“Beep, beep, beep…”
After half a minute of nothing but the busy tone, Leon figured that Lewis still wasn’t ho, so he hung up.
Next, he dialed Gus. This ti, he didn’t have to wait—Gus picked up almost instantly.
“Hello, this is the Stardrop Saloon. How can I help you?” Gus’s cheerful voice ca through crystal clear, as if he were standing right beside Leon.
“Hello, I’m from the Joja Mart custor service departnt. I wanted to ask if you’re in need of a fresh produce supplier?” Leon lowered his voice as he spoke.
“Oh, no need. I already have a regular supplier,” Gus replied politely, genuinely believing the voice on the other end.
“Wouldn’t you like to hear about the supplier we’ve chosen for you? I promise they’re far more reliable than the one you have now.” Leon kept up the disguise.
“Joja Mart suppliers are usually just ordinary farrs. How reliable could they be? Stop wasting my ti, or I won’t hesitate to report you,” Gus shot back bluntly, not forgetting to threaten this so-called “Joja employee.”
“The supplier we’ve chosen is none other than Red Star Farm in Stardew Valley. Are you sure you’re not interested?” Leon continued teasing him.
“Red Star Farm? Leon? You expect
to believe he’s working with Joja? You’ve got to be kidding!” Gus snapped, completely unconvinced.
“If this is an attempt to trick
into placing an order, I can tell you right now—you’re dreaming. In fact, I’ll inform Leon, and we’ll sue Joja Corporation together for fraud and misusing his na. Young man, you’ve gone too far.”
“Alright, enough ssing around, Gus. It’s . I was just joking with you,” Leon quickly dropped the act.
“Haha, so it is you, Leon. That explains it. I knew even Joja wouldn’t dare use a farr’s na without permission. You really startled
there,” Gus said, his voice relaxing instantly.
“Sorry about that. I just wanted you to know you can call
directly from now on if you ever need to reach ,” Leon chuckled.
“Of course. Oh, and if you’re ever too busy to co by, just call in your food orders. I’ll have soone deliver them to your farm—though you’ll have to cover the delivery fee,” Gus said with a grin in his tone.
“Got it. I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Mm, see you.”
After hanging up, Leon decided not to call anyone else. There wasn’t much to talk about anyway.
Leaving the cabin, he made his way to the chicken coop. Inside the fenced area, the fluffy chicks darted about happily, occasionally pecking at the ground.
He glanced at the small pond beside the coop. Thankfully, there were no chicks floundering in the water—or worse, floating on the surface.
He worried they might jump in out of curiosity. While grown chickens could swim, he wasn’t sure about chicks. Losing even one or two to drowning would be heartbreaking.
After all, each chick cost 200 gold. That was enough for him to eat at the Stardrop Saloon seven or eight tis.
Leon spent a while watching the chicks frolic before heading back to the cabin to prepare dinner.
…
When night fell, Leon returned to the coop and found the yard silent. Inside, the chicks had all co back.
He scattered so rice, but they didn’t bother to co over—apparently still full from whatever tasty treats they’d dug up in the soil during the day.
Satisfied they were fine, Leon left the coop, had dinner, then carried a chair outside to sit by the kitchen door and stare at the stars.
That’s country life for you: work with the sunrise, rest with the sunset. Without all the gadgets and screens, daydreaming was a good way to pass the ti… though it did feel a little lonely, almost like he was so empty-nester.
After sitting for a while, Leon put the chair back, took a shower, and watched TV until his hair dried. Then he stripped down and went to bed.
…
The night passed without incident. Morning sunlight spilled into the cabin, and Leon woke naturally, ready for another busy day.
Wash up, eat, water the crops—that was the routine. This ti, though, he left one small patch unwatered.
Yesterday, Maru had told him over the phone that she’d finished the water pump and would bring it over today. Leon wanted to test it out.
Aside from his usual chores, he had two extra tasks today: feeding and petting the chicks, and checking if the fruit bats in the cave were ready to “pay rent.”
The cave was closer, so he went there first. The mushroom planters were doing well—he could harvest again tomorrow. This ti, he spotted a flash of purple among them. Tomorrow, he’d have a purple mushroom.
After that, Leon searched the cave for fruit but found nothing. Looking up, he noticed there were more bats than before.
“I’ll give you three days. If you don’t pay rent by then, I’ll evict you by force,” he told the hanging bats, not caring if they understood, before leaving.
At the coop, he found the rice from last night had been eaten. A few brave chicks had already gone outside, leaving only four timid ones inside.
He petted each one, even chasing down the ones outdoors.
They were noticeably bigger than yesterday—almost like they’d been pumped with growth hormones.
After all eight had their turn, Leon reluctantly left. In a few days, when they shed their fluff for proper feathers, the soft, fluffy feeling might be gone for good. Who knew if cuddling them would be as fun then?
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