Bringing the Farm to Live in Another World

Chapter 19: Choosing Crops

Zhao Hai led everyone back into the house, and of course, Merlin and the others followed. Once they reached the living room, Zhao Hai asked Merlin to take a seat. However, Meg stood silently behind Zhao Hai this time, not lowering her head but instead staring intently at his back.

Zhao Hai had regained his composure. Although Meg had shocked him, causing her image to linger in his mind, there were too many things he needed to handle right now. He couldn't rush into romantic talks with Meg; the future of the entire budah family rested on his shoulders, and his primary concern should be the survival of the more than one hundred people.

Merlin had now become accustomed to Zhao Hai's way of handling matters, so she did not decline and sat down, looking at Zhao Hai with excitement. "Young master, what should we do next?" She had started to subconsciously seek Zhao Hai's opinion.

Zhao Hai thought for a moment and said, "Grandma Merlin, I'll need you to go outside shortly and select the best farmers to plant those ten acres of land. Ask them what crops are most suitable to plant at this time. By the way, do we have any seeds?"

Merlin nodded. "Yes, we have a lot of seeds on hand, but most of them are for grains and ordinary vegetables that are best suited for mountainous areas. It would be a waste to plant those on such good land outside."

Zhao Hai nodded. He turned to Merlin and asked, "Grandma Merlin, we need to start a fire to cook. The weather is still a bit cold; what will those slaves use to keep warm at night?"

Merlin looked troubled. "Young master, at that time we were only thinking of buying some useful items, like those for cooking and heating. Originally, we used magic furnaces in the manor, but now we have too few magic crystals to use them for heating and cooking. We are currently using dry trees and hay from the mountains for cooking and warmth."

Zhao Hai nodded. It was clear that Merlin and the others, who had always lived among the aristocracy, were preparing diligently but lacked an understanding of a common Chinese proverb: "The seven necessities of life are firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea."

These seven items are closely related to people's daily lives, especially firewood, rice, and oil, which are essentials. The priority placed on firewood shows its importance.

However, due to their high status, they were not very familiar with these matters. Although they brought ample supplies, they were insufficient in preparing the most basic and essential item—firewood.

The main reason for this was that the Black Earth Wilderness was truly too barren; even grass struggled to survive. This was something Merlin and the others had not anticipated.

The population on the Ark Continent was large, but the area was even bigger. Firewood was hardly a precious commodity here; stalks from crops in the fields and branches from trees in the forests were readily available. Wealthy families could use charcoal, and nobles generally relied on magic furnaces powered by magic crystals. No one ever worried about firewood, even the poorest people didn't fret over it.

However, here in the Black Earth Wilderness, firewood had become a precious resource. Only small trees and wild grasses grew here, and apart from those, there was nothing else usable. Therefore, Merlin and the others discovered that despite their thorough preparations, they were lacking in the most inconspicuous but essential items, which were completely absent in the Black Earth Wilderness.

Seeing Zhao Hai silent, Merlin had to ask, "Young master, what do you want to plant in the land outside?"

Zhao Hai was also contemplating this matter. He had a few types of seeds that were suitable for planting outside, such as wheat and pasture. While cabbage seeds were available, the season was not right for planting them yet. Wheat, although a good crop, did not yield much firewood and had a relatively low yield, so Zhao Hai did not intend to plant it. This was not the time for him to indulge in personal preferences; he needed to prioritize solving the budah family's problems.