CHAPTER 183 - DOES THIS QUEST SEEM LIKE A REEL PHONY?
🙞❤︎🙜
I awoke refreshed after dreaming about hiking in a mountain forest with a cute little dragon child. We had lots of fun, and he taught me how to use a leaf whistle to call down the birds from the sky.
My morning coffee always tasted better after one of my dragon dreams, and this morning was especially nice since the kitchen staff were experimenting with adding powdered mushrooms to the brew. It made coffee a little muddier in taste, but it added a certain zest to it that was hard to describe. I think it somehow enhanced the effects of the caffeine.
Outside the [Ranch House], tender green shoots were emerging from the freshly turned soil, unfurling tiny green leaves. The air was cool and sweet. According to Fengying, her husband had theorized that the weather had been extremely hot during the summer because the continent’s qi was affected by the descent of the demon egg, and now that the qi imbalance had abated, the weather had returned to normal.
My eyes wandered over the rows of sprouting seedlings, looking for any problem spots such as weeds or pests, but everything looked great. I waited a few minutes for the kids to arrive before we watered the plants. I took charge of the tea field, while the others divided the work of the rice and vegetable fields.
I made my way to the field, watering can in hand and Mr. Bear by my side. The morning dew still clung to the grass, dampening the sides of my simple cotton shoes and Mr. Bear’s feet as we walked.
The air filled with the earthy scent of wet soil as I carefully watered the tea seedlings. This quiet, simple daily ritual was very soothing, and as I worked, I found myself humming tunelessly. When I finished watering the last row, I stepped back and surveyed my work.
All done!
The plants glistened with droplets from the recent watering, each leaf reflecting the soft morning light. The soil, damp and rich, felt cool to the touch. I wiped my brow with a handkerchief and felt a quiet pride in the sight of the tidy rows of crops in the fields.
I put the watering can back in my System inventory and went off to visit Cutie, secure in the knowledge that Lari, Kharli, and Mo knew what to do and didn’t need me to watch over their shoulders.
Cutie was outside her house in the small plot of land I had designated as her playground. Cutie was using her slime tentacles to bounce here and there like a demented eight-legged spider-slime. Though it was rather uncute, I did appreciate that my pet was somehow leveling herself up in terms of body modification. Her control over her appendages was very fine, and I often saw her carefully plucking leaves and flower petals off the plants one by one.
“Cutie, let’s go walk around the farm!” I gathered her into my arms, and we set off with Mr. Bear trailing behind us.
Soon we would be able to leave the farm to Fish, Hunt, and Forage, but today Cutie and I simply strolled south. I put her down so we could both have some exercise, and I was amused to discover that Cutie could now move on two tentacle “legs” like a human. “Sweetie, are you copying me? Aw, who’s a clever girl?”
Soon enough, she got tired of walking like me and started bouncing around like normal. As we ventured south, the path wound around the fields we had cleared which were planted with the [Wild Seed Mix]. The edges of the fields were full of mature trees that we hadn’t chopped down in order to provide a windbreak and for the aesthetic value.
In this part of the farm, the fields were picture-perfect, full of wild green grasses and colorful wildflowers that swayed gracefully in the breeze. We walked under the shade of the trees, leaves crunching wetly underneath my boots and Cutie making a squishy-sounding “boing boing” sound until we reached the riverbank, where crystal-clear waters flowed gently over smooth stones. I sat down on a large rock and, taking out a fishing rod from the System tool belt, placed the bait on the steel hook then cast it towards the spot in the water that was sparkling.
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[Easy Fishing Hack Activated]
This spot was the nearest and most convenient location for Fishing, but only beginner fish that were pretty cheap could be found here. However, now that it was the fall season of the second year, there was a common but seasonal item I wanted to catch.
[Whisperfin:
A small and agile fish with fins that emit a faint, soothing hum when they swim. Fishermen believe their presence brings calm to the waters.]
A System notification screen popped up after a few minutes, indicating that a fish had taken the bait.
[Hit!]
Normally, a little mini-game would appear right about now. It involved a fish icon bobbing up and down whose movements I had to match with the movements of my fishing rod, but with the [Easy Fishing Hack], all I had to do was steadily lift my rod above the water and the fish I had caught automatically appeared in my inventory.
Surrounded by the peaceful ambiance of rustling leaves and the occasional splash of a leaping fish, I spent a lovely morning Fishing along the tranquil riverbank.
***
I missed my boyfriend a lot in the next few days, but I was comforted by the return of Scholar Wu, who arrived with two flying ox carts full of gifts from Prince Baiyu and his parents.
One cart was full of demon kills that Deming and his assistants quickly took charge of. They dragged the animal carcasses away to process them by butchering and portioning them for cooking or later use. Most of the meat would be refrigerated or frozen while other parts would be salted, dried, smoked, cured, pickled, and so forth.
The second ox cart held various treasures and household items of symbolic significance, such as a tea set, signifying a wish for longevity and happiness, and kitchenware that signified abundance and prosperity, as well as being practical and beautiful.
The maids and my apprentices, like a flock of magpies drawn to shiny things, crowded over the chests of silk cloth, jade jewelry, and gold trinkets.
Yinuo pulled out a length of cloth from a box and showed it to us. “Look at this bolt of silk brocade! This shade of red is perfect for a bride.”
Lari held up a pair of gold bracelets set with pearls. “I bet these are worth more than a three-story house in Anwei.”
Kharli poked a set of earrings. “White jade…”
“Prince Baiyu’s name means white jade!” Mo elbowed Kharli who giggled and elbowed her back.
“It has a note saying that it’s from him. The prince is sending her a symbol of his love.” Kharli sighed.
I let them talk while Fengying and I checked the list of things sent, comparing it to the contents of the boxes, and making sure every item was undamaged by the journey. When we were done doing inventory, I sent Yinuo to store the items in my bedroom in the main house.
Scholar Wu, Fengying, and I discussed our schedule for the next few weeks.
The Wu family had assigned Scholar Wu some tasks that she needed to complete before winter, but she should have plenty of time to teach the kids. She also wanted to join us during our Foraging and Hunting trips.
Regarding the [Grove of the Harvest Goddess] quest, I needed Fengying’s help to organize it.
“Wonderful,” I said as I noted down the dates we agreed on. “Please buy what we’ll need in Anwei.”
“My lady, is this going to be the same as last time?” asked Fengying.
“Last time? What do you mean?” I tilted my head and gave her a quizzical look.
“When the household flew south to witness the descent of the demon.”
“Oh…” I looked away and laughed awkwardly. “No, no, this is just the restoration of a derelict temple. There’s nothing dangerous or weird about it, I promise.”
Ever the professional, Fengying simply nodded, her face expressionless.
Scholar Wu, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow so high it nearly disappeared into her hairline.
“It’s true!” I shook my head and gave Fengying a letter. “All I need is the [Miracle Flower] from the Dawn Skyblade Sect.”
“I’ve heard of that flower. They’re not too hard to grow,” said Scholar Wu. “The sect should have a few they can sell to you.”
She turned out to be right. Three days later, the Venerable Immortal Sage sent the flower, and I sent the payment, a few gold coins, via the White Tiger clan’s bank.
We were all set for another simple and fun adventure!
But first, I needed to use the [Curious Cloth Contraption] to make more gifts since Prince Baiyu’s family had sent me a lot of good things.