104 Harvesting the Beehive

“Herbs? Beehives?”
What does that mean?

“Ross…” The priest couldn’t immediately connect the two things. “What’s the connection between picking herbs and beehives?”

“Uh… Master, actually, the two rarest herbs can mostly be found near beehives…” Wu Qingchen first explained, then shook his head regretfully. “It’s just… really hard to pick them.”

“Hard to pick? Because bees sting?”

Bee stings were normal, but the priest couldn’t understand, “If the bees sting, can’t you just pick the herbs and run?”

“No, the herbs grow too close to the hives. Once you go to pick them, the bees chase after you…”

Wu Qingchen showed a look of lingering fear at the right moment. “The first time I went to pick them, I almost got targeted by the bees…”

“That dangerous?” The priest frowned slightly. “Are you alright?”

His question from behind showed he wasn’t doubting Wu Qingchen’s words; it was just that it was rare for bees to chase people.

“I’m fine… but it really is dangerous!”

Wu Qingchen had direct evidence: “Just now, when we were searching for herbs in the forest and passed several hives, Alvin didn’t believe me. He ran over to pick some herbs and sure enough, he got stung, and the bees chased him for a long time. He ended up with several big welts.”

“Several big welts…” Lord Playa knew too well the pain of a bee sting. “Is Alvin alright?”

“Should be no big deal…” Wu Qingchen said pityingly, “I told him to go home on his own…”

“Poor Alvin, may the Lord bless him.”

The priest bowed his head and murmured a few prayers, then sighed: “…Ross, you did well. After all, Alvin was stung because he was picking herbs. How about this—Ross, when you go back, tell him to rest properly. He doesn’t need to participate in the summer duties for the next few days.”

“Alright, Master, I’ll tell him right away… Lucky Alvin, he will surely be deeply grateful for your kindness…” Wu Qingchen said sincerely.

Poor Alvin, lucky Alvin, not only does the master remember you, but the people of Earth will also remember your contribution!

For the Earth team, “Wu Qingchen being chased” was obviously a lie, but “Alvin being chased” was an inevitability.

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The two herbs chosen by the Earth advisory group were indeed more suited to environments near beehives, which also made bee attacks more likely.

However, among the indigenous people of the medieval world, bees were generally considered gentle creatures that rarely attacked humans unprovoked.

Because of this, to minimize any chance of the priest doubting, Wu Qingchen arranged the herb gathering area with the guards and helpers in a subtle manner. They passed through a large area of plants with scents that irritated bees and, when they reached the hive, deliberately chose an angle that blocked the bees’ flight path.

In the end, when he pointed at the hive to warn them, Wu Qingchen’s tone, expression, and gestures were less like a warning and more like encouragement.

The nature of the herbs, the irritating plants on the way, the blocked flight path, and the verbal encouragement…

Even with all these precautions, the bees still didn’t act. Wu Qingchen had further backup plans, determined that at least one guard or helper would demonstrate some spirit of sacrifice.

Fortunately, by the third hive, the skeptical Alvin stepped forward, shielding the other guards from trouble, dispelling any lingering doubts the priest had, and removing the immediate need for a riskier plan that might have caused injuries.

“Mercy…”

Alvin’s incident was a minor problem. No matter how well it was resolved, it did not relieve the priest’s worries. “Now, what shall we do?”

No herbs was troublesome, but having herbs and being unable to pick them was just as troublesome.

Herbs, beehives… herbs, beehives…

The same inevitable thought that “Alvin would definitely be chased by bees” naturally emerged.

However, the priest decided to confirm first: “Ross, you said there were many herbs near the hive. How many is many?”

“Hmm…” Wu Qingchen gestured toward the empty basket on the right, pointing to about a quarter full. “About like this.”

The priest’s eyes brightened and he confirmed again, “That’s the amount near one beehive?”

“Yes, one beehive.” Wu Qingchen nodded confidently.

“Then… if there were two beehives…”

“If there were two…” Before the priest finished, Wu Qingchen pointed at the basket on the left, half full, “It should also be this much, it would take about half a month.”

“Good!” The priest nodded firmly. “Since the herbs are so hard to pick, then let’s get rid of the beehives first!”

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“Alright, Master!” Wu Qingchen nodded but then seemed hesitant. “May I ask how to get rid of them?”

“Get rid of the beehive… you don’t know how?”

The priest looked at Wu Qingchen strangely. How could a boy from Ekli Village have never seen a beehive being harvested? “You light a torch, use some fresh leaves—preferably those with a lot of smoke—smoke the hive for a while, and then you can take it.”

“Ah!” Wu Qingchen exclaimed in surprise. “So the bees all fly away or die?”

“Of course!”

The priest thought Wu Qingchen’s surprise was a bit strange, as that was always the way to harvest beehives. “If you don’t let the bees fly away, then how do you pick the hive without getting stung?”

“But…” Wu Qingchen’s expression was filled with regret, “…but summer has just begun. If we chase the bees away now, the honey yield will be drastically reduced…”

This point was certainly clear to Lord Playa.

The honey inside beehives was an extremely rare and precious delicacy in the medieval world. Each hive was worth protecting carefully. Taking a hive early in summer inevitably meant a significant reduction in honey yield later.

Normally, the priest would be reluctant to make such a decision.

However, if removing a few hives earlier meant cultivating several qualified cattle herders sooner…

The priest believed that whether it was Floran Village, Ori Village, or other training units, they would be willing to pay some extra fees.

But these details didn’t need to be explained further to Wu Qingchen.

“There’s no other way…” The priest shook his head slowly, “Bee stings are just too dangerous… No choice, less honey it is…”

“Master, you are truly merciful…” Wu Qingchen’s eyes misted over again, “The guards will all be grateful to you…”

“Ahem… It’s nothing…” At Lord Playa’s age, his skill in accepting flattery was not high, and he quickly waved his hand.