Farming to Cultivate Immortality – CH7

Chapter 7 – You Are So Nice, Why Haven’t You Started a Family Yet?

With nothing else to do, Xia Yi decided to wash Gu Wenzhu’s outer shirt, spreading it out on a large stone by the riverbank.

As he enjoyed the river breeze and the sound of the flowing water, Xia Yi closed his eyes and lay back on the big rock.

He hadn’t had the time to reflect before, as he had been adapting to this farming world. He focused on tasks, trying not to think about everything from his previous life. Now, in the stillness, many thoughts began to surface involuntarily.

He remembered his deceased parents, the brothers in his dormitory, and the stray cats he often fed downstairs. A wave of loneliness and sadness washed over him, feeling lost in this foreign world.

A tear slipped down his cheek.

He didn’t know how long it had been, but Gu Wenzhu had returned. Dressed and sitting beside him, his gaze fixed on the river’s surface.

In a low voice, he said, “I never asked you about your family or why you came here to look for your aunt, but it’s clear you must have been struggling. Now that you’re here, I’ll take care of you.”

Xia Yi sat up, eyes red, and sniffled, “I just miss my parents.”
Seeing Gu Wenzhu looking at him, he added sadly, “They’re both gone.”

“When my parents were alive, I didn’t have to worry about anything, not even cooking. Now I regret it; I feel like a useless person.”

“I really miss them. They never even got to try the potatoes I grew. I used to take everything for granted, thinking my parents would always be there, but they left worrying about how I would manage.”

“I want them to know that I’m working hard on the farm. They shouldn’t worry about me; no matter where I am, I will live well.” Xia Yi wiped his tears, turning to look into the distance, trying hard not to choke up.

Gu Wenzhu looked at Xia Yi with compassion and said softly, “You’re working hard; they will know.”

A gust of wind blew, lifting Xia Yi’s soft hair, tousling a few strands. Gu Wenzhu suddenly wanted to smooth those little hairs down. He clenched his fingers and turned away.

Gu Wenzhu had caught quite a few fish upstream, several of different sizes, including grouper and crucian carp. He lifted the fish basket for Xia Yi to see, and Xia Yi quickly forgot his earlier sadness, smiling with a red nose.

Time was running short, and with a full fish basket, Xia Yi climbed onto Gu Wenzhu’s broad back, and they began the return journey. By the time they passed the riverside, it was already dark, and there were no signs of life.
This time, Gu Wenzhu carried Xia Yi back home at a leisurely pace.

Gu Wenzhu simmered a pot of fish soup, fragrant and delicious. The two took turns picking out fish from the pot until it was empty.
Xia Yi even soaked three bowls of rice in the fish soup.

While Gu Wenzhu washed the dishes, Xia Yi slumped against the back of his chair. Watching Gu Wenzhu’s tall figure moving busily in the kitchen, efficiently handling various chores.

He rubbed his belly and, out of curiosity, asked, “Brother Zhu, why are you still single when you’re so great?”

Gu Wenzhu paused washing the dishes and turned to look at Xia Yi, who was gazing back at him innocently. After a moment’s thought, Gu Wenzhu replied, “I just haven’t met the right person.”
Xia Yi nodded knowingly. “Someone as good as you will definitely find the right one.”
He then added, “But if you do meet someone suitable, you should be like me—let them know your feelings quickly to avoid someone else swooping in.”
Back in his first year of college, Xia Yi had a crush on a girl while buying milk tea. He pursued her relentlessly, and eventually, she agreed to date him. Although they broke up after a month due to personality differences, it proved that his pursuit methods were effective.

Gu Wenzhu didn’t respond. Xia Yi thought he heard a light chuckle from him, followed by a somewhat helpless shake of his head.

After some time, Xia Yi’s foot had mostly healed, and the potatoes were nearing maturity. He had been visiting the field more frequently these days, checking on them every day.
This morning, as he reached the edge of the field, his mind was suddenly filled with fireworks, and 179’s cheerful voice rang out:

[Congratulations, host! You have completed the first task released by the system.]

[Task content: Join the Qishan Sect and become a disciple of the sect leader.]

[Completion: 1/1]

[Reward: A newbie gift package.]

[Host, would you like to claim your prize now or later?]

Feeling a bit dazed, Xia Yi couldn’t help but ask, “What are the prizes?”
The system didn’t respond immediately, and after a moment, a flat mechanical voice said, [Are you sure you want to know now?]

Xia Yi sensed something was off from the voice but was still curious. “Just tell me; I want to know how terrible your system really is.”
[The task rewards are 10 bottles of foundational liquid, and the newbie gift package contains one cleansing pill and 10 low-level spirit stones,] 179 recited.
Xia Yi: ……

[Host, if you don’t claim your rewards now, I can store them in your system storage space, and you can claim them anytime in the future,] 179 suggested.

“What’s the system storage space?” Xia Yi asked.

[The system storage space is within the main system space, a sub-space exclusively for you to store items.] 179 explained.

“Then store them for me,” Xia Yi said.

After claiming his rewards, Xia Yi rushed to check on his precious potatoes. Rubbing his hands together, he raised his hoe high and forcefully dug into the side of a potato plant. As he pulled the hoe out, a large chunk of soil turned over, revealing an abundance of potatoes. Estimating, each plant yielded dozens of pounds.

Xia Yi was overjoyed, immediately tossing aside his hoe and sprinting home to call for Gu Wenzhu.

Gu Wenzhu arrived with a cart, and the two began digging excitedly. The potatoes were large and plentiful, but Xia Yi quickly grew tired and couldn’t swing the hoe anymore. So Gu Wenzhu continued digging while Xia Yi collected them in a bamboo basket.

By the time they finished harvesting the potatoes from this one mu of land, the sun had already set. They took several trips with the cart to bring everything back home, piling up a mountain of potatoes in the courtyard.

Under the moonlight, the two weighed the potatoes, which totaled a whopping 1,000 pounds.

Xia Yi stared at the mountain of potatoes, grinning like a fool.

Gu Wenzhu decided to cook a pot of potatoes. After boiling them until soft, he pan-fried them until the skin turned golden brown and sprinkled on some salt and Sichuan pepper. The potatoes were bright yellow, crunchy and sweet, and the two couldn’t stop eating.

As they ate, Gu Wenzhu surveyed the pile of potatoes and said, “Let’s store 100 pounds in the cellar. I’ll take the rest to the city tomorrow to sell, and you can come along to see the city.”

Xia Yi eagerly agreed.

That night, as he lay in bed, Xia Yi suddenly began calling the system.

“179, didn’t I say I had a golden finger? One mu of land yields the output of three mu.”

179 fell silent.

Xia Yi, sensing the mood, sat up abruptly, fuming, “Are you trying to play games with me?”

179 replied, [Host, you have nowhere to store three mu of potatoes. Besides, how will you explain having so many potatoes to Gu Wenzhu?]

Xia Yi thought for a moment and then grinned slyly. “I have a system space, right? Just store them there for me.”

179 reluctantly agreed.
A little while later, the system voice rang out: [Host, your five tons of potatoes have been fully stored in the system space.]
Xia Yi fist-pumped the air. “Thanks!”

The system voice continued, [Host, since you have completed the first task released by the system, known as the newbie task, and claimed your rewards, I will now issue the second task.]

[Task introduction: Reach the foundational stage and obtain a spirit beast.]

[Completion: 0/2]

[Reward: A foundational gift package.]

Xia Yi: ……

“What’s the corresponding farming task this time?” Xia Yi asked.

[Plant ten mu of onions and fennel] 179 replied.
“I demand a golden finger,” Xia Yi said.

The system was about to refuse when Xia Yi added, “Compensation, complaint, rating.”

System: [One mu.]

Xia Yi: “Deal.”

As dawn broke, Gu Wenzhu was already in the kitchen making breakfast. By the time Xia Yi finished washing up, there was a large bowl of porridge and a small basket of pancakes on the table.

Xia Yi devoured several pancakes and climbed onto the horse-drawn cart that Gu Wenzhu had borrowed from Old Zhang in the village, filled to the brim with Xia Yi’s potatoes. With a crack of the whip, Gu Wenzhu steered the cart toward the city.

The village was only a few miles from the county town, and by the time the sun reached its zenith, they entered the city.

Since arriving in this world, Xia Yi had only seen mountains and fields. This was his first time in such a bustling place, and he looked around in amazement. Although it was called a county town, to Xia Yi, it felt only slightly larger than the town in his previous world, but the streets were bustling with people and vendors shouting, creating a lively atmosphere.

The cart came to a stop at a small tea stall, and Gu Wenzhu helped Xia Yi down, saying, “You wait here for me. I’ll take the cart to a nearby military camp. I have an acquaintance there, and I sell my grain directly to him.”
Seeing that Gu Wenzhu was about to give more instructions, Xia Yi quickly nodded. “Just take care of your business; I’ll wait here and won’t go anywhere.”

Gu Wenzhu exchanged a few words with the tea stall owner, left a few coins, and drove away.

Xia Yi sat at the tea stall with a bowl of tea in front of him, looking around.

“179, over there, the place called Jin Feng Lou—quick, scan it. Is it the legendary brothel?”

[Host, that’s a restaurant.]

“Oh… that place called Zui Yi Ge over there should also be a restaurant.”

[Host, that’s a bookstore.]

“…… I see. 179, look at that one to the west, Song Zhu Guan. The entrance looks simple yet elegant; it must be an academy for students.”

[Host, that’s a brothel.]

Xia Yi: ……

What’s up with these ancient people?