Chapter 47 Going Out Shopping

Chi Sui certainly wasn't going to have it literally fill the starry sky.

Although the underground world built by the spore-goblin villagers had three layers, each layer was not very large, and all Greenfang needed to do was fill the first layer.

To fill every empty flowerbed on that floor.

What Chi Sui was most curious about was what kind of coincidence it took to discover plants with such similar characteristics as the star-grass and moss that glowed in the dark.

However, the most urgent task right now was to buy star-grass seeds. Fortunately, at this hour, Xin's general store was not yet closed.

When Chi Sui walked into the general store, the person minding the shop was not Xin.

Short brown hair flew in a messy fashion atop their head, their attire was extremely casual, and even the socks visible at their ankles were of different colors. Yet, in facial features, they looked very much like Xin, only much more youthful.

"Welcome, just take a look around."

Seeing Chi Sui enter, the person merely leaned over the table, glanced lazily, and then went back to the work in their hands.

Curious, Chi Sui leaned in to take a closer look. Many small parts were laid out on the table, and the person was trying to fit them together.

"Isn't Xin around?"

Hearing the question, the person didn't even turn their head, remaining focused on their manual dexterity as they replied:

"He just came back from Green Island yesterday, and seems to have gone to Blue Island today. Once the wind season arrives, you basically never see hide nor hair of him."

Their tone was filled with grievance, clearly extremely dissatisfied with Xin's wandering behavior.

"Then you are...?"

This question successfully made the person raise their head and look at Chi Sui.

"Are you the new rancher?"

"You could tell just from those two questions?"

Chi Sui was somewhat surprised; she hadn't even brought her monsters out with her.

The person smiled and put down the parts in their hand.

"I've lived in the town for a long time. Whenever Xin is away, I'm the one who helps look after the shop. I know everyone in town, and those I don't know, don't know Xin either."

With that, the person wiped their hand on their pants and extended it outward.

"Hello, I'm Xin's younger brother, Sen. I've been hearing the townspeople mention you frequently lately. Thank you for the publicity you've done for Breeze Town; it's been a long time since this town was this lively."

Chi Sui was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly reached out to shake hands before letting go.

"It's only right, I'm a resident of the town now too."

After a brief introduction, Sen resumed his previous posture and continued tinkering with his parts.

"Feel free to look around. My brother brought back some new seeds from Green Island yesterday. Just come settle the bill with me if you need anything."

New arrivals at the general store?

This news undoubtedly made Chi Sui quite happy.

The shelves in the shop were still the same ones as before, but the items on them had been updated quite a bit.

The first row still held white radishes and corn, with pasture grass seeds placed in the very corner.

Beneath each bag of seeds was drawn a simple, easy-to-understand picture label, making it clear at a glance what they were.

There were three kinds of seeds in the second row. The picture on the first one showed a small yellow flower, which should be the star-grass seeds Chi Sui needed right now.

The second one featured a red circle, atop of which were green stems and leaves.

Tomatoes?

A crop that could be eaten as a fruit or stir-fried as a vegetable.

Most importantly, this crop had always been on Chi Sui's list of favorites; at her peak enthusiasm, she liked to add tomatoes to whatever dish she was stir-frying.

Unexpectedly getting this harvest, the corners of Chi Sui's mouth curled upward uncontrollably.

Buy them, definitely buy them.

The picture for the third seed took Chi Sui quite a while to decipher.

It showed piles of leafy greens drawn in green, but the person who made the label drew them so simply that it was hard for Chi Sui to identify what plant it was. Chinese cabbage? Spinach? Lettuce?

After looking for a while longer and still unable to recognize it, Chi Sui simply grabbed two bags.

Whatever kind of vegetable it was, she would know once it grew. No need to agonize over it.

The third row of the shelves also had new arrivals. Aside from the most basic flour and salt, white sugar had now been added to the mix.

"Oh, do you sell white sugar here too?"

Chi Sui was somewhat delighted. The white sugar she had scavenged from Cecil was running low, and she was worrying about where to buy more.

Sen's voice came from not far away:

"That thing? It's also brought from Green Island. Many people in town like this flavor, and the demand is quite high, but this item isn't easy to buy even on Green Island—it's limited."

Sure enough, Chi Sui only then noticed the label.

The label stated that stock was low, supply was limited, and purchases were restricted to one jar per person.

Well, she hadn't expected that even sugar would have to be used sparingly up in the sky islands.

Chi Sui picked up a jar and looked somewhat regretfully at the remaining white sugar that she couldn't take away. To make daily desserts for Luoluo, a single jar was truly not enough.

After selecting the items she needed, Chi Sui went straight to Sen to check out.

Ever since the competition, Chi Sui hadn't spent much of her prize money, so her purse was quite full at the moment.

"White sugar is 1 gold coin, vegetable seeds are 5 gold coins, and consider these flower seeds a free gift. That'll be a total of 6 gold coins."

"What?"

Chi Sui, who had just opened her purse, was frightened out of her wits by this price, her voice cracking in shock.

How was this price any different from daylight robbery?

Sen explained with a helpless expression:

"None of these things are produced on Purple Island. The round-trip travel expenses, freight costs, and procurement expenses are all quite high."

"Especially these seeds; ranchers on Green Island generally don't sell seeds, only the harvested produce. Just persuading them to procure vegetable seeds took a lot of effort. These are all costs, and when you calculate it all, we actually don't make much profit on each bag of seeds."

Chi Sui believed half of Sen's words. High procurement and transportation costs? She believed that. No profit? She didn't believe that.

If there's no profit, why run a shop at all?

Although her heart ached a little, her purse could still bear it.

Reluctantly bidding farewell to her six gold coins, Chi Sui felt the seeds in her hand grow exceptionally heavy.

This was the weight of money.

Chi Sui's good mood vanished completely after paying. Being unable to enjoy the happiness of spending money was definitely because she was poor.

"Come again next time."

Chi Sui stiffly waved backward.

Given these outrageous prices, she wouldn't be coming again for a very long time.

Since Mr. Stone and Luoluo had both stayed behind at the ranch, she had to carry these seeds all by herself. For the first time in a long time, Chi Sui undertook a weighted mountain climb.

Without the company of monsters by her side, the journey up the mountain turned out to be even livelier.

People kept coming up to strike up a conversation.

Uncle Darren, carrying a hammer just finished with his work.

Aunt Bertha, holding a scrubbing brush while bathing a calf.

Dr. Tina, taking a stroll up the mountain.

And Mayor Ella, directing the residents in hanging up an oversized banner.

The warm and comforting scenery of the small town healed Chi Sui's heart, which had been aching from the expense.

"Xiao Sui, come take a look. How does this banner look?"

Suddenly called out to, Chi Sui hurried forward to see what was written on the banner.

The banner was divided into two parts, upper and lower.

The upper part read: [Congratulations to Breeze Town Rancher Chi Sui for Winning First Place in the Pastry and Culinary Showdown]

The lower part read: [Welcome Rancher Chi Sui Back to the Town, Reviving the Glory of Following-the-Wind's First Ranch]

Looking at these words, Chi Sui was struck as if by lightning.

She finally understood what true social death felt like.

"How is it? Isn't it wonderful!"

Mayor Ella laughed heartily and patted Chi Sui's stiff shoulder.