Farming Games are All About Grinding

After launching another wave of pinecones into the air, the big squirrel suddenly realized something.

Wait a minute.

At this rate, I'm going to run out of stock here!

How am I supposed to get through winter like this?

Seeing the big squirrel abruptly stop, Han Qiwu panicked and quickly pulled back his ice slingshot, firing a small exploratory pebble.

He wouldn't dare injure the big squirrel.

*Swish*

The big squirrel dodged the pebble and turned sharply, shooting Han Qiwu a vicious glare before swishing its big tail and leaping away several times, disappearing from Han Qiwu's sight.

"What a pity." Han Qiwu shook his head, then glanced down at the eighteen misty pinecones in his storage compartment, opting not to chase after it.

What kind of joke is this—chasing a squirrel in the woods?

But, Han Qiwu had a clever plan of his own!

"Big squirrel, don't worry, I understand the art of 'shearing wool.' I won't strip it to death!" Han Qiwu chuckled, pulling out the malfunctioning compass and marking one of the misty pinecones.

With more than ten minutes to go before the hour struck, he wasn't in a rush. He turned back and started cutting down a few birch trees.

After burning off a good bit of stamina, Han Qiwu excitedly pulled out one of the misty pinecones, eager to taste it.

The pinecone's appearance resembled a pagoda, which is why it's also called "pine tower" in some places. It was large, hefty, and weighed around three pounds.

For these matured misty pinecones, the tightly wrapped scales on the outside had already loosened. With some effort, you could snap them off and reveal the pine nuts inside.

*Crack, crack*

After snapping off the scale, Han Qiwu tilted his head to look and exclaimed in surprise, "These pine nuts are so big! Could they be some kind of mutated variety?"

The light yellow pine nuts layered tightly within the pinecone were plump, smooth, and shiny.

Han Qiwu used a knife to pry off two pine nuts, biting down hard to crack their tough shells before finally tasting the nut inside.

Unlike the bulky pinecones, the pine nuts were small, each a moist shade of yellow, visually appetizing.

With a gentle bite, the small pine nut instantly released a rich pine oil fragrance. Its texture was soft, and the taste was akin to sunflower seeds but several grades finer.

The pine nut felt like a solidified block of oil.

Fragrant but not greasy.

Even eaten raw, they tasted wonderful.

If roasted back home, the flavor would surely be even richer!

Han Qiwu ate with greater enthusiasm, prying off more than ten pine nuts with his knife and savoring them slowly. The flavor of these misty pine nuts was more fragrant and nuanced than anything he'd ever eaten before—he couldn't stop.

Of course, while eating, he didn't forget to share with Xiao Dian and Xiao Lai.

Although, feeding them proved a bit challenging.

The pine nuts were too tough to crack barehanded, and he certainly couldn't bite them open and spit them out for them, right?

Luckily, Han Qiwu discovered Xiao Dian's claws were quite powerful and could crush the pine nuts open.

So, Xiao Dian became the "bird-powered pine nut opener," using one claw to crack nuts for himself and the other claw to share with Han Qiwu and Xiao Lai.

Everyone was happy.

Xiao Dian: "???"

If the pine nuts weren't so delicious, I wouldn't be cracking them for you!

After finishing these, it was finally time. The malfunctioning compass began spinning erratically.

After a dozen seconds, a cluster of red dots representing misty pinecones appeared on the map. These red dots were grouped in three main locations, each containing about a dozen red dots. All three were located in the middle section of the cobblestone path to the right, with the nearest one about a ten-minute walk from Han Qiwu.

"There's so many left—what a feast! I heard pine nuts are good for the brain; it's perfect for Mr. Tang." Han Qiwu rubbed his hands together eagerly, called over Xiao Dian, picked up Xiao Lai, and prepared to set off.

Just before leaving, he glanced at the malfunctioning compass and was shocked to see two red dots on the target red pine tree disappearing at a visible speed.

Damn, the big squirrel's definitely snatching them!

Pick up the pace!

Han Qiwu swapped into flip-flops and sprinted forward with long strides.

Too bad the fog was so thick, and Xiao Dian wasn't familiar with the terrain; otherwise, he would've just sent Xiao Dian ahead to fetch them.

Seven minutes later, a panting Han Qiwu stared despairingly at the towering red pine tree disappearing into the mist above.

So tall???

The pinecones all grow in the treetop canopies!

From his vantage point, the visible part of the tree alone was at least ten meters high.

And that didn't even account for the portion obscured by the mist.

It was possible this tree reached twenty or thirty meters.

*Swish*

From the foggy treetop, an immature pinecone came whizzing straight toward Han Qiwu's rear.

*Zzzap*

Thankfully, Xiao Dian hadn't eaten those nuts for nothing—he zapped it aside with a burst of electricity.

*Squeak squeak!*

The big squirrel appeared out of the mist, furiously gesturing at something above while standing akimbo and squeaking loudly.

This is my turf!

It simply couldn't figure out how this pesky villain managed to find its location.

Wasn't its escape route flawless?

"Xiao Dian, see if you can fly through the mist and bring some down," Han Qiwu said, pointing toward the treetop canopy.

Under normal circumstances, harvesting pinecones is a dangerous task. Harvesters have to climb the tree by hand, ascending ten meters or more to reach the canopy. A single misstep could lead to accidents, and rescue in remote mountain forests is often delayed, potentially leaving lasting injuries.

Fortunately, Han Qiwu had a bird.

*Chirp chirp chirp!*

Xiao Dian used his claws to gesture the number three.

"Three's too much. You'll eat yourself too heavy to fly—how about just one for you to sneakily munch on?" Han Qiwu grinned.

*Chirp chirp!*

Xiao Dian nodded in satisfaction, then flew upward with renewed vigor.

Having savored the pine nuts before, his mind was now full of their deliciousness.

Stealing snacks is what makes birds happy!

Watching Xiao Dian fly upward, Han Qiwu sized up Xiao Lai and asked, "Xiao Lai, can you climb trees?"

Xiao Lai: "????"

The small, weak, and helpless Xiao Lai couldn't understand why its master was asking if a handless, footless Slime could climb trees.

"Never mind, you can cheer me on from below," Han Qiwu said dismissively, waving his hand as he carried Xiao Lai and began running around the tree.

Can't afford to get hit by falling pinecones.

Three-pound pinecones—getting hit in the butt wouldn't be fun!

In the air, Xiao Dian deftly avoided the big squirrel's thrown projectiles, excitedly closing in on the treetop canopy.

*Squeak squeak!*

Seeing Xiao Dian drawing nearer, the big squirrel ground his teeth, leaped off the tree trunk, and with the help of his fluffy tail, landed right on Xiao Dian's back, kicking at his wing.

*Whoosh!*

Half of Xiao Dian's feathers were sent flying with a single kick of the squirrel.

*Chirp chirp!!* Xiao Dian cried out in pain as an electrical field surged across his body. He wanted to zap this mischievous squirrel to oblivion!

*Squeak squeak!*

Triumphant, the squirrel jumped to a nearby tree and darted away without turning back.

No more bird up there—now you can't climb up and steal my precious pinecones!