MASS POTATO
After shamefully borrowing 2 coppers from Sarah, Gus then proceeded with his experiment.
He bought a potato from the system, cut it in half, then he potted the 2 potato halves in 2 mounds of dirt. He mixed the soil with rotten leaves and animal droppings and stored it in his spatial inventory. A prompt came out if he wanted to accelerate plant growth. After Gus selected yes, another pop up appeared with a slider bar. It seems he can adjust the time by sliding it forward.
He went with his basic knowledge of potatoes and chose 100 days. The perfect time you harvest potatoes is if the plant itself has wilted. It is a sign that the potatoes are ready to be harvested. As he took a peek at his potatoes, he succeeded and yielded 20 potatoes from the 2 potato halves.
The whole process cost him 50 MP! Currently, he has 250 MP, which means he can do this 5 more times until his MP comes back.
With the success of his experiment, he finally solved an issue he was most concerned about. He was worried about the kids' safety. With this plan, the kids won't have to risk their lives anymore, picking berries in the dangerous forest. Gus wanted to teach them how to take care of the potato farm. It's not as labor-intensive as it only needs to be watered twice a week. The potatoes are also weather resilient, so he thought the kids could handle it. The only question now is that does the potato exists in the world of Circa. Potatoes were lately introduced at the end of the medieval period back on Earth, but it could be a different story in this world. It may also be possible, that nobody knows what a potato is. Gus hoped it would not matter. The fact is, potato exists right here and now. Along with that, he also wants to teach them various ways of cooking potatoes.
Gus took five of the potatoes in his storage and cooked these dishes in the kitchen. He cooked Mashed potatoes, Boiled Potato with butter, Oven-baked Potato with butter, French Fries and Potato chips. This time he fried the latter two, with lard which he processed from the wild boar.
He neatly cleaned up his mess in the kitchen and placed the cooked dishes in his spatial inventory.
Gus made his way back to the Orphanage because he wanted to discuss this with Sarah.
"There you are, Mister Gus! Ms. Sarah wanted to tell you that her friend would be arriving the day after tomorrow!" The Silver-haired Gretel told Gus.
"Thank you, Gretel! Can you show me where she is?" asked Gus.
"Sure! Follow me!"
Gretel opened the door to the receiving area and saw Ms. Sarah at her desk.
"Do you need something, Mr. Gus?" asked Sarah.
"Yes, But before we start, Is it okay if I talk to the children as well?" asked Gus.
"It's fine. Gretel, please Gather your siblings." said Sarah.
Gretel gave a big nod and dashed out the doors. She screamed their names one by one throughout the orphanage. Her shout was as loud as the church bells itself! Sarah just sighed and bowed her head with shame. Not a moment sooner, everybody showed up inside the room and formed a line, side by side.
"Everyone, I have cooked something for all of you to try!"
Gus took out the potato dishes one by one along with a fork. The dishes were still hot, and its' smell is still strong as if these were just freshly cooked.
"Wow!!! What is that? It smells really good!"
"It smells sooo nice."
"Is it a fruit?"
Their comments made Gus smile. "Everyone, this is a vegetable called Potato. I just happened to find these in the nearby forest. Please try it."
The children's faces were shining once again. They ate a bit of everything. Sarah also helped herself and tried all the dishes. Their eyes sparkled and made happy noises while eating. Little Sage squealed and couldn't help but let the potatoes stay longer in her mouth. Obviously, the kids enjoyed the french fries and potato chips the most.
"It's delicious Mr. Gus!" said Gretel. All the kids gave a thumbs up in approval of the dish they ate.
Even Sarah couldn't help but again be amazed at how good Gus can cook.
"We look for berries every day in the nearby forest Mr. Gus, But this is the first time I see this kind of vegetable." Said Griffin.
"This kind of vegetables grow beneath the soil. Maybe that is why you can't find them." answered Gus.
That question was a cliffhanger for Gus. It was only fortunate that his response was true. They cannot know about Gus' Barter skills, as he does not want to involve them in something they shouldn't.
"Everyone, I have an answer to our food problems! As you can see, these dishes came from this vegetable right here!" Gus pulled out a piece of potato from his spatial inventory. Everyone passed the potato to each other and inspected this vegetable as if it was a present from the Gods.
"If we cultivate these nearby, we would never go hungry and we can also sell these! But I can't do it alone. So, will you help me make a garden for these potatoes?"
Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard that they can eat this vegetable every day and earn at the same time. With no hesitation, the kids raised their hands up and volunteered to help Gus make a potato garden.
" I'll get the hoe."
"I'll get the shovel."
"I'll get a bucket, and my book!"
It was delightful to see the kids brighten up. As they all dashed out of the room to retrieve their garden tools.
"Miss Sarah, Do you want me to teach you how to cook potatoes? Asked Gus.
"If it's fine with you Mr. Gus, then I would love to! And Mr. Gus? You can just call me Sarah."
"Then if you don't mind, I would also like it if you call me Gus." Then he took out a small container and placed it in front of Sarah.
"Please use this. It would greatly help you cook!" said Gus.
"This is salt?! I can't accept something so expensive." said Sarah.
"I have already accepted your payment of 2 coppers. It is already yours the moment i received your money." answered Gus.
Gus finally earned Sarah's trust. It was refreshing for her to see the kids motivated and inspired to do something for themselves. There was a moment where Sarah thought that she might have failed the children. But Gus changed all that. It was all thanks to this Strange being that can cook.