In the afternoon, Qiū Ruòruò arrived at Liánchí with her people.
Because Ādàofū had to go to the spaceport to receive machinery, he didn't come along, so only Qiū Ruòruò, Āidégā, and Xīndì were by the Liánchí.
"Heaven-connected lotus leaves stretch endlessly green, sun-kissed lotus flowers bloom with a special red!" The pseudo-poet Qiū Ruòruò declared grandly.
This lotus pond was naturally formed and self-sustaining. Because the original owner of Huóxuè Star—a minor noble lady—liked it, the Liánchí was preserved and meticulously cultivated, ensuring the flowers bloomed year-round. Not only the lotus flowers, but the entire subcontinent was warm and humid, bursting with blossoms, all deliberately designed to cater to that lady's preferences. Huóxuè Star was originally that lady's dowry: the main continent provided minerals, supplying her with vast sums of money, and the secondary continent had flowers, serving as her favorite vacation spot.
A luxurious manor still stood by the Liánchí. Qiū Ruòruò disdained living there, finding it too far from the office and inconvenient, so she insisted on staying in a cramped dwelling on the main continent. Ādàofū was eager to move in, but to his surprise, Qiū Ruòruò quickly sold off all the valuable items in the manor for cash, leaving it completely empty, her stingy nature fully revealed. When Ādàofū protested, she stood firm, "Everyone is struggling, how can you enjoy yourself? I need this money to build processing plants. Get back to work!"
Compared to comfortable accommodation, Qiū Ruòruò cared more about the minerals on the main continent. She had asked Āidégā more than once if there were any remaining mineral deposits. She wanted minerals, she wanted money!
Āidégā shook his head regretfully, "There's really none left. On the first day we arrived at Huóxuè Star, the Major General led us to inspect all the mining tunnels and had satellite instruments scan the entire continent. We confirmed there were no residual hǎokuàng."
"These old nobles are truly ruthless, they didn't leave a single bit of surplus for me!" Qiū Ruòruò slumped dejectedly. "By the way, what's hǎokuàng used for?"
Qiū Ruòruò mostly knew that this stuff was valuable, but she didn't really understand what it was specifically used for. Āidégā seemed somewhat reticent but still answered honestly, "It's used to manufacture robots."
Qiū Ruòruò suddenly dared not speak, fearing she might say something wrong. Āidégā continued, "Hǎokuàng is a rare earth metal with a special purpose, exclusively used to produce the hearts of robots."
He lowered his head, and under Qiū Ruòruò's shocked gaze, he opened his chest cavity to show her his fiery red heart. "This is made from hǎokuàng. It's said that every piece of hǎokuàng is unique, containing all the memories and emotions of a robot. Scientists have proposed a theory that perhaps, compared to a body made of steel, the heart is a robot's true essence. If the body is damaged, it can be replaced in the laboratory at any time, but if the heart is damaged, then it's truly dead."
Qiū Ruòruò, who had been sneakily contemplating touching it, immediately withdrew her hand, her face full of fear. "Then why are you showing it to me? Put it away quickly, quickly! Who would be responsible if something went wrong? I can't bear that responsibility."
Āidégā opened his mouth, wanting to tell her it was okay, that he was willing. But his fluent speech faltered when it came to Qiū Ruòruò, and he could only remain silent.
Qiū Ruòruò continued curiously, "You're saying there really aren't any identical pieces of hǎokuàng in this world? If there were, wouldn't that mean there are two identical robots in the world?"
Āidégā replied softly, "I don't know, but if there were, perhaps it would be a good thing. Even if you accidentally died one day, thinking that another you exists in this world, wouldn't that be equivalent to you still being alive?"
Qiū Ruòruò blinked, finding his words quite romantic.
A light rain began to fall. Qiū Ruòruò picked several lotus leaves and placed them over herself and Xīndì and the others.
Āidégā was tall, and she couldn't reach him, so she tugged at his collar, pulling his head down. The emerald green lotus leaf against Āidégā's stern face looked both comical and amusing. Xīndì and the others were still holding back their laughter, but Qiū Ruòruò burst into carefree laughter. "I suddenly find you rather cute, haha."
Cute?
A strange warmth spread across Āidégā's cheeks. He looked at Qiū Ruòruò with some anticipation, but she had already put away her playful mood, turning her face to discuss business with Xīndì and the others.
"I plan to farm crayfish and loaches in the Liánchí."
Xīndì gasped in shock, "You mean those two ugly things? No, please don't. I heard they're very unpalatable, and even if we raise them, they won't sell!"
Crayfish and loaches were sourced by Qiū Ruòruò from other agricultural planets. Because their appearance was not up to par, they were not popular. Furthermore, the prevailing culinary style in the galaxy was Western cuisine, which could not eliminate their muddy flavor. It would be a miracle if they could be made delicious! Thus, these two species had always been discarded. If Qiū Ruòruò hadn't discovered them by chance, who knows how long they would have remained buried. "That's because they don't know how to cook them! Once they're raised, I'll personally cook them and let you taste what true delicacies are!" Qiū Ruòruò vowed, patting her chest.
"First, we need to adjust the lotus's blooming cycle. They can't bloom all the time; they need to bear fruit and grow lotus roots. Although the flowers are beautiful, the lotus roots hidden in the mud are the real treasure. They can be eaten raw, used in cooking, or made into delicious lotus root starch. They have many uses!"
"Next, we need to dig ring-shaped shrimp ponds around the perimeter of the Liánchí. Larger areas will require cross-shaped inter-pond ditches. The inlet and outlet ports should be located at two corners of the Liánchí, and the openings must be sealed with stainless steel mesh. The banks also need to be reinforced with high-density plastic film as an escape prevention measure, with the film buried under the soil and compacted. A post should be erected every meter to secure the plastic film and prevent crayfish from escaping!"
Escaping?
Xīndì was somewhat speechless but still diligently took notes.
"And for the loaches, not only do we need to dig ditches, but we also need to set up fine-mesh nets. A step measuring twenty centimeters long and fifteen centimeters wide should be built on the inner side of the banks for even better escape prevention. Before stocking, the ponds must be disinfected with quicklime, and a suitable amount of decomposed animal and poultry manure should be added to cultivate food organisms. I almost forgot!" Qiū Ruòruò slapped her forehead. "I need to go and order some fish traps in advance!"
"Fish traps?"
"They're specifically for catching loaches and crayfish. The mesh is fine, and each section has an entrance. Once they crawl in, they can't find a way out and can only stay put in the trap. They're very effective." Qiū Ruòruò smiled. "Although loaches and crayfish are different species, they can both live at the bottom of the Liánchí, and their preferred food is basically the same. If we feed them at fixed locations, over time, they'll develop a conditioned reflex. When it's time to catch them, placing fish traps in the same spots will make it very easy to catch them."
The group suddenly understood.
Not far from the Liánchí lay a vast field of rapeseed flowers, their fragrance filling the air, the waves of blossoms rolling and creating a spectacular and beautiful scene.
In the cemetery, the first time someone brought rapeseed flowers, Qiū Ruòruò was ecstatic. Her cooking oil would finally have a source! This also reminded Qiū Ruòruò that she couldn't just focus on other agricultural planets; perhaps there were treasures hidden right here at home. Thus, she initiated a grand "treasure hunt" activity, capturing animals and digging up wild vegetables on the secondary continent, attempting to develop local agriculture and animal husbandry based on the existing resources.
Yes, Huóxuè Star did have native creatures. The original intelligent inhabitants were fluffy creatures that looked like Siberian tigers, called "Tyrant Beasts." Due to the invasion by the old aristocracy, they were slaughtered until fewer than a thousand remained, clinging