Kevin was pushing the wheelbarrow on the road happily, followed by several people from the same village. They were either pushing the wheelbarrow like Karen, or carrying poles.
This group of people came to Franklin Harbor to deliver goods. The big businessman Lord Adela opened a purchasing station in Franklin Harbor, specializing in purchasing salt boiled using traditional methods.
Unlike other salt merchants who looked down upon them just because they had a few bad money, this businessman named Adela could be said to be amiable and got along very well with salt people like them. He kept talking "my friends", which made Kevin and others feel that the other party really regarded them as friends sincerely.
It's very strange that I have never seen Lord Adela selling this salt in nearby areas. According to the other party, it is to be transported to the distant east.
But they don't care where the other party sells it, as long as they can exchange it for coins to support their family.
When the group arrived at the door of the purchasing station, they saw people coming in and out of the door, seemingly carrying things. Lord Adela, with a round belly and a rich appearance, was standing at the door directing the servants.
Kevin came forward to say hello, "Lord Adela, what do you want?"
Businessman Adela turned around and saw it was Kevin, and quickly responded, "Oh, it's Kevin! Are you... delivering goods?"
"Yes, we brought all the salt from the village."
But he saw a trace of guilt on Adela's face. He glanced at the team behind Kevin, and then gently pulled Kevin aside.
He whispered, "To be honest, Kevin, I was about to send someone to find you."
"Is there anything important?"
"Your business... I... I can't continue to do it. I have to move out in the next few days."
When he first heard this sentence, Kevin didn't react. It took a while before he said anxiously, "What do you mean? Lord Adela, what do you mean you can't do our business?"
Adela said in embarrassment, "Oh, isn't it because of the recent war? All the trade routes to the east are cut off. I have no access in other directions."
"War? This damn war!"
Kevin clenched his fist fiercely, trying to punch out but couldn't find the target.
Adela's face was full of sympathy. "Well, it's not easy for you to come all the way. Come to my store to rest first. Seeing that we have cooperated for so long, I will treat you to a meal and invite your companions to come in."
"Thank you, Lord Adela."
Kevin I feel weak Underground Passage Thank you, I am indeed hungry.
He returned to his companions and told them that Adela was leaving Franklin Harbor, and everyone was immediately upset.
"What? Lord Adela is leaving now? What should we do?"
"My family is still in a hurry for money?"
"Hey, let's fill our stomachs here first and then think of something else."
At the dinner table, everyone was silent and just eating in silence. The atmosphere was extremely dull.
Adela smiled bitterly and said to them, "There is no obstacle that cannot be overcome. When this war is over and the trade routes are restored, I will come back. Then I will still rely on you for supplies."
Kevin and the others could only smile bitterly after hearing this. God knows when this damn war will be over. The lords don't care about the pain of low-level people like them.
"Come here! Bring the barrel of wine from the kitchen. Let's have a few drinks today. I have always regarded you as friends. I feel a little reluctant to leave like this."
Adela waved his hand and told the waiter in the store to get the wine.
Kevin stood up to stop him. "Lord Adela, how can this be so embarrassing? It is already a great favor for you to entertain us for dinner."
Adela stared at him. "Aren't you going to give me face? Sit down!"
Kevin had no choice but to sit down.
The wine barrel was quickly brought to the table, and a large glass was filled in front of everyone's eyes.
Adela raised the cup first and said loudly, "Cheers!"
Kevin stared at the wine in front of him with a very complicated mood, "Oh~ they say you forget your worries when you are drunk, drink it..."
He picked up the cup and brought it to his mouth. Seeing his actions, the other companions also picked up the cup.
"Damn! This wine is too strong!"
Kevin drank it all in one gulp. The spicy taste made him frown tightly and almost choked. He had never drunk such a strong drink.
However, after swallowing it, a burning sensation that had never happened before rose up from the lower abdomen and spread quickly throughout the body, and a strange feeling arose in the brain.
Other companions also had expressive expressions, and some were so irritated that they stuck out their tongues and exhaled.
Adela smiled slightly, "You have never drunk this kind of bar. Come on, have another drink!"
After several glasses of wine, everyone was a little tipsy.
Adela put his arm on Kevin's shoulders, his face was red, and he said with a mouth full of alcohol, "Brother Kevin! In fact, it's not all because of the war that I left here. Me too... Oh, let's not talk about it, drink!"
The other party seemed to have something to hide. Kevin tried hard to stay awake and asked, "Lord Adela, what other reasons are there? You don't need to hide anything in front of us."
Adela sighed, "Oh, those salt farm owners at Franklin Harbor, and the officials here, they... hiccup... they can't tolerate me!"
"Can't tolerate you? Why?"
Adela said drunkenly, "I am in their territory, and the demand is quite large, but I have never purchased goods from them, which offends them severely... Actually, I did not do this on purpose. In fact, my target customers only prefer salt cooked by traditional methods."
Kevin slammed the table angrily. "Aren't they going to give us a way to survive? We have made a living by cooking salt for generations, and they drove you away. Who will we sell our salt to?"
An imperceptible light flashed in Adela's eyes, and he sighed and said, "People nowadays have fallen into the money hole. You are competitors in their eyes, and they hope you will starve to death early. Let me tell you, there are secret rumors in the market recently that the boiled salt is poisonous and will erode the health of the human body unknowingly. It is probably them who released it."
"This is so stupid! Before the saltworks appeared, they had been eating our salt for generations. For hundreds of years, we had never heard of eating salt to kill people."
One of Kevin's companions yelled angrily.
Adela shook his head, looking helpless. "Rumors are the scariest thing. Too many people say them, and you can't help but not believe them."
"Alas! There is no place to sell the salt, and the tax will have to be paid again in two days!"
"Those fat-minded salt farm owners are so disgusting!"
Under the influence of the alcohol, everyone talked more. One by one, I complained about the unfairness of the world.
Only Kevin drank his own wine silently, swallowing cup after cup.