Chapter 51: Purchasing Wheat

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Purchasing Wheat

"Get in."

Vili simply nodded.

"I’ll drive."

Old Yor took the horsewhip from Vili’s hand and took the reins. Vili and Yadon sat together in the back of the carriage.

Being so close to Vili put a strange pressure on Yadon. Before they left, his grandfather, Old Yor, had specifically instructed him to remain humble before the Lord Village Chief and to show his cleverness and wit when the opportunity arose.

Yadon had agreed readily enough, but after meeting Vili, he felt inexplicably insecure. His first impression of Vili was one of wisdom and composure. ’As someone his own age, I have no chance of looking clever in front of him,’ he thought.

"This is for you."

Vili took out the steamed buns he had brought from home.

The buns were already cold, and for the Ferren Family, they were hardly considered a delicacy. Nowadays, Mrs. Shaven used finely ground white flour for their staple foods, making fluffy white rolls with a bread-like texture. He had only brought these steamed buns along because they were a gift from the villagers of Xiangguo Village, one he couldn’t refuse.

"Lord Village Chief, this is..."

Old Yor turned, looking at the steamed buns Vili was offering. For a moment, he didn’t know if he should accept.

As for Yadon, who was sitting beside him, his eyes were glued to the steamed buns. He swallowed, an almost instinctual reaction.

Since moving to Fandou Village, Yadon’s daily meal had been a thin porridge of boiled wheat bran. It was tasteless, and the coarse bran often scratched his throat. He never even saw wheat bran cooked dry, because boiling it into porridge made it more filling. For a group of people with no surplus grain, this was the most efficient way to use it.

Yadon glanced at his grandfather, Old Yor, waiting for his cue on whether to accept the bun.

Old Yor was clearly hesitant, but he ultimately declined. "No, Lord Village Chief. We cannot accept your gift without reason."

To Old Yor, something as humble as a steamed bun was a blessing.

Seeing this, Yadon instinctively lowered his head, a flash of disappointment in his eyes.

"You’re accompanying me to Diamond Town. Consider this payment."

’Can two steamed buns really be called payment?’ Vili asked himself.

With Vili’s insistence, Old Yor took a steamed bun with trembling hands. His voice was filled with sincerity. "Thank you, Lord Village Chief."

"Thank you, Lord Village Chief."

Yadon quickly added his thanks after taking his.

Vili didn’t respond. His thoughts seemed to have drifted elsewhere.

Yadon took the bun and tentatively nibbled a tiny piece. The long-absent aroma of wheat lingered in his mouth. He suddenly felt his eyes welling up with tears. ’How long has it been since I’ve eaten something so delicious?’

He was about to take another bite when he saw Old Yor carefully tuck the whole bun into his clothes without taking a single bite himself.

Guilt washed over Yadon. His parents toiled every day, and his little brother was only two or three. ’This bun should be saved for them.’ At the thought, Yadon hid his bun away as well.

Vili saw what they both did.

’Life is truly hard...’

Vili gazed into the distance.

Fandou Village was very close to Diamond Town. The three of them entered the town in less than an hour.

Though it was early autumn, the afternoon sun was still scorching. The town streets were nearly empty, save for a few workers hauling goods.

"Lord Village Chief, where are we headed?"

Old Yor asked Vili. Without realizing it, the look he gave Vili now held more respect than fear.

"To the grain shop up ahead."

Vili pointed to a grain shop not far away.

At his words, Old Yor stopped the carriage in front of the grain shop.

"Sir, are you here to purchase grain?"

The moment the carriage stopped, a young clerk emerged from the grain shop. He was quick on his feet; seeing a carriage pull up meant this was no small sale.

"That’s right," Vili nodded. "What’s the price of your wheat?"

"Ten Copper Rums a pound for unhusked, fifteen for husked, and thirty if it’s ground into flour."

The young clerk recited the prices expertly.

The price made Vili’s jaw drop. ’Compared to the average income, grain in this world is ridiculously expensive,’ he thought. And this was shortly after the wheat harvest, when the market was well-stocked. By winter, the price would likely be even higher.

"Can you give me a better price?"

Even though he was sitting on a huge sum of money, he believed in saving where he could.

"If you purchase more than two hundred pounds, we can give you a twenty percent discount." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

The young clerk could tell he was dealing with a major customer.

Vili made his decision on the spot. "Five hundred pounds of husked wheat. Go ahead and start loading it up."

The clerk was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with delight. He hadn’t expected the young customer to be so decisive. "Right away! Five hundred pounds of husked wheat comes to a total of seventy-five Silver Rums. With the discount, that’ll be sixty Silver Rums."

Vili pulled a Gold Rum from his pocket and handed it to the young clerk.

It was the same Gold Rum the Vincent Squad had given him; he still hadn’t spent it all.

Old Yor and Yadon stood beside Vili, their eyes filled with envy. ’To spend sixty Silver Rums without batting an eye... The Lord Village Chief is so extravagant.’

The young clerk took the Gold Rum and went back into the shop. He returned with a cloth bag containing forty Silver Rums in change and handed it to Vili.

"Yadon, go help them load the cart."

Old Yor shot Yadon a look, a clear signal to act industrious in front of the Lord Village Chief.

Yadon quickly agreed and went to help the young clerk load the cart.

Vili didn’t stop him, merely watching from the side.

A short time later, ten full burlap sacks—five hundred pounds of wheat—were loaded onto the cart.

"Take care now."

The young clerk beamed, wanting to leave a good impression. This young man might just become a regular.

With the added five hundred pounds, the horse’s pace slowed considerably. Luckily, it was a sturdy animal; some smaller horse breeds couldn’t have pulled that much weight at all.

’So much wheat... How long would it take to eat all this...?’

Yadon glanced at Vili with immense envy. ’If only I could eat wheat every day.’

"Lord Village Chief, when you’re storing this wheat at home, you must be careful. Don’t let the rats get to it."

Old Yor was now genuinely looking out for Vili’s interests. For people suffering from hunger and poverty, a simple steamed bun was enough to win their loyalty.

"No, this wheat isn’t for me. It’s to be distributed among the villagers."

Vili replied calmly.

Distribute it to the villagers?!

Old Yor and Yadon froze, both thinking they must have misheard.

All five hundred pounds of wheat... given away to others?