Chapter 488: The Joys of Being Ordinary (1/2)
GDK 488: The Joys of Being Ordinary
The duo had only left for a while, but when they returned to the auction place, they had transformed into completely different persons. One was a big, tall, honest-looking fatty, and the other, an average-looking girl that seemingly came from rural area. Muddling along the bustling street, they looked very ordinary. No one could have thought that they were the center of attention just moments before.
With the city’s defense troops clearing the way, nobilities that came from every city in Kasi Empire, and even from other nations, entered the auction center one after another.
“This thing is only worth three gold coins at most!” Sophie said resolutely to a vendor while holding up a crystal button in her hand.
The person manning the stand was a petite middle-aged man. Putting on a honest face, he replied in a professional manner, “Miss, this is a Blue Dream Crystal from the southern part of Brut Merchant Alliance. There is absolutely nowhere where you could buy this for less than five gold coins!”
“Ha. Ha. Open your eyes and see. Its colours aren’t particularly clear, the workmanship of the button is so crude, and you actually dare claim that this is a Blue Dream Crystal from the southern area of Brut Merchant Alliance! You are truly daring in making such an unfounded claim! There, look, these crystal fragments on my chain are genuine Blue Dream Crystal. See just how different they are in terms of luster!” Sophie took out a crystal necklace from her pocket and swayed it in front of the vendor’s face, forcing him to see what a genuine Blue Dream Crystal looked like.
Those wearing space rings did not usually appear in such places. Therefore, before re-entering the region, Sophie not only kept away her only space ring, but she also had Han Shuo put away his as well. With that, there would not be an item on them which would distinguish them from any ordinary person.
When the vendor realized that he couldn’t deceive Sophie, his face sank and he said, “How about this, four gold coins. Take it or leave it!”
“Three gold coins! Only three gold coins! This button has coarse workmanship, and is only worth as much! Look here, the inlay site between the button and the crystal, there’s a fine scratch over here. Also, here…“ Sophie was suddenly an expert and jabbered on and on, laying out each and every fault on this crystal button.
Han Shuo blankly stared at Sophie, dumbstruck. Listening to her absolutely unrestrained criticism of the crystal button for the price difference of one gold coin, he simply could not understand what the point was.
Finally, after a series of bombardments by Sophie, the vendor raised the white flag. He put on a forced smile as he passed the crystal button to Sophie, and said, “I will take three gold coins. But why would you insist on having it when everything is wrong with it as you mentioned?”
“Oh, its shape is nevertheless a little beautiful,” Sophie said a kind word for the very first time. After pleasingly attached the crystal button to the corner of her clothes, she turned to Han Shuo with a smile and asked, “What do you think? Looks nice, doesn’t it?”
“Not bad!” Han Shuo answered. After a short pause, he added, “Given your appearance now, it fits you well!”
This kind of forged jewel made of poor material and crude workmanship, other than the rather unique design, there really wasn’t anything appealing about it. However, Sophie appeared rather mediocre as well at the time. Putting on such an ordinary and coarse ornament, they actually complemented each other well.
Sophie obviously made out the meaning behind those words of Han Shuo’s. She glared at Han Shuo before turning to the vendor and said, “Shopkeeper, you may get the payment from him. Hmph, nobody asked for your cutting remarks on me!”
Three gold coins was peanuts to Han Shuo. It’s just that he found Sophie’s attitude to be somewhat funny and ridiculous. Without hesitation, he took out three gold coins and handed them to the vendor. He caught up to Sophie and asked, “It’s just a few gold coins. Given your wealth, there is no need for you to waste time haggling, is there?”
Sophie was a sky rider, and her father was a renowned sacred knight in Kasi Empire. Whichever way one looked at it, Sophie was in no way lacking in the wealth department. For such a character to engage in a debate with a hawker over a few gold coins, Han Shuo found that to be truly absurd.
“What do you know? It is only at such moments that I truly feel like a normal person!” Sophie shot a glance before she answered without thinking.
Han Shuo stared blankly and thought for a moment. When he gave another look at Sophie and saw that the worries showing in her eyes were quickly vanishing, he immediately understood the meaning behind Sophie’s words.
As the daughter of sacred knight Sulo, Sophie ought to have been treasured and cherished to the most since her birth. Everyone had probably treated Sophie like a little princess all her life. Money, jewelry, treasures, whatever Sophie wanted, she could possess it with little to no effort. It was precisely because Sophie had never experienced life as an average civilian that she wasted no interest for the auction sale where the affluent and gentry gathered, but instead fancied loitering around these booths belonging to small merchants and traders.
In his previous world, Han Shuo lived an ordinary life in an ordinary household. And when his soul first arrived at the Profound Continent, he went through even pettier, lower beginnings. He had long been used to such lifestyles, and therefore wouldn’t be so passionate about such things. If it was not for the presence of certain unique items, Han Shuo wouldn’t have derived much pleasure in this kind of place.
“Oh, right. What did you come here for?” Sophie suddenly recalled this question after walking some distance. Shortly after, somewhat surprised, she said, “You itch for fun in places like this too, don’t you? Ha, I should have made it out earlier. From your clothing and space ring, you must come from a affluent family as well. It seems we have more in common than I thought!”
After listening to Sophie’s opinionated explanation, Han Shuo smilingly shook his head and said, “Unlike you, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I’ve tasted all kinds of hardship since I was young. The reason I came to such a place is that in such places, one who knows what’s what can obtain some real treasures!“
“What? That can’t be true. How could there be any good stuff in such a place?” Sophie obviously wasn’t too convinced. She came to such places purely for fun and games. Deep down in her heart, she most definitely did not feel that there would be anything truly valuable in such places.
“You don’t believe me?” Han Shuo looked at Sophie in all smiles, as though planning to prove it to her.
“I don’t!” Sophie could not resist doubling down on her words upon seeing Han Shuo’s assertiveness.
“Come with me!” Han Shuo gestured at Sophie to follow him, turned around, and headed for another area. It looked as if he was determined to prove Sophie wrong.
Sophie was rather skeptical and hurriedly followed behind Han Shuo. She thought to herself, Let’s see what tricks you will play this time!
After squeezing seventy or eighty meters through the unending stream of crowd, Han Shuo stopped in front of an unremarkable booth. He conveniently picked up a gray, average-looking rock, and smilingly asked the seller, “Sir, how many gold coins is this rock?”