Farming Games are All About Grinding

Han Qiwu reached into the bag and pulled out a palm-sized piece of jade, laughing as he said, "This design is pretty decent, but the jade quality isn't great. How about this: I'll provide the jade, you find an artisan to work on it. How much would the processing fee be?"

"Huh, where did you get jade like this?" Tang Qingying asked curiously. Seeing this piece of jade reminded her of the high-quality gemstones Han Qiwu had given her previously.

Could it be his family owns a mine?

"I dug it myself," Han Qiwu said with a laugh.

As soon as Zhuo Yu saw the small piece of jade, she exclaimed in surprise, "Is this... high-ice glass jade?! Mr. Han, please put it on the wooden stand. I'll call the artisan to take a closer look."

She really hadn't expected Han Qiwu to casually pull out a piece of jade this fine. She quickly turned around to call the artisan from the workshop in the back.

"Hmph, I don't believe you. Next time, take me along to dig too," Tang Qingying snorted. "This jade was clearly prepared in advance. Xiao Han here is quite thorough in his preparations."

"Of course, it's all thanks to my teacher's excellent guidance," Han Qiwu said with a cheeky smile.

After a while, a middle-aged artisan in a Zhongshan suit walked out, wearing gloves. He carefully examined the jade for a while before saying, "Hello, are you planning to carve this into double fish earrings?"

"Hi, if you have a better design for double fish earrings, feel free to show us," Han Qiwu responded.

The artisan's face twisted slightly with a pained expression as he said, "Does it absolutely have to be earrings? Such fine jade would be wasted if it isn't made into a bangle!"

Han Qiwu: ".... You don't have to look so distressed."

Seeing Han Qiwu's helpless expression, Zhuo Yu quickly explained, "For us artisans, seeing a beautiful jade is like seeing our own child. Honestly, using high-ice glass jade of this size for anything other than a bangle really wastes its potential."

She turned to look at Tang Qingying, leaving the decision to her.

Tang Qingying chuckled and said, "Of course it can be made into a bangle. My mom's wrist size is about the same as mine. Just use mine as a reference." She had actually had her eye on an even prettier bangle before, but its five-figure price made her settle for double fish earrings instead.

Hearing this, the artisan immediately breathed a sigh of relief, picked up his tools, and began taking measurements. Soon, he sketched out a rough design on the jade and explained to the two of them, "After carving the bangle, there will be leftover material that can be made into a small pendant. How about a double fish design for the pendant?"

"Sure," Tang Qingying nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Han Qiwu and instinctively squeezed his warm hand.

Shopping with him always led to pleasant surprises.

"How much will the processing fee be? And how long until it's ready?" Han Qiwu asked.

Zhuo Yu exchanged a glance with the jade artisan and warmly said, "If you're willing to leave the leftover scraps after carving the bangle and pendant with us, the processing fee will be waived. But rest assured, the width and size of the bangle won't be compromised at all. I'll draft a simple contract to specify the measurements and weights from the sketch. As for processing time, the fastest will be about half a month. I'll call you when it's done."

Han Qiwu nodded. The scraps were useless to him anyway; he was happy to save a little money.

After signing the contract and leaving his phone number, Han Qiwu and Tang Qingying left the jewelry shop.

Watching their retreating figures, Zhuo Yu couldn't help but exclaim, "Those two are enviably compatible. Why haven't I ever met a guy who casually pulls out glass jade?"

The artisan shook his head, replying, "Not just you. In my decades, I've hardly ever seen someone like this. And in the future, don't try to sell customers on unconventional designs. Good jade must be made into bangles!"

Zhuo Yu: ".... Got it, got it. Just like how good wood must be crafted into beads."

After playing around all day, Tang Qingying began feeling a little tired and let out a yawn.

Han Qiwu glanced at the sky and thoughtfully asked, "Feeling worn out? Should I take you home?"

"Even if I go home, I still need to exercise. Otherwise, I won't play or eat enough," Tang Qingying said energetically, raising her small fists.

Han Qiwu laughed and patted her head, saying, "Alright, then you better work hard. Exercise will give you superpowers."

"Exactly, exercise will turn me into a super eater!" Tang Qingying nodded with determination.

Han Qiwu leaned in to hug her, taking a moment to feel her warmth, then handed her a bag, saying, "This is a Xi Shi teapot I picked out for your dad to brew his tea with. Take it home along with you."

"Wow, you even prepared something for my dad? I'll thank you on behalf of Old Tang first," Tang Qingying said as she accepted the bag. She then mysteriously led Han Qiwu to a storage locker at a nearby supermarket. From her bag, she retrieved a piece of paper with a code, opened the locker, and pulled out a large bag. Taking out its contents one by one, she explained to Han Qiwu, "These are the gifts I prepared for your aunt and uncle. For your uncle, there's a lumbar massage device, and for your aunt, some skincare products. As for your gift..."

"Still not decided?" Han Qiwu teased, leaning closer until his forehead gently rested against hers.

"Cut it out! There are so many people around," Tang Qingying protested, pulling a not-so-fancy embroidered coin pouch out of her bag and handing it to him. "I made this myself, so don't complain about how ugly it is! It has little compartments inside for coins."

Han Qiwu eagerly accepted the pouch and inspected it.

The palm-sized pouch featured stitched designs of two tiny ducks. Though the needlework was rough, it was clear Tang Qingying had put in a lot of effort.

"Thank you for your hard work. These little ducks are quite cute," Han Qiwu said, clearly delighted with the pouch, his first ever.

But Tang Qingying laughed and lightly smacked him. "Hmph! What are you saying? They're not ducks—they're mandarin ducks!"

"Huh?" Han Qiwu quickly looked down again and hastily corrected himself, "Right, right, these mandarin ducks are so lifelike. Truly a masterpiece."

Under Mr. Tang's correction, a subtle glow emanated from the pouch.

[Mandarin Duck Pouch]

[Crafted by: Tang Qingying]

[Effect – Storage: Equipping it in a storage slot adds 20 inventory spaces]

[Remark: Each stitch is brimming with love]

Tang Qingying's handiwork rivaled Master Shuzi's—an embroidered pouch that added 20 inventory spaces!

"Now that's better," Tang Qingying said, linking arms with Han Qiwu and cheerfully strolling along the street.

After another ten minutes, Han Qiwu hailed a cab and took Tang Qingying all the way to her doorstep. He waited until she went inside before instructing the driver to take him home.

Once she was home, Tang Qingying was hit by a small wave of melancholy as she sat in the entryway to change into her indoor slippers.

"Ah, you're back! How was your day out? Did you hold hands? Where's Xiao Han? Why are you home alone?" Mrs. Tang asked as she came out of the kitchen holding a plate of fruit.

She even opened the door to check outside after speaking.

Ever since reading Han Qiwu's resume, Mrs. Tang had been highly impressed with him and her attitude had warmed considerably. If she had her way, she'd have Han Qiwu follow them straight home.

"It was great! Xiao Han sent me home before leaving. Dad, Xiao Han brought you a gift—a Xi Shi teapot," Tang Qingying replied, making her way toward Mr. Tang with purpose.

"Oh, he brought me a gift?" Mr. Tang exclaimed, setting aside his newspaper. After closely inspecting the teapot, he said in surprise, "This is a fine piece—a work of a master artisan. Xiao Han must've spent quite a bit on this."

"Did Xiao Han bring something for Mom?" Mrs. Tang asked eagerly.

Tang Qingying was well-prepared, pulling out her phone and showing a photo. "He did, he did. He brought you a piece of excellent jade, and it's already at the jewelry shop being processed. I'll bring it to you in a few days."

Seeing the photo of the luminous jade, Mrs. Tang was overjoyed and playfully chided her daughter. "Oh, you should've told me Xiao Han was bringing you home together. I would've dragged him inside! Look at this jade—it's absolutely beautiful."

Mr. Tang glanced at the photo as well and sighed, "Xiao Han's a good kid. Clearly sincere. We can't be stingy in return."

He then headed toward his study.

A while later, he returned, looking puzzled as he asked, "Honey, did you see the Jade Rabbit rotating box in my study? I was thinking of having Qingying give that to him—it's quite auspicious."

Tang Qingying felt a pang of panic and slowly stood up, replying, "Uh... Dad, I kind of guessed what you'd be thinking, so I gave it to him earlier."

Mr. Tang: "...."

Alright.

Given away is given away.

"Well, fine then. But I still think we should give him something else. How about the untouched jade Pixiu? It can help with qi cultivation," Mr. Tang suggested from the study doorway.

Tang Qingying sheepishly raised her hand. "Dad, I anticipated that too, so I already gave him that."

Mr. Tang: "...."

He tentatively asked, "Then how about the redwood Qilin? It's also quite symbolic."

Tang Qingying held her forehead, exasperated.

Seeing her reaction, Mr. Tang asked in disbelief, "Don't tell me you gave that to him too?"

Tang Qingying became confident, replying, "Of course I did, Dad! I'm your own flesh and blood—I always know exactly what you'd think. Rest assured, I've already taken care of it."

Mr. Tang sighed and sat down, fiddling with the teapot. "The ancients didn't lie—once daughters grow up, you can't keep them around. Well, you decide for yourself. Just pick out something."

"Why are you acting like that? When you eventually pass away, all these things will still belong to Qingying," Mrs. Tang said as she walked over, lightly scolding. "Qingying, good job! Leaving them at home just takes up space. If Xiao Han likes them, give them all to him next time! I'll call the moving company!"

Tang Qingying praised her mom with a grin before playfully running to her dad and gently massaging his back as they chatted.

It didn't take much to coax him back into a good mood.

Once he'd calmed down, she walked around to face him, seriously saying, "Dad, to be honest, I've had my eye on that mandarin duck root sculpture for a long time."

"Take it! Take it now!"

"Great! I'll move it to my dorm first and later give it to him. Thanks, Dad!"