novelraw Chapter 37: Aren’t You Afraid of Me?
Chapter 37: Aren’t You Afraid of Me?
After all, people’s constitutions are different. A game character doesn’t need to drink water or use the bathroom, and while they do need to eat, it’s only to restore stamina or health. If they don’t work or fight monsters, they won’t consume anything at all in a day—something that would make even a robot shake its head.
Leon was just an ordinary transmigrator with a System, and he couldn’t handle that kind of high-intensity lifestyle.
So he kept to his daily routine: watering his crops, wandering in the wild, eating in town now and then, glancing at the girls, and making friends with a few like-minded strangers. For Leon, it was just right.
As time passed and his foraging progressed, Leon reached the edge of the remote forest. The surrounding trees and vegetation thinned, and a little further on, the view suddenly opened up.
It was still mountainous terrain, but before him stretched an unusually flat slope, as if naturally formed. Vegetation was sparse, and the open view made the place feel vast. The only striking sight was a colossal ancient tree—so large it would take five or six people linking arms to encircle it—standing in the middle of the slope.
A short distance further down, Leon spotted a small, solitary villa built on another flat patch of ground. Behind the villa lay a large open yard stacked neatly with construction materials: cut stone of all shapes and sizes, and timber in various lengths. Only in this storage area was there a simple roof, shielding the materials from wind and rain.
Among the timber piles, Leon saw Robin sawing planks by hand with a steel saw. Standing upwind, he called out, “Hey! Robin.”
Hearing the shout from above, Robin looked up in puzzlement. When she saw Leon on the slope, she grinned. “Ha, Leon! I didn’t expect you to come all the way to the northern foothills. Out for a walk?”
“Something like that. Is this whole area yours?” Leon asked, nodding toward the land around them.
“Mm. Not many people like coming up to the mountains, and there’s plenty of space and natural resources. My family’s lived here for generations,” Robin explained, rubbing her forehead after craning her neck for too long.“Speaking of which, can’t you come down here to talk? My neck’s starting to protest.”
“I still want to look around the area. We can talk another time. You get back to work,” Leon said with a smile, waving goodbye before continuing his exploration.
Following the slope onward, Leon felt a little disappointed. Perhaps because the vegetation was so sparse, his foraging radar hadn’t detected a single collectible item since leaving the remote forest.
Eventually, greenery reappeared, along with a narrow trail worn by human footsteps, leading uphill. Leon hesitated a moment, then decided to follow it.
The higher he climbed, the steeper it became. At the end of the path, he found another small flat clearing. In the middle sat a yellow tent, with a campfire set up in front of it.
An old man with white hair and beard, dressed in a worn, slightly tattered yellow coat, was sitting by the fire. Suspended above the flames was an iron pot, in which something was cooking.
“Stranger, there’s nothing beautiful or profitable here. Just a homeless old man. If you don’t want to faint from my smell, I’d advise you to leave.”
Leon had just spotted the old man when the old man, in his raspy voice, called out a warning before Leon could speak.
“Hello, I mean no harm. I’m a farmer who just arrived in Stardew Valley a few days ago. My name’s Leon.”
Leon wasn’t frightened by the words. Instead, he smiled warmly. “If you don’t mind, could I sit down and try your cooking? I’ve been hiking for a while, and I’m feeling a bit hungry.”
“Oh, so that old farm finally has an heir.” The old man’s expression softened, though his eyes held curiosity. “Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Why would I be?” Leon replied.
“Because I’m a homeless man,” the old man said simply.
“So what? As long as you’re not a wild animal that can’t communicate, why should I fear another human? As for lifestyle, the biggest difference between us is that you live in a tent and I live in a wooden cabin. Otherwise, we’re the same. I cook over a campfire, go to the bathroom outdoors, and spend my days working with plants in the dirt.”
Leon shrugged. “Of course, I won’t eat for free. I can contribute some ingredients. How about some green onions? Or maybe a wild horseradish?”
“You’re an interesting kid. Sit down. Old Linus isn’t so poor that he can’t offer a guest a meal.” The old man studied Leon for a while, then smiled. His tone relaxed, and he gestured for Leon to join him at the fire.
Leon didn’t stand on ceremony. He sat down cross-legged, peering into the pot. The boiling soup was a greenish color—not exactly reassuring—but the smell was enticing.
Seeing Leon settle in so naturally made Linus smile even more. He said nothing, just stirred the pot occasionally with a carved wooden ladle.
When he judged it ready, Linus stood and went into his tent. He emerged with a short log, and in moments, had carved it into a heavy wooden bowl.
Leon watched as Linus ladled the soup into the fresh bowl and handed it over.
He accepted it without complaint, cradling the weighty bowl. Blowing on the hot soup twice, he took a hearty sip right in front of Linus.
“Mmm. Fresh fish soup! How did you do it? I can taste only the sweetness of the fish and a hint of salt—no fishy smell at all.”
Linus didn’t answer, only served himself a bowl and sipped quietly, eyes half-closed in appreciation.
Seeing this, Leon didn’t press. When he finished his bowl, he cheerfully helped himself to another, enjoying it immensely. Linus just watched without stopping him, but didn’t offer an open invitation either.