Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

Chapter 145: Absolutely No Blue

It was a rare sight—a truly massive fish—and the battle between man and fish was nothing short of spectacular.

Haley quickly lifted her camera with one hand and captured the scene: the catfish breaking the surface, the nearly doubled-over fishing rod, the taut fishing line, and Leon, who stood like a rock, refusing to yield an inch.

While Haley was taking photos, Leon wasn’t idle. He leaned back, half his body tilted, and began to haul up the heavy rod with all his strength. Feeling the catfish’s struggles start to weaken, he gritted his teeth and sped up his movements.

As he reeled in frantically, he took two steps back, then exerted one last burst of strength, ripping the giant catfish out of the water.

Crack!

With a sharp snap, Willy’s old bamboo fishing rod—faithful for many years—finally gave way. In this duel between Leon and the massive catfish, it was the first casualty, breaking cleanly in two.

But the catfish was already out of the water. Carried by momentum, even without the rod’s pull, it arced through the air in a twisted parabola and crashed onto the riverbank.

Leon tossed aside the half rod still in his hand, stepped on the thrashing fish, grabbed it by the mouth, and dragged it away from the water’s edge.

Phew.

Seeing the catfish’s struggles die down completely, Leon let out a breath. The tension and pressure he had felt during the fight were no less than the fish’s desperate bid for freedom. But in the end, he had won.The loss was heavy, though—Willy’s gift was now broken beyond likely repair—and Leon couldn’t help wondering awkwardly how he was going to explain this to him next time they met.

Still, that was a problem for later. Right now, his main focus was the very culprit that had snapped the rod.

By his estimate, this catfish was at least two meters long. Its head alone was bigger than half of Leon’s torso. Its whiskers were as thick as cucumbers, and its black-gray skin was coated in a layer of brownish slime. The hulking body was like an oil drum.

Its sheer size and the distinctive features of the species made it look like a water monster.

Even without touching it, Leon could smell the overpowering mix of muddy earth and fish stench just standing nearby. He had no intention of making physical contact with it again.

“Haley, do you have any more film? Can you take a picture of me with this catfish?”

It wasn’t every day you caught something this big, and Leon didn’t want to miss the chance to commemorate it. Since Haley had a camera, he wanted a photo of himself with his trophy—a perfect future brag backed by hard evidence.

“Sure.”

Haley nodded and directed Leon on where to stand, even suggesting he make a victory V-sign. Leon flatly refused.

Instead, he chose to hold the broken fishing rod as a prop. Without its final stand, he never could have hauled up this giant fish. As a comrade-in-arms, it deserved to be in the photo too.

Seeing this, Haley didn’t press the pose issue. She snapped three shots of Leon, the catfish, and the broken rod before saying, “It’ll take some time to develop these. I’ll give them to you next time we meet.”

“Alright. Thanks.” Leon nodded, then—under Haley’s gaze—stored the giant catfish into his System Backpack. He had no desire to lug the reeking thing home, and certainly not to touch that slimy skin again.

Besides, a live fish was worth more than a dead one. In the System Backpack, he could freeze its life. He’d already tested this before.

Last time, he had kept a sardine intended as a sacrificial item in the backpack overnight. When he took it out the next day, it was still wriggling in his hands. The System Backpack was truly something.

Unfortunately, Leon didn’t dare test whether it could store a human being. He was curious, but his reason told him that was a line he shouldn’t cross—so he hadn’t.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s still amazing,” Haley said, watching his operation. “By the way, does anyone else know about this ability besides me?”

Leon thought for a moment. Rather than tell her the truth, he teased, “Nope, you’re the first. So… can you keep it a secret for me?”

“I’ll have to think about it.” Haley smirked, though her tone stayed sharp. “After all, knowing your little secret, I should be able to get some kind of benefit from it.”

“I’m broke, but you can have my life,” Leon replied, knowing she was joking but playing along anyway. He wanted to see how she’d respond.

“Money, money, money—you’re always on about that. Before, when you wanted a bonus, it was the same. Now, when you talk about benefits, it’s the same. Is money all you ever think about?” Haley sighed, exasperated.

“What else? What in life doesn’t need money? Without it, you can’t even get some girls to look your way.”

“Not all girls care that much about money,” Haley countered.

“That’s because you’re not short on it,” Leon pointed out.

“True. But compared to the big allowance my parents send me every month, I’d rather have them here with me. They’ve been traveling around the world for two years now and haven’t come home once.” Haley’s expression turned wistful.

Realizing he might have touched on something sad, Leon dropped the teasing and comforted her. “Your parents are human too. They have their own way of living, their own ideas. That doesn’t mean they don’t love you.”

“Maybe.” Haley still looked a little down.

Leon sighed inwardly. Just as he was about to say more, he noticed her soaked shirt had turned somewhat see-through, revealing the private layer underneath. Quickly, he looked up—polite man mode activated.

“Why are you suddenly looking at the sky? Is there something up there?” Haley noticed his odd movement and looked up as well.

“I think instead of looking up, you should be looking down,” Leon replied, still keeping his eyes skyward but giving her a hint.

Haley instinctively looked down and saw the conspicuous patch of blue on her chest. Realization struck, and her face flushed scarlet. Overcome with embarrassment, she swung a punch at Leon’s chest.

“You really like blue, don’t you?”

Leon wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t about to stand there and take the hit just to let her vent. Sidestepping smoothly, he grabbed the broken fishing rod and bolted, tossing one last quip over his shoulder.

“Leon! You bastard! I’ll kill you!”

Haley dropped her umbrella, hands clamped over her chest, and shouted after his retreating figure in the rain.

“Hahahaha!”

Her only answer was Leon’s bright, carefree laughter.

Realizing she couldn’t catch him—and that chasing him in her current state wasn’t an option—Haley crossed her arms and ran for home.

Luckily, the riverbank wasn’t far from the villa at No. 2 Willow Lane, and with the rain keeping people indoors, no one saw her. She slipped inside and rushed to the bathroom under Emily’s puzzled gaze.

Moments later, Emily heard her call out.

“Emily! Bring me a fresh set of clothes and underwear from my room. And make sure the underwear isn’t blue—absolutely no blue!”