Farming Games are All About Grinding-Chapter 268 - 260: The Old Roots of the Osmanthus Tree

He wasn’t planning to keep fishing any longer. First, he was out of supplies, and second, he was running low on bait.

Time to head to the museum!

It’s been so long since he’s seen Zack. He kinda missed him... or rather, missed the good stuff there.

Riding his bike to the museum entrance, Han Qiwu once again saw a pair of floating eyeballs with wings hovering above the museum courtyard.

As soon as the eyeballs spotted Han Qiwu, the museum doors swung open automatically.

"This thing is really awesome. If only I could get one to put at home. Then I’d finally know whether Xiao Dian and Meat Chicken are slacking off or not," Han Qiwu thought as he walked through the museum doors.

As soon as he entered, a rich aroma of alcohol hit his nose.

"Smells so good? Did Zack drink too much again?" Han Qiwu wondered, approaching the counter curiously.

Zack, standing behind the counter, was currently dressed in a tailcoat. He was rapidly pouring four or five colorful liquids into a cocktail shaker, shaking it at dizzying speeds—probably over ten times per second.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"Good morning! What are you up to this time?" Han Qiwu asked.

"Mixing a cocktail!" Zack replied cheerfully. "I’ve decided that from now on, I’ll dedicate one-tenth of my time to learning mixology. One day, I’ll become the King of Cocktails!"

"Good luck with that." Han Qiwu clapped lazily, barely enthused, as he began taking out a pile of ancient relics from his storage compartment and spreading them across the counter.

Due to the large amount he had accumulated recently, the entire counter was completely covered.

[Thank you for completing your sixth donation]

[As you’ve donated a vast quantity of items, you’ve earned an extra reward]

[Extra Reward: Black Box Lottery]

[Black Box Lottery: A draw influenced by Zack’s manipulation]

Han Qiwu: "..."

Is it seriously *that* kind of Black Box Lottery?

With the system’s notification, a massive black box appeared in front of Han Qiwu. The box had a big button on top with the word "DRAW" written in bold.

Han Qiwu glanced at Zack and said sincerely, "Zack, you’re so handsome."

"Thanks, I think so too," Zack replied with a grin, motioning grandly for him to proceed.

Han Qiwu slapped the "DRAW" button hard.

The instant he pressed it, the opaque black box turned transparent, revealing countless small balls tumbling around inside.

A few seconds later, one ball rolled out of a side outlet and came to rest in front of Han Qiwu.

[Empty Lottery Ball]: Seems like there’s only a slip of paper inside.

Han Qiwu felt an ominous sense of foreboding. He forcefully cracked open the lottery ball and pulled out the paper to read it.

"Thank you for your contribution to the museum. Please visit again soon."

Han Qiwu: "..."

Seriously? If it’s just going to be a slip of paper, couldn’t you at least print the words on it?

What’s the deal with handwritten characters and added pinyin?

So it really *is* rigged, huh.

"Come on, tell me: what exactly makes me handsome?" Zack asked, his smug grin irritating enough to make someone want to punch him, as he sauntered over to Han Qiwu.

"Handsome in the sense that maybe in a few lifetimes, you’ll just about catch up to my level," Han Qiwu replied sarcastically, plopping himself down onto the barstool with a huff.

If he’d known earlier, he would’ve donated the items in batches. That way, he might’ve snagged a few seeds as rewards.

He glared at the slip of paper in his hand, growing increasingly annoyed.

But after thinking it through,

Forget it. Better not throw it away.

After all, it was exchanged for so many ancient relics—can’t waste that!

"Clap, clap, clap."

Zack smiled as he clapped. "I admire your honesty! That’s the spirit—don’t lie just for a measly reward! Now take another look at your slip of paper."

Feeling puzzled, Han Qiwu lowered his head to examine the piece of paper he’d been clutching.

[Mysterious Note No. 14]

[Remark: Can only be read using a Mysterious Magnifying Glass]

"A mysterious note? You’ve got this too?" Han Qiwu exclaimed, jumping off the barstool in surprise. He swiftly stored the note back into his inventory after a quick glance.

"Actually, I do collect some mysterious things now and then," Zack shrugged. "Remember, always stick to your gut."

Han Qiwu nodded, pulling a straight-shelled nautilus and a heat-resistant volcanic shrimp from his inventory. He said, "Take a look. Can these two ocean creatures unlock any features here at your place?"

"Let me see..." Zack reached out and took the two wriggling little critters. After observing them carefully for a moment, he replied, "The straight-shelled nautilus is required to unlock ancient oceanic biology books in Area H, but this little shrimp doesn’t seem to unlock anything special."

Nodding, Han Qiwu carefully put away the two creatures. After some additional small talk with Zack, he finally left the museum.

Talking about the books reminded him—he really needed to spend more time reading *Legends of Giants* today. After all, tomorrow was the due date to return it.

Time to bike home!

Just in time for lunch.

Ten minutes later, Han Qiwu crept quietly to his garden gate, pushing it open slightly to peek at the branches within.

Hmm.

Xiao Dian hadn’t let him down.

As always, he was lounging around with his feet propped up, shamelessly slacking off.

Meanwhile, Meat Chicken was nowhere to be found, of course.

Their duo was truly a headache-inducing pair.

Shaking his head, Han Qiwu pushed the gate open fully and walked in.

"Zzzzap!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Han Qiwu caught sight of Xiao Dian the instant he walked in. The little guy flipped nimbly off a branch, dangling upside down as he unleashed an electric shock onto the canola field below.

"Nice job handling pest control, Xiao Dian. Keep it up," Han Qiwu said with a wave of his hand.

No time to deal with him now—he’d train the little rascal later.

"Chirp chirp!" Xiao Dian nodded earnestly, completely unfazed by his lazy antics being called out.

"Thump, thump, thump."

From the direction of the osmanthus grove, rhythmic chopping sounds could be heard.

Turning to look, Han Qiwu saw the bare-headed Little Prince swinging an axe, chopping down a grown osmanthus tree.

"Now this is a good kid!"

Feeling gratified, Han Qiwu walked over and patted the Little Prince’s head. "Take a break. How much have you chopped so far?"

The Little Prince, beaming with pride, pointed to the pink mini-backpack on his back.

Curious, Han Qiwu opened it.

Well, well—quite the haul indeed.

[Wood]×98, [Osmanthus Wood]×9, [Old Osmanthus Root]×1.

Seeing the last item, Han Qiwu took it out immediately to examine it.

The old osmanthus root looked a bit like ginseng. Its silky, snow-white tendrils were lush and brimming with moisture.

[Old Osmanthus Root]

[Use: Accelerated Growth]

[Special Effect - Growth Booster: When buried, it accelerates the growth of 2×2 grouped osmanthus seedlings.]

[Remark: The power of roots!]

After reviewing its properties, Han Qiwu decisively planted the plump, pristine root beneath four young osmanthus saplings.

This root was incredible—far outshining any fertilizer!

One old root supporting four new saplings.

Impressive. Truly impressive.

As he buried the root, the always-considerate Little Prince took the small trowel from Han Qiwu’s hand and diligently helped him shovel the soil.

What a sweet kid.

From his storage chest, Han Qiwu pulled out a wild kudzu root and handed it to the Little Prince. "Here, have a snack. You’re off the hook for chores this afternoon—go play."

"Roar!" The Little Prince took the root eagerly, washed it carefully, and started munching on it happily, his expression full of pure bliss.

Diligent little champs like this were the absolute best!

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