Chapter 18

Although the members of the tribe were not familiar with the use of soybean seeds and soybeans themselves, the fact that they could communicate with the Messenger of the Goddess Nuwa made them highly respectful, especially since she was also the partner of their leader!

Emily had performed miracles before, not only saving Yellow Leaf when he was helpless but also gaining the favor of the Goddess Nuwa, entering the forbidden area to find the statue of the Goddess Nuwa and the power of the totem. She even triggered Male's bloodline power, bringing hope to other members of the Nuwa tribe. All of this made them both in awe and respectful of the lady.

Although An's words had raised some doubts among them, since Granny Maple had already spoken, it was clear where the lady stood in the Nuwa tribe.

Emily glanced gratefully at Granny Maple; she had invisibly elevated her position in the Nuwa tribe!

Although Emily had no intention of dominating the Nuwa tribe, the daily tasks required her assistance, and the rewards were more abundant.

Since she had come to this world, she inevitably had to find a way to change this harsh living environment. And the system was obviously her capable assistant, but relying solely on her own strength was far from enough. If she could get the support of the Nuwa tribe and unite them, she believed they would not regret it!

The bamboo had already been cut and could no longer be cut down. Even if it could be cut, there was a fear of disrupting the ecological balance of this area.

It was still early now, and if the task could be refreshed and the rewards were rich or the difficulty was high, there would be two days to complete the task. If the rewards were poor or the task was simple, it could be refreshed tomorrow, saving a day's time, and when there were better rewards or greater challenges, she wouldn't miss the opportunity.

Emily closed her eyes and found the daily task in the system, and sure enough, there was a refresh option.

She clicked refresh without hesitation.

The system prompted: "Are you sure you want to give up today's task and refresh it for tomorrow's task? Once confirmed, this task will end!"

Emily decisively clicked confirm.

"Daily task refresh successful. Task content: Cultivate and plant soybeans, with a simple planting method attached. Reward: 100 corn seeds for every 1,000 soybeans planted. Please complete as soon as possible!"

This task... was a bit good, but also not good!

The advantage was that she knew soybeans could be planted, and having a planting method was good, and the reward was corn seeds, which she really liked to eat corn sticks.

The downside was that the reward was only 100 corn seeds for every 1,000 soybeans planted...

This system was really stingy!

Was it set based on her seed quantity?

The seeds obtained yesterday were only 1,000, and it wasn't a lot. To get all of them planted to receive 100 corn seeds, even if every plant could produce corn sticks normally, there would only be 100 corn sticks...

Too few!

1,000 soybeans weren't many either. For the members of the tribe, even if the germination and yield rates were both one hundred percent, each person could only get one or two soybean plants.

Of course, the issue of keeping soybeans for seed must also be considered. Unless absolutely necessary, the planted corn or soybeans should not be consumed easily.

It could only be said that for the Nuwa tribe, which had never had large-scale planting experience, now was the beginning of Genesis.

The simple planting method caught Emily's eye briefly. Planting soybeans didn't require high soil quality or a large area; slopes, roadsides, and riverbanks were all suitable for planting.

As for fertilizers, they needed wood ash, which was easy to obtain as every household had it. But phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers were harder to come by.

Phosphorus fertilizer could be temporarily substituted by grinding animal bones into powder, and nitrogen fertilizer could be made from animal manure.

However, from what Emily had observed during her days in the Nuwa tribe, people relieved themselves not in centralized locations but in more secluded areas like behind houses or trees. This was uncomfortable and also unpleasant-smelling.

Emily secretly decided to change this situation by starting to build toilets and making farmyard manure.

Regarding farmyard manure, she didn't need the system's guidance. When she was in high school, she went hiking with her teacher and classmates, and later visited a farmhouse inn where the owner managed a fish pond and an orchard.

During their visit to the farmhouse inn, they happened to see the owner throwing chopped old vegetable leaves into a large compost pit, which taught Emily about farmyard manure.

Organic vegetables and organic fertilizers were both new concepts to her. She had never realized that organic farmyard manure was made from animal manure, decomposed plants, and even animal organs mixed together.

At that time, she was quite repelled and almost couldn't eat her meal.

After a moment of silence, Moon glanced at her and shook her hand, asking, "Sister-in-law?"

Emily opened her eyes and looked at everyone seriously. "The Messenger of the Goddess Nuwa has instructed us to clear land for planting soybeans and to start making farmyard manure for farming needs. The reward is another type of food, 100 corn seeds."

Farmyard manure? The people of the Nuwa tribe looked at each other in confusion.

Emily earnestly "conveyed the messenger's intentions": "The Messenger of the Goddess Nuwa said that everything in the world has its energy. When we plant soybeans, they absorb energy from the soil and need to replenish that energy. Just as we humans and animals excrete waste containing energy after consuming food, we can convert them into farmyard manure and apply it to the soil to supply the energy needed for plant growth. This way, plants can grow healthily and become our food. So, we need to build a composting area and develop a habit of managing waste there to produce farmyard manure."

Emily thought she had made the toilet and compost pit sound quite impressive.

Although the people of the Nuwa tribe only partially understood her explanation, out of reverence for the Messenger of the Goddess Nuwa, especially after An's initial doubts, they were deeply impressed by Emily's ability to communicate with the Messenger. They now unconditionally believed in her.

Despite not knowing the specific operational methods, they all eagerly agreed in unison, "We will follow Lady's orders!"

Building toilets probably couldn't be completed in a day, and the tribe still needed food from hunting. Therefore, those originally assigned to hunt would continue, and only those available would work on clearing land and planting soybeans. According to the system, each hole required 3-5 soybeans to be planted. Calculating with four soybeans per hole, planting 1,000 soybeans would require digging 250 holes. If ten people were assigned to dig, each person would only need to dig twenty-five holes, which seemed manageable.

Although they didn't have convenient tools like hoes, the holes for planting soybeans didn't need to be very deep, so it wasn't difficult.

"The people originally assigned to hunt will go with Male as planned, and the rest of the available people can start clearing land and planting soybeans. Does everyone have the necessary tools?"

"When the folks in the mountains dig traps to catch game, they also dig holes using those flat stones!" Moon raised her hand first. "I want to join in."

Uh... digging with flat stones... Suddenly, the workload seemed much heavier. But starting with collective effort, planting soybeans wouldn't show immediate results, making it seem inappropriate.

"Let's talk about the big compost pit for farmyard manure after I return," Male instructed Emily, then turned to the tribe with a solemn request, "Lady Emily is delicate, please assist her."

The people of the Nuwa tribe chuckled good-naturedly, Emily blushed slightly, casting a slightly annoyed look at the cheerful Male. Apart from An, who seemed displeased, everyone else was in good spirits.

Male patted his sister's shoulder. "Take care of your sister-in-law."

Although not explicitly stated, Moon understood that Male was concerned about Yellow Leaf and An causing trouble again. Moon nodded solemnly. "Brother, don't worry, I won't leave Sister alone for a step!"

The care shown by Male and Moon warmed Emily's heart. She was no longer afraid even if there were malicious intentions, having enjoyed Male's and Moon's protection.

Initially hesitant about how many people should dig holes, Male took his group to hunt, and the rest eagerly waited, including Yellow Leaf and An.

They seemed ready to participate regardless, making Emily less stressed.

With more people, each person would dig fewer holes, ensuring faster soybean planting.

"Do we have areas around the tribe with softer soil? Uneven terrain is fine," Emily observed a large expanse of hard yellow soil.

"The valley where the old lady grows medicinal herbs has softer sandy soil," Granny Maple quickly pointed out.

"Then Moon and I will go check out that valley. If it's suitable, we'll clear land and plant soybeans there. The rest of you should go back and prepare digging tools. Fill baskets with wood ash; we'll need it for planting soybeans. Also, bring a couple of wooden barrels for water."

"I'll take you there," Yellow Leaf said kindly, and An, frowning, indicated she would go too.

Moon watched Yellow Leaf and An warily, but Emily, feeling unbothered, agreed with a nod.

Since Yellow Leaf had justified his actions from yesterday, he probably wouldn't harm her again. Even if there were plans, Emily wasn't afraid now.

On the way, Yellow Leaf acted as if yesterday's events hadn't happened, becoming a friendly guide, softly explaining the local terrain. An occasionally glanced at Emily, looking quite impatient.

But perhaps due to "the Messenger of the Goddess Nuwa," despite An's annoyance, she didn't voice it. Her knee injury had just stopped bleeding and was still throbbing. Although annoyed with Emily, An refrained from saying anything.

Emily listened attentively to Yellow Leaf's descriptions, showing a "fool-me, I believe anything you say" expression, occasionally asking questions.

After walking a distance, Emily found roadside spots suitable for growing crops like soybeans and corn. The black sandy soil appeared fertile, with few rocks, making cultivation not too difficult.

Quietly noting several areas suitable for large-scale clearing near the tribal housing clusters, Emily felt hopeful.

Planting is not a simple task, and the simplified method provided by the system to Emily is only due to the unprepared conditions.

During her high school days in biology class, the biology teacher, knowing she came from a rural background, expanded on the process of planting grains. Generally, it involves plowing or tilling the land, sun-drying it, applying base fertilizer, breaking up the soil, leveling or creating ridges, and finally sowing or planting. This is not something that can be completed in a day; plowing and sun-drying take time, and the process of applying base fertilizer such as using orange stems and returning them to the soil takes even longer.

However, the daily tasks assigned by the system are time-bound. Traditional methods might improve yield and reduce pests, but they are time-consuming. Emily decided not to rush the land clearing in the future, intending to lay a solid foundation for the soil, considering that seeds are not easily obtained.

After a rough estimation, planting a row of soybeans along the way doesn't take up much space and makes harvesting convenient. After explaining to Moon, Huangye, and An, Moon used a strange ornament hanging from her neck to notify the tribe with a piercing whistle.

The tribe members arrived one after another, mostly women and children since the young men had gone hunting. They were filled with innocence, curiosity, and hope.

Emily demonstrated how to dig the first hole. She loosened the soil, dug a hole about ten centimeters deep, sprinkled grass-wood ash, sowed soybean seeds, covered them with soil, and then watered them.

Explaining as she worked, she mentioned that loosening the soil helps with aeration and germination, and the grass-wood ash containing potassium fertilizer aids in growth. Additional fertilizers will be needed next year.

The Nuwa tribe members listened attentively, including Huangye and An, who showed interest.

The steps for planting soybeans were clear and simple, and Moon and others were eager to get started.