Chapter 1021, Two Sisters Buy Wine

Translator: Silavin

 

Min and Wen had finished their own affairs for the day and made their way to the Labour Exchange Centre.

 

There was no other reason for it, they too needed to convert their labour values into currency notes.

 

The two Sisters had accumulated a considerable amount of labour value. The Younger Sister had earned hers through painting, while the Older Sister had earned hers through cooking in the kitchen.

 

The nature of their work differed from that of most others, which meant there were more avenues through which they could earn labour values.

 

Since they were employed at the Yong’an Building, they were naturally among the first to respond to the call for converting to currency notes.

 

“Ah’Lan, we both need to exchange for currency notes.” Min’s soft, gentle voice rang out.

 

The Older Sister carried herself far better than before. She no longer displayed that timid, shrinking self of earlier days. She had returned to her former warm and gentle self, and the smile on her face was one that came from the heart.

 

“We’ve saved up quite a lot, haven’t we, Ah’Lan.” Wen greeted her in that endearingly babyish tone of hers.

 

“Yeah, no problem. Let me have a look at your labour value slips.” Sha Lan returned an equally warm smile.

 

Min and Wen handed over their slips without a moment’s hesitation, their faces full of eager anticipation.

 

“Don’t be in too much of a rush. Let me tally up your labour values first.” Sha Lan set about calculating with meticulous care.

 

By the time she finished, Min’s labour values could be exchanged for one hundred and sixty-two yuan, while Wen’s came to two hundred and ninety-seven yuan.

 

The amount the two Sisters could exchange for was considered quite substantial. Most others could only exchange for a few tens of yuan at most, and even those who were somewhat better off could only manage around one hundred, given that one labour value was converted to ten yuan.

 

The majority of people simply had no way of accumulating particularly large quantities of labour values. This was for no other reason than the fact that they needed to exchange them for food the very moment each day’s work was done.

 

Only those engaged in comparatively strenuous work would have any left over to set aside each day.

 

“Have a count and see whether the amounts are correct. One labour value converts to ten yuan. You can count your labour value totals and match them against the currency notes you’ve received.”

 

Sha Lan had the amounts checked twice over before handing the currency notes to the two Sisters, at the same time pressing a stamp directly onto the labour value slips.

 

This indicated that those slips had been invalidated and could not be brought in for exchange a second time.

 

The stamps were all Gu Mu’s handiwork. Though naturally, the stamps themselves and the text upon them had all come from Su Bai’s designs.

 

Min politely extended both hands to receive the currency notes and began carefully counting through them.

 

She certainly did not think Sha Lan would shortchange her. This was simply the procedure they should take and follow.

 

This was also the custom of the Flame Dragon Tribe, and since they worked within the Yong’an Building, they were naturally expected to set a leading example.

 

“The amount is correct, not a single error.” Wen’s sweet voice chimed in.

 

“Correct is what matters. You can head to the Central Market now and experience what it feels like to spend currency notes.” Sha Lan smiled gently.

 

“Yay! Thank you.” Min expressed her thanks cheerfully and pulled her Younger Sister along as they left.

 

*Step step step…*

 

“Are we heading to the Central Market now?” Wen asked curiously.

 

The main thing was that they ate within the Yong’an Building every single day and truly had no need to go out and buy any ingredients or the like.

 

The ingredients used in the Yong’an Building were prepared by dedicated personnel, and Min simply needed to use those ingredients to cook each day.

 

“That’s right. Let’s go and have a look first. Maybe there’s something we’d like to buy.” Min replied warmly.

 

“Okay.” Wen agreed without the slightest hesitation.

 

The temperament of both Sisters had changed enormously from before. Gone was that meek, deferential manner they used to carry every single day.

 

Having found stable work and received the affirmation of the Shaman, both of them felt as though they had discovered a purpose in life.

 

Half an hour later, the two Sisters strolled at a leisurely pace into the Central Market. By that point, the place was already thronged with people.

 

Despite the rain falling steadily overhead, it did little to deter the many members of the Tribe from coming out to browse the Central Market.

 

Indeed, the state of affairs in the Flame Dragon Tribe stood in complete contrast to every other Tribe. Where other Tribes appeared cold and deserted, the Flame Dragon Tribe alone hummed with vibrant life.

 

“There are so many people. We’ll have to queue.” Wen remarked cautiously.

 

Even though she had spent quite a few days in the Yong’an Building, the faces she encountered there were always the same handful of people. A crowd like this was something she rarely experienced.

 

“Yeah. Shall we buy some wine to try? I’ve heard it’s really good.” Min suggested tentatively.

 

She was always hearing people talk about wine, yet she herself had never once tried it.

 

“Isn’t it said that it makes you sleepy if you drink too much? Do you really want to try it?” Wen was a little reluctant to give it a go.

 

Even though she spent her days painting, she was forever overhearing the serving maids chatting amongst themselves. Word had it that some of the maids had drunk far too much wine, leaving the day’s work unfinished. Then, they had a fair number of labour values deducted as a result.

 

“Let’s try it and see. How would we know otherwise?” Min smiled softly.

 

“That’s true. I’m actually starting to look forward to it.” Wen immediately took hold of her Sister’s hand, as only that made her feel settled.

 

The two of them made their way with light steps to the wine stall, where quite a crowd had already gathered.

 

These were all members of the Flame Dragon Tribe, and they were fond of wine in their own right.

 

Having sampled the wine once, they had fallen in love with it straight away. So, whenever they had a few labour values to spare, they would save them up to exchange for more.

 

The two Sisters waited for more than half an hour before it was finally their turn to step up and make their selection.

 

“What wine would the two of you like to exchange for?” the stall attendant enquired.

 

“We have currency notes. Can we use them to pay? We exchanged all our labour values for currency notes.” Min asked, holding up her currency notes.

 

She was a little apprehensive. She knew currency notes could be used, but since she had never actually done it before, there was still a degree of nervousness about it.

 

For young women like them, currency notes were an entirely unfamiliar thing, and there was something both novel and slightly flustering about suddenly taking to something new.

 

“Of course you can. In fact, if you’ve converted to currency notes, all the better. It makes it far easier for us to keep track.” The stall attendant was absolutely delighted.

 

He had received word already that if he could encourage the Tribe’s members to adopt the use of currency notes sooner rather than later, there was a commission in it for him.

 

So, for the past several days he had been doing his utmost to recommend currency notes, and had very nearly slipped up just now. Had the young woman not brought it up herself, he might have instinctively mentioned labour value instead.

 

“In that case, how are your wines priced? I’d like to know before I decide.” Min was a little nervous.

 

“Simple. Our wheat wine is twenty five yuan a jar, grape wine is thirty five yuan, and sour berry wine is twenty yuan. Which would you like?” The stall owner rattled off the details with practised ease, his face alight with hopeful expectation.

 

“Which wine tastes better? Which would be more suited to us girls?” Min asked with the air of someone who knew what they were talking about.

 

In truth, she had just overheard the people queuing ahead of her and was now putting their words to immediate use.

 

“Most girls prefer grape wine. It has a sweet and smooth taste.” The stall owner explained.

 

“That one then.” Min agreed readily.