Chapter 19: Manor Level 19

The entire estate covers about 500 square meters, with a vegetable garden and orchard at the back.

The sweet potatoes in the garden have already started sprouting leaves, and various unfamiliar wild grasses are growing very vigorously in the soil.

The fruit trees in the orchard, under the influence of the growth stones, have already reached a height of about a person. It’s estimated that in just a few days, they will start to bloom and bear fruit.

There are two sheds in the middle, with a courtyard in front, surrounded by wildflowers and vines planted outside the yard. Inside, there’s a stone table, stone stools, and a simple firepit kitchen. Nearby, some water tanks and clay pots are stacked.

Behind the vegetable garden, there’s also a small livestock pen, where the fat pig monsters and wild chickens he brought are kept.

For a frail, sweet, and clean little girl to transform such a barren land into what it is now in such a short time is truly impressive.

Suddenly, he remembered the reason for his visit today and hurriedly said, “Miss Ai, after I went back the other day, I thought about it and felt that such a large group of monsters appearing suddenly could not have been a coincidence. It must be related to the smell of the barbecue wafting for miles that day. So, I came today to assist you in building a kitchen, so that the smell doesn’t spread too far and cause trouble. What do you think, Miss?”

Ai Ling had already planned to do this, and now that someone was offering to help, she couldn’t ask for more.

“Sure, sure! Not only do I want to build a kitchen, but I also want to build a proper house. This little thatched hut is really inconvenient. If you’re willing to help, I can give you half of my plants and animals in the future, or you can come here to eat as often as you like.”

Yuan Muchen shyly smiled. “There’s no need to give me anything. I can’t eat much by myself. Just… just let me come by for a meal occasionally, and I’ll be completely satisfied.”

Ai Ling laughed heartily. “Don’t be so polite. When you’re out there, you have to rely on friends. Let’s cooperate, help each other, and build a beautiful home together!”

【Not happy.】

【Not happy +1】

【Not happy +2】

…

【I don’t understand. Why aren’t you all happy?】

【This Number 1 big monkey is so annoying, always running to look for Number 5. Doesn’t he know that Number 5 belongs to He Xi?】

【Weird, who decided Number 5 belongs to He Xi? Did Number 5 say that? Even if it’s He Xi, he’s not this possessive!】

【Sigh, Number 5 is annoying too. He Xi is so nice, but she always drives him away. Yet, she treats this gorilla with kindness and a smile. I don’t know what she’s thinking.】

【Come on, how did you come to the conclusion that “He Xi is so nice”? Have you been eating too many brain-damaging dramas?】

【Exactly, there have been so many strange things happening in the live stream recently, and now they’re promoting He Xi as a good person. Is he a good person? So, the ancestral gods are bad, and all of us in the universe are bad people?】

【Yes, this kind of nonsense can’t be encouraged anymore. No matter how He Xi seems on the surface, it doesn’t change the fact that he is a vicious, god-slaying enemy of the universe!】

【+1, let’s all return to reason. This is a live stream for the Xi Slayer Plan. Even Number 5’s mission is to kill He Xi.】

【Hmm… looking at it this way, could Number 5 be some kind of secret weapon, pretending to be dumb and getting close to He Xi, waiting for the right opportunity to strike and kill him?】

【Wow! It’s very likely!】

With Yuan Muchen’s help and the addition of a set of tools such as hoes, axes, and hammers, Ai Ling suddenly had a bold idea.

She wanted to build a small wooden house, a two-bedroom one-living-room kind.

Although He Xi had said not to look for him anymore, it was possible he might change his mind and come back one day. If he saw there was no place for him to stay, he would likely get even angrier. So, it was better to be prepared, and a two-bedroom house was definitely necessary.

The two thatched huts currently in use could be repurposed. One could be placed on the left side of the wooden house to serve as a tool room, while the other could be moved further back, where a septic tank could be dug to make a simple toilet. She would also likely need to find manure for fertilizer in the future.

Although it sounded crude, only fertile soil could yield delicious fruits, after all.

On the right side of the wooden house, she planned to build a larger shed to serve as a kitchen, making the house somewhat livable.

Ai Ling had high expectations of Yuan Muchen. With his strong physique and being such a big, burly gorilla, building a wooden house together should have been easy!

However, she didn’t expect this big gorilla to be able to lift a large stone with ease but struggle to even hold a hammer properly when it came to hammering nails.

According to him, it was because he hadn’t yet mastered control over his gorilla body and couldn’t handle delicate tasks.

Well, if that’s what he said, then fine.

Helpless, Ai Ling could only direct him to help with chopping and transporting wood, while she would have to take care of the finer details, like fixing things, decorating, and laying the grass on the roof herself.

Such a big project took her a full half-month to complete, and she barely had time to attend to anything else.

Fortunately, during the search for materials, she discovered a piece of low-lying black soil rice field on the east side. It would collect some water when it rained, and with a little bit of work, it would be perfect for growing rice.

She marked off the land and, taking advantage of a rainy day when the soil was soft, she sowed the pre-soaked rice seeds.

Now that it was summer on Blue Star, following Earth’s planting schedule, it was too late to plant wheat, but rice could still be harvested in a season.

By the time the wooden house was finished, the rice seedlings had already grown as tall as a finger. In about ten more days, they could be transplanted.

Seeing the growth speed of the rice, and comparing it with the growth of the fruit trees that had been enhanced by the growth stones, Ai Ling couldn’t help but marvel at how useful those stones were.

At times like these, she couldn’t help but feel especially grateful for He Xi. Although his temperament was unpredictable and bad-tempered, he had actually helped her a lot.

Of course, she had also saved his life, so she didn’t feel like she owed him anything. She just couldn’t bring herself to part with the gifts he gave her. Well, that wasn’t exactly it.

The day the wooden house was completed, Ai Ling prepared a table full of dishes to celebrate.

She made a fragrant scallion omelet with eggs from the wild chickens and wild onions, caught a strange fish from the lake and cooked it into a rich fish soup, Yuan Muchen had caught three big goose monsters, kept two, and the one that got injured was cooked into a braised goose in a clay pot by Ai Ling.

In addition, she picked tender sweet potato leaves from the garden, stir-fried them into a vibrant green dish.

A balanced meal with three dishes and one soup, though still lacking a main staple, was almost perfect.

Ai Ling, Yuan Muchen, and Fluffy Ball sat at the table. Ai Ling, excited, stood up to make a speech:

“The new house is finally built, and I can finally say I have a real home. Thank you, Muchen, for your help, and thank you, Fluffy Ball, for your guidance. Ai Ling offers tea instead of wine, and to you both, I give my thanks!”

Yuan Muchen naturally felt embarrassed and said he hadn’t helped much and had let Ai Ling’s gratitude go unfulfilled, so he also raised his cup, offering tea in return.

The two of them exchanged polite words, and when they finally sat down… wait, where’s the food?

On the table, the fried egg, braised goose, and even the vegetables were left with only a few bites, while the fish soup seemed to have been untouched, probably because Fluffy Ball drank it last time.

Ai Ling was not happy: “Fluffy Ball, we have guests here. Can you at least show some manners?”

Burp — Fluffy Ball let out a satisfied belch and said, “What do you mean I have no manners? I left one bite for each of you!”

Ai Ling was speechless, so she turned to Yuan Muchen and said in a low voice, “Muchen, I remember you have a system too. Last time I heard its voice, it sounded like a female rabbit, right?”

Fluffy Ball immediately became alert: “What’s going on? Why are you suddenly bringing it up for no reason?”

Ai Ling ignored it and continued, “Ever since Fluffy Ball met the little rabbit last time, he hasn’t been able to eat or sleep properly, always daydreaming and thinking about seeing it again. I wonder…”

Burp — Fluffy Ball let out another satisfied burp: “Ai Ling, you need to speak with evidence.”

Yuan Muchen hadn’t expected this turn of events and quickly laughed: “So that’s it. No wonder my little rabbit has been acting so strange ever since it came here and forced me to confront He Xi. It’s been acting odd, as if there are many things it can’t say. I thought it was malfunctioning, so I never brought it out. I didn’t realize it was because of your Fluffy Ball…”

“Hey, don’t say that!” Fluffy Ball jumped up angrily. “I have nothing to do with your rabbit! Spreading rumors has legal consequences!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t say anything!” Yuan Muchen quickly replied. “We won’t get involved in your little matters. Next time, I’ll definitely bring it with me.”

“Right, right!” Ai Ling said. “Remember, you have to bring it! Otherwise, Fluffy Ball will get even worse with his lovesick condition!”

Fluffy Ball: “…”

Hello, 110? Can someone lock up this crazy person for me?