Chapter 22: Maturity

Zhao Hai frowned and said, "Is it dangerous? Grandma Melin, if it's dangerous, we won't raise fish for now. After all, raising fish, no matter how important it is, is not as important as your safety."

Melin's expression was somewhat agitated, but she still smiled and said, "Young Master, don't worry, it will be fine. I am at least an eighth-level water mage, dealing with a magical beast is easy."

Seeing Melin's confident demeanor, Zhao Hai could only nod and say, "Alright, but we can put this matter on hold for now. Tomorrow, we should organize people to carefully examine the nearby area to find suitable land for improvement. We need to improve the land first."

Melin also nodded. Although commerce was highly developed on the Ark Continent, the Buda family did not place much importance on it. They were nobles, and in their eyes, land was the key.

Megg and the others did not interject. When Zhao Hai and Melin were discussing matters, Megg and the others generally did not speak up. Mu Tou and Shi Tou were not very smart; they did whatever they were told. Asking for their opinions would be like playing the lute to a cow. Although Megg was very smart, she was still too young and had not lived in an information-explosion era like Zhao Hai. She still had a lot to learn, and she could not really contribute to the discussion.

Zhao Hai quickly finished his dinner, sat in the living room for a while drinking cocoa, and then returned to his room. There was not much to do in the castle, and once things were arranged, there was no need to worry too much.

There was nothing to do here, completely isolated from the world. At night, there was nothing to do but sleep. Zhao Hai returned to his room, wanting to check the space as soon as possible.

Now, every night, Zhao Hai felt very bored. He used to be a homebody on Earth, and homebodies usually stayed up late. In the past few days, he had been too busy, so he could still sleep at night. But today, since he had slept during the day, he couldn't sleep at night and naturally wanted to check the space.

The space was still the same, but the corn seedlings had sprouted, and the radish seedlings had also grown. Fortunately, there were no pests. Looking at the thriving seedlings, Zhao Hai felt a bit excited.

These seedlings represented hope, the hope of his survival in this world. Zhao Hai did not have great ambitions; he just wanted to live well in this world.

On Earth, he was a homebody, living on a meager income from writing. He had no ambitions, just wanting to live his own small life.

In this world, he had Adam's body and knew Adam's background. Adam had a great vendetta, but Zhao Hai knew that this vendetta was not easy to avenge. They were facing an empire.

Even at the height of the Buda family's power, they were still defeated to this extent. With their current strength, it would be a miracle if they could even save their lives, let alone take revenge.

Although he had the space farm, it had a significant drawback: it lacked offensive capabilities.

The space farm was great for growing vegetables and storing things, but it had no offensive power. On the Ark Continent, true power was all about offense. A mage like Melin could kill a thousand people with a single spell. Compared to Melin, Zhao Hai was like an ant, and if Melin wanted to crush him, it would be as easy as snapping her fingers.

Because of this, Zhao Hai was determined to act low-key. If the old nobles discovered his abilities, they might kill him first.

Fortunately, Zhao Hai had completely absorbed Adam's memories. Although Adam was a good-for-nothing, he still knew some common knowledge about the continent. Zhao Hai was not the type to think he was the most powerful just because he had crossed over. He knew that if he acted too high-profile, he would be the first to die.

The nature of the space farm meant that Zhao Hai could not become an invincible expert. Moreover, since Adam had drunk the Void Water, he could not even become a low-level expert.

Now, Zhao Hai's greatest reliance was the space farm, but this sudden gain made him uneasy. He feared that this sudden gain might suddenly be lost.

This sense of urgency made Zhao Hai constantly think about how to quickly establish his fief. Although he could improve the black soil on his fief every day, this also made him more worried.

Would the old nobles let them off in the Black Soil Wasteland? Probably not. They would certainly send people to keep an eye on them. If they discovered too much activity, the old nobles would not be lenient.

Sitting in the space, Zhao Hai summed up his thoughts and concluded that the best approach was to be low-key and quietly make a fortune.

Although he knew the radishes and corn were growing well, Zhao Hai still watered them. He was taking great care of these seedlings, as they represented their hope.

Watering in the space was very convenient. Zhao Hai just needed to think about it, and the spring water in the space would rise up and rain down on the soil.

Seeing the soil slowly moisten, Zhao Hai stopped immediately. He knew not to water too much, or the corn might rot.

After everything was done, Zhao Hai left the space farm and looked outside. It was already completely dark, and the slaves were sleeping. There were no lights in the castle, and it seemed to have fallen asleep with the night.

In this quiet environment, Zhao Hai's heart gradually calmed down. He knew that thinking too much was pointless. He needed to take things step by step. His main concern now was to solve the food problem for the hundred people in the castle, not just to feed them but to feed them well.

Responsibility, Zhao Hai deeply felt the weight of this word. On Earth, he was a person who only needed to worry about himself. But here, the food and clothing of over a hundred people, the future of the Buda family, all these heavy burdens were on his shoulders. He had to be very careful with every step, fearing any mistake.

Taking responsibility is also a sign of maturity. Zhao Hai was now more mature than he was on Earth, forced by reality to grow up.

Standing quietly by the window for a while, Zhao Hai returned to bed. Even if he couldn't sleep, he had to lie down. They were short of supplies, and he couldn't waste anything. Unconsciously, he fell asleep again.

"Ding, the radishes have matured. Please harvest them as soon as possible."

The farm's notification woke Zhao Hai up again. He sat up and immediately entered the space. Sure enough, the radishes had matured, and the corn was already taller than a person, with the corn cobs almost fully formed, ready to be picked and cooked.

But Zhao Hai did not touch them. He was counting on these corn cobs as seeds. Picking a few now might not seem like much, but once they matured and could be used as seeds, they could plant a lot of land.

Zhao Hai immediately harvested the radishes and then bought a bag of radish seeds from the space store and planted them. He then washed himself with the space spring water, feeling refreshed.

He then went to the cornfield and carefully examined the corn. The corn was growing well, and the cobs were already filled out. They just needed to wait for full maturity before harvesting.

Satisfied, Zhao Hai nodded, left the space farm, and returned to his room. Looking out the window, he saw that it was already slightly light. Zhao Hai was no longer sleepy, so he opened the door and went out.

The outside air was still good. Although the castle was on a desolate mountain, it still had mountains and water. It was only April, and the morning was a bit cool. Breathing in the cool air, Zhao Hai felt his mood improve.

Waking up so early, he had nothing to do. Zhao Hai thought about his poor health. Adam was a wastrel, uneducated, and a heavy drinker and womanizer, which had already taken a toll on his body. Drinking the Void Water had made his body even weaker.

Zhao Hai did not want to become a sickly person. With the good weather, he decided to run and exercise to improve his health. Even if he couldn't become an expert, he at least wanted to be healthy.

After running for a while, the slaves started to wake up, looking at Zhao Hai running in the castle with surprise, not knowing what he was doing.

Zhao Hai's body was really weak. He was already out of breath after running for a short while. He had no choice but to stop and slowly adjust his breathing as he returned to the castle.

Although he had only run for a short time, he felt refreshed and more energetic. When he returned to the castle, Melin and the others were already up. They were surprised to see Zhao Hai, thinking he was still sleeping in his room. Seeing him come in, they were all very surprised.

Zhao Hai greeted them, washed his face, and then came to the living room to wait for Melin to make breakfast.