Vegetable Tree Fruit Curry

Luo Mu stood on the fields of the Farming Area, still pondering his previous conversation with the system.

First, he felt there was no issue with the general direction he was taking regarding the Pokémon Egg. Both the Incubation Nutrient Solution and the search for powerful Pokémon with the Flame Body ability were correct decisions.

However, what concerned him more was the phrase "distant past." Did the system mean this Pokémon Egg came from a long time ago, or perhaps from ancient times?

If that were the case, this Pokémon Egg might have quite a history.

Although he had some suspicions, Luo Mu couldn't be sure. Perhaps only when the Pokémon Egg hatched would his guess be confirmed.

Luo Mu stopped dwelling on it and smiled at Whimsicott, who was already waiting by his side, eager to start. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Whimsicott seemed much livelier than the day before, hopping around and appearing to enjoy the farm environment. It answered Luo Mu's question with its actions.

The two Hoppip, however, seemed a bit reserved. Perhaps it was because they had arrived in a strange place after waking up, and they hadn't been able to adjust quickly. They were timidly hiding behind Whimsicott, quietly observing Luo Mu, Serperior, and Swampert beside him.

Luo Mu smiled. He wasn't in a hurry to build a relationship with the Hoppip immediately. He said to Whimsicott, "I plan to start planting this morning. You can take the Hoppip for a walk within the fenced area to get familiar with the surroundings. After I'm done, I'll build a Wooden Nest for you and the Hoppip, so you'll sleep more comfortably."

Whimsicott nodded, knowing it couldn't help with the farming stage. It chose to follow Luo Mu's arrangement, leading the Hoppip as they played and explored the unknown environment around them.

Watching the three hopping figures gradually move further away, Luo Mu looked up at the cloudless sky and muttered to himself, "Looks like it's a sunny day, perfect for working in the fields."

With that, Luo Mu put on his straw hat, picked up his iron hoe, called Swampert and Serperior, and prepared to roll up his sleeves and get to work.

Today's goal was to plant all the seeds!

Under the Azure Sky, Luo Mu swung his hoe, digging a small hole. He then placed the last bit of Strawberry Seed, or rather, the strawberry skin, into the soil.

Next, Serperior used Vine Whip to gather scattered soil and cover the seed. Swampert then brought over a bucket of ordinary water, free of Water-type energy, which Luo Mu carefully and sparingly poured onto the soil.

The complete planting process was finished. Now, all they needed to do was wait for Whimsicott and the others to return so they could provide nutrients for the seeds.

Luo Mu breathed a sigh of relief. After washing his hands at Swampert's place, he looked at the five small plots of land, each with a gap between them, and felt a surge of accomplishment.

This was his first step towards a pastoral life, and a small step in the farm's development.

Today was a memorable day. Although Luo Mu really wanted to name the farm on the spot, considering Dragonite was out collecting wood and Luxray was searching for powerful Pokémon with the Flame Body ability, Luo Mu decided to postpone this desire.

Such a memorable event should only happen when everyone was present.

Seeing that Whimsicott and the others hadn't returned yet, and suspecting they wouldn't get lost on this not-so-large farm, Luo Mu sent Serperior and Swampert to bring them back. He, on the other hand, went to check on the child Pepper, wondering why he was still asleep at noon.

The shortest distance from the farm to the Bungalow was a straight line. Following that, in order of increasing distance, were the unbuilt Ranch Area and the farthest Lake Area.

Luo Mu carried his hoe, humming a little tune. In three to four minutes, he reached his doorstep. As if by instinct, he looked up and saw Pepper leaning on the third-floor windowsill, his eyes gazing blankly into the distance with a strange melancholy.

"Good heavens, at only ten years old, he looks like a world-weary, disappointed middle-aged man." Luo Mu leaned his hoe against the wall, opened the door directly, and rushed to the third floor. He grabbed Pepper, who had dark circles under his eyes and was feigning melancholy, and said irritably, "Did you not listen to a single word I said yesterday?"

"Looking at those dark circles, what time did you go to bed last night?"

Pepper yawned and weakly said, "Four o'clock."

Luo Mu: "..."

Staring at the ten-year-old child in front of him who was arguing with his parents on his own, Luo Mu even doubted if the childish Pepper could really go on a journey like the ten-year-old Super Rookie.

Luo Mu was skeptical.

He didn't have the intention to correct Pepper's stubborn personality today. Luo Mu released the back collar of Pepper's clothes and said, "Forget it, hurry up and wash up. I need to prepare lunch."

Although Pepper was in his rebellious phase, arguing with his parents, he still obeyed Luo Mu's words completely, except for matters related to his parents.

He directly stepped into his small slippers and pattered to the bathroom on the first floor.

Luo Mu walked to the kitchen, opened the cupboard to check the remaining ingredients, and muttered, "It would be great to have a refrigerator to freeze some meat, but I'm a bit tight on finances now. I'll just eat vegetarian dishes and wild game for a while. Today, let's have Vegetable Berry Curry Rice!"

With that, Luo Mu took out the carrots, onions, and other side dishes needed for the curry from the cupboard, as well as half a bag of unfinished curry powder.

As for the meat part, he had just finished eating meat and hadn't bought any yet. Also, Whimsicott and the others likely wouldn't accept meat. Luo Mu took out several large, plump Peach Fruits from the cupboard. These were samples gifted by Peter when he visited Jones Farm, asking him to try them.

They were perfect for cooking now.

The texture of the Peach Fruit was less like a peach and more like a less juicy fruit with a bland taste. Pairing it with curry rice wasn't exactly a dark dish. Luo Mu had tried it once, and it tasted quite good.

The method for making curry for curry rice is simple: stir-fry the side dishes in a little hot oil until they are cooked. Since the Peach Fruit would taste bad when exposed to hot oil, he had to first add warm water to cover the ingredients. Then, after the water boiled, he added the Peach Fruits cut into bite-sized pieces. Finally, he cooked the curry sauce until it thickened.

After doing all this, Luo Mu scooped up a small spoonful of curry to taste. The slightly sweet curry was light and sweet. After careful tasting, the delicate flavor was endlessly memorable, all thanks to the inherent flavor of the Peach Fruit.

He figured Whimsicott and the others, as new members, would like their first meal.

Luo Mu removed some of the firewood from under the stove, keeping it on a low simmer, and covered the pot. He momentarily missed the days when Ceruledge was around. Its flame temperature was always so precise. Starting a fire with firewood really made him covered in soot.

His place in the suburbs didn't have gas. Having electricity and water was already considered good infrastructure for Pingdie Town.