her head. "We have to wait until they’re at their hungriest. Now isn’t the time."
The Snow Monkeys kept their watch, their gazes burning as they longed to get near the vegetable patch.
But Big Black and Little Black were not to be trifled with.
Any Snow Monkey that dared to approach was immediately frightened back.
Even when the Monkey King faced off against Big Black and Little Black, he couldn’t get any closer.
As darkness fell, they prepared to return to the ship for the night. They knew the monkey troop would surely seize the opportunity to wreak havoc on the vegetable patch.
They unanimously decided to take shifts sleeping in the igloo that night and outlast the monkeys.
The monkey troop couldn’t get a single thing to eat the entire night.
By morning, their spirits were clearly low. They were listless. A young monkey in its mother’s arms was even swatted away when it tried to nurse, as the mother was too agitated.
The Monkey King seemed to be contemplating whether he should lead the troop away to search for food elsewhere.
Many of the other monkeys tried to communicate with One and Two, hoping to get a little food from them.
One and Two also seemed anxious. They looked at Shen Baoying, then at Qin Shen, and then back at the troop. Their hands hovered, but they didn’t dare act.
They had no authority to distribute food.
In the end, the Monkey King still didn’t dare lead his troop in a direct confrontation. Just as he let out a low roar to gather the monkeys to leave...
Jiang Si said, "It’s time. We can give them some food now."
Feeding them at this moment would help them slowly realize that if they behaved, they would get to eat.
Lu Zhifeng carried out the sea fish they had caught earlier, which they had already cut into small chunks. He dumped it on the ground. Big Black and Little Black backed away, and the Monkey King’s eyes lit up as he immediately led the troop surging forward.
As they ate the fish they’d picked up from the ground, Jiang Linhai poured out some chicken feed for them as well.
They hadn’t eaten in so long. Not only was there fish, but there was grain, too.
The monkeys scrambled over each other, gobbling down the food so quickly that Jiang Si worried they might choke.
They had prepared half a transport truck’s worth of food, and incredibly, the monkeys ate it all.
Lu Zhifeng exclaimed, "We can’t afford to feed them! We really can’t!"
Niu Niu said, "Dad, I can go fishing! I even know how to cast a net now. I’ll catch a lot more. I think we should be able to feed them."
Shen Baoying laughed. "That also depends on whether they’re willing to be kept."
Once they had eaten their fill, the monkey troop became wary again, leaping back to a safe distance.
But they didn’t leave, instead watching the group cautiously.
Taming a troop of monkeys wasn’t a one- or two-day affair.
Jiang Si said to everyone, "Let’s go back and sleep. We’ll leave the greenhouse to them."
Shen Baoying asked, "What about One and Two? Won’t they get bullied if we leave them here?"
Jiang Si considered it. "We shouldn’t leave them. They got scratched last time."
Shen Baoying immediately squeezed One and Two’s big cheeks. "Auntie has your little nests all ready for you."
Jiang Si and the others returned to the Icebreaker. Through their binoculars, they watched as the Monkey King cautiously led his troop into the greenhouse.
The temperature inside was warmer than the area around the hot springs, and there was even melted ice for water. They believed that, full and hydrated, the monkeys should be able to spend a comfortable night.
Only Jiang Linhai muttered quietly, "Too bad about those seedlings we just planted. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gone to all that trouble."
