Chapter 5: Carrying Dung is a Skill, What's Wrong with Being on a Magazine?
'Do you want to start the Dung Carrying Experience Challenge?'
What was that? Li Feng only heard a mechanical voice in his mind, and for a moment, he was utterly astonished. What was happening? Had he seen a ghost?
'Host, do you want to start the Dung Carrying Experience Challenge?'
'Host?'
What was going on? Li Feng wasn't unfamiliar with this term; after all, he occasionally read novels. "System?"
'Please choose, Host: Accept Challenge, or Decline Challenge?'
'Countdown 3...'
"Accept, accept."
Although Li Feng didn't know the significance of this challenge, he figured that completing a task issued by the system would surely bring rewards, and perhaps even allow him to go home.
As for other things, Li Feng couldn't care less right now; excitement, thrill, and nervousness filled his entire being.
He didn't know what this so-called system was. As if sensing Li Feng's confusion, a burst of information was quickly transmitted through the system into Li Feng's mind.
Li Feng felt a tingling sensation throughout his body, and then some information appeared in his mind.
"Time and Space Inn, Early Era Beginner Version?"
"Opening a Time and Space Inn? Was he here for an experience tour?"
"Does that mean once the experience is over, he can go back?"
A huge wave of joy filled Li Feng's body; he almost jumped up in excitement. In an instant, he felt alive again. This was great, he could go home! Although Li Feng had accepted the reality of transmigrating to 1978, it didn't mean he didn't want to go home.
"Huh, I chose the difficult experience. How come I didn't know?"
"Also, 'can carry a small amount of items,' and I defaulted to 'not carrying'? Are you kidding me?"
Li Feng felt that he had been scammed by this 'Beginner Version Time and Space Inn.' If he could carry some items, putting aside everything else, just bringing some food would be good.
Unfortunately, the system's answer to Li Feng's question was that Li Feng had defaulted to the choice at the time.
Li Feng recalled that he seemed to have been electrocuted and then fainted. This counted as a default? Ni Ma, this system seemed a bit of a rip-off.
'Host has accepted the Dung Carrying Experience Challenge. Duration: Ten days. Rewards will be issued based on task completion.'
'Task progress 0%...'
"Are you alright?"
Han Anmin patted the vomiting Li Feng's shoulder. This was probably his first time seeing a latrine pit. This was going to be a bit difficult. What should they do? After all, it wasn't a good time to change jobs.
"I'm fine, Captain, I'm fine."
Li Feng was now solely focused on completing the task and returning home. The surrounding stench seemed to be ignored; perhaps this was the power of internal motivation.
"Good that you're fine."
Han Anmin was also helpless. This was someone he had to work with, so what else could he say? Wu Gou, on the other hand, grinned and scoffed. "Pretty boy, how's it going? Done puking? Why don't you puke into the latrine pit? It'll add some fertilizer."
"That's enough."
Han Anmin glared at Wu Gou. "Get to work quickly."
"I'm just trying to teach this city boy how to work."
"Who needs you to teach? I'm the one who taught you how to carry dung."
Han Anmin could clearly see what Wu Gou was thinking. However, this Li Feng really needed to be taught properly. Expecting him to carry dung when he had never even seen a latrine pit was like expecting a woman who had never been married to give birth.
This wasn't the 21st century, where even a latrine pit could give birth, let alone an unmarried woman.
"You've never carried dung?"
"No."
He really hadn't carried dung before. He had carried water, but only watched others carry water and dung. He had moved water and dung, but wasn't very proficient at it.
"This could be a bit troublesome."
"How about this?"
Han Anmin said. "You start by carrying less, just half a bucket. An Yu, go pick some pumpkin leaves."
"Alright!"
"Pick pumpkin leaves?"
"I'll put them in your bucket later, so the dung won't splash out when the bucket sways."
"I see."
Li Feng was delighted, not expecting pumpkin leaves to have such a wonderful use.
'Task progress 1%'
'Huh, covering dung water with pumpkin leaves, this also counts as part of the dung carrying task?'
Surprised, Li Feng quickly asked again. "Captain, do you have any other clever tricks? You know it's my first time carrying dung."
"Clever tricks, that's hard to say."
Han Anmin scratched his head a bit. If you asked him to carry dung, he'd be an expert, but asking him to teach a student? Difficult. Wu Gou was all kicks and punches, but Li Feng was from the city, so it wasn't easy to use such methods. It was a bit hard for him, how should he explain it?
"I remember now."
Han Anmin slapped his forehead. He remembered a jingle about carrying dung, which might work. "I recall there was a dung-carrying rhyme, how did it go again..."
"Brother Anmin, isn't it 'Little educated youth carries big dung, swaying left and right is so tiring, spilling a ground of dung soup, dogs love it, it stinks to high heaven'?" Wu Gou chuckled as he scooped dung water. Li Feng rolled his eyes speechlessly. "Indeed, you like it."
"What do you mean?"
Wu Gou didn't react for a moment, but An Yu, who had returned with pumpkin leaves, burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Brother Gouzi, he's cursing you! Dogs like to eat shit!"
"Ah, you pretty boy, who are you cursing?"
"I'm not cursing you; you're cursing yourself."
Li Feng wouldn't indulge him; barking dogs, heh heh.
"You..."
"That's enough."
Han Anmin glared at Wu Gou. He knew Wu Gou disliked Li Feng, but he was talking about serious business right now, so why was he causing trouble? "How did it go? Oh, right: 'Steps not too big, not too small, alternating shoulders without pause, steady feet uphill and downhill, no spilled dung shows true skill.'"
"Hahaha, isn't that what you teach little kids?"
Wu Gou said, picking up the dung water. He was surprisingly steady; carrying over a hundred catties of dung water, he could still spew nonsense from his mouth. Li Feng had to admire him.
"Pretty boy, I'm heading off now."
"Don't mind him."
Han Anmin said in a low voice.
"Captain, why do I feel like he's always targeting me?"
"Sigh, that's a long story."
Han Anmin briefly explained to Li Feng that Wu Gou had fallen for a girl who then ran off with an educated youth.
"Ah, no wonder."
Li Feng decided to ignore this pathetic dog. He was probably a simp, too, but he didn't even get a whiff of anything. "Captain, can you tell me more? Are there any other tricks to carrying dung?"
'Task progress 10%'
Just a jingle gave such a big boost in progress. Li Feng gained confidence. Han Anmin, seeing Li Feng's willingness to learn, felt it was his responsibility as deputy team leader to teach Li Feng. However, Li Feng still made a fool of himself the moment he started.
Although Li Feng was mentally prepared, problems arose the moment the carrying pole was on his shoulder. Han Anmin and the others were steady, but the carrying pole on Li Feng's shoulder was like a mischievous child, constantly sliding down. He could only hunch his neck and jog forward, and the dung buckets swayed even more.
"Slow down, slow down, put the strength on your shoulder."
"Don't use your hands to support it, let your shoulder take the weight."
Everyone shouted. Fortunately, Li Feng wasn't carrying much dung water, and with the pumpkin leaves, not much splashed out. Plus, the weight was light, so Li Feng quickly steadied himself. "Your steps need to be steadier, let your shoulder take the weight, don't rely on holding it with both hands."
"Try again."
Li Feng gritted his teeth. The task progress bar was barely moving, so he figured he hadn't found the correct way to carry dung. "Take it slow." What else could Han Anmin say? It was Li Feng's first time doing this work, and it was already good that he was persisting.
Although Han Anmin was anxious, wishing he could kick Li Feng a few times to make him understand, carrying dung was a skilled job that couldn't be learned in a short time.
What made Li Feng even more depressed was a group of children chasing behind him, shouting the dung-carrying song that Wu Gou had taught them. "Little educated youth carries big dung, swaying left and right is so tiring, spilling a ground of dung soup, dogs love it, it stinks to high heaven."
"Go, go, go, go play somewhere else."
"System, System."
Li Feng carried three loads, not only was he exhausted, but the progress bar had only moved forward by 5 percentage points. His current task progress was 15%. 'Is there any quick way to do this?'
Alright, no response meant there wasn't one. Li Feng was helpless; his shoulder was chafed and bleeding all morning, and his legs and feet were covered in a lot of dung water. "I didn't expect carrying dung water to be so difficult!" No wonder it was classified as a challenge experience.
The inn experiences were divided into ordinary experiences, which had no tasks or rewards, and skill-based experiences, which were optional and offered rewards.
Upon returning home, Li Feng first took off his clothes. The stench was unbearable; he needed a good wash. Just as he was about to take them to wash, Da Ya snatched the clothes and was about to head to the small river with the broken wooden basin.
"Da Ya, I'll wash them."
"Papa, I can wash them."
Da Ya insisted. How could a man wash clothes? This was a woman's job. Although there was no Mama at home, she was there. "Then be careful; the riverside is slippery."
"Mmm."
Handing the clothes to Da Ya, Li Feng found some old clothes to wear for now. Alas, he shouldn't have worn his own clothes this morning.
'Task progress 18%.'
Sigh, at this rate, he really might not be able to complete it in ten days. It was too difficult. "Er Ya, alright, you can go play now." Er Ya shook her head. "Big Sister told me to massage Papa."
"It's alright."
His shoulder hurt terribly, it was bruised and even broken skin. Ni Ma, carrying dung really wasn't a human's job, it was so hard! He wished he hadn't accepted the task. 'System, is there any other way to increase task progress?'
'Virtual space can be activated.'
'Virtual space?'
Li Feng wondered what that was, but since the system said it was useful, it must be. 'Activate.'
'Virtual Dung Carrying Space activated.'
'Host, please complete one thousand dung carrying tasks.'
Oh my god, Li Feng understood why it was useful now. A completely realistic simulation, it was truly deadly. The pain felt the same. One thousand times, this was going to kill him!
"Ah, I can't take it anymore, I'm going to die!"
Before even reaching a hundred times, Li Feng felt like he was going to die. His shoulder was already worn down to the bone. To continue the task, this was inhumane! However, he wasn't without gains; Li Feng had already summarized some experiences.
For example, when carrying dung, the pace should be moderate, neither fast nor slow, so the balance of the dung buckets is better, preventing splashing or the pole falling off. Furthermore, a moderate pace also helps improve efficiency; an appropriate speed and stride will reduce overall time and physical exertion, which is more conducive to maintaining physical strength and mental focus, avoiding fatigue and anxiety caused by being too fast or too slow.
Moreover, Li Feng had initially mastered the method of carrying dung and water with the shoulder as the center, and he could now switch between left and right shoulders. This way, he could avoid one shoulder becoming overly fatigued, allowing him to switch to the right shoulder when the left was tired, and vice versa, alternating the load.
And then there was going uphill and downhill; although he hadn't fully mastered it, he understood it somewhat. After a hundred times, Li Feng had summarized a lot of experience, which was why he kept at it until around three hundred and fifty times when he really couldn't continue.
'Let's stop for now. I'll continue tonight.'
Exiting the virtual space, Li Feng lay on the bed, exhausted. The experience gained in the virtual space instantly boosted his task progress by nearly thirty percent.
'Task progress 45%'
This was great! Li Feng was delighted that his efforts hadn't been in vain. He just wondered what the reward would be. Oh right, he hadn't asked the system what rewards he would get for successfully completing a skill experience challenge. Li Feng suddenly felt energized.
'Preferably food.'
He was really too hungry. Just after returning, Li Feng directly devoured two cornmeal steamed buns. What dog wouldn't eat them? What stinky shit? To hell with it, I'm a dog now.
Da Ya's eyes reddened as she watched Li Feng wolf down the steamed buns. Her Papa was always unwilling to eat these, but now he was so exhausted.
Only after eating did Li Feng remember that there were only three steamed buns. He had devoured two, leaving the two little ones to share one steamed bun and drink wild vegetable soup. Now, Li Feng disliked everything else; he wanted food, white flour, and rice. He was determined that his two children would eat delicious and spicy food, at the very least, they would eat their fill.