Li Wei's mood was great upon returning to this pure land. He went to the stream, drank some sweet spring water, and rested on the grass. The blue sky, the gentle spring breeze, and the ever-changing clouds quickly washed away all the noises in Li Wei's head.
After a comfortable stretch, Li Wei got up and walked to the field, grabbing and feeling a handful of soil. The weather in the system was amazing. The soil in the two farmlands became soft and fluffy after a few days of sun exposure, most beneficial for planting crops.
Li Wei, who had not done farm work for a few days, was interested in starting. So, as per his previous plan, he started picking seeds of two types of crops from the store.
[Sunflower Level 1! Price: 350 Empire Dollars! Merit: Rich fruits! Disadvantage: Weak pest resistance!]
[Spinach Level 1! Price: 470 Empire Dollars! Advantage: Short maturity period! Weakness: Extreme reliance on the weather!]
[Onion Level 1! Price: 500 Empire Dollars! Advantage: High production! Weakness: Long maturity period!]
[...]
The farm store had all kinds of vegetable seeds, and Li Wei's eyes were almost dazzled. However, after flipping through a few pages, he realized that most plants were not easy to control. In particular, their striking shortcomings— dependent on the weather, easily fall sick and long maturity period...
Even though he had 200,000 Empire Dollars, these shortcomings could not be solved with money. Firstly, he had to resolve the weather problem because it was not something that could be done with money alone. It also required a lot of energy.
Moreover, he had also discovered a piece of information. Since the system hinted about the weather, it would not always be a sunny day here. Extreme weather and farmland diseases would also occur.
It might be sufficient to buy a rain-proof greenhouse and complex insect and pest control tools. However, time was priceless for Li Wei. This process required heavy and complicated daily care, seriously delaying his study time during the day.
The second problem was the maturity period. He had grown onions before when he was working at a farm in the real world. Therefore, its taste and outcome should not be bad. However, these crops usually took about a year to mature. Even if he used the [double fertilizer], he could not afford to wait for six months.
Therefore, when he swiped the store panel again, he temporarily ruled out crops with these three shortcomings. Instead, he would consider planting when his farm's level was higher, and he could unlock other functions.
After browsing for over half an hour, he finally selected two perfect planting targets that met his current needs— sweet potato and corn. There were many advantages to these two crops, and their features were very similar.
Firstly, both crops had tenacious vitality. They could continue to grow even under thunder, rain, wind, or soil erosion. Li Wei almost did not have to take care of them.
Secondly, they were not afraid of insects. Therefore, the simplest daily spray with the cheapest pesticide was sufficient to provide complete protection. These two advantages could save Li Wei a lot of time.
Thirdly and most important part was the short maturity period. Though these two crops looked completely different, one above the ground and the other underground, they had similar maturity periods. The shortest would be around 80 days, while the longest would be 150 days. Coupled with the [double fertilizer], the maturity period could be shortened by 40 to 75 days, which was awesome!
Like carrots, although these two crops could increase his vitality by 0.1, both were the overall best options for farm owners like Li Wei, who was just starting. Safety, efficiency, and stability were his current pursuits.
"I'll deal with the farmland first, then the chicken farm later."
So, Li Wei immediately bought the seeds of two different crops. In addition, he also bought 16 bags of fertilizers, rounding up the remaining stocks to 20 bags. This was sufficient to meet the need for multiple fertilization of the two new crops.
Then, Li Wei bought a new batch of naturally indispensable farm tools. Previously, when farming using those rusty tools, he feared that he catch tetanus.
One would become generous when they had money. Li Wei spent an unprecedented 5,000 Empire Dollars on his purchases. However, it was worth it.
"Purchase complete. Host, please check the warehouse!" After the system beeped, Li Wei could not wait to go to the warehouse.
New hoes and shovels were on the farm equipment rack, and the seeds were still on the table. Li Wei liked the system's habit of placing things in batches. Not only was it very eye-catching, but it also allowed him to think clearly. With seeds tied to his waist, new farm tools on his shoulders, and his sleeves rolled up, Li Wei again transformed into a farmer.
Rice had to be eaten bite by bite. So he decided to solve the sweet potato problem today. When he arrived at the farm, he raised his hoe and began to plow the soil again. The fertile soil particles began to separate and tumble under Li Wei's tumbling.
The earthy aromas fermented under the sun. A strip of evenly soiled farms gradually appeared. Small earth walls were on both sides of each farm path, like fortresses protecting the nutrients in the soil.
As Li Wei plowed the soil, he simultaneously sprayed fertilizers to ensure that the sweet potatoes could absorb the nutrients in the soil at the fastest speed. About an hour later, a piece of land close to 120 square meters was plowed. After a careful count, 16 farm paths and 8 small earth walls appeared on the ground.
Li Wei stood and looked at the farm. The plowed land looked neat, as pleasing to the eye as the fortifications that the sappers needed to build in advance during a war.
The next step was to sow the seeds. The bag containing the sweet potato seeds was huge because they differed from the seeds of other plants. The seeds of sweet potatoes were green seedlings.
Li Wei squatted on the field, carrying a huge bag, carefully inserted the seedlings into the soft soil wall, and patiently adjusted the space between each seedling to ensure no competition between them for land and fertilizer nutrients.
This was not an easy task. It required excellent patience from the farm owner, which was Li Wei's strength.