Farming Games are All About Grinding-Chapter 42: Got the Honey!

Near the beehive, the chaotic buzzing of wings reached Han Qiwu’s ears.

Han Qiwu took out the green branches he had prepared earlier and placed them directly below the beehive. Before doing so, he had deliberately cleared this area and created a firebreak. To further ensure safety, he fetched a large bucket of water from the riverside, eliminating any risk of a fire.

Once everything was ready, Han Qiwu followed the sequence from bottom to top: newspaper, dry branches and fallen leaves, tuna oil, his last piece of wood, and green branches.

After arranging everything, Han Qiwu took out his homemade torch and threw it directly onto the newspaper.

The torch ignited the newspaper, and the fire quickly spread layer by layer upward. When the flames reached the green branches, thick smoke began to rise in clouds.

Perhaps it was the addition of the tuna oil, because the smoke was extremely effective. As soon as it engulfed the beehive, black dots started pouring out of it in swarms.

These were black little bees, also known as small wasps. They are widely distributed, generally not harmful, and not a protected species.

The swarm did not disperse but hovered around the beehive, seemingly trying to find a solution.

Han Qiwu seized the moment and climbed up the tree trunk. Quickly, he reached the vicinity of the hive.

At this height, swarms of bees surrounded Han Qiwu, nearly blocking his vision.

Luckily, Han Qiwu had already identified the hive’s location. His gloved hand reached towards the beehive.

[Large Wild Honey (Gold Star Quality)⭐⭐]

[Stamina +800]

[Health +1200]

[Notes: Pure wild honey, irresistibly attractive to certain creatures!]

With a single thought, Han Qiwu saw the icon for [Large Wild Honey] appear in his inventory.

It worked! The plan was a success!

Tactical retreat!

Han Qiwu avoided touching the beehive. Sustainability is key; there’s no need to destroy an entire bee colony just for some larvae or royal jelly.

After climbing down the tree, Han Qiwu used water to extinguish the smoking pile. To ensure safety, he poured four buckets of water over it, making absolutely sure no open flames or hidden embers were left before riding his e-bike away.

A perfect forage operation!

An 800-point stamina gain! That’s equivalent to Han Qiwu sleeping for over six days.

Golden-quality items are truly amazing!

"This note..." Han Qiwu curled his lip. He felt that this was just the system indulging in its little jokes.

Speaking of honey enthusiasts, isn’t the most obvious one a bear?

Where would a bear come from in this place? It’s not Russia!

Such needless fearmongering!

Once home, Han Qiwu first took off and stored his bee-protection suit, then went to the kitchen to get a 5L airtight jar.

He planned to taste the honey’s flavor.

After all, this was the fruit of his labor.

Bees: "...This is OUR fruit of labor!"

The icon for large wild honey in the inventory showed a golden-yellow liquid.

Han Qiwu positioned the airtight jar and activated his inventory with a thought.

The honey filled four-fifths of the jar’s capacity.

"4 liters of honey, that’s quite a lot." Han Qiwu carefully poured a small bowl of wild honey.

Observing its color, it was a rich yellow tinged slightly with reddish-brown. Being wild honey, its purity wasn’t too high, containing a bit of beeswax.

He took a light sip.

The robust sweetness carried a tinge of tartness, the sourness skillfully cutting through the cloying sweetness, leaving no sense of overbearing sugariness.

No wonder it was Gold Star Quality wild honey!

With just this small bowl, Han Qiwu’s stamina value increased by 10 points.

"When can I learn a new recipe? Using such great ingredients directly feels wasteful."

Han Qiwu was a little reluctant to eat it all himself. Instead, he filled a 1L jar to the brim and stored both the large and small jars in his inventory for preservation.

After dealing with the honey, Han Qiwu started practicing the second set of moves for Strengthening Technique at home.

An hour passed and sweat soaked through his back.

Han Qiwu collapsed onto a chair, breathing heavily.

"The difficulty ramped up so much on the second set; won’t the later sets be even harder?"

During his break, Han Qiwu watched videos, methodically analyzing the movements. freewёbnoνel.com

Thankfully, his improved vision meant he could now discern the nuances of muscle engagement he’d otherwise miss.

Busy until 3:14 PM in the afternoon, Han Qiwu showered before heading to the blacksmith’s shop. Before leaving, he packed another pound of honey in the jar and planned to give it to Grandpa Chen as a treat.

Blacksmith’s Shop

As Han Qiwu entered, Master Shuzi was just drinking tea at the counter.

"Got another crystal orb? Hand it over," Master Shuzi glanced at Han Qiwu and said.

Han Qiwu obediently handed over the orb, looking at Master Shuzi with anticipation.

Master Shuzi: "...Don’t give me that look!"

[You spent 40 gold to open one crystal orb]

[Congratulations, you obtained Coal ×1]

[Coal]: One of the essential fuels for smelting.

Seeing this system notification, Han Qiwu dared not look at Master Shuzi again.

When the old man is in a foul mood, the only one spending more money is yourself.

Coal was useful though, so the first orb was acceptable.

[You spent 30 gold to open one crystal orb]

[Congratulations, you obtained Copper Ore ×1]

[You spent 30 gold to open one crystal orb]

[Congratulations, you obtained Copper Ore ×1]

One piece of coal and two pieces of copper ore—all were practical resources for Han Qiwu at the moment.

"Master Shuzi, do you happen to know where there are mines nearby?" Han Qiwu asked cautiously.

"No idea." Master Shuzi shook his head. "Back at my old home, there was a top-notch mine. Too bad, time waits for no one."

Han Qiwu: "...Confirmed, he’s someone from ’family with mines.’"

Can’t afford to mess with him—better leave immediately.

Leaving the blacksmith’s shop, Han Qiwu went to the riverside and casually started fishing.

"Mandarin fish, mandarin fish, bite the bait!"

After attaching bait, Han Qiwu murmured his chant, even though he knew it wouldn’t change anything.

People often do things that have no practical purpose.

Who cares? If it brings joy, that’s enough!

After fishing for two hours, no mandarin fish bit the bait. Instead, he caught a heap of aquatic plants, two largemouth bass, and some worthless sunfish.

"Treat it like I’m fishing for snacks. Aquatic plants have a nice texture when eaten. As for the cheap fish, I’ll turn them all into fertilizer when crop prices rise later."

Putting away his fishing rod, Han Qiwu picked up some local pork and bought a few fresh greens in town. Then, he headed to Grandpa Chen’s house.

At the doorway, just like last time, Grandpa Chen opened the door before he could even knock.

"Grandpa Chen, are you clairvoyant?" Han Qiwu asked in surprise.

Grandpa Chen smiled silently, pointing to the upper right corner of the doorway where a shadow concealed a surveillance camera.

Han Qiwu: "..."

The power of technology is truly terrifying!

"I told you last time, don’t come unless it’s necessary. You’re not making a steady income yet, no need to worry about me." Grandpa Chen stood at the entrance, making it clear he didn’t want to let Han Qiwu in.