Chapter 49 The Pause, Upgrade, and Illness
The busy and fulfilling days flew by, and the farm's reputation and construction value steadily climbed like vines sprouting in spring, finally touching the threshold for system upgrades once again.
With a series of open day events and a surge in online orders, Shi Wan was like a wound-up top, almost never stopping.
Although she was exhausted, seeing the farm thriving filled her with energy.
That morning, Shi Wan had just turned on her computer to prepare for work when a familiar notification sound suddenly rang out.
"Ding~ The farm's overall index has been detected to be up to standard, and energy reserves are sufficient. The system will be upgraded to version 1.3 soon!"
This upgrade will include: a 30% increase in farm area, unlocking of the ecological pond feature, and one opportunity to optimize the layout.
The system store has been updated: the expanded greenhouse area module and the small automated irrigation system have been unlocked.
The upgrade is expected to take 12 hours, during which time functionality will be limited. Please plan accordingly.
"Great! Finally, I'm going to upgrade again!" Shi Wan rubbed her throbbing temples and clicked to confirm the upgrade, unable to hide her excitement.
She had been eagerly anticipating version 1.3, especially the ecological pond!
The farm was in a wonderful state of flux throughout the day.
The view at the boundary seemed slightly distorted, as if an invisible hand was gently pushing the fence to bring more land into the farm's embrace.
You can faintly hear the subtle sounds of soil turning and water flowing together, but you can't see the specific construction process, which is full of a wonderful sense of mystery.
The cats showed great curiosity about the commotion.
Huanhuan stood guard at the entrance of the office building, her ears twitching alertly, ready to respond to any unusual activity.
Tangyuan jumped to the highest point, overlooking the boundary of change, her mandarin duck eyes wide open, full of scrutiny and thought.
Bingbing tried to explore the expansion area, but was blocked by a gentle force, his chubby face filled with confusion.
Mianmian remained calm, only raising her eyelids slightly when the noise was a little loud, before continuing to elegantly groom herself.
Twelve hours later, the upgrade was finally complete!
Shi Wan rushed out of the house, and the sight before her made her cover her mouth in surprise.
The farm has indeed grown bigger!
The newly expanded land is flat and fertile.
The most eye-catching feature is the shimmering ecological pond located in the southeast corner of the farm!
The southeast corner has always been relatively open compared to other directions.
When Wang Zhizhi came last time, she asked her curiously why the place was empty. Shi Wan scratched her head and said she didn't know, but she just felt that there should be a fishpond here.
Now it really exists.
The pond is not large, but its shape is naturally beautiful. The banks are paved with smooth pebbles and dotted with a few clumps of reeds.
The pond water is clear, and you can vaguely see the swaying aquatic plants. A small number of small fish and shrimp fry have been introduced automatically.
There is also a gentle slope in one corner of the pond, which makes it easier for the ducks to get on the shore and into the water.
"That's fantastic!" Shi Wan could almost picture the call ducks swimming and preening their feathers inside.
She suppressed the slight discomfort in her throat and enthusiastically brought up the farm layout optimization interface provided by the system.
Like playing a large-scale simulation management game, she began to make careful plans.
First, the fresh food kitchen and planting area will be moved to a more central location, allowing for more greenery to be planted between different areas.
An enlarged greenhouse has been planned in the new expansion area, with space reserved for a small-scale automated irrigation system.
Wooden road signs shaped like cat heads were placed along the roadside, with round characters indicating where the road led.
Finally, the ecological pond was made the visual focal point, surrounded by a rest area and a platform for cats to sunbathe...
She strives to maximize the farm's cuteness and healing qualities while ensuring efficiency.
After clicking "Confirm Optimization", the familiar light swept across the farm again, and everything was instantly arranged neatly according to the new layout.
"This is absolutely perfect!" Shi Wan looked at the transformed farm, and the sense of accomplishment dispelled the heaviness in her body.
Over the next few days, she used her points to unlock and install an expanded greenhouse and a small automated irrigation system.
Watching the fine mist spray automatically, she felt an unprecedented sense of ease.
Automation saved her a lot of time on basic tasks.
The increased efficiency brought her more free time, allowing her to sit down and organize the farm's development.
She looked through old photos, overwhelmed with emotion.
As the farm upgrades, its productivity continues to increase. Shi Wan unlocks several machine production lines and places them in the factory, inputting fixed recipes to produce related food products.
We will ensure that our inventory and shipments can keep up with the surge in orders, so that everyone won't have to wait too long.
However, she is also constantly adjusting the next development plan according to the progress.
That means using greenhouses to grow new fruits and vegetables to develop functional snacks, while maintaining the quality of offline events with reservations, and no longer blindly expanding.
The farm's current size is vaguely reaching a limit, the limit of what she can control. Shi Wan feels that if it expands further, she will definitely encounter some problems in the process of running it.
Noting this down, Shi Wan prepared to search online for other large, benchmark farms or eco-parks that accept visit requests, as she wanted to learn from their experience.
Just then, the local lifestyle channel requested a special interview.
After discussing it with Isabella, Shi Wan cautiously accepted.
The interview team arrived on a sunny morning.
Shi Wan roused herself and led the reporters on a tour of the farm.
The camera captured the lush green cat grass fields, the vibrant ecological ponds, the adorable Call ducks, the cleanliness of the fresh food kitchen, and the cute moments of the cat staff.
Shi Wan sincerely shared her initial motivation for starting her business, while Isabella explained the advantages of the farm model from a professional perspective.
The show was a huge hit after it aired!
The farm's phone lines and social media platforms were instantly overwhelmed!
The fairytale countryside, its healing power, and the calls to visit and take photos are endless.
Faced with the overwhelming demand for tourism, Shi Wan, after careful consideration, decided to open weekend reservations for limited visits.
It is open only once a week in the afternoon, with a limit of 15 people per session, and strict rules for visiting are in place.
Even with the restrictions in place, all the reservation slots were snapped up immediately.
On the first day of booked visits, the farm welcomed a new wave of visitors.
With a polite smile on her face, Shi Wan guided the tourists and introduced everything about the farm.
She felt the dryness and pain in her throat worsen, and her head was spinning, but seeing the satisfied smiles of the tourists, she gritted her teeth and persevered.
"It feels so good here, even the air is sweet!"
"Seeing these little animals being taken such good care of makes me feel better."
The tourists left satisfied, and most of them bought products from the farm.
They bought not only pet food, but also some vegetables and other agricultural products. Even though Shi Wanding's prices were a bit higher than those in the market, they still happily bought quite a lot.
Shi Wan knew that she had chosen the right path.
However, the moment she saw off the last guest and closed the farm gate, Shi Wan's taut string seemed to snap suddenly.
A wave of intense dizziness washed over her, and she had to grab the door frame to steady herself.
My throat felt like it was on fire, and all the bones in my body ached as if they had been disassembled and reassembled. A chill crept up from the bottom of my heart.
The accumulated fatigue and latent ailments from days of intense work, mental strain, and sudden temperature changes during the seasonal transition all erupted at this moment.
She dragged her leaden legs and staggered back to the nearest office building.
Shivering from the cold, she curled up on the sofa and pulled a thin blanket over herself.
"Just... lie down for a little while... just for a moment..." she murmured to herself, her voice hoarse and her eyelids heavy as if filled with lead.
She was thinking about how she hadn't fed the cat yet, hadn't checked if the automated system was working properly, and so on...
Consciousness quickly blurred.
Before she was completely plunged into darkness, she seemed to feel Huanhuan anxiously nuzzling her forehead, hear Tangyuan's worried cries, and hear Bingbing's uneasy footsteps...
...
After an unknown amount of time, Shi Wan half-awake in an extremely uncomfortable state.
My throat was sore, I felt burning hot all over yet shivering with cold, and my head was throbbing.
She barely opened her eyes and found herself lying on her bed in the bedroom, covered with a thick quilt.
The sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten; it was already the next morning.
How did she get back to bed?
My memories are a jumbled mess.
"Cough cough..." She tried to speak in a hoarse voice, trying to sit up, but after a dizzying sensation, she softly fell back down.
Just then, the bedroom door was gently pushed open a crack, and Huanhuan nimbly slipped in, jumped onto the bed, pressed her cheek against her burning forehead, and made anxious, continuous gurgling sounds in her throat.
"Wan, you smell strange. You're sick."
Huanhuan's voice was serious, tinged with worry.
Almost simultaneously, the system interface popped up automatically, and the customer service page displayed text.
"Miao: Abnormal vital signs detected in the agent, body temperature 38.9℃, heart rate slightly rapid, accompanied by signs of weakness. Diagnosed as acute upper respiratory tract infection and overwork."
Miao: I suggest you rest in bed immediately and drink plenty of water.
I have contacted the community clinic doctor and expect to come to my home for treatment within an hour.
The farm's daily operations have been put into a managed mode, with cat feeding and basic inspections being handled by automated modules.
Please rest assured and take care of yourself; your health is the most important thing.
Shi Wan was stunned, a complex and indescribable emotion welling up in her heart.
Miao has been monitoring her status.
A sudden, violent cough made her curl up.
Huanhuan rubbed against her even more anxiously.
The text on the interface has changed, and the tone seems to have softened a bit.
"Miao: Please try to keep your breathing steady until the doctor arrives. The room temperature has been adjusted to a comfortable level. Warm water is available on the bedside table if you need any.
She turned her head and, sure enough, saw a glass of warm water right beside her.
I took a few difficult sips, and my dry, sore throat felt a little better.
Lying back down, staring at the ceiling, Shi Wan felt a mix of emotions.
She collapsed while the farm was bustling with activity.
Strangely, aside from the physical discomfort, she didn't feel much panic.
The farm is managed by a system, the cats are there to protect it, and Miao has even arranged for a veterinarian...
This feeling of being silently protected and properly taken care of dispelled the helplessness of being alone while sick.
“Miao…” she said weakly, her voice hoarse as she looked at the customer service page, “Thank you…”
The faint light from the system page gradually blurred in her drowsy eyes, as if transforming into a silent and reassuring companion.
The farm outside the window is awakening in the morning light.
The automated irrigation system starts on time, and the fine water mist refracts into a small rainbow in the sunlight.
The duck house door opened automatically, and the Call ducks waddled toward the pond.
Everything was in perfect order.
But the figure who was always busy and bustling about was now lying weakly in bed, waiting for the doctor to arrive with her loyal feline companion.
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