Farming Games are All About Grinding

After settling the Little Prince, Han Qiwu found an empty patch next to the rice paddies, dug out the plots one by one, then pulled over the water hose and gurgled water into each plot.

The water-field setup was complete.

Under normal circumstances, millet is a drought-tolerant crop suited for dryland farming.

Han Qiwu figured this wild millet must have adapted to wetland environments over generations of evolution, now thriving in paddy-like conditions.

To ensure productivity, he even added fertilizer to each plot.

Then, he planted the wild millet seeds one by one.

"In a couple of days, I'll have to tinker another batch of sprinklers," Han Qiwu said with a happy, resigned smile.

He couldn't wait to taste this wild millet.

It had been ages since he'd last enjoyed a bowl of millet porridge.

After a day of hard work, Han Qiwu was exhausted. He took another shower before returning to his bedroom.

Once inside, he nudged the ancient glacier rock by the side with his foot, redirecting the cool air; instantly, his whole body felt refreshed.

And there was no need to worry about the air getting too dry either.

This was far more comfortable than any air conditioner!

Sitting at his desk, Han Qiwu took out *Piggy's Silly Shenanigans* and started reading carefully. Tomorrow was the return date, but thankfully the book wasn't very thick, and he'd already read most of it in bits and pieces of free time.

What was left was just a small bit, which he continued to read while jotting down some amusing words along the way.

Words like "pig," "fat," "egg," and "meat."

He didn't mind getting blessed with any one of those words.

He wasn't picky at all.

After roughly another hour, Han Qiwu easily copied down the remaining text.

Since his physical abilities had improved, light tasks like this had become increasingly effortless.

Especially with the enhancements in his arm and wrist strength.

Han Qiwu thought he could now finish copying five sets of summer assignments in one go without breaking a sweat!

[Congratulations! You have successfully read the book *Piggy's Silly Shenanigans*. Your Swine Magnetism +5]

"Too bad I didn't get the blessing of characters. Looks like pigs and I aren't destined," Han Qiwu shook his head, but improving Swine Magnetism wasn't a bad thing either. Next time, he planned to head to the small peddler's stall to check if there might be any pig-related items.

Climbing into bed, Han Qiwu noticed a message on his phone.

"I'm totally beat. Ate up all the layered cakes that were left. They were sooo good~."

After reading the message, Han Qiwu chuckled to himself but decided not to reply.

What if Mr. Tang had the phone ringer on?

That would definitely disrupt his sleep quality.

No rush.

With thoughts swirling in his mind, Han Qiwu closed his eyes and slowly drifted into sleep.

March 17—Diary

*Jingle-jangle-jingle* (the sound of Gold Coins scattering)

Income...6,600 Gold Coins (mayonnaise)

Planting EXP +364

Foraging EXP +2,341

Fishing EXP +3,541

Combat EXP +531

Mining EXP +0

Relationship Progress:

Tang Qingying: ❤❤❤❤❤

Current Money: 34,600 Gold Coins

Total Earnings: 337,967 Gold Coins

[Congratulations! Your Fishing Skill has been upgraded to Level 6]

[Fishing Mastery +1]

[Your vision has been enhanced yet again]

[You've learned the technique to craft Spiral Floats]

[The Trading Point now offers more advanced fishing rods]

"Jingle-jangle, jingle-jangle."

"Swish-swish-swish."

"Swish-swish-swish."

Even before opening his eyes, Han Qiwu could hear the symphony outside: the sound of rain mixing with the scraping of walls, rhythmic and oddly pleasing.

When he got up to take a look, he understood.

In the curtain of rain, Little Shui was equipped with the massive Bone-Gold Claws, slashing away at the courtyard stones—*swish, swish, swish!*

Any rock touched by the Bone-Gold Claws instantly crumbled into tiny gravel.

The power was incredible.

If it weren't raining, Han Qiwu figured that a single swipe could even strike sparks!

Moreover, he noticed that Little Shui's build seemed slightly taller, and the tips of the claws faintly shimmered with a golden hue.

"Weird, why can I see this so clearly now?" Han Qiwu mused in curiosity. He quickly pulled up the diary log to check it and realized what had happened.

His Fishing Skill had leveled up again!

The fish in Little Deng's pond were as generous as they were bountiful, offering both money and experience.

What amazing fish!

No wonder he'd noticed every little detail earlier—his vision had sharpened again.

Back in the day, Han Qiwu wouldn't have caught those subtle changes to Little Shui's appearance. But now, with his vision enhanced once more, it was like he possessed a budget version of a human telescope combined with a microscope.

Pulling his eyes away, Han Qiwu began his morning routine, washing up while glancing back at the rest of the diary log.

The mayo sale had earned him 6,600 Gold Coins—a decent haul. He figured he'd use the money to see what new fishing rods were available at Kangkang's shop.

The Red Sun Rod was still fine, but with the sheer size of Deng's fish, it now felt a bit lacking.

As for the experience gains, his trip to the Mist Forest had yielded plenty of foraging EXP—his foraging skill was likely to be the next to get an upgrade.

In terms of relationship progression, Han Qiwu chuckled to himself as he glanced at the Jade Rabbit Rotation Box sitting nearby.

Hehe.

Oh, right, the rabbit hutch should be ready by now. Time to check it out.

Grabbing an umbrella, Han Qiwu stepped outside and immediately spotted the newly built beginner-level rabbit hutch.

It was a low, concave-shaped structure made of stone bases and wooden frames. Around its short edges, a wooden fence enclosed a space that looked like a play area for the rabbits.

Han Qiwu walked over and gently pushed open the wooden gate.

[Please name your rabbit hutch.]

Did this even require thinking?

"Guanghan Palace," Han Qiwu said with a grin.

Let's hope for a couple of mutant Jade Rabbits to show up.

After all, there's that legend of Jade Rabbits pounding medicine—it might even turn into a little doctor for the family!

With good herbs, Little Shui's claw injury might heal overnight.

[Guanghan Palace has been successfully named.]

Pushing the door open, Han Qiwu stepped inside and felt a gentle breeze immediately. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the Guanghan Palace was quite practically designed. If rabbits were to be raised inside, the cross-draft would naturally gather any stray fur next to the collection area. There was also a small plantable section of soil above the play area.

The roof of the hutch was sturdy, with no signs of leaks whatsoever.

"How thoughtfully… rabbit-centered," Han Qiwu chuckled. When he could get his hands on some grass seeds, he planned to sow them inside.

Or, if he found carrot seeds, those could work too.

The Dragon Beard Grass and Purple Clover at home were of top quality, but unfortunately, their seeds couldn't be harvested—he could only hope for sporadic natural propagation.

With that thought, Han Qiwu circled around outside the wooden fence for a few steps, spotting two small patches of Dragon Beard Grass nearby.

Hopefully, they'd grow their way inside on their own.

Be good, now.

After checking the rabbit hutch, Han Qiwu decided to tidy up matters at home first before heading over to Yang Yangyang's place to construct an intermediate-level chicken coop. While there, he'd also pick up a few baby bunnies.

Then, he'd take advantage of the rain to catch more fish.

Later in the afternoon, he planned to visit Master Shuzi to retrieve the fish pond. Once that was done, it would finally be time to test out the power of the new faucet installation.

With plans settled, Han Qiwu returned indoors, heated up a simple cup of Lightning Milk, and fried up three large eggs for breakfast.

After eating, he casually tapped on the TV.

[Weather Forecast]

Tomorrow: Partly Cloudy

[Life Pro Tips]

Life always comes with surprises.

[Almanac]

Good for: Collecting. Bad for: Laziness.

[Shennong's Recipe Notes]

Shennong is currently asleep.