Chapter 25: Striking It Rich
Watching the girl’s retreating figure, Leon made no move to chase after her. Once Abigail had gone, he let the smile fade from his face, turned, and went to the water trough to wash the dirt from his hands as planned.
Then he left the farm altogether, heading south toward the forest.
It had rained yesterday, so Leon hadn’t gotten the chance to properly explore the southern forest. For anyone newly arrived in Stardew Valley, the time right after planting the first batch of seeds was the perfect season to forage for wild goods—easily the best way to earn that very first handful of gold.
At the southern edge of the forest, near the drainage outlet of the sewer, lay one of spring’s best gifts: green onions.
As for the old-timers’ tried-and-true path to wealth—fishing—Leon had no plans to touch it yet. He was very aware of his own lack of skill with a rod. Rather than waste time starting from scratch, he preferred to rely on foraging to build up his initial funds.
Fishing could wait for a day when he had some free time and could go with Willy. Having an old fisherman by his side would spare him the embarrassment of squatting by the water with a pole, staring blankly at the ripples.
This time, stepping into the southern forest was a very different experience from his rain-soaked visit before. Now the air was alive with birdsong and the rustle of wind through the leaves. The forest seemed to breathe and stir.
Perhaps because it was so close to Pelican Town, the trees here weren’t particularly dense. Closer to the Wizard’s Tower the woods were more pristine, but near Marnie’s Ranch, the trees thinned noticeably.
Leon cast a distant glance toward the cows, sheep, chickens, and ducks inside Marnie’s Ranch and quickly lost interest. Those were things he couldn’t even think about yet. The cost of building a coop or a barn was far too high—better to wait until he had money before discussing livestock with Marnie.