Farming Games are All About Grinding

Jin Tu and Han Qiwu walked out of the blending room one after the other.

After rounding the corner, Han Qiwu sneaked a glance at Egger's so-called setup outside.

Hiss—

Truly an eyesore.

Egger had somehow dug out an old set of armor, donned it, then knelt on one knee with a cup of wine in hand, gazing deeply and affectionately at Jin Tu.

"I have things to do, I'll be off now," Han Qiwu couldn't handle the scene anymore and bolted out the door with his wind-fire wheels.

Ran away, just like that.

I'm still a kid.

Please spare me from witnessing these things.

Outside now, Han Qiwu rounded up his two pets and rode his horse back home.

It was a decent haul this trip, overall pretty satisfying.

By the time he got home, the sky had already darkened, and as he looked at the sunset on the horizon, Han Qiwu suddenly thought of his mom and dad.

What should I prepare for them as a gift, he mused.

And he also wanted to get a small gift for Tang Qingying's father.

Han Qiwu wasn't stupid; it was obvious those feng shui-related items weren't something Mr. Tang had devised on his own.

Thinking about tomorrow's tea-picking, he figured that if an opportunity arose, crafting a set of tea tools would be a pretty good idea too.

"Tea tools come in a variety of materials; I'll research which one's best later," Han Qiwu muttered as he leisurely rode his pony all the way home.

At this moment, he discovered another benefit of riding a pony.

They say an old horse knows the way; well, this young pony wasn't too bad at navigation either. Once you're on, you don't even need to tug the reins. Just sit and it'll do the work for you.

Auto-pilot, no hands required.

Once home, Han Qiwu made it a point to add to the pony's feed, feeding it while encouraging it, "Tomorrow I'll take you to the foot of the mountain; who knows, the grass there might suit your taste better."

"Neigh-hhn!"

The young pony, still oblivious to the challenges that lay ahead, was happily munching on some fresh green forage.

Seeing the pony eat so heartily, Han Qiwu felt his own stomach growl. Tossing the rest of the feed into the trough, he ran over to the cultivation cave and retrieved the mushrooms that had grown ripe.

It's been a while since I had mushrooms. How about some stir-fried mushrooms and meat tonight?

For a balanced diet, he even made sure to treat himself to a grilled eel.

Once full, he leaned back in the chair and grabbed his phone for a bit, only to notice an unread message.

Ding Xuebo: "Old Han, what are you up to these days? Holed up in the village with no news? Haven't even seen you log into the game—have you officially retired to rural life?"

After reading the message, Han Qiwu chuckled, opened the chat window, and began typing a reply.

Ding Xuebo was his college roommate; they had always gotten along. The guy came from a well-off family but was super low-key. After graduating, he started working for the city's Fishery Supervision Department, living an easy and chill life, spending his days gaming, keeping fish, and taking birds for walks—a true picture of leisure.

"I've been farming, you know. Farming doesn't leave much time for gaming. What have you been up to? Eyeing up whose aquarium prize now?" Han Qiwu replied. Ding Xuebo had a passion for fishkeeping but didn't enjoy raising them from scratch. Since he had money to spare, he often visited other fish enthusiasts to buy their already-grown fish at a high price, only to sell them back later for a lower price.

Most people buy low and sell high; he enjoyed the opposite—buying high and selling low.

Upon seeing the new message, Ding Xuebo subconsciously glanced at the koi in his tank and, with a playful grin, gave Han Qiwu a call.

"Hey, don't slander me; I'm just helping out fellow fishkeepers by easing the burden of raising fish. But man, I'm so stressed lately. You know about the alligator garfish?"

Han Qiwu raised an eyebrow. "Of course, don't tell me you've taken a liking to them? Those things don't mix well; they'll eat all your fish."

"No, not me. I think they're ugly as hell. But my mentor received a report the other day from someone near South River, claiming they spotted an alligator gar over three meters long. These things are devastating in water ecosystems—they eat everything! And it's a female, too; even its gross green eggs were found on the riverbank. My mentor's been busy lately and dumped this task on me, told me to gather some people and get rid of it. It's driving me nuts. I called Zhang Peng and the guys over to block it off all day, but we still came up empty." Ding Xuebo's voice sounded completely drained.

"Those things are aggressive; stay safe. If it doesn't work out, maybe hire some professionals. You guys are great at chatting at Dragon Gate, but forming a fishing squad? Not so much," Han Qiwu teased with a laugh.

"Get out of here!" Ding Xuebo retorted with a laugh. "I already contacted the pros, but they've got a big job up north these days. My mentor gave me one week to handle this, so if it doesn't work out, I'll just have to wait for him to come back." Right as he said this, another phone started ringing. The caller ID read "ATM."

"Gotta go, my dad's calling. I'll swing by to visit you when I have time. Are you still in Water Buffalo Town?"

"Yep, take care. Chat later."

After hanging up, Han Qiwu casually searched for information on alligator gar. These beasts were listed among the top ten most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. With no natural predators in China, they wreak havoc on ecosystems. To make matters worse, their eggs and internal organs were toxic.

"If only we could get this thing to eat those invasive suckerfish—let them both ruin each other," he muttered.

After resting for a bit, Han Qiwu glanced at the moon. Two more days until next month. This time, Wu Gang wanted a liquor with some punch.

Good thing I've got plenty of mint leaves at home. Next time I visit Sister Jin Tu, I'll talk with her about using mint to brew something bold.

Bet there's no mint on the moon, huh?

Could be a perfect hit.

Little Prince's size had grown again recently. Once I upgrade the osmanthus axe, I'm sure chopping more wood daily won't be an issue for it.

Time to chop trees at the Miniature Forest of Ten Thousand Woods!

Without the Lumberjack aspect active, the tree types in the Miniature Forest weren't too different from before—just a mix of everything.

Before chopping, Han Qiwu made sure to use his Luck Bracelet.

Boost the drop rates a bit.

But this time, the effects of the Luck Bracelet weren't that insane. After fifty trees, the haul was: [Wood] ×102, [Frozen Tree Sap] ×3, [Yang Tree Sapling] ×3.

Leaving the Miniature Forest, Han Qiwu planted the saplings, then strolled over to the mulberry branch cuttings and started picking mulberry leaves.

Thanks to all the buffs at home, the mulberry branch cuttings were thriving. Green leaves sprouted thick and lush, one after another.

After picking a big basketful, Han Qiwu headed into the silkworm house and tossed the whole lot onto the silkworm trays.

The silkworms, which had munched on mulberry leaves for days, had turned from ugly little larvae into plump, snowy-white silkworm babies. Their appetite had also improved—they could now gnaw through entire leaves.

Once the silkworm babies finished eating, they lost their earlier energy, one by one slouching over the mulberry leaves with their little heads slightly raised and motionless.

Han Qiwu knew this state was called "molting rest." Although the silkworms appeared still, they were preparing internally to shed their skin. Each molt would advance them by one stage.

Judging by their condition, they'd probably finish their first molt in a day or two.

Better keep an eye on them.

Time to get some exercise.