novelraw Chapter 17: Expanding the Farmland Once More
Chapter 17: Expanding the Farmland Once More
Although Leon grumbled under his breath, he still obediently tossed everything he was carrying—except for his tools—into the chest.
The backpack, which had been nearly full, instantly cleared out by half, while the chest itself only filled a small portion of its available slots.
All items could be stacked; Leon wasn’t sure if the maximum stack limit was 999, but for now, the chest’s storage space was more than enough for his needs.
With the extra storage, Leon felt it was time to prepare more materials.
Still, the most urgent matter was handling the farm. A farm is a farm, after all—agriculture comes first.
So, with a raincoat over his shoulders and 1,000 gold on hand, Leon left Red Star Farm and headed straight for Pelican Town.
The rain made the muddy dirt road slick, but walking on it felt oddly pleasant, like stepping on cotton. The difference was that the mud here didn’t cling to his feet, sparing him the embarrassment of having rain boots stuck in a mire.
Even so, the trip still cost Leon extra time on the road, which made him wonder if he should find some kind of transportation.
Upon arriving in Pelican Town, the rainy weather meant there were few people out and about. On a patch of grass by the roadside, Leon scraped the mud off his boots, then followed the route he had memorized yesterday to arrive at Pierre’s General Store.
Pushing open the glass door, Leon stepped inside. From the décor and shelves, it was clear this was a rustic, small-town shop—wooden shelves, wooden floors, all around.Right as he entered, a bespectacled middle-aged man waved him over. “Welcome to Pierre’s General Store, stranger. What can I help you with?”
“Seeds,” Leon replied directly.
Pierre glanced at Leon’s rain boots and, seeing no mud clinging to them, breathed a quiet sigh of relief before stepping forward. “Ah, seeds. You must be the new farmer Abigail met yesterday.”
“That’s right,” Leon nodded. “Can you tell me about the types of seeds you sell and their prices?”
“Of course. Here’s the price list. Besides seeds, I also sell fresh vegetables and fruits, along with household goods. The quality of Pierre’s General Store’s products is the best in Pelican Town—nothing like Joja Mart’s,” Pierre said with great confidence, even taking a jab at Joja Corporation at the end.
Leon only smiled. Business rivals were natural enemies. The two stores sold to the same customer base, so competition was inevitable. Believing everything Pierre said would be foolish.
Still, when Leon glanced at the price list, he was pleasantly surprised—it matched the game. Pierre’s seeds were indeed cheaper than Joja’s.
Parsnip seeds were 20 gold per pack, which seemed high—after all, four pints of beer at the Starfruit Saloon also cost 20. But each pack of seeds could grow 20 parsnip plants, so in truth, the price wasn’t unreasonable.
Leon scanned the rest of the prices: green beans, 60 per pack; cauliflower, 80; potatoes, 50; tulips, 20; kale, 70; blue jazz, 30. Like parsnips, each pack contained enough seeds for twenty plants.
That meant planting a single pack required digging twenty holes and watering twenty times. Leon sucked in a cold breath.
The life he thought would be easy suddenly felt heavier. Was this going to be like the game’s “6-2-7” grind—up at six, bed at two, working seven days a week? Still… it sounded kind of fulfilling.
“How terrifying.”
The fact that he actually found this lifestyle fulfilling made Leon shiver. But he still bought one pack of each type.
Seven packs. One hundred and forty holes. Luckily, with today’s rain, he wouldn’t need to water them. After one last glance at the price list—and noting the absence of any backpack upgrade option—Leon returned the list to Pierre, paid, and quickly left.
He hurried back to the farm. The rain had soaked the shoddy scarecrow, leaving it limp and sagging. Checking the tilled soil, Leon saw no signs of damage from animals, and he let out a breath of relief.
Then he pulled out his hoe and began tilling soil for planting.
Thanks to his System Tools, each strike of the hoe dug a neat hole and loosened the surrounding soil. The rain had softened the earth, making the work unexpectedly easy.
Even so, digging 140 holes left his lower back aching and numb.
Straightening up to stretch, Leon didn’t rest long before tearing open the seed packets and sowing them one by one. Each seed that hit the ground was quickly covered as the loose soil seemed to gather on its own—a pleasant surprise that saved him a lot of effort.
When all the seeds were planted, Leon returned to his cabin, pulled off his rain boots and coat, and sat under the eaves. He was drenched—whether from sweat or rainwater seeping through, he couldn’t tell—but didn’t feel like changing clothes. Instead, he simply leaned back and enjoyed a moment of rest after hard work.
Looking over his morning’s efforts, pride filled his eyes. Compared to yesterday’s scattered patches, today’s neatly planted fields finally looked like real farmland.
To keep the crops from being trampled while ensuring they had enough growing space, Leon planted them in two rows per plot, leaving a small path between each section. This layout not only allowed ample sunlight for photosynthesis but also ensured each plant had enough nutrients—a scientific approach Leon had seen before.
Of course, this method required a lot of land. Fortunately, Red Star Farm had no shortage of it.
“All done. Time to reward myself. What should I have for lunch today?”
When his strength returned, Leon stood up, muttering to himself.
Thank you for reading!