Farming Games are All About Grinding

The special effect of this strawberry cake is called "memory," isn't it? Supposedly, it should make people recall happy things.

So, for you middle-aged folks, your idea of happiness is pressuring me to have kids???

Han Qiwu didn't feel this kind of pressure from Mr. and Mrs. Han, but instead, it came from Grandpa Chen and Aunt Guo.

Ah, life!

"Grandpa Chen, there's not even a shadow of this happening yet, so stop making wild guesses. Eat up, eat up." Han Qiwu stood and picked up two chicken drumsticks, placing them in the bowls of Grandpa Chen and Aunt Guo.

Hearing what Han Qiwu said, Grandpa Chen wasn't having it and shook his head, saying, "Xiao Han, you can't talk like that. Love is something you have to chase. If you like someone, confess quickly. Xiao Tang is not only beautiful but also has a great job. Suitors for her could line up from here all the way to the village entrance!"

"Not just that! They might line up all the way to the town. Just the other day, I heard Lao Liang's wife from the next courtyard asking about her. Good thing I shut her down right away," Aunt Guo added earnestly from the side.

Han Qiwu broke out in a sweat listening to them, didn't respond, and buried his head in his food.

Grandpa Chen and Aunt Guo exchanged knowing smiles.

Little rascal, is it even possible to get through to you without giving you a bit of pressure?

You spend your days fishing and gardening. If you don't hurry up and get married, what's the point?

After finishing his meal, Han Qiwu quickly excused himself, balancing a half-frozen watermelon Aunt Guo had given him on his bike as he rode home.

On the way back, his mind wandered. Luckily, there wasn't much traffic on the countryside roads, so even though he was zoning out, he made it home safely.

If someone asked him what he was thinking, he wouldn't know how to put it into words.

Just a jumble of thoughts.

Once inside, he sliced up the watermelon and set it aside. Then, he went back to working on his handmade wooden bridge.

After a while, a thought popped into his head, "Oh right, we've got quite a bit of osmanthus wood at home now. Why not use some of it to make railings and handrails for the bridge? That way, people walking on it can enjoy the scent of osmanthus flowers."

Good thing Aunt Guo had given him that chilled watermelon; he'd take a break and have a bite whenever he felt tired.

The watermelon was grown in a greenhouse, from a sandy-flesh variety. One bite and it was incredibly refreshing, with juices bursting forth, quenching his thirst and re-energizing him.

After more than two hours.

The sun, which had been hiding behind the clouds all this time, finally couldn't resist peeking out.

Fortunately, by then Han Qiwu's wooden bridge was about seventy to eighty percent finished. With just one plank remaining, he didn't have to worry about being scorched by the sun.

*Swish*

Sliding the final plank into place, Han Qiwu dusted off his hands, a sense of accomplishment swelling within him.

All done!

After completing the wooden bridge, he noticed a thin, luminous layer appearing on its surface.

[Simple Osmanthus Wooden Bridge]

[Purpose: Decoration]

[Special Effect – Durable: A wooden bridge made according to the blueprint, highly durable]

[Special Effect – Osmanthus Fragrance: Walking on the bridge leaves a natural osmanthus scent on your clothes, lasting for 2 hours]

[Note: Appropriate innovation may lead to unexpected rewards]

[Effect activated upon placement]

"The osmanthus fragrance turned into a new special effect? It even perfumes clothes?" Han Qiwu was a bit surprised. He bent down to pick up the Simple Osmanthus Wooden Bridge, turned around, and placed it back onto the bridge slot.

The placed Simple Osmanthus Wooden Bridge stretched perfectly across the span. Although it was called "simple," it had a unique artisanal charm, making it look anything but plain.

Spreading his arms, Han Qiwu tentatively walked onto the bridge.

Even though he had built it himself, he still felt a little unsure.

But a few steps in, he began to relax.

Standing in the middle of the bridge, he leaned against the railing, taking in the view of the courtyard from the higher vantage point. Lush vegetables thrived in the garden, towering trees stood proud, and various small animals frolicked about. A faint osmanthus aroma lingered in the air.

Is this the idyllic life of "a small bridge, flowing water, and a homestead"?

Well, no. A homestead implies more than one person, doesn't it?

"Ah." Han Qiwu sighed, walking off the bridge and pinching his shirt to sniff it.

Sure enough, there was a faint osmanthus scent clinging to it, better than even fabric softener.

If one of his high school roommates who hated doing laundry knew about this, they'd probably be over the moon, walking over the bridge once a day to freshen up their clothes.

Glancing at the watermelon nearby, Han Qiwu decided to deliver some water buffalo milk to Ding Shuding.

He was still counting on learning greenhouse farming techniques from Ding Shuji.

This greenhouse watermelon was just too delicious.

Walking over to the storage box, he took out three bottles of water buffalo milk and pedaled toward Old Ding's orchard.

Initially, he wanted to bring more, but considering that the weather was getting warmer, bringing too much might make it hard to store.

At the orchard near the southwestern hill of the town, Han Qiwu easily found Ding Shuji's place.

Unlike last time, today there was only a truck and a few workers loading goods. He wasn't sure if it was because the busy season had passed or not.

Parking his bike, Han Qiwu carried three large bottles of milk to the door and called out, "Good afternoon, Aunt Ding! I brought some milk for Ding to drink."

Yanfang, who was doing bookkeeping, looked up and quickly stood, jogging over to say, "Oh my, this is too much trouble for you. Thank you so much!"

In the other room, little Ding, who had been watching cartoons, had sharp ears. Upon hearing Han Qiwu's voice, he shouted, "Milk Brother is here?" and dashed into the living room at top speed.

Seeing Han Qiwu, little Ding shouted joyfully and hugged his leg tightly. Looking up, he said, "Brother, I've been really good these past few days! I haven't had much sweet stuff at all! You can ask my mom if you don't believe me."

"I believe you, I believe you. Our little Ding wouldn't lie!" Han Qiwu laughed, placing the milk on the table, opening a bottle, and passing it to the kid. "Drink slowly; there are two more bottles."

"Okay, okay!" Little Ding nodded energetically, hugging the milk and drinking happily.

"This kid, don't forget to thank Brother Han!" Yanfang playfully scolded, laughing. "Your Uncle Ding has gone to deliver goods; he won't be back until tomorrow."

"Uncle Ding still has to go with the truck in person? Aren't there plenty of people helping out?" Han Qiwu asked curiously.

Yanfang glanced at Little Ding and sighed helplessly, "Business has been tough lately. For some reason, fruit and vegetable yields have been slightly dropping. We're not sure yet if it's the seeds or the fertilizer. Your Uncle Ding didn't feel comfortable with this batch, so he went along to keep an eye on it."

"Yields are dropping? Badly?" Han Qiwu asked quickly. For farmers, crop yield was directly tied to their livelihood.

Yanfang looked down at the accounts and said, "Compared to this time last year, production is down about 15%. We'll monitor the situation again next month."

"If there's anything I can help with, don't hesitate to let me know," Han Qiwu said with a nod. "Don't be shy; I have friends in the city."

"It's not urgent yet, but thank you, Xiao Han. Anyway, enough about that—do you have enough vegetables at home? Let me pack some for you." Yanfang smiled warmly.

"We've got plenty. No need to trouble yourself, Aunt Ding," Han Qiwu quickly declined.

"Brother, while your milk might taste better than ours, I bet our vegetables taste better than yours!" Little Ding managed to chime in between sips of milk. His serious tone made Han Qiwu chuckle.

Kids really are adorable.