I'm a Druid at a farmhouse.

Chapter 68 [Trust Within the Clan]

Su Yunxi closed the door, leaned against the cold door panel, and clutched the employee uniform that could only be described as a disaster.

The rough fabric rubbed against my fingertips, and the cheap smell of dye wafted into my nose.

She walked to the mirror and looked at herself in it.

Exquisite base makeup, meticulously drawn eyeliner, and that seemingly casual yet subtly sophisticated lip color.

She learned this look little by little from Jiang Yuexian's photo.

She studied every photo of Song You and Jiang Yuexian together. Jiang Yuexian always looked like this, exuding a gentle and mature femininity.

She thought Song You would like this style.

But what did he mean by what he just said?

"I don't feel at ease with you acting like this."

Su Yunxi's fingernails left several shallow marks on her work pants.

She wasn't sure if Song You genuinely thought she looked bad like that, or if it was just for work convenience.

What if... what if he likes someone like Jiang Yuexian? If I remove my makeup and go back to my original appearance, will he find me bland and uninteresting?

But deep down, another voice was stirring within me.

It was a long-suppressed urge to break free from constraints.

She was never Jiang Yuexian, so why should she live as her shadow?

Su Yunxi took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and turned to walk into the bathroom.

She soaked a cotton pad with the cool liquid and placed it on her eyes. She could feel the eyeliner and mascara dissolving little by little, and the eyes in the mirror gradually lost their deliberately created depth, revealing their original clear appearance.

Then comes the cheeks, and then the lips.

When the last makeup remover pad was thrown into the trash can, a completely unfamiliar face appeared in the mirror.

Even without foundation, her skin remained fair, yet radiated a healthy glow.

Her cheeks still had a bit of baby fat that hadn't completely disappeared, which made her facial contours appear much softer.

Those eyes were large, with slightly upturned corners. Without eyeliner, they lacked some of the allure, but gained a touch of aloofness and stubbornness.

This is the real her, Su Yunxi.

She stared at herself in the mirror for a long time, feeling both uneasy and strangely expectant.

After changing into that drab gray T-shirt and baggy work pants, she felt like she had been stuffed into a sack.

She tugged at the hem of her clothes and rolled up her overly long trouser legs twice, making it look awkward no matter how you looked at it.

Pat your face; it won't look bad this way.

She pushed open the door and went out.

......

Song You was busy in the kitchen.

Considering that Su Yunxi hadn't rested much yesterday and would be working again today, he specially cooked her a bowl of noodles.

The broth, made from pork bones, is topped with a few blanched greens and finally a golden soft-boiled egg, creating an irresistible aroma.

He had just brought out the noodles when he saw Su Yunxi coming down the stairs.

Song You paused for a moment while holding the bowl.

He stared at the girl in front of him, his mind going blank for a moment, thinking a stranger had come to his house.

A large gray T-shirt draped over her body, making her appear even more petite. Her face was bare, her skin glowing white, and her large, clear eyes, combined with the slight plumpness of her cheeks, created a peculiar, clean contrast.

Song You's memory was suddenly pulled back to the university's orientation day a few years ago.

The junior student wearing a white dress, dragging a huge suitcase, stood quietly in the corner.

Yes, that's exactly it.

Apart from his hair being a bit longer and a different look in his eyes, he hasn't changed much.

He finally understood why he hadn't connected her with his junior from elementary school when he saw her at the farmhouse.

They were completely different people before and after.

"Boss, I'm all changed." Su Yun-Yunxi's voice was a little soft. She nervously fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, her eyes secretly observing Song You's reaction.

"Hmm." Song You snapped out of his reverie, placed the bowl of noodles on the stone table, and said, "Come and eat your noodles."

He watched Su Yunxi sit down before speaking, his tone very serious.

"You look much better like this than before."

Su Yunxi's hand, which was holding the chopsticks, trembled almost imperceptibly.

A surge of joy, born from anticipation, welled up from the bottom of my heart.

She lowered her head, poking at the soft-boiled egg in her bowl with her chopsticks, her voice carrying a hint of grievance.

"It's all Jiang Yuexian's fault. When I first joined the student council, she said I dressed too much like a student and insisted on teaching me how to do makeup and how to dress more maturely."

As she spoke, she silently apologized to Jiang Yuexian in the distance.

Sorry, senior, I'll use you as a scapegoat for now.

When Song You heard the name, he didn't have any particular reaction; he just found it a little funny.

"That's her style, it doesn't suit you." He sat down opposite Su Yunxi, poured himself a glass of cold water, and said, "You're fine as you are. Just be yourself from now on."

"Um!"

Su Yunxi nodded heavily, then picked up a large mouthful of noodles, stuffed it into her mouth, and puffed out her cheeks.

"It's delicious."

She thought to herself.

After finishing her noodles, Su Yunxi felt full of energy.

"Boss, what do we do now?" she volunteered, looking very enthusiastic.

"Come on, let me show you around your job."

Song You led her to the vegetable garden in the yard.

"The first priority for agritainment businesses is to ensure the freshness of ingredients." Song You pointed to the lush green vegetable patch and began his pre-job training.

"Look at this tomato plant. The leaves are lush and the fruit is plump, which means it's growing well. But look closely here."

He crouched down and pointed to the back of a leaf.

"See these little white dots? These are aphid eggs. Although there aren't many now, they will quickly infest the area if not dealt with promptly."

Su Yunxi also squatted down and leaned over to take a look.

She had a natural aversion to these things, but she still suppressed her discomfort and listened attentively.

"What should we do then? Spray pesticides?"

"For small-scale operations, no need. Just find a small spray bottle, mix in some soapy water, and spray the back of the leaves. It's simple, effective, and pollution-free." Song You stood up and pointed to the cucumber vines next to him.

"Pest control is just the basics; weed control is even more important. Weeds will steal nutrients from vegetables, so you have to pull them out as soon as you see them."

As he spoke, he casually plucked a grass stalk that was half a person's height and pulled it out of the ground, roots and all.

"When you pull it out, you have to pull hard and pull out the roots too, otherwise it will grow back in the spring."

Su-Yunxi looked at the mud on his hands, then at her own clean hands, and hesitated.

So dirty.

She muttered to herself, but seeing Song You's matter-of-fact attitude, she was too embarrassed to say it aloud.

This is an internship, not a vacation.

She mentally prepared herself, took a deep breath, and, imitating Song You, reached out and grabbed a weed.

The edges of the grass were sharp, pricking her palms and causing a slight pain. She gritted her teeth and pulled upwards with all her might.

With a "snap," the grass broke in the middle, but its roots remained firmly planted in the soil.

Song You watched from the side without saying a word.

Su Yunxi's face turned a little red. She changed to another grass, and this time she was smarter. She grabbed the base of the grass and used all her strength.

The weeds were uprooted, bringing with them a large handful of damp soil, which was then splashed all over her face.

"puff."

Song You finally couldn't help but laugh.

Su Yunxi wiped her face, her hands covered in mud, and her face turned into a little cat's paw print.

She glared at Song You with a hint of annoyance, but her gaze wasn't particularly menacing. Instead, it made her mud-splattered face appear somewhat charming and innocent.

"Alright, that's enough for today." Song You handed her a clean towel. "Go wash your face, I'll take you to do something relaxing."

The so-called easy life is feeding chickens.

Song You took some chopped vegetable leaves and rice bran from the kitchen, poured them into a wooden basin and mixed them well.

"Let's go."

He led Su Yun-xi to the chicken coop in the corner of the yard.

The thirty-odd chicks, nourished by the power of nature during this period, have grown quite a bit, their feathers glossy and smooth, and they are all full of energy.

Seeing Song You approach, they were not afraid at all. Instead, they clucked and surrounded him, stretching their necks as if they were starving for food.

"You give it a try." Song You handed the bowl full of chicken feed to Su Yunxi.

Having learned from her previous failure in feeding the pigs, Su Yunxi was much more careful this time. She grabbed a handful of chicken feed and, imitating what she saw on TV, scattered it evenly on the ground.

The chickens immediately swarmed forward, pecking at the food, and the scene became somewhat chaotic.

"These chickens seem to have a special kind of intelligence." Su Yunxi looked at the chicks. When they were fighting for food, although they were crowded, they were very orderly and would not actually peck at their companions.

"All chickens in the mountains are like that," Song You casually replied.

Just then, his phone vibrated.

He took it out and saw that it was a message from Jiang Milu.

[Milu: I asked the professor in our college who studies tropical plants about the plant photo you posted, and he hasn't seen it before either. Where did you get this thing? Is it a mutation?]

Song You raised an eyebrow; this girl's intuition was quite accurate.

[Milu: But don't worry, I've posted the photos on our school's internal forum for you, see if any experts recognize them. Also, I'm studying field crops and genetics, not horticulture. Potted plants are a bit beyond my scope.]

Song You looked at the screen, a smile appearing on his face.

[Song You: Thanks, I'll ask you to do some work next time.]

He put away his phone and turned his gaze back to the chicken coop.

Su Yunxi was clumsily grabbing a handful of greens, trying to tear them into small pieces so that the chicks could peck at them.

Seeing this scene, a thought suddenly flashed through Song You's mind.

He brought up the Druid's Diary.

The progress bar for the Beastmaster Druid's advanced quest, "Trust of the Clan," is currently at (2/3).

The fish in the reservoir count as one, and the wild boars on the back mountain count as another.

One more to go.

Song You's gaze now fell on the flock of chickens circling around Su Yunxi, which were originally intended to be used to complete the task of "Trust of the Clan".

Although they are poultry, with simple minds and weak collective consciousness, they are numerous enough and completely under their control.

Previously, it was because the chickens hadn't grown up yet, but now we can see what a flock looks like.

If we can establish a basic trust connection with these chickens, similar to that between a school of fish, we can probably complete the task.

More importantly, once the task is completed, you will receive more feedback from the forces of nature.

Little by little, great things are achieved; grains of sand can be piled up to form a tower.

This amount of power might not be of much use in normal times.

But now, for that little Bodhi tree hanging by a thread, any extra bit of life energy could be the last straw that breaks the camel's back, or it could be the lifeline that pulls it back from the brink of death!

Song You's heart skipped a beat.

The way he looked at the chickens instantly changed.