Chapter 9: Fruit Trees Grow, Harvest in Sight
Dongyu's school was very close to the Vegetable Market, also located in the center of the East District Residential Area (West District: the part of Biyi City near the sea; East District: the part of Biyi City near the mountains). Its full name was the Biyi City Fifth Primary School.
Fifth Primary School was not large, with fewer than a hundred students, because there were relatively few residents living in the East District, and the number of children was limited. Moreover, there were two other primary schools in the East District—Eighth Primary School and Ninth Primary School—which diverted many students.
Director Meili took Bai Feng directly to meet the principal of Fifth Primary School. Later, Bai Feng learned that the principal of Fifth Primary School was actually Director Meili's ex-husband.
The principal of Fifth Primary School was named He Maochun. He was the same age as Director Meili but looked slightly younger. He had a tall, slender build, and although there were some wrinkles on his face, they did not detract from his temperament, but rather made him appear more refined and amiable.
He Maochun and Director Meili were introduced to each other by their respective families and married not long after meeting. They never had children after marriage, and their relationship remained rather lukewarm.
Their union was less about love and more about their families' wishes.
Later, Director Meili's parents passed away one after another. She took over the position of director of the Blue Bird Orphanage from her mother. Gradually, as she often had to care for the children at the Orphanage and couldn't go home, her relationship with her husband became one in name only.
In the sixth year after Director Meili took over the Blue Bird Orphanage, the two peacefully divorced so as not to hold each other back.
After her divorce, Director Meili put all her energy into the Orphanage. To make it easier to care for the children, she moved directly into the Orphanage and never thought about getting married again.
He Maochun, on the other hand, remarried four years after their divorce.
Their lives usually ran like parallel lines, rarely intersecting. When Meili took Bai Feng to see Principal He Maochun this time, Bai Feng felt they were very distant from each other, completely unlike people who had once been husband and wife.
Bai Feng's enrollment went very smoothly. After understanding his situation, He Maochun arranged for him to be in the first grade at Fifth Primary School.
Although Bai Feng was a bit older than the other children who had just started school, his situation was special.
From then on, Bai Feng went to and from school with Dongyu every day.
The curriculum taught in primary school was very simple: Foundations of Natural Science and Humanities and Social Science of the Pokémon World. Bai Feng felt no pressure learning them.
Because he had to attend school, the time Bai Feng could spend learning from Grandpa Fu was greatly reduced.
So, after gradually learning to read, he asked Grandpa Fu if he could borrow books from the Study. After getting Grandpa Fu's permission, he started taking books to school to read, burying himself in them whenever he had time.
Since the primary school curriculum was not difficult, Bai Feng felt no pressure learning, so he sometimes even read other books during class, which often caused dissatisfaction among the teachers.
However, his grades were excellent, always ranking at the top in every exam. So, the teachers gradually stopped bothering him, as long as he didn't disturb other students.
At school, Bai Feng's impression among his classmates was that he had good grades but was unsociable, aloof, and a bookworm. However, he didn't care about others' discussions about him and continued to do as he pleased every day. After all, he really couldn't play house with a bunch of actual children.
Wouldn't it be better to read a couple more pages of a book in that time?
Because of this, some younger children even tried to bully him, but they were instead severely dealt with by Bai Feng. From then on, Bai Feng's school life became calm and uneventful.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than a year had passed. Bai Feng was finally ten years old!
Although he hadn't graduated from primary school yet because he started late, in the Pokémon World, at the age of ten, he already had the ability to act independently. For example, he could go out and find work, and it was no longer illegal for others to hire him.
Ten years old was not the age of adulthood, but it was a special age.
Bai Feng certainly had no intention of working for others. His goal was to be a Berry Tycoon, so he definitely had to start his own business. For this, he had never dared to relax even slightly in the past year, truly studying with all his might.
At noon that day, after school ended, Bai Feng dashed out of the school, ignoring the stares of others, and disappeared from the main entrance of Fifth Primary School in a flash.
He ran all the way to the path Dongyu took to go home and waited.
Dongyu, who was about to go home, saw Bai Feng and asked in confusion, "Bai Feng, why are you here? Aren't you with Yangtai and Caicaizi today?"
Yangtai and Caicaizi, after reaching the appropriate age, were also sent to Fifth Primary School by Director Meili. They were one grade below Bai Feng, and usually, the three of them went to and from school together.
Dongyu was no longer a student at Fifth Primary School. Not long after Bai Feng enrolled, he, being ten years old, graduated from Fifth Primary School and then enrolled in Fourth Middle School.
All students in primary school had the same curriculum, but middle schools were different. They had a Regular Department and a Pokémon Department, or rather, an Elf Department. Students would be taught different knowledge depending on the department they chose.
(Note: In ancient times, Pokémon were called Demonic Beasts by humans. Later, with the emergence of the Trainer profession, the relationship between Demonic Beasts and humans eased, and the term Demonic Beast gradually disappeared, giving rise to the name Elf.
Later still, as modern Poké Ball technology became more advanced, the relationship between humans and Elves became even closer, so the term Pokémon gradually began to replace the name Elf.
To this day, the new generation of Trainers completely use the term Pokémon to refer to Elves, but the older generation still uses Elf to call their partners.
Therefore, the Pokémon Department is also called the Elf Department, Pokémon Food is called Elf Food, and Items containing Pokémon are called Poké Balls.)
Dongyu had been studying in the Regular Department of Fourth Middle School for over a year.
Schools in the East District of Biyi City were basically public schools under the Pokémon League, generally offering both Regular Department and Pokémon Department. However, it was said that some private schools in the West District only had a Pokémon Department, specifically for cultivating trainers.
Those who could attend such schools were children from wealthy families.
"There's something I need Dongyu Ge to help me with," Bai Feng replied.
"What's so urgent that you can't even wait until we get home?" Dongyu asked curiously.
"Dongyu Ge, do you know any breeders at school? The kind who are relatively wealthy," Bai Feng asked.
Dongyu was startled for a moment, then suddenly understood. "You want to find buyers for your Berries?"
"Exactly," Bai Feng nodded.
After more than a year of careful cultivation, Bai Feng's more than thirty fruit trees had long since begun to bear fruit, and the fruit would ripen soon.
In the past year, Bai Feng hadn't been taking care of the fruit trees haphazardly, but rather scientifically, under the guidance of Grandpa Fu and after studying a considerable amount of planting technique knowledge.
After studying, Bai Feng knew that Berries had Energy Level classifications. The quality ranged from high to low: S, A, B, C, D, E, F, seven levels. What Auntie Sala sold at the Vegetable Market was the lowest level, usually E or F in Energy classification.
Berries that could be used as materials for making Pokémon Poffins, Pokéblocks, and other Pokémon Food had to have an Energy classification of at least D.
The price of a Berry Energy classifier was not high. Grandpa Fu had given Bai Feng one before, so Bai Feng had already tested the Berries he grew. Most were C-level, and there were even a small number of B-level.
When he first saw the test results, Bai Feng was so surprised his heart almost stopped. The seeds he used to cultivate these fruit trees were just picked up from the Vegetable Market. Logically, the fruit they bore should at most be E-level or F-level.
But the actual test results were C-level and B-level. This meant that Bai Feng hadn't guessed wrong; his Golden Finger did indeed have the ability to improve Berry quality, and it was very powerful.
One must know, this was the first time the fruit trees bore fruit. If he continued to cultivate them, it wouldn't be a dream to produce A-level and S-level Berries within a few years. With Berries of this level, how much money couldn't he make?
At that moment, Bai Feng truly breathed a huge sigh of relief, because without this ability, his Berry Tycoon plan would only be a pipe dream.
Now he no longer had to worry.
Later, Bai Feng also learned the reason why those two Scatterbug always ran to his Orchard by checking information.
It turned out that Berry Trees with abundant energy would attract Caterpie, Wurmple, Scatterbug, and other Bug-type Pokémon, because eating the branches and leaves of these fruit trees could accelerate their evolution.
Only fruit trees with abundant energy could produce high quality fruit.
Now, what he needed to do was sell this batch of Berries and earn his first bucket of gold.
Since the quality of the Berries had reached C-level and B-level, Bai Feng naturally couldn't just sell them casually at the Vegetable Market. The most suitable way to handle them was to sell them to breeders.
But Bai Feng had no connections and couldn't reach advanced breeders. And even if he could, they might not necessarily buy from him; advanced breeders definitely had their own Berry purchasing channels.
Furthermore, because it was the first time bearing fruit, the quantity of fruit produced by Bai Feng's fruit trees was not very large.
So he set his sights on those breeder students. They had a little money, hoped to get higher quality Berry materials, but didn't need much.
This was just right for Bai Feng.
C-level and B-level Pokéblocks were already relatively rare on the market, especially B-level ones. Even ordinary breeders with money might not be able to get their hands on them. So Bai Feng was confident he could sell his Berries.
Hearing Bai Feng's answer, Dongyu frowned and said, "Bai Feng, breeders have quality requirements when buying Berries. Those you planted..."
He knew that the seeds Bai Feng used to plant the fruit trees were just picked up from the Vegetable Market.
Bai Feng said confidently, "Dongyu Ge, don't worry. I've been learning planting technique from Grandpa Fu for over a year, so the Berry quality is definitely fine. I've already tested them."
He couldn't reveal his Golden Finger, so he could only attribute everything to Grandpa Fu.
Dongyu knew nothing about planting, so he didn't doubt Bai Feng's words at all. Moreover, Bai Feng had indeed put a lot of effort into those fruit trees over the past year, so he smiled and agreed:
"That's good. I'm not a student in the Pokémon Department, so I don't know any breeders, but I can help you ask around when I go to school this afternoon."
"That's great, Dongyu Ge, thank you so much!" Bai Feng said excitedly.
Dongyu shook his head and said, "It's nothing. I'm just glad I can help you."
As the oldest child at the Blue Bird Orphanage, Dongyu always felt he had the responsibility to take care of the younger brothers and sisters at the Orphanage. So his dream had always been to grow up quickly, go out to work quickly, and then earn more money to lighten Director Meili's burden.
So, being able to help Bai Feng made Dongyu very happy.
Not long after the two returned home, Yangtai and Caicaizi also came back together.
Yangtai ran into the Yard like a flash and, seeing Bai Feng, loudly questioned, "Bai Feng Ge, why did you leave alone? Caicaizi and I even went to your class specifically to find you, making us run for nothing!"
"Ah, sorry," Bai Feng chuckled. "I was in a hurry to ask Dongyu Ge for help with something and didn't have time to wait for you."
Yangtai asked curiously, "What is it? Do you need my help too?"
Bai Feng shook his head and said, "You don't need to help. It's not certain if it will work out yet. I'll tell you when it does."
"Okay."
After sending Yangtai off, Bai Feng turned and went to the Orchard.
The Orchard now was completely different from when it first started. The more than thirty fruit trees had all grown taller than Bai Feng, with lush branches and leaves, showing vigorous growth and a harvest in sight.
The types of fruit trees Bai Feng had were very common. Nearly half were Oran Berries, and the other half were partly Cheri Berries and partly Pecha Berries.
However, common Berry types also meant they were among the Berries with the largest demand on the market. High market demand leads to more people planting them, and more people planting them makes them seem common.
One downside, though, was that as the fruit trees slowly grew, this empty lot could no longer accommodate their continued growth.
The fruit trees were crowded together, competing for living space. If this continued, problems would arise sooner or later.
So Bai Feng desperately needed a piece of land now.
As soon as Bai Feng entered the Orchard, he saw Bai Ye's figure among the trees.
Compared to a year ago, Bai Ye looked significantly different now. Her every move subtly revealed a hint of sharp aura, but if you looked closely again, it seemed like just an illusion.
One could only say that Bai Ye's control over her own energy had reached a state of mastery. Being surrounded and attacked by a large flock of birds every day, she couldn't help but become proficient.
Since that Bunnelby was fired by Bai Feng, Bai Ye had been the one helping Bai Feng manage the Orchard for the past year.
As for why that Bunnelby was fired, it was because Bai Feng was poor!
Because Bunnelby fell in love with Rejuvenation and had been performing well afterwards, Bai Feng gave it Rejuvenation several more times.
Then one day, it suddenly evolved, becoming a stout Diggersby with a full belly and no longer its former cute appearance.
Moreover, this fellow was incredibly gluttonous. After just one day, Bai Feng already felt he couldn't afford to keep it.
One must know that Fletchinder and Fletchling had been hired for so long, and Bai Feng had never been responsible for their meals, unlike Diggersby.
So Bai Feng fired it.
Diggersby was a bit reluctant to leave, but unfortunately, Bai Feng really couldn't afford to keep a big eater. He himself was only just getting by!
After Diggersby left, Bai Ye voluntarily offered to help Bai Feng manage the Orchard and would actively learn planting technique knowledge with Bai Feng during her free time.
To be honest, Bai Feng was initially terrified by Bai Ye's sudden change.
Is this still my naive and sweet mother? Could she have been possessed by some wandering spirit? Bai Ye's sudden effort in training before had already made him feel strange.
However, as soon as Bai Feng brought up this doubt with Bai Ye, he received a beating.
"Dare to question your mother? Didn't I hit you enough before!"
The naive and sweet mother suddenly turned into a hot-tempered mother! But at the same time, Bai Feng was relieved. Mom was still Mom.
"Gardevoir~ Gardevoir~" Baby, you're back!
Seeing Bai Feng return from school, Bai Ye quickly ran to his side.
Bai Feng saw that Bai Ye was carrying a basket in her hand and asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
Bai Ye held the basket she was carrying out towards Bai Feng, explaining that some of the fruit had already ripened, so she planned to pick some to take back for the children to eat.
The Berries were not yet in full harvest season. If the first-ripening fruit were not picked, they would just rot on the branches.
"Let me eat one first."
Bai Feng immediately reached into the basket and took out a Pecha Berry. He wiped it casually with his hand a couple of times and started eating it. Anyway, there were no pesticides here; it wouldn't kill anyone.
*Crunch* Bai Feng took a bite and felt juice overflowing, the rich fruit aroma filling his mouth, and the sweet taste stimulating his brain.
"This... this is too delicious!" Bai Feng couldn't help but exclaim. The taste was completely different from the Berries he had eaten before.
Does my Golden Finger also have the ability to improve the taste of Berries? Bai Feng was shocked.
Bai Ye had already eaten them, so she knew the taste of the Pecha Berries. She looked at Bai Feng with an expression that seemed to say, "How is it? Is it delicious?", as if the fruit wasn't grown by Bai Feng, but by her.
The tastes of Berries were strange and varied, some spicy, bitter, sour, astringent... Some Pokémon also had strange tastes. For example, most Fire-type Pokémon loved spicy flavors. What humans found delicious, Pokémon might not necessarily like.
The three types of fruit Bai Feng planted were all suited to human tastes, so the flavors were mainly sweet and sour. After being improved by the Golden Finger, the combination of these two flavors became more balanced.
What about spicy, bitter, or astringent Berries? How would their tastes change after being improved? Would Pokémon like them more?
Bai Feng felt that these were all areas he needed to research and experiment with in the future.
"Let's quickly take them back for everyone to try!" Bai Feng took the basket from Bai Ye's hand and ran home impatiently.
As expected, the fruit was welcomed by everyone.
"It's so delicious!" Xiao You exclaimed while munching on a fruit. "Bai Feng Gege, you're amazing! This is the best fruit I've ever eaten!"
Bai Feng: Really? I feel like I've heard that somewhere before!
Xiao You is indeed a little flatterer!
Even Limo, who was only two years old, was puffing out her little cheeks and eating with a look of enjoyment.
The fruit pulp of the Pecha Berry was somewhat similar in texture to the peaches Bai Feng ate in his previous life. When ripe, the fruit pulp was very soft, so even Limo, at two years old, could easily eat it.
Caicaizi cut the Pecha Berries into small pieces and fed them to Limo bite by bite.
Eating the delicious fruit, Dongyu suddenly understood why Bai Ye was so confident that her Berries could be sold.
If he had money, based on the taste alone, he would be willing to buy them even if the quality was a bit lower. Besides, the quality might not be bad.
Dongyu was very reliable. That afternoon, as soon as he returned to school, he started asking around to see if any breeders needed to buy Berries.
He had a good friend in the Regular Department, and that good friend had a childhood friend, whose older sister was a breeder and also attended Fourth Middle School with them.
That sister recently planned to participate in the Pokémon Triathlon that was about to be held in Biyi City. She needed to make Poképuffs for the competition, which required using Berries.
However, good Berries were not easy to buy, so that sister had been worried about this matter.
So Dongyu asked his friend to introduce him to that sister. Unexpectedly, the sister agreed and quickly arranged a meeting time with Dongyu.
When Dongyu told Bai Feng the good news, Bai Feng was overjoyed.
(End of Chapter)