Farming Games are All About Grinding-Chapter 159 - 152: Farmhouse Cured Meat

After climbing onto the roof, Han Qiwu carefully located the leaky spot, using his tools to clear away the residual cement and debris. Then, he slowly poured the melted asphalt into the gap, spreading it evenly as he went.

Once the asphalt dried, it wouldn’t cause any problems for a very long time.

As he worked, Han Qiwu found himself getting into the groove of things, so he simply decided to fix up all the problem areas on Grandpa Chen’s several rooftops in one go.

While Han Qiwu was hard at work, Old Man Mi from next door wobbled over and asked Grandpa Chen, "Old Chen, where’d you find this handyman? Expensive?"

"Not expensive at all—just a meal will do." Grandpa Chen chuckled and said, "And he’s not a handyman at all; he’s a graduate student."

"So economical? A graduate student can do this kind of work?" Old Man Mi stroked his beard in amazement. "Impressive. Next time I need to fix the wall, I’ll also find myself a graduate student. So, what’s his field of study?"

"Xiao Han seems to specialize in farming, but graduate students should know how to do just about everything. You can’t go wrong with hiring a grad student," Grandpa Chen said, stifling a laugh. He’d known Old Man Mi long enough to understand his competitive streak—if someone else had something, he’d want it too.

Take your time hunting one down. Good luck.

Spare time is still time.

Convinced, Old Man Mi nodded and headed back into his house to call his son. "Kid, tomorrow, get me a graduate student to help fix the wall."

His son was completely baffled. "A graduate student? Wouldn’t getting a bricklayer from town make more sense?"

"No. It has to be a grad student! If your Uncle Chen next door can get a graduate student, why should I settle for less? And it needs to be a masonry graduate student!" Old Man Mi stubbornly insisted. "Those graduate students do quality work. What? Are you worried about the money? Don’t forget how I changed your diapers when you were a baby..."

"Fine, fine! I’ll find one for you tomorrow!"

"That’s more like it." Old Man Mi hung up, put on his reading glasses, and picked up the book beside him titled *How to Get Your Grandchild into an Elite University* for another read.

"There’s no way my grandson is studying farming in the future. I’m not paying for him to study what I worked so hard to master!"

"Studying masonry is good—having a skill won’t lead to hardship. Even city folks need wall repairs, right?"

...

After over an hour of work, Han Qiwu came down with an empty asphalt bucket, drenched in sweat.

"Thanks for your hard work! Go wash your hands and face and come eat." Grandpa Chen handed him a towel with a smile.

"Sure thing."

After freshening up, Han Qiwu returned to the courtyard and took a deep breath.

The aroma was incredible.

The air was dense with the savory scent of cured meat.

Walking closer, he saw the small wooden table laden with dishes: stir-fried green peppers with bacon and braised tofu with smoked bacon framing a bowl of bacon rice in the center. Beside the bowls and chopsticks were two large cups of milky white rice wine.

"This bacon was made at the end of last year. Not sure if the flavors have fully developed yet. If you don’t like it, I’ll call out for some noodles for you. The rice wine, on the other hand, is my own brew, and it’s quite good," Grandpa Chen said with a grin, raising his cup of rice wine.

Seeing this, Han Qiwu quickly picked up the other cup and lightly clinked it against Grandpa Chen’s.

Taking a sip, the cold rice wine was refreshing and thirst-quenching. Being homemade, it wasn’t entirely filtered, leaving a bit of rice sediment that gave it a unique texture and distinct flavor.

"Delicious!"

Han Qiwu expressed his delight with simple, genuine words.

It wasn’t because he lacked vocabulary.

"Try the dishes; I’ll scoop some rice for you," Grandpa Chen said, taking Han Qiwu’s bowl and piling it with a generous serving of bacon rice.

The recipe for this farm-style bacon rice was straightforward: Before the rice finishes steaming, you sprinkle in peas and slices of cured bacon, then let it simmer until cooked.

And for those who like crispy rice at the bottom, let it simmer a bit longer.

Feeling quite hungry, Han Qiwu picked up a piece of stir-fried green pepper with bacon.

As soon as it entered his mouth, the unique smoky aroma of the bacon filled his palate. A few chews later, the fat glistened with a savory crispness while the lean meat left a lingering flavor. As he continued, the fresh, spicy kick of the green peppers gradually emerged, cutting through the bacon’s richness and adding a new layer of taste.

What a treat!

Swallowing the bacon, Han Qiwu lowered his head and took a hearty bite of the fragrant bacon rice.

He felt like he was floating on air.

The intensely rich flavors of the homemade cured bacon had him euphoric after just a few bites.

After finishing the bacon rice, he sampled the braised tofu with bacon.

The silky tofu paired perfectly with the tender, braised bacon, sliding down his throat effortlessly—he ended up eating spoonful after spoonful.

By the end of the meal, Han Qiwu was so full he couldn’t even stand.

Home-cooked meals always hit differently!

*Burp.*

Seeing his state, Grandpa Chen looked quite satisfied.

You should eat until you can’t straighten up—that’s how a young man should eat!

In the village, there were no "fat" people, only strong ones!

Leaning back in his chair, Han Qiwu lounged with Grandpa Chen for a while, casually chatting and inquiring about the preparations for tomorrow’s Dragon Heads-raising Festival.

Once he’d rested enough, Han Qiwu bade Grandpa Chen goodbye and rode off to Zack’s place.

With half the day still remaining, Han Qiwu planned to visit Zack’s to borrow a new book, then head to the river for some fishing to save up money for the festival.

Arriving at the museum, Han Qiwu parked his bicycle in the courtyard and walked over to knock on the door.

But before he could, the door opened on its own.

"Honored guest, do come in," Zack said gallantly, standing at the doorway and holding it open.

Han Qiwu smiled. "Installed infrared sensors here too, huh?"

"Actually, I’ve got this." Zack smiled faintly, gesturing toward the sky above the museum’s courtyard.

Following his motion, Han Qiwu looked up to see a winged eye suspended mid-air, slowly rotating on its axis.

Alrighty, then.

Retracting his gaze, Han Qiwu pulled out *The Morning Glory Fairy at My House* and handed it to Zack. "Returning this one. Take me to Section A; I want to borrow another."

At the mention of books, Zack’s energy spiked. Expertly flipping through *The Morning Glory Fairy at My House*, he said smugly, "This book is interesting, isn’t it? Wasn’t that content so exhilarating to read?"

Han Qiwu: "???"

What content? What "that" content?

Is there even such a thing written in this book?

Seeing Han Qiwu’s puzzled expression, Zack sighed in mild disappointment. "Ah, you didn’t notice? What a shame. I specifically left hints during the Morning Glory Fairy’s first appearance."

"What hints?" Han Qiwu felt like he’d completely missed out on something intriguing.

Zack flipped to the relevant page and pointed to the Morning Glory Fairy’s first line, "Look carefully at this."

Han Qiwu leaned in, reading the line: *"Every bloom tells a brand-new story. I am willing to offer my everything!"*

What’s so special about this?

Zack scratched his head. "Isn’t it obvious enough?"

Obvious about what? Couldn’t he explain it properly?

Sighing, Zack flipped back to the first page and pointed from top to bottom at the first word of each line. "Like I said, the Morning Glory Fairy made it clear. If you string together the first words of every line on the first page, you’ll find a hidden story."

Han Qiwu followed this method and took another look at the first page.

*"No! The fairy clutched at the bedsheet tightly, her body trembling with an unusual..."*

Wait, what the hell is this??

What kind of nonsense is in Zack’s head?!

This is too much!

Taking a deep breath, Han Qiwu asked with a straight face, "Can I check this book out again to reread it?"

"Sorry, once returned, no re-checkouts. If you want to read it, you’ll have to count on your luck next time," Zack said cheerfully, snapping the book shut and giving his fingers a snap.

The book vanished.

"Never mind. Let’s move on," Han Qiwu muttered, his mood as heavy as his footsteps.

That thick book—how much fun content had he missed?

Why did Zack always hide the good stuff?

Just because he owned a museum?

Was hoarding things merely a habit for him?

Arriving at Section A, Zack patted Han Qiwu on the shoulder and said with a schadenfreude-like grin, "Don’t feel so down. There are still plenty of books here, and each one has great surprises."

"Do me a favor—don’t touch me, thanks," Han Qiwu replied, clearly done with the conversation.

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss!

This was just too much!

Shaking off Zack’s hand, Han Qiwu pushed open the stone door and walked in.

Section A’s air was as fresh as ever, imbued with the fragrance of plants.

Breathing in the essence of nature, Han Qiwu felt his mood lift significantly.

Under the bright quartz lighting, long tree roots hung down from the ceiling, forming three rows of completely natural tree-root bookshelves.

"There’s even an extra row now? Is it because I’ve been borrowing books more frequently, or did Zack finally grow a conscience?" Han Qiwu mused to himself as he scanned the bookshelves.

This time, he noticed some overlap with the books he’d seen during his first visit: *The Legend of the Mermaid*, *My Hundred Duels with a Dragon*, *I Found the World Tree*, *The Sacred Relic*, *The Secret History of the Insect Tribe*, and so on.

After flipping through a few books, Han Qiwu decided to skip any involving mysterious creatures this time around.

He had a suspicion that Zack might’ve written all the books of that type.

Time to try a new flavor instead.

After contemplating for a moment, Han Qiwu pulled out *The Sacred Relic*. Unlike the others, this book was particularly thick, its pages showing signs of age, with a dark red cover.

Thick meant substantial, and substantial was good.

This one was it.

Book in hand, Han Qiwu walked back out.

When Zack spotted the book Han Qiwu had chosen, his face instantly fell with disappointment.

"This is just the worst," Zack groaned.

Upon seeing Zack’s expression, however, Han Qiwu’s eyes lit up with excitement.

"Perfect!"

*You have successfully borrowed the book *The Sacred Relic*. Borrowing period: 7 days. Please return on time.*

*Section A Book: The Sacred Relic*

*Description: Protect the sacred relic! Charge forward!*

*Author: Octos*

*Reading Requirement: Combat Level 3*

*Reading Effect: Gain more loot after battles.*

*Note: Nobody gets to take my loot! Nobody!*