There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

I thought she was drooling over the bread and rice balls, but I found her gaze fixed on a backpack.

The backpack wasn't actually very large. It was made of yellow wool fabric and had some water resistance. There was a large central pocket that could hold larger items. On either side were two smaller pockets, suitable for storing water bottles and folding umbrellas. The surface of the backpack also had many hooks for temporarily hanging tools and keys.

how to say……

This backpack has a very outdated design; no one in the city would want to carry it around. On a rural farm, it seems too fussy and is far less practical than a simple basket.

But upon closer inspection, this backpack was surprisingly suitable for the jay, perfectly replacing her magical animal skin bag. The large pocket held her spoils from the wild, the two smaller pockets held fire starters and medicine, and the hook on the front could hold the jay's small tools.

"Do you like it?" I asked.

"Hmm!... Ah, I mean it's really beautiful. But it must be very expensive, right?" Jay nodded happily at first, a smile blooming on her clean, pretty face, but then it slowly faded, revealing a conflicted expression.

"Instead of spending this money, I'd rather buy more seeds," she said with a smile and walked away, pretending not to care. But as she walked, her gaze would occasionally drift to her small backpack before quickly looking away again.

I found it funny; whenever this tribal girl encountered anything related to her tribe, she started acting like a little adult again.

"Take it, it's not like you're short of money. Isn't the purpose of this backpack to be used by those who need it?" I stuffed the small yellow backpack into her arms, then picked out the seeds I needed from the seed display, and went to the cashier, where Jeff's eyes were shining.

"Boss, how much is the bill in total?"

Chapter 94 The Unscrupulous Merchant

"Thank you, that's 21100 yuan in total! Would you like to pay in cash or by card?"

Grocery store owner Jeff grinned slyly, like a fox that had just stolen a chick. Is it really appropriate for a businessman to have such an expression?

Hearing this price, I felt cheated. How could it be so expensive for just this little thing! Over 20,000 yuan is enough for me to mooch off Mr. Dart's restaurant until winter, right?

"What?! Why is it so expensive?!"

Jeff, still sporting his shrewd businessman expression, pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled on it, muttering, "Let me calculate it for you: 30 bags of potato seeds, 150 yuan each, totaling 4500 yuan; 30 bags of radish seeds, 120 yuan each, totaling 3600 yuan; 20 bags of hay seeds, 500 yuan each, totaling 10000 yuan..."

"Then it shouldn't even add up to 20,000, right? Boss, are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"

Jeff pointed to the small backpack that Jay was carrying on his back, "And that backpack, it's the latest model this year, it costs 3000 yuan."

What a rip-off! A backpack costs about the same as thirty packets of seeds?

How rare are your handicrafts here?!

Upon hearing this, Jay carefully returned the backpack to me and said softly, "Marcus, is this backpack very expensive? Maybe we shouldn't buy it..."

"Tch, Jay, you go out and play for a while. Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

"Are you sure everything's okay, Marcus?" Jay was still worried and wanted to return the backpack, but I half-pushed and half-helped him out of the door.

"Don't you trust my abilities?" I winked deliberately, indicating that she could rest assured.

Back inside, only the owner and I were left in the shop, and the atmosphere instantly became tense!

"Guest, if you don't have enough money, please take fewer items. No money, no friendship is our motto."

Jeff, the shrewd businessman, squinted at me, his tone revealing that this was a clash between businessmen.

"Hey boss, this backpack of yours is definitely not worth the money. The workmanship is rough, the materials are cheap, and the design taste is also questionable. A store that carries this kind of stuff probably doesn't do very well."

I also spoke disparagingly about the backpack in a harsh tone, implying to the shopkeeper that he should lower the price quickly, or I cursed him to never have any business again.

But Jeff, the shrewd businessman, didn't take it seriously and said with a sly grin, "But I think that little girl really likes it. Sorry, our prices are fixed and we don't negotiate!"

"Tch, boss, don't you have a conscience? Such a small, shabby bag is worth three thousand yuan, why don't you put a price tag of five thousand yuan on this basket?"

"That's a good idea!" The shrewd merchant's eyes lit up, and he actually walked up to the half-person-high basket, crossed out the original price, and wrote five thousand on it. "Thank you for reminding me, otherwise I wouldn't have realized that this thing was worth this much."

Tsk, what a shameless and unscrupulous businessman. Attacking him with your conscience doesn't even register. Jeff says his conscience doesn't hurt at all; in fact, he almost laughs.

"You... Boss, since we'll be neighbors with the mayor in the future, can you give me a discount since I'm buying so much stuff at once?"

When Jeff realized that my forceful approach wasn't working, he immediately started trying to win me over with a softer approach. I was quite wary: "This brat thinks he's even more shameless than me? No way, I can't let him succeed..."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I run a small business here. I don't offer credit or discounts. There are so many neighbors in town; how could I possibly give discounts to everyone?"

I remember now! Boss Dart said that this unscrupulous merchant was not only ruthless but also very good at taking advantage of acquaintances. When the tavern owner bought ingredients from him, he was repeatedly overcharged.

"Boss, how about I offer you the products from my ranch at a discount? Let's sign an agreement for friendly mutual assistance."

I kept trying to find a way. If building relationships didn't work, I would try making grand promises on a business basis. It's a normal business tactic to lure people in with a beautiful vision.

"Guest, if I remember correctly, your ranch is still a barren wasteland, isn't it? Where can I buy goods? Stop dragging your feet. If you need them, pay now; if you don't have the money, please leave."

This unscrupulous merchant is truly opportunistic. He can tell that I'm not just trying to bargain because I think it's too expensive, but I might also be dawdling because I don't have enough money.

Indeed, I only have 20,000 yuan on me, but I can't do without the seeds and other things I need to buy. As for the backpack, that's a tribal girl's dream. I've already made a promise, so I can't go back on my word, can I?

Suddenly, the door of the grocery store was flung open, and a long-legged beauty with golden hair walked in. A gust of wind howled in from outside, and the scorching afternoon sun shone in instantly, making it impossible to see who she was.

We noticed that this unwelcome customer didn't linger in the merchandise area but walked straight to our cashier, looking impatient as he spoke to us.

"This dawdling is so annoying! How much are all these in total?"

Huh?! Why did this person suddenly barge in? Robbery in broad daylight? Is this the supposedly peaceful and honest Mining Town?

“21100 yuan…” Jeff said, trembling, as he truthfully reported the amount.

"How much money do you have?" she asked me instead.

"Twenty thousand yuan," I answered instinctively.

Give me them all!

A real robbery? I saw even Boss Jeff was stunned, trembling behind the counter. The shrewish businessman from a moment ago was now pale with fear. Sheriff Harris, are you just joking about maintaining order?!

"Why are you so indecisive, just like Rick? Honestly. Here's the money, do the math yourself and see if it's 20,000."

Before I could even make a move, this beautiful woman had somehow already pulled my bank account out of my pocket and slammed it onto the cashier's counter.

I felt my pocket and realized that the wad of money Gu Le Gu had given me was really gone!

This isn't a robber! This is a master thief! When did my money disappear?!

But the long-legged beauty said, "That's all the money I have. I'll take all the goods. Is there a problem?"

Jeff, the shop owner, stood behind the counter, his face covered in cold sweat. He didn't dare to count the stack of money, only managing to utter a few words through gritted teeth, his face ashen: "No...no problem..."

She decisively said, "Deal!" Then she packed up all the seeds on the counter, threw them into my arms, and pulled me outside.

The boss, dumbfounded, watched us walk out the door, not daring to stop us, and just stood there blankly.

After a long while, the shrewd businessman Jeff whispered, "Karen, come home early for dinner tonight. Don't go to dangerous places!"

"I know! Stop nagging!" the beautiful woman next to me said impatiently, and then led me out the door.

Judging from the tone, this isn't a robber... but a daughter?

Chapter 95 Kallen

Wow! Big sister! You're out!

Outside, the jays sat obediently on a bench under a large tree, sunlight filtering through the foliage and casting dappled golden light, creating a beautiful starry sky on the ground. A tribal girl sat quietly under the tree, the gentle sunlight falling on her slightly pale face, making her look playful and adorable.

Seeing me come out carrying a huge pile of seeds, she smiled broadly and said happily, "I knew you were the best, Marcus! Long live Marcus!"

Karen feigned displeasure and said, "Little sister, does that mean I don't deserve your thanks?"

Jay smiled and said, "Of course I have to thank you, big sister! This town is full of kind people!"

I asked curiously, "Jay, do you know this Miss Karen?"

Karen said frankly, "On my way home just now, I saw this little girl standing by the roadside, looking very troubled, so I asked her if she needed any help. She told me that she really wanted to buy this backpack, but didn't have any money, so I went inside."

"Haha, I never imagined Miss Karen was such a courageous heroine!" I exclaimed.

The sunlight outside was too strong, so Karen and I sat down on the bench, one on each side, with the jay in the middle.

Karen stretched comfortably in her chair, causing her purple short jacket to lift slightly, revealing her beautiful waistline. I quickly looked away and greeted her.

"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Marcus, and I'm the new owner of the town's ranch. We're still in the startup phase, and I'm very grateful to Miss Karen for her help today. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need any help in the future! I'm sure I'll become a pillar industry for the town!"

Karen extended her hand and shook mine generously, smiling as she said, "Don't be so polite, just call me Karen. As you can see, I'm the daughter of this general store owner. Although you're a bit of a pain in the ass, I'm very pleased with how you've taken care of this little girl!"

Sure enough, Karen, who could act so arrogantly in Jeff's unscrupulous shop, was indeed the shop's heiress. But was it really okay for her to take advantage of her own business like this?

"Me too! Me too!" Jay also raised his hand to introduce himself. "My name is Jay, I come from the Brownpool tribe, and I'm Marcus's... ally? I've been staying in town for the past couple of days, please take good care of me!"

"Speaking of which, I'm also curious. Jay, what's your relationship with Marcus? And why are you wearing such strange clothes?"

Karen openly expressed her doubts without offending anyone; perhaps this is a special ability stemming from her temperament?

Because the reason was so bizarre, the jay explained haltingly, "I used to live in a tribe on the wasteland, and then one day... someone said they would take me to Marcus, something like that. When I woke up, I was here, and Marcus even took me to the police station... you know what I mean, to register as my temporary guardian, and actually we're very close allies!"

"Jay, how old are you this year?"

"Twelve years old!"

Karen looked at me warily, as if I were an annoyed person, as if I were a pervert trying to kidnap a little girl...

Hey! Jay! Your description is way too suspicious!

What does it mean to wake up here? What does it mean to have someone tell you they're coming? What does it mean to have an intimate relationship?

While these statements are all true, they sound too much like the actions of a perverted person who abducts little girls...

"Karen, don't misunderstand. She's just visiting the ranch and will be going back tomorrow. As the owner, it's reasonable for me to act as her temporary guardian, right?"

"Stare!"

Karen stared at me silently, as if testing whether I was a criminal who trafficked little girls or a kind person who was entertaining guests from afar.

"Sister Karen, why do you think of Marcus like that? He's not a bad person! Marcus took me out for delicious food, bought me a backpack, and even took me for a medical checkup! He's very good to me!"

Karen, horrified, hugged Jay tightly, holding her close in her arms, and looked at me with suspicion: "You bought things to coax the little girl, then tricked her into getting a medical checkup? You're a pervert!"

Jay! Stop saying such suspicious things! Otherwise, I'll be in the police station for the third time today!

"Karen! Don't overthink it!" I said weakly, rubbing my forehead. "She was at the hospital for a checkup! Nurse Ellie examined her! It wasn't me! The place we ate was Dart's bar, I have witnesses!"

"Phew...that's good. I thought you were a pervert, Marcus..."

I am an alchemist, and I never engage in philandering. Thank you.

After the misunderstanding was cleared up, we continued chatting, but Jay's position had changed from between us to next to Karen, who was holding him in her arms. So now Karen and I were sitting side by side, a gentle breeze blowing through my fine golden hair, constantly brushing against my face.

"Karen, you're so cheerful, you must have a lot of friends in town, right?"