Song Xu ran over with a face full of pleasant surprise, picking up the 3 pieces of iron ore dropped on the ground.
Thump!
Thump! Thump!
Dull thuds echoed at the bottom of the pit.
The rock golem grew more energetic the more it rammed.
Song Xu followed behind to pick up the drops.
When she picked up the thirtieth piece, only a crisp clatter was heard.
The little rock golem rammed open a section of rock crust, revealing the corner of a black metal box inside.
Carrying the treasure chest, it trudged back over with a huff.
Reaching Song Xu, it raised the treasure chest high, as if asking for praise.
“Dug up another one! Amazing!” Song Xu took the opportunity to praise it.
Opening the treasure chest:
[Obtained Skill Fragment x1]
[Obtained Silver Ring x1, increases attack speed by 3% when equipped]
Song Xu put on the ring and patted the little rock golem’s head.
Good grief, a gap had been knocked right into its skull from the ramming.
Yet the rock golem did not mind at all. It picked up a few small stones at random from the ground, pressed them onto its head, and repaired itself instantly.
Beep, beep, beep.
Song Xu opened her private chat.
[Malicious Stepmother: Sister! My small wooden cabin has reached Level 2! People are going crazy to grab that roasted moth meat of yours right now. I exchanged for a set of plate armor and a shield, and also got a really interesting recipe. Here you go!]
Song Xu raised her eyebrows.
That vague suspicion in her heart became clear.
Previously when she gave the roasted moth meat to Lu Le, Lu Le was just like the toad—eating it directly triggered the skill effect.
However, for those mushrooms traded back and forth in the channel, apart from the people who tasted them in the early stage desperately thanking her in chat, no one contacted her on their own initiative afterward.
This included the roasted moth meat Lu Le sold this time, which did not trigger a favorability increase in anyone either.
It seemed that triggering this skill came with conditions.
It had to be food she handed over personally that the other party consumed directly for favorability to be applied.
Once it changed hands, it became a regular item.
[Lu Le initiated a trade with you]
Song Xu pulled back her thoughts, and a drawing had already entered her backpack.
[Happy Toilet (Rare Furniture)]
[Description: Slowly restores stamina while using the toilet, with an extremely low chance of triggering an inspiration effect. Required materials: Wooden Plank x20, Iron Ore x5, Clay x10.]
[Bao Bao’s Mom: Pretty interesting, thanks little sister. Don’t be reckless when killing toads, stay safe.]
[Malicious Stepmother: Don’t worry, Sister, this coordinate you gave me is really great. The toads are pretty scattered. I can handle two at a time now with no problem, one axe per toad! It’s just that this plate armor is a bit heavy and exhausting to run in, but it can take a beating!]
[Bao Bao’s Mom: The Extreme Cold Tide is coming soon. Don’t head out when the time comes; check the situation first before deciding.]
[Malicious Stepmother: Got it. You stay safe too, Sister.]
Closing the private chat, Song Xu took the toad and the rock golem and continued walking north.
The terrain gradually rose higher, and the cold wind blew more fiercely.
There were still 3 hours left on the Extreme Cold countdown.
Bypassing a patch of dead coniferous forest, a steep cliff face stood before her eyes.
The cliff face was nearly vertical, and a dozen or so grayish-brown goats were leaping across those narrow rock ledges.
Their hooves gripped the cracks in the rock, and with a single leap, they could easily cross a distance of three or four meters.
The distance was too far; by the time an arrow shot over, its force would have long dissipated.
Song Xu narrowed her eyes.
She noticed that every time those Hopping Sheep paused briefly, they would lower their heads to feed on things growing out of the cliff cracks.
It was a type of plant growing close to the rock wall, its stems about the thickness of chopsticks bearing a few yellow-green flowers tinged with purple.
Activating Sight as Food, text manifested:
[Dendrobium Nobile]
[Description: Color like golden branches and hairpin-like form, clear and sweet in taste, rich in mucilage. Can be used to cook high-tier dishes, significantly enhancing additional attributes of dishes.]
Song Xu’s heart skipped a beat.
She remembered this thing.
When preparing Chinese herbal medicine for Bao Bao before, the doctor had mentioned it casually.
Wild *Dendrobium nobile* was a protected plant, and the cultivated version circulating on the market was sold by the gram, its price comparable to gold.
Now, this entire cliff crack before her eyes was covered with it growing everywhere, just like wild weeds.
The goats lowered their heads, snapping off several stalks in one bite and chewing with a crunch.
This thing could serve as bait and could also be exchanged for money. Most importantly, smuggling it with the Big Stomach Pouch incurred no processing fees!
Song Xu did not climb up herself.
She patted the little rock golem and pointed at the toad.
“You two go find a way to get those herbs down.”
The toad kicked its hind legs and bounded three meters high, throwing out its tongue to stick onto a patch of rock wall and climb upward.
The little rock golem used both hands and feet, moving upward with a huff. Though its speed was slow, it was very steady.
As soon as they moved, the goats on the cliff face were instantly startled.
A Hopping Sheep leaped through the air, its hind hooves kicking violently against the little rock golem’s head.
Thump!
The little rock golem was kicked off balance. Failing to grip tightly with its hands, it fell straight down.
It rolled a couple of times, climbed up, shook its head, and snapped one arm from the fall.
It picked up its arm, pressed it onto its shoulder, and climbed up the cliff face again as if nothing had happened.
Things were worse on the toad’s side.
Retracting its tongue, several stalks of *Dendrobium* entered its large mouth.
Song Xu shouted hurriedly: “Spit it out quickly! That’s medicinal herb!”
The toad turned its head and spat with a *ptooey*.
A few stalks of *Dendrobium*, nearly chewed to pieces, fell at Song Xu’s feet.
The corners of Song Xu’s eyes twitched.
The *Dendrobium* was covered in sticky toad saliva, which had a paralyzing effect and was mildly toxic; it could no longer be used.
“Don’t gather anymore, come down.”
The toad let out a *croak* and jumped down. Now only the little rock golem was left.
It had already climbed to the side of a clump of *Dendrobium*, inserting its hand into the rock crack to pry it out together with root and soil.
Then it swung its arm and threw it down toward Song Xu.
Song Xu caught it squarely below, taking a face full of dirt in the process.
The roots of the *Dendrobium* in her hand were intact, the stalks slightly yellow like beeswax, while the petals quivered gently like jade butterflies.
She shook off the dirt and stuffed it into the Big Stomach Pouch.
The little rock golem worked diligently, throwing down clump after clump.
The nearby Hopping Sheep were all scared away by it.
Song Xu ran back and forth below, thoroughly enjoying the picking.
The *Dendrobium* inside the Big Stomach Pouch stacked up rapidly.
Ten minutes left on the Extreme Cold countdown.
People on the world channel began spamming the screen, reminding everyone to take shelter from the cold.
Song Xu placed her Stone-Wood Composite House and pushed open the door to enter.
Lighting the fireplace, she set the cooking pot on top of it, added some water, threw in the chicken bought at the market, and snapped two stalks of fresh *Dendrobium* to put inside.
Adding her own seasonings and covering the lid, the cooking pot began cooking automatically.
Soon, hot steam billowed, and fragrance surged out.
A recipe floated above the cooking pot:
[Stewed Chicken with Dendrobium Nobile, Deliciousness ★★★★.]
[Effect: Upon consumption, Health +2/sec, Stamina +1/sec, Spirit attribute +20 for 180 seconds. Note: Cross-dimensional ingredient, non-tradable.]
Song Xu’s almond eyes widened completely.
It was her first time making four-star food!
Gaining 20 points in Spirit attribute within three minutes meant her maximum health more than doubled!
These attributes were simply too good!
She scooped out a bowl containing both soup and meat, eating while enlarging the monitor screen of the Peeping Bear.
Then, her hands froze.
Bao Bao in the crib had woken up at some point.
She was holding onto the railing, standing tremulously, reaching her tiny hands out beyond the bed.