Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

Chapter 91: The Passionate Gunther

In the game, Starfruit is a top-tier fruit that boosts the player’s stats. It can only be obtained through various means, and only seven exist in total.

The ways to get them are: one from the treasure chest on the 100th floor of the mine; one from your spouse after reaching fourteen hearts of affection post-marriage; one from planting a rare seed bought from the Traveling Merchant on the first day of Fall, harvesting the Gem Berry on the last day of Fall, then offering it to the old man’s statue in the Secret Woods; one from Willy after catching every type of fish in the game; one as a reward for completing the Library’s collection room; one purchased from the special merchant at the Stardew Valley Fair in Fall; and the last one from Krobus in the sewer.

In real-life Stardew Valley, Leon wasn’t sure how many Starfruit could actually be obtained, or whether the methods matched those in the game. The only confirmed one was the Starfruit in Krobus’s possession. As for the others, Leon had no way to verify them for now.

But Starfruit Tea was a different story—there were clues. Leon trusted Gus’s words, and so Lewis having one as a raffle prize intrigued him. After all, it was a new thing he had never heard of. Something this good, with only one character different from “Starfruit,” was worth trying.

“Are there requests on the noticeboard every day?” Leon knew how the board worked in the game but wasn’t sure if it was just as frequent in real life.

“Of course not, but you’ll see two or three a week. Just keep an eye on it when you pass Pierre’s General Store,” said Gus, who shopped there daily for his saloon supplies and knew the board well.

“I see.” Leon wasn’t surprised. It matched the game’s refresh rate. He just didn’t know if the reward formula was the same—three times the item’s selling price.

But since Willy had said it was good money and came with raffle tickets, Leon wasn’t going to skip them. A side hustle was nothing to be ashamed of—who would turn down extra cash?

They ate and chatted without interruption, enjoying a rich spread. Willy and Gus were talkative, easygoing men, so lunch stretched past an hour. Only when the plates were nearly cleared did Gus stand to tidy up.

Leon and Willy helped, and when all was done, they bid Gus farewell and stepped out of the Starfruit Saloon.At the door, Willy didn’t leave right away. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and asked, “Want one?”

“Uh, sure.” In his past life, Leon had been a smoker. In this life, with a new body, he hadn’t developed the habit and hadn’t thought to buy any. Now that Willy offered, he couldn’t resist trying.

Willy handed him one and lit it for him. Leon took a deep drag out of habit and instantly coughed hard.

“Hahaha! With the way you held it, I thought you were a pro. What’s with all the coughing?” Willy chuckled at the sight of Leon looking like a newbie.

“It’s been a long time,” Leon said with a bitter smile, waving his hand. His mind remembered, but his body resisted.

“Better not, then. It’s bad for you,” Willy advised.

“Yeah.” Leon stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it into the bin outside the saloon.

No addiction meant no reason to pick up a bad habit again.

“Coming to fish with me at the beach? No merchant ships today, so I’ll be fishing all day,” Willy asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

“Not this time. I’ve got other things to do. But thanks for the morning’s guidance.” Leon thought of the ancient seeds in his bag and declined.

“Fair enough. You’ve still got a farm to run. Fishing’s fun, but work comes first.” Willy didn’t mind. He handed Leon three hundred G.

“Your fish money.”

“Then I’ll take it,” Leon said without hesitation.

“Haha, you earned it.” Willy patted Leon’s shoulder. “Come by my fish shop sometime. I buy fish, but I also sell fishing gear—lines, bait, floats, the works.”

“I will. See you next time.” Leon nodded, said his goodbyes, and cycled straight toward the library.

When he parked outside and stepped inside, Gunther walked right up to greet him.

“Mr. Leon, good to see you. The Palm Fossil Miss Abigail brought yesterday is already in the collection room. A fine start, and I appreciate your help.”

Gunther clasped Leon’s hand warmly. “That fossil is in excellent condition, with great research and display value. A fine piece indeed.”

“No need to be so polite,” Leon said quickly, pulling back. If not for Gunther’s gloves, he might have avoided the handshake altogether—after all, you never knew with overly friendly men. Better safe than sorry.

“Are you here to read today?” Gunther asked, unfazed by Leon’s reserve. “If so, tell me what you’re looking for. I know where every book in the library is and can save you some time.”

“No, I brought something that might be an ancient relic.” Leon reached into his pocket, took out the bag of ancient seeds, and handed Gunther one.

“Oh, this is a treasure—for both the collection room and for you.”

Gunther pushed up his glasses and carried the seed to the front desk. Taking out a magnifying glass, he studied it closely before saying, “Indeed, an ancient seed—the kernel of an edible plant from ancient times. Sadly, it’s no longer viable.”

“Then why did you say it’s good for me too?” Leon knew Gunther could restore it but played dumb.

“Because I happen to know how to bring it back to life.” Gunther smiled, glancing at the bag in Leon’s hand. “If you donate this one to the collection room, I’ll give you the means to revive the rest. How about it?”

“It was meant for the collection room anyway,” Leon replied with a smile.

“Then I thank you for your support and donation. I’ll take this ancient seed, and as promised, the revival method is yours. I’ve no use for it myself, so I’ll pass it on to you.”