Chapter 457

Chapter 457: Bustling Market

“Hey, come and take a look! Fur coats from the northern grasslands, warm and comfortable!”

“Frost-covered yellow pomegranates, delicious and cheap.”

“Red pickled fish from the south, absolutely delicious, with a brand new recipe and flavor.”

Various cries of vendors echoed back and forth in the market. Many customers stood in front of each stall, haggling with the bosses.

Erfert, the capital of Whitewood County, naturally had a bustling market. The residents from nearby small cities occasionally came here by carriage to shop and then returned to their towns or villages.

Compared to fixed shops, the items sold in the market were slightly cheaper and more varied. Many merchants dragged goods from other places to sell here.

Lacy, dressed in convenient hunting attire, led several people through the market, observing the goods at the stalls. Among those behind her, some kept a record of the types and approximate prices of the goods they saw along the way.

“How’s it going? You all?”

“Miss, the prices here are somewhat different from those in the central provinces,” replied a young man from the trade department.

“The pickled fish from the south is a bit expensive, but the prices for major grains like wheat are still okay. However, the meat from beasts is cheaper.”

“Mm-hm, this is food.”

Lacy looked at the red meat displayed on the wooden stand, with some scattered ice chips around it, likely transported from elsewhere.

Whitewood County was gradually approaching the eastern and northern mountainous areas of Clancia, increasing the number of wild beasts. Plus, the current weather was slightly cold, allowing fresh meat from there to be transported and sold, rather than being made into smoked sausages.

Currently, Clancia had not yet developed large-scale livestock farming, except for some areas that raised horses. Most of the plains were mainly used for growing grains. The reason was simple: grains produced higher yields directly, while raising animals for livestock yielded less.

However, there were ways to improve this. The young woman recalled some experiences from her previous life.

Meat was still needed. The protein intake of ordinary people was still too low.

“Other goods have also increased, especially wooden products, which seem to be local specialties.”

“Mm-hm.”

The land of Whitewood County was mostly plains. Besides grains, the local white birch trees were quite famous. People used these tightly textured trees to make various utensils.

“After we return tomorrow, we will rent a stall here and sell something,” Lacy instructed after looking around.

“Yes, Miss,” the people behind her agreed, looking somewhat eager.

Lacy shook her head slightly, asking them to contact the market administrator in advance. Then she left with the remaining two people.

Walking down the streets of Erfert City, Lacy was now accompanied only by Mira and a maid. They continued to observe the things on both sides of the street.

“These houses are very neat, as if built with the same material.”

Lacy looked at the grayish bricks on the walls. Although there were differences in light and dark tones between the bricks, they were generally similar. The roofs were all black tiles. Occasionally, a hint of moss could be seen in the gaps between the bricks, suggesting these houses had been standing for many years.

“Yes, Miss. These houses are all built with bricks fired from a clay pit in the east, so the colors are similar.”

“Using bricks from the same place, does everyone have the same idea? Isn’t it rare for everything to be so uniform?”

“Well…”

The maid seemed a bit embarrassed and hesitated before speaking.

“Because there’s only one brick factory within dozens of miles, and it belongs to the family business of the former city lord.”

Ah, it’s monopolized again. Recalling the construction games she played before, she always liked neatly arranged houses, but never imagined such uniformity would be achieved in reality.

After wandering around the city for a while, Lacy found a well-decorated jewelry store and entered it.

“Hello, what can I do for you, Miss?”

As soon as Lacy walked in, the shopkeeper immediately greeted her warmly.

Since the downfall of the Western Wind nobility, selling luxury goods had become increasingly difficult. Sometimes days passed without a single customer, and many stores closed. This one was among the few still holding on.

“I’ll just take a quick look.”

“Sure, please go ahead.”

After a brief walk around, Lacy nodded. The taste of this store was decent, and its style matched her preferences, but today she wasn’t here to buy jewelry.

“Excuse me, is your boss available?” she asked proactively.

“Are you…”

The shopkeeper hesitated, but Mira, with her long ears, showed her merchant identification to him.

“Our miss is the daughter of Lagetis Chamber, and she wants to discuss a business deal.”

After carefully checking that the identification was indeed issued by the current Clancia government, the shopkeeper nodded and told them to wait.

“Please wait a moment, I’ll find someone to notify the boss.”

Lacy sat at a small round table inside, quietly waiting, watching the occasional pedestrians on the street, reflecting on her journey and observations.

Although making money wasn’t the main purpose of this trip, she still wanted to try it out. She wanted to experience how doing business in Clancia felt—whether it was difficult or whether there was huge profit.

After a long while, a slightly plump middle-aged man entered the store, led by a shop assistant.

As soon as he entered, he saw the blonde lady in a red dress sitting in a corner drinking tea. He professionally scanned her clothes and appearance, then smiled and approached.

“Hello, I’m the owner of this store. May I ask who this Miss is?”

“My name is Lacy. I am the daughter of the owner of Lagetis Chamber,” Loran Hill briefly introduced herself and glanced at the boss.

He wore a brown luxurious coat and had a jade ring on his hand, looking like an experienced businessman. However, Lacy had seen many like him before; many small chamber owners in Carithes dressed similarly.

“Hello, hello, I’ve heard of you.”

Although he had never heard of this chamber before, the boss still politely said so. After all, exaggerating wasn’t illegal, and everyone loved hearing it. Besides, obtaining official recognition from Clancia wasn’t easy. When the country was established, Clancia had a massive cleanup of chambers that had colluded with the nobility in the past. Many familiar old faces had disappeared.

Fortunately, his business was small and focused on luxury goods, so he didn’t interact much with ordinary people, nor did he affect public welfare, thus escaping one catastrophe. However, business had become much harder. But as an experienced merchant, he hadn’t given up. Based on his observations of Clancia, the newborn nation, he believed that sooner or later everyone would become wealthy. Then, weddings and love affairs would still require jewelry.

And at that time, in the city, it would be hard for this jewelry store to lose money.

“What kind of business does Miss want to discuss?”

He sat down at the small table, and the maid beside him served him a cup of hot tea.

(End of Chapter 457)