At daybreak, Lai Yi rose early to fetch water for the garden, irrigating the still-unripe melons and fruits.
The watermelons planted earlier had grown to the size of volleyballs, each vine enclosed within a separate space marked by wooden sticks. These sticks were added later after the red prairie birds broke free some time ago and pecked two of the watermelons.
The flesh of the damaged melons had already begun to turn red, which was truly a pity.
Additionally, the garlic in the field would need to be dug up entirely after a bit more growth. If left too long, especially with some rain, it would easily rot in the soil.
After digging it up, there was no need to find thin hemp rope; the garlic scapes could be braided directly into garlic braids and hung in the yard to dry.
Once dried, the garlic skins would become crisp, allowing the garlic to be preserved for a long time and saved for winter consumption.
“Brother, what are we going to do next?”
“Our family will be adding a livestock this year, and we can’t have it without a place to stay. I plan to cut some suitable wood to build a windbreak shed.”
The purchase of the Delrasto Beast had been finalized, and Lai Yi thought to take advantage of this free time to build the shed first, making it more convenient when the weather turned cold and preventing it from freezing in winter.
“Should we ask Cousin Lanmu for help?”
Lanmu’s great strength had left a deep impression on Neil.
Linda couldn’t bear to see her children digging tunnels, feeling that they wouldn’t earn much money and there was no need to endure such hardship. She kept Lanmu at home, not allowing him to go out.
Lanmu, just an adult, was at an age full of energy and a desire for adventure but didn’t dare disobey his parents.
He had no choice but to spend his time either hunting birds in the forest or catching fish in the river. It wasn’t until he went hunting with Lai Yi that he settled down for a few days.
Lai Yi thought for a moment but still declined.
“It’s fine, I can manage on my own.”
Taking advantage of the sun not being too harsh yet, Lai Yi took his tools to the forest to cut trees.
In the morning, he felled one tree as thick as a thigh, spent some effort cutting it into segments, and dragged them back home.
The tree was straight, over ten meters tall, with lush branches and leaves, yielding two pillars and several wooden sticks.
While Lai Yi trimmed the main trunk in the yard, Neil chopped off the branches beside him, bundling them up one by one. Stacked in the corner of the wall, they wouldn’t be in the way and could be used directly for firewood in winter.
Despite his young age, Neil was surprisingly capable, working diligently behind Lai Yi all morning without complaining of tiredness.
As noon approached, the temperature rose, making people sweat profusely. Lai Yi took Neil back inside to rest and avoid the sun, planning to continue cutting trees and working in the afternoon when it was cooler.
After working intermittently for about a week, they finally completed a basic framework.
Haggard promptly informed Lai Yi as soon as he had news.
The seller lived quite far, on the other side of Rosen Town. His Little Delrasto Beast was born this spring, already weaned.
Still small and lively, it needed to stay with its mother a bit longer to learn.
The seller had two adult Delrasto Beasts, both still young, and didn’t need to raise another. So, he wanted to sell this young one for some money.
It was a young male, strong and slightly more expensive, priced at one gold coin. With a bit more, one gold coin could almost buy a young calf, making it quite pricey.
After repeated haggling with the seller, Haggard finally settled on a price of eighty silver coins.
Haggard had already asked an acquaintance to check his home, confirming it was indeed a healthy young beast. They just needed to meet in town ten days later, sign the documents at the notary office, and he could take the young beast away.
Lai Yi trusted Haggard completely, so when the time came, he only needed to pay.
Haggard also helped him find a reliable carpenter, where Lai Yi spent eight silver coins to order a cart bed. Because he specifically requested metal cladding for the wheels and metal construction for the axle and critical parts, he spent an additional six silver coins.
As for the ropes and other miscellaneous items for hitching the cart, there’s no need to go into detail—in short, he spent another four silver coins.
With enough time left, repairing the shed was still manageable.
When Lam came to visit, he noticed Lai Yi busy building the shed. Without a word, he went home, fetched his tools, and came back to help.
When Lai Yi tried to pay Lam with silver coins, Lam took offense, saying Lai Yi didn’t treat him like a brother.
Lai Yi had no choice but to compensate in other ways, preparing various delicious dishes for him every day. Lam enjoyed the food so much he almost forgot to go home, and he worked even harder to help Lai Yi.
Taking advantage of a free moment, Lai Yi borrowed Haggard’s ox cart to pick up the custom-made pickled vegetable jar. He tested it on the spot with burning paper—the seal was excellent, and the craftsmanship was perfect.
The green peppers he had bought were kept fresh using light clusters. As soon as the jar arrived, Lai Yi went to the woods to dig up some wild ginger. Along with red radishes, green vegetable heads, cowpeas, and green garlic from his own garden, he filled the entire jar with pickled vegetables.
With regular stirring, the pickles would be ready to eat after 21 days.
The nitrate content in pickled vegetables is highest from the second to the twentieth day, making them prone to cause poisoning if consumed during this period, so strict timing control is essential.
While Lai Yi was busy sun-drying chili peppers, building the shed, and pickling vegetables, Iru’s sick wife finally showed signs of improvement.
The potion prepared by Black was indeed effective. After taking it for seven days, Nana was already able to get out of bed and walk while leaning against the wall.
Iru went to work at the construction site every night, bringing back the food he saved during the day. After sleeping for a few hours, he would go out to find food for his wife and children.
The children mostly took care of the household, and even the small vegetable garden Iru had cultivated was well-tended by them.
Half a month later, Nana’s health gradually recovered, though she remained thin. Iru forbade her from doing heavy work and tasked the eldest child with watching over her daily.
The two newborn Goblins, however, were pitiful. Due to their mother’s insufficient milk, they had to start eating various porridges early, leaving them thin, weak, and listless.
Despite this, Iru was already very satisfied.
His family was healthy, they had food every day, and kind villagers were willing to exchange extra seeds with him. For the first time, he felt that life could be so full of hope and satisfaction.
After finishing work at night, Iru returned home, took a quick cold shower, and fell asleep immediately. Nana thoughtfully carried the two children out of the bedroom.
He woke up refreshed and energized—it was already afternoon. Iru pulled out something hidden under the bed and stared at it blankly.
For the safety of his family, he couldn’t keep this thing for long.
Although the residents of the barren hills were all Goblins, there were inevitably those with sticky fingers. If someone were to find this item in his home, it would be trouble.
He genuinely wanted to settle down and live a stable life here. Rather than inviting trouble by holding onto something valuable, it was better to give it to a reliable person—someone who might help his family during their most difficult times in the future.
He only knew a handful of people. After much deliberation, Iru made up his mind and went to the village before starting work.
After dinner, while the sky was still not completely dark, Lai Yi and Neil were laying stones on the ground inside the shed, completing the final task.
The shed had been expanded by knocking down a side wall and extending outward.
With no other households nearby and no unified requirements from the village, people could basically modify their own yards as they wished. However, most followed the principle of “enough is enough.”
With Lam’s help, the shed was built a bit larger and divided into two sections. One for raising the Little Delrasto Beast, and the other for keeping the red prairie birds.
The sides were sealed with wood, with only a hole opened at the bottom. Later, a deep pit would be dug outside the hole to make cleaning up waste easier.
As the two were busy working, voices could be heard from outside.
“Is Little Victor at home?”
The hoarse, indistinct voice was unmistakably Iru’s.
“Neil, let’s call it a day. You go back inside to wash up and rest. I’ll see what Iru needs.”
“Alright.”
Neil finished the task at hand and returned to the house, lighting a candle.
Iru watched as Lai Yi walked toward him, stretching his arms. Lai Yi’s arms were sore from moving stones.
“Iru, how is your wife doing?”
Iru was taken aback, an indescribable sense of gratitude filling his heart. The pressure of the past days finally lifted, and the Goblin, who had endured many hardships, nearly shed tears.
“Much better. She can already get out of bed and walk.”
His voice was slightly choked, but because his speech was naturally somewhat unclear, Lai Yi didn’t notice.
“That’s good. What brings you here today?”
“Actually, I came to give you this.”
Iru pulled a small cloth pouch from the inner layer of his clothes and poured a faintly glowing stone into his palm. Instantly, Lai Yi sensed a strong fluctuation of Earth Element.
Iru handed it to him. The pea-sized stone was entirely brown, smooth, and translucent.
Lai Yi cautiously tested it and felt the vibrant Earth Element actively pulsating within.
This thing… is not ordinary.
“What is this?”
“An Earth Element Stone,” Iru explained. “I found it by chance when I was still in the forest. I want to give it to you.”
“Such a precious thing—I can’t accept it. Please take it back.”
Lai Yi refused and handed the Element Stone back.
Iru grew anxious and refused to take it.
“Please accept it. It’s a token of gratitude for saving my wife. Without your help, she might have passed away. This small Element Stone has limited energy; it’s not particularly valuable.”
Lai Yi hesitated, and Iru continued.
“Our family has no magic and can’t use the Element Stone. Keeping it with us would only attract others’ envy. I thought it might be more useful to you.”
Lai Yi was indeed tempted by the Element Stone, but accepting someone’s gift for nothing felt inappropriate.
“I can’t just take it. How about I exchange something for your Element Stone?”
Iru was taken aback.
“Have you prepared enough food for this winter?”
Iru fell silent.
It was autumn, the season of harvest, and their family was barely getting by. But when winter came and the tunnel was finished, how would they sustain themselves?
Without gold coins or food, and with his five children still in their early years, would they starve to death in the winter?
“How about I give you one hundred pounds of rye and fifty pounds of wheat after the harvest? I’ve also grown sweet potatoes and potatoes, and I can spare you some when the time comes. If you eat frugally, it should barely get you through this winter.”
Due to underdeveloped technology, the yield per acre here is low—only 400 to 600 pounds per acre.
Lai Yi’s family had little land, producing at most just under a thousand pounds of grain per year. After deducting one-third in taxes and unavoidable expenses, only about six hundred pounds remained.
It was so little that they hardly dared sell any.
They worked all year round without earning anything extra, barely managing to fill their stomachs—a classic case of “working poor.”
There was no other way; after all, there were only two people in the household.
Iru was well aware of Lai Yi’s family situation and knew the offered grain was already quite generous. After careful consideration, he finally agreed.
“After the harvest, I’ll come find you at this time and transport the grain under cover of darkness.”
“Better let me come pick it up. Moving grain at night is too conspicuous for Goblins, and I’m afraid other Goblins might take notice.”
“Alright, I’ll notify you when it’s time.”
With the agreement settled, Iru hurried off to work at the construction site, while Lai Yi kept the hard-earned Earth Element Stone—the first element stone he had ever owned.