Bringing A Farm To Mess Around In Another World – Chapter 16

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Chapter 16 – Ratio

Zhao Hai simply tossed the water into the water spring in the space. It wasn’t poisonous anyway and the water quality wasn’t bad. Just let it go to where it belonged.

Zhao Hai then shifted his eyes to the unprocessed black soil. It wasn’t a lot as it was just half a metre tall pile.

Now Zhao Hai knew he could use the space soil and water to modify this black soil, but he didn’t go and do it in a hurry. He wanted to test things out and find the best way to do so.

He looked at the pile of black soil for a moment and said, “Shovel, turn it into 10 equal portions.”

Immediately after Zhao Hai’s command ended, the shovel didn’t move, and the black soil moved by itself into 10 equal portions. Zhao Hai couldn’t help from being happy from the sight of this. It seemed that anything that entered this space would be able to move according to his will. This was really too good.

Once Zhao Hai thought of this, he decided to test it out. He said, “Space, calculate the best ratio of space soil and space water to modify the black soil.”

<Credentials exceeded. Unable to calculate!>

(Count me sideways! Counting on high and low isn’t better than counting on myself. I guess I’ll earn my own living.) Zhao Hai cursed under his breath. He filled the bucket next to the spring and brought it over, and then he used the shovel to dig the space soil.

The reason why Zhao Hai wanted to calculate the ratio was because he feared using too much of the soil and risk reducing the soil of the space. If that happened, he would really lose more than he would gain.

Now the space was Zhao Hai’s greatest crutch. If the space were destroyed, then all of his plans would burst like a bubble, unable to be fulfilled. He would go back to extreme poverty and watch over this dead land, waiting to die.

It was out of such consideration that Zhao Hai sought to calculate the best ratio of space soil and space water to modify the black soil. It would not only improve the black soil in the best way, but also spare the space soil and water from being used too much.

The space’s basic premise was the same as the game Zhao Hai played right now, but it became Zhao Hai’s final backing. He couldn’t be as carefree as it was in the game. Every step had to be calculated.

First, Zhao Hai poured the water onto the black soil and noticed its changes carefully while calculating the ratio of the two.

When the space water was poured onto the black soil, it was like enchanted dew from Guan Yin’s willow branch bottle. The black soil displayed changes. The sand-like black soil lost its oil-like blackness bit by bit, becoming its own unique color. Meanwhile, the sand-like particulates within were also disappearing slowly, becoming normal soil in the process.

When the black soil was completely improved, Zhao Hai calculated carefully. It was around 15:1 ratio. In other words, he could change a pile of black soil using 1/15 of water.

Zhao Hai was quite satisfied with this result. This meant that space water’s improving power was very strong towards the black soil. Then he put some space soil onto another pile of black soil. This time the changes displayed by the black soil was somewhat different from using space water. The black soil after being modified by the space soil, looked like it was extra fertile compared to the one using space water. But the ratio of space soil used to black soil was 10:1 (10 parts black soil and one part space soil).

Zhao Hai then turned to the 3rd pile. This time he used 9:1 space water and space soil to improve the black soil. The result was a success, but the changes of the black soil weren’t any different from the one changed by only the space water.

And then 8:2. Still the same. 7:3. Still the same. 4:6, the black soil became as fertile as the pile modified by space soil alone. And then 5:5. Not any different from 4:6.

Now Zhao Hai didn’t need to test things any longer. Using 4:6 space water and space soil ratio to improve the black soil was the most rational choice in terms of results. It wouldn’t cause too much waste, and the black soil quality after improvement was the best.

With these test results, Zhao Hai was very satisfied. He put the water bucket back to its original spot and put the soil back to the ground before leaving the space.

Back in his room, Zhao Hai sat there quietly. He arranged the gains of the space this time. The soil levelled up. He could open some soil. He found the best ratio to improve the black soil. Now he should begin preparations to improve the black soils. It was now April, and if he didn’t start acting, it would be past the ideal time of agriculture.

Although Zhao Hai still didn’t know how to differentiate the 5 grains, he still knew some basic knowledge, like ‘plant in spring, harvest in autumn’. It was just spring break right now, so it was about time to plant seeds.

Now he had 200 gold coins in space, 6 sacks of farm grass seeds, 2 sacks of Napa cabbage seeds, 2 sacks of corn seeds, and 2 sacks of wheat seeds. The storage also had a batch of 80000 kilo’s yield of radishes. These were all of his capital.

Good thing that the seeds could be brought out of space for use. In other words, he just needed to improve the outside soil before he could plant the seeds from the space.

Once he thought of this, Zhao Hai walked out. He wanted to measure the land to improve it in a better way. Just then, he saw Blockhead and Rockhead guarding the door. It seemed that no one came to look for him.

Zhao Hai nodded to both of them, “Blockhead, go get a roll of rope and a ruler. We’re going to measure the land.” Blockhead didn’t know why Zhao Hai wanted to do it, but he still complied and went to look for the things.

Because they had to come to Black Wastelands, which had nothing at all, Greene seemed to have prepared all of life’s essentials, and most of them were grains, seeds and various necessities. Things like ropes and rulers were naturally prepared a lot.

Rockhead didn’t hurry and look for things. Instead, he turned to Zhao Hai and said, “It’s almost lunchtime soon, young master. Granny Maylin had come back to make you lunch. Let’s eat before we go.”

Zhao Hai was startled. He looked at the sky, and it was approaching noon indeed. Now that Rockhead mentioned it, he also started feeling hungry. He nodded and said, “Alright. Then let’s wait until after we eat.” He led both of the twins to the dining hall after that.

When the 3 arrived at the dining hall they saw that Maylin and Meg were just putting the utensils on the table. Maylin bowed down to Zhao Hai after seeing him arrive, “You’ve come, young master. I was going to let Meg tell you to come eat.”

Zhao Hai smiled, “We’re here, granny Maylin. Don’t let the slaves clean up the mineshaft during the afternoon and just wait until tomorrow. The blue-eyed rabbits won’t be coming here right now anyway. Instead, go and prepare rulers and ropes to measure the black soil outside. One ruler every 10 acres. We have to mark them. It’s almost time for spring planting, right? We have to seize the time.”

Once Maylin heard Zhao Hai say that, her expression went bad and said, “Young master, the black soil can’t be used for planting at all. Even though we bought a lot of seeds, they were meant for planting on the mountain. It’s a waste to plant them into the black soil. It’s also useless to measure it.”

Zhao Hai smiled, “Don’t worry, granny Maylin. I have a way to improve the black soil outside and turn it into a fertile plantable soil. You just need to be in charge of measuring it.”

Maylin’s eyes sparkled, “Is it true, young master? You really have a way to change the soil outside? Turn them into plantable soil?” Her voice was somewhat shaky as she was too excited. The entire area of Black Wastelands was the largest of all of Axu Empire, about ⅓ the latter’s total area size. It’s just it had never been counted as part of the empire’s land due to being a barren land.

But if all of it could suddenly be used for agriculture and produce crops, then what would it become? It would become the most lucrative and eye catching place of the entire Axu Empire.

No matter how Ark Continent was a magical civilization, the people put even more importance on things like magic spells, martial techniques, and magic crystal mines. But no matter which era or in which dimension, agriculture is a country’s foundation. It’s an indisputable fact.

People treat food as the heavens. No matter how powerful your magic is, you can’t eat it! No matter how great your martial skills are, you too have to eat! Even a country full of money cannot possibly plant nothing. No country wouldn’t make food as the top priority of the people’s livelihoods, and leave it to other countries to decide instead. If it were really the case, then that country that would do so wouldn’t be too far from its demise.

If all of Black Wastelands could be plantable, then it would undoubtedly become the entire continent’s largest food source. No other place like this could be found on the continent, so flat and suitable for agriculture.

And most importantly, which was also why Maylin was excited, was because in order to truly let Buda family unable to have any chance of rising again, His Majesty Aboyye, under the witness of church representatives and ones from other countries, made an agreement with Buda family, that under the witness of god, Black Wastelands would be Buda family’s permanent fief.

Do not underestimate this agreement. This was witnessed by other countries’ representatives and had the approval of church, which meant having god’s witness. Anyone who dared going against this agreement would be an act of disrespect towards god. It would warrant the attacks from all the forces on the continent and punishment from god.

This agreement also had a trait. Because other countries witnessed it, even if Axu Empire perished and another country took over, Black Wastelands would still be Buda family’s. Any empire would have no right to take it away, including the church. Think about it. What would it become if Zhao Hai completely improved the soil? Zhao Hai would gain the largest fief on Ark Continent, and one of permanence, with no one able to take it away!

How could Maylin not get excited? If Zhao Hai could really improve the soil, then Buda family would become the richest and most powerful family on Ark Continent!

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