A market has sprung up in the territory, with stalls selling goods and food. These belong to the people and resources of the territory, and the prices are fixed with no room for negotiation. Only half-grown children are left to guard the stalls, while the rest of the people are moving goods and setting up their stalls.
People passing by wouldn't dare to take things without paying. Within the territory, stealing or engaging in certain harassing behaviors would be condemned by the entire territory. Instead of being kicked out, the person would be hung in the center of the territory so that passersby could get to know them.
The stalls sell rice, flour, cooking oil, winter supplies, clothing, blankets, and appliances, as well as food.
Once the lid was opened, one could find white, sticky rice cakes. The price was not high at all, and it was a low-pollution food that even slaves could afford.
"Don't underestimate these slaves. They arrived in the territory a few months before us and have savings!"
"Hey, our savings are all earned through hard work, scrimping and saving. Unlike you guys who have a skill, the pay is much higher than ours. You can earn in a month what we do in a long time!"
However, in the end, they could afford most of the things here, and even some expensive ones could be bought if they gritted their teeth. But everyone was buying necessities. Qin Yiyi stood on high ground and observed the market.
Most people buy daily necessities and household items that are lacking in quality. Some people drool over food, while others buy it for their children to try. This part of the purchasing power is still not much.
Of course, she was well aware that her territory was not yet at the point where people could afford to buy consumer goods and luxury items, and that everyone could spend money on entertainment.
It's already quite good that most people can afford to buy the necessities of life.
However, most of the purchases of necessities were made by slaves, while the purchases of other items were made by half-elves. Even the temporary residents from outside the city did not buy many of these items, which proves that some half-elves living in big cities still had considerable savings.
The Eternal City truly lives up to its reputation as a prosperous metropolis; even the half-elves living at the bottom of society are wealthier than the residents of ordinary city territories.
After watching for a while, Qin Yiyi prepared to put the binoculars away.
The half-elves, meanwhile, were circling the steamer in front of them, swallowing their saliva.
"What's steaming in this pot? It doesn't look like rice cake!" She had just seen it; a round one was being put in, and there was cured meat inside! Although the pieces were smaller than a fingernail, the half-elf's eyesight was excellent, and she really saw it.
Moreover, that thing seemed to be made of rice and kneaded into a solid ball!
"Steamed glutinous rice balls! They have meat chunks inside and are sprinkled with Sichuan peppercorns for added aroma! But they'll take a while to steam, so if you can't wait, you can go for a walk around and come back to buy some!"
The canteen manager was pulled over to set up a temporary stall, and there she encountered a delicious half-elf who stood in front of her stall and wouldn't leave.
"Then, what is this?"
The stringy candy, crystal clear and orange-yellow in color, was skillfully spun by someone standing in front of it, and the wheel landed on a rabbit.
"Boss, I want two rabbits, one for me and one for my brother!" Holding the sugar paintings in their hands with a small spoon, the two children quickly paid and left with their sugar paintings.
The half-elf couldn't hold back any longer.
"Boss, don't go! Give me one of these too!"
The sugar figurine shop was surrounded by frogmen, fishmen, and half-elves, bustling with activity. Sugar used to be something we could only enjoy during festivals and holidays, but who would have thought that it would be so cheap now and available in such elaborate designs?
Besides the artisans selling sugar figurines, there were also vendors selling candied hawthorns in the market. Qin Yiyi had collected a basket of hawthorns when the wasteland was being cleared before. They were a bit sour and astringent when eaten alone, but they tasted much better after processing. However, the wild varieties in the wasteland were not easy to pick and choose from, and there weren't many that could be made. Fortunately, there weren't too many that she could afford. Qin Yiyi had them made to add some color to the winter market in her territory.
“You can buy the materials and make it yourself, but it takes a lot of time and labor. You can use that time to do a part-time job outside and earn more money. It’s up to you whether you want to save money or save time!” Nowadays, people’s working hours are different. Those who want to earn more money during their free time and rest days are willing to find temporary jobs with daily pay.
Thinking about it, it makes sense. Besides, my craftsmanship isn't that great, and winter clothes are thick and heavy. If I'm not skilled enough, it would be a waste of time to make them myself. In the end, it's more cost-effective to just buy them.
"Children grow taller during this time, so buying a slightly larger size means they can wear it next year or the year after, saving money. But a slightly smaller size will fit perfectly and look good on the child!"
The adult hesitated for a moment: "Buy a size up. In winter, you'll need to wear clothes underneath, so it'll fit perfectly on the outside. You can also alter it next year. But if it's too big, it won't work. Kids these days have their own sense of style and their own little circles. If it's too big, it won't look good, and it'll make them look less energetic. People will laugh at them, and the kids won't feel good either. Even adults don't want to wear clothes that don't fit or look good!"
"You're a good parent. Now that life is better, some families with two or three children will choose the older one, so the older, second, and third children can wear clothes together!"
"Won't the younger one never have new clothes to wear? If adults are thinking about saving money, it will cause problems for the child! When the child grows up, they will buy themselves lots and lots of clothes to make up for their lack of clothes when they were young, and then they will say that the child didn't know how to save money. Raising a child is not a simple matter. It's not enough to just give them food and clothing so they won't go hungry!"
The two were chatting when the Naga next to them peeked over, the little snake on her head rustling. But everyone was used to it; the snake on their heads seemed to be rooted to the spot and wouldn't fall off. If it was scary, they could just stay away. But since they were all orcs, they were all special and this was a common occurrence.
"Is there a discount if I buy half of the clothes? I can't wear clothes on the tail." I mean, I can only buy a top.
The shop owner looked at Naga's several hands.
"You... We can make custom-made clothes here, but please take a look at the styles. Custom-made clothes are non-refundable and non-exchangeable unless there is a quality problem."
Naga's mouth dropped open, but looking at her extra arm that she couldn't retract, she realized that back in the water, a rag was enough to cover her private parts. Now that she was on land, she had to consider winter clothing, which would be another expense. Fortunately, Naga's income was still quite good.
"Can I try it on?" Naga asked hesitantly.
"How can you try it on? Just look in the mirror and try it on. The sleeves only have two openings, so you can't try it on. Don't worry, custom-made clothes aren't expensive. Even orcs with exposed tails and wings have to wear custom-made clothes, right?"
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