Chapter 157: Foolish Gold Pigeon Feather

Ge Yu Tailor Shop.

An ordinary tailor shop located on Yujin Street in Niumu City.

The shop's area is not large, far inferior to the Stone Furnace Bakery next door.

The interior decoration has nothing outstanding; in fact, with shelves filled with various fabrics, it appears somewhat cramped.

Yet the business is surprisingly good.

The shop owner likely conducted a detailed market investigation before opening the store.

Consistent with the shop's simple and unadorned decor style, the goods inside are mostly low-priced, sturdy, and durable.

This fits perfectly with the positioning of Yujin Street itself as a residential area for ordinary workers' families.

Plus, its rather shrewd location choice; the nearest competitor is three streets away.

All things considered, even though it has only been open for a short while, it already has many returning customers.

If nothing unexpected happens, following the current booming trend of business in the shop.

It won't take many years to recover the initial capital for opening the store and begin making a formal profit.

This is almost the retirement life Jeff has longed for.

Recalling a few months ago, during what seemed like an ordinary cargo delivery mission, he lost his left leg and felt his future life was entirely bleak.

At that time, lying alone in the Sun God Church in Kalanfur, he even considered ending his remaining life just to avoid becoming a burden to his children.

Fortunately, the kind and amiable Priest in the church at that time comforted him, allowing him to pull himself together again.

Realizing that the reason he did not die that night at the hands of that Undead, but was saved by the two Adventurers traveling with him, losing only one leg.

Was already the luckiest thing possible.

He resolutely announced his retirement in the tavern and sold the caravan he had operated for many years.

Returning to Niumu, he advanced his plans and opened this tailor shop together with his wife and daughter.

Now, several months have passed.

Kalanfur has turned into a ruin; the former Sun God Church is now just a pile of charred broken walls and rubble.

As for the two Adventurers who saved him back then...

One of them, a Halfling, is now whereabouts unknown and has likely gone to a distant place.

The other... seems to have made a bit of a name for himself.

A while ago, while drinking and chatting with an acquaintance Adventurer in the tavern, he heard the other person mention the relevant situation.

Thinking that after a while longer, once the business in the shop stabilizes completely.

He would find a relatively free time, bring a few gifts, return to Hegu Town to properly thank the other person, and catch up with a few old acquaintances in the town.

"Hey, that green one, do you still have it in your shop? I see only half a roll left on the shelf."

Inside the tailor shop, a short and stout middle-aged woman, with one hand on her hip, pointed at the shelf in front of her and asked.

"Yes, customer, it's in the warehouse at the back." Jeff replied quite enthusiastically, his wooden prosthetic leg tapping the floor, making a crisp sound.

"Please wait a moment, I will go get it now."

He turned around, instructed his daughter "Lilina" who was in charge of settling accounts behind the counter, and then entered the inner room.

Standing beside the shelf, watching Jeff's figure disappear behind the door.

In the middle-aged woman's eyes, which appeared somewhat narrow due to the flesh of her face being squeezed together, a flash of shrewd and cunning light passed through.

She reached out, took the only remaining half roll of fabric from the shelf, and quickly walked up to the counter.

"Too much trouble, just this one, I'm in a hurry."

"Give me a fifty percent discount, how about that?"

Lilina, holding the bag she had just taken out from under the counter and preparing to settle the bill for the other party.

Upon hearing this, couldn't help but pause for a moment and hesitated, saying:

"Customer, our shop's marked price is already..."

"Hey, why say so much? We are all neighbors, give a cheaper price, okay?"

Before the girl in front could finish speaking, the middle-aged woman waved her hand and interrupted.

"There isn't only your shop in this city; where else can I go to buy?"

"Your quality isn't necessarily much better than other shops, am I not taking care of your business, understand?"

"Moreover, if you sell a bit cheaper today, I will feel it's good to use when I get back, definitely come again, and might even bring a few more customers to the shop; there's profit for you!"

"Hurry up, give a definite answer, sell or not!"

"If you don't sell, I'm leaving!"

Who knows where this middle-aged woman, who hasn't even read books for a few years, learned such a whole set of procedures.

First pointing out her identity as a "neighbor," indicating that Ge Yu Tailor Shop is not her only choice, and she doesn't have to spend money here.

Then explaining the benefits to the tailor shop after selling cheaply to her—potentially bringing more customers in the future, while also subtly implying that with just a few casual words, she could influence the shop's reputation among nearby residents, applying pressure.

Speaking at an extremely fast pace, advancing layer by layer.

After a few sentences, she completely controlled the rhythm of the situation.

Making Lilina, a young girl who had only graduated from the academy not long ago, driven by words and emotions, losing the ability to think.

As if refusing the other party's request for a discount would cause the tailor shop's business to fail completely.

Seeing the middle-aged woman's posture of turning to leave, she quickly raised her voice and tried to detain her, saying:

"Wait, customer, please don't leave yet!"

Having prepared long ago, the middle-aged woman's face showed a look of triumph; she immediately turned around, placed the coins she had already prepared on the counter, and forcibly pushed them toward Lilina.

With her left hand, she smoothly put that half roll of fabric into the basket slung on her arm.

"Little girl, why not do this earlier? Don't worry, you won't lose out."

"It's fine, I'm in a hurry, no need to pack it for me."

Saying this, he glanced at the tightly closed inner room door, then hurriedly turned around and walked toward the shop entrance.

But those short, fat little legs had only taken two steps before suddenly stopping in place.

At some point, several fierce men with sneering faces and tattoos on their chests had blocked the shop entrance.

They paid no mind to the middle-aged woman who stood frozen in shock.

The bald, burly man at the very front, appearing to be the leader, walked slowly into the tailor shop with his hands clasped behind his back.

He said nothing,

seeming truly just an ordinary customer, his gaze sweeping over the colorful fabrics and garments on the shelves.

Lilina stood behind the counter.

Instinctively turning around, her lips parted slightly as if to call out to her father in the inner room.

But as if remembering the things Jeff had instructed her about during this time, she forced herself to straighten her back, squeezed a stiff smile onto her face, and greeted them:

"Welcome to Ge Yu Tailor Shop. How may I help you, sir?"

Seeming surprised by Lilina's performance, the bald thug raised an eyebrow slightly, stopped, didn't look at her, kept his gaze casually scanning the surrounding shelves, and slowly said:

"Introduce them to me."

Lilina dared not even breathe heavily; hearing him say this, she immediately gathered her spirits, her brain spinning rapidly, recalling the speech she had practiced countless times at home before.

"Over here is old flax from Sheep Hoof Village near Niumu; whether made into grain sacks or used to hang cured meat, it's excellent, and ordinary people can't even cut it with a knife."

"On the shelf to your left is reed cotton from the lower reaches of the Silver Scale River, naturally grown from seeds carried by waterfowl from the velvet grass; it's as soft as cotton, and if you have children at home, it's most suitable for swaddling cloths."

"And then in front of the counter..."

Seeing that Lilina was gradually speaking more smoothly, the bald burly man cleared his throat to interrupt her and said in a low, eerie tone:

"The Moon Feast is coming soon. I want to make a few clothes for the brothers around me, using a more comfortable fabric, like that cotton you just mentioned. Can you make them here?"

"Of course we can!" Although they looked fierce and terrifying, they seemed truly just customers coming to buy things, so Lilina immediately breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly.

"Might I ask for the approximate sizes and quantity..."

"Two hundred pieces."

The bald burly man stared at the stunned girl in front of him, and a sneer that should have appeared long ago finally surfaced on his face.

Grinning, he held up three fingers.

"I'll give you three days. When the time comes, I'll send someone to collect the goods. If even one piece is missing..."

His smile grew even more ferocious, his eyes beneath the deep eye sockets seeming to melt into the shadows.

"I'll smash your shop to pieces, do you hear me!?"

"But two hundred pieces... two hundred pieces, even the big shops in the city center can't... and only three days, I..."

Clearly, the sudden turn of events, the abrupt outburst after a moment of relaxation, finally snapped the string in Lilina's heart.

In her panic and confusion, she rambled incoherently, not even knowing what she was saying.

And only at this moment did Jeff, carrying several large rolls of fabric, limp out from the inner room.

Having traveled north and south and managed a caravan for so many years, he didn't need the girl to explain; a single glance with his pair of eyes at the people inside the shop was enough to roughly understand what had happened.

Casually placing the green cloth in his hands on the counter, a flattering smile appeared on his face.

Moving his prosthetic leg, he crouched low and actively stepped forward to greet them.

"Oh my, if several lords were coming, why didn't you send someone to say so in advance?"

"This old cripple only just saw you now, truly my apologies."

Saying this, a money pouch he had prepared long ago was already stuffed into the burly man's hand.

His gaze casually swept over the tattoo on the burly man's chest as he smiled and said:

"So it's the gentlemen of the Grey Badger Gang. Look at me, driving carriages for so long, I almost forgot the rules."

"This little money is just to add a candle for the lords at the Moon Feast; another day, this old cripple will come to your door personally to apologize."

The burly man didn't refuse; taking the money pouch, he weighed it in his hand, then glanced down at Jeff's prosthetic leg.

"The old thing is sensible."

"But... is this amount of money treating me like a beggar?"

Jeff's expression didn't change at all; he still wore that humble smile and replied:

"What are you saying? How would I dare?"

"It's just that last night at the Iron Barrel Toad and with Stubborn Donkey, I drank a bit too much, lost control for a moment, ordered an expensive bottle, and spent all the money on me."

"When I got home, my old wife even scolded me, haha."

Seeming to have mentioned some keyword, the expression on the bald burly man's face suddenly turned cold; his eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Jeff before him.

The Iron Barrel Toad, he certainly knew; it was a tavern opened nearby.

Stubborn Donkey was the nickname of the tavern owner.

It was said that in his youth he had been an Adventurer in River Valley Town for a few years, then saved up some money and returned to Niumu to open a tavern.

He had many connections, knew quite a few people, and a large number of Adventurers constantly gathered in the tavern.

Recalling what this cripple in front of him had just mentioned about having followed a caravan for a period of time.

It wasn't impossible that he had some connection with Stubborn Donkey.

But...

He still felt some hesitation in his heart.

And with so many people present, he couldn't just let it go like this.

So he deliberately lowered his voice and said in a deep tone:

"Are you threatening me?"

"Of course not!" Jeff denied hastily, stepping back two paces, just about to say something.

But a commotion suddenly came from outside the door.

Causing the three of them, including Lilina, the burly man, and himself, to turn toward the shop entrance in unison.

What met their eyes was a youth with sharp features and a head of black, tousled hair.

The bald burly man frowned slightly as his gaze swept over the youth's overly young face.

Then came the two long swords, one long and one short, on his back, and the fine metal Chain Mail he wore.

His expression grew increasingly grave.

And when he personally watched this black-haired youth, dressed as a seasoned Adventurer, walk straight into the shop.

The lackeys who had been blocking the door under his orders, as if suddenly yanked by something invisible, stumbled backward a few steps to either side, clearing the way.

His pupils contracted sharply!

"Jeff, why didn't you say a word when you opened the shop?"

"If I hadn't happened to come to Niumu for a mission, I might not have known until next year."

Xia Nan spoke with a hint of complaint, smiling and greeting his old friend.

The moment his words fell.

That bald burly man, abandoning his ferocious expression from moments before, broke into a warm smile of stark contrast.

He shoved the money bag in his hand back into Jeff's, and, feigning intimacy, threw an arm around the other's shoulder:

"Hey! You should have said so earlier. I know Stubborn Donkey too. We're all brothers. I came specifically to support your business, and you're still being polite with me!"

"Are you treating your younger brother like an outsider!"

Saying this, he directly called over the lackeys outside the door who had just regained their balance, looking utterly bewildered.

"What are you standing there for? Have you forgotten what we came here to do today?"

He casually took a roll of cloth from the shelf, pulled out a money bag, and placed it carefully on the counter.

"No need for change!"

He waved his hand at Lilina, feigning generosity.

Under his threatening gaze, the lackeys, who still hadn't figured out why his attitude had shifted a hundred and eighty degrees, could only comply one by one, lining up at the front desk to pay.

Smiling awkwardly, the bald burly man seemed to remember something else.

His face suddenly turned cold, as if in that instant he had returned to the moment he first entered the shop.

Only this time, the object of his threat was no longer Lilina and Jeff, but the middle-aged woman who remained in the shop due to their group's sudden appearance.

"The prices in this tailor shop are already so reasonable, and you're still thinking of getting a discount. Do you want to let anyone do business at all!?"

"Go on, pay up the rest of the money for me!"

(End of this chapter)