The Rise of Village Farmer with a System

Chapter 8

For the first time in years, the family of four shared a peaceful meal.

No one argued.

No one cried.

The only sound inside the small house was the clinking of spoons against wooden bowls as everyone quietly enjoyed the meal.

Grey watched them with a faint smile.

As memories from this world surfaced in his mind, he made an interesting discovery.

Many of the spices common on Earth simply didn't exist in Eartha.

There was no black pepper.

No turmerics

No cinnamon.

No chili peppers.

No bay leaves.

Even garlic, as he knew it, was absent from this world.

The people of Earthra only knew three basic flavors—salty, sweet, and sour.

Beyond that, they had almost no understanding of herbs or spices that could deepen the flavor of food.

No wonder Laura and the children looked so shocked after tasting the adobo.

The dish combined savory soy sauce with the tang of vinegar, the rich aroma of garlic, and the gentle warmth of bay leaves and crushed black pepper. As it simmered, the sauce became thick and glossy, coating every piece of tender pork with a perfect balance of salty, tangy, and slightly sweet flavors.

It was unlike anything they had ever tasted.

Laura slowly took another bite.

*So... these flavors can actually be combined like this?*

She had never imagined that salty, sour, and a touch of sweetness could create such a delicious dish. Aside from salty, sour. and sweetness, there's something more flavor that she could not describe

It completely changed the way she thought about cooking.

"So yummy, Dad!"

May happily rubbed her round little belly.

"I'm so full!"

Grey chuckled.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"Don't worry."

"I'll cook something delicious again tomorrow."

"Yay!"

Little May clapped her hands excitedly.

Even Milo, who had been trying to hide his feelings, couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on his face.

Seeing his children enjoying a proper meal made Grey feel happier than he expected.

When everyone had finished eating, Grey reached into his pocket.

He placed a stack of Unik on the table.

"There."

Laura looked down.

"...What is this?"

Grey pushed the money toward her.

"There are five hundred Unik."

"You should keep it."

Laura froze.

Since the day she married Grey...

She had never once held this much money.

Slowly, she lifted her eyes toward him.

"Where did you get this?"

Then panic filled her face.

"What did you do this time?"

Her voice trembled.

"Grey..."

"You didn't do something illegal... did you?"

Grey immediately shook his head.

"No."

"I didn't do anything wrong."

"Remember what I told you earlier?"

"I found a rare plant in the mountains."

"I sold it to a traveling merchant."

"He paid me one thousand Unik."

"Everything was legal."

Laura remained unconvinced.

She had lived in this village for years.

Never had she heard of anyone finding a plant worth a thousand Unik.

It sounded too unbelievable.

Seeing the doubt in her eyes, Grey sighed softly.

"You don't have to believe me right away."

"But please..."

"Take the money."

"Buy things we need."

"Buy new clothes for yourself..."

"And for the children."

"They deserve better."

Laura remained silent.

She simply stared at the money lying on the table.

She still couldn't decide whether to take it or not.

Grey stood up.

"I'm heading back to the mountain tomorrow."

"I'll look for more fruits and medicinal plants to sell."

He turned toward Milo with a gentle smile.

"Milo."

"Would you like to come with me tomorrow?"

The boy looked surprised.

Before he could answer—

"What?"

Laura suddenly slammed both hands on the table.

Her chair scraped loudly across the floor as she stood.

Grey blinked in surprise.

"What do you mean by taking Milo with you?"

"What are you planning?"

Her voice grew louder.

"Did you really earn that money by selling plants..."

"Or were you paid to sell my son?"

Silence filled the room.

Grey was completely stunned.

He had only wanted to spend some time with Milo.

To slowly rebuild the bond between father and son.

He never imagined Laura would think of something like that.

He took a slow breath.

"Laura..."

"You're misunderstanding me."

"I would never do something like that."

"I already promised you."

"I'll never hurt this family again."

"I only wanted to spend time with our son."

Laura's eyes remained cold.

"No."

"Milo isn't going anywhere with you."

"If you're leaving..."

"You leave alone."

"But you're not taking either of my children."

Without waiting for another answer, she stood up and began gathering the empty bowls.

"I'll wash the dishes."

"Milo."

"May."

"Wash your hands."

The two children quietly stood and followed their mother.

Neither of them spoke.

They simply looked back and forth between their parents.

After Laura entered the kitchen, Grey let out a helpless sigh.

*Looks like rebuilding trust will take much longer than I thought.*

Meanwhile, Laura silently washed the dishes.

As she glanced around the kitchen...

Her eyes suddenly widened.

Leaning against the wall was an entire sack of rice.

Beside it were brand-new cooking utensils.

A new knife.

A frying pan.

A ladle.

A cutting board.

Several bowls.

She slowly looked around the kitchen again.

*When... did he buy all of these?*

Her brows remained tightly furrowed.

Nothing made sense anymore.

After finishing the dishes, she helped Milo and May get ready for bed.

Once both children had fallen asleep, she quietly entered her room.

Grey wasn't there.

She could hear the faint sound of water from outside.

He was taking a bath.

As she lay down on the bed, something caught her eye.

The money Grey had tried to give her earlier was sitting on the small table beside the bed.

She stared at it for a long moment.

Finally...

She picked it up.

Carefully wrapping the money in a small cloth, she hid them inside her pillowcase.

She had no intention of spending it.

Not yet.

Who knew what trouble Grey might cause tomorrow?

What if someone suddenly came demanding payment?

Or worse...

What if this money had come from something she didn't know about?

Until she was certain...

The money would remain hidden.

Gradually, sleep claimed her as exhaustion finally caught up with her.

Just then, Grey quietly entered the room. He saw his wife sleeping soundly, her face finally peaceful after another exhausting day. He couldn't help but smile sadly, realizing how much she had endured because of the original Grey.

******

The next morning, Grey woke up before dawn.

It was only four o'clock.

The entire house was still silent.

Laura and the children were sleeping peacefully, so Grey moved as quietly as possible, careful not to make a sound that might wake them.

Today, he had already decided on breakfast.

"Fried rice..."

"Sunny-side-up eggs..."

"And sweet cured pork."

"I'm sure the kids will love this."

Just as he was about to start cooking, he paused.

"...I forgot."

"We don't have eggs."

"Or sugar."

He immediately opened the System Store.

Using his remaining money, he purchased fresh eggs, sugar, cooking oil, and a few other ingredients before storing them in his System Storage.

Soon, the small kitchen came alive.

He cooked the rice first, then stir-fried it with garlic until every grain turned fragrant and golden.

Next came the eggs, their edges crisping beautifully in the pan.

Finally, he cooked the sweet cured pork until the glaze caramelized and coated each slice with a glossy finish.

The aroma quickly spread throughout the small house.

It drifted outside...

Across the yard...

And even reached the neighboring homes.

Several villagers who had already woken up stopped in their tracks.

"What smells so good?"

"It seems to be coming from Grey's house."

"No way..."

Back inside the house, Grey wasn't finished yet.

Laura and the children would be working in the fields today.

He already knew she wouldn't stop working just because he asked.

She still didn't trust him.

*Then I'll simply earn enough money...*

*Until none of them has to work in the fields anymore.*

For lunch, he decided to prepare chicken curry.

Although curry didn't exist in Earthra, he had all the spices he needed from the System Store.

He gathered the ingredients.

Fresh chicken.

Onions.

Garlic.

Ginger.

Curry powder.

Turmeric.

Coconut milk.

Potatoes.

Carrots.

Salt.

Black pepper.

A little cooking oil

Soon, another delicious aroma filled the house.

The creamy curry simmered gently while the vegetables became soft and the chicken turned perfectly tender.

When it was finished, Grey smiled in satisfaction.

He packed the chicken curry into three wooden lunch boxes along with freshly cooked rice.

"That should be enough."

He checked his remaining balance.

After buying more ingredients and spending money yesterday...

Only **308 Unik** remained.

He already gave the **500 Unik** to Laura.

Still...

He wasn't worried.

*As long as I keep climbing the mountain...*

*I'll earn it all back.*

Just then—

*Creak...*

The bedroom door slowly opened.

Laura stepped outside, still looking sleepy.

She blinked as she saw Grey standing in the kitchen.

"You're up early."

Grey smiled.

"I told you yesterday."

"I'll cook for all of you."

"I also prepared lunch."

"You can take it with you to the fields."

Laura looked at the neatly packed lunch boxes.

Confusion filled her eyes once again.

Nothing about this man resembled the Grey she had known for years.

Without saying anything, she quietly walked to the children's room.

A few moments later, she came back carrying the sleepy May in her arms while Milo followed behind, rubbing his eyes.

The moment the children stepped into the dining area...

They froze.

Their noses twitched.

"Dad..."

May blinked in surprise.

"It smells really good."

Milo's eyes landed on the table.

Golden fried rice.

Perfectly cooked eggs.

Sweet cured pork.

It looked even more delicious than last night's dinner.

Grey smiled warmly.

"Come on."

"Let's eat before it gets cold."

Laura looked at the breakfast...

Then at Grey.

For a brief moment...

She wondered if all of this was real.

Or if she would wake up and find everything had only been a dream.

Before Grey could sit down at the table, he suddenly froze.

**Ding!**

A familiar mechanical voice echoed inside his head.

**[Congratulations, Host!]**

**[You have earned 200 Points.]**

**[Reason: Cleaning your home, preparing meals for your family, and taking responsibility as the head of the household.]**

**[You may exchange your points for new talents.]**

**[System Upgrade Available.]**

**[Proceed with the upgrade?]**

**[YES] [NO]**

Grey's eyes lit up.

*Two hundred points?*

*So doing good deeds and working hard also rewards me?*

A smile slowly spread across his face.

*Not only can I upgrade the System...*

*I can even choose a new talent.*

*I'll check it later.*

"Grey?"

He blinked.

"...Huh?"

Laura frowned.

"I've been calling your name."

"You've been staring into space."

Before Grey could answer, a sleepy little voice spoke beside him.

"Dad..."

"Are you okay?"

May rubbed her sleepy eyes while looking at him with concern.

Grey smiled warmly and gently patted her head.

"I'm okay, baby."

"I was just thinking."

He pulled out a chair.

"Come on."

"Let's eat together."

The family gathered around the table.

Today's breakfast looked far more colorful than yesterday's.

Golden garlic fried rice.

Sunny-side-up eggs with bright yellow yolks.

Sweet cured pork coated in a glossy caramelized glaze.

The delicious aroma filled the house.

May's eyes sparkled.

"Wow!"

"It looks so yummy!"

Even Milo couldn't hide his curiosity.

Grey smiled.

"Go ahead."

"Try it."

May eagerly scooped a spoonful of fried rice into her mouth.

Her eyes immediately widened.

"It's delicious!"

She quickly took another bite before trying the sweet cured pork.

"So good!"

Laura also picked up her spoon.

She tasted the fried rice first.

The fragrant garlic blended perfectly with the rice, making every bite rich and satisfying.

Then she tried the sweet cured pork.

The meat was tender, slightly smoky, sweet, and savory at the same time.

She couldn't hide the surprise on her face.

*How...?*

*How can something this simple taste so good?*

Even when she had lived in the city...

She had never tasted food like this.

Outside the village, technology and civilization had advanced over the years.

People had better roads.

Better buildings.

Better tools.

But one thing had remained almost unchanged.

The way people cooked.

The flavors they knew were still simple.

Nothing compared to the dishes Grey had prepared.

Laura slowly looked at him.

"...What ingredients did you use?"

Grey had already expected that question.

"I bought them from the traveling merchant."

"The same merchant who bought the rare plant from me."

"He had many unusual seasonings for sale."

Laura quietly nodded.

She didn't ask any more questions.

As long as the ingredients weren't poisonous...

That was enough for her.

She looked at Milo and May.

The two children were happily eating, their faces full of excitement.

May even hummed while chewing.

Seeing their smiles, Laura lowered her gaze to her bowl.

For the first time in many years...

Breakfast felt warm.

After breakfast, Grey stood up and gathered the empty dishes.

"I'll head to the mountain now," he said with a smile.

"I'll see if I can find more plants and fruits to sell."

He walked into the kitchen, picked up a large woven basket, and slung it over his back.

Before leaving, he looked at his family once more.

"I'll cook dinner again tonight."

"See you later."

With that, he walked out of the house.

The three quietly watched him leave.

No one spoke until the sound of his footsteps disappeared.

"...Mom."

Milo finally broke the silence.

"I think Dad has really changed."

Laura looked at her son.

Milo had been unusually quiet since yesterday.

He hadn't said much, but she knew he had been carefully observing Grey's every action.

This time...

Nothing felt forced.

It didn't seem like one of Grey's usual empty promises.

Something really was different.

Laura gently smiled, though doubt still lingered in her heart.

"...We'll see."

"People don't change overnight."

"But..."

She glanced toward the doorway where Grey had disappeared.

"I hope this time... it's real."

She quickly shook those thoughts away.

"Come on."

"We need to leave early if we want to finish today's work."

The children nodded.

Laura helped May wash up while Milo cleaned himself beside the water jars Grey had filled the day before.

After changing into their worn work clothes, the three prepared to leave for the fields.

Grey actually owned one of the largest pieces of farmland in the village.

It had been passed down to him by his grandfather.

The land was fertile and large enough to support an entire family.

But because of Grey's laziness...

It had been abandoned for years.

Tall weeds covered the fields.

The irrigation canals had dried up.

Even the fences had begun to collapse.

Laura had once tried to take care of the land by herself.

But the property was simply too large for one person.

With two young children to raise and a household to manage, she eventually gave up.

Instead, she worked as a farm laborer on other people's land.

The wages were small...

Just enough to buy food for another day.

She had suggested to Grey before to sell his inherited land.

After all, it had become nothing more than an overgrown field.

But no one wanted to buy it.

The village was hidden deep within the mountains, far from the outside world.

Life there still resembled an ancient era despite it being the year 2026.

To outsiders...

The land had little value.