Chapter 2 People are poor but their ambitions are not poor
When he chose termites as pets, he was interested in the queen's long lifespan.
The average queen ant can live for more than 20 years, and the average queen can live for more than 30 years.
Many people think that termites are ants. In fact, they are more than 100 million years older than ants. They are the same species as cockroaches, which people call invincible. It's just that Xiaoqiang is a loner, and termites are social animals.
Ants are insects in the order Hymenoptera, which are in the order Isoptera.
Qin Niu had deep considerations in choosing this seemingly weakest species as a pet.
There are three most popular professions in the world, namely planter, insect master, and animal tamer.
The bug master raises bugs as pets, constantly nurturing them and allowing them to evolve.
A powerful insect whose usefulness and combat power cannot be underestimated.
The cost of raising pet animals is simply beyond the reach of a poor man like him. Most of the pets with great potential are carnivores. They eat meat every day. Qin Niu himself cannot eat one meal of meat a year, so how can he have meat for his pets?
Keeping a bug as a pet is the choice of most poor people.
They are omnivorous, have small appetites, are easy to feed, and are low-cost to keep.
Termites' food is extremely rich, including grass roots and tree bark, paper and cloth, ores and silver, they accept whatever comes.
There was a case of silver theft from the government in history, but the thief was never caught.
After killing several wronged officials, it was finally discovered that termites were responsible.
Qin Niu bit his fingertip and squeezed out a drop of blood on the activated area of the talisman. After absorbing the blood, it instantly bloomed with dazzling golden light. Eventually, it spontaneously ignited in the wind, turning into a ray of golden light that enveloped the termite that was blocking the hole.
He did his homework before choosing termites as pets.
If you want to make a contract with the queen ants, you must do it before they lay eggs, otherwise you will fail.
Waiting until it successfully survives to build a nest before forming a contract with it is the best time to minimize the risk of your pet's death.
After the golden light enveloped its body for a moment, it entered its body bit by bit. After a while, a small ray of golden light shot out and entered Qin Niu's head from the center of his eyebrows. He closed his eyes and his brain returned to normal after a brief sting.
The low-level contract talisman I bought for a tael of silver was okay, and there were no quality problems.
After the contract is successfully concluded, he can already view the attributes of the pet.
This thing is like opening a blind box. Ordinary people like him have no way of knowing the properties of bugs before signing a contract.
There is no way to know its lifespan, special skills, etc.
Female milk termites (breeding ants)
Level: Level 1 Isoptera, upgrade experience 75/100
Lifespan: 4.2 years
Energy: 171
Skills: 0/10 for the first level of reproduction, 1/10 for the first level of suspended animation
Talent: Moderate intelligence
Most insects have low-level intelligence. I didn't expect that this little female ant actually has medium-level intelligence. No wonder she performs so well in all aspects. This time I found a treasure.
Human beings can become the masters of this world by relying on advanced wisdom.
An intelligent insect is of immeasurable value.
The only fly in the ointment is its lifespan, which is only 4.2 years, far lower than the average lifespan of a queen ant.
And probably because of its petite size, it only has 171 energy points stored in its body. It takes about 21 days from egg laying to the first batch of worker ants being fed and grown up. In addition, the preparation period for laying eggs takes seven days, which means that it cannot obtain any food for up to 28 days.
This made Qin Niu very worried about whether it could survive until the last moment.
At this moment, a contract has been successfully concluded with it, and Qin Niu has become its master. He can take the termite home and raise it in a safe clay pot.
But he didn't do that.
The best way to raise bugs as pets is to keep them wild.
Keeping them in clay pots can only be used for viewing, and it is difficult to make them stronger.
Even a tiger as powerful as the king of beasts will become as docile as a cat if kept in a cage for a long time and fed food every day. Probably not even able to defeat a wild wolf.
The mountains are extremely dangerous at night. I have to go back. I wish you good luck!
Qin Niu looked at the mountains after nightfall, like a terrifying beast that chose people to eat. His current strength is still very weak, he is just an ordinary mortal. If he spends one night here, he will probably have no bones left.
Fortunately, the matter was done. He stood up and quickly ran towards the village outside the mountain along the way he came.
When he becomes stronger in the future, this mountain range and even this entire mountain range will become his territory.
That little termite is the boost he uses to become stronger.
Oooh-ooh!
The howling of wild wolves came from behind, which was a signal that they were ready to come out to look for food.
Most wild animals like to stay in the day and come out at night.
When night falls, they come out to hunt. In the deep mountains at night, there will be demons dancing wildly and dangers lurking everywhere.
Qin Niu's thin body burst out with amazing endurance, and he escaped from the dangerous mountains on the muddy mountain road.
There are dozens of houses in the village, many of which have lights shining through.
Poorer families are often reluctant to light lamps in order to save money on lamp oil.
The neighbor's rich man Wang's house is a three-bay, five-bay brick house, which is very grand.
Every night, the lights are brightly lit, and the busy figures of the servants can be vaguely seen.
According to the rules, ordinary people's residences are not allowed to exceed the size of three rooms and five bays. Only officials can exceed five.
The frame refers to the beam frame, and the number of frames refers to the number of purlins on the beam frame, usually an odd number.
If anyone's house has more than five racks, he must be a powerful person in the local area and cannot be offended.
Even if there are only seven rooms in a room, it is a symbol of authority.
It means that someone in this family is an official, so everyone is naturally in awe.
Mr. Wang made some money by doing business in his early years. After returning to his hometown, he bought more than ten acres of fertile land, married a beautiful wife, hired servants, and lived a very comfortable life. He is one of the richest households in the village.
The only flaw is that he has only one daughter and no son.
Wang Wanyan was born tall and graceful, with a delicate and pleasant appearance.
When Qin Niu ran past the door of Fu Wang's house, the window on the second floor opened, revealing a pretty face that looked both angry and crazy.
Her bright eyes are as clear as autumn water, and her skin is like white jade.
What's even more rare is the fresh air on her face, which is the scholarly quality she has developed through years of reading poetry and books.
Daughters from wealthy families don't have to do menial work. They only learn needlework, chess, calligraphy and painting.
Aniu, have you had dinner?
She shouted in a low voice to Qin Niu who was running by.
Apparently he was afraid of being overheard by his father downstairs.
have eaten!
Qin Niu ran towards his home without raising his head.
She wrinkled her nose in anger.
The food box he was carrying was originally tied with a rope, so he had to untie it.
The neighbor's Aniu has no parents since he was a child. It is said that he was picked up from the mountains by a single old man, Uncle Liu. Last year, Uncle Liu died of illness. Aniu didn't cry or make a fuss. He sat quietly guarding the coffin for three days and three nights.
Kowtow when someone comes in.
Everyone saw how pitiful the child was, and worked together to carry Uncle Liu to the mountains and bury him.
After Uncle Liu died, A Niu was left alone.
At first, A Niu diligently cultivated the poor land of their family.
Later, due to lack of planting experience, the harvest was very poor.
After paying the tax, there was not much left, not even enough for his own rations.
Later, he began to lose his fortune.
He sold all the slightly valuable things in his home, and he didn't know where the money was spent.
The old drunkard in the village opened his mouth and said that A Niu took the money to go to the city to drink wine and lost all the money.
It's like having a nose and eyes.
Later, some people from neighboring villages also said that they saw A Niu enter the city with their own eyes.
Then word spread gradually, and many people secretly scolded Aniu for being a lazy and easygoing prostitute and gambler.
Only Wang Wanyan didn't believe A Niu was that kind of person.
Because she goes to the library to buy books, and occasionally she sees A Niu buying books there. But A Niu probably has no money and only buys used books that others have used.
Also, seeing that A Niu was pitiful, she once wanted to give him some money to eat.
He refused to accept it.
A Niu looks very poor, but he is a poor man with great ambitions and is very tough at heart.
She took out the food, wrapped it in oil paper, and hid it in her wide sleeves.
If you don't send it to him, I'm afraid he will probably eat those weeds tonight that are bitter, astringent, and difficult to swallow.
Wang Wanyan muttered and went downstairs.
Once she went to deliver food to A Niu and saw him eating tree bark and weeds to satisfy his hunger.
A Niu returned to his impoverished home, opened the lid of the rice jar, and looked at the few brown rice left inside. He secretly calculated that he might not be able to survive even a month with this little food.
The acre of poor land his family owned was poor land, also called poor land.
Except for the wild growth of weeds, crops barely grow if planted. After working so hard to plant the corn plants last year, they looked like malnourished patients, emaciated and emaciated.
This kind of poor land cannot retain fertilizer and water. The soil is easily hardened and there are many rocks at the bottom.
Moreover, it is a piece of hard stone and there is no way to clean it.
It's been a while since spring this year, and he has been thinking about what crops to plant to produce a better harvest.
The harvest of corn and wheat grown last year was extremely poor.
Fortunately, the tax on poor farmland is much less than that on good farmland.
Otherwise, he would have to give money to the government.
Rich Wang's voice came from outside the leaky wall, You kid, are you secretly giving food to that poor boy again?
I... just want to help him! Don't you often say that doing good deeds can accumulate blessings?
It was Wang Wanyan's clear voice.
Very low.
She wanted to secretly deliver food to A Niu, but was caught by her father. At this moment, she must have lowered her head and looked like she was admitting her mistake.
You are fifteen years old, and a girl goes to his house every day. Aren't you afraid of being criticized? You have to pay attention to the influence and don't get too close to him. Your mother hopes that you can fly on the branches and become a phoenix. .With your talent and appearance, you will definitely marry a powerful nobleman in the future, do you understand?
Mr. Wang persuaded his daughter earnestly.
Parents all hope that their children can become famous and live a good life.
He would never agree to such a beautiful daughter marrying a poor boy.
Know it!
Wang Wanyan did not dare to refute her father and agreed.
Only she knows what she is thinking.
Unlike other girls who are ignorant and obey what their parents say, she has her own opinions because she is well-read in poetry and books.
I'll be right back after delivering the food, otherwise the food will go bad overnight.
etc!
Rich Wang stopped his daughter.
How about you send him there! Wang Wanyan thought her father would not let her go.
Go to the kitchen and get a small bag of corns, and two pounds of meat to send to him. The harvest of the thin land this boy planted last year was extremely poor, and I'm afraid it will be gone for a long time. My fiftieth birthday is the day after tomorrow, and my neighbor has the right to do it. Reward him.
Thank you dad!
Wang Wanyan was very happy.
Our family has so many mouths to eat, so don't take too much.
Mr. Wang was worried that his daughter would feel bad if she took too much because she didn't know how expensive firewood and rice were.
I know it!
After a while, Rich Wang's voice came from outside again.
You Ni'er, take so much corn and such a big piece of meat. You really don't know how expensive firewood and rice are! That's all. That kid is so hungry that he only has a layer of skin left. I can't bear to see the suffering in this world. Go ahead, go ahead. !”
It hurts, but I didn't stop it after all.
Qin Niu was cooking on the fire. There was only a little bit of brown rice in the pot, and the rest was grass and tender bark.
As the fire grew stronger, it gradually emitted a special fragrance mixed with the fragrance of grass and rice.
The pig food cooked by rich people has this taste.
Boom, boom, boom!
There was a knock on the door outside.
Aniu, open the door!
The crisp shouts penetrated through the mottled wooden door.