Wen Qi watched the cheerful Flaaffy hopping about nearby. The other four Mareep seemed a bit unfamiliar with their evolved companion. However, once they caught its familiar scent, they quickly gathered around Flaaffy, bleating joyfully as if offering congratulations on its successful evolution. After all, on the previous farm, Mareep evolving was an extremely rare occurrence. This was because once a Mareep evolved, its wool would decrease, reducing the farm's shearing yield and failing to meet the farm's profit needs. Thus, most farm owners typically wouldn't allow Mareep to evolve, keeping them in their base form to maximize profits. So, when the other Mareep saw Flaaffy evolve successfully, they realized their new owner didn't restrict their evolution, filling them with delight.
Wen Qi soothed them for a bit, letting them go explore the new environment. He then headed to the area where he had previously planted berries and medicinal herbs. The berries weren't ripe yet, but judging by the accelerated growth in this space, they'd likely be ready in another month or two. As for the herbs, the more common ones were already mature, while the rare ones still needed time—he'd have to wait patiently. Lately, expenses had been high, and his wallet was nearly empty. The berries on the farm and in the space were still far from harvestable, so he couldn't sell them for cash. Thinking about the funds needed for future farm plans, Wen Qi decided to make some energy cubes to sell at the city's black market. It was a last resort—he hadn't yet gotten a certification from the Breeders' Association, so he couldn't sell energy cubes through official channels. Even if he could, he wouldn't want to. Selling low-quality ones wouldn't yield much profit, while high-quality ones would attract unwanted attention. The black market was better for direct transactions—sell and leave, avoiding information leaks. As for the quality, intermediate perfect would do. At that grade, each cube sold for 2,000 yuan. He planned to make a thousand, which would net about two million, enough to refill his dwindling coffers.
Wen Qi spent the day holed up in the small world making energy cubes, keeping everything else on schedule. Even dinner was eaten in the space with Bellossom and the others. Time slipped by unnoticed; though he worked fast, the sheer volume kept him busy until late into the night before he finally rested.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtain gaps like golden threads, casting a warm glow on the bed. Outside, Pidgey chirped cheerfully, as if welcoming the new day. Wen Qi stretched lazily, savoring the quiet beauty of dawn. He'd worked late last night, but knowing Wenhua and his sister were moving in today, he couldn't afford to sleep in. No sooner had he tidied up than the siblings arrived. Wen Qi had them drop their luggage in the dormitory and settle in first, then join him at the berry orchard. He decided not to release the Miltank and Mareep from the space just yet, letting them rest and recuperate so their milk and wool production would be better later.
After a while, Wen Qi led Wenhua and his sister to the berry orchard. He hadn't been there in days, having only sent Turtwig and Sandslash to restore the trees earlier. Now, seeing the results of their combined efforts, the difference was striking. The treated trees were worlds apart from the untreated ones. Those left unpruned were still wilted, with smaller berries, while the treated ones radiated vibrant life, their branches lush and berries plump and full. Thinking this over, Wen Qi released Sandslash and pulled fertilizer from his space backpack. He said to Wenhua and his sister, "You two, take Sandslash and level the orchard, then spread this fertilizer evenly over the ground."
The siblings nodded and headed off with Sandslash to work. The Sandslash couple was thrilled to be digging again. Meanwhile, Wen Qi examined the trees treated over the past few days. Only about three-tenths were done—he'd need to speed things up. But with Turtwig having evolved into Grotle, its abilities were likely much stronger, which should accelerate the process. With that, he released Grotle. As soon as it appeared and saw the dreaded berry orchard again, Grotle looked disgruntled. Though it knew treating these trees would help it train, not being able to use Growth to absorb nutrients from the soil meant it had to rely on its own energy, which quickly became draining. Wen Qi caught its reluctant expression and knew this little one, even evolved, still loved to slack off. Still, he said, "Big guy, you've evolved now. Try using your moves today and see if there's any change."
Grotle had no choice but to comply, reluctantly using Grassy Terrain. This time, the effect was vastly different from before. It slowly swayed its body, and a surge of powerful life force erupted from within, instantly flooding the area. Grass spread like a tide from all directions, no longer sparse patches but thick and lush, forming a vast green ocean. Every blade was vibrant, so green it seemed to drip, exuding a fresh, pleasant scent. The berry trees thrived under the grass's nourishment, their branches and leaves growing denser and their vitality surging. This Grassy Terrain wasn't just brimming with life—it covered a much wider area. It seemed to read Grotle's mind, extending as it willed until it blanketed a large stretch of land. Within this magical terrain, the plants felt an unprecedented surge of energy, practically dancing with joy. Grotle stood quietly in the center, looking at Wen Qi with a raised eyebrow. Seeing its smug expression, Wen Qi could almost hear it saying, "See how awesome I am?"
Witnessing Grotle's evolved performance, Wen Qi knew this Grassy Terrain skill had reached a high level of mastery—otherwise, the effect wouldn't be this impressive. If it could maintain this pace, his fifty-acre berry orchard might be fully restored in just two more days of hard work from Grotle. He said to it, "Since you're so amazing, speed up the treatment today and tomorrow. There's still training ahead—look, even Venonat is about to evolve. You need to step it up!"
Grotle turned its head away at Wen Qi's nagging, looking like it was tuning him out. Seeing such a massive creature still acting like a child, Wen Qi walked over and comforted it until it calmed down and obediently got to work. He helped out on the side. When Grotle noticed Wen Qi wasn't leaving this time but working alongside it, it felt a surge of joy and busied itself happily.