Chapter 235 A Surprise at the Dwarf Shop: Selling Dragon Bones, An Unexpected Visitor...
The city is coldest during the winter when it rains.
When it rains, both greenhouses have to be lit an extra time during the day to keep warm from the cold brought by the winter rain.
Lai dislikes going out in this kind of weather, but a big customer came to the fruit shop yesterday and wanted to talk to the owner in detail, so he had to go there in the cold rain.
The visitor was indeed a major client. The other party was reluctant to disclose information, but provided the address of a manor belonging to the Regent.
“We need one box of fresh white strawberries, one box of pink strawberries, and three boxes of red strawberries every three days. This needs to continue until the end of early spring.”
"Sorry, due to planting reasons, our strawberries can only be supplied until mid-March."
"Can."
"The fruit shop is quite far from this address, so you may need to send someone to pick it up. In return, we will make some concessions on the price."
“Price is not a problem, and we can send someone to pick it up every three days, but you must guarantee the supply and quality of the strawberries.”
"no problem."
After discussing the specific details, Lai signed the contract with the other party, and Kama saw them off from the fruit shop.
Today we only have this one important guest. After seeing them off, there's nothing else for Lai to do.
At this time, the store's white strawberries were sold out.
Because of the rain, pedestrians were hurrying along the streets, and there weren't many people outside. Consequently, fewer people were buying regular strawberries than yesterday.
Lai yawned and took a short nap on the second floor.
Vincent and Karma closed the shop at noon, and the three of them went to a restaurant for lunch.
In the afternoon, he went to the dwarf shop alone and set up his own vault. He transferred all 3,500 gold coins paid by the White Tower to his own account and then transferred 100 gold coins back to Temuji.
The dwarf boss didn't even blink when dealing with such a large transaction.
"Can I withdraw money from the shops at the black market in Rosen Town?"
"Wait a moment."
The dwarf shopkeeper took out a thick, dusty book from the drawer and flipped through it for a while before finally finding information about Rosen Town.
"Oh, it's Kinrike's shop. He probably doesn't have that much cash; he can only take out a thousand gold coins at a time."
If you need it, you can pick it up in Eaton City. I can give you an address.
The dwarf boss quickly scribbled an address on his notebook, tore off the slip of paper, and handed it to Ray.
"What would you like to use as your vault certificate? Jewelry, tokens, anything is fine, or you can buy a piece of jewelry from me for just two gold coins."
The dwarf boss's eyes revealed shrewdness.
"Is this pendant around my neck okay?"
Lei took off the diamond-shaped pendant.
"Oh, that won't do. There should be another space inside."
Jewelry, huh...
Aside from the pendant, the only other thing on Lai's body was the ring on her hand, which unfortunately was also a spatial ring.
That necklace is definitely out of the question; the only thing we can use is that mithril ring.
"This one."
A ring with a blue metallic luster appeared in Lei's hand, and the shopkeeper's eyes lit up.
"Meiling's beard, that's a ring made of mithril!"
The boss examined it carefully for a while before reluctantly returning it to Lai.
"This must be the work of an elf, but unfortunately, this mithril ring is connected to a space."
Oh, I completely forgot about that.
Lai Yi regretted it a little. If he had remembered this when he was in the Soul Ruins, he might have been able to bring out more dragon bones.
Those are all shiny gold coins!
"Find me a small pendant, I'll wear it around my neck too."
"Can."
The dwarf shopkeeper picked and chose in the cabinet and took out several stones of different shapes.
"These gems are all usable, choose one."
Ray took a purple stone and handed it to him.
The shopkeeper took it, drew a small magic circle on the parchment, placed the purple stone in the center, and after Ray and he each signed their names, a small contract mark was left on the stone.
Please keep this safe.
Lei put the stone on the necklace.
"Is there anything else you need, guest?"
After thinking about it, Ray decided to sell some of the toe bones. He really didn't need them, so it was better to get some cash.
Do you buy animal bones here?
"I'll take it. But I need to check the quality first."
"Where are the dragon bones?"
"You have this too!"
Ray felt like the dwarf boss's eyes were glued to him.
"Please come in."
He came out from behind the counter with great enthusiasm.
His belly was round and plump, and his beard was braided into three delicate fishbone braids.
Ray followed him, head down, into a living room. The dwarf boss urged Ray to bring out the things.
"Don't worry, it's very safe here! The entire shop is equipped with very powerful magic arrays and mechanical puppets!"
Mechanical puppets? There are such things?
The dwarf's words successfully caught Ray's attention.
He didn't keep them in suspense any longer, and took out four toe bones, placing them on a tray.
"It seems like I can't let it go."
"It's alright, please continue."
Ray then produced a sharp bone that looked like a fingernail.
"It's gone."
“Meiling’s beard! These dragon bones are so well preserved! You should have brought them out sooner.”
The boss stared greedily at the bones, his eyes filled with fanatical fascination.
“If you are planning to sell this business, I don’t want my personal information to be leaked.”
"I assure you in the name of an alchemist that we will never reveal any information about you."
"Okay, the price of these dragon bones..."
The White Pagoda gave 3,500 gold coins for just one dragon tooth. So many dragon bones, it's a bit small, but the price shouldn't be low.
"How about this price?"
There are four toe bones in total, two large and two small. I can offer 800 gold coins for each small one and 1,000 gold coins for each large one. The nails are harder and can be made into weapons, so they'll be more expensive. I'll offer 2,000 gold coins. What do you think?
Five dragon bones are worth five thousand six hundred gold coins. No wonder people used to risk their lives to hunt dragons.
Lei thought to himself.
Judging from the price quoted by the White Tower, the price offered by the dwarfs is actually not low.
He thought for a while, and under the expectant gaze of the dwarf boss, he nodded.
"Can."
"That's wonderful! Don't worry, from now on you'll be a valued customer of all dwarf shops! Would you like to take the money now, or deposit it in the vault first? Rest assured, as long as our dwarf race exists, all the gold coins will be available!"
"Let's save it for now."
"Alright. Shall I put the dragon bones away first?"
"Um."
The shopkeeper put away the dragon bone, then asked for Lai's necklace, and deposited a large sum of gold coins into it right in front of him.
"Five thousand six hundred gold coins, plus the three thousand four hundred gold coins inside, make a total of nine thousand. Please keep them safe."
"I'd like to take out one thousand coins first."
"Okay, please wait a moment."
The boss returned to the small room behind the front desk, and after a while came back carrying a heavy little box.
"Please count them."
"No."
With a wave of his hand, Lei put the box into the ring's space.
"And this too, please keep it safe."
The dwarf shop owner then handed him a small gold medal engraved with the shop's unique totem.
"From now on, you can get a 90% discount on anything you buy at any store owned by a dwarf."
Lei took it and nodded.
"Thank you then."
"If you still have dragon bones, just think of me."
"must."
After leaving the dwarf shop, Lai had gone from being an impoverished villager to a wealthy man with a huge fortune.
As long as he doesn't squander his money or get into gambling, he can live a life free from financial worries for the rest of his life.
Although he had a considerable amount of gold coins, Lai still felt a sense of unreality.
When a poor person suddenly becomes rich, they don't even know where to spend their money.
But there is no doubt that having so much money has greatly increased their leverage in getting Neil out.
It was still raining outside, and it was getting late. Lai walked to the shop and asked Vincent and Karma to close it early. The three of them then took a carriage back to Victor Manor.
The villa felt very different today, and Lai noticed the difference as soon as he entered.
Are we having guests today?
Ray asked Cher and handed him his wet, thick coat.
It rained all day, and my clothes inevitably got wet.
"Ahem, this..."
"Ray!"
A white, fluffy ball of fur rushed into Ray's arms like a small cannonball.
Ray quickly put away the dagger in his hand and used his right hand to steadily support the fur ball's buttocks.
"Tata, what brings you here!?"
"Lei, Lei, why aren't you checking on the beast? Has Li already forgotten about it?!"
The little monster angrily scratched at Lei's chest with its two front paws, while the old butler Cher watched in astonishment.
Talking magical beasts and the elven race.
He still knew too little about his young master.
"Two elf lords came to the manor this afternoon, saying they were your friends."
"An elf?"
"Four Seya!" Tata answered quickly.
"Ray, it's been a long time!"
Saiya changed into a different outfit and slowly walked downstairs, followed by Xiou.
"Why are you all here?"
A smile crept onto Lei's face.
He truly hadn't expected Saiya to come, and even bring Tata back with him.
"The demons have invaded the Eton Great Forest, and it's too dangerous there. The forest is also too cold in winter, unsuitable for little demons to survive. So Tata's father asked us to send Tata to you."
"We asked an elven knight to deliver it, but Your Highness... Young Master also wants to come after hearing about it."
Seyia rolled her eyes rather inelegantly.
He originally wanted to bring the little monster alone, but his mother insisted that Xi'ou come along, ostensibly to protect him, but in reality to monitor him.
"Lay, can you take us in a little longer?"
"Seya asked."
"sure."
Leie replied with a smile. He then instructed Cher to arrange two rooms for Seya and Theo on the second floor.
“Lei, the beast will have to share a room with Li.”
"Okay. Tata, have you gained weight?"
"Beast Four has become stronger!"
Tata jumped out of Lai's arms.
Laiyi looked at it carefully. The little monster had grown a lot since they separated, and the horns on its head were clearly growing.
He looks very handsome, and when he gets serious, he exudes a certain air of authority, the kind of dignified presence that commands respect without anger.
The Great Beast raised Tata very well, much better than he could have raised it himself.
The only thing that hasn't changed is Tata's silky white fur.
It seems that the little monster still loves its fur as much as before and is very clean.
"Tata is amazing!"
"Amazing!"
Tata proudly raised her head, waiting for Ray to pat her on the head.
"Meow."
The orange cat meowed very softly, cautiously observing the enormous creature that had suddenly appeared in the house. Its body trembled uncontrollably, but it couldn't help but move closer to Lai and rub its head against Lai's calf.
"Aww! Lei, there are other beasts here!"
The little monster jumped up suddenly, staring at Lai with an incredulous and accusing look, stubbornly waiting for the human's explanation.
Startled by Tata's sudden movement, Daju quickly dodged on all fours and hid under a chair in the corner.
"She's the granddaughter of Butler Cher, Jane's little pet. Don't be angry, okay?"
"He left his scent on his trouser legs!"
Tata continued her accusations, while Seya watched with amusement.
"Some of the little monsters are going to be replaced~"
"Young Master!"
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Tata, teased by Seymour, began to exhale heavily, and with a whoosh, a small icicle appeared half a meter away from Lai's feet.
"The Four Villains of Lei!"
The little monster rumbled up to the second floor, and Ryan followed.
"Tata can control magic now?"
Lai didn't immediately follow him upstairs. The little monster was still angry, and he needed to calm down by himself.
"It seems so. Draven must have been teaching the cubs well over the past six months."
"Saya said."
How long are you staying here?
"The longer the better!"
"Fifteen days."
Lei knew that Saiya probably wouldn't be staying here for very long.
"You can stay as long as you like; you're always welcome to come."
Because guests had arrived, Vincent went out to buy some meat for dinner. There was no need to buy vegetables; Ray could take care of that himself.
Karma and Diana worked together in the kitchen, preparing a feast.
Lai also cooked a big pot of mutton soup for Tata himself.
Although Tata was still throwing a tantrum, he ate all the mutton and mutton soup that Western Europe had sent him.
Even after dinner was over and everyone was getting ready for bed, Tata ignored Lai.
The little monster has grown up and started to have its own temper.
Lai didn't close the door properly. He sat on the edge of the bed looking at the fruit shop's accounts until he turned off the bedroom light. Finally, he heard rustling sounds coming from the other side of the door.
He was still awake, and upon hearing the noise, a slight smile curled at the corners of his lips in the darkness.
Tata seemed to be doing it on purpose, and the whole beast jumped to the foot of the bed with great commotion.
Lai stood up and hugged the little monster tightly.
"You're not angry anymore?"
"Hmph! The beast... the beast is just afraid that there won't be any beasts guarding it at night!"
The little monster is still being stubborn.
"I was wrong, I shouldn't have let the orange leave its scent on me."
"Anything else?"
"Yes, I shouldn't have failed to visit you in Eaton Forest."
"In this world of forgiveness, the forest is now dangerous, filled with red-eyed monsters."
"Our Tata is still so cute."
Lei hugged the fluffy Tata and took a big breath.
"Go close the door, I'll take you to pick some delicious strawberries tomorrow."
Tata jumped off the bed and slammed the door shut with her bottom.
It had grown much larger and instinctively curled itself up into a ball, tucking itself under Lai's feet.
“This isn’t a single wooden bed in a small mountain village where you can sleep next to me.”
Lai moved aside, allowing Tata to stretch out and lie down next to him.
"Is the royal city colder than the forest? Do we need to cover ourselves with a blanket?"
The villa occupies a much larger area than a two-story house in a small mountain village.
Although the fireplace conducts heat very well, the villa's walls are somewhat thin, and the large space results in the rooms not being very warm.
"It's fine, I don't need a blanket."
"You should cover your stomach."
Lai took the blanket from the quilt and covered Tata's belly.
"Has Neil not returned yet?"
"Yes, he's been locked in a room by bad guys, but maybe we'll see him soon."
"Ouch."
Tata let out a breath.
"Beast and Li rescued him together; Beast is very powerful now!"
"Okay, sure."
Lei put his hand on Tata's head and stroked his hair.
"Go to sleep, there's plenty of time tomorrow."
"Ouch."
knew.
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Author's Note: Dwarfs—the most creative race in the world
One of the eight major races.
They are short in stature, but strong, with abundant body hair. Both men and women have beards, and they consider it beautiful to groom their beards.
He has an eccentric personality, crude behavior, and a fiery temper, but is also loyal and devoted to his friends. He has a long-standing grudge against the elves.
Most of them retained the traditional Xue dwelling style, while a small number moved north and mostly lived in stone houses.
They mostly live in mining and mountainous areas, making a living by smelting metals and selling weapons and various items.
They enjoy meat, tobacco, and fine wine.
Skilled in mining, metallurgy, and forging, he was famous for his alchemy and worshipped Mei Ling, the "god of casting".
Editor's Note: I once had the privilege of visiting Master Golden Oak, whose beard was truly magnificent!
—Excerpt from "Vagura on Anecdotes of Race"
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