Wind and sand swept through the dry grit, brushing past the newly cleared land improvement experimental area at the edge of the Serenitea Pot, leaving a harsh, stinging sensation.
As the morning light dawned, Limeng was already half-kneeling beside the sea buckthorn sand-fixation belt, fine beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. Carefully brushing away the sandy soil at the base of an improved Iron Thorn Vine, he exposed the intertwining root system beneath. His assistant, Xiao Chen, stood nearby holding a clipboard, his brow deeply furrowed. "The fiberization of the roots has deepened further, Mr. Limeng." His voice carried a trace of anxiety, his fingers pointing to the tubers, which should have been plump but were now curled into the shape of shriveled hemp ropes. "The core characteristics of the Power Vine have stabilized, and the paralytic side effect has been greatly reduced, but the tuber volume is... a full forty percent smaller than expected."
Limeng's fingers slowly twisted through the dry, hemp-like fibers, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind. Reduced side effects meant more ordinary laborers could safely use this medicinal herb, thereby increasing land-reclamation efficiency; but the sharp drop in yield meant a larger planting area would be required. It was undoubtedly a dilemma. In the distance, the crisp morning reading of children drifted over, mixed with laughter—"'Start of Spring hears the thunder rolling, Grain Rain urges the seedlings to grow…
Chapter 60