Chapter 1: Departure to Jiancheng Farm [Dear Grandson: ...

Dear Grandson:

If you are reading this letter, it means that you must have gone through a very difficult period and are looking forward to a new turn of events.

A long time ago, I was in the same situation. At that time, I ignored the most important things in life...that is, the connection between people and nature. So I gave up everything and came to the place where I truly belong.

I placed the deed to the land in the envelope... There lies my pride, the ***(unstable signal) Farm, located in the star**(unstable signal) Miyagi*, in the south***(unstable signal) Sendai**. It will be the perfect place for you to start a new life.

This is my most precious gift, and now it's yours! I know you'll bring honor to our family, my dear grandson. I wish you the best of luck.

Love you, Grandfather]

"By the way, if 'Lewis' were still alive, would you please give the old guy my regards? Okay?" (Note 1)

After reading the last sentence, he folded the envelope and put it in the school bag he was carrying.

He was the only one on the entire bus. From the reflection in the window glass, one could tell that he was a young boy, about 15 or 16 years old. His hair was a strange dark blue color and his face was a little pale, but his features were delicate, or so perfect that they seemed unreal. He was observing his palm at the moment, seemingly finding it very strange, but he put it down after only a few seconds.

The surrounding scenery kept receding and changing, finally stopping at the bus stop.

"Star$#%*Palace#@$, here we are."

A strange electronic sound rang out. After hearing the announcement, he picked up the schoolbag beside him and got off the bus.

Someone was already waiting for him outside.

…

"Mom," the orange-haired boy had been waiting here for a while, and seemed to have been patient for a long time before asking this question, "Who are we waiting for here?"

This is a bus stop that has been abandoned for a long time. If his mother hadn't brought him here, he would probably never have known about this place. Hinata Shoyo looked around and finally couldn't help but complain in his heart, is there really a bus coming here?

But my mother seemed confident.

The woman he called "Mom" had long orange hair (Note 3), which was now tied into a bun on her head. Her face was gentle. "She's the child of someone Mom knows."

Just as he finished speaking, he saw a strange blue-painted bus rushing towards him, raising a cloud of dust.

Hinata:...?

Where did this car come from?!

Hinata Shoyo opened his eyes wide, unable to believe what he had missed. No, what was going on?

But the next moment he stopped thinking about this problem, because the door of the bus was opened, and a young man holding a schoolbag came down. He looked left and right, and finally seemed to be sure that the two people in front of him were there to greet him, and he walked over with strange steps.

Walking so fast! Hinata sighed at first, then realized something was wrong, "Mom," he tugged at the sleeve of the woman next to him, his voice full of confusion, "Why is he holding his schoolbag above his head...?"

And it was held up vertically, which looked abnormal no matter how you looked at it. This was the first time that the little orange-headed boy in the third grade of junior high school had seen such a scene in all his years.

But his mother didn't answer. Instead, she walked over to the strange boy and said, "Hello, you must be Shinichi." Her tone was gentle. "I'm Hinata Miwa, the carpenter here. Coach Washi Takumi sent me to take you to your new home. He's already there helping you clean the house."

Hinata Shoyo:?

What carpenter? And what coach?

Mom! Something is seriously wrong!

"The farm is nearby, come with me." Hinata Miwa touched her son's head and led him forward. "This is my son, Xiangyang," she said with a smile. "Xiangyang, you must get along well with your brother."

Hinata, who hadn't reacted yet, subconsciously agreed when she heard her name, "Okay!"

No, then the little orange-headed boy reacted and wanted to ask his mother when she became a carpenter, but he stopped the next second.

He opened his mouth wide, looking at the house in front of him a little stupidly. If he remembered correctly, there was no place like this here before! And there was a large piece of land. Although there were many stones and weeds on it, you could vaguely see what it looked like in its heyday.

There actually is a farm! Hinata Shoyo was stunned.

In a place like Japan where natural resources are scarce, only wealthy families can own such a large farm, even in Miyagi Prefecture. Hinata searched his memories of the past 15 years and found that he had no recollection of such a thing existing next to his home.

He quickly took out his cell phone and sent a message to his friend.

[This is terrible! Okay! Big news! A strange farm has appeared next to my house!]

[MC:? Farm?]

The message was replied quickly.

[MC: Is that the 'Turugi Volleyball Farm'? It's been abandoned for ages, so why did you suddenly want to go there?]

Hinata Shoyo's questions today seemed to exceed those of the past decade or so. How come he didn't know there was a farm here? And wasn't Turugi the name of that strange older brother... Wait, volleyball? So, was this person holding a schoolbag also a volleyball player?

Hinata's eyes immediately lit up like a puppy's, and she stared at the boy in front of her. A high school farmer who could play volleyball! So cool!

He almost immediately forgot his doubts.

My mind and eyes are filled with thoughts of asking him if he wants to play volleyball later.

But before Hinata could talk to anyone, she saw an old man walking out of the wooden house. He was hunched over, with no expression on his face. When he saw the dark blue-haired boy, he snorted heavily and said, "You must be Jiancheng."

It looks so fierce, Hinata sighed while hiding behind her mother, and then began to observe the reaction of the boy named "Kenjo".

His face was expressionless and his mouth was not open.

The atmosphere was so awkward, Hinata thought, but who knew that the two adults seemed to think this was normal and continued talking to themselves.

"This is a very interesting farm. Your grandfather once built a glorious business," Coach Eagle said. "And the cabin is quite nice, too."

Hinata Miwa: "Rather than being interesting, I think it's more like 'stubborn'."

Coach Jijiang: "Don't listen to her. She just wants you to go to her and buy the house upgrade service." (Note 2)

Hinata Shoyo was confused. He understood every word about glory and house upgrade, but he didn't understand how they were put together.

But the boy still didn't speak, and seemed, seemed to be staring at him?

Hinata Shoyo was a little confused. Is there something strange on his face?

…

…

…

Why is the plant marked as an orange tree a human? The player blew bubbles with an expressionless face.

Very good. According to the Stardew Valley guide on the forum, as a player, he couldn't stand the boring life day after day so he ran away from Joja, and then came to Stardew Valley to inherit his grandfather's farm. At first, the player didn't feel anything wrong. When the bus started, he noticed that his hands seemed to have become smaller. The player thought it was just an illusion, but after a while he found that his height seemed to have shrunk as well.

Player: ...

Something is not right.

The player thought that when he saw the carpenter marked as Robin with a big bracket on his head and a strange name "Hinata Miwa" in it, he didn't look like a foreigner at all.

The player tried to resist, and then saw an orange-haired boy with an orange tree on his head.

Player: ...

Player:?

The player failed miserably in maintaining composure.

Orange hair doesn't mean he's orange! This is ridiculous!

Is he going to plant this human in the soil?!

So the player didn't listen to the NPC's conversation at all, and stared at the orange tree intently, trying to find evidence that the other party was not human.

Of course, he failed. He poked for a long time and found that it was indeed a person.

So the player began to think about the possibility of planting this person in the soil.

A free orange tree at the start? Really?

…

"Hey, Xiao Xiang," Hinata Miwa smiled, "Brother really likes you. Do you want to stay and play later?"

Coach Jijiang checked his watch. "It's almost time. One last thing. If you have anything you want to sell, just leave it in the box at the door. I'll come pick it up tonight."

After the old man finished speaking, he was about to leave. Before leaving, he said, "Don't forget that Shiratorizawa's entrance ceremony is tomorrow." Then he hurried away.

Hinata Miwa patted her son's shoulder and gently reminded him, "Remember to come home for dinner tonight, Xiaoxiang." Then she turned around and went home.

Hinata Shoyo subconsciously agreed to his mother again, and then the boy pinched his cheek again.

When I looked closer, I found that this strange boy had a pair of beautiful green eyes, a high nose bridge, and fair skin, but the words he said were incomprehensible.

"Orange tree?"

A doubtful tone.

Hinata Shoyo looked around and asked, "Where are the orange trees?"

Then, as if he had thought of something, he pointed at himself hesitantly, "...Me?"

The player nodded.

Hinata Shoyo: ...

He actually became an orange tree.

But after a while, the boy in front of him stopped poking him, rolled up his sleeves and started... digging?

No, it's a bit strange to say that he was digging. He seemed to be cultivating farmland. However, he changed tools so quickly, sometimes a pickaxe, sometimes a hoe, and sometimes a sickle, switching back and forth. Hinata Shoyang was dazzled.

After a while, the weeds and stones on the farm in front of him were almost cleared, and then the boy walked towards him.

"You want my help, huh?" The question turned into shock before it was even finished.

Because he lifted him up!

Yes, it's lifted!

Hinata Shoyo: ???

How can this not look right?!

Then, before he could struggle to jump down, he found that the strange boy had put him in the soil.

He was muttering something like "There's nothing around".

Hinata was completely confused. "What do you mean by 'nothing'... No! I'm not a plant!"

Hinata Shoyo encounters a major disaster in his life.

The author has something to say:

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Note 1, Note 2: Stardew Valley begins the plot

Note 3: Someone reminded me that the mother has black hair, but after some consideration, I wanted to match the NPC Robin, so I marked this as well.