novelraw Chapter 287 Rome Stories February 15 New Share
Chapter 287 Rome Stories February 15 New Share
Leon had no idea what to talk about with Haley and Emily, so he decided to leave the festival for a while. He headed back to the farm to plant the strawberry seeds he had just bought.
After all, Leon had big ambitions. When two people were together, things could easily get out of hand, and without a chance to be alone, he didn’t dare approach them just yet.
Back at the farm, Leon expanded his existing fields, breaking new ground.
It had been a while since he’d picked up the hoe. He bent over, step by step, turning the smooth earth into loose pits. In each pit, he dropped one seed. He kept digging until there were two hundred pits, each with a strawberry seed buried inside.
Next, he set up the water pump to draw from the pond beside the field and watered every new seedling. With that done, he built four scarecrows and placed them around the strawberry patch.
“Haven’t opened new land in a while. I’m exhausted.”
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Leon stretched his sore back and sat on the cabin steps, sipping water with a sigh.
Thankfully, the water pump made the job much easier. Without it, he couldn’t imagine how long it would take to water such a large area by hand every morning. Technology really did make life better.
A glance at the clock showed it was already around four in the afternoon. Time always flew when you were busy.
The results were satisfying: two hundred strawberry seeds meant two hundred plants. What Leon didn’t know yet was whether they would behave like in the game—one strawberry per plant per harvest—or if they could yield more. There was also the question of whether they could trigger the Cool Shade Beneath the Rice effect to double the yield.Those were mysteries for now. In twenty-four days, he’d have the answers.
After a short rest, Leon took his bicycle back to Pelican Town. The square was much emptier now. Many of the stalls from the morning were gone; only Pierre’s and Joja Mart’s remained.
Independent sellers like Elliott and Leah had already packed up, leaving the square feeling much quieter.
Leon wasn’t surprised—he’d seen plenty of visitors heading toward the bus stop earlier, clearly on their way home.
Seeing Gus’s buffet table still open, Leon walked over and grabbed an omelette to quiet his stomach before asking, “Gus, how late are you staying open?”
“Until about six,” Gus replied with his usual smile, showing no trace of fatigue. “Once the tourists are all gone, I’ll pack up and head home.”
“And what about all this leftover food?” Leon eyed the still plentiful egg dishes.
“Haha, I’ll gather everyone to eat it together. If there’s still some left, we’ll pack it up for the miners in the Eastern Mines. It’s a holiday, but they’re still working. That’s not easy.”
“Who’s in charge over there, anyway? No time off, even on a holiday?” Leon asked, curious. He’d heard about the Eastern Mines several times but never learned the details.
“Who else? Joja Corporation,” Gus said, glancing toward Morris at the Joja Mart stall.
“As long as they don’t work people to death, they’ll keep pushing them to the brink. Same old labor exploitation that ought to get them strung up on a streetlight.”
Leon couldn’t help but scoff. He had the right to speak on this—before coming to Stardew Valley, he’d worked for Joja. Even after experiencing the infamous 9-9-6 grind, the workload and hours there were still inhuman.
“Yeah, but those workers can’t really refuse. Without those jobs from Joja, they’d be in a bad spot,” Gus said with a sigh.
“Let’s change the subject. How did you do today? How much did you lose?” Leon quickly shifted the conversation before it got too heavy.
“You’re just assuming I lost money?” Gus chuckled helplessly. “Can’t you believe I made a profit?”
“Do you believe that yourself? Looks like a business, but it’s practically free food,” Leon shot back.
He’d seen parents bring their kids over to mooch. Adults needed meal tickets, but some folks would send in their free-admission children to grab food and bring it back to the adults who didn’t want to pay.
Gus could have stopped it, but he pretended not to notice. Leon had tried to intervene once, only for Gus to stop him. If Gus made a profit in those conditions, it’d be a miracle.
“It’s a festival—making people happy is the most important thing,” Gus said, a bit embarrassed but firm in his view.
“Besides, the eggs aren’t from Marnie’s Ranch; they’re Joja products. The cost is low, so I’m not losing much.”
“You’re going to get yourself in trouble with that soft heart of yours,” Leon said, exasperated.
“I’m past the age of chasing every coin. I do this because I enjoy it. As long as I’m happy, that’s enough. Money’s just a tool—it only needs to be enough for my needs.” Gus patted Leon on the shoulder.
“But you shouldn’t copy me. You should earn and save as much as you can. Running a big farm is expensive, and you have to think about your future family.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not letting anyone take advantage of me for free,” Leon said with a grin.
“Free ride, huh? I like that phrase,” Gus laughed after thinking it over. “Might sound a bit crude, but it’s interesting.”
“And I don’t think I’m really being taken advantage of. As a chef, my joy is simple—if people like my food, I’m satisfied. Even if I don’t get money, I still get their appreciation and smiles. Isn’t that a kind of payment, too?”
Leon paused, then smiled as well.
He decided not to worry about Gus’s profit or loss anymore. Gus was no fool. If he said he was happy, that was enough.
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