After cutting down the unproductive trees and properly pruning the rest, the entire tangerine grove was instantly refreshed. Just looking at it felt much more pleasing.
The next day—
Nami and Nojiko came along with Bell-mère to help.
Meanwhile, Arashi's next task was to graft the pruned trees.
"Mr. Arashi, if you cut down so many trees, won't it take a long time for them to bear fruit again?"
"Mr. Arashi, will tangerines really grow like this?"
"Mr. Arashi…"
Nami was clearly more of a distraction than help. Following Arashi around nonstop, she bombarded him with questions like a curious little sparrow.
Of course, having such a lively "little bell" around while working in the orchard wasn't a bad experience. Arashi answered patiently, giving clear explanations to every question she asked.
Not far away, Bell-mère worked while occasionally stealing glances at Arashi.
Every time she saw him working seriously, smiling gently as he patiently answered Nami's endless questions, she felt a strange illusion arise.
It felt as though—
They were a family.
The husband on one side, the wife on the other, with two adorable daughters in front…
What a warm and beautiful picture.
"Bell-mère, aren't you all done yet?"
Startled by a sudden voice from behind, Bell-mère snapped out of her daze.
Turning around, she saw it was a villager she knew and smiled awkwardly. "Huh? It's still early—still early!"
"You really are a wonderful family."
"Well then, I won't disturb your family of four. See you!"
"A—a family of four?"
Though the words warmed her heart, Bell-mère quickly protested aloud, "Hey, don't talk nonsense! That's disrespectful to Mr. Arashi."
"Haha, stop denying it, Bell-mère. Can't you tell? The reason Mr. Arashi chose your grove isn't really about the tangerines."
"N-not really about the tangerines?"
Bell-mère's heart skipped a beat. Nervously, she glanced toward Arashi.
Seeing him being chased around by Nami and Nojiko, her tension eased, and she let out a soft, silent laugh.
If that were true… that would actually be nice.
Wait, what am I even thinking?!
Realizing her thoughts had gone astray, Bell-mère quickly shook her head, blushing, and grabbed a machete—venting her embarrassment by chopping at a branch furiously.
Finally, Arashi finished the grafting work.
After grafting the last tree, he stepped back, took off his straw hat, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Nami, Nojiko—time to wrap up."
"Yay!"
The moment Nami heard those words, she jumped up excitedly. "Mr. Arashi!!! Does that mean you're going to teach me navigation now?!"
"Of course."
"Wow, I'm so excited!"
Nami raised her little face, full of anticipation. "Mr. Arashi, when I grow up, I want to become someone as amazing as you!"
"But… I'm afraid I might be too dumb to learn…"
"Why worry about that?"
Arashi gently patted her head. "As long as you try your best, even if you don't succeed, you won't have any regrets."
"More importantly, don't worry too much about an uncertain future. Focus on doing your best in the present."
"Mm-hmm! I'll definitely work hard!"
Seeing Nami's determined expression, Arashi smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's head back—time to eat!"
…
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.
During these ten days, word spread throughout the village that Arashi not only knew how to plant and graft tangerine trees but also possessed a wide range of agricultural knowledge.
Soon, villagers began coming to him every day for help.
Since Arashi was enjoying the work, he didn't refuse.
But as more and more people came, he found himself overwhelmed. So he gathered the villagers and held several "farming workshops," teaching them everything he knew.
Thus, a full-scale agricultural transformation began in Cocoyasi Village.
With Arashi's techniques, the villagers no longer limited themselves to tangerines. Any fruits or vegetables suited to the land—everything was cultivated.
At last, Arashi could focus on teaching Nami navigation.
Time passed quietly.
Soon, the tangerine harvest season arrived.
With the villagers voluntarily helping, Arashi harvested nearly 3,000 jin of tangerines.
Now came the real problem—
Selling them.
In the past, villagers either sold their produce at local markets or waited for merchants from other regions to come and purchase in bulk.
But this year, due to favorable weather everywhere, many merchants who usually came to Cocoyasi Village never showed up.
Without buyers, the villagers could only sigh helplessly.
And with pirates rampant at sea, they didn't dare transport the tangerines themselves.
If they were lucky and avoided pirates, they might get a good price.
But if they weren't—
It wouldn't just be about losing the tangerines.
It would be about whether they could even make it back alive.
Extra chapters are already prepared… waiting to be unleashed.
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