Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

uh~

Instantly, a bitter taste filled Qianhu's mouth and took over her taste buds.

Ugh! It's so bitter!

Qianhu, still a child, had never tasted anything like this before. He opened his mouth wide and spat out the small black lump.

Wiping his mouth, Qianhu looked at the remaining small black blocks on the table with fear on his face.

At that moment, a warm, large hand gently rested on her head.

"grandfather!"

Qianhu turned around and hugged the old man behind him around the waist.

"Xiaoqian, dark chocolate isn't something you can eat right now. I have other sweet chocolates here, would you like some?"

Distant memories gradually unfolded, and faded old photographs, their authenticity indistinguishable from reality, floated in and out of my mind...

"Black squares? Are they the roots and stems that have been dyed black?"

Yuri's voice interrupted Chito's reverie.

"No, chocolate has a glossy and smooth surface, unlike the root."

"Ugh~ You're so cunning! Why does Chihiro know what chocolate looks like, but I don't?"

Yuri rolled around in the vehicle, causing the half-track motorcycle to shake.

"Hey~ stop fooling around, Yu."

Qianhu, gripping the steering wheel, sighed helplessly...

---------------

"One, two, three... eight, huh?"

With her head down, Reimu Hakurei stretched out her fingers and counted the watermelons on the shopping cart over and over again, but she stopped counting every time she reached eight.

Finally realizing that she hadn't miscounted, and that there really were only eight watermelons, Reimu Hakurei stood with her hands on her hips and glared at Zeya Akina with dissatisfaction.

"Why are there only eight? There are two more!"

"Let me explain first."

Sitting under the eaves, Akina Zeya wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead and said...

"Did you know there were other shrine maidens in Gensokyo?"

Akina Sawa also carefully observed Reimu Hakurei's expression and cautiously inquired.

"I know, and that guy even dared to steal my offerings!"

As expected, a brief expression of anger appeared on Reimu Hakurei's face.

Seeing the expression on Reimu Hakurei's face, Akina Sawa subconsciously tightened his grip on the wallet in his arms.

This includes the money the witch used to buy watermelons.

"You mean, that guy Sanae Kochiya stole your watermelon?"

Reimu Hakurei rubbed her fists together, and judging from the upturned corners of her mouth, it wasn't hard to tell that she had wanted to have a fight for a long time, and this was a perfect excuse for it.

Thinking back to how Reisen and Youmu fought fiercely over a watermelon, from the sky to the ground, it shouldn't be too much for me to demolish the Moriya Shrine for two watermelons, right?

Seeing the shrine maiden's upturned lips, Akina Ze instinctively shuddered.

If we don't stop her, something bad will definitely happen!

Akina Sawa immediately took out his wallet.

I originally intended to embezzle it, but it seems that's no longer possible.

Akina Sawa also shook his head, glanced at it, and said to Hakurei Reimu, who had been staring at the wallet ever since he took it out.

"This is the money the priestess of Dongfeng Valley left behind to buy watermelons."

"Oh? Is that so? Let me see it."

Although Reimu Hakurei pretended to be nonchalant, her eyes were fixed intently on her wallet. She's not being honest at all.

Here, continue.

After saying that, Akina Ze tossed the heavy wallet in his hand over.

The wallet traced a parabolic trajectory in the air, but Reimu Hakurei swiftly interrupted its graceful arc and snatched it into her arms.

"Cough cough~"

Seemingly noticing Akina Sawa's gaze, Reimu Hakurei coughed awkwardly twice...

"Reimu~"

Just then, along with the sound, a gust of wind blew across the field, causing the ribbon in Reimu Hakurei's hair to sway in the wind.

Upon hearing that energetic voice, Akina Sawa and Hakurei Reimu knew who had arrived.

Sure enough, a figure hopped into the hall. Wearing a pointed shrine maiden hat, black and white clothes, and with beautiful blonde hair, the newcomer was none other than Kirisame Marisa.

"Eh? Master Akina is here too!"

As soon as Marisa entered the hall, she saw Akina Zeya sitting to the side.

Akina Ze nodded and smiled awkwardly in response.

He hadn't seen Marisa since she got food poisoning at home.

However, it seems that Marisa doesn't care about that matter, because she has already hopped and skipped to sit next to Akina Sawaya.

"Master Akina, is there something you need from the shrine?"

After taking her seat, Marisa asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm here to deliver watermelons to Reimu."

"watermelon!"

Upon hearing the word "watermelon" from Akina Zeya, Marisa suddenly became excited, her eyes darting around as if trying to find where the watermelon was.

Marisa quickly found the watermelon placed in the shopping cart.

Marisa stood up, intending to grab the watermelon, but after taking a few steps, she seemed to remember something and sat back down.

"Hey~ Master Akina, can I have some watermelon? Please~"

Marisa stood there with her hands clasped together, her head tilted to the side, looking pitiful.

Akina Sawa immediately wanted to agree, but he held back, because he had already given away the watermelon and it shouldn't be up to him to decide.

"Go ask Reimu, these watermelons belong to her."

Akina Ze also tried not to look at Marisa in front of him as he spoke.

After hearing that these watermelons were arranged by Reimu Hakurei.

Marisa decisively turned her head and launched an attack on Reimu Hakurei, who was calmly drinking tea to the side.

Seeing Marisa decisively abandon him and turn to Reimu Hakurei, Akina Zeya's lips twitched involuntarily. He picked up a cup of tea without tea leaves from the table and began to drink it.

Just then, Akina Sawa, who was admiring Marisa's shamelessness, felt a vibration in his pocket. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper...

Chapter Thirty-Five: Eating Watermelon in Summer

"Reimu, do you know where I can buy chocolate in Gensokyo?"

Akina Sawa unfolded the small piece of paper in his hand, on which were written some black square characters.

The words written on this small note were his next task, but Akina Sawa hadn't seen any chocolate in the Human Village for a long time.

How do I find chocolate? What if there isn't any in Gensokyo?

Thinking of this, Akina Zeya couldn't help but frown.

"Huh? You're asking me something like this?"

Reimu Hakurei, struggling to turn her head from Marisa's onslaught, retorted.

At this moment, Reimu Hakurei held her teacup high to prevent Marisa from bumping into it. As a master of thrift, Reimu wouldn't ignore a cup just because it only contained a few tea leaves.

To save money, one must save from every angle. This is the experience that Reimu Hakurei has gained from living a hard life in Gensokyo for so long.

In the entire Gensokyo, apart from a certain god of poverty, this shrine maiden has the most experience.

"Chocolate? I think I've heard Rinnosuke mention something delicious about it."

Marisa, who was tightly hugging Reimu's waist with both hands, turned her head and said.

"But now we have to get Reimu to hand over her watermelon. Hehe, how can we not serve our guests? Don't you think so, Reimu?" Marisa Kirisame chuckled and stretched out her hands.

"Seriously! I only have a few watermelons, and Mr. Akina sitting over there is a farmer. Why didn't he go to him and ask me for some? What's with him?!"

Reimu Hakurei pushed Marisa away as she tried to hug her.

She was very distressed, because it seemed that Marisa was determined to take the watermelon she had just gotten her hands on.

This guy is usually nowhere to be seen and never brings anything to the shrine, but the moment she has something, he appears immediately. Reimu Hakurei strongly suspects that Marisa has done something to the shrine!

"Well, isn't this only available here right now? Look at that big watermelon, it's so big and so green, don't you want to eat it?" Marisa said in a tempting tone.

Provoked by Marisa's words, Reimu Hakurei looked at the large, emerald-green watermelon that was still placed in the shopping cart, shimmering in the sunlight, and subconsciously swallowed.

"Fine, I give up."

Reimu Hakurei withdrew her gaze from the watermelon and glared at Marisa, who had a perfectly calculated look on her face.

"Yay! Time to eat watermelon!"

After seeing that Reimu Hakurei had agreed, Marisa happily jumped up from the floor and walked towards the stroller.

"Let me see if this melon is ripe."

Marisa, like a seasoned veteran, solemnly extended two fingers and tapped the surface of each watermelon a few times. Then, she listened attentively, and when she noticed that someone was looking at her, she even nodded.

A very professional demeanor.

"Hey, Marisa, stop pretending. You don't even know how to read a watermelon, do you?"

With her arms crossed, Reimu Hakurei mercilessly exposed Marisa's deception.

"Hehe, don't say that. I've watched how other people buy watermelons several times."

Marisa, caught red-handed, scratched the back of her head and stuck her pink tongue to the corner of her mouth, trying to forcefully deceive everyone with her cuteness.

"Great, this is it."

As she spoke, Marisa took a large watermelon out of the shopping cart.

Looking at Marisa's expression as she held the watermelon tightly in her arms, one could tell that the watermelon was very heavy and full of sweet flesh.

boom!

Marisa carefully carried the large watermelon and placed it on the table, taking a few steps at a time. As Marisa withdrew her strength, the watermelon slammed heavily onto the table.

"lighter!"

Reimu touched the table in front of her with a pained expression.

This is one of the shrine's few treasures, and if it gets damaged... Reimu glanced at Marisa, whose attention was completely focused on the watermelon, and her eyes turned unfriendly.

Akina Ze, who had been completely oblivious to the situation, awkwardly touched his nose. Two young girls were sharing watermelon, and it wasn't right for an old man like me to stay here any longer.

Akina Ze was also a little uneasy. Now that the watermelon had been delivered and the clue about the chocolate had been found, it was time for him to leave.

"Come and have some watermelon. It's so hot outside, you must be exhausted from bringing it over."

Just as Akina Sawa was about to leave, a thick slice of watermelon was handed to him.

Looking up along the watermelon, I saw Reimu standing in front of me; that watermelon was the one she had given me.

Akina Sawa glanced at Reimu, then at Marisa who was quickly munching on a watermelon, smiled, and reached out to take the watermelon from Reimu's hand.

Looking at the big, bright red watermelon in front of him, Akina Ze suddenly remembered something.

I haven't even tasted the watermelons I grew myself yet...

Amidst the cacophony of cicadas in summer.