Her Celestial Farm on the Scrapyard Planet (by Kay Lucas) novel Chapter 17

Chapter 17 A Stroke of Luck

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The kingdom’s Fifth Star City, Ottes, was also known as the Garbage Terminus.

All waste from the Garbage Planets converged here. After processing, it was turned into new products and shipped across the stars.

Evan Whitman stood at the entrance of a bustling shopping complex, his eyes full of anxiety and unease.

His mother had sent him out to buy five kilograms of potatoes.

But he couldn’t resist the lure of games and poured most of the money into the virtual world.

Now, even counting his allowance, he only had 3.000 stellar coins left, nowhere near enough to buy five kilos of potatoes.

In an ordinary family like theirs, potatoes were one of the few natural foods they could afford regularly.

Every time his mother bought five kilos, the shop would throw in an extra two. Those seven kilos of potatoes, paired with cheap liquid supplements, made up the family’s main food supply for an entire month.

If his parents found out he had spent the money on games, he’d be in for a brutal double scolding.

Desperate, Evan asked for help in his gaming chat group.

No one offered money, but there was no shortage of terrible advice.

Some told him to come clean and accept the beating.

Others suggested lying and claiming he had been robbed on the way home.

Others suggested trying his luck at the Reclaimed Market, where you might stumble across an unexpected bargain.

So–called Reclaimed Market sold items pulled from trash heaps, lightly disinfected, and then put back on sale for a second life.

After hesitating for a long time, Evan decided to give the Reclaimed Market a shot.

To his astonishment, his luck was incredible. At an unremarkable stall, he found a pile of potatoes for sale.

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Chapter 17 A Stroke of Luck

The price was only 50 stellar coins per 100 grams.

He nearly jumped with excitement.

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At 50 stellar coins per 100 grams, his 3,000 stellar coins were enough to buy six kilograms of

potatoes.

He paid almost without hesitation and ran home clutching the life–saving bag of potatoes.

His mother, Grace Chandler, took the bag and glanced at the rough skins and uneven blemishes on the potatoes, muttering, “Whoever grew these must be a fresh graduate from the agriculture academy. Look at this terrible appearance.”

Evan’s heart tightened, and he didn’t dare respond.

At dinner, Grace mashed the potatoes.

When his father, Jared Whitman, came home from work and saw the table, he sighed. “Potatoes again? Can’t we have something else next time?”

Grace snapped back, “Something else? When you get a raise, I’ll switch.”

Just as the family of three was about to eat, Evans older brother, Aiden Whitman, suddenly returned from the military academy.

Jared asked with concern, “Is there a holiday today? Why are you back so suddenly?”

“There was a mech class this afternoon. The instructor detected abnormalities in my mental power and predicted a surge by tomorrow morning at the latest, so they sent me home to prepare,” Aiden said as he dropped into a chair, exhaustion written all over his face.

Hearing this, Jared immediately fetched a high–grade sedative. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay with you tonight. We’ll use it at the critical point. That works best.”

Grace also asked anxiously, “Have you eaten yet? If not, I’ll get you some.”

Aiden nodded.

Worried about Aiden’s condition, the family was unusually quiet during dinner.

But when the first spoonful of mashed potatoes reached their mouths, everyone froze.

This… was this really the bland mashed potatoes they used to eat?

Evan nodded vigorously. “Mom, if mashed potatoes tasted like this every day, I could eat them forever!”

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Chapter 17 A Stroke of Luck

To his surprise, Grace looked just as shocked.

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She took several more bites, as if confirming the flavor was real. “I didn’t learn any new method. I just steamed them and added a bit of salt, same as always.”

“Then it must be a new variety from the agricultural institute,” Jared guessed.

“That makes sense,” Grace said after some thought. “They looked different from the ones we usually buy. I even thought the quality was poor I never expected them to taste this good.”

Evan felt secretly pleased. He had never imagined that the bargain potatoes would taste so much better than the ones from the mall.

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