Farming Games are All About Grinding-Chapter 169 - 162 Tiger Spot Nest

At this moment, something unexpected happened to Han Qiwu.

In his field of vision, a line of words gradually appeared.

[Ritual Observation Complete]

[You have learned "Transcription Method"}]

[Transcription Method]

[Activated after devoted copying]

[Special Effect - Extract Words: During transcription, there’s a small chance of obtaining blessings from characters, with different blessings providing different effects]

[Note: A classic ethos - transcribe a book a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself]

Han Qiwu was taken aback upon hearing the system notification.

Transcription Method?

While Little Cai is completing the ritual, how did I happen to learn a skill?

Does this count as freeloading a skill?

Han Qiwu wasn’t unfamiliar with the act of transcription. It wasn’t only practiced by current students — even literary greats like Su Shi or Lu Xun had loved copying books. The former favored "Han Book," while the latter enjoyed copying the "Kangxi Dictionary."

These folks were true talents.

"Activates after devoted copying... Looks like I’ll need to give this some serious thought," Han Qiwu mentally noted.

The special effect of [Transcription Method] seemed quite intriguing; it could even bestow blessings from characters.

If I received the blessing of [Growth], would crops grow faster?

If I received the blessing of [Chop], would chopping trees be quicker?

If I received the blessing of [Endurance]...

Ahem.

Following this train of thought, Han Qiwu felt this skill held great potential.

I’ll mess around with it tonight!

After the ritual concluded, everyone headed back inside to prepare for dinner.

Although Han Qiwu had arrived somewhat unexpectedly, Tang Yi clearly gave the family a heads-up in advance. The dishes on the table were lavish — five hot, two cold, and one soup, each vibrant and aromatic. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Ten minutes into eating, Tang Yi happily raised a wine glass and said, "Xiao Han, no need to hold back. Treat it like your own home."

"Will do!" Han Qiwu didn’t hesitate and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

After Han Qiwu confirmed this sentiment, Tang Yi cheerfully added, "Xiao Ying is my niece, and since you’re her student, that makes you my brother."

Everyone: "?????"

Han Qiwu took a sharp inward breath.

By Brother Jing’s logic, this might actually make sense.

"Don’t listen to his nonsense; he’s just tipsy. Xiao Ying, don’t let it bother you; Xiao Han, take your time eating," the aunt quickly stuffed a piece of red sugar glutinous cake into Tang Yi’s mouth.

"Ignore him, everyone. Last time, he called my puppy his brother too," Little Cai said as she comforted Tang Qingying.

Suddenly, Han Qiwu didn’t feel much like being called his brother anymore.

As the meal wrapped up, everyone started sharing anecdotes around the table. Since the conversations were engaging, the meal lasted until 1:30 in the afternoon, with everyone thoroughly enjoying the time.

After answering a phone call, Tang Yi staggered to the courtyard gate briefly before returning with two large bundles of meat tied with grass ropes.

"This one’s for you. Don’t decline — we both put in effort, so having a larger share is fair," said Tang Yi as he passed the right-hand bundle to Han Qiwu, while the left-hand bundle was handed to his wife.

After thanking him, Han Qiwu accepted the meat, only to realize upon lifting it that the roasted pork was quite hefty.

At least fifteen to sixteen pounds.

Moreover, it was prime-cut pork belly, with evenly distributed layers of fat and lean meat. The roasted surface had been thoroughly cleaned, gleaming golden yellow, and looked incredibly appetizing.

[Chunk of Roasted Pork Belly (Gold Star Grade⭐)]

[Available exclusively during February 2 Festival]

[Stamina +400]

[HP +220]

[Price: 800 Gold]

[Note: This is a reward for the strong]

Whoa, Gold Star Grade?

Han Qiwu’s eyes lit up; this was top-tier stuff.

Judging from the information provided, had he not helped with moving items earlier, he might have only received a smaller piece of ordinary-grade roasted pork.

In life, nothing beats a sense of participation.

After processing the roasted pork’s attributes, Han Qiwu looked up and noticed a new dish had been added to the table.

"Come, try this roasted pork skin. You surely haven’t had it before," Tang Yi said with a tipsy grin.

Tang Qingying chimed in to explain, "This dish combines roasted pork skin with pickled vegetables, shredded lettuce, and radish strips, seasoned with spices. It tastes fantastic, and don’t worry — here we roast it thoroughly, so it’s essentially pre-cooked. You could think of it as chilled roasted pork skin salad."

Han Qiwu nodded and took a bite, savoring it carefully.

The roasted pork skin was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, giving a unique texture. Chewing it revealed faint sweetness, while the tangy and spicy side vegetables added layers of flavor to the dish.

Delicious indeed.

By the end, Han Qiwu even stripped the roasted skin off his chunk of pork and added it to the salad.

When the meal was finally over, it was past two o’clock, and Little Cai had long fallen asleep out of exhaustion.

"In the afternoon, you two could visit the wheat field; it’s bustling with activity," Tang Yi said with a smile. "Feel free to reach out if there’s anything you need."

Han Qiwu returned the smile, expressed his thanks, and left Tang Yi’s house with Tang Qingying.

Riding his bike, Han Qiwu began pondering what to do next.

The wheat field festivities weren’t until five o’clock; heading there right now would be too early.

How about fishing?

Maybe borrow Mr. Tang’s [Gentle Breeze] again?

Even if they couldn’t revisit the secret realm like last time, just fishing outside could still be a lot of fun.

As luck would have it, just as the thought crossed Han Qiwu’s mind, Tang Qingying chimed in with a suggestion, "Why don’t we go fishing? Last time, when I went home to review my notes, I found a tiger spot nest I discovered as a kid. Wonder if it’s still there — want to go take a look?"

"Tiger spot? Isn’t that one of the species of grouper?" Han Qiwu asked in surprise.

Was Tang Qingying an adventurer as a child?

How could she uncover such a thing?

Groupers did taste delicious, but Han Qiwu rarely managed to catch them — his only experience eating grouper was during a gathering with Brother Jing.

Such a waste.

No, stop thinking that way.

It was a big waste.

"Exactly. Tiger spots are a type of grouper. If we manage to catch one, dinner’s sorted for tonight," Tang Qingying explained, swallowing a bit of saliva.

"Then let’s go!"

At that moment, seven words popped into Han Qiwu’s mind unwittingly.

"A meeting of minds, perfectly aligned."

The feeling of shared intent was so good.

Coastal area.

To simplify navigation, Tang Qingying began riding while carrying Han Qiwu after they reached the seaside.

With her fragrant hair wafting around him, Han Qiwu’s body relaxed considerably.

Half an hour later, Tang Qingying stopped at a spot near a cluster of reefs.

"Tiger spots like two habitats: reefs and coral clusters. Conveniently, both are present here. I used to fish here as a child — wonder if they’re still around?" Tang Qingying explained, stretching her limbs after getting off the bike.

With the sea breeze blowing gently, her skirt fluttered slightly.

"I’ll go take a look," Han Qiwu said, immediately rushing toward the edge of the reef, squatting down, and peering into the water carefully.

Through the slightly murky seawater, he watched for a full five minutes before spotting a few tiger spots, their bodies either yellow or light brown. They carried five irregular dark brown vertical stripes along their bodies, adorned with small brown spots all over.

Unexpectedly, Han Qiwu then caught sight of a milky-white grouper with numerous black circular spots, about 45 centimeters long.

"What kind of fish is that? A cowfish?" Han Qiwu called out his discovery to Tang Qingying with curiosity.

"Hahaha!"

Tang Qingying burst out laughing upon hearing Han Qiwu’s guess. "Cowfish? You really have a knack for naming things. That’s actually called mouse grouper, a particularly rare species of grouper. It’s highly valuable and tastes amazing. Its texture differs from tiger spots — tiger spots are firm and bouncy, whereas mouse grouper meat is tender like chicken, hence its nickname: sea chicken."

"Mouse grouper? Mice don’t even have spots. Cowfish would’ve been way more intuitive," Han Qiwu retorted stubbornly, retrieving his pre-prepared [Red Sun] rod from the bike for a bit of fishing.

Whether it’s mouse grouper or tiger spot, tasting it is what matters!