Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

Chapter 273: Various Backup Plans, All-Out Preparations

As they chatted and prepared dinner, time passed surprisingly quickly. By the time Leon had finished searing two steaks and brought out the steamed buns he had made, Abigail was left puzzled.

“Is this milk bread? But I don’t smell any milk at all.”

The white steamed buns were the main reason she asked. After all, the bread she was used to was baked, often with cornmeal or buckwheat flour mixed in, giving it a yellowish-brown color.

White bread wasn’t unheard of, but it was rare—and Leon’s plate of plump, snowy steamed buns was completely outside her culinary knowledge.

“You could call it bread, I guess—just a modified version,” Leon replied lazily. He had no intention of explaining the difference between bread and steamed buns to Abigail. It would involve too many cultural details. Even explaining the story of mantou and Zhuge Liang to a Westerner wasn’t straightforward—let alone to someone from another world.

“They look pretty, and they feel so bouncy. Kinda fun.” Abigail picked one up and began kneading it into different shapes like a child with a new toy, which made Leon’s irritation spike.

He flicked her on the forehead and said sternly, “Don’t treat food like a toy.”

“Oh, oh, okay.” Abigail quickly stopped her steamed bun DIY session and sat down obediently, waiting for Leon to start eating. This was the first time she’d seen this kind of “bread,” so she wasn’t sure how to eat it—but Leon definitely knew. All she had to do was copy him to avoid embarrassing herself.

Sensing her hesitation, Leon went first. He cut his steak into bite-sized pieces, split a bun open, tucked a piece of beef inside, and took a hearty bite.

Abigail followed suit, instantly finding it a new and satisfying experience. Then she watched Leon dipping the white “bread” into the steak sauce on his plate, copied that too, and discovered that the bun soaked in sauce was even richer and more unique in flavor.“Leon, do you have any fresh jam? I want to try dipping it,” she asked, inspired by her discovery.

“No,” Leon shook his head. He wasn’t lying—he genuinely didn’t have any jam on hand, since he didn’t like that sweet-and-sour stuff.

And the idea of steamed buns with jam just felt wrong to him. Even if he did have some, he wouldn’t let Abigail eat it like that in front of him. Just picturing it made him uneasy.

He was fine with dipping them in sesame paste, chili sauce, soy-based bean pastes, even hoisin sauce—but absolutely not fruit jam.

It was like watching a Sichuan opera face-changing performance—whether it was switching between different painted masks or roles, you’d only marvel at the performer’s skill. But if one of those masks turned out to be a meme face, the mood would break completely.

“That’s a shame,” Abigail said with a hint of disappointment, though she didn’t push it. Steak sauce was already pretty tasty.

After dinner, Abigail didn’t rush off. While helping Leon clean the dishes, she asked again, “So, will you team up with me or not?”

“Are you sure you want to?” Leon asked after a moment’s thought. “Even if two versus two might give you a better chance of winning… if you lose, it’s going to be embarrassing.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of backup plans,” Abigail said confidently, patting her chest. “We’ll win for sure.”

“Let’s hear them,” Leon said curiously.

“Only if you agree to team up first.”

“Alright.” Since the Egg Hunt wasn’t a serious competition but just a festival game, Leon agreed to partner with her.

“I knew you’d say yes!” Abigail smacked him on the back, not caring that her wet hand left a perfect print on his shirt.

Fortunately, Leon had a daily habit of bathing and changing clothes, so he didn’t care about the damp mark.

“So, what’s your plan? Get a third person to join us? Or sabotage Jas and Vincent?”

“I don’t have anything to offer a third person, and two is enough. As for sabotaging other contestants—don’t even suggest it. I’m not that shameless,” Abigail said righteously.

“My plan is to sneak out tonight to scout the area in advance, marking where the eggs have already been hidden. What do you think? Are you in?”

“Isn’t that… shameless?” Leon asked, staring at her.

“This is called being prepared. And you don’t really think I’m the only one doing it, do you?” Abigail rolled her eyes. “Vincent can’t sneak out at night, but his brother Sam will definitely help him scout. We might even have to prepare for a two-on-three.”

“It’s that competitive? Is this event really that important?” Leon was stunned.

He never thought a holiday mini-game could have so much scheming—like a full-on tournament.

“Anyway, we have to prepare for everything. So, are you coming?” Abigail asked, shaking his arm.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming.” With her pulling the cute act, Leon didn’t stand a chance—he was the type who gave in to soft tactics, not hard pressure.

So after they finished the dishes, the two headed toward Pelican Town.

Transportation was once again Leon’s bicycle, with Abigail perched on the crossbar. This time, though, they didn’t take a side path—they rode straight down the road from the farm to Pelican Town in broad daylight.

Once in town, they split up at the entrance. Abigail began scouting from the east side, while Leon started from the south. They agreed to meet later at the cemetery.

Leon wasn’t thrilled about the idea—it felt weird going to the cemetery at night—but when Abigail teased him with “Are you scared?” he accepted the meeting spot.

It was a childish provocation, but… it worked.

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