After the spring rains passed, the Feather God summoned the people to bestow food upon Liyue.
"Lord Feather God, what are your instructions?"
A venerable elder stepped forward from the crowd, bowing respectfully before Aether.
The last time the Feather God had gathered everyone, Liyue had undergone a complete transformation, allowing them to live far better lives than before.
This time… what kind of divine decree would the Feather God deliver?
At the thought of this, anticipation quietly spread through the crowd.
Aether swept his gaze across the assembled people. Judging from their spirits alone, they looked far better than they had some time ago.
The improvement in living conditions had played no small part.
But food was the real foundation.
Only when people were well-fed could they afford the time and mental space to pursue higher aspirations and continuously drive the progress of human civilization.
That was what Aether wished to see.
Aether nodded slightly toward the elder. With a wave of his hand, three granaries materialized behind him, each filled respectively with seeds of wheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
These seeds were more than sufficient for all of Liyue to sow. They had all been enhanced by Aether himself.
Even with crude cultivation techniques, they would still guarantee a respectable harvest come autumn.
A miracle!
Another miracle of the Feather God!
What exactly were stored inside those structures that didn't even look like dwellings?
What kind of revelation would the Feather God deliver this time?
"In the three granaries behind me are wheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes."
At the same time, white light flashed before everyone. Thin booklets with illustrated pages appeared in their hands.
They were not thick volumes—just slender manuals.
After all, there was only so much Aether himself could teach.
The people lowered their heads and examined the booklet titled Planting.
The illustrations depicted reclaiming wasteland, using the curved-blade plow, the planting methods for the three crops, fertilization and fertilizer preparation, their different harvesting methods—
And finally, simple ways to cook the three foods.
With both Teyvat Common text and illustrations combined, the booklet ensured that everyone could understand its contents clearly.
As they studied the manuals in their hands, confusion began to surface.
Did the Feather God mean for them to plant these crops?
"Follow the instructions in the booklet. Plant all the seeds in the granaries behind me."
"At harvest time, it will yield enough food to last an entire year."
When they heard Aether's words, shock appeared on many faces.
Could these plants really provide enough food for a whole year?
Still, their surprise and doubt were fleeting.
Would the Feather God ever deceive them?
They trusted his words without reservation.
"This is called a curved-blade plow. The booklet explains its structure and usage. Have the carpenters replicate it."
As he spoke, Aether manifested a batch of curved-blade plows for demonstration.
With these tools, reclaiming land and plowing fields would become far more efficient.
After conveying everything he needed to, Aether left the area.
All that remained was a group of people still slightly dazed, quietly repeating his words among themselves.
What deeper meaning did the Feather God have in doing this?
Though doubts lingered in their hearts, their faith in him drove them to act as instructed.
Liyue's carpenters gathered together and quickly analyzed the structure of the curved-blade plow.
Its design was not complicated, making it easy to replicate.
They soon began mass production, aiming to supply enough plows for all of Liyue's fields.
As for why Aether did not simply manifest a sufficient number of plows himself—
In his view, he was a demon god, not a nanny for humanity.
He understood the principle well: excessive charity breeds resentment.
If he provided everything outright, once people grew dependent, they would cease to feel gratitude. Instead, they would come to regard such aid as something a god was obligated to provide.
When the supply eventually stopped, resentment would follow instead of appreciation.
Aether had no intention of becoming such a fool.
Guidance was enough.
If people failed to strive and fell behind, starvation and elimination were simply the consequences of their own choices.
Those unwilling to move forward would inevitably be cast aside by the times.
Seven days later, all the curved-blade plows were ready.
Following the manual's instructions, people began pulling the plows into the fields and setting to work.
Aether had not found any docile animals nearby suitable for plowing, so human labor had to suffice.
In this era, people were physically robust—women included, their arms thick with muscle.
Such was the nature of ancient times.
Humans were only "fragile" when compared to the monstrous creatures of that age, beings that wielded elemental power or towered several times taller than a man.
Compared to them, of course humans seemed weak.
But pulling a curved-blade plow to reclaim farmland was an easy task for these sturdy folk.
Under the sweat and effort of Liyue's people, plot after plot of farmland was opened up. Following the manual, they planted wheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes accordingly.
After planting, they watered and fertilized the fields as instructed.
But planting was only the beginning. Continuous care was still required.
While tending the fields, people still had to go out hunting—otherwise, their current food supply would run out.
Two men sat on a ridge between the fields, gazing at the tender green sprouts pushing up from the soil.
"Hey… do you think that following the Feather God's method will really give us enough food to last a whole year by autumn?"
"Come on—would the Feather God ever lie to us? Why would he tease us for no reason? Just trust him."
"It's not that I don't trust him. It's just… we've never done anything like this before. It makes me uneasy."
"Haha. The Geo God and the Feather God are the foundation of Liyue. With both gods watching over us, what's there to worry about?"
The two continued chatting idly about farming.
And they weren't wrong.
In Liyue, Aether and Morax were the bedrock.
If something truly went wrong and famine threatened the people, Aether would never stand by and watch.
Besides—
He had no doubt that the seeds he had manifested would live up to his expectations.
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