Luis was awake, but his eyes remained shut, replaying yesterday's events. He feared that opening them would make this dream vanish.
He remembered Glimmer, the little dog; old Mayor Thomas; the heaping, warm, sweet mochi that left him so stuffed he barely recalled how he got home after that "mochi binge." He remembered the lively atmosphere of everyone eating together, chatting about plans for the new year. It had been so long since he'd forgotten what it felt like to share a meal with others.
But he couldn't linger in reverie. A loud knock jolted him: "Knock, knock, knock!" He crawled out of bed, groggy, and opened the door.
"Hey, you planning to sleep till noon? The sun's already up, and you're still in bed!" Thomas stood there, scowling. "You've got fifteen minutes. Get ready for farm work!"
Half-asleep, Luis nodded, grabbed the rice ball from his mailbox, and shuffled back inside. The lunchbox still had a price tag: 100 G. He shook his head with a wry smile. He hadn't earned a cent and was already in debt. He glanced at the clock: 6:01 AM. Was it really fair for the mayor to accuse him of oversleeping?
By 6:15 AM, he was at the farm's gate. The gate had been neatly repaired, with "Solace Farm" emblazoned boldly above. He nodded, satisfied. Thomas said, "You don't have much time. Come on, today I'll teach you the basics of being a Mineral Town farmer."
First, Thomas took him on a tour of the farm, pointing out the dilapidated structures Luis had no idea how to handle.
The farm wasn't huge, with a single plot for crops taking up two-thirds of the area. The land was overrun with trees, rocks, and tangled weeds. Thomas explained that before planting, Luis needed to clear it. He didn't have to tackle everything—just prepare a small area to start. He could expand later with help or as his stamina improved. Planting too much without the strength to maintain it was pointless; watering alone could exhaust him.
Next was the chicken coop, near the ancient tree and facing the river running through the farm. Closer to the gate was a barn for cows and sheep. Both were unusable, so if he wanted to raise chickens, sheep, or cows, he'd need to hire Gotz, the carpenter, for repairs.
There was also a storage shed for lumber to upgrade the farm. If he didn't gather wood himself, he'd have to buy it from Gotz. Luis definitely didn't want to buy—he was already deep in debt. Nearby was a small stable, currently horseless. But there'd be a horse eventually, if the game's storyline held true.
After the tour, Luis understood his tasks. Except for repairing the coop and barn, things were much like the game's early stages. In the game, his first-year goal was to upgrade the house and buy cooking tools. But now, he'd prioritize the coop and barn.
Thomas said, "That's all your property! Take good care of it! Now, I've prepared some basic farm tools for you." He gestured to a large sack filled with long, bulky items. "I'll show you how to use them."
The basic tools were a hammer, hoe, sickle, watering can, and axe. The hammer, axe, and sickle were for clearing the farm. The hammer broke rocks in the field to make space for tilling, but only small ones. Larger boulders required an upgraded hammer. The axe chopped trees on the farm, currently only small ones for lumber. The sickle cut weeds, but its range was limited. Upgraded, it could clear a whole patch in one swing.
Next were the hoe and watering can. The hoe tilled soil for planting. The watering can was used daily to help crops grow. Missing even one day of watering would stunt their growth. He could fill it from the pond by the ancient tree or the river. Upgraded, both tools would cover a wider area, and the can would hold more water.
No sooner said than done, Thomas told him to clear and till a small patch of land. The tools were bulky, so he only carried three—hammer, axe, and hoe—in his backpack. He pulled weeds by hand, as the unupgraded sickle was barely more efficient.
After tilling a small, fertile-looking patch, he was already tired. But the mayor gave him no break. Thomas said, "Now run to the supermarket in town and buy a bag of seeds. We'll plant them! Hurry back, no dawdling. I'll wait here!"
Luis dashed to town. The supermarket was in the center. When he arrived, it was 10:00 AM. Jeff spotted him and warmly greeted him, showing off the season's goods.
Not wanting to waste time, Luis bought four bags of turnip seeds. Turnips had a short growth cycle, ideal for quick profits. They'd be ready in five days. Until then, he'd be broke, surviving on foraged goods. Luckily, Jeff let him buy food on credit daily. He handed Jeff his bank card. His balance dropped from 500 G to 20 G.
Looking at the card, he sighed inwardly: "Haizz! Broke already!"
Back with the seeds, Thomas instructed him to plant. One bag yielded nine plants. In five days, he'd harvest nine turnips, each selling for 60 G, totaling 540 G. Minus the 120 G cost, that was 420 G profit. Planting turnips until the season's end, he could manage five cycles, earning 2,100 G per patch. With four patches, that was 8,400 G. Compared to potatoes, which only allowed three cycles, turnips were more profitable. However, planting various crops unlocked new ones. After the first season, he wouldn't need to obsess over maximizing profits, as he hoped to be out of the red by then.
After watering the first patch, Thomas gave a brief overview of caring for chickens, sheep, and cows. With no money to buy an animal for practice, Luis only learned theory.
The afternoon arrived. Luis was starving and exhausted. Unlike the game, his stamina drained over time even without work, and he needed food to recover. The farming lesson ended. Thomas said, "That's everything I need to tell you about farming. From here, you're on your own! Also, I want to talk about Mineral Town's culture. Each season has corresponding events. I'll notify you a day in advance. On event days, shops and trading halt. Townsfolk won't receive visitors and only leave home when the event starts."
That explained why no one answered his knocks yesterday. These townsfolk were something else… what if someone had an accident?
"But that's our custom. You don't have to follow it, but don't bother your neighbors like yesterday. People called to complain, which is why I came to check!" Thomas added.
Good thing he did, or I'd have been wolf food by morning, Luis grumbled inwardly. Thomas pulled out lunch and invited him to eat. The rice balls from this morning were wolfed down too quickly to savor. But Thomas's sandwich was divine. Crisp vegetables, rich eggs, and smoked bacon that wasn't just a salt bomb like the industrial stuff he'd bought before. Big Macs were trash compared to this.
"Pretty great, huh? All local produce! I hope your farm yields quality like this!" Thomas said, eyes twinkling.
Luis thought: "You're setting the bar way too high!!!"
After Thomas left, Luis planted and watered three more turnip patches. He was unlucky, finding no power berry while clearing the additional plots. Either he was out of luck, or power berries didn't exist here.
Done, he collapsed under the ancient tree, panting. Good grief, farming was no joke. Just four small patches, and he was gasping for air. How could he expand the farm? His hands were red and swollen from gripping the hoe all day, his legs and back aching. Today's hardest work was over. Tomorrow, he'd only need to water. But he resolved to find the Harvest Sprites. Only with their help around the house could he free up time for other tasks.
As he mused, Zack arrived to collect produce: "Well, looks like you've got nothing for me today! So, how's farm life treating you?"
"I'm about to check into the hospital!" Luis replied, exasperated.
"You could hit the hot spring up the mountain to recover. Hot spring, scenic views, and pretty girls are the best way to unwind! Heh heh heh!" Zack grinned slyly.
"Hot spring… pretty girls…" Luis matched his mischievous smirk.