Chapter 30
A Countryside Couple - Good Morning
"Mmm~ I slept so well... mmm~—so comfortable!"
At six o'clock in the morning, the morning light shone directly on Xia Ming's face through the window, and the warm feeling instantly woke him from his deep sleep in bed.
But when he woke up, he found himself not in his little apartment, and his brain, which had been taken for maintenance, took a few seconds to reboot.
"Ah, I remember now, last night I found people to help me block the evacuation point... Ugh, I'm no longer single!"
But where did Sophia go? I can't possibly have kicked her to the ground because of my bad sleeping posture last night, can I?
No way... right?
Xia Ming started looking left and right, then pulled back the covers to search for Sophia.
Click~
Good morning, Xia Ming.
The door opened, and Sophia came in and greeted them. Seeing Xia Ming's dazed expression, she covered her mouth and chuckled.
"Alright, get up quickly. I made fresh, nutritious eggs and hot Moo Moo milk. Hmm, and a plate of large Marasada mixed with sweet strawberry jam."
"Hehe, please excuse my poor attempt..."
Xia Ming scratched the back of his head sheepishly. He did look a bit dazed and silly as he searched for Sophia.
However, this silliness was quickly overshadowed by the news that it was time for breakfast. As he watched Sophia leave in her apron, he suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
The feeling was faint, but it didn't dissipate when Xia Ming changed out of his pajamas, put on his own clothes, and went to the small kitchen table to eat.
"Yukichi Yukichi~"
Larvitar and Rockruff sat together on the sofa watching the latest Pokémon anime. In front of the two little guys was a small table with breakfast carefully prepared by Sofia.
Xia Ming glanced at it; the anime seemed to be called "Super Pokémon Team"?
"Yo~"
"Young Yoshi!"
Watching TV while eating is a very happy thing for children, and the same goes for young Pokémon.
Smiling and shaking his head, Xia Ming didn't want to lecture them about "not being able to eat while watching TV" when they were happiest. He'd wait until Young Gilas finished eating before saying anything.
"Try it, this is the last of our 'Lucky Egg' nutritional eggs. We still need to go to town to buy more this afternoon."
As she spoke, Sophia untied her apron and sat down next to Xia Ming, picking up a knife and fork and splitting the egg, which was the size of an adult's fist, in two.
"Let me tell you, the best way to eat a nutritious egg is to cut it open, spread some sauce on it, then eat a bite of egg followed by a bite of freshly baked bread, and finally drink a sip of warm milk~"
As soon as she finished speaking, Sophia showed Xia Ming the egg, picked up a plate of strawberry jam and spread it evenly on the cut surface of the egg with a knife. The thick yolk and the pure white instantly turned red.
She reached out and picked up the nutritious egg, opened her cherry-like mouth and took a big bite, while with her other hand she picked up a slice of large marasada bread and stuffed it into her mouth as well.
"Hmm~"
Chew, chew~
Sofia wore a happy expression, and after finishing her bite, she picked up the cup beside her and poured herself a mouthful of hot, fresh milk.
"Ah~ This is so delicious! Come here, Xia Ming, I'll teach you how."
As she spoke, Sophia stood up and came behind Xia Ming as if teaching a baby how to eat, holding his hand and manipulating it.
After spreading strawberry jam, I picked up the nutritious egg and bread, feeding him bite by bite.
Finally, as Xia Ming chewed and swallowed, she sat back down, picked up the hot milk with both hands, and brought it to his lips.
It wasn't until this moment that Xia Ming suddenly realized what that feeling he had just experienced was.
With his eyes half-closed, he savored the hot milk that Sophia fed him, enveloped in a feeling of pure bliss.
This feeling... this feeling!
Sofia is a woman who could be my mother!
………………
Breakfast ended quickly, so quickly that Xia Ming was somewhat reluctant to leave.
After breakfast, the farmers' daily routine was just beginning, and Xia Ming quickly realized just how hard Sophia had worked in the past two years.
"This is the food list I need to prepare for the Pokémon today, and I also need to prepare some berries to feed the wild Pokémon."
"I'm sorry, Xia Ming, but please help me. The harvest season for Blackberries is coming soon, and I need to check on their condition myself before I can have the Pokémon make appropriate adjustments."
"These grapevines grew crookedly, and pruning these parts will ensure that the surrounding grapes receive sufficient nutrients."
"Lizard King, you absolutely cannot skip your workout routine; Miss Joey has repeatedly told you so!"
"Phew, the inspection is finally over. The aged wine in the cellar brings in a lot of profit every quarter, but I think I'll need to ask Miss Robin to make some new aging barrels soon."
From preparing meals for the Pokémon all day long to taking care of the crops, and then giving instructions to some "problem" Pokémon on the farm.
After all that's done, the wine barrels in the basement cellar also need careful care and inspection to ensure that they won't be unsellable next year, preventing them from raising enough to support the entire farm.
And that's not all. Every quarter there are always a few extra things that need to be done, and all of these things fall on the shoulders of a sixteen-year-old girl.
She could actually live comfortably off the inheritance left by her parents, and it wouldn't be difficult for her to raise an old Sceptile that no longer battles and two or three Pokémon as family members.
But Sofia is undoubtedly kind.
Blue Moon Blackberry Vineyard sustains many Pokémon, allowing them to escape the harsh competition and hunger of the wild. Some Pokémon from the surrounding area who cannot find food also come here to forage and help.
For example, a group of foam squirrels would help Sofia clean the house; their fastidious nature makes them the best cleaners.
Some Grass-type Pokémon will also help harvest the ripe fruit.
This mutually supportive relationship began when the farm on the cliff was first established, and Sofia instinctively didn't want this bond to break, especially since she had been familiar with many of the Pokémon in the area since she was a child.
The Pokémon raised on the farm for work are the result of the elders' hard work, and abandoning them rashly may not be a good choice. No one can predict what their future will hold.
These events reminded Xia Ming of his father in this life.
Without a doubt, he made a different choice. "Sophia" had no one to take over the farm, which meant that Xia Ming's grandfather had to gradually dismiss the old workers.
Perhaps some of Xia Ming's familiar Pokémon will return in the future, but everything will be completely different by then.
"Thank you, Xia Ming. If it weren't for your help, I probably would have been busy until the afternoon."
"It's alright, it's just some small thing I can do. Besides, I've learned a lot from you."
In terms of experience as a farmer, Sofia was undoubtedly a veteran.
She taught Xia Ming almost everything during the morning, which not only benefited Xia Ming greatly but also allowed him to gain some practical experience.