There's a popular saying wherein the earlier the bird goes, the early he also gets his worm.
Back in the city, sayings like that always felt something like an old people would say to justify waking everyone up before sunrise. To be honest I never really believed them. Morning was just morning to me, the gray streets, the loud carts that pass by the inn, the shouts of vendors looking for customers, and the people shuffling around.
But out here? Out here I am starting to understand why people like sayings like that.
It's been three days since I arrived at this town, and so far life is starting to look pretty good here. I got myself a house, a land, and a barn. Pretty much the standard starter for someone who pretend to know how farming works.
And I do mean pretend, since I got no idea at all how to do it. But hey, this place is finally mine so no complaints.
Also, it is quite cold especially early in the morning here in the countryside. The kind of cold that slips under your clothes and chill the bones.
When the sun started to peek around the horizon, my excitement which I could not contain, let me wake up around 5 in the morning all to admire the view of the land around the house. The cold air brushed at my cheeks.
I could hear the sound of grass being swayed by the early morning cold breeze. The wind might be cold but it felt like a warm hug. I don't know how to explain it in words enough, so let me just leave it at that but that is the best way to describe it in my opinion.
The countryside has a way of making silence feel comforting instead of lonely.
[Hnnggggrrrhhhhhh] I stretched my limbs as far as they could go.
Now that felt good.
Turning around at the house's interior, it has now become clean unlike how I first claimed it. It ain't much, but hey it is hard work. The house was still old, but now completely clean with the floors swept, cobwebs gone, and the windows wiped. The worst of junk burned outside in a small fire pit. There's a few stuff that needs to be repaired like the cracked board I am standing and the loose hinge there and here, but those will be for a later date.
I could have used magic to clean the entire house in a few minutes, but honestly that felt completely boring. That would take the fun and pride of cleaning your own place by yourself. So most of the work was done thoroughly with good old-fashioned muscle power, aside from burning the trash with magic or filling the water buckets with magic....and maybe moving a few heavy things with magic like the bed frame.
Okay fine, it was done with muscle but was assisted with magic.
Extinguishing the magic lamps, I then head outside to do the second round of cleaning. That is mowing the overgrown weeds around the house, the back and front yard, as well as clearing the area around the barn.
The entire land was surrounded by tall weeds that could hide a wolf, or a goblin. Not that I expected a goblin since there is a patrol over here consisted of mercenaries and town guardsmen. Still, better safe than sorry.
However, before working one must need to fill their stomach otherwise you'll be lacking energy to move throughout the day. Also, my food supplies is starting to run low which is pretty bad.
The last time I refilled it was before my trip, and it has been a few weeks since I left the city so....
If I keep eating normally then I'd probably run out in two days, make that three if I eat as if I was on a long dungeon dive which I prefer not to do anymore.
Yeah. It is pretty bad if I just let things go as is so I need to buy now.
So today's first task is now changed to a trip to the town.
Luckily the town here has a general store that sells almost everything from food, to tools, and essential supplies. Basically the sort of place everyone relies on.
I mentally listed the things that I need such as lots of rope, nails, varnish, a block of beeswax, a razor since my beard is getting long and definitely woodworking tools.
The entire farm still looked like it might qualify as a wildlife habitat so just for safekeeping, I decided to set a warding spell around the house that should repel any monster, foreign invader or thief. Just enough to discourage any unwanted visitors.
[Okay, I think I am set]
After taking a cold morning shower using a bucket of water generated through magic, I then wore my standard civilian clothes, wearing fragrance that is not annoying to the nose, combed my hair, and then wore my leather boots.
Hey, I think I look just fine. Maybe I should trim my beard a bit, but I need to get proper tools for that otherwise they will grow thicker when they regrow.
The sun's gentle heat greets me the moment I stepped foot outside. Today is a good day, and I think I can accomplish a lot. With the goals of today's task in mind, I departed from the house and into the road towards the town.
I can describe that the road is rough because it is an unpaved road a.k.a. dirt road that had tracks made by horse-drawn carts and carriages. The imprints of footsteps suggests people use this, of course, who wouldn't?
There is little to no threat when using the road, except the occasional pebble or rock that could definitely make someone trip over and hurt themselves.
So while I was walking, I took those out and tossed them at the roadside. Someone with bad eyesight or of old age will definitely injure themselves so I gotta do it.
Other than the pebble kicking activities while on the road, I could not help but notice the vines stretched across a large field. It is a vineyard at the distance. It was a place with a huge noticeable sign at its fence.
STARFALL VINEYARD
Huh. For some reason, reading its name made it sounds fitting for the place it was located. Goldenvale, then there's starfall vineyard. It has a poetic ring to it that makes sense for some reason. That made me realize that I think I should also give my own farm its name.
Hmmmm. Something to think about at a later date.
As I approached, I noticed someone working among the vines.
A lady with brown hair wearing a straw hat and a white sundress was plucking green grapes and was putting those at a basket. Behind her sat a wooden cart filled with several baskets of grapes already.
Judging from the amount of trellis used across her land, this place must produce a lot of wine annualy. Wine, after all, takes time to be produced because of the process the grapes has to go through.
Harvesting
Pressing
Fermenting
Aging
All of it quite slow especially the fermenting and aging part, then one has to bottle it afterwards.
While I was still mulling at the process, she noticed me.
[Ah~! Hello!!!!!] (??) She waived enthusiastically.
*Boing*
....
.....
...
Dear gods.....
I have never seen someone so bouncy. Not just energetic, not just cheerful, but the kind of bubbly energy that made the air feel livelier just by standing near them
Ehem. Also, I now have two more reasons to live for another day.
They were enormous.
Her grapes, obviously.
Indeed, very.....large grapes. Extremely impressive grapes.
[Yep....definitely the grapes] I silently whispered.
....
[Hello to you...too] Look at her eyes, Tomscott!!! They're above! Above!
I tried to look respectfully, but every time she moved my eyes would betray me. Lady, I apologize but I am just a man. Every man that I knew is fond of it.
I managed to try and look at her face, and so far it worked.
[Are you the new guy that Ernie was talking about?! Hmmmmmm------] (??) She leaned at the fence and inspected me.
Oh no. I could see it clearly. Must.....
Resist.
Man, the gods sure are trying me today huh.
[Aren't you quite the hotty, deary~?] (??) ?! Hotty??? Me?
[Wellllll] I was flabbergasted by her easy going nature that I stuttered. For once I might have met a worthy foe that made me do such a thing.
Still, I was unsure whether she's just kind and nice or if that was a flirty move, but it's best not to assume.
[By the way, I am Olivia~ What's your name, sweetie?] (Olivia) She smiled sweetly as she asked my name.
The wind brushed past us and made her ginger hair flutter. Her eyes though reminds me of someone's, they're green the same as her.
I paused a bit because my mind was in a chaotic state because of the series of events that just happened that blew my mind the very moment they occurred.
[.....I am Tom, nice to meet you miss] I then smiled politely at her.
She smiled just as brightly, but then an awkward silence filled the air after a few seconds.
For a moment, the two of us simply stood there smiling at each other.
And then...
An awkward silence slowly crept into the air.
The kind of silence where both people are trying to think of something to say next.
The wind rustled through the vineyard.
A distant bird chirped somewhere overhead. Then suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept across the field.
And before either of us could react....
FWOOSH
A white fabric was lifted in front of my eyes, it was her skirt.
My brain froze....Eyes widened.
[Kyaaa-!!!!!] (Olivia) She squeaked.
And for one extremely unfortunate second, I saw far more countryside than I had planned to see today.
Olivia yelped and immediately slammed back both her hands down on her skirt.
Blue...
[Ah-!] My mind went into emergency mode.
LOOK AWAY NOW!
I turned my head so fast my neck almost snapped.
[THE SKY IS VERY BLUE TODAY, HUH] Why did I even say that?!!!!
Why.
When I peeked at her, her face was all red like a ripe tomato.
[S-sorry! That wind came out of nowhere!] (Olivia)
[No worries! I saw absolutely nothing!] Pause....
.....
That was a lie.
I saw so much, that I think the moment was frozen at my head.
[NOTHING AT ALL!!!]
Another pause.
[Y-you definitely s-saw something, didn't you?] (Olivia) Her face steadily getting redder and redder.
[I.....yes. I panicked] My curse of honesty....I hate it sometimes.
She stared at me for a moment....but a sudden giggle burst out of nowhere.
It was bright, loud and unrestrained.
Oh okay, it was all good that she wasn't angry at all. All is good.
[Well! Guess the wind wanted to introduce us properly!] (Olivia) Phew.
I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.
[I am sorry. I promise I usually make a better first impression]
[Oh don't worry, sweetie. Around here embarrassing things happen all the time unexpectedly] (Olivia) She picked up her basket of grapes again.
[Besides....] (Olivia) She grinned mischievously.
[You turned away pretty fast] (Olivia)
Well...my survival instincts were excellent.
We both started laughing. And-just like that, the awkwardness disappeared. Maybe moving to the countryside was going to be interesting after all.