“I’m not okay!” said Mo. “My energy was used up, but I didn’t get any exp!”
“No exp? Yeah, I figured as much, but I wanted to give it a try,” I said. The others turned to look at me with inquiring expressions on their faces, so I explained it further. “Digging up whole plants, roots and all, is meant for relocating plants, like if I wanted to place something else on that particular spot. It wouldn’t give exp since you didn’t harvest the fruit.”
They digested this explanation in silence for a few minutes, then Mo brightened as a new thought struck her. “What if I plucked the fruit before selling it?”
“No, the client is paying for the fruit, too. Anyway, this is a strategic decision,” I said. “I’ll tell you about it over lunch. Let’s finish using up our energy first.”
“Lunch will be salt-baked chicken,” said Lari.
“Oh, I love that!” I said.
We quickly finished harvesting the fresh [Gai Lan] that the chef had requested for today’s meal and returned to the house in good spirits. After washing up and changing clothes, we met in the outer courtyard at the dining hall.
At this time of the year, as autumn was giving way to winter, we wore our usual cotton garments but layered them for warmth. We normally spent winter at the desert farm, but I wanted to take care of the baby at Emberstone farm, so the maids were busy preparing our thicker winter clothes and putting up thicker curtains and elegant painted wooden folding screens to block any cold drafts. Cold was considered deadly for a new mother’s postpartum confinement period, but this wasn’t too much of a concern since the System’s climate control settings kept everyone toasty. However, despite the System’s temperature control settings, the kids still liked to light a fire in the dining room’s fireplace. I admit it gave the dining room a cozier look.
Prince Baiyu and Scholar Wu joined us at the table.
“Ah, my dear, you’re just in time,” I said as I planted a kiss on my husband’s cheek. “I was just about to explain to my apprentices why we’re selling a mature plant.”
He and Scholar Wu sat down on either side of me, which was the signal for the maids to start serving the food and drink. I totally forgot about my explanation when I saw the chicken.
Salt-baked chicken was cooked exactly as its name implied. A whole chicken was brushed with wine, rubbed with salt and spices, and wrapped with parchment paper by the kitchen staff. I believe some herbs and vegetables were also stuffed inside it. Salt was then heated in a wok, and the bottom of a clay pot was covered with the hot salt before the wrapped chicken was placed inside it. The whole thing was then covered with salt and baked.
I knew about this because yesterday Lari had been allowed to help out with the chicken they were making for the staff, and he’d told us all about it. The other five chickens were for our table since clan members ate a lot more than humans.
When I had it on Earth with my parents, we used to pull the juicy meat apart with our hands, but today I saw that the Demon Chef and his assistants had already deboned and pulled apart the chicken meat for us.
My mouth watered as I picked up a piece of meat with my chopsticks. The meat was incredibly tender, practically dissolving as I chewed. Juices pooled in my mouth. Each bite was moist and delicate, the meat having been cooked in its own juices and wonderfully seasoned to enhance its savory flavor.
I ate it just like that, but the others dipped it in the ginger-scallion sauce or added chili oil to it.
I also had a bit of garlic stir-fried [Gai Lan] with the chicken, as well as a golden chicken broth with mushrooms. The garlicky and crunchy green vegetable paired well with the soft chicken and red rice, and the broth was delightfully refreshing and light.
Dessert was glutinous rice balls with honey and apple slices, but I only had a mouthful of the sweet treat since I was stuffed.
It wasn’t until the maids were clearing the table that I realized that I was supposed to tell the kids my reasoning.
“About the plant. Remember that our ultimate goal is to grow Immortal Herbs,” I said to the others. “Mo, you said it's a waste to give away a plant since we don’t get the exp, but the real waste would be to have to grow food crops when we’re ready to plant Immortal Herbs.”
Looking around, I saw that my apprentices understood what I was saying, so I continued. “It’s time for us to prepare the community by letting them grow their own spiritual food. We’ve been selling seeds at a good price, but selling a few mature plants each season would accelerate the process.”
“Teacher, Immortal herbs should give a lot more exp, right?” Kharli’s eyes gleamed.
“For sure. You can’t even compare it to the exp we get from regular crops.” What I didn’t say was that the reason why the spiritual herbs gave more exp was because they took longer to grow. “As farmers, we need to plan ahead, years ahead.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“But we’re not going to sell [Tea] plants?” asked Kharli.
“Yes, those are our signature luxury crop,” I said.
We talked about the details for a few more minutes before the talk turned to the new topic that everyone was gossiping about.
“The egg hatched a spider, but the spider was a toy one? I think a real spider hatched out; they just didn’t see it. Baby spiders are this small.” Lari measured out a hair’s breadth with his thumb and forefinger.
“No, I think the big maze spider was playing a prank on them,” said Mo.
“The ‘toy’ is probably a magic one,” said Kharli. “It has to be since it hatched from a spider egg.”
I just chuckled at the thought of someone buying the egg for an enormous amount of money, only to end up with a small spider marionette made of stuffed cotton.
Over the next few days, we harvested all of the crops, which gave us a ton of exp, and on the last day of the harvest season, I ceremonially harvested the plant, a [Pumpkin].
“That’s it! The last one of the year.” I held the [Pumpkin] aloft, admiring its size and deep orange color. “So how did everyone do?”
We compared our stats to each other.
[Apprentice Name: Kharli
Farming Skills:
Farming Level 35→39, Fishing Level 20→21, Woodcutting Level 27→28, Cooking Level 6, Herblaw Level 5→6, Foraging Level 13→14, Hunting Level 6]
[Apprentice Name: Lari
Farming Skills:
Farming Level 35→39, Fishing Level 22→24, Woodcutting Level 26→27, Cooking Level 1, Herblaw Level 5→6, Foraging Level 4, Hunting Level 15→16]
[Apprentice Name: Mo
Farming Skills:
Farming Level 35→39, Fishing Level 5, Woodcutting Level 27→28, Cooking Level 7, Herblaw Level 5→6, Foraging Level 24→28, Hunting Level 4]
Kharli’s level total was three higher than the others, which I attributed to her greater physical abilities. She was always the most athletic of the three, and I thought it was likely that her greater physical stamina also translated to more System energy.
[Player Name: Violet
Farming Skills:
Farming Level 53→56, Fishing Level 22→23, Woodcutting Level 33-37, Cooking Level 11, Herblaw Level 49→56, Foraging Level 13→15, Hunting Level 8, Mining Level 11]
My own levels were pretty good, and I was close, very close to my goal of level 60 Farming. So close, in fact, that I decided it was time to finish the epic quest and welcome my new dragon baby to his new home.
“My dears, it’s time. We’ll go to the desert farm today, where I will get enough exp to level up to 60 Farming. I should be giving birth shortly after that.”
The girls screamed in delight and embraced me. Lari joined in after a bit of bashful indecision, and we hugged it out.
Everything was ready. My courtyard had all the baby essentials. The maids had been trained by Fengying. The midwife, wet nurse, and nanny were all in the house. My husband sent a messenger to let the doctor know it was time, and we all went through the portal to the desert farm when he arrived.
The quest was almost complete. All I needed was to plant one more seed, and item number 12 was finished.
[Epic Quest: Greening the Desert
Turn the cursed desert into fertile land.
1. Improve watershed by using water harvesting methods by digging contour swales. - done
2. Improve watershed by using water harvesting methods by digging a lake reservoir. - done
3. Plant the berms with one hundred fruit trees and one hundred berry bushes. - done
4. When the lake is full, plant a riparian buffer of one hundred trees. - done
5. Plant one hundred fertilizer trees. Use a cultivation box. - done
6. Graze spirit animals. Sow wild grass and flowers on the grazed land. - done
7. Plant one hundred fruit trees. Use a cultivation box. - done
8. Plant one hundred nut trees. Use a cultivation box. - done
9. Plant one hundred trees. Use a cultivation box. - done
10. Create windbreaks to protect the crops. - done
11. Plant one hundred perennial crops. - done
12. Create a food forest made of a diverse array of one hundred fruit trees, one hundred shrubs, one hundred vines, one hundred grasses or herbs, and one hundred root crops.
Progress: 11/12]
I would normally plant the seed with the other trees, but since I was getting ready for the birth, I chose a spot only a few feet away from the portal so that I could quickly return to Emberstone Farm.
“What a beautiful morning.” I looked up at the vast blue sky and smiled. My heart was racing with excitement. “Alright, here goes nothing!”
My entire household was watching as I dropped a seed on the ground. A System pop-up appeared.
[Greening the Desert: Quest Complete
Rewards:
Farming Exp
Extra Building Slot (Only Available in the Desert)
New Passive Ability Unlocked - Desert Blessing (Increases All Exp by 3%)]
[Congratulations, you just advanced a Farming level!]
[Congratulations, you just advanced a Farming level!]
[Congratulations, you just advanced a Farming level!]
[Congratulations, you just advanced a Farming level!]
[Congratulations, you just advanced a Farming level!]
[Congratulations, you just advanced a Farming level!]
[Your Farming level is now 62.]
Lights exploded around me in the usual fireworks display. I waited for something else to happen, but nothing did.
I turned to my husband in confusion. “Maybe we need to wait until I dream about him tonight?”
“Maybe-” His words were cut off by a loud roar.
*****
Author's Note:
- Baby time next chapter?
- Advanced chapters on my Patreon!
- Thank you very much for reading.
- Please let me know if there are any errors.