Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

"Waste? What do you mean?" Aya Shameimaru looked puzzled.

"Because it can actually grow into multiple plants from one." Seeing that she still didn't understand, Akina Ze further explained, "We just need to cut it into several equal pieces and put them in the ground, and that's it."

"Oh?" Aya Shameimaru said, seemingly understanding but not quite. "So one potato can grow a whole field? As long as it's cut small enough."

"It's not that serious. The cut tubers still need to provide the nutrients necessary for the embryo's growth." Akina Sawa smiled as well.

"Anyway, I don't understand, so whatever you say is right." Shameimaru Aya was a little sullen after being denied repeatedly.

"It's alright, it's pretty much common sense about growing potatoes," Akina Ze said modestly.

"Yes, yes, yes." A flat, monotone voice.

"Okay, wait a minute, I'll process the potatoes and then show them to you." Seeing Aya Shameimaru's nonchalant attitude, Sawa Akina shook his head as well.

As he spoke, he carried a bag of potatoes into the kitchen, wet the knife, scraped it a few times on the whetstone, and then opened the bag, where plump potatoes rolled out.

Soon, the sound of tapping on the cutting board came from the kitchen, but the rhythmic sound disappeared after a while.

When Akina Ze came out, the whole bag of potatoes had been cut into several pieces.

Generally, to grow potatoes, you first need to let them sprout naturally in a warm environment, and then cut them to the appropriate size based on the location of the sprouts.

However, this step can be skipped here in Akina Sawaya, because on this blessed land, as long as the tubers you cut out meet the nutritional needs of the embryo development, you don't need to wait for the embryo to grow before cutting along the embryo, which saves a lot of time.

Picking up a cut tuber, Akina Sawa called out to Shameimaru Aya, "Aya-san, come and take a look. This is what a cut potato looks like."

Although Aya Shameimaru turned her head away and didn't want to talk to him, she eventually went over to him anyway, because curiosity was something she couldn't resist.

Looking at the tuber in front of him, with its sharp cut and some sap seeping out, Aya Shameimaru glanced at it but couldn't find anything special about it.

"Is this all you need?" She poked the potato with her fingertip.

“Yes,” Akina Ze continued, “Anyway, you said you’re very free, so why don’t you help me plant these potatoes?”

Aya Shameimaru glanced at him. "You really think of me as an assistant?"

-------------------------------------

"So, all you have to do is throw the tubers into the hole?"

Wearing gloves, Aya Shameimaru picked up a tuber and asked Sawa Akina.

“Okay, you just throw all the tubers in, I’ll take care of the filling afterwards,” Akina Ze replied, holding a hoe.

"Okay, I'll begin then."

As he spoke, Aya Shameimaru threw a potato, which landed perfectly in the hole. Akina Sawa, who was following behind, was also quick-witted and used the side of his hoe to push the soil piled up outside the hole, filling it in.

This completes the planting in the pit.

With the experience gained the first time, the subsequent ones went much more smoothly.

Although there are occasional potatoes that are thrown off target, a gust of wind will always blow them into the right spot.

Soon, potatoes were planted in all the holes.

Two people working together to farm is much more efficient than one person working alone.

Woo~ Woo~

Inside the greenhouse, a panting sound rang out, and the two exchanged a smile.

Leaning his hoe against the wall, Akina Sawa took one last look at the potato field that had been cultivated, then turned to Aya Shameimaru and said, "Let's go out together."

But just as Akina Sawa pushed open the greenhouse door, a flash of icy blue seemed to appear on the opposite wall.

who is it?

He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but there was nothing there.

"Did I see it wrong?" Akina Ze muttered to himself.

"What are you talking about?" asked Aya Shameimaru, who was following behind.

"It's alright, let's go inside first."

Akina Ze shook his head, a thought flashing through his mind: Could it be her?

Chapter Sixty-Two: The Rocking Chair

In the very center of the courtyard stands the cherry blossom tree covered in green leaves.

The cold of winter seemed to have no effect on it. Since it grew to maturity, no dead branches or leaves have fallen. Instead, it rustled in the wind as if it were still in spring or summer.

After sitting in the inner room for a while, feeling bored, Akina Ze came outside and silently watched it.

Listening to the rustling of the leaves, an idea suddenly came to mind. He decided to do something that perhaps no one had ever done in Gensokyo before.

Excitedly returning to the house, under the curious gazes of the one person and two fairies, Akina Ze also carried the rocking chair that he often slept in during the summer outside.

The surface of the rocking chair was smooth, and when Akina touched it, it felt cold and a little freezing to the touch. This kind of chair did not satisfy his expectations.

That is a problem. The temperature of a rocking chair in winter is the temperature of its surrounding environment. People can't sit on it for long before they get cold.

After thinking for a moment, Akina Ze came up with a solution—why not just put a mat on it?

He turned back into the house, and looking at the blankets in the bedroom, he was troubled again.

There aren't many suitable blankets to choose from. The blankets I usually sleep in can't keep out the wind if I leave them outside. I'm afraid I'll get so cold that my legs will shiver if I just let them blow on me.

But at that moment, Akina Sawa also turned his attention to the blanket on which Nikua slept that night.

The length and width are just right, and most importantly, it's plush, so this blanket must be very comfortable to use.

Then this is the one!

Picking up the blanket, Akina Sawa took the blanket that Nikua slept on outside while Nikua looked completely bewildered in the living room.

This plush blanket has an excellent feel and doesn't need to be preheated like cotton quilts; you can sleep on it directly without feeling cold.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and the chill made Akina Ze shiver.

We can't hesitate any longer; we need to work harder to make the secret warm base—the cashmere rocking chair—perfect.

Just as Akina Sawa was stuffing the blanket onto the rocking chair, Shameimaru Aya came out and asked, "What are you doing?"

“I’m building a secret base,” he replied.

"Secret base?"

Looking at the drafty chair in front of her, she simply couldn't associate it with the words "secret base".

"Well, you'll find out soon enough, but let me make this clear first: this secret base can only accommodate me. Don't even think about coming in," Akina Ze said seriously.

“He doesn’t have a fever.” Aya Shameimaru reached out and touched Sawaya Akina’s forehead to check his temperature. “Why are you talking nonsense?”

"Hmph, I can't be bothered with you." Akina Sawa slapped away Aya Shameimaru's hand and turned back to continue laying out his rocking chair.

Soon, under the watchful eyes of Aya Shameimaru, Sawaya Akina's 'secret base' was completed.

"Isn't this just a blanket put on the chair?" Shameimaru Aya couldn't help but complain as she looked at the chair in front of her.

“Hey, you don’t understand, this mat of mine is double-layered,” Akina Ze explained, lifting a corner of the mat.

"...Is there a difference?" Aya Shameimaru was still puzzled.

"Don't rush, let me show you."

As he spoke, Akina Ze lay down on the rocking chair and covered himself with the extra layer of fur.

"How about this?" Akina Sawa, whose head was the only part of his head showing, asked Shameimaru Aya like a caterpillar.

"...It still doesn't feel quite right," Aya Shameimaru said tactfully.

From an outsider's perspective, it looks like someone is lying in bed and sitting in a chair—which is actually the case.

"Oh! You just don't know how to enjoy yourself, Miss Wenwen, come and lie down."

Seeing that Aya Shameimaru remained unmoved, Sawa Akina stood up and forcibly pushed her to the rocking chair.

"Give it a try, I guarantee it will feel great."

"I just feel like an idiot," Aya Shameimaru remarked.

"...That's not true." Akina Ze also looked up at the sky. "Anyway, this is my own yard and no one else can see it unless they climb over the wall to see it, but no one would climb my wall, would they?"

"Lie down first."

"Ok."

Under Akina Sawaya's patient coaxing, Shameimaru Aya finally gave in and lay down on the rocking chair.

The next second, she felt the soft warmth of the cashmere blanket.

Hmm...it feels pretty good? She was a little surprised.

After covering himself with another layer of plush blanket, Aya Shameimaru felt warm all over.

The wind outside was rustling the cherry blossom leaves, but strangely, she couldn't feel the chill.

This plush blanket completely keeps out the cold.

"I told you so, wasn't I right?" Although Akina Ze was shivering in the cold wind, he still said with a smug look on his face.

“That’s definitely possible.” Aya Shameimaru nodded in agreement, wondering how he came up with such a novel idea.

The leaves rustled, the warm blanket, the soft, plush touch, the rocking chair, and the slight chill on my face...

......

"Wake up, it's my turn," Qiu Mingze called out, gently pushing the rocking chair.

Awakening from his sleep, Aya Shameimaru was utterly bewildered. "...When did I fall asleep?"

“You fell asleep as soon as you closed your eyes.” Qiu Mingze shook his head. “Have you been too tired lately? Besides, sleeping in a rocking chair might cause a stiff neck. If you want to sleep, go to my room. It’s warmer there.”

“Okay.” Although the cashmere blanket was very comfortable, Aya Shameimaru still got out of it and said stubbornly, “But I’m not tired. I just accidentally fell asleep. I definitely won’t do it again.”

"Yes, yes, whatever you say, but now it's my turn." Akina Ze also stared at the rocking chair and gave Shameimaru Aya a perfunctory answer. Judging from her dazed look just now, it must be very comfortable to lie on this thing.

After Akina Sawa lay down on the rocking chair, Shameimaru Aya didn't leave, but stood aside watching him.

As soon as he crawled inside, a wave of warmth washed over him. Perhaps it was the lingering warmth of the person who had entered before, but it was much more comfortable than when he first came in.

Even sunbathing in the cold winter wind is no better than this.

Nestled in the blanket, Akina Ze writhed like a silkworm cocoon, shifting his center of gravity to make the rocking chair rock gently, though only slightly.

Just then, Aya Shameimaru walked to the back, gently rocking her chair and asking, "How's the pressure?"

"It's alright," Akina Ze replied comfortably.

“You really got to enjoy it.” Aya Shameimaru shook her head, but didn’t stop shaking it.

The wind whispers in your ears, the leaves play their natural music, and the rocking chair creaks softly, creating a soothing melody that lulls you to sleep.

This is the complete version of an outdoor rocking chair for winter. This was Akina Ze's last thought before he drifted off to sleep.

Behind the rocking chair, Aya Shameimaru, who was being pushed, looked towards the distant Youkai Mountain, a rare look of anxiety on her face.

Chapter Sixty-Three: A Sudden Idea?

The winter wind was bleak, and as the sun set behind Monster Mountain, the last traces of warmth in the air gradually dissipated.

A gust of cold wind swept in, and the wind, several degrees colder, woke Akina Sawa from his sleep as decisively as a needle pricking a balloon.

He got up and stretched lazily, the blanket covering him naturally sliding onto the rocking chair.

Still feeling a bit dazed, Akina Sawa reached out and patted his face to force his head to clear. Only then did he realize that his shadow was clearly imprinted on the floor in front of him.

The courtyard was dark and gloomy. He turned around and saw that all the lights in the house were on, making the inside bright.

"...Why didn't anyone call me?" Shaking his head, still feeling a bit chilly, Qiu Mingze picked up the blanket and went back into the house.

As for the chair, it's probably fine to leave it outside. Even thieves wouldn't choose to come out on a cold winter night, especially since the item isn't small.

Click~

Pushing the door open with his shoulder, Akina Sawa entered and saw Aya Shameimaru and two fairies sitting comfortably by the kotatsu, chatting.

"You're awake? Is it cold outside?" Aya Shameimaru asked with a smile as she looked over after hearing the noise.

"It's alright, it's quite warm, I didn't feel cold at all," Akina Ze replied, his legs shivering.