Farming to Cultivate Immortality – CH2

Chapter 2 – Dear host, This is a Childbirth Novel

“The house hasn’t been cleaned up yet, so stay here for a few days. Don’t worry about propriety; after all, I’m like your brother. My name is Gu Wenzhu.”

Gu Wenzhu glanced at the name on the household registry. “Your name is Xia Yi?”

“Brother Zhu,” Xia Yi immediately called out affectionately, “My name is Xia Yi, but you can call me Xiao Yi.”

Gu Wenzhu nodded and said, “Go wash up in the bathhouse. I’ll find some clothes for you to wear. We’ll buy new ones when we go into town.” When he mentioned the bath, Gu Wenzhu’s expression turned just a little awkward.

The bathhouse was a small room partitioned off from the bedroom. Xia Yi washed his face thoroughly with soap.

“179, this body isn’t bad-looking at all—delicate and refined, though a bit on the feminine side. There’s even a red mole on the forehead. Is that painted on?” Xia Yi examined himself in the bronze mirror, reaching up to touch it. To his surprise, it was real—a natural mark.

179 remained silent.

*

After scrubbing off the layers of grime, Xia Yi sat comfortably in the wooden tub, with a towel draped over his head.

This body was malnourished, thin and frail, with skin so pale it seemed to glow. Xia Yi started thinking about how, once things settled down, he’d begin working out and tanning to develop a healthy, honey-toned physique.

“179, let’s talk about those tasks now.” With his energy restored, Xia Yi was ready to start negotiating.

“You guys made a mistake and brought me to this backwater place to farm. Fine, I can farm, and I can even complete the cultivation task by farming. But—” Xia Yi pulled the towel off his head and threw it into the water, “you owe me compensation.”

[Host, I’ve already discussed it with the main system, and we’ve decided to lower the difficulty of your tasks as compensation. For example, if the initial task was to plant a full acre of potatoes, you can now just plant a tenth of an acre to complete it.]

“How big is a tenth of an acre?”

[About 60 square meters.]

“That’s bigger than my previous apartment, and you call that compensation?” Xia Yi wiped the water from his face and said bluntly, “Give me a cheat ability, and we’ll call it even.”

[If it’s reasonable, I can give it to you. What kind of cheat ability do you want?] 179 gritted its teeth.

Xia Yi had no idea about farming, so after thinking for a bit, he replied, “I’ll tell you later when I come up with something.”

“179, what’s in it for you if I complete the tasks?” Xia Yi asked.

[At the end of the tasks, the host has to rate the system. The rating affects my performance evaluation.]

“You lousy systems actually have the nerve to talk about performance evaluations!” Xia Yi was shocked.

*

After his bath, Xia Yi changed into some of Gu Wenzhu’s old clothes. The clothes were too big for him, so he had to roll up the sleeves and pant legs several times.

Stepping outside, he saw Gu Wenzhu chopping firewood in the courtyard. The blue cloth shirt Gu Wenzhu wore was soaked with sweat and clung to his body, revealing the smooth and muscular lines of his back.

Feeling he should say something, Xia Yi took a few steps forward and respectfully called out, “Brother Zhu.”

Gu Wenzhu nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t stop his work.

Seeing that Gu Wenzhu wasn’t paying him much attention, Xia Yi awkwardly moved closer, trying to please him. “Brother Zhu, you’ve got a great body! You look strong and fit.”

He stared at Gu Wenzhu’s bulging chest muscles, nodding in admiration.

Hearing this, Gu Wenzhu immediately stopped what he was doing, slowly lifting his head with a look of shock in his eyes.

His face gradually turned red, and though he opened his mouth to speak, no words came out. In just a few seconds, his expression changed several times.

Finally, he stood up and walked into the house without a word, slamming the door shut behind him with a loud *bang*.

Xia Yi, feeling both nervous and confused, asked, “179, what’s wrong with him? Did I offend him?”

179 was silent for a moment before replying, [Ancient people are very reserved. They don’t like their bodies being complimented.]

“Then you’d better tell me what other taboos I should avoid. I don’t want to step on any more landmines. That farming novel wasn’t very detailed—the author kept jumping around. All they wrote about was farming. Tell me more about this world,” Xia Yi began to grumble in frustration.

179 muttered vaguely, [I’m not sure either… You know, I’m a cultivation system… You’ll have to figure things out on your own.]

What a useless system. It brought me to the wrong place, doesn’t even explain the world, and just tells me to farm. What’s the point?

A while later, Gu Wenzhu came out of the house, ignoring Xia Yi completely, and headed straight for the kitchen. Xia Yi kept watching him with a fawning expression, noticing that Gu Wenzhu had changed his clothes.

Under the setting sun, smoke curled up from the chimney, and Xia Yi peered through the door curiously.

Gu Wenzhu was kneading dough, his muscular forearms bulging with veins. The stove was lit, and a large pot bubbled on top of it.

Feeling a bit ashamed after eating without helping, Xia Yi rubbed his hands together and asked hesitantly, “Brother Zhu, is there anything I can help with? I can peel garlic or chop some green onions.”

Gu Wenzhu said nothing, continuing to knead the dough. So Xia Yi slowly wandered into the room, occasionally poking at the firewood or touching the cupboards.

The veins on Gu Wenzhu’s forehead pulsed as he finally slammed the dough into the basin and said, “Just wait outside. I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.”

Relieved, Xia Yi left and strolled around the courtyard. After a while, he squatted by a large tree, watching ants.

“179, I could do this all day.”

“179, keep an eye on the corner of the yard for me. Let me know if the ant army starts moving.”

Xia Yi continued playing with the ants until a pair of cloth shoes appeared in front of him.

Looking up, he saw Gu Wenzhu’s expressionless face.

“Dinner’s ready.”

Dinner was a simple noodle soup. The noodles were chewy, and with each bite, the rich wheat flavor filled Xia Yi’s mouth. He ate four bowls in a row.

[Host, if you keep eating like this, I suggest you farm the full three acres.] 179 advised.

Xia Yi tilted his head thoughtfully. “I’ve made up my mind. My cheat ability will be that I can grow and yield three acres with just a tenth of an acre.”

*

After dinner, as Gu Wenzhu cleaned up the dishes, he said, “Xia Yi, I need to go to the city tomorrow to sell some mountain goods. I’ll be back in the afternoon. The rice and flour are in the storage jar. Make yourself something to eat.

The day after tomorrow, I’ll clean out the old house at the edge of the village so you can move in.”

Thinking for a moment, he added, “I’ll leave you some food to last a few months and give you some seeds. That should take care of your living needs.”

Xia Yi was truly touched. “Brother Zhu, I won’t say much. If you ever need anything from me, I won’t hesitate!”

The veins on Gu Wenzhu’s forehead twitched again.

After cleaning up, Gu Wenzhu carried a table into the main hall and pushed two tables together. Then he went to the bedroom and took out a blanket, spreading it on the tables.

“I’ll sleep here tonight. You sleep in the bedroom,” Gu Wenzhu said while making the bed, his back to Xia Yi, who was standing in the doorway.

Xia Yi was puzzled and asked, “Your bed looks big enough. I’m small and don’t take up much space. I sleep well, don’t steal blankets, and don’t snore. We can just share the bed, can’t we?”

[Host!] 179 suddenly shouted, and Xia Yi could even hear a hint of despair in its mechanical voice.

At the same time, Gu Wenzhu’s back froze as he stood there, motionless like a statue.

After a while, his gritted teeth voice rang out, “Xia Yi, if you keep being so shameless, just get out of my house. Even if it means I’m failing your aunt and my father.”

After saying that, he turned around, stormed over with a livid face, and pushed Xia Yi out the door, slamming it shut with a loud bang.

Xia Yi stood dazed at the door. Even if he didn’t fully understand the situation, he knew something wasn’t right in this world.

“179! Explain to me what’s going on! If you don’t clarify, I’ll file a complaint against you!”

“179, come out!”

“179, are you playing dead? Just wait, I’ll rate you zero after I finish the mission!”

A moment later, 179’s mechanical voice lazily responded, [Host, this is a farming novel.]

“I know it’s a farming novel.”

[And… it’s also a ‘m-preg’ novel.]

“Huh?”

[A ‘m-preg’ novel! In this world, there are men, women, and ‘ger.’ Ger are a third gender that can give birth.] 179 explained with difficulty.

Xia Yi was stunned for a moment and then said expressionlessly, “So…”

179 actually let out a gulping sound, […Yes, you are.]

An awkward, suffocating silence ensued.

Suddenly, Xia Yi started speaking rapidly, “Let’s go to the cultivation world now, I know you can do it. I’ll take you to the cultivation world, we’ll soar together. After I make my sect great, I’ll marry a junior sister and have kids, and I’ll give you a perfect score. Let’s go now. Do I need to faint first to travel? Go ahead, knock me out, I’m ready.”

[Host, calm down! Host… Host… calm down…] 179 tried to soothe him.

[Host, the worlds can’t be switched, so you can only farm here. But you can choose not to have children. No one is forcing you; you just need to complete your tasks.] 179 gently persuaded.

Xia Yi gradually calmed down, standing in the courtyard, thinking aloud, “That makes sense. Why was I panicking? I just need to farm and complete my tasks.”

I just need to farm and go home. No matter how strange this world is, it can’t affect me.

After all, I’m already here.

Besides, no matter what world I’m in, even if I’m a ‘ger,’ I, Xia Yi, will only ever be the one planting seeds.

He stood in the courtyard for a while, and after figuring that out, he let out a long breath. No longer flustered, he still cursed 179. The system stayed silent, playing dead until Xia Yi finally vented all his frustrations and went back to bed.