There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Or should I just give the middle finger to the sky? That way, when people dig me out of the ground later, everyone will be amused by my humor, right?

Chapter 537 In short, I was wrong

As I sat obediently in the tavern, facing three menacing young women, my expression a mixture of worry and bewilderment, yet I had to feign a confession, I couldn't understand why they all seemed to have such an irreconcilable hatred for me.

The original Legend of Sword and Fairy Inn was just a joke! There's no reason to jump straight to the Shura ending!

The atmosphere was extremely tense. I turned to my left and saw Kallen standing with her hands on her hips, looking down at me. Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail, and her features were particularly striking. She seemed to be about to judge me with her eyes like a death knight.

Oh no... communication failed, next!

To my right, Poppy sat in the chair next to me, her cheeks puffed out as she glared at me. Although she didn't say a word, her crimson eyes shimmered as if she could burst into tears at the slightest provocation.

Hmm... I can't afford to mess with them...

I could only look towards the door, hoping that Lin, the kindest of friends, would help me. But Lin, who is usually good-natured, was absentmindedly guarding the door with a broom in hand. Her expression was indeed quite calm, but whenever our eyes met, she would let out a short, cute hum from her nose and then turn her head away, ignoring me.

During this time, Mr. Dart occasionally came out of the kitchen, but when faced with my pleas for help, he would only show a helpless expression and then go back to the kitchen to wash and clean.

As for why he felt guilty...

It's obvious that this doting father leaked my information! Boss Dart, I've always respected you so much! I've misjudged you. After drinking this bowl of wine, I, Qiao Feng, will sever all ties with you!

Only Qiao Feng could say such a thing. If it were Duan Zhengchun, who was escorting the female Arhat, he would still have to put on a smiling face and barely escape with his life. When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. At this point, saying more is useless; apologizing first is the best course of action!

I coughed lightly to get everyone's attention, and then said in the most sincere tone, "I was wrong..."

Before I could finish speaking, Karen put one leg on the edge of my chair, leaned in aggressively, and demanded, "Wrong? How do you know you're wrong?!"

I leaned back to avoid the long hair that swung at me, but a strand still pricked my face. I could only say, "I know deep down that I was wrong. I made a terrible mistake..."

Seeing my obedient demeanor, Karen probably realized she had been too close, so she pulled back and snorted softly, saying with dissatisfaction, "Anything else?"

“I…I know from the depths of my soul that this mistake of mine is unforgivable…”

However, Karen wasn't about to let me off the hook and continued, "Then tell me, what did you see wrong?"

Ugh, what's with this feeling?! I was only missing for two or three months, but it's like I've been caught cheating!

I honestly said, "My mistake is... my mistake is... I still don't know what I did wrong..."

Upon hearing this, Poppy, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but laugh, instantly breaking the tense atmosphere that had been maintained for so long.

Karen gave her a disapproving look, then turned to ask Lynn to teach me a lesson, only to find Lynn covering her mouth and chuckling. She then said reluctantly, "Marcus, don't you have anything to say about going on a trip without permission at a time like this?"

travel?!

I glanced at the kitchen and saw that Mr. Dart had come out again at some point, wiping the table and cups with a rag, and secretly giving me a encouraging look.

Boss! I knew you were my sworn brother, Qiao Feng!

In the instant I turned my head, I quickly wiped the look of relief off my face and put on a helpless expression: "I'm sorry, Karen. It was my fault for leaving without saying goodbye... Actually, the raven tribe was in crisis at the time, and I rushed to solve the problem overnight, which is why I forgot to inform you."

When the mysterious little girl Jay was mentioned, Karen's expression finally softened slightly, and she couldn't help but ask with concern, "What happened? Is she alright now?"

...What could possibly happen? It's just tribal wars, ecological extinction, and the resurgence of evil gods. It's nothing serious.

"The situation is rather complicated. There was some unrest in the tribe, with an armed conflict that broke out at roughly the village level. However, thanks to my efforts, their crisis has been resolved." I still understood that at this point, it was best to downplay the situation.

Before leaving, I had already instructed the bald man to take charge of the post-disaster reconstruction. Harris's fleet was also in the air to take care of things, so I didn't believe anyone would dare to mess with them.

Now that the thirteen allied tribes have been decimated and those who caused trouble have been crippled, the problem is naturally solved. Even if they were encouraged to fight now, the other tribes probably wouldn't have the strength.

This kind of peace plan is called "making the world feel pain"!

But Karen wasn't satisfied with my answer: "Then why don't you bring her over?!"

"Huh?" I suddenly couldn't keep up with her train of thought.

Karen crossed her arms and said matter-of-factly, "The tribe sounds very dangerous. Now that the crisis is over, why did you come back alone? Why didn't you pick her up on the way back?!"

“My dear young lady… her current status is rather special, taking her in rashly would cause trouble, let’s do it next time… next time for sure…”

Karen's expression softened slightly as she sat down, gulped down half a glass of water, and then declared with great enthusiasm, "Next time I want to see the jays too! You have to take me with you!"

Where did you come from, Haruhi Suzumiya?! Why are you always acting on a whim?!

"Huh?" I looked at her in surprise. How did the topic suddenly veer off course? I already said it was a war, why is it sounding like a luxury overseas trip?

Upon hearing this topic, Poppy and Lynn forgot their initial hostility and immediately leaned in to announce, "Me too!" "I want to play too!"

At this point, I instantly understood, and covered my face helplessly: "So, after all this time, you're complaining that I didn't take you out to play!"

Karen, Poppy, and Lynn looked at me with knowing eyes. "What else did you think? You kept such an interesting thing from us?"

I broke down, clutching my hair: "I thought you were blaming me for leaving without saying goodbye when the town was in trouble! And I felt guilty for so long!"

Karen said dismissively, "The town is fine. Although you left suddenly, Boss Dart took over and set up the canteen. We come to help every day. With the food support from your ranch and the supplies that Zack found, the food crisis will soon be over."

"Is the insect infestation serious?" I asked.

Lin shook her head listlessly: "It doesn't really have any impact. After the insect plague spread from Twin Town, the insect expert Cliff, who came last time, also came. He's been staying at the upstairs inn and patrols the mountains every day. So far, apart from not being able to go up the mountain, it doesn't affect us much."

Cliff?

Isn't this the same naive kid who was tricked by Boss Dick's empty promise last time?

"That's great! Boss Dart's accommodation business is finally about to achieve a breakthrough!"

I sent my congratulations to the gloomy-faced owner, only to receive a barrage of calculations followed by a somber reply: "We need another guest for this inn to turn a profit..."

Don't look at me! I have a home to live in! Ever heard of a circus? I've brought back animals and we can open for business soon! As a professional rancher, I'm going to run this ranch well from now on!

Ah, I feel like I've said this so many times, but why haven't I ever done it?

I put in so much effort practicing dance even when I had a fever of 60 degrees Celsius, it's really baffling.

Mr. Dart didn't insist and quietly went back to the kitchen to get busy, leaving only three girls in the room chattering about their travel plans.

"Marcus, how about taking us to the southern islands?" The tropical scenery of blue seas, blue skies, coconut palms, and sandy beaches flashed on the TV screen, instantly attracting their attention.

Sorry, the only current routes are the Riegomi Desert Extreme Survival Tour and the Lake Blue Hermit Crab Plain Tribal Culture Tour. The tour group has neither a license nor insurance, and even the return tickets are subject to luck. If you choose to participate, you will bear the consequences yourself. Once the tour departs, the outcome is uncertain.

"You decide."

I went through the motions absentmindedly, yet I felt a kind of everyday happiness.

The afternoon breeze blew slowly in from outside the tavern, and the sound of cicadas pierced my eardrums with the summer wind. My thoughts drifted more and more, back and forth between the Edge World and Mineral Town. Many things were vivid in my mind, yet felt like a distant memory.

Fortunately, this is not a dream, and I can still enjoy the leisure of summer, listen to the familiar noise, and be accompanied by the town and friends I have been thinking about day and night.

Yes, it's good to be back.

Chapter 538 Cliff, the Insect-Catching Master

"Marcus, here's your food."

At dinner time, Mr. Dart brought me a bowl of golden rice, looked at me with pity, and then placed the food in front of me.

It was a piece of carefully marinated and cooked pork, kept fresh and fragrant, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried in hot oil until crispy. To enhance the flavor, the owner of Dart even increased the heat a little, giving the outside a slightly golden-brown color.

Mr. Dart took out a knife, wiped it slightly with a white cloth, and skillfully cut the fried pork chop in the bowl.

With a crisp snap, the cut instantly revealed the translucent pork chop inside. The glistening juices flowed along the cut into the rice, adding more fragrance to the snow-white, plump rice, and also seeped into the lettuce and salad dressing.

The aroma instantly filled the room, drawing everyone's attention and making them look towards the bar.

Boss Dart's expression remained unchanged. After making two more horizontal and vertical cuts, he wiped the knife with a white cloth again, like a magician who had finished his performance, and quietly retreated back into the kitchen.

This bowl of pork chop rice seemed to have a mysterious "taste of home" quality, instantly making the girls, whose mealtime was approaching, shift their thoughts from their travel plans to going home. Finally, they ended their interrogation of me and left one by one, leaving only Lin, whose home was right here. She excitedly ran into the kitchen and asked her father for her share of pork chop rice.

I took a bite with a blank expression, without crying, but two lines of clear tears involuntarily flowed down my cheeks.

After owing almost each of them a promise of a round-the-world trip, I finally got through the most difficult time and was freed from the girls' chattering discussions.

Mr. Dart's methods are truly brilliant; he saved my life with a bowl of rice. But your daughter is planning to go on a trip with a strange man. As her father, aren't you going to stop her? That's not appropriate, Father-in-law.

The pork chop is crispy and delicious. It's crunchy at first bite and melts in your mouth as you savor it. It perfectly blends the flavors of the ingredients and seasonings. Just a drizzle of soy sauce enhances the layers of flavor, making you feel like rice is also a side dish. You truly cherish every bite of this delicious food experience.

In this moment, I suddenly composed a wonderful haiku.

Pork Chop Rice

Rice is also a dish.

One bowl isn't enough, have another bowl!

Hirasawa was overjoyed.

Upon closer tasting, the pork seems to possess an irresistible hint of grape acidity, combined with the sweetness of alcohol—this combination is simply... simply...

Huh? Wine? Why would there be such a thing?

As I recalled Mr. Dart's actions, I suddenly realized that he seemed to have wiped the knife with a very suspicious white cloth before cutting it open.

This cloth, it seems, can be used by Mr. Dart for different occasions, such as wiping tables, wiping cups, washing dishes, and swatting flies, depending on the actual situation, and it always remains clean and brand new.

Compared to the cow that Master Chef still hasn't finished eating in his braised beef noodles, is Boss Dart's white cloth also a supernatural existence?

I once went deep into the kitchen to check, and there was only this one rag here. This inexplicable self-cleaning ability... As the captain of the Omega-7 mobile task force of the *******, shouldn't I contain both the cow and the rag?

...But if we collect the white rags, will Mr. Dart use them to wash kitchen utensils and wipe cups?

Just as I was caught in a dilemma, a person came to the tavern as the sun set.

A young man with brown hair dragged himself in, his eyes blank. His clothes were covered in leaves and dust, and although his hair was tied up, it was clear that he hadn't washed it in a long time.

All of the above is nothing compared to the most shocking thing: that pale face. It's hard not to think of a corporate slave who has just completed his "blessing cultivation" and is afraid of being eliminated because his skills as a "leek" (a metaphor for being exploited) can't keep up with the newcomers' abilities, so he has just finished his grueling 24/7 job.

His energy and spirit seem to be the kind of energy one would expect after working a 48-hour shift, drinking two cases of Red Bull, two cases of Monster Energy, a case of Gatorade, and a whole pot of black coffee, and then being dragged out for social events until the wee hours of the morning.

Compared to the energetic young people who first arrived on the island, I have to say...

Who is this guy?!

Cliff, have you been possessed by some weird corporate slave?!

"Cliff, here's your food."

Hearing footsteps, Boss Dart came out of the kitchen again, but ignored the person in front of him who was very deserving of criticism. He simply greeted him with a bowl of pork chop rice and then stood silently to the side.

...Say something! Give me your feedback! Quickly point out what's wrong with this person in front of you! You just got back and you expect me to complain about everything? Are you trying to kill me with work?!

I was internally screaming, but before I could even utter a word, I watched as Cliff, eyes vacant, swung his spoon, muttering, "Where...where is it...?", and then devoured my portion, bite by bite...