Farming Games are All About Grinding

At Aunt Guo's house, Han Qiwu quietly placed the eggs next to the kitchen sink and walked into the living room empty-handed.

The sky was getting dark, and the lights in the courtyard weren't bright enough; otherwise, they might have eaten outside.

Before he even approached, the aroma of mushrooms started wafting irresistibly into Han Qiwu's nose—it was fresh and fragrant to the point of mouthwatering.

"Xiao Han, it's only been a few days since I last saw you, and I think you've gotten a bit more robust!" Grandpa Chen said with a chuckle.

Han Qiwu replied, "Been working out! I've been hauling stones every day."

"Well, you better take good care of your back. I think you and Xiao Tang would make a really good match, so take care of yourself." Aunt Hong Mei quickly chimed in, causing Han Qiwu to feel a bit embarrassed.

"Don't be shy! We've all been through it before—your back is super important, take good care of it. Now, eat some mushrooms. I've been simmering them for a long time, just ready for you to enjoy." Aunt Guo said cheerfully as she scooped a large spoonful of mushrooms into Han Qiwu's bowl.

"Thank you, Auntie." Han Qiwu looked down at his bowl. There weren't too many types of mushrooms in the hot pot—porcini, bamboo fungus, and drumstick mushrooms were among them—but the portion was generous, filling up the pot entirely.

He picked up two pieces and slowly chewed on them. The long simmering had fully released the mushrooms' freshness and flavor, which was both delicious and rich. Even the unseasoned original taste was excellent, but dipping them slightly into the sauce gave the flavor a completely different depth—an upgrade to even greater deliciousness.

The elders didn't have big appetites, so as the meal went on, the three of them ended up chatting while simply watching Han Qiwu eat.

And to be honest, just watching Han Qiwu eat was comforting to them.

The elders, with their children far away, were warmed to see such a sight.

"Old Chen, did you go watch today's fishing competition? How'd it go?"

"It was pretty exciting. There were quite a few young faces. There was this short fellow who was incredibly quick at speed fishing—caught eleven yellow croakers within five minutes and made it to the finals as the top of the preliminary round."

"That fast? Did Old Huang participate? How'd he do?"

"What can I say—his equipment was excellent, his technique flawless, but everything else? Not as good as last year."

Listening to their conversation piqued Han Qiwu's curiosity. "Mr. Huang gave me a finals ticket too—did he mention what the prize would be?"

"So Old Huang's supposedly 'mysterious guest' is you?" Grandpa Chen exclaimed in surprise. "Something's off here. Old Huang is known for being cunning—how could he give you a finals ticket?"

Aunt Guo immediately pieced it together, patting Han Qiwu's hand as she explained, "Old Huang must be setting you up, putting you in the spotlight. If you perform well, that's fine. But if you don't? He's touted you as a secret expert—and wouldn't all the competitors start targeting you, watching your every move? What if someone sabotages you?"

"Exactly. This year, the fishing competition's top prize is fifty thousand yuan and a high-quality alloy fishing rod—someone might really try to mess with Xiao Han." Aunt Hong Mei agreed.

Not knowing Mr. Huang's character very well, Han Qiwu didn't say much, instead reassuring them, "It's okay, I'm just going to fish for fun. Making it to the finals is already enough for me. Don't worry, you've all given me plenty of warnings—I'm prepared."

"Still, that's no guarantee. If someone deliberately makes snide remarks, it could really mess with your mentality!" Aunt Guo worriedly responded.

Grandpa Chen nodded in agreement. "That's right, Xiao Han. Auntie isn't worried about you losing in a scuffle—she's worried that if you accidentally injure someone badly, you'll end up in jail, and that's not worth it."

Luckily, Aunt Hong Mei came up with a good solution. "Alright, since we're free tomorrow anyway, we'll all head there to keep an eye out for you. If anyone starts trouble, we'll just splash water on them!"

Her suggestion drew immediate approval from Grandpa Chen and Aunt Guo.

"Exactly! Splashing water isn't a big deal, after all."

"We'll just pretend it's their personal water festival!"

Hearing their concern warmed Han Qiwu's heart.

After dinner, Han Qiwu suggested, "You all can come and watch tomorrow—then I'll cook whatever fish I catch for dinner in the evening."

"That sounds great," Aunt Guo said with a chuckle.

Grandpa Chen glanced at his watch and waved him off, saying, "Alright, Xiao Han, stop keeping us old folks company and head home to rest early. See you tomorrow morning, down by the harbor."

Han Qiwu checked the time—it was already past nine—so he nodded, said his goodbyes, and rode his bike home.

Under the moonlight, he watered the plants that didn't have sprinklers, then took some freshly milled millet from the mill and put it into the rice cooker to slow-cook.

Tomorrow morning, there'd be millet porridge ready to drink.

After showering, he saw a message from Tang Qingying, saying, "What delicious food did you have tonight? Missing me?"

Han Qiwu smiled knowingly and dialed her for a video call.

On the other end, Tang Qingying seemed to have just finished showering as well—her hair was still wet, dripping water at the ends, her skin soft and glowing.

"I had mushroom hot pot with Grandpa Chen and the others. What about you? What did you have?"

"Hmph! Cafeteria food as usual. The project I'm working on is close to failing—it's so rushed. I'll come visit you in a few days to relax," Tang Qingying said helplessly, "I don't know why they're in such a hurry; forcing things rarely works out."

Han Qiwu comforted her for a while, then recounted the events of the evening and asked for her opinion on Old Huang.

After listening, Tang Qingying's thinking aligned with Han Qiwu's. "Mr. Huang can be a little petty, but being put in the spotlight isn't necessarily a bad thing. You'll probably win some prize money just by reaching the finals. Besides, we aren't part of the fishing circle, so it's normal if you don't win first place. Who says a 'mysterious master' has to take first?"

"And anyway, you've got Grandpa Chen and the others looking out for you—don't be afraid, just enjoy yourself. It's a shame I just used up my leave days, or I'd come cheer you on in person," Tang Qingying said regretfully.

Han Qiwu laughed, "It's okay. Next time you visit, I'll take you fishing—there are more fish right now because the temperatures are high."

"Great! It's your fault—I'm craving grilled fish again!" Tang Qingying snorted. "Alright, go to bed early. I've got to dry my hair—after that, I'm calling it a night too."

"Good night, then."

"Good night."

After putting his phone down, Han Qiwu got up and headed out to the courtyard.

Tomorrow's fishing competition prize for first place was a high-quality alloy fishing rod!

The current length of his fishing float was enough for catching dinosaur fish, but for giant squids, it would certainly still fall short. His progress on upgrading had slowed recently; getting a good rod might be just the boost he needed to reel in those squids.

With a clear goal in mind, he dug out his materials from the storage box and made seventy or eighty batches of bait in one go.

After finishing his preparations, he finally lay down on the bed, feeling satisfied and ready to sleep.

Tomorrow's the day—let's go!