Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

Chapter 94: Why Don’t You Take Off Your Shirt

“Sunken Wood (Trash): A piece of wood that has sunk to the bottom of the water.”

The System Prompt popped up the moment this dark, heavy wood was dragged ashore.

If Leah hadn’t been standing right beside him, Leon would have definitely taken the system to task over it.

Sunken wood, also known as ebony, carried both the elegance of wood and the charm of stone. It was formed when earthquakes, floods, or mudslides buried plants in ancient riverbeds or lowlands, with some trees getting trapped deep in the mud. Under conditions of low oxygen and high pressure, and with the work of bacteria and other microorganisms, it went through a carbonization process lasting tens of millions of years. It was often called a “plant fossil.”

In his previous life, the value of such sunken wood had been hyped to rival gold and jade. Now, seeing the system slap it with a “trash” classification… if any of those rich folks who’d spent a fortune decking out their homes with ebony furniture saw this, they’d probably dig up your family registry in outrage.

Still, if the system labeled it that way, Leon realized the wood might not be worth as much as he’d thought. He glanced at Leah’s eyes—glistening with the kind of longing reserved for priceless jewels—and said:

“It’s just a useless chunk of wood. If you like it, take it.”

“No way, it’s too valuable. Leon, you don’t know—this kind of sunken wood fetches a high price on the art market. With such perfect condition and such a large size, the minimum would be tens of thousands. It’s definitely not just a piece of scrap.”

Leah truly loved the wood, but if she took it under false pretenses, claiming it was worthless, she’d never be able to look Leon in the eye again.

“Tens of thousands, huh?” Leon’s interest perked up. But after another glance at the unchanging system label, he thought for a moment before replying.“You said yourself, it’s the art market. Pelican Town doesn’t have any big buyers for that, and transporting something this big out would take more time and cost than I want to deal with. Not to mention, there’s no guarantee it would even sell. So if you don’t want it, I’ll just toss it back in the water.”

“That would be such a waste.” Leah clutched her chest like she’d just witnessed a crime, staring at Leon pleadingly.

“So, are you taking it or not? If not, I’m tossing it.” Leon made as if to shove the wood back into the river. Leah quickly stepped in front of him.

“Fine, I’ll take it. But I’ll carve it into a sculpture for you, and I don’t want you to refuse. I love using precious wood like this for carving, but honestly, I just enjoy the process of shaping it.”

“No problem.”

Leon hadn’t expected he could get a free sculpture out of the deal. Whether the wood was valuable or not, once Leah carved it, it could sit on the farm as a nice decoration. Either way, he wouldn’t be losing out.

“By the way, you’re not going to charge me a processing fee, are you?”

Even though it was free for him, Leon felt a bit guilty, like he was taking advantage of Leah, so he teased her to gauge her thoughts.

“Why would I charge a processing fee? We’re friends, aren’t we?” Leah looked at him in surprise.

“Besides, you’re the one who insisted on giving me such valuable wood. So if I want to turn it into a statue, you can’t say no.”

“Of course I won’t.” Since Leah was offering willingly, Leon’s conscience was clear, and he gladly accepted her kindness.

“Mhm, mhm.” Leah nodded repeatedly, then stepped closer to the upright sunken wood, tapping it in places and even sniffing it.

“There’s still a faint fragrance. You should smell it.”

Leon leaned in and took a sniff—there really was a subtle, elegant aroma.

“If we made it into a statue and put it indoors, it could double as an air freshener,” Leah said with a smile.

“Then you’ll get to test it first, since you’ll be doing the carving. You can tell me later if it really makes the whole room smell nice.”

“Sure.” Leah nodded, then looked over the wood again. “I’ll have to borrow a handcart from Marnie, otherwise it’ll be hard to move this.”

“That’s easy. Hold my fishing rod.”

Leon handed over his rod, then bent down and hoisted the wood onto his shoulder in one motion.

It had been tricky to lift in the water, which was why he’d needed Leah’s help earlier. But on land, this weight was nothing to him.

“Wow, you’re really strong. Looks like farm life can really turn someone into a muscleman.” Leah’s eyes widened. She remembered how heavy the wood had felt coming out of the water—definitely not something an ordinary person could carry so casually.

She couldn’t help wondering if under Leon’s shirt was a physique like those perfectly proportioned male statues in art galleries.

“Enough gawking. Lead the way—standing here holding this thing is just silly,” Leon said dryly.

“Oh—this way. Watch your step.” Leah quickly took the lead.

After about ten minutes of walking along a riverbank stretching from Pelican Town, they reached Leah’s cabin. It was charming, with brown walls decorated with elegant patterns that blended in naturally.

From the outside, it was clearly larger than Leon’s farmhouse. He couldn’t help but ask:

“Did Robin build this for you?”

“Yeah. I had her do it when I first moved here. She’s amazing at her craft,” Leah replied.

She unlocked the door and stepped inside. “Come in. It’s a bit messy—it’s both my studio and my home, so… you know.”

Leon smiled at her slight embarrassment. Carrying the wood inside, he found the place far tidier than she’d claimed.

Straight ahead, there were paintings on easels and bookshelves filled with neatly arranged volumes, most on art and design. In the corner stood a single bed. The open space inside was mostly taken up by tools, paints, and canvases.

“Just set the wood here. Have some tea before you go—you must be tired after carrying it so long.” Leah disappeared into her small kitchen and came back with a steaming cup.

Leon accepted it and noticed dried flowers steeping in the water. He couldn’t tell what kind they were, but the scent was pleasant.

Leah, meanwhile, noticed the damp spots and smudges on his shoulder—no doubt from carrying the waterlogged wood.

“Why don’t you take off your shirt?”