Farming Games are All About Grinding

Carrying his supplies, Han Qiwu headed straight for the livestock farm.

On the way there, he didn't forget to glance at the surroundings on both sides of the road.

In the middle of spring, the fields outside seemed to have donned a brand-new skin, vibrant and colorful.

Along the way, he picked quite a few raspberries.

Just as he finished gathering a handful of raspberries, he looked up and saw dozens of small, pitch-black spheres.

These little spheres were only the size of a fingertip, with a glossy black surface that resembled black pearls.

The plants they grew on looked somewhat similar to raspberry bushes—low shrubs—but their growth was vigorous, spreading across the slope in a wide swath as far as the eye could see.

Han Qiwu found these things oddly familiar. Walking closer, he plucked a few of the glowing orbs identified by his system.

[Dragon Hollyhock]

[Stamina +10]

[Health +2]

[Special Effect - Neutralize Heat Toxins: Dragon Hollyhock can dissipate heat and remove heat toxins]

[Note: Dragon Hollyhock is a love-hate plant]

"Nothing beats the countryside—seeing Dragon Hollyhock and daring to eat it; in the city, you'd never know how much pesticide is on it." Han Qiwu chuckled and popped two Dragon Hollyhock berries into his mouth.

Dragon Hollyhock has many nicknames: Black Star, Yoyo, Little Black Glossy, Thousand Pearls, and more. The main reason is its tenacious vitality, with its presence recorded all across the country. Both its leaves and ripe berries are edible, and they have similar effects—cooling the body and detoxifying. However, its leaves must be cooked before consumption. Dragon Hollyhock berries are green when unripe and turn black when ripe.

The berry's skin was thin and easily burst with a gentle press of the tongue. The seeds inside were tiny, offering an excellent texture, while the juice possessed a unique berry sweetness—more elegant than sugarcane, richer than raspberries—truly fascinating.

"Here, Dragon Hollyhock is considered food. But over at the experimental fields, it'd be enough to drive someone mad," Han Qiwu muttered, shaking his head as he pulled out a small pouch and began picking the berries.

Because of its strong vitality, once Dragon Hollyhock takes root in experimental fields, it spreads uncontrollably, covering vast areas and becoming difficult to eradicate.

About ten minutes later, Han Qiwu had gathered more than fifty Dragon Hollyhock berries. Of course, he had been snacking as he picked, leaving only about thirty berries in his storage slot.

After eating these Dragon Hollyhock berries, he clearly felt the burn marks on his arm healing faster.

"I'll see if I can get some seeds and plant a small patch at home. White grass root tea combined with Dragon Hollyhock would be a treasure in lava-layer mining areas!" Han Qiwu mentally noted as he got back on his bike and headed toward the livestock farm.

At the entrance of the farm, Han Qiwu greeted the old man by the gate: "Uncle, is Brother Yang here? I want to see the lambs."

"The lambs were taken out to play by his aunt, but your Brother Yang is at home," the old man replied with a hearty laugh, setting down his water pipe and pulling a nearby bell cord.

"Ding-ding-ding."

The bell hadn't rung long before Yang Yangyang, dressed casually, briskly walked over.

The old man at the gate called out to Yang Yangyang, "Xiao Han just said he wanted to see Xiao Yang. Could you check if his aunt left yet?"

"She left on the bus long ago; they're probably shopping downtown by now. Xiao Han, how about I bring him to your place next time?" Yang Yangyang suggested with a smile.

Han Qiwu finally understood there had been a misunderstanding with the old man at the gate. He hurriedly turned to Yang Yangyang and explained, "Brother Yang, I'm here to see the lambs, not Xiao Shu."

"Hahaha, so it's the lambs you want to see. How are you managing? You've been doing great with chickens, cows, ducks, and rabbits. Are you handling it all alone?" Yang Yangyang laughed heartily, leading Han Qiwu into the house as he spoke.

Han Qiwu had come prepared and replied with a smile, "My mom enjoys raising them. She's nearing retirement and has less to do, so she comes over to help me out now and then."

"That's great. If you can get used to the gamy smell, goat milk is actually better for older folks—less likely to cause allergies and easier to digest," Yang Yangyang remarked, handing Han Qiwu a catalog. "Take a look and pick the type you want while I head to the storeroom."

Han Qiwu took the catalog, already mulling over this idea. Mr. and Mrs. Han were slightly lactose intolerant, so they generally avoided cow milk. If he could produce high-quality goat milk himself, they might be able to enjoy some.

Opening the catalog, a menu appeared before Han Qiwu:

[Build Farm Facilities]

[Upgrade Farm Facilities]

[Purchase Animal Younglings]

[Purchase Feed]

Selecting the farm facilities menu, Han Qiwu directly found the option for a beginner-grade goat pen and began examining it.

[Beginner Goat Pen]

[Capacity: 4 lambs]

[Materials required: Wood (400/400), Stone (400/400), Money (31875/8000)]

[Note: Goat milk and roasted lamb racks await you!]

Before setting out, Han Qiwu had anticipated the gamey smell of goat milk and had specifically brought 200 units of regular wood and 200 units of osmanthus wood.

Thanks to the Light of Growth from last time, it otherwise would've taken ages to gather this much osmanthus wood.

[Congratulations on successfully purchasing the Beginner Goat Pen. The goat pen will appear in your yard tomorrow morning. Please select a 4×4 plot to build it.]

When choosing the plot, Han Qiwu suddenly noticed that the goat pen's virtual image seemed quite tall.

The height of the beginner goat pen surpassed even that of the intermediate chicken coop.

What's going on here?

Goats don't need to live in the sky, do they?

To play it safe, Han Qiwu placed the pen at the rear-left side of Jilei Mountain, keeping some distance from Hongyan Tower.

After the purchase, Han Qiwu also checked the upgrade options for farm buildings.

As he had guessed, after harvesting duck eggs, the duck house now had an upgrade option available.

[Farm Facilities Available for Upgrade: Beginner Cow Pen → Intermediate Cow Pen, Intermediate Chicken Coop → Advanced Chicken Coop, Beginner Duck House → Intermediate Duck House]

[Intermediate Duck House]

[Prerequisite: Beginner Duck House (1/1)]

[Capacity: 10 ducklings]

[Materials required: Wood (0/600), Stone (0/600), Money (23875/12000)]

[Additional Features: Incubator, Breeding Room]

[Note: The Intermediate Duck House can provide you with ducklings.]

"Money's not the issue, but the material requirements of six hundred wood and six hundred stone for an upgrade are a bit tough to gather," Han Qiwu sighed.

Take it slow.

Just as Han Qiwu finished browsing, Yang Yangyang returned with a large black bag in hand.

Han Qiwu handed the catalog back to Yang Yangyang, smiling as he said, "These goats all look great. I'll check with my family about what type they'd like, and I'll come back tomorrow to buy one."

"Sure thing. I'll be here tomorrow. If Xiao Shu finds out you're coming, he'll definitely be excited," Yang Yangyang replied with a grin, putting away the catalog. He then extended the large black bag to Han Qiwu. "Oh, by the way, you came just in time. My brother butchered a Gobi goat a couple of days ago. The meat's exceptionally tender, and I can't finish it all myself. Here, take this leg of lamb home to try."