I'm a Druid at a farmhouse.

Chapter 52 A Charming Farmhouse

Song You handed over the knife.

It was an ordinary boning knife, the wooden handle worn smooth, showing that it had been used for a long time.

The blade is short, with a smooth curve, and the edge gleams with a sharp light.

Wang Tong took it without saying a word.

He simply held the blade with two fingers, raised it to his eyes, squinted, and carefully examined the fine wear marks on the blade.

Then, he gently and slowly ran the pad of his thumb across the blade.

The movement was very light, but it made Wang Guoming and Li Zhe, who were standing next to him, jump in surprise.

Wang Guoming opened his mouth, wanting to warn his master to be careful, but was silenced by Wang Tong's calm gaze.

"A fine knife."

After a long pause, Wang Tong finally uttered two words. He handed the knife back to Song You, "Well sharpened."

This sounds like a compliment to the knife, but it's actually a compliment to the person using it.

Song You smiled, took the knife, and wiped it on the sharpening cloth beside him. "It's just a handy tool. Senior Wang, please come in. My place is simple, please don't mind."

He led the three of them into the courtyard, introducing himself naturally as they walked.

"My agritainment business doesn't really have any special concept; it's just about creating a cycle." Song You pointed to the vegetable garden not far away. "The rotten leaves and vegetable roots we pick are all used to feed the chickens. Once the chicken manure has fermented, it becomes the best fertilizer and is then returned to the vegetable garden."

"The same goes for reservoirs. Fish eat aquatic plants, and their excrement nourishes the microorganisms and plants in the water, so the water itself comes alive."

Wang Tong followed behind him, his feet never stopping, but his ears were listening.

His clear eyes swept over the vibrant vegetable garden in the yard, then looked at the shimmering reservoir in the distance, a thoughtful expression creeping into his gaze.

Wang Guoming whispered from the side, "Master, let me tell you, the dishes here really taste different, they're especially sweet and refreshing."

Wang Tong ignored him and instead asked Song You, "May I take a look at your kitchen?"

"Of course, feel free to look around."

Song You led them into the kitchen.

The kitchen wasn't big, but it was very well organized.

On the left is a sink and a cutting board for washing vegetables, and on the right is a double-burner wood-fired stove. Pots, pans and bowls are all hanging on the wall, polished to a shine.

There are no gleaming professional equipment like in the kitchens of star-rated hotels here; everything here is full of the warmth of everyday life, yet it is so clean that it is comforting.

Wang Tong's gaze swept around the kitchen, finally landing on a kitchen knife hanging above the cutting board.

That knife was completely different from the boning knife Song You had just used. It had a wide blade and excellent steel quality, clearly not an ordinary item.

"This knife is not bad." Wang Tong's evaluation this time was more affirmative.

"Brother Wang knows. I was lucky enough to win a prize when I went to the city for an event last time," Song You said frankly.

Wang Tong nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

A cook's livelihood should not depend entirely on one or two tools.

"Alright, Boss Song, you go ahead with your work." Wang Tong turned and walked out of the kitchen. "We'll just wander around a bit."

Wang Guoming immediately became anxious upon hearing this, "Master, it's already lunchtime, shouldn't we eat first?"

Song You smiled and replied, "No rush. It's rare for Senior Wang to come here, so I'll prepare a new dish for you all. It'll take a little effort."

Upon hearing about the new dish, Wang Guoming's eyes lit up instantly.

"That's great!"

Song You added, "You guys can also take a stroll in the woods behind the courtyard, but don't go too deep. A wild boar kennel just settled here a couple of days ago. Although they're not very afraid of people, they're still wild, so just keep your distance."

"Wild boar?" Wang Tong raised an eyebrow. "You have wild boar here?"

"It was all by chance," Song You began his prepared explanation. "A few days ago, I found a trap on the mountain. It had a dead male animal caught in it. I figured I shouldn't waste it, so I carried it back. I didn't expect its wife and kids to follow me down the mountain. I couldn't get rid of them, so I just built them a nest at the foot of the mountain."

These words were half true and half false, but they sounded quite reasonable.

Wang Tong nodded thoughtfully, said nothing more, and strolled towards the back mountain with his hands behind his back.

Wang Guoming and Li Zhe quickly followed.

The three of them walked through the small courtyard and passed by the vegetable garden.

Wang Tong slowed his pace.

He squatted down, picked up a clump of soil from the vegetable garden, and smelled it under his nose.

The soil is very ordinary, just the black soil commonly found in the mountains.

He reached out and plucked the outermost cabbage leaf. The leaf was thick, with clearly defined veins, and so green it looked like it was about to drip with water. He crushed the leaf, and a rich, sweet aroma of cabbage instantly filled the air.

"Master, this vegetable is delicious even eaten raw!" Wang Guoming enthusiastically recommended from the side. "Last time I came, I picked a basketful for only thirty yuan, it was practically free!"

Wang Tong stood up, patted the dirt off his hands, and said nothing.

He was somewhat shaken.

This vegetable is growing too well.

Every vegetable seemed to be infused with the fullest vitality, its energy and spirit were frightening.

He continued walking forward and soon saw the nest of wild boars that Song You had mentioned.

On a gentle slope at the foot of the mountain, under a simple shack, a large sow was lazily dozing off.

Seven or eight tiny piglets, no bigger than the palm of your hand, rolled around it, chasing and playing with each other.

When she saw someone approaching, the female wild boar merely raised her eyelids slightly before closing them again, showing none of the wariness or ferocity expected of a wild animal.

The piglets were even bolder; two of them even came running over and stopped a few meters away from the three of them, tilting their dark little heads and curiously looking at them.

"Is that a wild boar from the mountain?" Li Zhe was stunned.

It looks like a domesticated animal.

Wang Tong watched this harmonious scene without saying a word for a long time.

A mountain breeze blows, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, and the sound of water from the distant reservoir can be faintly heard.

Standing here, I feel my whole heart calm down, and even my breathing becomes much easier.

It seems this young man has really put his heart into the agritainment business; everything is arranged in an orderly manner. As a guest, apart from looking a bit simple, he has no other shortcomings.

He turned around and glanced at his apprentice, who was teasing the piglets with a look of utter curiosity. That familiar, nameless anger welled up inside him again.

Look at them, so young, yet they live such a vibrant and orderly life in this small place.

Then look at myself, almost forty years old, apart from being somewhat capable in the kitchen, I'm a headache to look at the rest of the time.

Is this child, so useless, really my own?

Could it be that they were switched at birth in the hospital back then?

Wang Tong's mind was filled with random thoughts as he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

He turned around and walked back towards the courtyard.

......

Song Youzheng handed the last piece of processed wild boar meat to the guest, and when he saw Wang Tong return, he smiled and went to greet him.

"Senior Wang, how's the spin going?"

Wang Tong stopped and looked at Song You, his clear eyes filled with admiration.

He didn't answer Song You's question, but suddenly spoke up.

"You dismantle that wild boar."

Wang Tong paused, his gaze falling on the huge pig breastbone in the center of the yard.

"How many cuts were used?"