novelraw Chapter 288: Farming Level 2
Chapter 288: Farming Level 2
While chatting idly—after all, there was nothing else to do—Leon helped Gus clear some empty plates from the tables.
By the time it was past six, the plaza was almost empty of tourists. The people left were mostly Pelican Town residents.
No announcements were needed; everyone just naturally gathered here. Each person carried a meal ticket in hand, laughing and chatting as they placed it before Gus, then helped themselves to the remaining dishes on the tables.
Even Lewis, who had been busy all day, and Clint, who hadn’t shown his face at all earlier, arrived together, bringing several crates of beer and glasses to join the gathering.
“It’s lively tonight,” Leon remarked as he looked around at the familiar faces.
“This has been the tradition after Easter every year,” Gus replied while greeting the crowd, making sure not to neglect Leon.
“Leon, what performance have you prepared?” Abigail, who had come with her family, leaned in to ask.
“Huh?” Leon was taken aback. “What performance?”
“You know, something to perform. After dinner, everyone gathers to celebrate Easter.” Abigail explained, pulling out a flute. “I’m going to play this. What about you?”
“I really didn’t know about this.” Leon scratched his head in embarrassment. “Nobody told me.”“It’s optional, not mandatory,” Willy reassured him from nearby. “The idea is just for everyone to relax and have fun together. As long as you enjoy yourself, that’s enough.”
Leon glanced at Abigail.
Abigail simply stuck out her tongue at him, clearly not feeling guilty about her failed attempt to rope him in.
“Thank you all for your cooperation and help today. We’ve celebrated another perfect Easter. Now it’s time for Pelican Town’s own festival. Everyone, enjoy the rest of the evening!”
Lewis raised his glass high and called out, “Happy Easter! Cheers!”
“Oh! Happy Easter!”
Everyone else lifted their glasses—whether beer or juice—and clinked them in the air, sharing their holiday wishes.
The plaza came alive with laughter and music. While some continued eating, others showcased their talents—Abigail’s flute solo, Sam and Sebastian’s duet, Caroline and Robin’s dance, Marnie’s solo ballad.
Even Gus somehow found an accordion and, paired with Willy’s sailor’s song, sent the atmosphere to its peak.
Smiles lit every face. People drank freely, chatted with family and friends, and simply enjoyed themselves.
Leon, cornered between Gus and Willy, joined in wholeheartedly—drinking, bantering, and swapping tall tales. The merriment lasted until after nine, when people finally began to wind down.
Helping Gus clear the tables, Leon stayed until the plaza had returned to its usual state before heading home.
“What a fun festival… way more lively than in the game.”
With that thought, Leon drifted into sleep, waking again to the morning sun.
After his usual wash-up and breakfast—egg dishes that Gus had specially packed for him the night before—Leon felt full. Despite everyone’s efforts, Gus had prepared far too much food for one meal. The leftovers were plentiful, so each person received some to take home. Even then, a good portion remained, which Lewis and Gus decided to send to the Eastern mines for the miners.
Once satisfied, Leon left his cabin to water the crops.
He noticed the green beans glowing faintly as they matured.
Green Bean (Vegetable): Crisp, tender little beans.
Twenty vines clung to their supports, yielding twenty beans. Each was long—about 60 to 80 centimeters—with plump pods and slightly curved shapes, reminding Leon of yardlong beans but thicker, and with far lower yields—just one bean per plant.
As he finished harvesting, the familiar System Prompt chimed.
“Your long hours of farming have deepened your insight into crop cultivation. Your Farming Skill has increased by one level.
During harvest, you realized you could use an automatic watering tool to ease your workload. Sprinkler recipe unlocked.
Raising chickens alongside farming has given you new ideas. You have learned how to craft a Stone Fence to keep your chickens from wandering, and a Mayonnaise Machine to process surplus eggs.”
“Finally, Farming Skill up,” Leon muttered without much surprise. After all, even harvesting so many potatoes and tulips before hadn’t leveled him up. Moving from level 1 to level 2 now felt reasonable.
Still, the level 2 unlocks weren’t that exciting. The small sprinkler’s range was too limited—less useful than his current water pump.
As for the Stone Fence, it came a bit late. His chicken coop was already fenced with wood, and he wasn’t planning to replace it until it wore down.
The Mayonnaise Machine stirred no excitement either. He wasn’t fond of mayonnaise, and since the Community Center bundles didn’t require it, he had no plans to build one anytime soon.
“I wonder if these beans taste like stir-fried yardlong beans.”
Right now, Leon was more interested in the flavor of his fresh green beans.
Still, he wasn’t going to keep them all. He placed the three longest ones—likely Gold-star Quality—into the shipping bin. One regular bean went into his backpack for the Spring Crops Bundle. He kept the three shortest to stir-fry later and shipped the rest.
The vines stayed in the field. As long as they weren’t pulled out, they’d keep producing beans. One plate’s worth was enough for now.
After finishing with the crops, Leon fed and petted the now fully grown chickens. They had doubled in size since he’d bought them, looking like fluffy little balls.
If he hadn’t raised them himself, he might have suspected they’d been given growth hormones.
Done with the coop, Leon checked the cave. No new fruit from the bats, and the mushrooms weren’t ready yet, so he returned to the cabin to check his fortune for the day.
Neutral. Not good, not bad. No point going to the mines.
With mining off the table, he decided to stay busy in other ways. First, he collected 412G from the mailbox for the fish he’d sold earlier. Then he organized his backpack and headed for the northern exit of the farm.
If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting me on (www./RomayStories). Your support helps me bring you more chapters faster and keeps this translation going strong!