I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game - Chapter 25

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I thought this was supposed to be a relaxing farming game.
Chapter 25

My eyes gleamed with the urge to dig up everything in sight.
“Can I harvest anything that’s here?”
“Yes. All crops obtained from nature are recognized as belonging to whoever harvests them.”
“That’s wonderful!”
I could make dinner from what I gathered here.
Excited, I grabbed the hoe and dug around in various spots.
‘Oh. Shepherd’s purse, shepherd’s purse.’
I crouched down and dug up the shepherd’s purse with quick strikes of the hoe, dropping them into the basket.
Seasoned shepherd’s purse, fried shepherd’s purse, shepherd’s purse soup….
Menus my grandmother used to make flickered through my mind.
As I filled the basket with various greens, I also collected mushrooms growing nearby.
“Oh, this one’s poisonous.”
Following what my grandmother had taught me, I carefully selected only the edible mushrooms I recognized and harvested them abundantly.
“You seem quite skilled at this.”
Siad observed me with quiet admiration.
“I have some experience with this sort of thing. Oh, there’s more over there!”
As I ran over happily to gather more greens, my back bumped into someone behind me.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!”
I spun around hurriedly to apologize, and the person turned to look at me too.
Fresh green eyes recognized me and lit up warmly.
“Miel?”
“Priam!”
I called out his name with equal delight.
“When did you get here, Miel? You should’ve told me if you were coming. We could’ve come together.”
“Oh. I came because Siad suggested it….”
Faced with Priam’s lively expression, a smile bloomed naturally across my face.
“Isn’t it nice to run into each other like this by chance, though?”
“You’ve got a point.”
Priam answered with a bright smile of his own.
We chatted away and gathered together for a while. Before long, the basket was full.
“Shall we call it here?”
“Sounds good. Thanks for the help, Priam!”
“Would you like to stop by our place to clean the herbs? We can have some snacks together as well.”
Siad offered the invitation to Priam lightly.
As I wasn’t the homeowner, I held back from jumping in, instead sending a glance that said let’s go together.
When Priam’s eyes met mine, he stifled the smile threatening to escape and nodded.
“I’d like that.”

* * *

Thunk!
The moment we arrived home, I set the basket brimming with shepherd’s purse on the kitchen counter.
Siad must have been planning to serve snacks, but my mind had already settled on what to make.
“Let’s make fried shepherd’s purse as a snack!”
“Fry it? This?”
Priam tilted his head in confusion. It seemed he’d never tried fried shepherd’s purse before.
“You just trim it a bit, wash it, and fry it. It has a strong flavor, so if you fry it until crispy, it’s savory and delicious.”
At the mention of its strong flavor, Priam leaned his nose toward the basket and sniffed.
“Strong, is it…?”
Leaving him to sniff away like an eager puppy, Siad spoke up first.
“This must be tiring. Let me do it. Just tell me how….”
“No, no, this is nothing for me. It’ll be faster if I make it since I’ve done it so many times!”
After briskly refusing his help, I filled the basket with water and began trimming and washing the shepherd’s purse one by one.
“You’ve never had fried shepherd’s purse before, Siad?”
“It isn’t commonly used as a cooking ingredient. We employ it occasionally in Potion Crafting, but only in small quantities.”
“Really? I thought everyone knew about it since you all were gathering it. It’s tastier than I expected. So fragrant, and rich. Good for fatigue too…….”
Of course, that was all something I’d heard from Grandmother.
I left the freshly washed shepherd’s purse with Priam to dry, then began preparing the batter.
I simply sifted the flour and mixed it with starch powder, then added water—and that was that.
I placed the pan, shimmering with oil, directly over the flame.
“Stay back now and go sit at the table.”
“Why? Can’t we stay together?”
Priam’s eyes held a note of disappointment.
“Because hot oil spatters—it’s dangerous. I’ll call you the moment it’s ready.”
“Are you all right, Miel?”
“I’ve done this plenty of times. Don’t worry.”
Only after I’d finally ushered both of them to the table could I breathe easy and continue with the cooking.
I pinched off a small piece of batter and dropped it into the oil—it rose to the surface with a cheerful bubbling sound.
As the batter crackled and popped, I cracked open the small kitchen window for ventilation.
‘When was the last time I had fried food?’
The fragrant scent of shepherd’s purse drifted through the window on the breeze.
‘It smells delicious. If it doesn’t suit their taste, I’ll make sure to finish it myself.’
It bothered me to waste food.
I watched the golden, crispy shepherd’s purse darken to the perfect shade, then carefully fished it out with tongs. Even the slightest touch confirmed the crackling exterior.
I set the fried pieces on a paper-lined plate and let them cool slightly while I pondered.
“What should I make for the sauce?”
As soon as I glanced around, Priam, who’d been waiting at the table, came over as if he’d been waiting for this exact moment.
“Want some help?”
“Help with—oh! Could you grab a few strawberries from the basket?”
The moment I saw Priam, the fruit basket he’d given me before came to mind.
“Strawberries? Sure. One moment.”
Priam fished out a handful of strawberries and came running back with a bright smile, holding them out.
“Here!”
“Thanks.”
“But what’s this for……?”
Before Priam could finish his question, I dumped the bright red strawberries into a small bowl.
Then I mercilessly crushed them in the glass dish.
Priam stared down at the mangled strawberries in shock.
“I’m using them for the sauce!”
Seeing his expression, I hurried to explain.
“Oh. A sauce?”
“Yes! A sauce. Since the fried shepherd’s purse is so savory, I think a sweet and tangy sauce would go perfectly with it.”
I crushed the strawberries until completely broken down, then added a few drops of lemon juice and seasoned it simply.
Tasting the sauce, I caught the sweet-tart notes with an underlying umami richness.
“Hmm! The strawberries are sweet enough—no need for sugar. Want to taste it, Priam?”
I dipped my pinky in the sauce and held it out. Priam blinked, staring at my finger.
“Your finger……?”
“The sauce. Oh, it’s dripping!”
As the sauce began to drip, Priam quickly bent down and caught the falling sauce in his mouth.
“How is it? Sour? Should I add more sugar?”
I kept asking questions as Priam, caught off guard, had my finger in his mouth.
Priam finished tasting and licked his lips before answering.
“……Sweet and tangy. It’s delicious.”
“Then we’ll keep it as is?”
“Yes.”
Relieved to see Priam so pleased, I carried the fried shepherd’s purse to the table.
“There we are—it’s done! Let’s eat together!”
Priam followed close behind, carrying the strawberry sauce.
“Thank you for your effort.”
Siad, already seated, offered his thanks immediately.
“It might be a bit hot, so please eat slowly!”
“Understood.”
Siad picked up a piece of fried shepherd’s purse and examined it carefully before offering a brief comment.
“It’s quite beautifully presented. You have real skill.”
Priam, who had set down the sauce, chimed in as he picked up a piece of the fried shepherd’s purse.
“Yes, arranged like this it looks just like flowers.”
The batter had been applied so thinly that the shepherd’s purse’s delicate shape shone through.
Both of them bit into the crispy pieces without hesitation or reservation.
“It’s so crispy!”
Priam’s eyes sparkled with delight, and Siad’s response was equally positive—the flavor apparently exceeded his expectations.
“I should have tried this as food much earlier. The aroma is wonderful.”
She watched the two of them eat with quiet satisfaction, then bit into a piece herself.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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