novelraw Chapter 35: Rule
Chapter 35: Rule
Supplement to the previous chapter's settings
[Professional Craftsman *** has discovered a Small Iron Deposit deep in the mountain forest twelve miles from the family. She has completed preliminary exploration and opened a safe route between the iron deposit and the family camp. She has decided to donate this Small Iron Deposit to the family. Since iron deposits are special Three-Star Mineral Resources in this world, she has gained one hundred Family Contribution points!]
[However, she must guarantee providing the family with no less than 50 units of Iron Ore within the next six months. Unless there are irresistible reasons, the contribution points will be reclaimed.]
[Friendly reminder: Iron ore mined during this process does not affect experience gain or main quest contribution acquisition.]
[Friendly reminder: Such resources can only be discovered by corresponding professions. For example, iron deposits, copper deposits, and stone deposits can only be explored by Blacksmiths, Craftsmen, and Miner professions; high-quality wild vegetables, herbs can only be found by Mountain Folk, Chefs, Herb Gatherers, or Hunter professions; precious trees can only be found by Lumberjacks, Carpenters, or some Craftsman professions; valuable beasts can only be found by Hunters and Mountain Folk professions; high-quality fish can only be caught by Fishermen professions; high-quality seeds produced from Farmland can only be cultivated by Farmer professions.]
[Similarly, exquisite food can only be cooked by Chefs, fine clothing can only be made by Tailors, high-quality prey requires skilled Butchers for processing, and so on.]
[Warning: Non-corresponding professions are not completely unable to handle corresponding materials, but will suffer severe quality degradation. If family-owned materials prefixed as valuable are forcibly used, equivalent penalties will be imposed.]
Fila remained silent. Next month she wouldn't be alone but would have her youngest son Leon with her. She could ask Leon to go gathering with her, or have Leon accompany Penny to mine.
This was a delicate matter—one was his biological mother, the other was his authoritative elder sister. Both scenarios made sense in the storyline.
Unlike Li Wei's fiancée Mixi, who storyline-wise could only work alongside Li Wei."Mom, autumn is the harvest season. The mountains and forests are practically treasure troves, and you're the best at this. I remember there's a chestnut tree grove to the east..." Penny began raising the stakes for Fila.
"It's still too early for gathering. Next month."
Fila cut Penny off. When it came to gathering, she was the champion—her primary profession was Chef.
"This month, I can gather more wild fruits. If possible, I can also collect some honey. Additionally, I want to go fishing—this is the main point. I can't guarantee anything else, but this winter, Mom won't let you go hungry. That mushroom meat soup can even be guaranteed once daily."
Under Penny's relentless pressure, Fila finally stated her position and played her trump card.
The recipe she had donated earlier wasn't something that ended with the donation—it meant the family had completely mastered the dish from ingredients to preparation, something the mother had mastered in the storyline.
If a mother knew about a delicious dish, why wouldn't she cook it for her children? That would defy logical reasoning.
Therefore, as the Chef responsible for the family's three daily meals, Fila would naturally be required by the rules to prepare it at least twenty times per month—this was the minimum standard to accumulate one Free Attribute Point over six months.
Earlier this month, Fila had strictly adhered to the minimum requirement: preparing two servings every three days, exactly twenty servings of mushroom meat soup per month.
If she missed even one serving, according to the rules, it wouldn't count as completing the task—no need for Li Wei and Penny to supervise.
"Once daily? Mom, wouldn't that be too exhausting for you?" Penny asked with apparent concern, but the satisfaction in her eyes betrayed her.
Mushroom meat soup wasn't just any ordinary recipe—it was a one-star dish with attributes that could only be prepared by a two-star Professional Chef. She had tried replicating it before—ingredients, process, sequence—she wouldn't claim it was identical, but it was completely useless.
Perhaps she couldn't gather higher quality one-star mushrooms, just like how only she had the opportunity to discover that three-star quality Iron Deposit.
If Fila was willing to prepare mushroom meat soup daily, it almost meant—obtaining one Free Attribute Point in less than five months. Of course, this assumed that each month's Family Head could require Fila to do so, and since it was already donated to the family, they wouldn't need to pay for meals.
Quite cost-effective.
"It will be somewhat tiring, but I can have that child Leon help me." Fila said with a loving expression—she was bargaining here.
But Penny wasn't easy to deal with either, immediately pressing further:
"But you said you'd guarantee food for five people through winter..."
"No problem, I guarantee winter food supplies." To compete for that new player Leon, Fila was going all out. She certainly had her own objectives, not just maternal greatness.
At this, Penny nodded with satisfaction. There was no need to specify exact quantities, because once Fila guaranteed supplying food for five people through winter, when the main quest was issued, there would be corresponding amounts.
Under the rules, no one could cheat.
"Then, I'll be responsible for expanding the house. With five of us, we need at least three—no, four rooms. Additionally, I'll handle the heating fireplace for winter. The rest of the time, I'll mine Iron Ore and transport it back. Tools and weapons needed by the family will be supplied by me."
"Let's do it that way."
Penny finalized the decision, and the main quest was simultaneously issued. This time things were relatively harmonious overall, basically indicating that these three players had moved beyond low-level, chaotic competition.
Or rather, they all had sufficient influence within the family and their own areas of expertise.
Even if others became Family Head, it would be difficult to forcibly change things.
Like Fila's gathering and cooking—who could replace that? After all, everyone needs to eat.
Li Wei's Farmer profession plus hunting—who could replace that?
And Penny's craftsmanship and Blacksmith Shop series of work—who could replace that?
This was a new phase of orderly family development.
However, their competition would continue with new family members.
In the future, factions would likely emerge within the family. Those who couldn't establish themselves or lacked irreplaceable abilities would have to attach themselves to veteran players.
Speaking of which, how could he win over this fiancée of his?
This wasn't a problem that could be solved by sleeping together.
Previously, Penny had tried Forcing the Issue, throwing herself at him, yet her fiancé Sam hadn't shown unlimited loyalty to her. Once he understood the game's rules, he decisively made what seemed to him the most beneficial choice.
So, let it be. This fiancée definitely couldn't be tamed. I wonder why Fila thought she could handle her cheap son Leon?
After dinner, Fila and Penny both went back to sleep and rest. Li Wei routinely stayed behind, first blocking the camp gate entrance with obstacles, then lighting a bonfire. He took his Wooden Spear and patrolled around before restringing his Hunting Bow, taking out ten Fletched Arrows and ten Unfletched Wooden Arrows to begin his daily training.
Over this period, unless it rained, he would conduct corresponding archery training every night. The training volume wasn't heavy, but persistence had yielded remarkable results.
Now he could skillfully shoot with both hands. Within thirty meters, he could hit stationary targets with 100% accuracy. For moving targets like pheasants, he could achieve nine out of ten hits.
The only issue was that the Hunting Bow was somewhat weak—he didn't even dare draw it fully, fearing damage.
Early the next morning, Li Wei slowly woke to the sound of Fila crying with joy—her youngest son Leon had arrived.
Rushing out the door, he saw a somewhat confused and bewildered young man standing outside the camp. He looked very youthful, like a college student, possibly not even a junior yet.
Fila and Penny were working together to move the obstacles from the camp gate. Fila was moving them while rapidly but lightly questioning him—this was important, making the new player understand his identity, unlike the previous Sam who recklessly said inappropriate things.
Fortunately, this Leon reacted quickly. Though shock still showed in his eyes, he immediately stepped forward to help move the obstacles. Then when Fila tearfully hugged him, he responded naturally.
"My poor child, how much have you suffered? It's wonderful that you found your way here and are still alive. Your father passed away from illness three months ago. Now only your sister Penny and your brother George remain here. Though life here is hard, at least it's a home. Are you hungry? Mom has prepared meat vegetable porridge!"
Leon nodded repeatedly but didn't dare speak, perhaps afraid of slipping up.
At this point, Penny stepped forward and slapped Leon on the shoulder. "Good kid, we were so worried when you fell behind before. Mom cried for several days. Never thought you'd actually catch up—really impressive."
Li Wei also stepped forward, hugging Leon after Penny. "Mixi fell behind too. Did you happen to meet her on your way?"
Leon shook his head frantically, then stammered, "N-no, I didn't."
He spoke Chinese, same as Li Wei, so there was a flash of delight in his eyes.
Fellow countryman! Unfortunately, completely useless.
Once he figured out the game rules and realized everyone else were game players—haha!
Li Wei remained quite expectant—wondering whether this Leon or Sam would prove more impressive?
After the greetings and breakfast, he took his axe and went to chop trees. For the coming month, logging was the main focus of his main quest—he had to race against time. Otherwise, once the wheat ripened, all other work would have to be set aside.
As for his yet-to-arrive fiancée Mixi, he held no expectations and didn't plan to get too close. Because Penny's Family Contribution was far ahead, Fila ranked second, and he could only rank third. The competition for Family Head would become increasingly difficult, so he needed to protect his fundamental position.
For this logging operation, he specifically selected small trees with diameters around ten to fifteen centimeters, planning to cut fifty logs first to meet the house expansion requirements.
Additionally, expanding the Perimeter Wall would require even more logs.
While contemplating these matters, Li Wei chopped away vigorously. Nowadays he was completely transformed—sufficient Strength, adequate Stamina, and his body fully adapted. In less than two hours, he easily felled five trees. Wiping his sweat, he was about to return to camp to replenish with cool boiled water when he suddenly looked up and saw a woman standing at the forest edge.
Brown hair, freckled face, slightly plump, decent figure, but overall somewhat unattractive looking...