By the time we finished eating, the sun had risen high enough to cast its light across the farm.
I leaned back in my chair, letting out a satisfied sigh.
That was a good meal.
Perhaps a little too good. I could already feel my stomach protesting against the amount of food I'd eaten, but I wasn't particularly bothered by it.
I wish I could just lie down and sleep.
Unfortunately, the farm wouldn't take care of itself.
I stood up, stretching my arms before looking out over the land.
"Well, I suppose it's time to finally start."
Mel began gathering the empty plates.
"Would you like me to prepare anything, Master?"
"Yeah, help me prepare some supplies, we'll be doing an experiment"
I said it with a smile, though I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.
After all, I had spent plenty of time playing Stardew Valley, but that hardly meant I knew how to farm in real life.
The game had made everything look simple. But this wasn't a game.
I couldn't just press a button and watch the crops grow.
Still, I had to start somewhere.
We gathered the seeds and farming supplies we'd bought earlier and carried them to a patch of land suitable for planting.
We spread everything out before us and began sorting through the seed packets.
Parsnip, potato, cauliflower, green bean, strawberry, and cucumber.
Six different crops, each with its own growing period and characteristics.
I took nine seeds of each, giving me fifty-four seeds in total.
I counted them once, then counted them again.
"Fifty-four," I muttered.
"Is something wrong, Master?"
"No, I'm just making sure I have everything."
I arranged the seeds by crop.
But, I had to break them down further.
I didn't want to plant everything at once and leave it at that. I had several types of farming boosters available, and I wanted to find out how well they worked in this world.
So, we'll be conducting a small experiment.
Each crop would be divided into three groups, with three seeds per group.
The first group would receive Basic Fertilizer.
The second would use water-retaining soil.
The third would receive Speed-Gro.
That gave me eighteen groups across the six crops.
It wasn't a particularly sophisticated experiment, but it should be enough to give me an initial idea of how the different treatments affected my plants.
At least, I hoped so.
"Mel, could you help me mark these sections?"
"How would you like them arranged?"
"Three sections for each crop. Keep the treatments separate, and make sure we can identify which is which."
She examined the available space.
"Wouldn't it be easier to plant all the seeds of the same crop together?"
"Normally, yes. But I want to compare the effects of the different treatments."
I picked up the packet of Basic Fertilizer.
"If I plant all nine together and apply the same treatment to everything, I won't have anything to compare the results against."
Mel nodded slowly.
"So we're testing which treatment works best?"
"That's the idea."
"And if they all work equally well?"
"Then I'll have learned something."
"And if none of them work?"
I paused.
"...Then I'll have learned something, too."
Mel looked at me.
I looked back at her.
"...Don't say it."
"I haven't said anything, Master."
"You were thinking it."
"I wouldn't dare."
She returned to examining the land, her expression as composed as ever.
I sighed.
At least Mel was having fun.
I planned to farm near the front of the property, where the land was relatively clear of weeds and debris.
Once we had settled on a layout, the real work began.
Clearing and preparing the soil.
There was one rather important thing missing.
A hoe. The game's hoe.
I knew how useful it would be, but my system hadn't given it yet. I assumed it had a quest tied to it, though I had yet to find out what I needed to do to unlock it.
Until then, I would have to make do without it.
I crouched and examined the soil.
It looked perfectly ordinary.
I picked up the copper hoe we just boughtl and began loosening the earth, working one section at a time. It wasn't exactly the same as using a hoe in the game, but it was better than trying to dig everything with my bare hands.
Even so, the work was slower than I expected.
I had to loosen the soil, remove stones and weeds, and make sure each plot was ready for planting. Every few minutes, I found myself stopping to adjust the ground or clear something I'd missed.
Mel wanted to take over, but I held her back. I wanted to do it myself, even if I knew little about what I was doing.
Still, she remained by my side, pointing out what I'd missed and what I should do.
It was tedious work.
Not particularly difficult, but repetitive enough that I soon found myself wishing I'd exercised a bit more.
I straightened my back and rubbed my shoulder.
Seriously, how did real-life farmers keep up with this?
In the game, preparing a field took only a few seconds.
Here, even a small patch of land demanded time and effort.
I glanced at Mel, who was helping clear the debris around the plots.
While I worked on the soil, she cleared out the remaining weeds and debris around.
By the time we finished, my hands were dirty, my back was aching.
Still, the land was ready.
That was something.
Mel offered me a cup of water, which I accepted gratefully.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Master."
I took a drink before looking over the prepared plots.
With the plots ready, it was time to plant the seeds.
I picked up the parsnip seeds first.
Now, this part should have been straightforward.
Make a small hole, place the seed inside, cover it with soil, and move on to the next one.
Simple.
At least, that was what I told myself.
I knelt beside the first plot and began planting.
The first seed went in easily enough.
The second took a little longer because I wasn't satisfied with how deep I'd placed it.
By the third, I was already wondering whether I was overthinking the process.
I looked at the remaining seeds.
Fifty-one.
Wonderful.
At this rate, I would be here all day.
I shook my head and continued.
Once the parsnips were done, I moved on to the potatoes, followed by the cauliflower, strawberries, and cucumbers.
The green beans required a little more consideration. They needed support as they grew, so I had to leave enough space for their trellises.
I adjusted their plots accordingly, making sure the arrangement wouldn't interfere with the neighboring crops.
It was a small detail, but an important one.
Mel kept me in check as I did all the planting, at my insistence.
The first always felt special, and I wanted to relish it.
By the time I finished planting, I had dirt under my fingernails and a newfound respect for anyone who did this for a living.
I sat back on my heels and examined the plots.
Fifty-four seeds.
All planted.
Now came the treatments.
I started with the Basic Fertilizer.
According to my memories, fertilizer could improve the quality of the crops. Since I couldn't access my Farming skill yet, I was curious whether fertilizer would even make a difference.
I applied it to the first group of each crop, following the instructions on the packaging.
Next came the water-retaining soil.
This one was particularly interesting. If it worked as expected, it might help keep the soil moist for longer, reducing the amount of watering required.
That would be useful, considering I didn't have my system watering can.
Finally, Speed-Gro.
I held the package for a moment, studying its label.
In Stardew Valley, Speed-Gro accelerated crop growth. It was one of those convenient items that made farming more efficient, especially when time was limited.
But would it work the same way here?
I couldn't be certain.
Still, there was only one way to find out.
I applied it to the remaining groups, taking care not to mix the treatments.
Once everything was done, I stepped back and examined my work.
It wasn't much, but it was a start.
"How long do you think it'll take?" Mel asked.
"That depends on the crops."
I pointed toward the parsnips.
"These should be the quickest to mature. The potatoes will take longer, and the cauliflower longer still."
"And the others?"
"Green beans need time to grow, but they'll produce multiple harvests if everything goes well. Strawberries are similar in that regard. Cucumbers, I'm not entirely sure."
Mel looked over the plots.
"You're surprisingly knowledgeable, Master."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I did my research, too."
Now I wondered whether she was testing me or simply being genuinely curious.
Eh, whatever.
I smiled.
"We'll have to keep track of them daily."
I took out my notebook and began writing down the details.
This would be my new journal, entirely mine.
Though perhaps it was a joint effort.
"Master, you forgot to water them."
"Ahh, shoot."
I handed her the journal and grabbed the watering can.
"Hey, Mel, how much water do we need?"
I looked at the crops, then at the ordinary watering can beside me.
Well, it was better than nothing.
I began watering the crops one by one, taking care to distribute the water dependent on the crop.
"Master, that's too much."
Mel supervised me. I had to admit she knew more about this than I did.
The work was slow. There was only so much water the can could hold, after all.
I had to make three trips in total.
By the time I finished, my arms were beginning to ache again.
I set the can down and wiped my forehead.
"That's the last of them."
Mel examined the plots.
"Well done, Master."
"At least you're having fun."
"Not at all."
I turned to look at our handiwork.
This was the beginning.
I had planted my first crops on Greenwood Farm.
It was a surprisingly satisfying thought.
For all the effort it had taken, I couldn't help feeling a little excited about what would happen next.
Of course, I would still need to water them, check their progress, and record any changes. I'd have to wait until they grew before I could compare the results of my experiment.
And there was no guarantee that everything would go according to plan.
But that was fine.
I hadn't expected farming to be easy.
Well, perhaps a little.
I sighed.
At least I had learned something already.
Farming was considerably more tiring than it looked on a screen.
"Master?"
I turned toward Mel.
"What would you like for lunch?"
I glanced at the sun, then back at the plots.
For a moment, I considered refusing. But there wasn't really anything else I needed to do right now.
"...Why don't you surprise me?"
"...All right. Take your shower while I prepare lunch, and don't you go running off again."
Mel nodded and headed inside.
I followed her, amused by her snide remarks.