A Single Mother's Farm of the Gods
Chapter 78: Fruit Sapling

Chapter 78: Fruit Sapling

After Troy gave the warning, he returned home to prepare some things that Elaina might need in case things took a turn for the worse. Princess Margaux also seemed to be determined to help Elaina as well after the revelations that she heard from both of them even though Elaina omitted a lot of stuff that she deemed not that appropriate for the young mind of Princess Margaux. For her, she should be the only one who knows how bad the treatment she got back then even with the protection from her brother.

Still, Elaina can understand her sentiments and she appreciates the concern over them and our experience. She didn’t want to remember it but anyone should know what kind of experience they experienced when they were still kids. It might not be traumatizing now that they are adults, but back when they were still kids and were still learning the ways of the world, those events left a big scar in their lives that will no longer be erased or forgotten by the passage of time as it is now ingrained to ourselves.

Elaina knew that her parents would soon be coming but she had no idea when will they come. So until the time they arrive, she will continue to live her life to the fullest.

"[Having experienced those events in your lives still has meaning. Despite the scars it left on you, you all grew up strong and independent. You all didn’t drown and get dragged by the despair that the tragedies brought to your lives and instead used it as fuel to build yourselves and be what you are now today. Those experiences might be bad, but due to those things, you all are now able to endure similar things that might come in your life.]" The god of farming consoled Elaina.

"I didn’t know you were back now. I heard you are quite busy, especially with the new additions to the almanac which is why you have barely any time to ask about some things. Also thanks for the word of encouragement. Yeah, I know. But it didn’t help much before which is why I sometimes asked why this is happening to us. But still, I can tell that you guys are not the ones who intentionally did this, right?"

"[We are just mere observers that cannot intervene with the affairs of the world. Because if we decided to interfere in things like this, human tenacity would just keep on relying on the power of the gods and the hopes that we would suddenly appear in times of need. It might be cruel but that is how it is and it continues to work. As for not communicating for a while, yes, I apologize, it was a very sudden meeting so I didn’t get to have a proper reminder about the matter. We needed a few bits of stuff to be done as well on our end so it took some time as well.]"

Elaina can only shrug. If unfortunate things just keep on happening and the gods interfere, the humans will have no way to grow as they will just keep on relying on the work of the gods and interventions that they will do to survive an ordeal. If she was rescued back when she was experiencing the ordeal, she might not have the same attitude as today and she might be too over-reliant on the gods to save her in the process and she thinks that it is indeed pretty lame.

"[Anyways, enough of that. Congratulations on reaching your first summer as a farmer, Elaina. As a celebration, I will be giving you one sapling of a tree that you can grow. As for its fruit-bearing season, it bears fruit all year round so you don’t have to worry about it being a seasonal fruit tree.]"

Elaina’s eyes lit up hearing this. Fruit trees are one of the targets that Elaina plans to get once she gets proper funds. Because fruit saplings are expensive, she needed to have enough money to buy one. Considering that they grow into trees, they are considered one of the luxury items that farmers can buy in the market. Elaina can only shake her head at having this kind of stuff as a luxury. But she does agree that having fruit trees is much less of a hassle compared to crops and fruit crops.

Compared to normal crops, Fruit Trees take time to grow from saplings to full-grown trees. Although it takes a while to mature and grow, fruit trees give more benefits in the long run due to how they grow fruit during their fruit season while remaining active passively while not in season. Not only do the fruit trees not need to be cut off after their seasons pass by, but the more mature the fruit trees become, the more fruits they bear as well.

"Does the claiming process still work the same as before?" Elaina asked.

"[Yes, just like before. You know the drill.]"

"I will claim it later then. For now, I will sow these seeds and start growing them. Can’t delay them any further."

Elaina returns to the area where she asks the Feys to do the job. Arriving in the area, the Feys have already done what they were told to and are now tidying the field by picking up the remaining weeds that Elaina had not pulled or cut off from earlier. Elaina sampled the soil and they are looking good so far. The soil from before is properly mixed with the soil down under, mixing both soils and keeping it fertile.

"Good job guys. Once you are done with that, you guys can go ahead and rest. I will take things from here now."

The four nodded and after they had finished everything, they returned to their home to have a good rest. After all, it is draining to continue working under the heat of the summer sun. As for Elaina, she looked around the field for a while before she grabbed the bag of seeds in her little belt bag and sowed the seeds one by one to the plot of tilled land. She made sure to categorize which areas are growing to ensure that they are uniformly growing in their designated areas as well.

Sowing is easy, but she didn’t do it haphazardly. She put every seed carefully into the soil, deep enough for the seeds to be hidden in the soil while also still easy for the seed to sprout and break through the soil without difficulty. That way, they will grow properly while also protected from different kinds of elements that might become a burden to the crops.

It took some time but it was worth doing so. Elaina wipes off the sweat trickling down her forehead after a job well done. There are still plenty of seeds in the seed bag after she sowed a lot but she will not use them all right now. She will have to wait and see for now and see the development.

Now that the seeds were sowed, she grabbed the watering can, and one by one, she watered the plants using the water from the spring. Blessed with the power of the Harvest Goddess residing in the spring, this will give an extra edge to the growth of the plants as well. Of course, that depends on how they grow properly.

"[Well done, Elaina. With the plants now starting their development phase, isn’t it time for you to also start befriending the neighbors as well?]" the god of farming suggested.

"I have a few friends already from my neighbors though?" Elaina frowned.

"[No. That’s not what I meant. What I mean is that you befriend more than just what you have right now. Like the doctor in the clinic. The farmer who deals with livestock. The fisherman by the beach and many other neighbors in this town. Perhaps even the princess who was living nearby might also be a good candidate as well.]"

"Eh? Why this sudden urge for me to befriend other people?" Elaina frowned.

"[Now that I have a full understanding of your current situation, having friendships with your neighbors would make you forge long-lasting friendships and partnerships with them. Having friendship connections is something you need for a business, no? They might also be able to aid you on some problems you have as well, like for example on the matter with your parents.]"

Elaina had this idea since the very beginning but because work has been plaguing her for quite some time, she doesn’t have time to go to town and hang out with her neighbors. Which limits her from a few numbers of neighbors she has right now. It is also a good idea to forge connections as well as this will eventually become a useful asset for her once she starts some business involving crops in the future.

Before, it would have been impossible as she would have barely any time to have some proper rest. But now that she has the Fey to work on the farm, she will gain an extra time for herself that she can use to befriend the townsfolk. She didn’t realize it until the god has reminded her to do it.

"Thanks for the reminder. You are right if I got the right connections, I might even have a good chance on dealing a blow on my parents on whatever they might be planning in the future."