Chapter 21: New Skill
While Chu Jiu was busy digging up bamboo rhizomes, Glug-Glug, having nothing to do, wound up its little leaves and floated around the bamboo forest.
It was clear that this little guy loved this bamboo forest.
By the time Chu Jiu had dug up ten pieces of bamboo, Glug-Glug was still jumping around the bamboo leaves, quite content.
Little Can, on the other hand, stayed obediently in Chu Jiu’s pocket, not leaving for even half a step.
Chu Jiu looked down at Little Can and saw that the kitten’s eyes were fixed on the swaying bamboo branches and the floating Glug-Glug, its little cat face saying, “So envious, I want to play, but I won’t say it.”
Chu Jiu pressed its little nose, “You want to climb the bamboo too? It’s quite safe here, go play.”
With so many natural cat climbing frames, the kitten couldn’t resist.
Little Can hesitated, meowing, “Is it really safe?”
“Are you okay staying here alone, human?”
Chu Jiu said, “Don’t worry.”
He had used “Camper’s Intuition” to test the area, and it was a suitable campsite, with no danger. Even a kitten playing alone would be safe.
Only then did Little Can jump out somewhat reservedly, glancing back at Chu Jiu: “Don’t wander off.”
Chu Jiu smiled and waved at it, signaling it: “Don’t worry, go play.”
Little Can then leaped onto the bamboo, swishing up and down, having a great time.
Chu Jiu saw that he had some time and decided to take out the “Guide” to see how to make the “Lift-Tube Waterwheel.”
Compared to understanding the recipes for tables and chairs, understanding the “Lift-Tube Waterwheel” was much more complicated.
How to shape the wood into a wheel, what should be the diameter of the waterwheel, the angle between the bamboo tubes and the water surface…
All these detailed requirements had to be clearly marked in the “virtual production line” on the system interface.
Chu Jiu didn’t know how long he had been staring at it, but his head felt a little muddled.
He rubbed his eyes and saw Glug-Glug flying towards him, and Little Can jumping to his feet, scratching his pants with its little paws:
“Glug-Glug!” “Meow meow!”
Both little ones were saying, “Come play, come play, it’s fun up on the bamboo.”
Chu Jiu put down the book, shook his head wearily, and said with a smile, “I can’t, you guys are small and agile, so you can jump between the bamboo. I’m not that nimble, and I don’t have any ‘martial arts’ skills, so I can’t jump up there.”
If he had a martial arts system in addition to this farming system, that would be great.
Then he could fly to the treetops like the heroes in movies, rising and falling in the wave-like bamboo forest.
The little ones left silently after hearing Chu Jiu’s words.
But a few minutes later, Little Can returned—in a strange way.
Little Can was lying on a bamboo branch, bending it into an arc, with the tip almost touching the ground, landing right in front of Chu Jiu.
Chu Jiu was surprised: “What are you doing?” And how did Little Can bend the bamboo with its weight?
Little Can looked up at him, its ice-blue eyes serious, “Come on, I’ll take you up.”
Chu Jiu looked at the slender bamboo and thought, “It won’t hold me, I’ll fall”—but Little Can had already reached out its little paw to him.
Chu Jiu instinctively grabbed the soft little paw pad.
The next second, before Chu Jiu could react, he was standing on the bamboo branch.
The bamboo sprang back up lightly, carrying Chu Jiu up.
Before he could cry out, Chu Jiu found himself standing at the top of the bamboo forest.
After a moment of adjustment, Chu Jiu realized that he was indeed like a hero in a movie, stepping on the bamboo branches, his body incredibly light.
Looking around, he saw a deep green bamboo sea. Beyond the bamboo sea, there were mountains and forests of varying shades of green.
Further out, white mist swirled, revealing a hint of thick black. The ink-like black formed a unique outline on the horizon.
Chu Jiu knew that the black area was neither a dark cloud nor an unnamed mountain range, but another scene adjacent to the Forgotten Forest: the Sunny Plateau.
They were indeed almost at the Sunny Plateau…
Chu Jiu sighed and looked higher up.
Above the bamboo sea, mountains, and white mist was the sky. A clear, mirror-like sky, with bright, warm sunlight.
Standing in the sunlight, Chu Jiu was somewhat stunned by the continuous scenery.
Little Can landed on his shoulder at some point, its furry little face touching his cheek, “Meow?”—”Pretty, isn’t it?”
Chu Jiu said, “Pretty, very pretty.”
“But how did you get me up here? And how am I standing here without falling?”
Little Can didn’t answer.
Chu Jiu could only assume that it was some kind of strange power of a spirit beast.
…With such amazing power, why can’t it be used for farming?
Sigh.
A mountain breeze swept by. It wasn’t biting or cold, but a very gentle wind.
Chu Jiu closed his eyes, his body rising and falling with the swaying bamboo.
Little Can lay on his shoulder, yawning contentedly, its icy blue eyes slightly narrowed.
‘Let’s sleep a little longer,’ Little Can thought.
Just then, a notification popped into Chu Jiu’s mind:
[Congratulations to the host for meeting the special condition of ‘Mind Moves as Desired’!]
[Congratulations to the host for leveling up, now a Level 5 Pioneer]
[The host has learned the passive skill ‘Clear Mind,’ please use it flexibly]
[Clear Mind: When the host comprehends a recipe, their mind becomes exceptionally clear, significantly accelerating the comprehension speed. The higher the Pioneer level, the more pronounced the skill effect.]
Ah, this skill!
Doesn’t this mean that my brain, which was just like being stuck in cement, can now operate at high speed again?
Chu Jiu, no longer in the mood to enjoy the scenery, quickly patted Little Can: ‘Little Can, Little Can! Quick, let’s go down! I want to see how to make a waterwheel!’
Little Can: …???
*
This time, after reading the half-page of paper from beginning to end, Chu Jiu immediately switched to the ‘Virtual Assembly Line’ and started building the waterwheel with shining eyes.
As expected.
His mind was clearer than ever, the process unbelievably smooth, like the joy of sitting in an exam hall and realizing you’ve guessed the last three big questions correctly and just need to write them down.
Two hours later, he received a notification:
[Obtained ‘Old-fashioned Waterwheel’ facility blueprint X1]
[Construction requirements: 800 Pioneer points, 90 bamboo culms, 30 wood, 1 spirit beast]
Great!
I got the recipe!
Chu Jiu happily raised his hands and cheered.
Little Can tilted its head, looking at him in confusion.
Chu Jiu bent down, scooped up Little Can, and kissed its little forehead: ‘Thank you for taking me to the bamboo forest earlier.’
‘Although I don’t know what happened, I learned a skill and finally made the waterwheel construction blueprint!’
Little Can wasn’t quite sure what Chu Jiu meant by ‘skill.’
But it was sure that this human was very happy.
Seeing that he was so happy, it just pushed his chin with its paw pad and didn’t bother to investigate why this guy suddenly kissed it.
*
The next morning, Chu Jiu hurried back.
The day he returned to Bean Village from the bamboo forest gathering site was exactly his 15th day away.
Just as he saw the Pioneer’s hut in the distance, the Roar Roar Rabbit, who was planting crops, heard the noise and hopped towards Chu Jiu and the others:
‘Roar roar roar, you’re back! You should see what I planted… Huh? Why is there an extra sapling?’
The Roar Roar Rabbit, who usually spoke without pausing, paused for the first time when it saw Glug-Glug.
Chu Jiu picked up Glug-Glug and placed it on the ground, introducing the two little ones like introducing kindergarten children.
After Glug-Glug politely greeted the Roar Roar Rabbit, the Roar Roar Rabbit looked up at Chu Jiu:
‘Come see the potato fruits and cabbages I planted! I planted so many!’
In fact, Chu Jiu had already seen the Roar Roar Rabbit’s achievements in the system:
[Spirit Beast No. 2 has completed two ‘crop harvests,’ collecting 30 cabbages and 30 potato fruits]
These numbers were already very pleasing.
But now, seeing the newly grown green seedlings in the field and the rows of neatly arranged, fresh and tender cabbages, the sense of satisfaction and achievement that arose in his heart could not be replaced by numbers.
In addition to the cabbages and potato fruits, there were also 30 bottles of soy sauce in the wooden bucket. The dark brown liquid shimmered with a faint light. Chu Jiu scooped out a little with a wooden spoon and sniffed it under his nose: a very authentic and mellow fragrance!
Chu Jiu touched the fluffy heads of the Roar Roar Rabbit and Little Can, smiling and said, ‘The soy sauce is great! I’ll use soy sauce to make you a feast tonight!’
The Roar Roar Rabbit’s red eyes instantly started to glow, and its little ball-like tail wagged non-stop.
Little Can raised its eyes, pretending to be indifferent to the ‘feast.’
At this moment, Glug-Glug, still sticking out of the backpack pocket, poked out a wooden head with leaves on top and asked softly:
‘Excuse me…’
‘Where can I build the waterwheel?’
