Chapter 9: Fruit Trees Grown, Harvest in Sight
Dongyu's school was close to the 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 Biyi City Fifth Primary School.
Fifth Primary wasn't large in scale, with fewer than a hundred students, because there were relatively few residents living in the East District, and the number of children was limited. Furthermore, the East District had two other primary schools—Eighth Primary and Ninth Primary—which siphoned off quite a few students.
Dean Meli took Baifeng directly to see the principal of Fifth Primary. Later, Baifeng learned that the principal of Fifth Primary was actually Dean Meli's ex-husband.
The principal of Fifth Primary was named Hegong Chun. He was the same age as Dean Meli but looked a bit younger. He had a tall and slender figure, and although there were some wrinkles on his face, it did not affect his temperament; instead, it made him look more refined and amiable.
Hegong Chun and Dean Meli were initially introduced to each other by their respective families. They got married not long after meeting. They never had children after marriage, and their relationship was also very bland.
Their union was less about love and more about the wishes of both families' parents.
Later, Dean Meli's parents passed away one after another. She took over the position of Dean of Azure Bird Orphanage from her mother. Gradually, because she often couldn't go home due to needing to care for the orphanage children, her relationship with her husband gradually became a marriage in name only.
In the sixth year after Dean Meli took over Azure Bird Orphanage, the two of them, so as not to delay each other any longer, thus peacefully divorced.
After her divorce, Dean Meli put all her energy into the orphanage. For the convenience of caring for the children, she moved directly into the orphanage and never again entertained the thought of getting married.
As for Hegong Chun, he remarried in the fourth year after their divorce.
Their lives were usually like two parallel lines, rarely intersecting. This time when Meli took Baifeng to see Principal Hegong Chun, Baifeng felt they were very distant from each other, completely unlike people who had once been husband and wife.
Baifeng's enrollment went very smoothly. After Hegong Chun understood his situation, he assigned him to the first grade of Fifth Primary.
Although compared to the other children who just started school, Baifeng's age was slightly older, but then again, his situation was special.
From then on, Baifeng lived a life of going to and from school with Dongyu every day.
The curriculum taught in primary school was very simple; it was just the basics of natural science and humanities/social studies of the Pokémon world. Baifeng felt no pressure learning it.
Because he had to go to school, the time Baifeng 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 began to take books to school to read, and he would pore over books whenever he had time.
Because the primary school curriculum was not difficult, Baifeng had no pressure learning, so he would sometimes even read other books during class, thus often causing dissatisfaction among the teachers.
But his grades were also very good, 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, Baifeng's impression among his classmates was that he had good grades but was unsociable, withdrawn, and a bookworm. However, he didn't care about others' comments about him and continued to do his own thing every day. After all, he really couldn't play house with a group of real children.
Wouldn't it be better to read a few more pages in that time?
Because of this, some children had even tried to bully him. However, they were instead severely dealt with by Baifeng. From then on, Baifeng's school life became calm and uneventful.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than a year had passed. Baifeng finally turned ten!
Although he hadn't graduated from primary school yet due to starting 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 a job, and it was no longer illegal for others to hire him.
Although ten is not the age of adulthood, it is a special age.
Of course, Baifeng had no intention of working for others. His goal was to become a Berry Magnate; he definitely had to start his own business. For this, he never dared to relax even slightly in this past year and more. He was truly studying desperately.
At noon this day after school, Baifeng darted out of the school like a wisp of smoke, disregarding others' gazes, and disappeared from the main entrance of Fifth Primary in the blink of an eye.
He sprinted all the way, arriving at the path Dongyu had to take to go home and waiting.
Dongyu, who was preparing to go home, after seeing Baifeng, asked doubtfully, "Baifeng, why are you here? Weren't you with Yangtai and Caicaizi today?"
Yangtai and Caicaizi, after reaching the required age, were also sent by Dean Meli to study at Fifth Primary. They were one grade lower than Baifeng, and usually the three of them went to and from school together.
And Dongyu was no longer a student at Fifth Primary. Not long after Baifeng started school, he, already ten years old, graduated from Fifth Primary and then enrolled in Fourth Middle School.
The curriculum for all students in primary school is the same, but middle school is different. They have General Studies and Pokémon Studies, or rather, Spirit Studies. Students, depending on the subject they choose, are taught different knowledge.
(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, the term Demonic Beast gradually disappeared, and the name Spirit came into being. Later, as modern Poké Ball technology became more advanced, the relationship between humans and Spirits became closer, so the term Pokémon gradually began to replace the name Spirit. To this day, the new generation of Trainers completely uses the term Pokémon to refer to Spirits, but the older generation still uses Spirit to refer to their partners. So Pokémon Studies is also called Spirit Studies, Pokémon food is called Spirit food, and items that hold Pokémon are called Poké Balls.)
Dongyu has been studying in the General Studies track at Fourth Middle for over a year.
Schools in Biyi City's East District are basically League public schools and generally have both General Studies and Pokémon Studies. But it is said that some private schools in the West District only have Pokémon Studies, specifically for cultivating Trainers.
Those who can enter those schools are children from wealthy families.
"I have something I need your help with, Brother Dongyu," Baifeng replied.
"What's making you so anxious that you can't even wait to go home to tell me?" Dongyu asked curiously.
"Brother Dongyu, do you know any Breeders at school? The kind who are relatively wealthy," Baifeng asked.
Dongyu was startled upon hearing this, then suddenly realized, "You want to find buyers for your Berries?"
"That's right." Baifeng nodded.
After more than a year of careful cultivation, Baifeng's more than thirty fruit trees had long since started bearing fruit. It wouldn't be long before the fruits ripened. In this past year and more, Baifeng wasn't just randomly taking care of the fruit trees, but under Grandpa Fu's guidance and after researching a considerable amount of planting knowledge, it was the result of scientific cultivation.
After studying, Baifeng already knew that Berries have energy grading, with seven grades from high to low: S, A, B, C, D, E, F. Like what Aunt Sarah sells at the market, which are the lowest grade, the energy grade is generally E or F. And Berries that can be used as ingredients for making Energy Cubes and other Spirit food must have an energy grade of at least D.
The price of a Berry energy grader is not high. Grandpa Fu had given Baifeng one before, so Baifeng had already tested the Berries he grew
. Most were C-grade, and there were even a few B-grade.
When he first saw the test results, Baifeng's heart nearly stopped beating in surprise.
The seeds he used to cultivate these fruit trees were just picked up from the market. Logically, the fruits produced should be at most E-grade or F-grade.
But the actual test results were C-grade and B-grade. This meant Baifeng hadn't guessed wrong: his golden finger (special ability) indeed had the ability to improve Berry quality, and it was very powerful.
One must know, this was the first time the fruit trees had borne fruit. If he continued to cultivate them, it wouldn't be a dream to produce A-grade or S-grade Berries within a few years. With Berries of this grade, how much money couldn't be made?
At that time, Baifeng was truly greatly relieved. Because without this ability, then his plan to become a Berry Magnate would just become a fleeting illusion.
Now he no longer had to worry.
Later, Baifeng also learned the reason why those two Scatterbugs always ran to his fruit garden by consulting information. It turns out that Berry trees with ample energy will attract Bug-type Pokémon like Caterpie, Wurmple, and Scatterbug, because eating the branches and leaves of these fruit trees can accelerate their evolution.
Only fruit trees with ample energy can produce high-quality fruits.
What he needed to do now was sell this batch of Berries and earn his first pot of gold. The quality of the Berries had reached C-grade and B-grade. Baifeng naturally couldn't just casually sell them at the market. The most suitable way to handle them was to sell them to Breeders. But Baifeng had no connections and couldn't reach high-level Breeders. And even if he could, they might not buy from him. High-level Breeders definitely have their own Berry purchasing channels. Furthermore, since it was the first time bearing fruit, the quantity of fruits produced by Baifeng's trees was not very large.
So he set his target on those Breeder students.
They had a bit of pocket money and hoped to get higher quality Berry ingredients, but their demand wasn't high.
This was just right for Baifeng. C-grade and B-grade Energy Cubes were already relatively rare on the market, especially B-grade ones.
Ordinary Breeders might not be able to obtain them even if they had money, so Baifeng was confident he could market his Berries.
Hearing Baifeng's answer, Dongyu furrowed his brow and said, "Baifeng, Breeders have quality requirements for purchasing Berries. Those you grew..." He knew that the seeds Baifeng used to plant the fruit trees were just picked up from the market.
Baifeng said confidently, "Brother Dongyu, don't worry. I've been learning planting techniques 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 Baifeng's words at all. Furthermore, Baifeng had indeed put in a lot of effort into those Berries over the past year and more, so he agreed with a smile:
"That's good. I'm not a student in Pokémon Studies, so I don't know any Breeders. But I can help you ask around when I go to school this afternoon."
"That's great, Brother Dongyu, thank you so much!" Baifeng said excitedly.
Dongyu shook his head and said, "It's nothing. I'm just glad I could help you."
As the oldest child in Azure Bird Orphanage, Dongyu always felt he had a responsibility to take care of the younger siblings in the orphanage. So his dream had always been to grow up quickly, get a job quickly, and then earn more money to lighten Dean Meli's burden.
So being able to help Baifeng made Dongyu feel very happy.
Not long after the two returned home, Yangtai and Caicaizi also came back together.
Yangtai ran into the yard like he was flying, saw Baifeng, and questioned him boisterously, "Brother Baifeng, why did you leave by yourself? Caicaizi and I even went specifically to your class to look for you, making us waste a trip!"
"Ah, sorry." Baifeng chuckled, "I was in a hurry to ask Brother Dongyu for help with something and didn't have time to wait for you."
Yangtai asked curiously, "What is it? Do you want me to help too?"
Baifeng shook his head, "No need for your help. It might not even work out yet. I'll tell you when it does."
"Alright."
After sending Yangtai away, Baifeng turned and went to the fruit garden.
The fruit garden now was completely different from when it first started.
The more than thirty fruit trees had all grown taller than Baifeng, with dense branches and lush leaves, growing wonderfully.
A bountiful harvest was in sight.
The types of fruit trees Baifeng had were very common. Nearly half were Oran Berries, and the other half were partly Cheri Berries and partly Pecha Berries. But common Berry types also meant they were among the Berries with the highest market demand. More people will plant them if market demand is high, and it is because many people plant them that they seem common.
However, one bad thing was, as the fruit trees grew slowly, this vacant lot could no longer satisfy their continued growth. The fruit trees were packed together, one touching the next, vying for living space with each other. If this continued, problems would arise sooner or later.
So Baifeng was now in great need of a plot of land.
As soon as Baifeng entered the fruit garden, he saw Bai Ye's figure among the trees.
Compared to a year ago, Bai Ye now looked very different. Her every move subtly revealed a hint of sharp aura, but if you looked closely again, it seemed that was just an illusion. It can only be said that Bai Ye's control over her own energy had reached a level of mastery. She had to be surrounded and attacked by a large group of birds every day; she couldn't help but become skilled.
Since that Diglett was fired by Baifeng, for the past year, it had always been Bai Ye helping Baifeng manage the fruit garden.
As for why that Diglett was fired? Of course, it was due to poverty! Diglett, because it fell in love with great health treatments (special care), its performance had been good later on, so Baifeng gave it a few more great health treatments. So one day it suddenly evolved, becoming a plump and robust Dugtrio, no longer having its former cute appearance. And this guy was incredibly gluttonous. After just one day, Baifeng already felt he couldn't afford to keep it.
One must know that Fletchinder and Fletchling had been hired for so long, Baifeng had never been responsible for their food, unlike Dugtrio.
So Baifeng fired it.
Dugtrio was still a bit reluctant to leave. It's just a shame Baifeng really couldn't afford to keep a glutton; he himself was just barely getting by!
After Dugtrio left, Bai Ye then took the initiative to offer to help Baifeng manage the fruit garden and would actively learn planting knowledge with Baifeng. To be honest, regarding Bai Ye's sudden transformation, Baifeng was initially terrified. Is this still my naive sweet mother? Could she have been possessed by some lonely ghost? Bai Ye suddenly becoming diligent in training had already made him feel strange before.
However, as soon as Baifeng brought up this doubt with Bai Ye, he got a beating.
You dare question your mother? Wasn't the beating enough, huh! The naive sweet mother suddenly became a short-tempered mother! But at the same time, Baifeng was also relieved. Mom was still the same Mom.
Seeing Baifeng return from school, Bai Ye quickly ran to his side. Baifeng saw that Bai Ye was carrying a basket in her hand and asked doubtfully, "What are you doing?" Bai Ye offered the basket in her hand towards Baifeng, explaining that some of the fruits were already ripe, so she planned to pick some to take back for the children to eat.
Currently, the Berries are not yet in their peak harvest season; if the earliest ripening fruits are not picked, they will just rot on the branches.
"Let me eat one first."
Baifeng then reached into the basket and took out a Pecha Berry, wiped it casually with his hand a couple of times, and started eating. Anyway, he didn't use pesticides here, it wouldn't kill anyone.
Crunch~ Baifeng took a bite, just felt the juice overflowing, the rich fruity aroma filled his mouth, the sweet taste stimulated his brain. "This... this is too delicious!" Baifeng couldn't help but exclaim. This taste was completely different from the taste of Berries he had eaten before.
My golden finger also has the ability to improve Berry flavor? Baifeng was startled. Bai Ye had eaten them before, so she knew the taste of the Pecha Berries, thus looked at Baifeng with a "How is it? Is it delicious?" expression, as if these fruits weren't grown by Baifeng, but by her.
The flavors of Berries are varied and strange; there are spicy, bitter, sour, astringent ones... Some Pokémon also have strange tastes; for example, most Fire-type Pokémon love spicy flavors. Humans might find them delicious, but Pokémon might not necessarily like them. The three types of fruits Baifeng grew are all to human taste, therefore, the flavors are mainly sweet and sour. After being improved by the golden finger, the combination of these two flavors became more reasonable.
What if they were spicy, bitter, or astringent Berries? How would their flavors change after being improved? Would Pokémon like them more?
Baifeng felt these were all areas he needed to research and experiment on in the future.
"Let's quickly take them back for everyone to taste!" Baifeng took the basket from Bai Ye's hand and ran home impatiently.
Indeed, the fruits were welcomed by everyone.
"So delicious!" Xiaoyou exclaimed while gnawing on a fruit, "Brother Baifeng, you're amazing, this is the best fruit I've ever eaten!"
He felt like he'd heard that somewhere before! Xiaoyou is truly a little flatterer!
Even Limo, who was only two years old, was eating with a look of enjoyment, puffing out her small mouth.
The texture of the Pecha Berry flesh was a bit like the peaches from Baifeng's previous life. After ripening, the flesh is very soft, so even though Limo was only two, she could easily eat it. Caicaizi cut the Pecha Berries into small pieces and fed them to Limo bite by bite.
While eating the delicious fruits, at this moment, Dongyu suddenly understood why Bai Ye was so confident that his Berries could be sold.
If he had money, just based on this taste, even if the quality was a bit lower, he would be willing to buy them. Furthermore, the quality wasn't necessarily poor.
Dongyu was very reliable in his actions. As soon as he returned to school in the afternoon, he started helping Baifeng ask around if any Breeders needed to buy Berries.
He had a good friend in the General Studies track. That good friend had a childhood friend, and that childhood friend's older sister was a Breeder who also attended Fourth Middle with them. That older sister recently planned to participate in the Three Crown Satellite Tournament which would be held in Biyi City. She needed to make Spirit Poffins for the competition, therefore needed to use Berries.
But good Berries were not easy to buy, so that older sister had been worrying about this matter.
So Dongyu asked his friend to introduce him to that older sister. Unexpectedly, that older sister actually agreed and quickly arranged a meeting time with Dongyu.
When Dongyu told Baifeng this good news, Baifeng was overjoyed.
End of Chapter