The Peacock Kingdom.
Yu Luo's stall was set up right next to the system, a stark contrast to the bustling activity there.
This is a small border town in the Peacock Kingdom, which recently experienced a cataclysmic event caused by black energy.
Although the Mountain Goddess purified the dark energy and restored the people's sanity.
But the devastation of the city and the scarcity of supplies cannot be resolved in a short time.
After all, the Mountain God's caravan doesn't come every day, and not everyone can get enough supplies.
On the streets, broken walls and ruins were everywhere. Men, shirtless, were shouting slogans as they worked together to drag a charred roof beam out of the rubble.
Another group of people lined up in a long queue by a makeshift well on the street, arguing heatedly over a bucket of murky drinking water.
"You cut in line! I was here first!"
"Bullshit! I've been standing here for half an hour! Just because you have a lot of men doesn't mean you're so great!"
In the distance, two men were already wrestling over a dark, dry biscuit that had fallen to the ground, raising clouds of dust.
Just then, two small stalls appeared silently at the corner of the street.
The stall on the left was steaming hot, and a pretty young girl dressed in a neat short outfit and with her hair in two buns was deftly taking out plump white buns from the steamer.
The rich aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of noodles wafted into the noses of every hungry passerby.
"Steamed buns! Big, white meat buns! One copper coin each!" The girl's voice was clear and loud.
At first, no one dared to step forward. After all, in those days, a copper coin couldn't even buy half a black flour bun, let alone such a large meat bun. Who would believe it? It was probably some kind of scam.
A daring young man, unable to bear the hunger any longer, hesitated for a long time before finally taking out the only copper coin he had and handing it over: "Really just one copper coin?"
"I'm honest with everyone, young and old!" The girl smiled and wrapped a steaming hot bun in oil paper and handed it to him.
The boy took it, and took a big bite with some skepticism. The next second, his eyes widened in shock!
With its thin skin and generous filling, the meat juices burst in your mouth, creating a delicious flavor that he had never tasted before!
"Delicious!!" the boy shouted indistinctly, swallowed the whole bun in a few bites, and then hurriedly reached into his pocket, but unfortunately he couldn't find a single copper coin.
At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on it.
The crowd that had been observing suddenly went wild, swarming forward and completely surrounding the system's stall.
"Give me five!"
"I want ten! My whole family hasn't had a proper meal in days!"
"Young lady, why are your steamed buns so cheap? Did the Mountain Goddess send you?"
The crowd was bustling, which contrasted sharply with another stall next door.
A woman dressed in a light blue long gown and of average appearance was sitting leisurely on a small stool. In front of her was a small wooden table with dozens of simple wooden boxes, each about the size of a palm, neatly stacked on it.
A burly man who had just snatched a steamed bun was wolfing it down while asking curiously, "Hey, boss, what are you selling?"
Yu Luo raised her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips, and said in a gentle voice, "Blind boxes, three copper coins each."
"Blind boxes?" The burly man was taken aback, then exchanged glances with the others, all seeing confusion in each other's eyes. It was a term they had never heard before.
“We just don’t know what’s inside the box,” Yu Luo explained. “It might contain grain, cloth, or even medicine. Of course, it might contain nothing at all.”
Upon hearing this, the crowd, who had initially been somewhat curious, instantly lost interest.
"Tch, what's going on here!"
"Three copper coins? I could buy three big meat buns with that! Who would buy your shabby box?"
"Exactly! What if we find a rock inside? Who can we complain to? They're scammers!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, their gazes toward Yu Luo filled with disdain and contempt.
Soon, her stall became deserted, with not a single person in sight.
The system, taking a moment from its busy schedule, winked at Yu Luo through a gap in the crowd, a sly smile on its face.
Yu Luo didn't care at all. He simply picked up a palm-leaf fan and fanned himself slowly, looking leisurely at the scene of all kinds of people in front of him.
Just then, a timid voice rang out.
"Sister, can I buy one?"
A little girl, about seven or eight years old, pushed through the crowd and stood in front of Yu Luo's stall.
The little girl was wearing a faded old cloth dress with several patches, her face was sallow, and her big eyes were as clear as a spring.
She clenched her small fists tightly, her palms holding three warm copper coins soaked in sweat.
"My mother is sick, and the doctor said there's no hope," the little girl said, her eyes red and her voice trembling with tears. "Sister, do you really have medicine in your box that can cure her?"
Yu Luo looked at her, her gaze softening, and nodded: "If you're destined to meet, you'll be able to open it."
Upon hearing this, the little girl seemed to grasp at the last straw. Without hesitation, she placed the three copper coins in her hand on the table, picked up a blind box with all her might, and ran away, as if afraid that Yu Luo would change his mind.
"Oh, this child!" sighed the auntie in line next to her buying steamed buns. "Poor thing, she's probably been ripped off! Three copper coins! That's enough to buy three big meat buns, so fragrant and delicious. If her mother ate them, at least she'd feel better. How could a broken box possibly cure anything!"
"Who can argue with that? These days, scammers specifically target people who are desperate and have nowhere else to turn. They have no conscience!"
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