Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Winter Harvest

After watching the Turtle Charm Fragrance experiment, Louis turned to leave the testing site.

Just as he took a step, he glanced back and saw Sif blushing, standing still, intently watching the male Fire-backed Turtle enthusiastically rubbing against the dummy female turtle.

Louis couldn’t help but chuckle, “Alright, have you seen enough? I have to visit the greenhouse in the farm area shortly; you should come along to gain some insights.”

“Ah?” Sif snapped back to reality, her face turning red all the way to her neck as she hurriedly said, “I-I wasn’t watching!”

But her flustered manner made it clear she was caught in the act.

“Okay, okay,” Louis laughed and waved his hand, “let’s pretend you weren’t watching.”

Sif muttered softly, “I really wasn’t watching…”

In the cold wind, the two rode horses towards the direction of the agriculture greenhouses.

In the distance, the outlines of over a dozen greenhouses began to appear against the gray sky, resembling warm embankments rising from the snow.

As they got closer, Sif caught a whiff of moist, warm earth and a faint… aroma of plants.

In this cold world, the smell seemed particularly surreal, as if it had sneaked in from another season.

The greenhouses were neatly arranged, seventeen in total at a glance, with clear numbering on each.

The exterior was tightly wrapped with animal hides and burlap, with traces of warm air seeping through the gaps as if gently breathing.

Louis stopped in front of the nearest one, lifting a curtain with his hand.

“Come, take a look.”

A wave of warmth instantly gushed out, as if stepping from winter straight into early spring.

Inside was a lush green, with rows of quick-leaf lettuce lined up, glistening with a fresh sheen.

Further in, the leaves of winter radish stretched out, and the roots were rounded and puffed up, as if proudly showing off.

Sif blinked, noticing the silver-white bands wrapped around the greenhouse walls, like rough ribbons, glimmering slightly.

“What’s this?” she asked, a little puzzled as she looked up.

“Reflective layer,” Louis said succinctly.

Upon closer inspection, Sif saw that not only was the outer layer lined, but shining stone slabs were also propped up against the inner walls, almost reflecting people’s shadows.

Even the corner burlaps were woven with fine threads of silver, faintly glimmering in the gloom.

“As long as there’s a hint of daylight, these can ’drive’ it all in without wasting a bit,” Louis explained casually, pointing to the few twinkling mineral stones hanging from the greenhouse roof.

“These are mid-tier Light Stones bought through the merchants’ guild, and we’ve made the entire tent a reflective box structure. That way, as long as a ray of sunlight comes through, it can be utilized.”

Sif realized it must be Louis’s idea, as his mind was always full of strange yet useful things.

She squatted down, gently touching a piece of tender green leaf with her fingertips.

Her fingers still carried the chill from outside, but what she touched was unmistakably real, living warmth.

“In this weather…” she murmured softly, her eyes filled with wonder, “you can actually grow vegetables?”

Louis was equally surprised. He had only suggested the idea, yet Mike executed it so well, truly a genius in agriculture as the system recognized.

At this moment, Mike emerged from another greenhouse.

He had patches of wet mud on him, but his face was brimming with an irrepressible smile, like the sole warmth in this cold sky.

“M-My Lord!” Mike quickly approached, smiling broadly.

His gratitude towards Louis was evident; once a slave, now not only freed but appointed as the Agricultural Official of Red Tide Territory.

He married a local widow with three children, living a stable life.

His wife was now pregnant again.

Louis gave him a once-over, teasingly, “Well well, Mike, you’re living quite well, huh? How long has it been, and there’s already a new member on the way?”

Mike’s ears turned red in an instant, and he quickly looked down, laughing sheepishly, unsure of what to say.

Seeing this, Louis waved his hand, “Alright, why don’t you give her a rundown of the situation here, so she can learn a bit too.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Mike then straightened up, stammering as he reported:

“Now… a total of seventeen greenhouses have been built, covering an area of three thousand four hundred square meters!

The rotation of quick-leaf lettuce has already completed one cycle, and the harvest exceeded fifty baskets.

Winter radish has also been sown into the soil, and in a little over a month… the first batch will be ready for harvest.”

Although Mike still stammered a bit, he clearly explained each situation.

As Louis listened, he walked deeper into the greenhouse.

Underfoot was soft soil, and occasionally, a few drops of water dripped down, with the air inside filled with the damp, earthy smell and the fragrance of grass.

He squatted, pinching a leaf from the quick-leaf lettuce, gently rubbing it with his fingertips. The tender leaf was crisp, full of juice.

Then he reached to pull apart a radish sprout, revealing the shallowly swollen root, white and firm.

“Well done, Mike. Very well executed,” Louis stood up, clapped the dirt off his hands, turned to Mike with a smile and nodded,

“Next, explore some medicinal herbs and cold-resistant grains… so our people can have fresh vegetables even in the cold winter.”

His gaze swept across the rows of greenhouses as he added, “Build more of these, expand the scale.”

After hearing this, Mike nodded quickly in response, “Yes, my Lord, I’ll get it done!”

Leaving the greenhouses, Louis and Sif rode their horses slowly along the Red Tide River.

The north wind howled, with a stretch of desolate white along the river.

Sif tightened her cloak, her nose red from the cold, but her eyes were curiously looking around.

“Are they… fishing?” she asked in a low voice, pointing ahead.

Following her gaze, they saw sections of the river banked off by coarse ropes, with a few temporary tents erected here and there.

Fishermen, clad in thick leather apparel, busied themselves on the frozen river surface, occasionally echoing the sharp sound of ice-digging tools, slicing through the cold air.

“Yes, the winter fishery,” Louis tugged the reins, leading the way closer, “come, let’s take a look.”

A few fishermen were seen gathered around an ice hole, skillfully pulling up fishing nets.

A flash of water, and silver, gleaming fish were flung onto the ice, flopping and scattering tiny shards of ice.

“Lord Louis, what brings you here personally!” Fishery Official Luke hurried over with a pleasing smile, “This must be a good omen; this year…”

“Less flattery, just tell me the current situation,” Louis interrupted him.

Luke chuckled, rubbing his nose, “Yes! Reporting, my lord!”

He gestured to the nets by the ice hole, pride shining in his eyes, “The first phase of the winter fishery is complete; the under-ice fishing net system is officially in use. Now, each hole can stably produce about thirty fish per day…”

Louis glanced at the heap of lively jumping fish, nodding slightly.

The yield wasn’t exceptionally high, but stable, with the key being sustainability.

“Not bad,” he said softly, his tone carrying a hint of approval, “keep improving the network layout, don’t slack off, and boost the efficiency.”

“Understood!” Luke immediately replied upon hearing Louis’s words.

Sif stood nearby, hands clutching her cloak, her gaze following each lively fish being flung up.

For some reason, an indescribable warmth suddenly surged in her heart.

She turned her head to look at the man standing in front.

Louis’s figure stood tall and straight, his expression calm, speaking neither too quickly nor too slowly, meticulous even when dealing with the most trivial livelihood projects.

Sif’s eyes quietly softened, and she couldn’t help but murmur in a low voice, “Truly… incredible…”

Louis turned his head, his peripheral vision catching her deep blue eyes, sparkling and with a hint of flustered avoidance.

He paused for a moment, then gently pinched her cheek with a smile, “Let’s go, back to the castle.”

Sif’s ears instantly burned, and she lowered her head, softly responding, “Okay…”

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