The world of stardew valley.
The sun was high in the sky.
It was already approaching noon.
A graceful figure was seen struggling through the overgrown wasteland, her sleeves and pant legs rolled up, a scythe in hand, harvesting patches of weeds.
Liu Shiwan was panting continuously, her clothes soaked with sweat, and her beautiful face was already covered in dust and dirt.
As time passed little by little.
The long hours of labor left her exhausted, and with it came a feeling of hunger.
"Shiwan, still working? The mayor is really something, giving you such heavy work on your very first day. Come up and rest for a bit!"
Not far away, Robin was seen walking quickly towards her, carrying a wooden basket.
"Sister Robin, is something wrong?"
"I thought you must be hungry, so I brought you some homemade apple pie I made. Hurry and eat it while it's warm!"
The moment Robin lifted the cloth covering the basket, a rich aroma wafted out.
It was a mixed scent of butter and apples, with a golden-brown exterior and a vibrant, delicious filling that made one's mouth water just by looking at it.
"Thank you, Sister Robin!"
Liu Shiwan was already hungry, and seeing such tempting food, she couldn't care less about being reserved. She quickly picked up a piece and began to taste it.
"Crunch!"
Taking a bite.
She felt the pie crust was crispy, the filling rich, and an indescribable sense of satisfaction spread from her mouth throughout her entire body.
"Delicious!"
The warm and mellow taste, the sweet and fragrant flavor, the soft and fluffy texture—taking a bite further increased her appetite, and she continued to eat large mouthfuls, simply unable to stop.
Even the dining etiquette she had been taught daily was completely forgotten at this moment.
Until the basket was completely empty, Liu Shiwan still felt a little unsatisfied.
"It's really too delicious!"
Liu Shiwan said sincerely, yet she also asked curiously, "Sister Robin, what kind of dish is this? It looks a bit like a pie, but it's so much better than any pie I know!"
"Apple pie is a type of pie, I suppose, but this should be a very common food. What, have you really never eaten it before?"
"No!"
Liu Shiwan shook her head and asked again, "Then what ingredients is this apple pie made from?"
"The main ingredients are, of course, apples and flour, and butter. Oh, and I like to add a bit of cinnamon and rum myself!"
"Apples? Flour?" Liu Shiwan couldn't help but lower her head in thought upon hearing this.
Liu Shiwan's culinary skills had also been professionally trained, and she had a deep understanding and research of dishes and ingredients from various regions, even some rare ones.
However, she couldn't recall any of the ingredients Robin mentioned.
"Oh, what am I thinking!"
"This isn't the real world!"
It wasn't until a while later that Liu Shiwan realized she had almost forgotten that she was in a game.
And upon realizing this, for some reason, a special feeling for this world slowly began to grow in her heart.
"Yes, and they're all made with fresh ingredients grown locally in our Stardew Valley. The taste is definitely different from what you'd find outside. If you're interested, you can try growing them yourself later!"
"I can grow these ingredients myself?" Liu Shiwan's eyes lit up, and she became interested, as she wanted to try cooking with such delicious ingredients herself.
"Mm, if you want to buy seeds, you can go to Pierre's general store in town. You can buy almost any kind of seed there."
Robin suddenly smiled and suggested, "Oh, right, since it's your first day here, you must be quite unfamiliar with the place. How about I take you out for a walk first to get acquainted with the area? How does that sound?"
Liu Shiwan was a little tempted: "But the task the mayor gave me isn't finished yet..."
"It's fine, you can do it after we're done walking around, it's the same."
"Alright then!"
And so, Liu Shiwan, led by Robin, began to explore Stardew Valley.
In another ranch not far from the farm, they met Aunt Marnie: "You must be the new resident, Liu Shiwan, right? I'm the owner of this ranch. If you want to raise livestock and learn animal care, come to my shop. But before buying livestock, you'll need to build a barn, otherwise I wouldn't dare sell them to you!"
In the shack by the sea, they met Uncle Willy: "Hey, little girl, I heard a new person moved into town, that's you, right? This is my old fishing rod, it's for you. The water in this valley is good for fishing. Of course, don't forget to visit my shop when you have time!"
At the general store in town, they met Pierre: "You must be the new farmer, right? I'm the owner of this general store. If you want to buy seeds, you've come to the right place!"
At the library, they met Mr. Gunther...
...
A few hours passed quickly.
Liu Shiwan had already explored most of Stardew Valley, and as she met and got to know more and more residents.
She gradually felt herself integrating into the place, becoming a part of it.
Here, she wasn't the top courtesan of Spring Breeze Pavilion; she was just an ordinary young farm girl who had recently moved in.
There weren't so many complicated gazes, nor so many heavy shackles.
"Shiwan, I'm heading back now. I'll come again tomorrow to take you fishing!"
Robin bid farewell to Liu Shiwan after seeing her back to the farm.
"Okay, see you tomorrow!"
Liu Shiwan watched Robin's departing back, then looked at the desolate land in front of her farm.
She who had been somewhat resistant to farming earlier, now felt much less so. She had even bought some wheat and apple seeds on credit at Pierre's shop earlier.
She even had thoughts of trying livestock farming, fishing, mining, brewing, and so on.
And she was full of anticipation and longing for all future life in this small town.
She knew what the feeling in her heart was.
A sense of belonging emerged naturally.
At this moment, she picked up her scythe again and began to work in the wasteland...