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How To Spend Time In Winter
Thick, gloomy clouds cover the sky of Howling Village.
If you open the window and breathe, your white breath will vanish into the empty space.
The gentle warmth of autumn is gone, and it is so cold that you have to wear sufficient layers of clothes.
Recently, the heater had only been turned on in the morning, but it has been on all day today.
Cause it feels like I will catch a cold even inside my house if it is not on for the whole day.
「Oーi, Kureto!」
When I open the window to ventilate the house, I see Andre coming over toward me.
He is wearing long-sleeved clothes, but there is nothing worn over them. It is slightly unreliable clothing to wear while walking in the wintry weather. Even if you’re strong against the cold, it should probably still be cold.
Perhaps he got some business with me, or he just wanted to come over to hang out. I have no idea, but in any case, I decided to just invite him into the living room.
「Kureto’s house is so warm!」
「I’m using magic tools to warm up my house after all」
When I show him the heater, Andre approaches it and stretches out his hands to warm up.
「So warm……」
「Wouldn’t it be better if you wore a little more clothes if it’s that cold」
「I don’t like wearing thick clothes since it’s making it hard to move. Besides, Kureto’s house is close, so this amount of cold is okay」
Well, there are a lot of clothes made of stiff materials in this world so I can understand what he meant.
That said, if you end up catching a cold because of that, wouldn’t that be all for nothing, though he probably will not listen.
「By the way, how much does this magic tool cost?」
「Around 30 gold coins. And considering the magic stone consumption, it will cost an additional 5 silver coins」
「Uuuh, that price is high as expected」
Andre makes an unpleasant look on his face after hearing the price.
They managed to sell their vegetables to Emilio’s company and business has been booming compared to usual, but it still seems out of reach for them.
「By the way, you have business with me?」
「Nah, just have nothing to do」
「Is that so」
Andre is the person I’ve known the longest in this world.
So even if he comes over without any particular reason, I don’t find it bothersome at all. I finished all my work earlier than scheduled for the company, and most of the autumn’s produce has been harvested. Frankly, I’m also free.
「Would you like chicken soup or hot tea?」
「Chicken soup!」
When I presented him with two choices, Andre chose the soup without hesitation.
Smiling wryly at his spirited reply, I warm up the leftover chicken soup for my breakfast.
When I poured it into the cup and set it on the table, Andre came over looking pleased.
「Uooh, the chicken flavor really comes through」
As soon as he takes a sip, Andre expresses his admiration.
「I thoroughly removed the innards and bloody meat, also removing any excess fat and raw smell from it」
The only thing floating in the golden-colored liquid is just chopped negi.
The dish has no extra ingredients, resulting in a dish that allows you to purely taste the chicken’s savoriness.
「How long did it take to make this?」
「4 hours」
I carefully simmered it for 4 hours over low heat while removing the scums.
Thanks to that, I was able to make a satisfying and much more delicious soup than the chicken soup I made using chicken stock I made in my previous world.
「What an idler」
「……I’m taking the chicken soup, yeah?」
「I was just kidding!」
When I reach out my hand, Andre hugs the cup as if protecting it from me.
If you think the chicken soup I made is that delicious, then so be it.
「But y’know, just when it felt like the Harvest Festival was over, winter came upon us in a blink」
「Autumn was a busy time with harvesting work and the Harvest Festival after all 」
Time feels like it passes quickly, probably because we are having a rich and fulfilling time.
Although I also wish I could have spent my time leisurely in the pleasant autumn weather a little longer.
It has gotten so cold lately that it has made me reluctant to go outside.
「What about the guard duty during winter?」
「There are extremely few people traveling during this season and the movements of animals and monsters become quieter. We still have regular guard duty, but not to the point of guarding the whole time like we used to」
As expected, standing all along in cold weather must be tough. If the need to stand guard decreased, it is only natural to reduce the amount of resources allocated to it, huh?
「What about the farming families?」
「They’ll just grow a few vegetables. Winter is basically a leisure season for farmers, so we could take it easy」
「I knew it, it’s hard to grow crops in this season, right?」
「Rather than difficult to raise crops, it’s more correct to say that the variety of crops we could raise are fewer compared to other seasons, I guess」
「But, if they have the time, they will still raise some right?」
「That’s true, but what’s the point of raising crops with low yield just to kill some time, right? Rather than doing that I think it would be better to treat winter as a time to rest and recharge」
Seeing Andre speak like that made me realize that farmers had a lot of things to consider.
「Then, you’re all staying indoors all the time during winter?」
「You’re asking a lot of questions today, huh?」
「This is my first time spending my winter in the village after all, so I’d like to know about everyone’s life」
I haven’t experienced winter since I came to this world, so I got curious about how the villagers - including Andre - spent their time.
If it's my previous world, we had plenty of ways to kill time, such as playing games, watching anime, or surfing the internet in a room heated by a heater, but I wonder how people spent their time in this world where entertainment is not that developed.
When I explain it to him, while leaving out things from my previous world, Andre nod in understanding and starts speaking.
「Even though it’s leisure time for farmers, it doesn’t mean there is no work to be done. We tidy up our house, which we were usually too busy to do so, thoroughly examining our farming tools and repairing the broken ones. Making compost in preparation for the crops we are going to grow in the spring. And some of the more motivated ones will go to other villages to help, and some will learn cultivation methods」
「Heeー, so there are all sort of things farmers do to spend winter」
I have the image of the farmers having completely free time during their leisure time, but hearing what Andre said, it looked like there are more things to do than I expected.
No matter the season or no matter how much free time you have, how you spend time depends on the person.
「After that, we just stay at home and do some side work. Knitting, carving wood to make tableware, making baskets and sandals from plants. We don’t only use the things we made ourselves, but we sell them to the travelling merchants to earn some money」
Ohー, it really feels like a side job in a farming village.
「What is Andre-san’s house making?」
「We make and sell knitting and baskets made by Stella. Stella is good at the side job after all」
Andre answered proudly with a hint of embarrassment.
I’ve heard that in Howling Village, a woman who are good at side jobs such as knitting or basket making - not just cooking and cleaning - is considered a good wife. Meaning, Stella - who can do these things - must really be a good wife.
「It’s good to have some kind of hands-on work one you can be absorbed in」
In the current state where there is a lack of means to pass the time alone, making things seemed like a good option.
Even if it doesn't sell, it will be a good way to kill time.
「If you have the time, do you want to try it, Kureto? Stella was making baskets just before I left, y’know?」
「Then, can I come for a bit?」
「Aah, sure. But before that, let me have another bowl of this chicken soup」
Andre boldly holds out his mug to me, who is standing in front of me.
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