Many of the peasants wore smiles on their faces. Last year, the weather was favorable with no pest outbreaks or man-made disasters; it finally resulted in a bountiful harvest. Nobody would complain about having too much grain.
The wheels of the handcart rattled along the noisy street as they moved forward. A large, beautifully decorated store appeared before the peasants. Everyone noticed many peasants going in and out. They entered with full carts and exited with empty ones. The workers inside the shop were bustling around, making it quite lively.
Bono was the first to approach the counter. Before this peasant could ask, an Oliver Commerce Association director sitting behind the counter declared bluntly, "Here to sell your grain, right?"
"Sigh! Could you tell me how the grain is being bought?" The peasants crowded together, their sun-darkened skin full of wrinkles.
"Wheat is 1 silver coin per pound, barley 60 copper coins per pound, buckwheat 50 copper coins per pound, rye 80 copper coins per pound, rice 2 gold crowns per pound, chickpeas 2 gold crowns per pound, other grains and vegetables are listed on the wall, take a look yourself." The association director's face showed no expression as he continued, "Selling or not?"
A few peasants crowded together to calculate, the grain prices had risen, but not significantly. The vegetable prices were quite good!
This trade could be made!
"How about checking elsewhere?" A peasant whispered.
"Elsewhere? It's said Oliver Commerce Association's prices are already pretty good, where else to check?"
"For example, Hadrian Commerce Association?"
"Hadrian Commerce Association is several streets away! You want to go there? I'm not going!"
"Oh dear, what if Hadrian Commerce Association's prices aren't as good as here? Then it's a loss, a real loss!"
The peasants argued in hushed tones, faces flushed with intensity.
The association director behind the counter watched the peasants argue, feeling some disdain, thinking this is the mindset of the poor.
Chasing immediate profits, eager to cash in; from the director's usual experience, the current grain and vegetable prices would certainly satisfy the peasants, so the result of the argument would be...
"Are you selling or not? If not, don't stay here. If you don't sell, plenty of people do, don't delay our business." The association director promptly added.
"Sell, sell, sell~ We'll sell!" The peasants no longer held objections and nodded readily.
The grain was unloaded from the carts, and the store workers began to count the grains one by one, weigh them, while also repeatedly arguing with the peasants about the quality of the barley and wheat. The noise inside the store was incessant.
Before the calculations were complete, several other peasants pushed their hand carts in to inquire about prices; soon, they also declared their intent to sell while arguing that their grain was of high quality.
Bit by bit, the hand carts emptied, but the peasants' pockets became plump, filled with copper coins and silver coins, and in Bono's pocket even appeared a glittering gold crown. This peasant contentedly played with the gold coin engraved with King Arthur, the Knight King's portrait and birth and death dates, and the Holy Grail Knight emblem on the other side.
"Uncle Bono, put your things away, be careful of thieves." Remon advised the peasants to tuck away their coins, "Recently, there are thieves appearing in town, Count has already tightened patrols, so everyone should be cautious."
"Ah, indeed, indeed." Several peasants instantly felt as if a viper had bitten their arms and hastily clutched their money-filled pockets tightly.
Remon led the peasants to the marketplace to socialize.
Gene Town's marketplace had become very prosperous, with people coming and going, and shops selling all sorts of goods.
"Home-spun cloth, canvas, linen, wool! Cheap sale, buy enough for one meter and get an extra ten centimeters free!"
"Selling high-quality furs! All kinds of furs available!"
"Various dyes at a big discount, come take a look, folks!"
"Safflower seed oil, sunflower seed oil, walnut oil!"
"Dwarf farming tools! Dwarf fire starters! Dwarf hand carts! Dwarf-produced quality goods guaranteed!"
"Selling various furniture and kitchenware!"
Many hawking vendors had long targeted these peasants who had just sold their grain like wolves smelling fresh blood, knowing that at this particular time, peasants' pockets must be jingling with coins.
In fact, the peasants also wanted to buy some things, such as candles made from animal fat. One peasant bought several sticks at once, and, for instance, cloth for making clothes. Bono contemplated how many people were at home and how much fabric would be needed to dress his five children. Furthermore, dwarf-made farming tools and daily items began to enter the peasants' households.
As for those high-end goods sold by the wood elves and luxury items from Tiriel, the empire, and even imported from the high elves, they genuinely startled the peasants.
A kind of high elf food called chocolate actually costs twenty gold crowns per box! And coffee imported from Tiriel costs more than sixty gold crowns per pound!
After hearing the prices, the peasants were so shocked that their hearts almost dropped out of their chests. They dared not even glance back, fearing that looking would mean having to pay.
Remon just smiled all the way, saying little.
When these peasants hurried to a place they considered safe, they quickly realized there was still quite a bit of money left in their pockets. They gathered together, found a simple tavern, ordered some roast meat, each took a goblet, and began to drink away.
