Chapter 30: The New Plant—Danmu

""Let go of me."" Yun Qimu turned her head and glared fiercely at Mo Xie.

Mo Xie withdrew his hand, giving her a cool glance. Internally, he grumbled—this little girl was quite fierce, like a bristling kitten.

He said nothing more, but turned his gaze seriously to where they had just been standing.

In the black, muddy ground, the uneven earth suddenly erupted. Thick tree vines burst out of the soil, writhing like mutated giant plants, their tentacle-like vines spreading in all directions with an imposing momentum.

Mo Xie instinctively clenched his fists, a look of alertness flashing across his sharp features.

Yun Qimu, still a little annoyed, was also drawn by the commotion. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she didn’t seem worried. She guessed this was just another wild plant growth event being triggered.

Sure enough, after about a minute, the chaos subsided. Where the vines had churned up the black earth, a row of sturdy trees now stood, forming a barrier between the garbage mountain and Earth Village, blocking the view from both sides.

These trees looked strange as well—their trunks were a deep, blood-red, resembling veins oozing with blood from a distance. The sight was both striking and intimidating, even more so than the skull flags used by interstellar pirates.

In short, from now on, Earth Village finally had some presence and status.

Looking up, the treetops were covered with lush, green leaves that blotted out the sky. Amidst the greenery, clusters of red fruits grew densely.

The fruits were about the size of an adult’s fist, an intense, almost gaudy red that didn’t inspire any desire to take a bite.

Yet Yun Qimu’s mouth began to water—she had already recognized this new plant.

This tree was called Danmu, the most common wild tree in the game. When it was hot, you could rest in its shade; if you were in danger, you could climb its tall trunk to hide; and most importantly, if you were hungry, eating one of its bright red fruits would fill you up.

Encountering a Danmu tree in the wild meant Mom never had to worry about me going hungry again!

But the fruit had one obvious flaw: it spoiled far too quickly.

No matter the season, once picked, the fruit would start to rot within an hour—turning sour, stinky, and eventually melting into a puddle of mush.

Back in the game, many food enthusiasts had challenged themselves to experiment with this cheap, overly sweet fruit, and they actually managed to invent quite a few delicacies.

The most popular was Danmu Gummies. These not only extended the shelf life of the fruit, but also transformed its syrupy sweetness into a refreshing, tasty treat. You could eat one anytime as a snack or meal replacement, and they made great gifts too.

Back when she was retired, Yun Qimu loved to lounge in a rocking chair with a sweet gummy in her mouth. If any annoying subordinates came by, she could even use the gummies as a secret weapon to shut them up and keep them from nagging in her ear.

Yes, it was one of her favorite snacks—she’d even bought the recipe and made them herself.

Now that she had Danmu trees and Danmu fruit, it was time to make Danmu Gummies too.

[Ding dong—Log cabin construction complete. Ready for occupancy at any time.]

[Ding dong—Pharmacy workshop construction complete. Please check and accept.]

Yun Qimu’s eyes lit up, her attention instantly shifting from the delicious gummies to the new buildings. Excited, she said, “It’s done! I’m going right now.”

Ignoring Mo Xie, who looked like he wanted to say something, she turned and strode off.

Mo Xie, who was always the one ignoring others, thought to himself: This little girl really holds a grudge.

But he wasn’t angry. After glancing again at the strange and intimidating trees, he silently stretched his long legs and followed Yun Qimu.

A minute later, the two of them stood before a magnificent building, both looking amazed.

It was a delicate, small white palace. The eaves, doors, windows, and the two jade lions at the entrance were exquisitely crafted. The gold-and-white inlaid walls glowed with a benevolent light, giving the place an air of grandeur.

A black wooden plaque with four golden characters—“Pharmacy Workshop”—hung high above the classical black wooden doors, clearly marking the building’s purpose.

Yun Qimu’s face showed satisfaction. The system hadn’t cut corners—this pharmacy workshop was well-built. Though not as grand and beautiful as the ones she’d seen in the game, the prototype was there. Once Earth Village expanded, the workshop could be upgraded further.

She stepped forward. The tall, classical doors swung open with a hum, as if unveiling a long-sealed hall. Mo Xie instinctively put on a solemn expression.

[Ding dong—Welcome, host, to the Pharmacy Workshop. Please stock potion products promptly for customers to purchase.]

As Yun Qimu listened to the prompt, she walked inside, looking around.

The spacious interior was all white, illuminated by warm orange lights—luxurious, yet cozy.

From the entrance inward, white shelves were embedded in the walls, with large and small compartments arranged artfully.

On the right was a glass door, behind which was a potion lab about the same size as the sales hall.

Inside the lab were workbenches, lab equipment, distillers, glass bottles of all sizes, test tubes, droppers, and more. There were also pill furnaces and medicine cabinets.

It was perfectly equipped for both Eastern pills and Western potions—very thoughtful. As long as there was an alchemist or pharmacist, they could move in anytime.

Unfortunately, Yun Qimu didn’t have such talent at hand, so the lab would have to remain unused for now.

Mo Xie, with his handsome face, looked around curiously. He even pressed his face to the glass door to peer inside, clicking his tongue in admiration. What kind of magical place was this Earth Village? This lab was even better equipped than the ones in Molan City. If Ming Mu, that potion maniac, saw this, he’d probably defect on the spot and come running to join Earth Village.

But since Mo Xie was neither staff nor village chief, he didn’t have access to the lab and could only gaze longingly through the glass.

Yun Qimu gave him a strange look, but ignored him and went straight to the shelves on the left to start stocking goods.

She opened the village chief’s exchange shop and began to redeem items.

Red Potion: 5 Spirit Coins—she doubled the price and listed it at 10 Spirit Coins a bottle.

Greater Red Potion: 10 Spirit Coins—again, doubled to 20 Spirit Coins a bottle.

Small Revival Pill and Large Revival Pill had effects similar to the Red Potion. She put those on the shelves too.

Those who liked potions could buy Red Potions; those who preferred pills could buy Revival Pills—something for everyone.

She also stocked Light Potions and Holy Potions.

Although Holy Potions were outrageously expensive and unaffordable for most, they could serve as a carrot on a stick—dangling in front of the donkey, tempting players to work harder, fight monsters, earn Spirit Coins, and help build a beautiful Earth Village. And, of course, fatten her own wallet.

Yun Qimu’s lips curled up in delight: I really am a helpful, inspirational role model!"