novelraw Chapter 68: Three’s Company
Chapter 68: Three’s Company
After checking his backpack to make sure he had the Prismatic Shard with him—and bringing along some extra money just in case—Leon left the farm and headed toward the bus stop.
The bus stop in Stardew Valley sat along the dirt road connecting the farm and Pelican Town, so it didn’t take long before Leon reached the fork leading to it.
There, he saw Penny, who had already agreed to meet him, along with Abigail and her old car. What surprised Leon even more was that Emily was also standing beside them.
The three women noticed Leon as well. Abigail called out proudly, “Well? Bet you didn’t expect me to bring Emily along too!”
“What’s going on?” Leon asked as he walked up quickly.
“I talked to my parents about it last night,” Abigail explained with a grin. “They didn’t want me driving to Calico Desert with you alone. But when I said Emily was coming along, and they confirmed it with her, they agreed.”
“So, you’re her chaperone today,” Leon said to Emily, ignoring Abigail.
“Haha, chaperone sounds a bit much. But Pierre did ask me to keep an eye on Abigail so she doesn’t wander off,” Emily said, covering her mouth with a laugh.
“Leon, you’re so annoying! Emily’s a friend who’s coming along for the trip, not some babysitter. And she’s not even that much older than me!” Abigail grumbled.
“If Abigail’s threatening you, just blink and I’ll rescue you,” Leon teased Emily.Emily shook her head. “No, no. When Abigail invited me, I decided to join right away. It’s been a while since I visited Sandy.”
Realizing this trip wouldn’t be a lone wolf venture anymore, Leon turned to Penny, who was quietly holding a tote bag and watching the three of them chat. “Since there’s already three of us, Penny, do you want to come too?”
“I still have to teach the kids today, so I can’t. Here,” Penny declined gently and handed the tote bag to Leon.
“I didn’t know you’d changed your plans so suddenly, so I only prepared enough food for one person.”
“It’s fine, they’ve probably already had breakfast,” Leon said, taking the bag and peeking inside at a two-tiered lunchbox. “You must’ve spent quite some time making this.”
“It’s just some simple sandwiches—didn’t take much effort.” Penny smiled at him. “Now that I’ve delivered it, I’ll head back to town. Safe travels.”
“Mm.”
Leon watched her walk away. Before he could say anything, Abigail piped up, “Since when did you get so close with Penny? She actually brought you breakfast.”
“She helped me out a lot yesterday, so I treated her to lunch. While we were talking, I mentioned my trip to Calico Desert. She probably felt bad about me paying for lunch, so she made breakfast as a thank-you,” Leon explained.
“What kind of help?” Abigail asked curiously.
“Not telling you,” Leon brushed her off and turned to Emily. “Are you driving, or should I?”
“I’ll drive us there. That way you can get familiar with the route on the way back—and have time to eat your breakfast,” Emily said, eyeing the tote bag in his hand.
“Then let’s head out. The earlier we leave, the cooler it’ll be in the desert. More comfortable for everyone.”
Leon nodded and got into the back seat, leaving the front passenger seat for Abigail.
Only, once all three were in the car, Leon noticed that while Emily sat in the driver’s seat, Abigail didn’t take the front. Instead, she slid into the back and squeezed in next to him.
“What are you doing?” Leon asked, exasperated.
“I didn’t eat breakfast either,” Abigail said, staring at the lunchbox in his hands.
Ignoring her, Leon asked Emily, “Did you have breakfast?”
“Yes, I did. You two eat,” Emily replied, eyes on the road as she pulled onto the main route.
Leon nodded and, under Abigail’s expectant gaze, opened the lunchbox.
Inside were four sandwiches, each layered with bacon and fried eggs, plus cheese and fresh lettuce. The classic combo reminded Leon of hamburgers.
Sighing, Leon took one and handed it to Abigail.
She accepted it with a satisfied smile and immediately started eating. Seeing her enjoy Penny’s handiwork, Leon relaxed and took one for himself.
Though simple, Penny’s sandwiches were made with care. The bacon was cooked perfectly, the eggs crisp on the outside and tender within, the rich cheese tying everything together, and the lettuce cutting through the richness with freshness. Each bite was deeply satisfying.
One sandwich wasn’t enough, so Leon took a second. But as soon as he bit into it, he noticed Abigail watching him with pitiful eyes, licking her lips—the first sandwich already gone.
Leon pretended not to notice and finished the second slowly, then moved to close the lunchbox.
But Abigail’s hungry stare was like needles in his back. In the end, he gave in and handed her the last one.
As she happily munched away, Leon shook his head and struck up a conversation with Emily.
“Emily, this Sandy you mentioned—how do you know her?”
“Back when the bus to Calico Desert was still running, I met Sandy during one of my trips there. We’ve been friends ever since,” Emily said. “She’s wonderful, and she loves Stardew Valley. But since she has to run her shop, she rarely visits. If you want to get on her good side, bring her some wild plants that are unique to Stardew Valley—she’ll love them.”
Emily added with a meaningful glance, “You should become friends with Sandy, Leon. Then you can buy seeds from her at lower prices—seeds you can’t find in Stardew Valley.”
“Of course. I like making friends.”
If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider subscribing to me on (www./RomayStories). Your support helps me dedicate more time to bringing you smooth, vivid translations and keeps the updates coming regularly!