Interstellar Greening Master

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Thank you to Sierra for the ko-fi~

The basin Shu Shuishui was sitting in actually resembled a shallow fruit plate. Sitting inside it, he had an unobstructed view. The fishing rod used by the dormouse was also a miniature version, and the bait on it was probably only appealing to small fish and shrimp. Shu Shuishui wasn’t too greedy, after all, if the fish were too large, it would be unclear whether it was a dormouse fishing or a fish trying to slip away.

On the shallow fruit plate lay a ceramic cup with four or five small silver fish, which were Shu Shuishui’s previous catches.

By lunchtime, Shu Shuishui had managed to catch about half a cup of small fish. In addition to this, the fruit plate also held two bright red crayfish and a tightly bound crab. Despite the small size of the shallow fruit plate, the harvest seemed quite abundant.

As Shu Shuishui leisurely paddled back to the shore using a long-handled spoon as an oar, Gu Langu picked up the plate along with the dormouse, including the fish, shrimp, and crab.

Shu Shuishui sat peacefully on the fruit plate, pointing at the tightly bound crab. “This one is for Gu Gu to eat. It was quite fierce and tried to pick a fight with me. These two crayfish are spicy and delicious! The small silver fish just need a quick searing, I’ll go scale them and handle the innards.”

With that said, the little dormouse stood up and leaned over the edge of the cup, peering at the half-cup of fish he had caught.

Yu Jin, who was preparing lunch, saw Gu Langu returning with Shu Shuishui and couldn’t help but rub his hands together. “How’s your fishing going, Shui Shui?”

Shu Shuishui proudly patted the cup next to him. “Caught about half a cup’s worth!”

Yu Jin: ???

Yu Jin had never heard of fish being measured by the cup before, so he approached curiously. When he saw the half-cup of fish that Shu Shuishui had caught, he felt a bit disappointed. It seemed like his hope of getting a piece of fish meat was shattered – it wasn’t even enough to fill a gap between his teeth.

However, Shu Shuishui was quite generous. “Do you want to eat, Mao Jin? I’ll share one with you later. Should I steam it for you, deep-fry it, or braise it?”

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Yu Jin looked at the small fish, which were only about four to five centimeters long and felt conflicted. If he agreed, he knew he would probably be as persistent as with the grasshoppers, but giving up was also hard to accept. In the end, Yu Jin gritted his teeth. “I’ll have it steamed!”

Shu Shuishui nodded his tiny head. “That works well, then it can be cooked in the same pot as the crab.” Shu Shuishui reached out and patted the crab. “You have company now.”

The crab: …

Gu Langu placed the fruit plate along with Shu Shuishui on a flat rock. Shu Shuishui hopped off with a plop and then scurried around, asking Nan Ge, Nan Fang, and Xie Feng what flavor of fish they preferred.

Needless to say, the three of them were all overjoyed, immersed in the delightful fantasy of having fish for lunch. Out of the mindset of sharing happiness and hardship, Yu Jin also didn’t remind the others about the origin of Shu Shuishui’s caught fish.

So, after a busy morning, when Nan Ge and his companions returned to the campfire eagerly, ready to enjoy the delicious fish, they each received a “small fish” of their chosen flavor!

Indeed, it was a fish, and it was exquisitely prepared. Even though it was small, it had been properly cleaned, including removing the gills, scales, and innards. This attention to detail was apparent, but the problem was that the fish was truly bite-sized!

However, Shu Shuishui ate happily. He held each fish with his two paws and even burped after finishing each one. After sharing the small fish caught in the morning, there wasn’t much left for Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu. Yet, Shu Shuishui still managed to enjoy a spicy crayfish, feeling content with his rodent life.

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“Gu Gu, can we create a small pond next to the farm to raise a few crayfish? That way, we won’t have to go to the lake every time to catch them,” Shu Shuishui seemed quite fixated on the idea of a small pond.

Gu Langu nodded in agreement. While he called it a small pond, it was really just a matter of using two shovels and two buckets of water. After all, the two plots of land Shu Shuishui had cultivated weren’t very large.

On the fifth day of the activation of the guarding array, the bustling valley finally began to settle down a bit. People weren’t in a rush to build houses; living in tents didn’t feel cold either. The climate was like camping in a tent.

Shu Shuishui had also put hibernation on the agenda. With the situation in the valley stabilizing, his involvement in the upcoming affairs wasn’t necessary.

Of course, under the condition of compensation, Shu Shuishui also helped set up two large cultivation areas, using a reasonable amount of spirit stones to accelerate crop growth. However, what puzzled Shu Shuishui was that Gu Langu seemed to forget about this matter. Whenever Shu Shuishui tried to bring it up, the topic would coincidentally shift away, and his hibernation was temporarily postponed.

Little did Shu Shuishui know that Gu Langu was still in a persistent state of not giving up. Every day, he would exhaust himself trying to make his landing space less empty and void.

Gu Langu set himself a final deadline: if there was no progress within ten days, he would attempt hibernation with Shu Shuishui, entering the simulation space.

As a result, the next morning, while Shu Shuishui was tending to his five rice plants, a mutated gray-furred rat scampered over.

Due to previous interactions, the appearance of the mutated rat didn’t cause panic. However, it did attract curious gazes from the others.

The mutated rat rushed directly to Shu Shuishui’s side. He looked up, his straw hat lifting to reveal his fuzzy face.

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The mutated rat squeaked a series of sounds, which Shu Shuishui attentively listened to. After conveying its message, the gray-furred rat hurriedly left.

Nan Fang and Yu Jin followed with curiosity. After the rat left, their attention turned to Shu Shuishui. “Shui Shui, what did your rodent friend just say?”

“It said someone is tracing our footsteps. They’ve already found the valley’s exterior. It won’t be long before they reach the valley itself. There are three of them in total, two of whom are together, while the other is alone.” Shu Shuishui relayed the rat’s message.

While Gu Langu’s base had its own patrols, it was clear that the rat’s alertness surpassed that of humans. It promptly informed Shu Shuishui about the situation.

Nan Fang analyzed, “One of them should be Dong Shijun’s people. Fei Luo’s actions wouldn’t be this swift, and his information wouldn’t be this timely. They probably assumed we were at the predetermined wintering point. As for the others, they’re likely from B District’s reconnaissance team.”

Upon mentioning B District, Shu Shuishui’s ears perked up. “Is that the man?”

Xie Feng asked, “Which man?”

Yu Jin helplessly chimed in, “The one who traded four grasshoppers for two simulators, Liu Du.”

Shu Shuishui nodded vigorously. “Exactly!”

Gu Langu squinted his eyes. “Shui Shui seems to really like him.”

Shu Shuishui tilted his head slightly. “I like the supplies he brings for trading, of course. And if you like him, Gu Gu, I can like him a bit too.”

Gu Langu was satisfied and decided to take advantage of this situation. “I don’t like him.”

Shu Shuishui playfully patted Gu Langu’s head. “No problem, then I’ll do the liking.”

Gu Langu blinked. This answer didn’t match what he had imagined.

“Brother, what should we do? Should we handle it?” Nan Fang asked Nan Ge.

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Nan Ge shook his head. “No need. They’re delivering supplies willingly, and B District’s trade is likely to be substantial. If it succeeds, we won’t be short on energy stones.”

Since Nan Ge had already informed Dong Shijun about the micro-farm and purifying mutated creatures, he wouldn’t shirk responsibility now.

As expected, during lunch, the large gray rat ran over again to report to Shu Shuishui. Both groups had discovered the valley, but they had left and were likely reporting their findings.

Yu Jin sighed. “Rats are smarter than people. We can assign patrol duties to them in the future. Our people still haven’t reported anything. It seems they didn’t find anything.”

Nan Ge added more fuel to the fire. “That’s normal. B District is more familiar with the vicinity, and they’ve sent out experienced operatives. Not being detected isn’t surprising. As for Dong Shijun, we can only say he’s quite capable.”

On the B District side, they quickly received information. They were aware that some people from Gu Langu’s base had gone into the mountains. The returned reports confirmed this. However, what surprised them was that the reconnaissance team hadn’t been able to provide a clear description of the valley.

“That valley is quite strange. When we tried to enter, we couldn’t get in. But from a distance, it seemed very active down there. The most astonishing thing is that people inside were dressed in short sleeves.”

“And there’s more. They seem to be farming!”

“There’s a lake in the valley that isn’t frozen, and there’s no snow accumulation either.”

“I saw them setting up wind power generators. It looks like they’re planning to have electricity.”

Liu Po felt that not only had his little brother been brainwashed by a mouse, but also his two excited subordinates were showing signs of being influenced. If these two wanderers came across the valley, they would surely stay.

Liu Du was also quite surprised after hearing this. None of these reports made sense for the winter: short sleeves? Farming? Were Gu Langu’s people made of steel? Farming—did they have land to till? And wind power generators—ha! Let a snowstorm teach them a lesson. “Brother, when should we set off?”

After pondering for a moment, Liu Po looked at the impatient Liu Du and gave instructions. “Bring along extra goods for exchange, and also bring more energy stones.”

“What’s the use of energy stones? Shui Shui needs grasshoppers! Too bad the ones we caught earlier all died. Or maybe we should prepare more food. During winter, food is essential. Holding energy stones won’t fill our stomachs…”

“If you keep blabbering, then don’t go. Stay back at the base and watch over it!” Liu Po was getting a headache from all the noise.

Liu Du made a zipper-closing motion with his hand over his mouth, indicating that he wouldn’t say anything more. He obediently went to prepare supplies.

At noon, the B District team set out despite the wind and snow. Dozens of people moved with a convoy of vehicles carrying a large amount of supplies, slowly advancing through the vast white world.

As Liu Po and Liu Du approached the valley, Shu Shuishui and the others gathered together for lunch.

“When will you go fishing again, Shui Shui?” Yu Jin, while munching on roasted meat, longed for some fish.

Shu Shuishui peeled open a baked sweet potato with his claw. “Does Mao Jin want some fish? Just wait, I’ll go catch a couple in the afternoon.”

Yu Jin hesitated for a moment. “Can you catch some bigger fish, Shui Shui?”

Shu Shuishui quickly shook his head. “No, the big fish will drag me along. It’s like drag racing.”

Everyone else: “…”. His experienced demeanor suggested that Shu Shuishui had encountered some interesting situations while fishing.

“Meow~”

A cat’s cry suddenly echoed, startling Shu Shuishui, causing him to drop the sweet potato. Fortunately, Gu Langu’s quick reflexes caught it.

Shu Shuishui quickly turned to look at the source of the sound, and indeed, it was that cat called “Hua Li.”

The cat had followed them into the valley. Shu Shuishui had asked the mutated rats before if they were afraid of cats. They said they weren’t. He thought he had a protective backup, but it seemed that trouble was brewing. In the end, self-reliance was key. Shu Shuishui puffed up his fur, reached into his spiritual storage, and pulled out a small wooden sword. He struck a proper stance.

Everyone else: “…”

The cat was very fond of Nan Fang, but he had been busy these days. So, it took the opportunity during lunch to come over. Nan Fang quickly hugged his cat to prevent a repeat of the previous incident when it pounced on Shu Shuishui and got knocked out by Gu Langu.

The cat’s round eyes were fixed on Shu Shuishui, and seemingly due to a cat’s instinct, it couldn’t resist lowering its body and preparing to pounce.

Shu Shuishui’s little ears stood upright like airplane wings, but he stood resolutely in front of Gu Langu. “Gu Gu, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you!”

Everyone else: “…” Could you please stop messing around?

Gu Langu’s lips curved. “Okay, I’m afraid of cats. Shui Shui, protect me.”

Everyone else: “…” Fine, if that makes you happy.

In the end, Nan Fang quickly stroked the cat’s back, and it started purring contentedly. Nan Fang sighed in relief. However, he noticed that Shu Shuishui’s whiskers were twitching up and down in sync with the cat’s purring, indicating that he was on high alert.

Nan Fang was almost at a loss, wondering what to do about his little princess. He knew that even if Gu Langu intervened, he would only knock the cat out without causing any harm. But he felt that he wasn’t the kind of person who would forget the old cat after getting a new mouse.

Seeing Shu Shuishui’s guarded posture, Nan Fang didn’t want to make things difficult for him. He instinctively turned his gaze toward his big brother, silently mouthing a question. “Brother, what should we do?”

Nan Ge calmly continued eating. “Cats eat mice, and mice are scared of cats. What can we do?”

As everyone felt helpless in resolving this biological chain of events between species, two large rats came rushing over. And then, the cat exploded with fur standing on end! It arched its back, broke free from Nan Fang’s embrace, and dashed away at high speed! It was unclear whether it was the cat’s instincts kicking in or if it was startled by such massive rats.

Shu Shuishui put away the little wooden sword and arched his claws toward the two large rats. “Brothers, thanks.”

The two large rats squeaked twice, as if saying there was no need to thank them. Then they stayed, seemingly determined to become Shu Shuishui’s bodyguards.

Nan Fang stared in astonishment, maintaining his cat-holding posture. “Brother… the problem is resolved… the biological chain got a bit messed up.”

Nan Ge: “…” Almost forgot this is the territory of mutated rats. I guess the tough times for Hua Li are far from over.

Nan Ge’s prediction was correct. One cat couldn’t stand against a group of rats, especially mutated rats larger than the cat itself. Hua Li was having a tough time, running here and there every day. Finally, one day, while Shu Shuishui was holding a fishing rod and humming a tune, about to push a fruit platter into the water, Hua Li appeared behind him.

Shu Shuishui was startled and almost tumbled into the water headfirst. However, he quickly realized that Hua Li was carrying a plump, large fish in its mouth, and its fur was damp.

Hua Li took a few steps forward, lowered its head, placed the big fish in front of Shu Shuishui, then took a couple of steps back and softly meowed.

Shu Shuishui was a bit bewildered. In his several hundred years as a dormouse, this was the first time he received a fish from a cat.

The lively fish was still thrashing about and swishing its tail. Some droplets of water splashed onto Shu Shuishui’s face. His small ears twitched, and he pointed to the fish. “Is this for me?”

Although Hua Li hadn’t gained full sentience, its natural instinct to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages was still present. It meowed obediently and then turned and ran away.

Shu Shuishui looked at the “huge” four or five-pound fish, realizing that his “little boat” couldn’t even accommodate it.

Hua Li’s gift-giving behavior made the mutated rats much more reserved. As long as they were sure Shu Shuishui wouldn’t get eaten by the cat one day, having a cat around in the valley wasn’t a problem.

After this incident, Hua Li bid farewell to preying on mice. Not just Shu Shuishui, even the young rats in the valley couldn’t be its food, simply because it couldn’t afford them.

Although Hua Li had softened towards Shu Shuishui, its prideful nature led it to still avoid him often. Shu Shuishui thought it was for the best, as he wasn’t psychologically prepared yet to befriend a cat.

The road to friendship between Hua Li and Shu Shuishui was still fraught with difficulties, causing concern for Nan Fang. After all, in this base, one absolutely couldn’t offend Shu Shuishui.

The valley was peaceful. The rats usually didn’t appear in front of people; they preferred living in the jungle, which made them feel safer. Especially since a significant portion of the jungle was enveloped in Shu Shuishui’s protective array. The once snow-covered jungle not only melted the accumulated snow but also started budding. The trees were showing signs of new growth.

As the jungle turned green, a faint shade of green also emerged in the valley—sprouting grass.

As Liu Du and his group crossed mountains and valleys, finally arriving at the mountain range outside the valley with their supplies, what they saw was a base that appeared like a gem embedded within the snow-covered mountains.

The valley was a beautiful azure with hints of emerald green, a shallow green grassland, and neatly cultivated fields.

Just as the previous reports had mentioned, halfway up the mountainside, they were constructing a wind power generation system. Despite the raging snowstorm on the mountain peaks, the wind turbines on the slopes were slowly rotating and had not been destroyed by the blizzard.

“Brother! Look! A green valley! It’s actually real!” Liu Du held up binoculars to observe the situation within the valley. “Brother! They’re really wearing short sleeves!”

There was no need for Liu Du to explain; Liu Po had also seen the situation in the valley through binoculars. Even Liu Po, for all his composure, couldn’t help but feel excited. They hadn’t come in vain this time. Perhaps, apart from the simulators, they could exchange for even more valuable things!

One of the individuals who had been responsible for reconnaissance earlier had been guiding them all along. At this moment, he reminded them, “We were stopped at this point before. The valley seems reachable from the downhill side, but for some reason, no matter how we tried, we couldn’t get inside. Sometimes we would inexplicably end up back here.”

“Perhaps they exchanged something from the simulators.” Liu Po put away the binoculars, deciding to give it a try himself.

However, before they could take action, a massive mutated rat suddenly appeared. The group instinctively prepared to aim their guns, but the mutated rat was holding a small yellow flag and waved it.

The B Zone members: “…” What does this mean?

Cheng Que, who had been silent, pointed at the flag. “There’s writing on it.”

The group looked closely and indeed saw eight characters on the flag: Welcome, Welcome, Warm Welcome!

The group: “…”

In a unique welcoming manner, while Liu Po was still pondering if there was a catch, Liu Du, who had been brainwashed, found the rat to be familiar and had already followed it. Cheng Que followed closely, and Liu Po could only follow suit.

Following the rat as it led them through numerous twists and turns, while the route was somewhat intricate, the path itself was not difficult. The rats moved with agility and intelligence, knowing when to wait.

An hour later, the B Zone team arrived at the valley, which was due to the considerable amount of supplies they were carrying.

After the rats led them to the valley, they disappeared, replaced by the elegantly standing figure of Nan Ge.

With the rat-guided arrival, it was evident that their coming had been anticipated by the Gu Langu Base. Liu Po approached and shook hands with Nan Ge, exchanging pleasantries for a moment before following Nan Ge toward the center of the valley.

On the way, Liu Po keenly sensed the marvel within the valley—yes, a marvel.

Upon entering the valley, the temperature noticeably increased, but it was not the scorching heat; it was a comfortable and pleasant warmth. The people in the valley seemed to be in great spirits, completely unlike people struggling for survival on Cang Zhan Star.

Furthermore, everyone here was robust, seemingly free from malnutrition. On Cang Zhan Star, almost every one suffered from malnutrition to some extent due to the scarcity of food and clothing.

The other members from B Zone who had come along couldn’t help but look around, their eyes wide. Even though they were already relatively comfortable in B Zone, compared to here, they felt like country bumpkins. They even spotted people playing chess in the distance and others gathering for a game of rock-paper-scissors. Of course, what captured their attention the most were those working in the fields.

“Mr. Nan Ge, I believe you already know the purpose of my visit, but besides the simulators, are there any other items I can take with me?” Liu Po couldn’t hold back and eventually spoke up. Although he knew his behavior was quite inappropriate in a business context, the sights and sounds of the valley were incredibly tempting.

Before Nan Ge could respond, Liu Du, who was nearby and had been brainwashed, quickly chimed in. “Brother! Don’t forget about Shui Shui. To be honest, I’m here to exchange for Shui Shui. Name your price.”

Nan Ge glanced at Liu Du, confirming what Yu Jin had said. Liu Du was truly a handful.

“Mr. Nan Ge, please don’t stand on ceremony. My little brother has already become the younger brother of your Shui Shui. He’s not my biological brother but Shui Shui’s actual sibling.”

Nan Ge: “…”

Liu Du was somewhat lost for words as well, but he was slightly more earnest now.

Nan Ge smiled. “At this time, Shui Shui should be out grazing. If Mr. Liu Du wants to meet Shui Shui, we can head to the pasture.”

Liu Po’s eyes lit up even more. “And there’s a pasture too!”

Nan Ge waved his hand. “Don’t misunderstand. It’s just Shui Shui’s private pasture. After all, it’s icy and snowy here, and finding livestock is no easy task.”

A private pasture was also very appealing, and Liu Po’s steps quickened involuntarily.

The other members from B Zone had already been led away by the reception staff. Although they also wished to see the pasture, they understood it wasn’t appropriate to wander around on someone else’s turf.

In the end, only Liu Po, Liu Du, and Cheng Que got to see the so-called private pasture. Passing through the bustling tent area and heading toward the picturesque lakeside, they saw an exceptionally eye-catching tent.

Seeing the tent’s material, Liu Po couldn’t help but be astonished. It seemed that what his little brother had said about the mountain-sized simulator was true. Who could possibly use parachute seams to sew such a large tent?

After crossing the tent and walking a bit further, they spotted a figure sitting on the grass. The figure’s back profile was solid and broad, gazing ahead without moving.

“Boss.” Nan Ge walked up to greet him.

Gu Langu turned around, his gaze sweeping over the newcomer before eventually settling on Cheng Que.

Cheng Que offered a familiar smile. “Long time no see.”

Gu Langu nodded, his emotions were difficult to discern. “Long time no see.”

Cheng Que didn’t mind; he knew this was a normal reaction.

Liu Du’s gaze lingered on Gu Langu for a few seconds before he shifted his gaze farther and finally saw Shu Shuishui, the pudgy and short figure on the low grass.

Others also looked over. Several meters away, Shu Shuishui was holding a little whip, seemingly guarding something.

Suddenly, a grasshopper vigorously flapped its wings, about to take flight.

But the small, warm, brown chubby creature moved even faster. With a flick of the whip, the entire rodent practically flew over and caught the grasshopper, then patted its head before gently placing the grasshopper back down. It then returned to where it had thrown the whip, picking it up once more.

Liu Po: “…” If not for that little whip, he truly wouldn’t have realized this was a form of grazing. So, this is a private pasture?!

“Shui Shui!” Liu Du, his foolish little brother, was already waving and shouting excitedly.

Hearing the commotion, Shui Shui looked over, waving its paw and greeting Liu Du. “Xiao Du~”

Liu Du almost slipped and fell. Why did this nickname sound so strange?

Nan Ge felt a bit relieved; Shui Shui’s magically strange nickname was finally revealed.

After Shu Shuishui tied up the last remaining four grasshoppers with silk thread, he walked over.

Liu Du ignored the earlier nickname and crouched down. “Shui Shui, it hasn’t been long, but you’ve lost weight…”

Shu Shuishui looked at himself in confusion, patting his fur and then extending a paw to touch his own face. “Really? I’ve actually gained 8 grams.”

“8 grams isn’t exactly a weight gain. Shui Shui, when you come to our base, you’ll easily gain a pound a year.” Liu Du felt that 8 grams wasn’t much of an issue at all.

Shu Shuishui didn’t want to become the first overweight dormouse and exclaimed in surprise, “Isn’t that scary?”

Liu Du: “…”

Watching Liu Du’s dumbfounded expression, Yu Jin couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Never try to anticipate Shu Shuishui’s thoughts based on your own common sense, because you can never truly understand how Shu Shuishui thinks.

Gu Langu, who had initially been a bit dissatisfied with Liu Du’s behavior of luring the mouse, couldn’t help but curl his lips into a small smile.