A Stardew Valley farmer came to Gensokyo.

"Try your best!"

—Author's Note—

P.S.: Thank you so much to the senior student who led the charge with the donations!!

And then, I'm begging for all kinds of votes!!!

And then, I hope I can get a recommendation for advancement tomorrow, oh my god!!!

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Cultivating New Crops

Because it was a bit awkward.

Xia Xun didn't stay at the Ni Tun Tei for long; he told Okunoda Miyo about it and then ran away.

Before Okunoda Miyo could stop him, his figure had already disappeared behind the curtain. She paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.

Clutching his food box, Xia Xun plunged into the early morning streets, his feet barely touching the ground as he hurried home along the cobblestone path.

Pushing open the door, Xia Xun put the box back in the corner of the room, quickly washed up, and then took out the sandwich breakfast that Okunoda Miyo had made for him.

Use leftover fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and fried eggs from last night to sandwich toasted bread slices, the edges slightly browned, exuding a warm and rustic wheat aroma.

Xia Xun took a big bite.

The warm food quickly filled the empty stomach, and a warm feeling spread from the abdomen to the limbs, rapidly restoring the body from a state of low energy.

Sitting on the threshold, he ate his meal bite by bite, finally licking the bread crumbs and mayonnaise off his fingertips.

After finishing her meal, Xia Xun let out a satisfied sigh and looked at the amount of money on the system panel: 146g → 646g.

The 500 mon was the money that Okunoda Miyo paid to Natsumi for the groceries she bought last night.

Xia Xun originally wanted to return half of the food, since the quality of those dishes was high, but not so much more expensive than the market price.

But Miyo Okunoda insisted, repeatedly saying things like, "This quality is worth the price," and "Last night was all thanks to you, Natsumi."

Her eyes, whether from the perspective of a scholar or a teacher, were captivating and enchanting.

Seeing this, Xia Xun stopped insisting, figuring he could make up for it in future transactions.

Last night's commotion wasn't entirely without its benefits.

Ni Tun Ting has officially become one of the regular buyers of Xia Xun agricultural products.

Miyo Okunoda, the mascot of the shop, praised the quality of Natsumi's agricultural products.

8:20 AM.

Xia Xun appeared at the entrance of his Zhongzhan Nanqiao Dourong R field.

The morning sunlight slanted across the ridges of the fields, dew still clung to the tips of leaves and the stems of grass, and the air was filled with the damp scent of earth.

He stood by the field and glanced at the seeds he had just bought yesterday.

One hundred and twenty portions, which requires exactly one hundred and twenty square meters of land.

Just enough to keep him busy all morning.

Xia Xun rolled up his sleeves, brimming with energy. He knew today would be a very busy day.

Along the edge of the already cleared land, he took out a hoe and began to swing it continuously.

The hoe cut into the soil, turning up the damp, brown earth with a dull, even sound. One clod, two clods, three clods—Xia Xun pushed forward rhythmically, clod after clod, leaving behind rows of neat, soft paddy fields.

The sun gradually rises higher overhead, and the shadows go from long to short, then from short to slant to the other side.

Sweat dripped down his forehead and into the soil. His breathing gradually became heavy, but his arm movements never slowed down, repeating the motion of swinging the hoe.

An hour later, Xia Xun stopped what she was doing, put the hoe on the ground, and straightened her aching back.

He successfully completed the reclamation of all the new fields.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Xia Xun leaned on the hoe, hands on his hips, his gaze sweeping over the newly reclaimed land before him. The original farmland, plus the newly cultivated land, covered a total of 310 square meters, with neat rows of ridges stretching out, gleaming with an oily brown luster under the sunlight.

A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Although this is only one-thirtieth of the entire fifteen acres of land, he believes that it won't be long before this land that belongs to him becomes lush and green, full of crops that he has planted himself.

As she pondered, Xia Xun's smile faded.

He raised his hand and scratched his head, realizing a very real problem.

He needs to find a way to upgrade his tools.

The hoe and watering can I currently use are still the most basic models, which have limited efficiency.

He could manage 310 square meters with his own strength, but if he were to cultivate 15 mu of land in the future, he would probably have to do nothing but eat, sleep, and wander around in the fields all day long, relying solely on his two arms and two legs.

"Ah~ ah, there's really nothing left to do but rebuild," Xia Xun couldn't help but sigh, her tone filled with helplessness and anticipation.

He then squatted down, took out the seed bag, and began sowing the seeds.

First, replant the sixteen square meters of land that had matured prematurely due to the arrival of the elves.

He squatted by the ridge, picking up plump strawberry seeds with his fingertips and carefully pressing them into the soil. Then they would automatically be covered with a thin layer of soil and gently compacted.

Then, along the newly reclaimed land, all the remaining strawberry seeds were sown.

He tries to plant the same species in one area, which makes subsequent management easier.

Next came cucumbers, peanuts, and lettuce, which Xia Xun planted in sequence, arranging each row neatly.

When he was sowing cucumbers, he was surprised to find that the moment the seeds entered the soil, a slender vine automatically emerged from the soil and quickly climbed up the virtual support, weaving a row of staggered climbing trellises in the air.

He paused for a moment, then smiled, which saved him the trouble of setting up the scaffolding later.

After completing a series of tasks, it was already past 1 p.m.

Gurgle—

A clear rumble came from his stomach, and Xia Xun, caught up in his busy schedule, belatedly realized that he seemed to have forgotten to prepare lunch.

But when he looked up at the seeds he had just planted, he was stumped again.

Apart from the eighteen plots of land that were watered yesterday, all the remaining land needs to be watered.

Then he had to make scarecrows. He had noticed birds circling in the sky, those creatures occasionally swooping down to the ground to kill the seeds in the soil.

Xia Xun even suspected that the moment she left, they would come down to eat at the buffet.

That would be a huge loss.

"Ugh, I'm so busy, I don't have time to buy food at all!"

Xia Xun shouted in frustration, his voice echoing across the empty fields.

He squatted on the ground, hugging his knees, wishing a beautiful girl would come and feed him a hot meal right now.

That means he'd be willing to marry her and live happily ever after.

next moment.

A gust of wind swept across the field without warning.

Aya Shameimaru appeared before him, the hem of her white shirt still fluttering slightly, holding a neat stack of newspapers in her hands.

With a broad smile, she pulled a portion from her bosom and shoved it into Xia Xun's hand without a word.

"This is today's Wenwen Daily News. Thank you for watching!"

Her tone was light and cheerful, like the tinkling of wind chimes. After speaking, she turned around and prepared to head to the next delivery location.

But a hand gripped her sleeve tightly.

Shameimaru Aya was pulled so hard she stumbled, and when she turned around she saw Xia Xun's bright, frightening eyes and his face full of undisguised excitement.

"A delivery lady who proactively came to my door!"

He gripped her sleeve tightly and shouted in a strong voice:

"I'd like to order!"

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Should We Have New News?

"Men and women shouldn't touch each other, Xia Xun."

Aya Shameimaru tried to pull Natsumi away, her face full of reluctance.

I believe that as a qualified journalist, I should deliver the latest news to every guest immediately.

It's important to know that the timeliness of news is crucial.

Xia Xun felt his fingers being pried open by Aya Shameimaru. Even though the youkai girl didn't want to hurt him, she controlled her power.

But Xia Xun, who was still an ordinary person at the time, was not able to resist that brute force.

No, we absolutely cannot let Aya Shameimaru escape.

With his incredible speed, he is definitely the best courier in Gensokyo.

"Wait, I have some big news!" Xia Xun shouted.

This immediately changed Aya Shameimaru's expression, who had been trying to run away, and his eyes lit up.

"Breaking news! What breaking news?" Shameimaru Aya excitedly approached Xia Xun, her face full of excitement: "Please let me interview her right away!"

"Want to know?" Xia Xun asked back, releasing his grip on the other person's hand.

Now, he has the initiative.

"Mmm!" Aya Shameimaru nodded quickly.

Xia Xun smiled smugly upon seeing this, thinking, "Just a paparazzi article, I've got it figured out."

With a thought, fifty coins appeared in his palm.

Xia Xun grabbed Shameimaru Aya's hand and placed the money in her palm: "Then go buy me lunch."

"I want something hot and easy to eat, and that tastes good too."

"As for the specific type, I'll go with whatever comes to mind."

Shameimaru Aya's smile vanished instantly as she looked at the money Natsumi had stuffed into her hand.

"Xia Xun, I'm a reporter, not a deliveryman."

"Do you want to know the latest news?" Xia Xun raised an eyebrow.

Upon hearing this, Aya Shameimaru's face instantly showed a conflicted expression. After a while, she asked unwillingly, "You have to tell me first what the big news is."

"A news story that might make your newspaper sell like hotcakes."

As Xia Xun spoke, he waved the newspaper that the other person had just handed him.

His eyelids twitched as he looked at the headline, which was exactly as expected.

The Best Friends Breakup: A Love Triangle Between the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, the Kirisame Mage, and an Outsider!!!

"Is this still news?!" Xia Xun couldn't help but question, "This is completely made up!"

"How is this not news?" Aya Shameimaru refused to accept any rebuttal: "Just tell me if it's big or not."

"And hurry up and tell me that big news you're talking about that will make my newspaper sell like hotcakes? I still have a lot of news to deliver today!"

"At dusk, the misty rain shed tears on the street, then turned and quickly parted ways with the boy." Xia Xun uttered a series of words that made Aya Shameimaru blush, her face expressionless.

"I'll take this job. The fastest courier in Gensokyo reporting for duty!" Aya Shameimaru stood up instantly, clutching fifty coins, and turned to disappear.

In less than two minutes, she reappeared in front of Xia Xun.

He was holding a steaming hot food box filled with a generous spread of dishes.

"Please, Xia Xun, this is your lunch."

Shameimaru Aya respectfully handed over the food container, completing her delivery job with great professionalism.

"Thank you."

Taking the food box, Xia Xun sat on the edge of the field, broke open the chopsticks, and then took a satisfying bite.