novelraw Chapter 265: Festival Plans
Chapter 265: Festival Plans
Maru thought for a moment before finally deciding. “Let’s just have an ordinary lunch. I’m not picky about food. Whatever you usually have for lunch, just make that.”
“Alright.” Leon let out a breath of relief. Thankfully, Maru didn’t say “anything’s fine,” or else he really might have dragged her to the Starfruit Saloon for a meal.
When it came to lunch, the obvious choice was potato stew with beef—simple, filling, and satisfying. They’d been eating it for several days now, but half a side of beef was no small thing. If Leon wanted to, the remaining meat could last him another three months.
Still, in addition to the potato stew, Leon decided to make a lean meatball soup for lunch. After all, there was still half a side of pork in the chest, and it wouldn’t be fair to let it go unused.
As Leon busied himself in the kitchen, Maru stood nearby with great interest. Without disturbing him, she carefully noted down his cooking methods, as if hoping to secretly pick up a few tricks.
Leon didn’t mind her watching at all. In fact, he’d be happy if Maru learned his style of cooking. If the way he liked to cook spread through all of Stardew Valley, at least future dinner invitations would come with food more suited to his taste.
After all, most of Stardew Valley’s cooking consisted of salads, fried fish, stews, bread, and fruit pies. While edible, they didn’t really suit Leon’s Eastern palate.
When Leon finally finished and brought the dishes to the table, the two of them sat down to enjoy lunch together.
As it turned out, eating meat really did make people happier—at least, Maru didn’t stop smiling once during the meal.
“Leon, in a couple of days it’ll be the Egg Festival. Are you planning to join the Egg Hunt?” Maru asked halfway through lunch.“Is it almost the Egg Festival already? I hadn’t noticed. But if it’s a competition… I think I’ll pass.” Leon thought for a moment before shaking his head.
“Why not?” Maru asked curiously.
“I don’t plan on bullying little kids,” Leon replied. If he remembered correctly, Jas and Vincent would be taking part. Those two were actual children, and competing against them was a lose-lose situation—if he won, it’d be shameless to brag about it, and if he lost, he’d never live it down.
“But aside from kids, other young people take part too,” Maru reminded him. “Like me, Abigail, Sam… We’re not children.”
“We’ll see when the time comes. Honestly, I’d rather just be a spectator,” Leon said with a wave of his hand.
Maru didn’t press the matter, though her expression dimmed a little. She had been planning to explain the Egg Hunt’s details to Leon and use it as a conversation topic.
But her mention of festivals made Leon think of another spring celebration.
“Actually, compared to the Egg Festival, I’m more curious about the Flower Dance. Can you tell me about it?”
Maru could understand his interest. The Egg Festival was a traditional holiday, so Leon might have experienced something like it elsewhere. But the Flower Dance was unique to Stardew Valley.
And since she didn’t feel like eating in silence, she gladly took the opportunity to talk.
“The Flower Dance is a very lively event—it’s a Stardew Valley tradition. On that day, everyone gathers at the Flower Dance Square in the Coal Forest to celebrate. While admiring the colorful blooms of spring, we also hold a large dance party. Everyone joins in—friends, lovers, family, even strangers—dancing together to bid farewell to a fortunate and bountiful spring.”
“Mom says it’s also the best place to find a future partner. Many couples in town met and fell in love at the Flower Dance. My parents met there too. Dad was visiting Stardew Valley as a tourist and happened to arrive during the festival. He invited Mom to dance the first time they met, and from there they fell in love and eventually married.”
Listening to Maru’s description, Leon was a little surprised. It seemed that the real-life Flower Dance was far more lively than in the game. In the game, only young singles could take part, but here, it seemed everyone could join in.
“So in past years, who did you dance with?” Leon asked. He wanted to see if the game’s “official couples” still held true in reality—though the changes among Stardew Valley’s bachelors made him unsure.
“Me? Most years I danced with Penny. Sometimes I danced with Harvey, and I’ve danced with Alex before too. But don’t get the wrong idea—the Flower Dance isn’t like a close-contact ballroom dance. There’s some distance between partners, and everyone just dances their own way to show off their style and charm. There’s no physical contact at all.”
Maru quickly explained, afraid Leon might think she was some sort of flirt.
“I see.” Leon nodded in understanding. He didn’t particularly care about the details, but the fact that the dance didn’t require holding hands or stepping in close was a relief. He’d never learned to dance, and with a traditional ballroom style, he’d probably end up stomping on someone’s feet.
If it was just dancing face-to-face, then he didn’t need to worry. If he ever did join in, he could just do the “flower-hand wave” move. It might look rustic, but it was better than standing there awkwardly. After all, out of all the short dances he’d seen online, that was the only one he could confidently pull off in public. Moves like the “big pendulum” or “train” just wouldn’t suit a grown man like him.
Leon also found the face-to-face dance style amusing. Combined with Maru’s explanation, the Flower Dance felt a bit like an elaborate matchmaking ritual—almost like the courtship dances of animals in nature.
“The Flower Dance is really fun. Everyone gathers at the square before nine in the morning and celebrates all the way until ten at night. Gus provides a buffet for everyone, and before night falls we light a bonfire. Leon, you have to come,” Maru said, seeing him lost in thought.
“I’ll come, but I’ll probably just watch from the sidelines. I only just arrived in Pelican Town, so I doubt I’ll find a dance partner,” Leon said with a smile.
“That’s fine. When the time comes, I’ll invite you to dance!” Maru replied without hesitation.
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