Border Ports (II)
The cost of down jackets is slightly higher than that of sweaters and cotton coats because the down is not produced locally, but is picked back bit by bit by birds from Storm Territory flying to Seidel Island.
But after deducting the cost of collecting and cleaning the down, the remaining raw material and labor costs are actually less than making the cotton-padded jacket. Based on the selling price of the cotton-padded jacket plus the cost of the down, a down jacket sells for 45 points, leaving Ye Miaomiao with a net profit of 10 points.
Despite the high price, down jackets offer the best cold-proofing of any garment [Hokuriku Goose Down Jacket: 200g, insulation 25°C, comfort level +20]. They even offer 5°C more insulation than a 600g thick cotton-padded jacket.
At present, the knitting hut can produce 30 down jackets every day, and has stored about 30 pieces. Ye Miaomiao asked them to sell 15 pieces every day, and distribute the remaining half to employees in turn. In this way, all employees can be guaranteed to get down jackets before the disaster comes, and at least they will not suffer from the cold.
Song Xiaoqing sighed deeply. Working in the weaving hut, she knew how hard these clothes were to come by. Although she felt a little relieved, she still urged, "Lord, are you giving these expensive clothes to your employees for free?"
"Of course," Ye Miaomiao patted her shoulder, reassuring her. "The entire territory can only function if our employees don't suffer from the cold. Imagine if you didn't have a down jacket for some reason and you got cold and couldn't work, wouldn't the entire territory be ruined?"
Song Xiaoqing was quite moved by these words. Although it was true, the fact that the lord was thinking about everything showed that he really valued them and took them to heart.
He immediately took out a few figs from the drawer and stuffed them into Ye Miaomiao's hand, refusing to take them back no matter what.
Ye Miaomiao had no choice but to put the figs into the fruit basket sent by Apu. After strolling around the territory for a short while, she received a lot of compulsory gifts. She felt that she should stroll around less in the future.
Thinking about it, I continued to prepare things for the border port.
On Song Xiaoqing's side, she and her colleagues lamented that it was no wonder that everyone in the Hungry Hungry Territory was simple, friendly and sensible. It turned out that it was because of the influence of superiors, and the lord took the lead.
However, soon after she finished praising him, someone started making trouble at the door of the weaving hut.
"No! No! You can't sell down jackets like this!"
What simplicity, kindness and reason? The screams of ghosts and wolves were so loud that the whole territory could hear them.
At that time, Ye Miaomiao had just entered the border port, so she was not present.
This person was causing unrest in the knitting hut, and since today's down jackets hadn't been sold out yet, they couldn't let him cause trouble. After hesitating, Song Xiaoqing sent a text message to the security team and opened the door to the knitting hut.
It was hard to see clearly from the window, but when I opened the door, I found that there were many people gathered outside the weaving hut. It was lunch time, and many people were holding their bowls and whispering.
Song Xiaoqing looked closely at the person in the middle.
Isn't this an acquaintance?
This person is Luo Zhiwen.
Song Xiaoqing knew it very well. He had sold his wife and children's cotton-padded clothes, and he still wanted to sell sweaters! Although they had not divorced yet, his wife and children were heartbroken and had left him long ago.
He didn't use the money from selling his cotton-padded clothes to buy a place as a formal resident. He spent a lot of it somewhere and didn't give a penny to his wife and children.
This guy, despite his decent appearance, is actually a scoundrel.
As soon as he saw someone coming out of the weaving hut, he immediately stopped crying, stood up swiftly, and brushed the dust off his knees.
Luo Zhiwen asked loudly: "How can this dress be sold at such a high price?"
He was still wearing the clothes he brought with him into the game. Luckily, he was drinking outside at the time and put on a coat for fear of catching a cold, otherwise he wouldn't know how cold it would be now!
You're lucky to have a coat! Song Xiaoqing thought to himself that his wife was really soft-tempered. She didn't even take his coat with her when she left, perhaps because she thought it was dirty.
Even so, it was only a thin summer coat, no match for the chill of the snow. Looking at everyone around me wearing two-piece cotton-padded jackets and sweaters, I knew this wasn't just any old late spring weather.
"Just the 200 grams of down for one piece of clothing costs 20 points. And then you consider the cost of cleaning and cleaning that dirty down? And then there's all the fabric and the stitches. Which of these are you being cheated out of? This is a truly fair price."
Song Xiaoqing was a good-tempered person who didn't speak harshly. But after hearing Luo Zhiwen's next words, even she became a little angry.
"Why don't you consider whether people like us who are so poor can afford it? Since it's one piece per person anyway, why not be generous and sell it to me at a lower price? Otherwise, won't those leftovers of yours be unsellable?"
Luo Zhiwen shouted, his foul saliva almost spraying into the bowl of the person next to him.
Song Xiaoqing glared at him, and for a moment she was so angry that she couldn't speak.
Luckily, the person next to him protected his bowl and angrily acted as a mouthpiece: "How can you be so shameless! Didn't you sell cotton-padded jackets and sweaters for over 300 points? Everyone here knows that!"
The onlookers couldn't stand his behavior and said, "That's right!"
"Why don't you be more generous? Since we have so much money, buy one for everyone!"
"Exactly! I think the territory's per capita price is one piece, so they really differentiate between people. Someone like him shouldn't be sold! He deserves to be freezing!"
"How shameless! How can you even say such words? The little girl is so pitiful, having such a father!"
You and I were talking back and forth, and Luo Zhiwen was so angry that he didn't even have eight mouths.
"None of your business," he simply spat. If he hadn't really felt cold, he wouldn't have wanted to buy this down jacket.
He had several hundred points, which he felt was a huge sum of money considering the consumption level in the territory, so he even stopped working and didn't want to continue.
Who knew it would be so hard to stop spending? Now after spending all that, I only have a precious 100 points left. If I want to buy a down jacket, I have to give up half of it. How can I bear it?
I couldn't help but say: "Then tell me! What about those who can't afford it!"
Song Xiaoqing was just taking a breath and was about to explain to him kindly when someone in the crowd shouted in a sarcastic tone:
"Oh! Are there people with crippled limbs and brains in the territory? I thought everyone had iron tools except these people. How can they earn a net of 40 points after working for a day or two? Oh—"
He dragged out the second half of the sentence, as if he were singing an opera: "It really is true!"
There was a burst of laughter from the crowd.
Luo Zhiwen stood in the middle of the crowd, his face flushed with anger.
Finally, the security team received the news and rushed over. It happened that he was on duty the last time Luo Zhiwen wanted to buy sweaters for his wife and children, so they were all acquaintances.
At that time, everyone sincerely advised Luo Zhiwen to stop making trouble, but today everyone is laughing at him.
The team member wasn't surprised. They pushed through the crowd and walked forward. "Aunt Song, is that him?"
Before Song Xiaoqing could reply, she placed her hand on Luo Zhiwen's arm. After all, the team members were guarding the area every day, and they were not only young but also had the added bonus of strength.
Luo Zhiwen twisted his arms but couldn't break free. He immediately felt his dignity was damaged and was so angry that his skin began to turn red.
"I'm buying a down jacket! Get out of here! Why are you touching me? I'm telling you, even if the apocalypse comes, there are still laws! I have my human rights! I have my dignity!"
Everyone: “…” There are so many things to complain about that I don’t know where to start.
The team member didn't bother to talk to him anymore and held his arm tightly. "Then buy it. If you buy it, I'll take you away! I'm telling you, you've been recorded as a typical case in our laws. This is your second time. If it happens a third time, you'll be blacklisted and will never be allowed to enter the territory again!"
"You!" Luo Zhiwen glared at him.
However, these words were threatening. Everyone had witnessed the miserable plight of Zhang Shuo and Li Jing, the first two people added to the territory's blacklist.
No matter how arrogant Luo Zhiwen is, he can only stay at home. Look at Long Guo Hai and San Marco. He doesn't want to go to those places.
His voice immediately became much lower and he didn't dare to speak anymore.
Song Xiaoqing finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the seven or eight down jackets left on the windowsill. "Do you still want to buy more?" Facing Luo Zhiwen's expectant gaze, she said unhappily, "Original price."
What a scoundrel! He'll be asking for trouble sooner or later. Song Xiaoqing was really angry and thought to herself.
Luo Zhiwen touched the money in his arms again. He really couldn't bear to part with it...money was more important than his son!
Just bear with it. No matter how cold it is, how cold can it be? He is a grown man, how can he be afraid of the cold? Anyway, he has no cotton coat or sweater, so he might as well give up both. He will feel lighter without the burden.
Money is the most important thing, so he won't waste it.
"Then I won't buy it." Luo Zhiwen said.
The team members escorted him out of the weaving hut. The people behind him swarmed over and snatched up the few remaining down jackets. If Luo Zhiwen hadn't been standing at the front of the line, and they had to follow the queue rules, they wouldn't have bothered with Luo Zhiwen and would have snatched up everything long ago!
Luo Zhiwen turned around and looked at these people happily touching their clothes. The thick clothes looked very warm, but he couldn't help but feel cold and panicked.
But when he thought that it was only forty-five points, Luo Zhiwen calmed down again. Whoever wanted to be the victim could do so. His money would not be wasted on this anyway.
Since the first wave of people bought down jackets, down jackets have triggered a wave of positive reviews.
Everyone in the territory knew the origins of down. If you were to look at it from the birds of Storm Territory, it would simply be the finest, softest down, hand-picked. And when mixed with wool, it's no exaggeration to say it's as soft as a cloud.
More practically speaking, it adds a full twenty points of comfort!
After working for a long time or being sick, you will often suffer from some negative effects such as "back pain" and "lack of energy". Putting on a down jacket can immediately alleviate these negative effects.
This is not a down jacket, it is clearly protective clothing!
Suddenly, many people in the territory put on down jackets. Even though it was just a light snow, it wasn't that cold yet.
Ye Miaomiao's strength was high, so she wasn't afraid of the cold. Therefore, she wore a cotton-padded jacket and a coat. Even so, she was still treated like a fat sheep when she entered the border crossing.
The entrance to the border port is a ship.
It was just a small, shabby wooden boat, manned by an old man in a bamboo hat. The boat docked on the stream. Ye Miaomiao stepped on board, paid ten points, and then, with a flick of her eyes, she saw a city shrouded in thick fog.
The game Civilization actually has border crossings, but it's just a "setting." The developers painted this up, leaving it up to the players' imaginations, but it never materialized.
I didn't expect to see it now.
A huge port was faintly visible at the end of the sea of fog. Many ships were moored beside the port, most of which were small, broken boats like Ye Miaomiao's. However, a few of the boats were trimmed with gold, making them look more luxurious.
As we got closer, we saw a straight road with a bustling crowd on both sides. Small wooden houses stood on both sides of the road, and some people setting up stalls in the middle.
In a trance, I realized that the positions of these cabins were changing, but there was a trace to follow: those cabins with more traffic were slowly moving towards the front of the road.
These people had obviously come here as soon as they received the notice, so Ye Miaomiao was late. However, she was not in a hurry and carefully read the rules that popped up on the screen.
[Dear players, welcome to the border crossing! ]
Please note that the rules here are strict:
Rule 1: This is for inter-territory transactions only. Buyers and sellers can only trade in the store. Items and points will be deducted from the territory warehouse in real time after being approved by the lord.
Rule 2: No personal transactions are permitted. Please note that all points and items cannot be brought into border crossings. Forcible entry will result in the loss of your items.
Rule 3: You can spend 200 points to purchase items sold in the store. Customer traffic, transaction records, store rank, and other factors will determine your store's ranking in the Border Port. Subsequent upgrades are available at the Border Port.
Rule 4: All goods entering or leaving the border crossing will be subject to a tax ranging from 1% to 20%. The specific tax will be notified when you buy or sell goods.
Ye Miaomiao had just finished studying the rules when a short man stared at her.
"Little sister! You look really good in this outfit! Take a look at my skincare products, wow! They're all made with locally grown ingredients! Girls, you have to take care of your skin. Look, your lips are dry, do you want to..."
Ye Miaomiao: "..." She waved her hands quickly and wanted to walk around this person and go inside.
Unexpectedly, this person noticed her good clothes and recognized her wealth, and hurriedly followed her: "Don't worry! Don't worry! We have other things! Thousand Layer Honey Bread! You must have heard of this! Old players all know that this is the magic cake of this game!"
Ye Miaomiao stopped in her tracks. Not only had she heard of it, but it was even produced in her territory. No one knew the benefits of honey cake better than her.
She looked carefully at the man in linen. He led Ye Miaomiao not to a shop, but to the gap between two shops, where there was a dirty linen cloth with all kinds of things placed on it.
Ye Miaomiao: “?” Why does it look so scary?
Noticing Ye Miaomiao's hesitant look, the man hurried to explain. It turned out that because the shops in their territory were ranked low, they were afraid of not being able to attract customers, so the lord specially sent him to set up a stall next to the front row shops, and take any customers who liked them back directly.
Firstly, it does not violate the rules, and secondly, it attracts customers.
Ye Miaomiao was surprised and even more hesitant. How could she not attract customers even though she had honey cake?
"How could we have known this before? It was only when the border crossings opened that all the information became available. Now we know how precious honey cakes are!"
"You must come to our store and take a look. It's one of a kind. You won't find such good things anywhere else except in our territory!"
Ye Miaomiao was not persuaded by what he said, but one of the most important purposes of her trip was to buy cold-proof food or raw materials.
Even if there was a slight chance to go and take a look, it wouldn't waste much time. Just as I was about to follow him, I heard a sneer of laughter.
It turned out to be the shop clerk next to the stall.
This shop was practically at the border crossing, and ranked quite high. The clerk was a pretty girl in her twenties. She was self-conscious about her territory's high ranking, and so she looked down on the lower-ranked territories that had set up stalls next to the shop.
"He's a liar! Many people followed him, but they ended up back at our store. You must have missed it, but we have a sign that says 'Honey Cake'!"
As she spoke, she pointed to the sign beside her, and sure enough, those words were written on it.
Turning around, I saw a huge crowd of people in the shop, practically cramming in. Considering the honey cake's nickname of "divine cake," I wasn't surprised. Instead, I was curious why there was no one in front of the man's stall.
"But..." the clerk changed the subject and said sarcastically, "Honey cakes are precious after all, and they're expensive. I guess you wouldn't be willing to buy them at 200 points each."
Ye Miaomiao was stunned: "?" Did she hear it wrong? Just those ingredients, can be sold for 200 points?
The man hesitated and said nothing.
The clerk thought the two were guilty and sneered at them at the bottom of the stairs: "One is setting up a stall to cheat others, and the other is really trying to get a bargain, tsk."
"Good news for you, we also sell honey and some other honey products. If you can't afford honey cake, you can always buy some substitutes. It's better than inferior products, right?"
As he said this, he suppressed the sarcasm on his face and went to greet others with a smile.
Ye Miaomiao: “!” There is honey!
She didn't care about the clerk's ridicule. After all, she was a big customer, and these ridicules had no effect on her. However, the man next to her glared at the clerk fiercely, and when he saw Ye Miaomiao turning around and about to leave, he gritted his teeth - he had already lost a lot of business because of the clerk!
"Wait!" he said hurriedly, "We have honey at home too! Although we don't have honey cakes...but we specialize in beekeeping. Look at those skin care products, they're all made with beeswax! If you want to buy honey, we guarantee it's genuine!"
Ye Miaomiao no longer trusts this man. He says what he means and never says what he means. But...
There was one thing he didn't lie about. Ye Miaomiao had just glanced at him and saw a huge red bump on his neck, which really looked like a bee sting...
"Leave me a message. If you want to buy, please contact us."
The border crossing had a special way to contact each other between territories. Ye Miaomiao thought for a moment and decided that it wouldn't delay anything. What if he really found honey? She simply gave him the contact information and turned to go into the store.
I just entered the store.
"Huh?" A cry of surprise came from behind her: "Lord Ye, why are you buying honey cakes too? Aren't you..." He quickly shut up halfway through his words, looking at Ye Miaomiao with a pair of surprised eyes, and whispered: "Aren't you selling them all?"
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