Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

Chapter 227: Potatoes! Potatoes! Potatoes!

If everything was just as Leon suspected, then cauliflower would soon be a thing of the past, strawberries would lose their shine, and potatoes would be crowned king.

Though the unit price of potatoes might not match that of strawberries or cauliflower, high-quality potato seeds had a very high chance of producing Gold-star Quality potatoes.

A single high-quality parsnip could sell for two hundred times the price of its seeds—proof of just how outrageous the market value of premium crops could be.

Leon didn’t believe that a large batch of high-quality potatoes would lose out to strawberries or cauliflower in terms of price. Especially since potatoes also benefited from the Cool Shade Beneath the Rice effect, doubling their yield. In both quantity and quality, they had every condition necessary to crush strawberries and cauliflower.

With that thought in mind, Leon finished harvesting his mature crops, then started tilling the soil, planting every last one of those premium potato seeds.

Whether he could witness the great potato comeback still depended on the results of the next harvest.

Practice was the only way to find the truth. It was still only a theoretical possibility, but Leon was quite confident.

After all, his reasoning seemed sound, and once the snowball started rolling, he believed he could turn Red Star Farm into a Siberian Potato Paradise.

The only problem was, forty-one premium potato seeds weren’t quite enough to fill all the free plots left after today’s harvest. Not wanting to leave any land idle, Leon would have to head over to Pierre’s General Store to buy more seeds.

He decided to act right away. Passing the shipping bin on his way, Leon tossed in every single cabbage without leaving a single one behind.As for the potatoes, he kept five normal-quality ones and one Gold-star Quality potato. The rest went straight into the shipping bin.

The five ordinary potatoes were for side dishes—after all, the beef stored in the chest inside his house was the perfect partner for them.

That one premium potato, though, was for tasting. As a farmer capable of producing high-quality crops, he couldn’t just rely on others’ descriptions.

He’d heard plenty about the wonders of high-quality produce, but it wouldn’t do to have never tasted it himself. That way, if someone asked him later, he could give a firsthand account of the eating experience.

Otherwise, it’d be like raising silkworms without ever wearing silk—a shameful fate.

After emptying his backpack, Leon hopped on his bicycle and rode leisurely toward town. There was no point in rushing; Pierre’s General Store wouldn’t open for a while yet.

When he reached Pelican Town, Leon glanced at the store—it was still closed.

So, he turned his bike toward Evelyn’s house. Arriving at the door, he pulled out the high-quality tulip he’d set aside earlier, keeping it hidden behind his back.

“Leon? This early?” Alex opened the door, surprised to see Leon standing there.

“Yeah, I’m here to see Evelyn. Is it a good time?” Leon asked.

“She’s in the kitchen. Come on in.” Alex stepped aside to let him through.

Leon, however, angled his body as he passed Alex, slipping by sideways. Alex gave him a puzzled look.

He didn’t realize Leon was being cautious.

After all, knowing Alex was bisexual, Leon wasn’t about to turn his back to him carelessly. If Alex ever noticed that Leon’s rear was on par with Captain America’s, Leon wasn’t sure he could resist finding a dark, moonless night to bury him—and he was certain no one would ever find the body.

Once past Alex, Leon stepped into the kitchen and found Evelyn busy at the oven. He walked over with a smile. “Grandma, what delicious treat are you making?”

“Ah, Leon, perfect timing! Just wait a bit and the cookies will be out of the oven.” Evelyn beamed at him.

“This is for you.” Leon brought the tulip from behind his back and handed it to her.

“The seeds you gave me last time bloomed. I picked the best one to bring to you.”

“Oh, what a beautiful tulip. Excellent shape, healthy, fresh, full of life—this is a high-quality tulip, isn’t it?” Evelyn had been growing flowers all her life; she recognized its value instantly.

“Giving this to an old lady like me is a bit of a waste. You should keep it and give it to a girl you like—it might be the first step to a wonderful relationship.”

Leon felt a little awkward and quickly explained, “I’ve prepared other tulips. This one was picked especially for you. Please take it.”

“Also high-quality?” Evelyn asked.

“Yes,” Leon replied without hesitation.

It was just a harmless white lie—no reason to feel guilty.

“Well, it seems you have quite a talent for gardening. Your grandfather really did make the right choice entrusting you with the farm. I’ll accept this precious tulip—it truly makes me happy.” Evelyn believed him and accepted the gift.

She immediately found an empty vase, placed the tulip inside, and added water and nutrients to help it bloom longer.

As she worked, Evelyn shared tips about flower cultivation, preservation, and even floral arrangement. Leon listened attentively.

Flowers weren’t exactly his passion, but he never turned down knowledge.

“Want to have lunch together?” Evelyn asked once she was done.

“No, Grandma, thank you for the offer. I came to town to buy seeds, and there’s still a lot of work waiting on the farm. I have to decline,” Leon explained—this time truthfully.

He really did have plenty left to do. Even the daily watering wasn’t done yet; he planned to finish planting all the empty plots before watering them all at once.

“All right, but don’t forget to socialize while you’re busy with farm work. Life isn’t only about work,” Evelyn reminded him with a hint of regret. Then she took the cookies out of the oven, placed them into a small cloth bag, and handed it to him.

“Take these to snack on.”

“Thanks, Grandma.” Leon accepted the cookies, said goodbye, and left the house.

On the way out, he ran into Alex again. Once more, Leon passed him sideways, only deepening Alex’s confusion.

He didn’t know what Leon’s sideways walk meant, but he could feel it was filled with caution toward him.