Chapter 471: Routine
Steaming hot rice, miso soup with tofu and seaweed, okra and yuba dressed in a light sauce, simmered bamboo shoots, stewed radish, Chinese-style cucumbers with chicken, and various pickles—just a little bit of everything fresh and light. And on the side, there’s a dish of clams and ginger.
I take a sip of the miso soup, the side dishes are lightly seasoned, gentle on my morning palate. The sweet and savory clam dish pairs perfectly with the freshly cooked rice. The rich flavor of the clams stands out, making it an excellent companion for my meal.
My breakfast is a mix of Japanese and Western styles, about half and half. On days like today, I pull out some pre-prepared dishes from [Storage].
By the way, everyone in Kanum usually has the same thing. Bread with butter or jam, vegetable soup, and either ham, bacon, or sausage. Ash and the Butler have that plus an egg dish if there are eggs available, along with a bit of fruit or something sweet.
I’ve heard that changing what you eat every time can be tiring. Back when I was in Japan, I only had toast and coffee. It was more of a morning routine than a meal. Since coming here, I’ve started moving around in the mornings and eating whatever I like.
My morning routine has shifted to walking with Rishu and checking on the fields. Sometimes I make meals with freshly harvested vegetables and eggs. But I have to admit, I’m not too fond of fresh eggs. Maybe it’s because I’m used to cold eggs from the refrigerator? There’s something about warm eggs that feels a bit off to me.
Well then, today I’ll start with tending to the fields and orchard, or maybe cleaning the Livestock Shed first. Since they’re mostly free-range, it’s not too smelly, but the bedding does get dirty and damp, so I need to replace it.
Rishu is playing a little game, hopping around and trying to step on his own shadow, going in circles over a short distance. My little one is so cute.
The livestock scatter to their favorite spots at sunrise. Generally, cows stick with cows, and pigs with pigs. Goats and sheep have a pretty wide range, while pigs tend to stay close together.
By the evening, I’ll take out the used straw from the empty Livestock Shed—or rather, [Store] it—and do something else to let some air circulate where the straw was. It could be cleaning the shed or repairing any damaged areas.
Next, I’ll check the waterway near the Livestock Shed. It’s not a rigid U-shaped ditch; it’s more like a small stream. The area near the Watermill is deep and looks like a proper waterway, but here, it’s shallow so the livestock can drink easily.
Once I lay down new straw, I’ll move to the fields. I take the old straw to the compost area I’ve set up beside the field and mix it into the soil. I also mix in rice bran and fallen leaves, among other things.
I’m planning to create a rice paddy a bit further up, but I haven’t had the time to get to it. Right now, it’s just dry fields, but I really long for the sight of rice paddies. I didn’t think much about it when I was in Japan, but after seeing the vast wheat fields and waterways from the Mailman’s perspective, I’ve been wanting to see rice paddies. Since it’s mountainous here, I wonder if they’ll be terraced fields. It’s still far from the vastness I remember, but just a little.
If I grow too many different things, my walks with Rishu will turn into mountain hikes instead. I actually quite like the scenery in our mountains.
“Oh, hello.”
Pal appears in the field after a long time, and Rishu looks a bit suspicious.
“Hello. It seems the field hasn’t changed.”
“Thanks to you.”
I’ve had to ban the Spirits from playing pranks and other things, but overall, it’s been fine.
“What are you planning to plant in this empty spot?”
“Corn.”
I’ve also planted edamame, shishito peppers, and celery. Since this area is just for me, I’m planting a little bit at a time.
“I planted cucumbers too, but while these are fine, I keep failing with the others.”
Here, with Pal and the Spirits helping, failures are rare.
While failures in growing are uncommon, there are times when the Spirits go overboard and produce something crazy, but let’s set that aside for now.
The cucumbers on the island aren’t doing well. I planted them in a spot with good drainage and airflow, just like here.
“Oh, is that it? Next year, you should graft them with the pumpkin seedlings over there.”
“Graft…?”
You attach the fruit-bearing part of a weaker plant to the roots of a sturdier one of the same species, right? It’s one thing for trees, but isn’t it difficult to do that with cucumber seedlings?
Was it showing on my face? Pal suggested simpler solutions like removing the lower leaves as they grow, and even a bit of cheating by asking the Spirits to send a breeze to prevent them from getting too humid. But in the end, I want everyone to be able to grow things, so I’ll have to reject the cheating.
I want to eat all sorts of dishes made by others!
“Hey? Pal, have you gotten stronger?”
The vegetables around Pal seem to be thriving, not just because of some magical wind.
Just being here is making them grow stronger, right?
“It’s not just me. Everything else has probably gotten stronger to some degree too.”
Pal smiles.
“Do Spirits train or something?”
They’re free and carefree, not bound by anything other than what they like. Someone like Van might have a strong sense of purpose that includes getting stronger, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he trained.
But Pal training just doesn’t seem to fit. What would that even look like?
“Well, sometimes that happens.”
I’ve been sidetracked!