Farming Games are All About Grinding

Today is cloudy, the sun hidden behind the clouds, making the ride on the electric scooter feel especially pleasant.

The spring air after a rainfall carries a faint grassy aroma, and the occasional bird calls brushing past his ears brighten Han Qiwu's mood considerably.

"Life really is more interesting in the village."

As he passed the small hill near the village, Han Qiwu had a sudden thought—if he ever chops down all the trees in the Mist Forest someday, perhaps he should just set about contracting a hill here and take his time cutting them down.

As for the money needed to lease the hill, selling some fruits and vegetables might be enough to scrape it together.

Not to mention, his family's giant cauliflower alone could collect a pile of awards and trophies at the expo.

This thing is as rare as "scorpion droppings—one of a kind."

Arriving at the entrance of the blacksmith shop, Han Qiwu carried a crystal orb in his hand and walked in with a smile.

"Ding ding ding."

Today, just like usual, Master Shuzi wasn't at the counter in the blacksmith shop. Instead, metallic sounds of forging reverberated from the workshop behind.

"What is it? I don't have time to work on crystal orbs right now, I'm pretty busy," Master Shuzi's voice came tired yet vigorous from the back.

"I brought a few crystal orbs for you as a gift and wanted to ask you about how to build a wooden bridge," Han Qiwu said directly.

"A wooden bridge? Why do you need one? Are you constructing a scenic river at your place?" Master Shuzi asked curiously.

"Not really a scenic river, just a big fish pond," Han Qiwu chuckled as he explained.

After hearing this, Master Shuzi mulled it over and said, "I definitely don't have time to help you with that right now, but I do have a blueprint for a wooden bridge. You'll need to pay to buy it—want it?"

[Do you want to spend 2000 gold to buy the simple wooden bridge blueprint?]

Han Qiwu nodded, "Alright, I won't bother you, Master. I'll study this on my own."

"Don't worry, it's very straightforward."

A few seconds later, a rolled-up piece of beast-hide parchment flew out from behind the curtain.

Han Qiwu quickly reached out to catch it.

[You have obtained the simple wooden bridge blueprint]

[Simple Wooden Bridge Blueprint]

[Usage: Construction]

[Special Effect – Durability: Bridges built using this blueprint are sturdy and long-lasting]

[Note: Learning the simple wooden bridge blueprint is required before studying other bridge construction methods]

After glancing at the blueprint's attributes, Han Qiwu felt quite satisfied.

A wooden bridge's most important trait is durability; aspects like aesthetics aren't in his scope of concern.

"Looks like this blueprint is foundational. If I want to eventually turn my home into one of those charming courtyard styles, I'll probably have to build lots of little bridges," Han Qiwu thought aloud as he slowly unrolled the blueprint.

After skimming through it once, he smiled.

The blueprint was so user-friendly: all the dimensions and construction methods were laid out step by step with both text and illustrations—the teaching was top-notch!

"Thanks, Master, I'll head back and get studying!"

Leaving the blacksmith shop, Han Qiwu stopped by the town to purchase woodworking tools like planes and saws, then headed home to gather the wood and get started.

After making the canned jars, the regular wood at home had dwindled to just 35 pieces—he wasn't sure if that would be enough.

"Swish swish swish."

Han Qiwu followed the blueprint as he swiftly worked on the wooden bridge.

Thankfully, it was cloudy today; otherwise, working under the sun would've been far too scorching.

Measuring, sawing, planing, creating tenon-and-mortise joints, assembling—Han Qiwu's carpentry techniques grew rapidly from clumsy to proficient.

After using up all 35 pieces of wood, he even made a trip to the miniature Forest of Ten Thousand Trees to chop down the newly spawned trees for extra timber. Then, he resumed his work.

Two hours flew by, and Han Qiwu had already constructed the framework of the wooden bridge.

"Phew." He wiped the sweat off his face and pulled out a bottle of frozen birch sap to guzzle down.

Refreshing.

After resting for a moment, Han Qiwu washed his hands and headed into the kitchen to prepare a strawberry cake.

Strawberry cake is more complicated to make than strawberry layered dessert. One step involves separating egg yolks from egg whites—turning yolks into a liquid mix and whisking the whites until fluffy. Another step requires extracting a bit of cream from milk using a high-speed centrifuge to whip into frosting.

Fortunately, Han Qiwu's experimental equipment included a centrifuge, so he could do it himself.

To ensure quality, he extracted the cream from buffalo milk. Once whipped, the cream gained a lovely airy texture with an enticingly rich milky aroma.

After finishing the cake layer, Han Qiwu carefully spread strawberries and whipped cream over it, piping "Happy Birthday Grandpa Chen" in strawberry jam.

Success!

The finished strawberry cake was an irresistible sight with its vibrant red and white contrast, exuding both creamy and fruity fragrances—it looked absolutely delectable.

Noticing that it was about mealtime, Han Qiwu packed up the strawberry cake, grabbed a piece of smoked meat Mr. Tang had sent over earlier, and hopped on his scooter to head for Aunt Guo's house.

Time to celebrate Grandpa Chen's birthday!

At Aunt Guo's gate, Han Qiwu carried the strawberry cake in both hands, singing the birthday song as he walked in.

As soon as he entered the yard, he spotted Grandpa Chen in a suit, standing solemnly by a tree. Only his unsure hands gave away his nervousness.

Nearby, Aunt Guo was holding a Polaroid camera, cheerfully urging him, "Smile! Don't go around pulling such a grumpy face. What, someone owes you money? If you're not sure where to put your hands, stick them in your pockets!"

"Alright." Just as Grandpa Chen adjusted his pose, he looked up to see Han Qiwu entering with the cake, singing, and instinctively broke into a smile. "Xiao Han, who's the cake for?"

"Click."

Satisfied, Aunt Guo set down the Polaroid and chuckled as she waited for the photo to develop. "Don't play dumb; did you think it was for me? Xiao Han, how'd you know it was his birthday today?"

"Ahem, that's a secret. Grandpa Chen, happy birthday! May you have blessings as vast as the East China Sea and longevity to rival the evergreen pines of southern mountains!" Han Qiwu laughed, placing the strawberry cake on the stone table. "I made this myself—it's clean."

"Now that's wonderful! Xiao Han, you really are a great guy—there's nothing you can't do!" Aunt Guo said delightedly, "I was suggesting buying a cake yesterday, but your Grandpa Chen insisted that he's too old for that sort of thing and said cooking dishes would suffice. He wouldn't let me buy one!"

Grandpa Chen coughed, "Thank you, Xiao Han. So, this was what you meant this morning, huh? Had me wondering all day."

"Just wanted to surprise you." Han Qiwu scratched his head and picked up the Polaroid photograph, laughing as he admired it. "Aunt Guo, you've got real talent—look at how happy Grandpa Chen is smiling!"

Aunt Guo came over for a peek and couldn't help grinning proudly, though she remarked modestly, "That's only because Xiao Han showed up. Before this, he was standing there sulking like a shoehorn."

Grandpa Chen: "..."

Isn't this MY birthday?

After the laughter and banter, Han Qiwu helped carry out seven dishes—a mix of three hot, three cold, and one soup—to the table. The food was quite a feast.

"Today marks my sixty-sixth birthday. Thanks to Xiao Han for the cake and Old Guo for the dishes. Here's wishing Xiao Han academic success, Old Guo eternal youth, and myself continued good health—it's all in this cup of rice wine!" Grandpa Chen said, his face glowing as he downed a glass.

"Cheers!" Aunt Guo and Han Qiwu clapped enthusiastically.

After refilling Grandpa Chen's wine, Han Qiwu brought out the candle-lit strawberry cake and encouraged Grandpa Chen to blow out the candles.

"Old Chen, remember to make a wish while blowing the candles. Don't say it out loud—it won't come true if you do," Aunt Guo teased.

"I know!" Grandpa Chen closed his eyes, muttered something, then cheerfully blew out the candles and sliced off a large piece of cake to place in front of Aunt Guo. "You've worked hard—enjoy the cake."

Aunt Guo snatched the knife and protested, "How could you serve me first?" before swiftly cutting out two pieces: one for Grandpa Chen and one for Han Qiwu, before digging in herself.

Grandpa Chen chuckled and also started eating.

"I have to say, this cream is really fragrant!"

"It is! Xiao Han's skills are impressive—he wouldn't even need a regular job!"

As they complimented the cake, both their eyes began to well up.

Grandpa Chen looked at the strawberry cake and sighed, "Life is so much better now, Xiao Han—you must cherish it."

Aunt Guo nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. I heard from Aunt Hong Mei too—hurry up and settle down with Xiao Tang and have a baby soon!"

Han Qiwu, who was munching on spicy chicken: "???????"