"John, we've brought the wood to build the house," Victor called out, carrying wood on his head, and behind him, Brody, Blake, Dylan, and Derek were also coming with wood on their heads.
When John turned towards Victor, he started speaking, "Good timing, Uncle Victor. We've also found a good spot to build the house. Look over there; we've already cleared the area. Put all the wood down there, and we'll build a hut for everyone with it."
Hearing John's words, everyone started moving towards the place John mentioned. When they got there, they put down the wood and began looking around. The place was slightly elevated, giving them a clear view of the surroundings. The ground was firm and clean, so even if it rained, there wouldn't be much mud. Everyone really liked the spot.
"Oh... What a fantastic place you both found! We can keep an eye on everything from here. I really like this spot," Victor said, feeling very satisfied after seeing the area.
"Yes, John, it's really nice. We like this place too," Derek said, and his three brothers nodded in agreement, showing that they liked it as well.
"We're glad you all like this place," John said, looking towards Uncle Tom, who gave a slight nod in approval.
"Alright then, let's build the hut before it gets dark," Uncle Tom said, looking at everyone.
"Yes, let's go. There's still a lot of work left; we'll finish it quickly," Victor said, and then he sat down and started digging a hole.
---
Seeing Victor, Uncle Tom and John also sat down on the ground and started digging holes.
Brody and Blake began to clean the wood they had brought, ensuring it was ready for use. Meanwhile, Dylan and Derek picked up large and thick logs and started placing them in the holes that Victor, Uncle Tom, and John were digging, making sure to position them upright.
The work was progressing very quickly. The three of them continued digging the holes, while Dylan and Derek set the thick logs in place. They then began attaching smaller logs to form walls, which Brody and Blake had prepared by binding them together with vines. Similarly, they placed a roof made of thin wooden planks.
Following the same procedure, within about 4 hours, they had completed 4 huts—essentially building one house per hour as they worked together.
The huts were built with everyone's needs in mind. The four brothers would share a slightly larger house, while a smaller house was built for Victor and Clara. Uncle Tom and John each had smaller huts, just enough for one person.
"Phew... Finally, we finished building the huts just in time," Uncle Tom said, breathing a sigh of relief as he sat down to rest.
---
"Oh wow, the huts are ready! I was thinking we'd all be sleeping on the ground, staring at the sky tonight, but I guess not," Aunt Clara said as she approached, looking at the huts.
"Clara, you're just getting here now? Where were you for so long?" Victor asked, looking at Clara as he sat.
"I was cooking for everyone, and after washing the dirty clothes and hanging them to dry, I brought them back. That's why it took so long," Clara explained to Victor, giving the reason for her delay.
"Oh, is that so?" Victor replied after hearing Clara's explanation.
"So, which one of these four huts is ours, Victor?" Aunt Clara asked, looking at the huts.
"The first hut on the right is for your brothers, the second one is ours, the third hut is John's, and the one next to it is Brother Tom's," Victor quickly explained all the huts, so Clara wouldn't ask about them one by one.
"Oh... So, the huts were made according to everyone's needs?" Aunt Clara asked, examining the size of the huts.
"Yes," Victor responded immediately.
---
"Alright, everyone, let's eat now, and after that, I'll tell you all about the potatoes," John said, getting up quickly after Aunt Clara and Victor finished talking.
"Okay, sounds good," Victor responded first and then signaled to Clara, indicating she should serve the boiled potatoes to everyone.
Aunt Clara opened the clay pot, which had been covered with a large leaf from a tree. As she lifted the leaf, hot steam began to rise, along with the aroma of boiled potatoes.
The smell made everyone's mouths water.
"Big sister, please give me some quickly. I can't control myself anymore," Brody said, struggling to resist, as the taste of the potatoes he had eaten earlier still lingered in his mouth, making him crave more.
"Hold on, I'm serving everyone," Aunt Clara replied, looking at Brody, and began serving the food. After a short while, she had served everyone.
Brody was the first to touch the potatoes. He quickly put the hot potatoes in his mouth and started eating. Before everyone finished eating, Brody finished his meal and looked at Aunt Clara, saying.
"Wow... What a taste! Big sister, please save some of this heavenly food for me. I'll eat more before I sleep tonight," Brody said, finishing his food faster than anyone else.
"Not now, you'll get more tomorrow morning," Aunt Clara firmly replied.
Hearing Aunt Clara's refusal, Brody lowered his head, and after a while, everyone finished their meal one by one. Uncle Tom then looked at Victor and then at John.
"John, we want to ask you something. Can we?" Uncle Tom asked, looking at John.
"Why not, Uncle Tom? You can ask," John replied directly.
"We've been wondering for two days how you know about these potatoes," Uncle Tom asked.
" What should I say to this?" John thought for a moment, then looked at Uncle Tom and said, "Uncle Tom, it's difficult for me to answer that. I'm sorry."
When John refused to answer, Uncle Tom and Victor exchanged glances. Victor then asked John, "If you don't want to tell us, that's fine, John."
"Thank you, Uncle Victor, for understanding," John said, signaling that the matter was closed and requesting not to ask further.
After finishing the meal, Aunt Clara asked, ''John, you wanted to tell us something about the potatoes.''
She was very excited to learn more, like how the potato plants look and how to grow them. She kept asking about it on the way here," John said. I'll explain everything in detail once we get there.
"Yes, I'll explain how to grow potatoes and how long it takes for them to grow. I'll share all the details with everyone," John said, looking at everyone.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on John as he explained the process of growing potatoes, eager not to miss a single detail. It was clear that this new crop could change their lives, and no one wanted to risk doing it wrong.
"To grow potatoes, the first step is to keep them in a place where they won't get too much air. This helps small sprouts start to appear on the potatoes. Once you see those sprouts, you'll need to plant them in soil that isn't too wet or too dry," John explained carefully, making sure everyone understood.
Uncle Tom, who had been listening intently, raised his hand and asked, "Why does the soil need to be just right, not too wet or dry?"
John paused for a moment before answering. "Well, Uncle Tom, potatoes don't need much water. If the soil is too wet, the potatoes might rot. But if it's too dry, they won't grow well either."
Satisfied with the answer, Uncle Tom nodded, and John continued with his explanation. "Luckily, the soil we have here is just right. But if we ever find better soil in the future, we can move the sprouted potatoes and plant them there. When planting, dig a hole about 25-35 cm deep, and make sure each potato is spaced 70 to 90 cm apart. This gives them enough room to get all the nutrients they need to grow."
Victor, who had been quietly listening, furrowed his brow. "Um... John, what is 'nutrients'? I've never heard that word before."
John stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing he didn't know how to explain it in simple terms. His mind raced. "How do I explain something I barely understand myself? " he thought. Just then, Info's voice chimed in.
[Host, you can explain that nutrients are like food for the potatoes. They help the potatoes grow big and healthy.]
A wave of relief washed over John.
"Thank you, Info," he whispered under his breath, grateful for the assist.
[You're always welcome, host.]
John smiled and turned back to Victor. "Think of nutrients as the potato's food. When they absorb it, they grow big and strong. And when we cook them, they taste great because they've gotten all the food they need."
Victor's eyes lit up with understanding. "Ah, so it's like the potatoes have their food, and then they become our food!"
John chuckled at the simple but accurate summary. "Exactly, Uncle Victor."
John glanced around, noticing everyone seemed satisfied with his explanation.
"We don't need to go searching for better soil right now because the ground we're on is perfect for potatoes."
John couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Not only was he learning and teaching, but he was also leading them toward something better. And maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something bigger.
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See.... Yaa... Next Chapter [ The First Skill ]