Chapter 25: The Trade Market
Xiao Jihan and the other two stood to the side, a little stunned. Now that there was truly nothing for them to do, they felt rather useless.
After washing up, Su Muyao began to make breakfast, and the three of them immediately stepped in to help.
Once they had eaten, it was time for Hua Linye and Wen Nanxi to go hunting, leaving Xiao Jihan at home to look after Su Muyao.
Hua Linye looked at her. “Wife Master, please be careful if you go into the forest.” He wanted to stay by her side, but she had more than one beastman husband, and he had to follow the rules they had set long ago.
Originally, they had established the rotating schedule because none of them wanted to be around her. But they couldn’t just let her fend for herself, so they had to take turns. Now, the arrangement left a sour taste in his mouth.
Su Muyao shook her head. “I’m not going to the forest today. I have a lot to do at home, so I’ll stay in the tribe.”
Hearing this, Wen Nanxi and Hua Linye felt a sense of relief. It was safer in the tribe.
A flicker of emotion crossed Xiao Jihanās face. He glanced at Su Muyao but said nothing.
“Oh, right, Hua Linye, I’ve prepared some medicine. Wait for it to brew and drink it before you go hunting!”
“It’s a medicine to suppress the fire poison. If you drink it every morning and evening, half of the poison should be gone within a month.” The herbs she had gathered in the valley yesterday were perfect for treating his condition. Plus, brewing it with the spiritual spring water from her dimension would make it even more effective.
Hua Linyeās expression shifted, and his foxy eyes shimmered like water. “Wife Master, you are so good to me.” He had thought she was just saying it yesterday; finding herbs to suppress fire poison wasn’t supposed to be easy. He never imagined she would have it ready so early in the morning.
Su Muyao couldn’t stand that look of his. “On the road to exile, you all did your best to protect me. It’s only right that I treat you well in return. Besides, if you’re all healthy, you can protect me better for the next three months.”
The affection in Hua Linyeās eyes dimmed. He didn’t want to hear the words ‘three months’ anymore. If she stayed like this, he had no intention of leaving after three months.
Su Muyao used a clay pot to brew the medicine, having Hua Linye control the heat with his fire ability. Wen Nanxi had already left to hunt. Xiao Jihan began tidying up the house, boiling water, and chopping firewood. He was a man who always found work to do, never staying idle. Despite his noble and otherworldly aura, he was meticulous and efficient in his tasks. Even his every movement was so elegant, it was like watching an artist at work.
As he controlled the fire, Hua Linye couldn’t help but look over at Su Muyao. She was currently building a nest out of straw for the pheasant eggs. She was making it warm so the chicks could hatch.
Watching her bustle about, with the morning sun casting a warm, soft glow upon her, she looked almost ethereal, as if she might ascend to the heavens at any moment.
A sudden, inexplicable panic seized Hua Linye’s heart. He spoke softly, “Wife Master, the insect-repellent sachet you gave us last night worked wonders. With it hanging by the bed, there wasn’t a single mosquito in the room all night.”
With his abilities, his hearing was exceptionally sharp. He often had trouble sleeping at night because of the buzzing of mosquitoes. But last night, he had slept soundly. There hadn’t been a sound. That sachet was truly magical.
“Someone in the tribe once bought an insect-repellent sachet at the city’s trade market, but it didn’t work at all.”
Hearing this, Su Muyaoās expression shifted. She looked at Hua Linye. “Trade market?”
Hua Linye explained gently, “Yes. The closest city to our tribe is Beihan City. Once a month, Beihan City holds a trade market. People from all the nearby tribes bring goods to trade. Some use crystal coins to buy things, others barter. But using crystal coins is more convenient.”
Su Muyao was thoughtful. “How much does an insect-repellent sachet cost at the trade market?”
Hua Linye replied, “I heard one sachet costs one hundred copper crystal coins.”
Su Muyao’s expression changed. “One hundred copper crystal coins? Is it that expensive?” From what she recalled, a pound of beast meat only cost twenty copper crystal coins at the market. A single pheasant egg was just one copper coin. A hundred was a huge sum!
Hua Linye nodded. “Yes, that’s the price. Medicinal herbs are quite expensive. If a beastman is seriously injured and needs to buy herbs or see a healer in the city, the cost is even higher. Just a small box of hemostatic powder costs five hundred copper crystal coins.”
Su Muyaoās eyes lit up. In that case, couldn’t she make some insect-repellent and hemostatic sachets to sell at the market? That way, she could earn some crystal coins and use them to buy things.
According to her predecessor’s memories, Beihan City had many shops and a wide variety of goods. She wanted to buy more daily necessities, as well as some large clay pots and vats for storage. She had wanted to pickle the cabbage she’d found yesterday but had no containers large enough. They were also running low on salt.
She also wanted to find a blacksmith to forge an iron pot, a kettle, and other items. She hadn’t dared to think about it before because ironware was far too expensive. But if she had enough crystal coins, she could have them made.
“When is the next trade market?”
“In half a month.”
That gave Su Muyao a timeline. She could prepare a lot of things in half a month.
“Are there food stalls at the market?”
“Yes. When the beastmen from the tribes go to the city, they usually stay for the whole day, and those from larger tribes might even stay overnight. So people eat there, and there are stalls selling food. During the market, the beastmen from the city also come out to shop. For everyone, it’s the best time to find the most variety at the cheapest prices.”
Su Muyao nodded. The tribespeople would likely sell their goods for less, just to make sure they sold.
She asked a few more questions, all of which Hua Linye answered earnestly. With that, she had a solid plan. She would start by selling insect-repellent and hemostatic sachets. Once she had earned enough crystal coins, she would find a blacksmith. She could even have an oven built for roasting sweet potatoes. A flat iron pan would be perfect for making pancakes. Of course, she didn’t have much wheat right now and was reluctant to use it for selling food. But she could use cornmeal.
Cornmeal was cheap, and most people didn’t like to eat it. That was only because they didn’t know how to cook it. She could make savory cornmeal and vegetable pancakes. As long as they were seasoned and fried well, they would be delicious. In the future, she could sell all sorts of food at the market.
Once Hua Linye’s medicine was ready, Su Muyao moved to pour it for him.
He quickly stopped her. “Wife Master, be careful, it’s hot. I’m not afraid of the heat, let me do it.” He had a fire ability, after all.
Xiao Jihan watched the two of them interacting, laughing and talking. A strange feeling washed over him. But when he remembered the things she had done in the past, he knew he couldn’t trust her so easily.
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