The Rise of Village Farmer with a System

Chapter 6

Before heading home, Grey suddenly stopped walking.

"...Right."

"We don't even have rice."

He opened the System Store and immediately purchased one sack of rice.

After storing it inside the System's storage space, he checked the food section again.

There was still no meat.

No fish.

Only basic ingredients and farming supplies.

"So meat isn't available yet."

The System responded immediately.

**[Current Store Level is insufficient.]**

**[Upgrade the System to unlock additional food categories.]**

"I see."

Grey nodded.

Then his eyes wandered toward another section of the store.

Rows of familiar seasonings appeared before him.

Soy sauce.

Vinegar.

Garlic.

Onions.

Peppercorns.

Bay leaves.

Cooking oil.

Salt.

Sugar.

Even dried spices.

His eyes sparkled.

"Adobo..."

"I've been craving it since I came here."

Without hesitation, he bought everything he needed and stored the ingredients inside the System Storage.

"Now I just need meat."

The System couldn't provide that yet.

Which meant...

"I'll have to visit Mang Bertin's store."

---

About fifteen minutes later, Grey arrived at the largest general store in the village.

It belonged to Uncle Lito.

The small shop sold almost everything the villagers needed.

Fresh pork.

Chicken.

Fish.

Vegetables.

Fruits.

Rice.

Cooking utensils.

Household supplies.

The old shopkeeper looked up from his counter.

"Oh?"

"Grey?"

"What are you doing here?"

He folded his arms.

"I'm telling you now..."

"I'm not lending you any more money."

"You still owe me forty-seven Unik."

Grey scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I'm not here to borrow anything, Uncle Lito."

"I'm here to buy."

The old man raised an eyebrow.

"You?"

"Buying?"

"What is it this time?"

"More liquor?"

"And where did you get the money?"

"You don't even have a job."

Grey smiled sheepishly.

"I sold some fruits I gathered from the mountain."

He didn't dare mention the System.

Instead, he reached into his pocket and placed two hundred Unik on the counter.

"Uncle Lito"

"Here's the forty-seven Unik I owe you."

The old man's eyes widened.

He stared at the pile of money in disbelief.

"Good heavens..."

"What exactly did you sell?"

Grey had already prepared an excuse.

"I accidentally found a rare medicinal plant."

"On my way back, I met a traveling merchant."

"He bought it for one thousand Unik."

Uncle Lito nearly dropped the money.

"One thousand?!"

That was an enormous amount.

Even as one of the wealthiest people in the village, owning one of only two general stores, earning one thousand Unik still took him several days of business.

"What kind of plant was it?"

Grey hesitated.

He didn't know the names of this world's rare plants.

"I... don't know."

"It looked unusual, so I picked it."

"The merchant recognized it immediately and offered to buy it."

Uncle Lito clicked his tongue.

"What incredible luck..."

He counted the money before handing Grey his change.

"I'm glad you finally paid your debt."

"But please..."

"Spend the rest wisely."

"You have a wife and children waiting for you."

"Don't waste it all on alcohol."

Grey smiled.

"I won't."

"I'm actually here to buy food for my family."

"I'd like two kilograms of pork..."

"And two kilograms of chicken."

"Also, some fresh vegetables."

Uncle Lito looked at him suspiciously.

*If I know this fool...*

*He's probably buying these for another drinking session.*

Still, money was money.

He prepared everything Grey requested.

As Grey looked around the shop, he noticed the worn condition of the kitchen utensils hanging on the wall.

His family's kitchen barely had anything usable.

He decided to buy a new kitchen knife.

A cutting board.

A ladle.

A frying pan.

Several wooden bowls.

And a few other cooking essentials.

When Uncle Lito finished calculating everything, he looked up.

"One hundred thirty Unik."

Grey blinked.

"That's surprisingly cheap."

He quickly paid.

Compared to the System Store, the prices here were much lower.

The seasonings and rice he had purchased from Earth had already cost him eighty Unik.

Then again...

They came from another world.

It made sense that they were more expensive.

After paying, Grey quietly calculated his remaining money.

"I still have..."

"Nine hundred eighty-eight Unik."

A smile spread across his face.

"If goods here are this affordable..."

"My family can live comfortably for quite a while."

"And if I keep climbing the mountain every day..."

"My savings will only keep growing."

For the first time in years...

He truly felt hopeful.

"Thank you, Uncle Lito."

"I'll be back."

The old shopkeeper blinked.

"...He thanked me?"

That was a first.

The Grey he knew had never shown anyone respect.

He had always been rude, arrogant, and quick to cause trouble.

Watching Grey walk away carrying bags full of food, Uncle Lito let out a quiet sigh.

"I hope..."

"I truly hope he's changed this time."

He glanced toward the direction of Grey.

"Laura is such a good woman."

"It's a pity she ended up with the wrong man."

With another heavy sigh, Uncle Lito returned to arranging the goods on his shelves.

********

Grey made his way back to the village with several bags in his hands.

Along the way, many villagers noticed him.

"Grey?"

"What are you carrying?"

"Did you actually buy groceries?"

Others simply watched him from a distance, whispering among themselves.

"Where did he get the money?"

"Probably borrowed it again."

"Or maybe he won a few rounds of gambling."

"I doubt he'll use it for his family."

Grey ignored every comment.

There was no point explaining himself.

Soon enough, his actions would speak for him.

By the time he arrived home, the sun had already begun its slow descent.

It was around three in the afternoon.

Laura and the children were still out working in the fields.

He carried everything into the kitchen before taking a deep breath.

"Time to cook."

He gathered dry firewood and lit the clay stove.

Once the fire was burning steadily, he washed the newly bought rice and placed it in a pot to cook.

While waiting for the rice, he prepared the pork.

Using his new kitchen knife, he cut the meat into bite-sized pieces before peeling several cloves of garlic and slicing onions.

Soon, the familiar aroma of sautéed garlic and onions filled the small kitchen.

He added the pork and stirred until it turned lightly brown.

Next came the soy sauce and vinegar from the System Store.

He resisted the urge to stir immediately, allowing the vinegar to boil first before mixing everything together.

Then he added bay leaves, whole peppercorns, and just enough water to cover the meat.

After placing the lid on the pot, he let it simmer slowly over the fire until the pork became tender and the sauce thickened into a rich, glossy brown.

The delicious smell quickly filled the entire house.

Grey smiled.

"I don't know if adobo exists in this world..."

"But if it doesn't..."

"They're in for a surprise."

As the food finished cooking, he looked at the remaining meat on the table.

His smile suddenly disappeared.

"...Wait."

"We don't have a refrigerator."

His eyes widened.

"I got so excited buying meat that I completely forgot."

"If I leave this out..."

"It'll spoil by tomorrow."

A thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"System."

"If I store food inside the System Storage..."

"Will it spoil?"

The familiar mechanical voice answered immediately.

**[Time inside the System Storage is completely suspended.]**

**[Items stored inside will remain fresh until removed.]**

Grey's face lit up.

"Seriously?"

"That's perfect!"

Without hesitation, he stored the remaining pork and chicken inside the System Storage.

One problem solved.

As he waited for Laura and the children to return, another idea came to mind.

"They'll probably want to bathe after working all day."

He picked up several empty buckets and walked toward the nearby spring.

Fortunately, it was only about a three-minute walk from the house.

Trip after trip...

He carried bucket after bucket of fresh water back home.

Five times he walked back and forth.

By the end, sweat soaked his clothes, and his breathing had become heavy.

Several villagers stared at him in complete disbelief.

"Is that... Grey?"

"Fetching water?"

"I've only ever seen Laura and the children doing that."

"Did the sun rise from the west today?"

Grey simply smiled and continued working.

After taking a short rest, he looked around the house.

"It's still too messy."

He grabbed a broom and began cleaning.

He swept every corner.

Removed the cobwebs hanging from the bamboo ceiling.

Wiped away years of dust from the furniture.

Although the house remained old and worn...

At least it looked clean.

Stepping outside, he looked across the yard.

Tall weeds had spread everywhere.

Their property was surprisingly large, while the house itself occupied only a small corner of the land.

Each neighboring house was built far apart, with roughly **30 to 40 meters** between them, giving every family a spacious yard of their own.

The village wasn't crowded at all.

Towering trees surrounded the homes, and there wasn't a single sign of modern civilization.

Despite it being the year **2026**...

The village still looked as though it belonged to another century.

Grey pulled out his sickle.

"Let's clean this up."

For the next hour, he cut down the overgrown weeds covering the yard.

By the time he finished, sweat dripped from his forehead, and his arms ached from the continuous work.

He sat beneath the shade of a tree, drinking cold water from a bamboo cup.

Looking around, a satisfied smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Much better."

His eyes swept across the wide, open yard.

"So much empty land..."

"I can turn this into a vegetable garden."

Vegetables.

Fruits.

Medicinal herbs.

With the System, he could purchase seeds from Earth.

Since many Earth crops didn't exist in Earthra...

They might become incredibly valuable here.

The possibilities were endless.

As Grey was planning his future farm—

"Grey!"

He turned toward the voice.

Jericho and Lyjohn were walking toward him.

"Grey!" Jericho shouted.

"Where have you been?"

"We've been looking for you all day!"

Lyjohn laughed as he approached.

"Seriously, where'd you disappear to?"

"You spent the whole day without inviting us."

Grey simply looked at the two men.

Memories surfaced once again.

The original Grey had known them since childhood.

They had always stood by each other.

They were loyal friends.

But...

They were terrible husbands.

Terrible fathers.

Just like the original Grey, they had become the biggest source of suffering for their own families.

Grey smiled inwardly.

*These two aren't bad people.*

*They just chose the wrong path.*

If he was truly going to change this life...

Perhaps...

He should help his two oldest friends change theirs as well.