Chapter 675.2: Next Stop, French Fry Harbor!
That oil, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, oxidized slowly in the humid heat, forming polymers that coated the collagen fibers, softening the hides and making them waterproof. The aldehydes produced crosslinked with the fibers, naturally tanning the leather.
There were still many steps left, alkali soaking, rinsing, and curing, but by this stage, the rotting was stopped. Those once half-rotted goods worth barely 100,000 silver were worth several times more.
In Silvermoon Bay, each could sell for a thousand silver. 1,000 of them meant a million silver!
Not counting the premium furs that belonged to sabers, it was enough to drive desert royals mad with envy. Still, to the burly men on the docks, the sight of the women was far more captivating than the merchandise.
The wet work left their clothes clinging, translucent in places.
Young dockhands gawked openly, mouths dry, chugging beer bottle after bottle just to cool off.
The taverns nearby were doing booming business thanks to it.
“Are they Moonfolk women?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t look much different from the Poro Province’s girls, though.”
“This ship’s been here over a week, I’ve never seen them all up on deck before.”
“I just wonder how they fit that many people onboard.”
One curly-haired lad scratched his head. “I still don’t get it, why’d the Xilande Empire drive them out? Hardworking girls like that... wouldn’t they be great labor?”
He had never seen such tireless people, working nonstop from noon to dusk under the blazing sun, from little girls to old grannies alike. To the relatively comfortable islanders, it was incomprehensible.
An older man squinted at the deck, took a swig of beer, and muttered, “Who knows? Beyond the sea it’s all wasteland, the Ocean Edge Province, Baiyue Province, Sunset Province... and especially the Poro Province. God knows what those wasteland folk think.”
He himself had once ventured inland, escorting blue coats from Shelter 70 to a ruined city called Clearspring City to retrieve data. After that trip, he had lost all interest in the mainland and finally understood why their ancestors had chosen to live out their lives on the isolated island.
The wasteland was hell. Nothing that happened there could surprise him anymore.
As the dockhands lingered in the fading sunset, admiring the lively deck, Mojave, standing aboard the Poor Bitch, was equally transfixed, though not by the women, but by the gleaming hides. Under the evening light, the silky fur rippled like molten gold. It was almost hypnotic, each pelt a coin shimmering before his eyes.
Of course, that was an exaggeration, most had only undergone cleaning, not full tanning. But compared to their earlier blood-soaked state, the transformation was stunning.
“This is incredible! Thank you, I don’t even know how to express my gratitude!” Beaming, Mojave handed a heavy bag to Sisi, packed with 110,000 silver in banknotes.
It was, without question, the most worthwhile trade he had made all month.
Maybe the New Alliance wasn’t as unreliable as he had thought.
Sisi took the payment, counted it carefully, checked a few notes for authenticity, then smiled playfully. “If you really want to thank us, just pay a few thousand more.”
Mojave almost choked on his own spit. “Ahem! That’s tempting, but I’m afraid I’m completely broke.”
Not believing a word, Sisi gave a faint smile and handed the bag to Sesame Paste, whispering, “Go distribute the pay. I’ll stay out of sight.”
“Got it!” Sesame Paste chirped and skipped off happily.
Mojave’s eyes followed that bulging bag until it vanished behind the racks.
When he looked back at Sisi, he scratched his neck with an awkward grin. “Oh, and... about washing the ship too, don’t forget.”
Sisi smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. I have a good memory.”
When she was done, she turned and walked toward the cabin.
Watching the figure disappear through the cabin doorway, Mojave suddenly, without knowing what possessed him, called out impulsively. “Hey, are you free later?”
When the woman stopped, he forced a bright, sunny smile onto his face, one that looked entirely unnatural on him. “If you’ve got time... how about having dinner together? My treat.”
Seeing the NPC’s awkward grin and raised hand, Sisi couldn’t help but chuckle. Too bad for him, she had no intention of wasting time on a completed side quest, and the merchant wasn’t exactly her type. So she declined politely. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ve already eaten.”
“... Alright then.”
Understanding the gentle rejection, Mojave withdrew his raised hand and scratched his neck awkwardly. “What a shame... I heard there’s a great restaurant nearby.”
Being turned down was disappointing, of course, but to a man of business like him, it was hardly more than a hiccup. Especially when he thought about the fortune he had just made, the disappointment vanished instantly. His confident smile returned.
He had no doubt that once he brought these valuable hides back to Silvermoon Bay, his name would become legendary in Silvermoon City.
All the noble ladies of the city would go mad over his exotic goods from the East!
And in that opulent port city, what couldn’t money buy?
If anything was out of reach, then it simply meant he didn’t have enough money.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the deck,
Passing rows of stretched hides, Sesame Paste finally found Granny Sangru, who was teaching younger Moonfolk women how to properly tan the leather. Excited, she handed the heavy pouch of 110,000 silver to the elder.
But to her surprise, the old woman looked utterly shocked when told it was their payment, and immediately pushed the pouch back into her hands. “Take it away! We can’t accept this! Helping with such small things is only right. You’ve already taken in us homeless folk, we’re more grateful than we can say. How could we possibly take your money?”
Realizing the misunderstanding, Sesame Paste hurried to explain, half laughing, half panicked. “No, no, you misunderstand! This isn’t from us! It’s payment from the Poor Bitch over there! You helped them process those hides, it’s what you earned!”
“That still won’t do!” The old woman stubbornly shoved the pouch back, her frail fingers gripping Sesame Paste’s tightly, voice trembling with sincerity. “Even if you give us money, we have nowhere to spend it. Better you hold onto it! If you need anything later, use this first, we trust you!”
And it wasn’t just Granny Sangru, all the nearby Moonfolk women echoed her sentiment.
“Yes, please, keep it for us!”
“We only wanted to help, not to earn a reward.”
Never having dealt with such a situation, Sesame Paste was completely at a loss, smiling helplessly as the stubborn group pleaded with her.
Then a lively voice broke in from the side, rescuing her from the awkwardness. “Oh! Don’t worry, Granny! That silver will be put to good use soon enough!”
Everyone turned toward the voice, Tail stood there, hands on hips, with Roshan by her side.
“Tail?” Sesame Paste exclaimed in surprise.
Tail gave her a reassuring look then cleared her throat and addressed the group. “My friends and I were just talking. It’s not right for us to keep squatting at someone else’s port. And with the war going on, who knows when we might get dragged into it.”
“Fortunately, our comrades have already established a new settlement on the northern shore of the Baiyue Strait, a vast unclaimed land! As long as we follow the New Alliance’s laws, anyone can live there!”
Her words caused a stir, murmurs and wide-eyed glances spread through the crowd.
