novelraw Chapter 23: A Dining Buddy
Chapter 23: A Dining Buddy
After pocketing the tulip seeds Evelyn had gifted him, Leon no longer felt like exploring Pelican Town. He couldn’t just let the seeds sit idle—planting them in his farm was the only way to honor Evelyn’s thoughtfulness.
The moment he returned, he began tilling fresh soil to plant the tulip seeds. They were far more plentiful than what Pierre’s General Store usually offered—enough to plant forty-three in total.
That meant another half hour of work in the fields, but Leon didn’t mind. They were free seeds, after all, and he had grown used to, even fond of, this kind of life.
When all the work was done and he finally took a break, Leon noticed something—he wasn’t as winded as before. There was some fatigue, but it was mild. Clearly, the potion from Rasmodius truly had the effect the wizard promised, strengthening his body.
After planting the tulips, Leon went back into his cabin, washed up, and lay down. He had a TV for entertainment, but he didn’t want to waste time on it. Sleeping early meant waking early, and tomorrow would bring another pile of work.
At dawn, Leon woke naturally, splashed cold water on his face, brushed his teeth, and headed straight outside to the freshly tilled fields in front of his cabin.
Seeing no sign of the crows he had feared, he let out a breath of relief. He walked to the middle of the field, stopped by the scarecrow, and patted it.
“Buddy, you’re now the security chief of Red Star Farm.”
The scarecrow didn’t answer—just swayed a little under his pat.
Leon didn’t mind. He took out his watering can and began giving each plant a drink.One full can wasn’t nearly enough for the entire field. Fortunately, there was a reservoir nearby, filled with crystal-clear water. There weren’t any fish in it, but it was perfect for refilling the can.
After three trips between the reservoir and the fields, every plant had been watered. Leon put away the can and immediately downed a big glass of water back inside his cabin.
Next, he pulled a few eggs and a small bowl of flour from the fridge. Cracking the eggs in, he began mixing the dough. Then, an idea struck—he chopped up some spring onions he had foraged yesterday and worked them into the mix. Soon, a golden dough speckled with pale green sat ready to rest while he washed his hands and started a fire.
Yesterday’s rain had left the firepit a bit damp, but there was no standing water. He didn’t need to go hunting for tinder—the dry grass in his pack worked perfectly.
With a few pieces of chopped wood, flames soon flickered to life.
Leon went back inside for the dough, cooking oil, and most importantly, his frying pan. Time to make breakfast.
It was just a simple spring onion egg pancake, albeit a modified version. But as soon as the sizzling oil released that rich onion aroma, Leon knew it was a success.
The only issue was that he had made too much dough. If he fried all of it, he wouldn’t be able to finish it alone.
He had a fridge, but this kind of pancake was best eaten hot. Reheating them would ruin the crisp texture.
“If only I had a dining buddy,” Leon muttered, staring at the pancakes sizzling in the pan.
“What’s a dining buddy?” a female voice suddenly asked from behind him.
Leon turned to see none other than Abigail—the same girl who had come by for dinner that night. He couldn’t help but give a wry comment.
“Do you have a surveillance camera on my farm? How is it that you show up every time I’m cooking?”
“I’m just here to deliver something.” Abigail tilted her head, clearly not understanding what he meant. “But seriously, what’s a dining buddy?”
“It’s just a friend you eat meals with,” Leon explained, holding out his hand. “So, what are you delivering? Let me see.”
“That’s what it means? Is it something you city folks say? Pretty interesting,” she said, handing over a sealed packet of seeds.
“My dad asked me to give these to you. Yesterday, while checking inventory, he realized he’d sold you a batch of subpar potato seeds. He was going to come and apologize himself, but I had nothing to do, so I brought them for him.”
“Pierre is thoughtful. Most people would just pretend they didn’t know,” Leon said with some admiration.
“My dad may be stingy, greedy, and vain, but when it comes to seed quality, he cares a lot. He’s always believed Pierre’s seeds are the best in Stardew Valley, and he holds himself to high standards in that regard. Oh, and I’m supposed to apologize for him, too.”
“Thanks for making the trip. By the way, have you had breakfast yet?” Leon asked without thinking.
Abigail sniffed the air, catching the rich onion aroma. “I already ate… but since you’re being so hospitable, I’d feel rude saying no. So, I can have a little.”
Leon gave her a helpless look. He’d only been making small talk, but this food-loving girl had taken it seriously. Still, he had plenty to share, so he waved her over.
“Then go grab a bowl from the cabin for me. I can’t step away right now or these pancakes will burn.”
“Okay.” Abigail wasn’t the hesitant type—she went straight to fetch the bowl. When she returned, she caught Leon in the middle of flipping a pancake.
The pancake flipped gracefully in the air and landed perfectly back in the pan.
“Your cooking skills are pretty good,” Abigail remarked.
“Well, I’m a bachelor. You have to know how to cook if you don’t want to starve, right?” Leon replied, eyes still on the pan.
“I was talking about your technique, not the taste,” Abigail teased.
“That porridge you had last time wasn’t my specialty. Sit tight and wait—once these are ready, you’ll understand,” Leon said, rolling his eyes before returning to his cooking.