Luo Mu was still deliberating on the Q&A he had with the system earlier, even as he stood in the fields of the Farming Area.
First, he had no problem with the general direction of handling the Pokemon egg; both the hatching nutrient solution and finding a powerful Pokemon with the Flame Body ability were correct decisions.
However, what he was more concerned about was the phrase “distant past.” Did the system mean that this Pokemon egg came from a very long time ago, or perhaps ancient times?
If so, this Pokemon egg might have quite a background.
Although Luo Mu had some guesses in his heart, he dared not be certain; perhaps only when the Pokemon egg hatched would his suspicions be confirmed.
Luo Mu stopped agonizing and smiled at Eldegoss, who had been waiting eagerly beside him, “Did you Sleep well last night?”
Eldegoss was much more lively than yesterday, bouncing around and seemingly enjoying the farm environment, directly answering Luo Mu’s question with its actions.
The two Gossifleur, however, seemed a bit reserved, probably because they had arrived in an unfamiliar place after waking up. They hadn’t quickly adjusted yet, merely hiding shyly behind Eldegoss, secretly observing Luo Mu and his Serperior and Swampert beside him.
Luo Mu smiled, not rushing to build a relationship with the Gossifleur immediately. He said to Eldegoss, “I plan to sow seeds this morning. You can take the Gossifleur to explore the fenced area to get familiar with the environment. After I’m done, I’ll make a small wooden nest for you and the Gossifleur so you can Sleep more comfortably.”
Eldegoss nodded, knowing it couldn't help with the farming stage. It chose to follow Luo Mu’s arrangements, taking the Gossifleur to play and explore the unknown surroundings.
Watching the three bouncing figures gradually disappear into the distance, Luo Mu looked up at the cloudless sky and muttered to himself, “It looks like a sunny day today, perfect for working in the fields.”
With that, Luo Mu put on his straw hat, picked up his iron hoe, called out to Swampert and Serperior, and prepared to roll up his sleeves and get to work.
Today’s goal is to plant all the seeds!
Under the clear blue sky, Luo Mu swung his hoe, digging a small pit, and then placed the last bit of strawberry seeds—or rather, strawberry skin—into the soil.
Then, Serperior manipulated its Vine Whip to gather the scattered soil nearby and cover the pit. Swampert then brought a bucket of ordinary water, free of water-type energy, for Luo Mu to evenly and sparingly pour into the soil.
The complete planting process was thus finished. Now, all that was left was to wait for Eldegoss and its companions to return so they could add nutrients to the seeds.
Luo Mu breathed a sigh of relief, washed his hands with Swampert, and looked at the five small plots of farmland, spaced out from each other. He felt a strong sense of accomplishment fill his heart.
This was his first step towards a pastoral life and a small step in the farm's development.
Today was a day worth commemorating. Although Luo Mu wanted to take this opportunity to name the farm immediately, considering Dragonite, who was out collecting wood, and Luxray and its companions, who were searching for powerful Pokemon with the Flame Body ability, Luo Mu decided to postpone this desire for a while.
Such a memorable event should wait until everyone is present.
Seeing that Eldegoss and its companions had not returned, Luo Mu, who suspected they wouldn't get lost in this not-so-large farm, sent Serperior and Swampert to bring them back. He, meanwhile, went to check why Pai Pa, that kid, was still not up at noon.
The shortest straight-line distance was from the farm to the small Western-style house, followed by the as-yet-unbuilt ranch area in order of distance, and then the farthest lake area.
Luo Mu hummed a tune as he carried the hoe. He reached the doorstep in three or four minutes. As if by a stroke of inspiration, he looked up and saw Pai Pa lie on the third-floor windowsill, his eyes hazy as he looked into the distance, with a hint of inexplicable melancholy.
Good heavens, he’s only ten, yet he acts like a jaded, middle-aged man. Luo Mu leaned the hoe against the wall, opened the door, and rushed to the third floor. He grabbed Pai Pa, who had dark circles under his eyes and was feigning melancholy, and said irritably, “So, everything I told you yesterday went in one ear and out the other, huh?”
“Look at those dark circles. What time did you go to bed last night?”
Pai Pa yawned and weakly said, “Four o’clock…”
Luo Mu: “...”
Staring at this ten-year-old child who was sulking with his parents, Luo Mu even doubted whether such an immature Pai Pa could truly embark on a journey like the equally ten-year-old Super True Protagonist.
Luo Mu was skeptical about this.
Not intending to correct Pai Pa’s stubborn personality today, Luo Mu released the back of Pai Pa’s collar and said, “Forget it, hurry up and wash up. I’m going to prepare lunch.”
Although Pai Pa was currently in a rebellious phase, sulking with his parents, he still completely obeyed Luo Mu’s words, except for matters related to his parents.
He immediately shuffled in his small slippers, pattering his way to the bathroom on the first floor.
Luo Mu, on the other hand, walked into the kitchen and opened the cabinet to check the remaining ingredients, muttering, “It would be great to have a refrigerator so I could freeze some meat, but finances are a bit tight right now, so I’ll eat vegetarian dishes and wild game for a while. Today, I’ll have… vegetarian snag berries curry rice!”
With that, Luo Mu successively took out carrots, onions, and other side dishes needed for curry from the cabinet, as well as half a bag of unfinished curry powder.
As for the meat part, because he had just finished eating meat and hadn't bought more, and also because Eldegoss and its companions would most likely not accept meat, Luo Mu took out several large, plump pecha berry from the cabinet. These were samples given to him by Peter when he visited Jones Farm, for him to taste.
Now, they were perfect for cooking.
The texture of the pecha berry was less like a peach and more like a bland, less juicy fruit. Pairing it with curry rice wasn't actually a dark dish; Luo Mu had tried it once, and it tasted quite good.
The method for making curry rice curry is simple: stir-fry the side dishes in a small amount of hot oil until cooked. Because pecha berry will become unpalatable when exposed to hot oil, warm water must first be added to cover the ingredients. Then, after the water boils, add the pecha berry cut into bite-sized pieces, and finally, cook the curry sauce until it thickens.
After doing all this, Luo Mu scooped a small bit of curry to taste. The sweet curry was light and mellow, and after a careful taste, the delicate flavor had an endless aftertaste, all thanks to the inherent flavor of the pecha berry.
He thought that as their first meal as new members, Eldegoss and its companions should like it.
Luo Mu removed some of the firewood from under the stove, maintaining a low simmer with the lid on. He suddenly missed the days when Ceruledge was around; its flame temperature was always so precisely controlled, and starting a fire with wood himself really tended to make him dusty and disheveled.
His suburban area didn't have natural gas; it was already good infrastructure for Pingdie Town that it had electricity and water.