Lewis rose early that morning.
At the end of every season, paperwork piled up—leaving him swamped.
After breakfast, he buried himself in ledgers until a knock pulled him back to reality.
"Come in."
Ron stepped inside.
"Ron! What brings you here?" Lewis closed his account book.
Ron explained his need: farmhands.
Lewis sat up straight. "Perfect! I've got ideal candidates." He leaned forward. "What about Pam and Shane?"
Pam had turned over a new leaf—Gunther's reports confirmed her diligence.
Shane, though withdrawn, was gifted with animals. If Marnie's ranch could afford help, he'd have been hired already. Even now, he helped care for livestock to offset his rent.
"No problem," Ron said. "500G daily wage. Preferably start tomorrow."
"Done," Lewis smiled. "They won't refuse—that's generous pay."
He watched Ron leave, heartened.
From ruin to hiring help… Gabriel would be proud.
Grabbing the phone, he dialed the Animal Shop.
"Morning, Marnie…"
---
Meanwhile, at the Ranch…
Shane slept in.
He shuffled out of bed, kicked aside empty bottles, and opened his door with a hangover.
Jas played in the living room, peeking up at the sound.
"Morning, Shane~"
"Mornin'." Shane forced a smile—even on bad days, he softened for Jas.
"It's Saturday! Aren't you going to the playground with Ms. Penny?"
"We are!" Jas hugged his doll. "Wanna come?"
Shane shook his head. He craved cold pizza from the fridge.
As he passed the kitchen, he spotted Marnie grinning into the phone.
He slowed—then tried to slip by unnoticed.
Marnie turned. "Shane! The farm needs workers—500G a day! Interested?"
He froze.
He'd only met the farmer once—when buying chicks. Otherwise, he'd heard the name in drunken saloon chatter, always paired with rumors of imminent collapse.
"The farm…?" Shane hesitated. His mental image: a failing venture, owner packing up any day.
"You'd care for chickens, clean the Pokémon hut, handle odd jobs," Marnie added.
No reason to refuse. His guilt over freeloading had gnawed at him. "When do I start?"
"Tomorrow morning."
Jas popped his head out. "You're getting a job?"
"At the farm?"
Shane nodded.
Jas pumped his tiny fist. "I believe in you!"
"…" Shane managed a quiet "Thanks."
---
Elsewhere, in the RV…
Pam received the news too.
"500G…" She calculated aloud on the couch. "28 days a season… By winter, I could fund the bus repairs!"
Penny hugged her, beaming. "Even sooner! My tutoring pays well too!"
She pictured their future:
Pam driving the bus again. Their combined savings building a real house—no more drafty RV.
A grand fireplace crackling as snow fell outside, she and Clefable reading by the hearth…
"Clef…" Clefable wiped a tear from Penny's cheek.
"Everything's getting better," Penny whispered, holding it close.
Pam watched her daughter's back—and smiled softly.
---
Back at the Farm…
Ron knelt in the field, sneezing as he assembled Sprinklers.
Rattata and Geodude's mining efforts had stockpiled materials.
Even though Quality Sprinklers had limited range—but they'd cut watering labor drastically.
The rest? Froakie and the new hires would handle it.
Notably, Ron had been pushing Combee hard—its final task before returning it to Viola: collecting Oak Resin.
Summer in Stardew Valley meant Starfruit and Hops—both lucrative for Wine/Beer.
But Kegs required Oak Resin, which his farm lacked.
So Combee scoured the wilds, racing to gather enough before its departure.
As Ron built Sprinklers, he planned Hops trellises.
Need to assign space for harvesting… or task the agile Fletchlings to collect.
He installed Sprinklers on select plots, mapping the Summer crops' layout in his mind.
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