I can upgrade the shelter-Chapter 163 - 161: Seed Packet

"It’s not really a bumper harvest; it’s just enough to feed one person," Chen Xin merely shook his head modestly in response to Li Wensheng’s expressed envy.

The rice in the fields, though yielding well, wasn’t truly abundant. Especially since he was growing dry rice, its yield was only about 60-70% of that of wet rice.

Upon hearing Chen Xin’s explanation, Li Wensheng nodded in understanding, agreeing with Chen Xin’s perspective. However, he also proposed an idea, "Can you convert your area here into a paddy field? Wet rice might yield better than dry rice, right?"

"A paddy field? Underground?" Chen Xin furrowed his brows, finding the idea somewhat impractical.

Yet Li Wensheng explained, "It’s not possible to create traditional irrigated paddy fields underground, but what if you used hydroponics? Growing rice on hydroponic trays should be feasible."

Li Wensheng’s suggestion greatly enlightened Chen Xin, who quickly asked, "Rice is an aquatic crop, isn’t it planted directly in water? What’s this hydroponic method you mentioned?"

"Although rice is grown directly in water, it still has requirements. Too much water will cause waterlogging," Li Wensheng, who had farmed before, naturally understood this: "Also, only the roots and stalks of rice are immersed in water; if the leaves are also submerged, they’ll surely get diseased, so the water amount can’t be excessive. The hydroponic method uses a planting tray to keep the rice fixed on the water’s surface, with the roots submerged but the other parts above water."

With Li Wensheng’s explanation, Chen Xin immediately saw the light and nodded, saying, "I understand now, but this method sounds simple; in practice, it should be quite challenging, right?"

"It’s not easy. I’ve seen people try it before and it’s not easy, but that was on a lake; you have a greenhouse, so it’s different," Li Wensheng acknowledged the technical difficulties in growing rice this way, but he didn’t say it was impossible.

Chen Xin nodded in understanding and said nothing further, and sensing the moment, Li Wensheng took his leave.

After seeing Li Wensheng off, Chen Xin returned to the refuge, still pondering about Li Wensheng’s suggestion of growing rice using the hydroponic method.

If rice could be grown hydroponically, Chen Xin could certainly calculate the potential increase in yield, a tempting prospect indeed.

The average yield of dry rice per acre is about 800-900 pounds per season, whereas the yield of wet rice is much higher. Not counting the super rice varieties in Flame Country, which yields a ton per acre, even ordinary wet rice yields about 1,000 to 1,200 pounds per acre, with high-yield varieties reaching up to 1,500 pounds.

In most parts of Flame Country, farmers can expect two or three harvests of wet rice per year, and with a little diligence and scientific techniques, producing one or two tons of grain per acre annually is achievable.

In comparison, to get over a ton of dry rice, Chen Xin would need to grow three crops per year in his greenhouse.

Despite high-yield rice’s reliance on hybrid seeds and fertilizers, the prospect of growing more food is a compelling temptation for Chen Xin.

Perhaps during the next upgrade of his greenhouse, he could modify the current planting model?

Chen Xin seriously considered the feasibility of this idea. With a system at his disposal, he wasn’t worried about realizing it, even if he were to transform the current land into a paddy field.

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Along with the ten fish sent by Li Wensheng, Li Yulong soon delivered the promised seeds to Chen Xin.

Chili, eggplant, spinach, cilantro, tomato, white radish, lettuce, crown daisy, long beans, flat beans, red amaranth, water spinach...

Chen Xin counted the packets of seeds sent by Li Yulong, a genuinely happy smile spreading across his face.

The seed packets Chen Xin originally purchased included these common crops. According to his initial plan, he would plant half his greenhouse with grain, a quarter with vegetables, and a quarter with fruits.

This way, even if cut off from external food sources, he wouldn’t worry about sustenance in his underground refuge.

But no one could predict the hiccup with the seed delivery; he hadn’t received the seeds he purchased.

Chen Xin thought he’d have to sustain himself on cabbage, lettuce, and carrots in the apocalyptic aftermath.

However, Chen Xin no longer faced this dilemma. With the seeds sent by Li Yulong, he could now grow a variety of foods, significantly enriching his diet, ensuring that his culinary skills wouldn’t go to waste.

Moreover, something that brought Chen Xin particular joy and excitement were the fruit seeds—there were about a dozen varieties.

Mango, watermelon, strawberry, jujube, cantaloupe, kiwi, orange, lychee... despite some being difficult to cultivate, Chen Xin could grow strawberries, watermelons, and grapes in his greenhouse.

It’s been nearly half a year since he last ate fresh fruit.

Getting the seeds made Chen Xin eager to plant something immediately and satisfy his long-craved appetite.

Fortunately, Chen Xin restrained this impulse.

His greenhouse hydroponic trays were designated for vegetables, and until these vegetables were harvested, it was impossible to replace them with fruit.

Even though the fields were now empty, Chen Xin, after some deliberation, decided to continue planting rice there instead of converting them to grow fruit.

Of course, after harvesting the current batch of carrots, Chen Xin planned to reduce their planting area to save some space for strawberries or similar crops to improve his meals.

Additionally, Chen Xin also needed to consider what Li Yulong aimed to receive in return for offering such benefits.

Considering Li Yulong’s multiple visits and his generous gifts—excluding the not-so-valuable fruit and vegetable machine—like two hams and a large batch of seeds, all hard commodities in the post-apocalyptic world.

Chen Xin didn’t believe his relationship with Li Yulong was good enough for him to give so much without expecting something in return. In the pre-apocalyptic world, altruistic actions without a return were rare; post-apocalypse, even more so.

Chen Xin had only agreed to collaborate, and the collaboration hadn’t started, yet Li Yulong made such significant initial investments; his expectations must be equally substantial.