Bottom-tier voice actress wants to become a big star on VTuber.

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Chapter 62 has been revised, but whether it will pass the review is unknown. Anyway, I didn't touch on anything borderline.

I've paid back one chapter, and I still owe ten. I should be able to finish paying them back this month... right?

Volume 1: Chapter 84 Farming, We're Professionals

As we entered mid-April, the peak season for hay fever arrived. Apart from recording work, Shimizu Toru rarely went out, and even left grocery shopping to Takamiya Rion.

However, there are some things that he still needs to do personally, such as pollinating the fruits and vegetables in the yard.

The once somewhat empty vegetable garden and orchard area is now filled with varying shades of green, and the vibrant life almost overflows from the courtyard walls.

The cool morning air was filled with the moist scent of earth and the unique fresh fragrance of plant stems and leaves.

Shimizu Toru, wearing an old T-shirt and work pants stained with mud, squatted in front of a row of thriving watermelon seedlings, holding a thin cotton swab in his hand, his expression as focused as if he were sculpting a work of art.

He carefully parted a thick melon leaf, revealing several newly blooming, fuzzy little flowers underneath.

“Tou—” Lily’s voice, filled with the joy of discovering a new continent, came from the side.

Today she was wearing light-colored overalls that were easy to move in, her hair was casually tied up with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks, and she was carefully holding a small pink flower that she had just picked from a peach tree as she ran over quickly.

"Look! This flower seems different from the others? It doesn't have those little yellow and pink flowers inside!"

Shimizu looked up at the sound, his gaze falling on the flower with a distinctly different structure on Lily's fingertip. A smile naturally appeared on his lips: "That's a female flower. Most peach trees have both male and female flowers, but in melons like watermelons and cucumbers, the female and male flowers grow separately."

Most peach trees have bisexual flowers, meaning that the pistil and stamen grow on the same flower, allowing them to be self-pollinating and wind-pollinated without the need for insects.

However, in order to improve the fruit set rate and quality, artificial pollination is generally still chosen. However, the Kawanakajima white peach, which is grown in Shimizu, is a rare non-ornamental variety with unisexual flowers and requires cross-pollination.

He pointed to a flower on a watermelon vine at his feet with larger petals and a small round ball in the center: "The one you have in your hand, like that one, is a female flower. Without pollen from male flowers, they can't bear fruit."

"Huh? It's so complicated?" Lily blinked, squatted down next to him, and curiously peered at the few male flowers in front of him: "Where are the male flowers? Are these the only pink ones?"

“Yes,” Shimizu Toru said, gently brushing the tip of a cotton swab over the stamen of a male flower, picking up the golden pollen.

"Like this, you collect the pollen and gently dab it onto the small stigma in the center of the female flower. That's artificial pollination. In nature, it relies on bees and butterflies, but we don't have those workers in our yard now, so we have to act as matchmakers ourselves."

As for beekeeping?

Let's forget about it then. It's not worth risking getting stung for such a small amount of honey. Besides, pollination isn't that complicated.

As she explained, Shimizu Toru demonstrated, gently and precisely placing the pollen-covered cotton swab onto the stigma of the female flower on another watermelon vine.

"Look, this will do. The fruit set rate will be much higher." In addition, he grafted the watermelon onto the pumpkin vine, so the melons will definitely grow exceptionally well.

"Oh—" Lily exclaimed, her eyes sparkling, eager to try it out. "That sounds so interesting! Let me give it a shot!"

Shimizu smiled and handed her a clean cotton swab: "Be careful, be gentle, don't damage the flowers."

Just as the two were studying the mysteries of life, Rion Takamiya's voice came from the grape trellis not far away: "Toru, should we cut off all these tendrils?"

"That's right, cut off all the tendrils, and leave only two leaves on each side branch. Also, remove all the buds from the side branches!"

The tendrils of a grape are used to hold itself in place, but they consume a lot of nutrients. Therefore, they are usually cut off during planting, and other things are used to tie the main stem of the grape.

As for the leaves on the lateral branches, they are left for photosynthesis. Once the buds are removed, no new lateral branches will grow. This is what is known as pinching off the tips to prevent future growth.

Once the main trunk of the grapevine grows to be 10 centimeters taller than the trellis, the very front section of the main trunk can be cut off, allowing it to grow to the sides. This is the topping process that is often performed when dwarfing fruit trees.

Once it's on the climbing trellis, each side branch can have up to six leaves. However, to ensure the best taste, only half of the small flower clusters are usually left in the first year, with only a few dozen clusters per plant.

Of course, you can buy more if you want, but the quality and sweetness of the fruit cannot be guaranteed. The Shine Muscat fruit sold for three kilograms for ten yuan is the result of blindly pursuing quantity.

Incidentally, Shimizu Tou planted three types of grapes: Sunshine Rose, Kyoho, and Queen Nina, with three vines of each.

Since he doesn't plan to sell them anyway, he naturally grows whatever variety tastes the best. The taste of tree-ripened premium fruit is worlds apart from that of fruit that costs three yuan a pound and nobody wants.

"Everything's all set~ What are you two doing?" Rion Takamiya looked at the two of them snuggling together and felt like she was being targeted.

"They're pollinating the watermelons! Want to try it too?"

Lily, in the evening, put the theory that Shimizu had just learned into practice, and solemnly explained the differences between male and female flowers and the key points of pollination.

Rion Takamiya only half understood what she was hearing, but seeing the approving look in Toru Shimizu's eyes, her competitive spirit resurfaced.

"What's so difficult about this! Watch me!" She defiantly snatched a new cotton swab from Shimizu Tou's hand and strode confidently toward a watermelon vine with male flowers in bloom.

She mimicked Qing Shui Tou's movements, poking the cotton swab into the stamen of the male flower with such force that she almost knocked the poor little flower off.

However, the cotton swab tip was covered with a thick layer of golden pollen, highlighting the saying "great effort can produce miracles."

"Look! Success!" Rion proudly held up her trophy, then turned around, her eyes searching intently for the target female flower.

She quickly spotted a female flower at her feet: "I've chosen you!"

With confidence, Rion Takamiya held the pollen-covered cotton swab and, with the determination of aiming at the bullseye, poked it at the stigma in the center of the small female flower!

Move as fast as lightning!

"Hey! Liyin, be gentle—" The unexpected happened just as Lily's exclamation left her mouth.

Perhaps the movement was too forceful and created a gust of wind, or perhaps the pollen was too thick and created a repulsive force, or perhaps Jin Hanhan was simply too unlucky.

In short, just a second before the tip of the cotton swab was about to touch the stigma of the female flower, the overly saturated pollen cluster gathered on the tip of the swab stumbled slightly due to the inertia of Rion's arm swing and the fact that she stepped on a small patch of loose soil.

"Ah-"

A thunderous, unexpected sneeze erupted from Rion Takamiya's mouth!

A powerful gust of air instantly shot out from her mouth and nose, precisely sweeping over the tip of the cotton swab that was extended in her hand!

puff!

The golden pollen cloud exploded as if detonated by a miniature bomb!

It formed a fine, visible cloud of yellow smoke that spread out in the morning sunlight.

The first thing to be affected was her own pretty face, so close to mine, etched with astonishment and the lingering effects of a sneeze.

Fine pollen covered her face, even clinging to her long eyelashes and slightly parted lips.

Next to suffer was the innocent watermelon seedling that was closest to her.

The tender green leaves and vines were instantly enveloped by this cloud of pollen, covered with a layer of pale golden snow.

Lily and Shimizu Toru, who were a little further away, were also affected by the sudden pollen storm and instinctively closed their eyes and held their breath.

Time seemed to stand still for two seconds.

"Pfft—Hahahahahaha!"

Lily was the first to break down, pointing at Rion Takamiya, who had instantly turned into a little golden statue, her face still covered in confusion and pollen, her nose red, and bursting into earth-shattering laughter, laughing so hard she was doubled over, tears streaming down her face.

"Li, Liyin! Are you pollinating the watermelon seedlings or putting a face mask on them? Hahahaha—Achoo!"

She laughed so hard that she inhaled some pollen and couldn't help but sneeze.

Shimizu Toru looked at the tragic yet comical scene before him, then at the watermelon seedling that had received special care and whose leaves were speckled with gold dust. His lips twitched a few times, and finally he couldn't help but chuckle softly, his shoulders trembling slightly.

He tried hard to maintain a serious demeanor, but seeing Takamiya Rion's bewildered and aggrieved look with her powdered face, he couldn't hold back any longer.

"Phew!" Jin Hanhan finally snapped out of his daze from the pollen attack and the thunderous sneeze. He wiped his face, looked at the golden powder in his palm, and felt both ashamed and angry. His face turned bright red, and he stomped his feet in frustration.

"You're still laughing? It's all your fault! What kind of lousy pollen is this! It, it ambushed me!"

"Okay, okay, it's my fault, it's my fault." Shimizu Toru suppressed a laugh and quickly took out a clean wet wipe from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Quickly wipe it off, the pollen is innocent, it's just that you sneezed at the perfect time."

He walked over and took a closer look at the watermelon seedling covered in gold dust. The leaves and young vines were covered with a thick layer of it, and the nearby male flower had suffered even more, with its stamens almost blown off.

"Tsk tsk, the watermelons that grow from this seedling will probably have a bit of your silly, charming personality, as they are."

"Shimizu Tomo! You're the idiot!" Takamiya Rion retorted angrily while vigorously wiping her face with a wet wipe.

Unfortunately, with his face covered in smeared gold and rosy cheeks, he wasn't intimidating at all; instead, he just looked more comical.

Lily finally managed to stop laughing, wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes: "Oh no, oh no, I can already imagine it! When this melon ripens, we'll cut it open and find that the flesh is all golden. We'll name it the Golden Silly Sneezing Melon! It'll definitely sell for an astronomical price!"

"Xi, Yang, Li, Li!" Li Yin was furious and embarrassed, and pretended to tickle her.

The small backyard was suddenly filled with the sounds of chasing and playing, and playful shouts of feigned anger, which startled several small birds that were peeking from the grape trellis, causing them to flutter away.

Book 1: Chapter 85 Without those worldly desires

After spending more than ten minutes pollinating all the watermelon vines, Rion Takamiya discovered a new situation.

After the start of summer, several long-fruited mulberry trees, carefully transplanted into pots by Qingshuitou, were the first to reach maturity.

Unlike common mulberries, the name "long fruit mulberry" comes from its slender, finger-like appearance.

Furthermore, its yield and sweetness are much higher than traditional mulberries, so much so that if it is fully ripe, it will be too sweet for most people. It is best to eat it when it is half red and half purple, which can also prevent the juice from getting your hands dirty.

The sweet aroma of ripe fruit not only tantalizes the taste buds but also extends an irresistible invitation to all the winged birds in the vicinity.

"It's transparent! It's transparent! Look!"

Rion Takamiya rushed into the living room, clutching a few mulberries that had been pecked and bruised in her hand, her little face full of heartache and anger.

"I'm so angry! I was just about to pick some to try, but I found that the birds had stolen so many of them! Look, they've pecked them all like this, how can I eat them now!"

She opened her palm, revealing a few rotten mulberries with their flesh turned inside out and sticky juice, clearly the work of birds.

Shimizu Toru had just come out of the kitchen after washing his hands, which were still wet. Hearing this, he glanced at the man and frowned slightly: "They've already spotted them? These little bandits have a really sharp nose. Let's go take a look!"

The two arrived at the long-fruited mulberry tree, and sure enough, many of the ripe fruits high up had been damaged, pecked and eaten, leaving a mess on the ground, with bird droppings and leftover remains scattered around.

A few bold sparrows were still hopping around on the wall not far away, their little eyes darting around furtively, chirping as if mocking their owner's lateness.

"Outrageous!" Rion Takamiya was so angry that she picked up a small stone as if to throw it, but Toru Shimizu stopped her.

“Throwing stones won’t work; they’re smarter than you.” Shimizu Toru looked around, pondering a solution: “I need to think of a way to scare them away, or at least make them out of reach.”

"Should we cover it with a net?" Sunset Lily rushed over upon hearing the commotion and suggested, looking at the mulberry tree that had been ravaged.

"The net can keep out birds, but covering it up will reduce ventilation and lighting, which will affect the growth of the fruit, and it will also be troublesome for us to pick them."

Shimizu Toru shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I remember when I bought the saplings, they gave me some colorful reflective bird-repelling tape? And some aluminum foil left over from the air fryer last time. Wait a moment."

Soon, he brought out several rolls of shiny, colorful plastic reflective tape printed with a scary eagle eye pattern, as well as a roll of thick kitchen foil.

"We'll use these! You two help cut these reflective strips into strips, the longer the better, and cut the aluminum foil into palm-sized pieces as well."

A personal command post for the mulberry defense was set up on the spot, and Shimizu Toru brought over an A-frame ladder to be responsible for hanging and setting up the mulberry berries at a high place.

The mulberry trees that had grown for a year at the cultivation base were already over two meters tall. He cut long strips of reflective tape and tied them, like colorful flags, to the branches around the mulberry trees and to the fence of the yard.

A gentle breeze caused the sequins and eagle-eye patterns to flash and spin wildly, making a rustling sound.

Next, the small pieces of tin foil were loosely strung together with thin thread to make shiny tin foil wind chimes, which were then hung among the densest branches of the mulberry tree.

Under the sunlight, the tin foil reflected dazzling, irregular spots of light, which swayed and bounced with the wind.

"Alright, let's test the effect." Shimizu Toru climbed down the ladder and dusted off his hands.

No sooner had the words been spoken than a little sparrow, oblivious to its own danger, probably blinded by the sight of the plump, dark purple mulberries, ignored the flashing warnings and swooped down towards a cluster of drooping fruit.

Just as it was about to get close, a gentle breeze swept by.

wow-

Several reflective strips suddenly shook and flipped, and sequins and fierce eagle eye patterns flashed wildly in front of the sparrow's eyes!

At the same time, several pieces of tin foil were carried by the wind, and the angle was just right to reflect a beam of strong sunlight, which pierced the sparrow's small eyes like a sharp sword!

"grumble--!"

The sparrow let out a terrified screech, as if struck by an invisible whip. It slammed on the brakes, tumbling awkwardly halfway through the air before turning tail and fleeing in a panic, disappearing instantly beyond the courtyard wall.

The other birds that were originally observing were also frightened and scattered, even faster than Clearlove trying to maintain his KDA after losing a team fight.

"Wow! We did it!" Rion Takamiya jumped up excitedly, clapping her hands and cheering, "Tohru, you're amazing! Let's see if they dare to steal our food again!"

Lily in the sunset breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the protective barriers shimmering and dancing in the wind, and laughed, "That's good, our mulberries are safe now, otherwise we would have been too busy bagging them one by one."

Mulberry trees are not like grapevines with only a few dozen bunches of fruit. Moreover, long-fruited mulberry trees can bear fruit three or four times a year. If you can plant each one, you don't need to do anything else.

Shimizu Toru clapped his hands, his gaze returning to the reddish-purple fruits: "Now it's our turn. Let's pick all the ripe ones and put them in the refrigerator to chill. We can bring some to the company for everyone to try next time."

Even in the first year, the three of them couldn't possibly eat all the mulberries produced by these few long-fruiting mulberry trees.

In reality, most fruit trees, if managed well, are enough to feed not just one family, but an entire village.