Farming Games are All About Grinding-Chapter 151 - 144: Time for Mantis Shrimp! (Monthly Ticket Additional Release 2-in-1)_2

Chapter 151: Chapter 144: Time for Mantis Shrimp! (Monthly Ticket Additional Release 2-in-1)_2

After coming out, he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to pick up the shells.

What a pity, no time left now.

"Let’s just pick up a few outside. It’ll be lunchtime soon, so I can bring some eggs to Grandpa Chen and snag a meal while I’m at it." Han Qiwu biked to the beach.

Strangely enough, Brother Jing hadn’t shown up for a long time. His phone messages remained unreplied—who knows where he was off enjoying himself.

Hope the fishing trip on the sea doesn’t get ruined.

On the beach, Han Qiwu walked in the rain, surprisingly cheerful.

It had been ages since he’d last combed the beach, and this sudden outing felt pretty fresh.

In just five or six minutes, Han Qiwu managed to collect seven or eight scallops from the sand.

This time, all the scallops were small, vibrant, and alive. Their shells were unusually colorful, with no traces of algae. After eating their meat, the shells could easily be reused to make little crafts.

So engrossed in collecting, Han Qiwu only realized he’d wandered far from where he’d parked when he looked up. Standing before him was a broken stone bridge.

Perched on one of the bridge’s piers, Han Qiwu stared into the distance at the scenery of another patch of beach. He seemed to spot several flashes of system lights flickering.

[You need 300 stones to repair this bridge]

"A hidden map?" Han Qiwu perked up with interest, silently noting down the location.

When he had been sorting things earlier, he’d glanced at his stash of stones—after deducting the 300 for the cowshed, he only had 186 left.

Looks like unlocking this hidden map would mean a few more mining trips are needed.

With the shells collected, it was time to bike over to Grandpa Chen’s place to deliver eggs.

In the small town, the drizzling rain washed over the bluestone roads, making them gleam smooth and bright.

The rain trickling off the eaves would even get captured by some thrifty elderly ladies using big stone vats for later use.

Near lunchtime, the smoke from many households’ stoves rose slowly amidst the drizzle, leaving trails of a cozy, homey atmosphere.

At Grandpa Chen’s doorstep, Han Qiwu walked straight in. "Grandpa Chen, I’ve brought some eggs for you."

As soon as he spoke, Han Qiwu heard the dripping sound of water.

Following the sound, he found himself in Grandpa Chen’s side bedroom. Upon entering, he saw Grandpa Chen standing by the bed, placing a basin underneath the drips.

Looking up, Han Qiwu saw a long water stain now extending across the ceiling of the side bedroom. At the center of the stain, water kept dripping continuously.

"Xiao Han, you’re here." Grandpa Chen saw Han Qiwu walk in and seemed a little embarrassed. Smiling, he explained, "No big deal. It’s an old issue. It’s been damp lately, and the cement I patched earlier has fallen off again—I’ll just slap some more on later."

Han Qiwu carefully examined the state of the ceiling, shook his head, and said, "Cement won’t fix this. Wait till the rain stops tomorrow, and I’ll come over to patch it up for you."

"No need, no need, really," Grandpa Chen waved his hands hurriedly, reaching to pull Han Qiwu out of the room.

In the courtyard, Grandpa Chen chuckled and asked, "You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? Let me call Boss Li to send over two bowls of noodles."

"Sure. I’ve got some eggs with me—I can fry up a couple later." Han Qiwu carried the eggs to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, he noticed the eggs he had brought over last time were still right where he’d left them.

Sigh, these elderly folk.

This won’t do—if eggs are left for too long without eating, they’ll go bad.

Han Qiwu decided not to fry the eggs and instead make a simple version of egg custard.

Wanting Grandpa Chen to eat more, Han Qiwu cracked six eggs into a bowl—four from last time and two freshly brought today.

Checking each egg one by one, and confirming there were no issues, Han Qiwu pulled out a few scallops, scooped out the meat, and mixed it with the eggs.

After thoroughly combining the two, he sprinkled in a dash of rock salt and set the bowl over a boiling pot to steam for 10 minutes.

Voilà, a quick and easy seafood egg custard!

He deliberately omitted mantis shrimp and prawns since their large size would be hard to explain if Grandpa Chen walked in.

Better to prep those next time and bring them over ready-made.

With the custard steaming, Han Qiwu wandered into Grandpa Chen’s storeroom to check what tools were available.

After inspecting, Han Qiwu pulled out his phone and ordered some asphalt online, opting for same-city delivery—it should arrive tomorrow.

Since moving his family to the city, it had been ages since Han Qiwu had patched a ceiling.

Well, this was one of the skills Mrs. Han had taught him from a young age. Her original sentiment was, "Kids are light—they won’t get hurt too badly if they fall, and they recover quickly."

It makes sense. No problem.

Had he not overheard her telling Mr. Han one night while he was visiting the bathroom, "That kid actually went up to fix the ceiling—doesn’t even bother to decline. How did all your foolishness transfer straight to him?" Han Qiwu might have fully believed her reasoning.

This really is a mother for the ages.

After sorting through the storeroom tools, Han Qiwu carried the seafood egg custard out to the courtyard, grabbing the beef noodles from the front door as well.

"Dinner’s ready!" Han Qiwu called out, handing a small spoon to Grandpa Chen, "Grandpa Chen, give the custard a try—see if it’s smooth enough."

"Alright." Grandpa Chen scooped up a small spoonful and squinted his eyes as he savored it.

The eggs and scallops, both system-grade ingredients, were far superior in quality compared to regular items. Combined with Han Qiwu’s spot-on timing and technique, the custard was both bursting with seafood freshness and enveloped in the lush aroma of eggs. Its silky texture melted immediately upon entering the mouth, making it perfect for older folks.

"Delicious, the texture’s just right." Grandpa Chen gave a thumbs up and jokingly said, "Xiao Han, is this what you graduate students specialize in researching?"

Han Qiwu chuckled, scooping a spoonful for himself to taste.

The flavor really was excellent.

After finishing the custard, Han Qiwu lowered his head to eat a bite of beef noodles. Spicy, with a satisfying beef taste, and the noodles had a good chew as well.

After eating his fill, Han Qiwu remembered a tip from today’s life hack segment.

Could asking questions of others also count as a form of initiative?

"Grandpa Chen, I have a friend who’s planning to go on an adventure soon, but it’s inconvenient to keep using torches. What’s a better way to stay warm?" Han Qiwu executed his ’friendless bluff’.

"An adventure, huh? You could use a fire barrel." Grandpa Chen stood up and led Han Qiwu to the storeroom.

After a few minutes of rummaging, Grandpa Chen pulled out a blackened fire barrel. Resembling a stool, it was portable and cylindrical with one-half surrounded by wooden walls. Below was a space for a fire basin, and the semicircular top made for a nice seat.

"When I used to go back to my hometown, we’d take these out in winter. Just sitting on it warmed you right up." Grandpa Chen said with a touch of pride. "I was the first in our village to learn how to make this thing—everyone around here came to learn from me."

Han Qiwu’s eyes lit up. Something that keeps you warm and doubles as a seat?

Ingenious! Whenever he waited for mysterious crossbow bolts to refill at mining sites, standing around always made him fatigued.

"But nowadays, everyone uses electric heaters, and this thing’s fallen out of favor." Grandpa Chen’s tone carried a trace of regret.

"Grandpa Chen, could you teach me how to make one? I’d like to pass it on to my friend," Han Qiwu quickly interjected.

"Sure, it’s pretty simple to make." Grandpa Chen began explaining the crafting process while gesturing at the fire barrel.

Half an hour later.

[You’ve learned how to make a fire barrel]

[Fire Barrel]

[This item can only be hand-crafted]

[Materials: [Wood] ×5, [Iron Ingot] ×1, [Coal] ×1]

[Effects: Lighting, Cold Resistance]

[Note: Requires new coal every five hours of use]

Success!

Han Qiwu was thrilled. Though it required manual crafting and periodic coal refills, the problem was finally solved.

Once he grabbed the iron ingot back home, he could try his hand at crafting one.

"I don’t need this fire barrel anymore anyway. Take it and use it as a reference for your friend." Grandpa Chen handed Han Qiwu the fire barrel he’d used as a teaching prop.

"Thanks, Grandpa Chen." Han Qiwu carried the fire barrel out.

Heading out the door, Han Qiwu placed the fire barrel onto his electric bike, ready to head home and try crafting a system-level fire barrel.

If he succeeded, at least during his afternoon fishing trip, he’d have something warm to sit on.

Sitting on cold reefs all the time made his rear end chilly.

Bad for the liver.