C20 I will Take over This Fish Pond

As he visualized the fish pond blueprint in his mind, the details became clear.

[Fish Pond]

[Building Level]: Level 1

[Materials]: Stone * 300, Wood * 50

[Effect Description]: Unlocks fish farming. The host can increase the fish pond's population by purchasing fish species or fishing (The System Store only offers common fish; rare species must be caught by the host).

So, I just need 300 stones and 50 pieces of wood to build a fish pond?

"You must dig the foundation first. The minimum size required is a 10m x 10m x 3m pit."

Digging by myself? A 300 cubic meter pit?

Is this supposed to wear me out completely? Glancing at my Stamina, 47/100. If the System's quirks are any indication, it might cost 1 Stamina point per cubic meter dug. By the most conservative estimate, that's 300 Stamina points, not even factoring in the energy needed to gather stones and wood.

Even if Liu Feng decided to purchase all the materials from the System Store, it would take no less than three days to construct the fish pond. And during that time, there'd be no spare Stamina for tasks like watering or weeding.

What a challenging endeavor.

After careful consideration, Liu Feng concluded that managing to build the fish pond within a week or two would be quite an achievement.

He checked the chilies growing on the System Land and estimated they'd be ready to harvest by tomorrow. Harvesting them would complete another mission, with the reward being a randomly unlocked skill available for learning.

The randomness was enticing; he might just unlock an incredible skill on the first try.

So, what to do today with 47 Stamina points? He checked his bag—125 stones remained, but he was out of wood.

Time to collect the materials, then.

He'd head to the lumberyard and stock up on the 50 pieces of wood as quickly as possible.

Mounting his trusty 125, Liu Feng was about to zoom out of the farm when a crisp voice halted him at the gate.

"Liu Feng!"

Who could it be? Blocking my farm gate so early, just like Wang Dali would?

Frowning at the interruption, Liu Feng turned to see who it was and his expression instantly brightened into a smile.

The visitor was none other than Zhong Yuyuan, her arms laden with a heap of items.

"Why did you come?" Liu Feng asked as he halted his motorcycle and swiftly relieved Zhong Yuyuan of her heavy load. It was quite a feat for her to lug such weighty items all the way for a visit.

"I wanted to check on you, and to say thanks."

Zhong Yuyuan's gaze lingered on the bandage adorning Liu Feng's face, her eyes brimming with remorse.

"Don't worry about it. I told you there's no need to dwell on it or to come all this way just to thank me."

Liu Feng's words were casual, but a smile crept onto his face regardless. It was indeed a joy to be greeted by such a lovely sight first thing in the morning.

"I'm not great with words, but I really do appreciate what you did," Zhong Yuyuan expressed her gratitude with heartfelt sincerity.

"It's fine, it's fine. Have you been waiting out here long? Come on in." Liu Feng set the items down and swung the farm gate open.

"Head on in. I'll just bring the motorcycle around."

"Um... your motorcycle... why is the handlebar bent?"

"Ah... don't worry about it. I'm not sure what happened. It might have just bent on its own."

Liu Feng wasn't being dishonest; he genuinely had no recollection of his return the previous night, only that he had eventually found his bed and succumbed to sleep.

Once he had stowed the motorcycle and brought the items inside, Zhong Yuyuan sat peacefully in the house.

"I'll get you some water," Liu Feng offered, then realized he didn't have any ready hot water—no kettle, no thermos.

"I forgot, let me heat some water up."

"There's no need. I'm not thirsty."

"Okay, then." Liu Feng didn't press the issue, especially since he remembered he didn't even have a spare cup to offer.

"May I take a look outside?" Zhong Yuyuan asked in a gentle tone.

"Absolutely. Feel free."

Today, Zhong Yuyuan was dressed in a pale yellow dress, her long hair tousled in a carefree manner. She lacked fancy adornments, but her natural charm was captivating.

Liu Feng followed her as they made their way towards the expansive farmland.

"This farm has been neglected for many years in the town."

"So I've heard. It was only after I applied to use it for research that the town granted approval."

Zhong Yuyuan approached the edge of the farm and crouched down, plucking a leaf from a Demon Pepper plant. She glanced over at Liu Feng and inquired, "What have you got growing here?"

"It's a type of chili called the Demon Pepper. Unbelievably hot," he replied.

"Is this all the same thing? How much have you planted?"

"Yeah, it's all the same. Roughly a dozen acres or so..." Liu Feng responded cautiously, choosing not to disclose the exact amount. He wasn't like Wang Dali, who could effortlessly tend to thirty acres on his own.

"That's quite a lot." Zhong Yuyuan didn't really grasp the concept of acreage; to her, it just seemed vast, stretching beyond sight.

"These lands, actually..." Zhong Yuyuan began, but left her thought unfinished.

"What about the lands?" Liu Feng asked, just as a system alert simultaneously popped up.

"Ding dong, you have triggered a mission: [Villager Story Quest: Zhong Yuyuan]."

What in the world?

How could a simple conversation trigger a mission? Liu Feng was utterly baffled. Could the system be toxic? He silently questioned the system.

"Seriously, system, what does this Villager Story Quest have to do with farming?"

"As a resident of the town, it's advantageous for you to foster good relationships with the other townsfolk for your research work," the system explained.

He was momentarily at a loss for words. It seemed there was some logic to it, albeit a stretch.

But recalling the mission he had just completed the day before, he felt a rush of alcohol-induced heat climb to his head, leaving him slightly foggy.

Despite this minor annoyance, the rewards from the mission were indeed gratifying.

[Mission Introduction: Trigger this mission by reaching a certain level of rapport with Zhong Yuyuan. This is part of a series of quests, with the current objective being to uncover the connection between the farm and the Zhong family.]

[Mission Reward: 3000 gold coins and the unlocking of the coffee bean seed upgrade.]

The 3000 gold coins were straightforward, but what about the coffee bean seed upgrade unlock?

The system promptly clarified: "All crop seeds have the potential to unlock an upgrade system. Once unlocked, you can enhance the seeds through the Seed Breeding Branch in the system's skill tree, altering the seeds' genetic sequences to create a variety of new strains."

Four question marks instantly appeared above Liu Feng's head.

What was this? Altering genetic sequences? Wasn't that the pinnacle of agricultural science?

The system could actually achieve it!