I Transmigrated Into A Fantasy World To Farm And Build Houses!-Chapter 161: Really Knows How to Pick People Up

"So, my skills aren’t bad, are they!" Sam puffed out his chest, his face beaming with obvious delight.

Eric gave a thumbs-up, praising him sincerely: "Especially excellent! Sam truly has a gift for cooking!"

Sam became even more smug: "By the way, the fish and shrimp you brought back, did you trade for them with the Ox-Head tribe? They’re really fresh, not losing out to anything newly caught from the river. It’s just those bizarrely shaped magical beasts, they look too ugly, I didn’t know how to handle them, so I didn’t dare touch them."

Eric chuckled silently; Sam was definitely talking about the octopuses. He replied:

"I heard the Ox-Head tribe traded them from the sea beastmen. We traded for a few for everyone to try. This seafood was flash-frozen right after being caught, that’s why it kept such a fresh taste."

While the two were talking, Leo was still engrossed in devouring his food. Eric glanced over, unconsciously realizing this little lion cub’s appetite was about to surpass his own. No wonder he had grown so fast in such a short time.

Healthy cubs are really easy to raise, he thought silently, as long as there’s enough nutrition, they grow up in a flash. But this appetite is really no joke; without a certain level of economic strength, it’s truly impossible to support.

Sam didn’t notice Eric’s distraction and continued to lament: "Eating dried meat all the time gets boring. I originally planned to go to the river, break the ice, and catch some fresh fish, but I got a scolding from Jessica, so I didn’t dare to go anymore." He scratched his head, chuckling sheepishly.

Gluttons really do have bold ideas, Eric resignedly held his forehead: "Sam, underwater magical beasts get irritable very easily in winter. If you do that, be careful not to lure a high-level magical beast up."

"Jessica said the exact same thing. Sigh, it’s lucky you guys brought fish and shrimp back, I was really craving it." Sam sighed in frustration.

"Still dreaming of eating fresh fish? You should be left to chew on dried meat like before, no, you should be left to starve!" Kevin’s teasing voice rang out from the cafeteria doorway.

Eric turned his head; sure enough, the patrol team was back. Kevin was mocking Sam, while Michael led several other warriors, carrying a large pot of rice directly over.

Michael chimed in: "Not having to starve this year is a blessing of three lifetimes. In previous years, we never had this much food, yet you’re still being picky."

Sam finished his last bite, wiped his mouth forcefully, and retorted: "Isn’t it because Eric spoiled my appetite? If you’re going to blame someone, blame him!"

Eric: "?" Huh, what does this have to do with me?

The Snow Wolf warriors burst out laughing. One pointed at Sam, slapping his thigh as he laughed: "Just admit you’re a glutton, don’t blame it on a cub. You’ve really got a future, Sam!"

This time, even Max, who always maintained a cold expression, couldn’t suppress a slight smile.

Sam snorted, struggling to his feet from the small Dwarf chair: "None of your business! If I weren’t a glutton, would you all have delicious food to enjoy? A bunch of ungrateful...!"

To sit with Eric, he had to squeeze into a seat far too small for his body, and now even standing up was difficult.

"Eric, next time you make something delicious, don’t let him have any," Kevin sneakily suggested.

Sam fumed, and as soon as he was free from the chair, he raised a fist and chased after Kevin: "Don’t think I don’t know about you sneaking food Eric made while I was busy!"

"It was only one time, I swear!" Kevin hurriedly begged for mercy.

Looking at these two idiots, Eric gave a helpless laugh, then stood up and went to get a wooden box to bring two portions of food back for Evan.

He couldn’t help but silently praise Jessica; she was the one who had thought of making these lidded wooden boxes of various sizes for everyone to conveniently bring food home, a small but very thoughtful detail.

"Hey Eric, I heard you picked up a human and a Snake-tribe cub?" Kevin asked, not forgetting to gossip even while clutching his head and fleeing.

News in the tribe really travels faster than wind, Eric nodded: "Yes, the little snake, I’ll take him home in the spring. As for the human... he’ll just stay at my place for now."

"Our tribe is really lively now, with all sorts of races," a warrior said with a laugh.

"Let me tell you." Sam propped up his chin, playing the detective: "Eric’s habit of picking people up is definitely inherited from his mother. Wasn’t Leo also picked up by his mother?"

Michael, who was eating heartily, had to stop and ponder: "That actually sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?"

Eric felt like steam was about to come out of his head. He pulled Leo, who was stuffed full and listening to the gossip, to his feet: "Let’s go, let’s go, be careful, or you’ll catch their disease if you stay near them."

What on earth? Inherited? He groaned inwardly. How come the original owner’s mother only "picked up" one Leo to be his younger brother, while he "picked up" a whole army...

Could this be a case of the student surpassing the master?

Leo’s big, round eyes looked at his brother worriedly: "Brother, will I also get "infected" with the habit of picking people up later? I can’t afford to support them..."

Eric burst out laughing, patting the kid’s head dotingly: "It’s okay, you weren’t born from our mother. Besides, even if you really do pick someone up, I’ll help you support them."

Only then did Leo let out a sigh of relief.

Just as he stepped out of the cafeteria, Eric saw a crowd of Dwarves and Snow Wolves gathered in front of his house. Some were on tiptoe, others clinging to the fence to look inside. Filled with suspicion, he quickened his pace. The last time his house was this lively was the day they brewed wine.

"Is that real magic? It just sprouted in the blink of an eye!" a Snow Wolf exclaimed in amazement.

"This is nature magic, isn’t it?" a female Dwarf said admiringly, "It looks so beautiful when being cast, and the caster is handsome, too."

Hearing this, Eric had a vague idea of what was happening. Seeing him, the crowd automatically made way.

"Eric, you really know how to pick them!" Iris was also in the crowd, her voice full of excitement: "This human is not only handsome, but he also knows magic. Mages are highly sought after among humans!"

"Why is everyone crowding around outside instead of coming in? You scared me," Eric grumbled. Anyone who didn’t know better would think something major had happened at his house.

Iris giggled: "Oh, humans are faint-hearted. We were afraid that if too many of us went in, we’d scare him."

Eric let out a long sigh, not knowing how many times he’d done that today. He squeezed through the curious crowd and entered the yard.

In the middle of the yard, Evan was squatting beside some flower pots, elegantly scooping soil with a small trowel.

Even such a normal action exuded an indescribable elegance when performed by him, making the crude clay pots that Eric had casually molded look like expensive works of art.

Beside him, several other pots had already been planted. From within the soil, young sprouts had already stretched up into healthy saplings.

Each young leaf was jade-green, vibrant with vigorous life, glistening in the morning sun, adding a touch of lively green to the small yard.