Shopping

Su Ming looked around and found that the number of human residents here was quite considerable. Many houses, with their tall lintels and wide windows, were clearly built for humans. A single floor was as tall as two typical goblin houses, making them stand out among the surrounding low houses.

Zijin clearly saw the doubt in Su Ming's eyes and took the initiative to explain, "The trade volume between Green Thorn Port and the surrounding human kingdoms is enormous."

Furthermore, most of the trade goods from Dragon Valley are also transshipped through here.

"Why?" Su Ming asked, puzzled. Geographically speaking, Dragon Valley didn't seem to need to detour through here as a transit point.

"There are two main reasons," Zijin analyzed clearly. "On the one hand, the development and management rights of most of the mineral resources and specialties in Dragon Valley have been contracted out to large merchant guilds of humans and goblins, and the headquarters or core hubs of these guilds are basically located on the Gray Ridge side. On the other hand, and more importantly," she paused, "Dragon Valley itself lacks the logistical support facilities and technological industries needed to maintain ocean-going vessels."

Su Ming frowned upon hearing this; it didn't sound like something to boast about.

Zijin's gaze lingered on the street signs around the square for a moment before finally pointing in the direction of "Scrap Cloth and Textile Trading Area," and the two walked along the uneven cobblestone path there.

As expected, many shops lined both sides of the road, but the storefronts were generally low and narrow, a typical size designed for goblin customers.

Su Ming took out his phone and casually snapped a few photos of the market, which had a distinctly exotic feel.

"Oh right," he remembered what had happened earlier, and asked Zijin beside him as they walked, "What did you do with the phone you borrowed from me just now?"

"Why don't you look through the photo album?" the girl suggested softly.

Su Ming did as instructed, opening her phone's photo album and swiping forward on the screen. After a few pages, a photo popped up.

The background of the photo is a fair and delicate skin tone, on which four round, teardrop-shaped purple scales are clearly visible. They are delicately overlapped and arranged, and the gaps between the scales faintly reveal a dreamy pale purple halo.

The area outside the scales was maliciously covered with a thick, completely obscuring mosaic.

Su Ming instantly understood what this meant— Zijin had actually taken a picture and shown it to him.

"Now you've satisfied your curiosity, haven't you?" Zijin pulled her oatmeal-colored coat tighter around herself, wrapping the collar even more tightly. She crossed her arms over her chest, her tone slightly teasing.

"Hmm." Su Ming responded casually, his gaze lingering for a moment longer on the picture that was mostly covered by a mosaic. "You do keep your word."

****

Zijin suddenly stopped, and Su Ming, who was distracted, almost bumped into the girl's slender back. He quickly looked up and realized that the two of them had unknowingly arrived at the entrance of a shop specializing in human clothing.

"Did you really invite me here to buy a hat with the intention of doing so?" Zijin turned around, her tone clearly showing displeasure, and slightly raised her chin. "And, do you really enjoy staring at my scales?"

Su Ming immediately put away his phone and explained insincerely, "This... the scales of the Faerie Dragon are indeed very special, possessing a unique beauty."

"Hmph." Zijin snorted softly, "If you encountered me in my dragon form, covered in scales, wouldn't you be absolutely smitten?"

"Uh, maybe, it's possible," Su Ming said, not entirely sure.

Zijin sighed softly and took the lead into the dimly lit shop.

The shop's interior was designed to be human-sized, with ample space, but the owner was still a short goblin. A counter and chairs, clearly several sizes too small, stood at the shop entrance. Upon seeing a customer, the owner immediately dropped the crumpled newspaper he was holding and nimbly stood up to greet them.

"Quiet, we'll see for ourselves!" Zijin commanded swiftly and coldly before the goblin's shrill voice could even utter a sound.

"Ah! Distinguished guests, allow me to introduce you to our latest offerings—" The goblin was clearly used to this kind of cold reception, a professional smile plastered on his face as he continued his sales pitch as if nothing had happened.

Zijin wasn't buying it. With a flick of her finger, a precise Silence instantly silenced the goblin's incessant, annoying chatter, leaving him futilely opening and closing his mouth.

The two were able to browse the clothes in a relatively quiet environment. Most of the clothes in the shop were piled up, and the styles were not displayed very clearly. Fortunately, their main purpose for the trip was just hats—or rather, buying hats was more of an excuse to stroll around together.

However, the goblin shopkeeper's aesthetic taste was truly questionable; the hats on display were bizarre in design, some even bordering on comical. Su Ming searched among the shelves for quite a while before finally finding an exquisite apricot-colored knitted hat.

But when he picked it up, he realized he had drawn an SSR.

It feels soft and warm to the touch, with a delicate and even knit texture. In particular, a pair of fluffy cat ears stand out prominently on the top of the hat, on either side.

The ears are full and realistic, with a soft texture, just like a little kitten that has just sensed something and is alertly and curiously pricking up its ears.

The hat is also adorned with several small and cute pink paw print embroidered on the same color thread, adding a touch of playfulness. The stitches are fine and even, exuding the warmth unique to hand-knitted fabrics.

Su Ming's gaze unconsciously drifted towards Zijin, imagining what she would look like wearing it, and the latter immediately rolled her eyes at him in annoyance.

"Don't be so narrow-minded." Su Ming chuckled and waved the knitted hat in her hand. "Trust me, you'll look even cuter wearing it."

Zijin was clearly unimpressed by this "cuteness" and turned to go to the next store. Su Ming, however, seemed determined to buy the unique cat-ear hat.

Su Ming snapped his fingers, and the silencing spell on the goblin shopkeeper was finally lifted.

He was furious that these ungrateful customers were trying to refuse the great goblin shopkeeper's sales pitch!

His first instinct was to call for the patrolling guards, but when the goblin saw Su Ming holding the hat and seemed interested in buying it, he rolled his eyes and immediately held up a short, thick finger.

"One copper coin?" Su Ming looked at his finger, quite surprised. So cheap?

"One gold coin! And you have to buy another pair of gloves with it!" the shopkeeper screamed furiously, spitting as he spoke. "This is punishment for your disrespect towards the great god Hekegela! Be careful, I'll go and call the guards right now, and you'll be in big trouble!"