Love Is The Best Medicine (Stardew Valley Harvey x Reader)

Chapter 1 - A New Beginning

You had always dreamed of living a simpler life away from the fast-paced hustle and bustle of the city. After years of feeling trapped in your corporate job with the constant stress of urban living, you finally decided to take the leap and move to a small town in the countryside. As you packed your bags and said goodbye to your apartment, you felt a sense of relief wash over you. The constant noise and chaos of the city had taken a toll on your mental health significantly, and your were more than ready for change.

You hopelessly stared out the train window as you watched the city skyline vanish from your horizon, your reflection upon the glass. You knew today would change your life forever more. Today was the day you left your life behind, and instead perused a more quiet life as a small-town farmer.

"This stop is: Pelican Town." The robotic train announcer spoke over the speakers. It was time for you to disembark with no more than a suitcase of clothes and a small range of personal items from your old flat. Feelings of disruption washed over you, knowing that your Grandpa had been far to old and weak to maintain the farm himself over the span of the past years. This would not be an easy task or job to start with little experience.

As you lugged your suitcase off of the train carriage and onto the small station platform, you saw a woman and an older looking man wearing a cap, waiting for you.

"Hey, nice to meet you, I'm Robin, the local carpenter." She greeted.

Robin's voice was friendly and warm as she greeted you, making you feel welcomed by her open demeanour.  You instantly noted her inviting friendly smile. Her clothes seemed worn but functional, with a leather apron over a plain shirt and jeans. She seems to have a few cuts littered over her hands and arms, clearly from her practical labour job.

"Hello, I am Mayor Lewis." The other man greeted.

Mayor Lewis spoke with a warm and welcoming voice. You noticed that his suit was well-tailored, but slightly worn, as if it's seen many years of use. Despite his friendly nature, there was a sense of authority and responsibility about Mayor Lewis. He was the leader of the town afterall, and it showed in the way he carried himself. He was clearly used to making important decisions and taking charge when necessary.

Slightly bewildered, you nodded and greeted them back. They both led you to your new farmhouse whilst discussing Pelican Town and your late grandfather who had left you the farm in his will. Mayor Lewis continued to brief you on what life was like in Pelican Town, telling you about the local shops, the people, and the events that took place throughout the year. You listened intently at first, fascinated by the details he shared. However, as the conversation wore on, his words began to blur together, and his explanations turned into ramblings. You tried to stay focused, but your mind wandered to the possibilities of your new life in the Valley.

Robin and Mayor Lewis decided to leave you to your vices. You scanned through the box Lewis had handed you as your arrived. He left you some tools such as a hoe and axe, and also left twenty packs of parsnip seeds to help kickstart your farm. Additionally, he left a red notebook with what he called "valuable information" scribbled inside the many pages. This was ever so strange to you. You were only ever used to the city air and the hustle and bustle of the city itself. Your favourite thing to do was to go shopping in all the expensive high streets and treat yourself to the occasional new clothing item, but that lifestyle was far removed. You traded in your designer clothes for basic t-shirts and overalls that were soon going to be covered in dirty soil.

The farm before you was a mess. The amount of work required to turn this land into a prosperous farm seemed daunting. Weeds and rocks covered the land, and there were broken fences and abandoned structures scattered throughout. You had your work cut out for you, but you were determined to make this place your own.

You set to work, slowly clearing a small area in the front of your house to till the first soil. You started by clearing the weeds and rocks from the ground at the front of the farmhouse. As you began the daunting task of clearing the weeds, you found that some of them were deep-rooted and would require a lot of effort to remove. But you persisted, hacking away at them with your hoe and pulling them up by their roots.

Slowly but surely, the land started to look more manageable. It was hard work, but with each patch of cleared land, you felt a sense of accomplishment. Your arms weren't used to the weight of an axe, and therefore shook every time you had to try and swing one at a tree. You had also managed to remove the smaller boulders in the process. By the time you had cleared an area to till, you could barely stand. This work was going to be a lot harder than you had originally thought, and that reality scared you somewhat.

Grabbing the seed packets, you carefully sowed them into the soil. Once you had finished, you watered the seeds too, ensuring they had all they needed to grow. You weren't 100% certain you were doing everything right, but time could only tell from here on out. You were certain you would learn and pick skills up as you went.

Finally you had sown the last seeds. You stepped back and admired your work. The sun was starting to set when you finally finished clearing the last patch.

"Well, that's a damn pretty good start if you ask me." You mumbled to yourself, wiping beads of sweat off of your forehead. Your plan to explore the village would have to be put on hold until tomorrow, as all you could think of in the moment was getting some well needed sleep. You collapsed onto the ground, exhausted but happy. As you laid there, looking up at the stars, you couldn't help but feel a sense of peace. You had always dreamed of living a simpler life, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and now you finally had your chance to pursue that.

Stripping out of your dirty clothes and into some more comfortable pyjamas, you opened your new red notebook from the Mayor. Scrawled onto the pages were the names of all 28 town members you had to greet at some point within the week. This seemed like it would be a harder job then planting your first seeds, but you knew it had to be done eventually anyway.

You scanned the list.

You mumbled the name of some of the town folk to yourself in the process. "Shane?"

"Abigail... Pam... Sebastian..."

You reached the bottom of the list, "Dr. Ridley."

You had previously wondered how such a small town gets their medical treatment, as any major hospital is miles away. However, this name seemed to answer that question for you.

"I'll start tomorrow, I'll have greeted everyone by the end of the day."