"Tis a beautiful morning, and my wares are plentiful! Who shall be the first to make a purchase?" A young rchant’s voice bellowed as he used a cow tail to dust his goods.
Another woman in a bigger stall chuckled, making her stomach move up and down. "May fortune smile upon all this day! I’ve got a shipnt of rare teas from the Orient, and I aim to sell every last one."
The rchant village was bustling with rchants and their custors. Everyone had woken up early enough to begin their day. Most rchants aid to sell off everything else; otherwise, they’d have a loss on their side, especially those who still owed at the port.
Just like the way it is in the food chain, the bigger rchants had more advantages. Their stalls were bigger, and they had more servants to attend to and lift custors’ goods effortlessly, making it easier.
anwhile, the smaller stalls had to wait for the breadcrumbs they could get or even wait around for when the bigger stalls would run out of goods so they could increase their prices and make a profit.
Among the small stalls was Jenna, who was counting her goods while her few servants moved them out.
"Don’t mix up dye and silk. We don’t want them ruined," Jenna said, pointing at Percy. She had almost forgotten about everything that happened the previous night and was now in her rchant mode.
"Get those herbal teas to the front; the won like them." She scribbled sothing on the parchnt she was holding.
"Do you have the um... what’s that again?" A young woman dressed as a noblewoman stood in front of Jenna’s stall, her eyes scanning the place.
Jenna quickly turned around. "We have it, My Lady," she bowed respectfully. "Is it white silk? It’ll look good on your porcelain skin. We also have a herbal tea that makes you age—"
"My Lady, let’s check the other stalls. This one looks..." The maid behind the woman sized up Jenna’s stall and the few servants that helped around.
"It looks beneath you, My Lady."
Jenna felt insulted, but she still managed to give them a smile. "It’s not about the size; we can always serve you properly."
"You’re right," the noblewoman nodded. "Lead the way," she gestured before walking away from Jenna’s stall.
"Please co back if you don’t find what you’re looking for," Jenna suggested as they walked away.
It didn’t stop with the first noblewoman. More passed by without even taking a glance; others did look but weren’t impressed.
Once the sun beca very hot, Jenna entered her stall looking very tired. She sat on a sack of silk, using a piece of cloth to wipe her sweat.
"My Lady, we aren’t making any sales today. I suggest we go rge with a bigger stall," Henri, one of Jenna’s servants, suggested. The man was in his mid-thirties, yet he already had grey hair.
Jenna sighed, ready to accept the suggestion, but she knew very well that most rchants wouldn’t accept her.
"Or maybe we need more hands," Percy chid in, his hand on his waist. He had woken up ready to see the young man scolded, but to his surprise, Anne was sleeping peacefully beside him.
And now their stalls had opened, and Jenna had asked for him to take his rest.
"What are you trying to say, Percy?" Jenna asked, not in the mood to argue with the young man.
Percy stood up. "I’m talking about Anne. He is so far the biggest amongst us. Maybe if he could step out of the house and help—"
"Before Anne ca, Percy, we were doing just fine." Jenna waved the young man off, not in the mood for the argunt.
Percy wasn’t going to give up anyti soon. To him, looking all manly and handso didn’t give one the privilege not to work.
"But My Lady, you need to send him back to his family soon. What if his family cos around and he is inside there?"
The other two workers, who had yet to be introduced to the new worker, nodded.
"Percy is right, My Lady," Bruno, the youngest of them all, added.
Jenna gave it a thought and sighed. She had asked for the young man to stay inside because his size always attracted attention, and after he had hit a rchant the previous day, Jenna was scared it would bring hostility.
"Fine," she nodded. "When are Mabel and Harriet bringing our lunch?" she asked for the only two female servants she had.
Percy stepped out to check the sun, then rushed back in. "They should be here soon."
"Okay, then Percy, no..." Jenna shook her head, knowing how mischievous Percy was and how he had tricked the young man the previous night.
"Bruno, go and bring Anne then," Jenna ordered.
The young boy nodded. "Yes, My Lady." He quickly dashed out to go bring the new worker.
Though Percy wished he was the one sent to bring him, it didn’t matter. His prey would still leave his house after all.
A few minutes later, the first to arrive were the two young girls carrying a box of packed lunch.
And finally, Bruno arrived with Rhane. Percy was the most excited to see him.
"Oh yes, there he is," Percy pointed for others to see.
Jenna stood up when she saw the young man. "Anne, how do you feel today? And your wounds?" Her eyes scanned his body. There was no blood, and she was relieved.
"Alright everyone, this is Anne. He might stay with us for so ti," Jenna began her introduction.
She turned to her workers and pointed. "This is Henri, the oldest. You’ve already t Percy. And that’s Bruno, our youngest."
"Why is his na Anne, My Lady?" a curious Bruno asked politely.
Jenna opened her mouth and closed it. She wasn’t sure either. "It’s just his na, Bruno." Moving on, Jenna introduced the two girls that helped her.
"And this is Mabel and Harriet."
The young girls were already giggling, their faces flushed as they pinched each other. Seeing that Rhane was taking the attention, Percy stepped forward.
"He isn’t so bright. Don’t mind his height," Percy remarked.
"Stop that, Percy!" Jenna hissed, narrowing her eyes at her servant.
Rhane remained calm, his eyes moving from Jenna to every other person in the store like he was keeping a headcount.
"Well, that’s that," Jenna nodded. "We haven’t made sales today. Everyone, have lunch and return to post. We need to sell sothing today so we can afford dinner."
Mabel and Harriet carried the entire box of food ant for the servants and rushed to Rhane.
"Anne, have a bit of the bacon and rice," Mabel suggested, setting down the food beside him.
Harriet took out the horsekin used to store water. "Have water first; the sun is too high."
"I’m not sure this stall will be enough for all of us," Percy said with a frown, pushing the girls to the side to pick up his own food before walking away annoyed.
After lunch, Jenna returned to calling after custors like the other rchants.
"I have a hairpin that will look good on you," she beckoned to the won that passed by.
"Isn’t she the woman that left her marriage? I can’t buy my wedding things there. I need a happy ho," a young bride said to her friends as they passed Jenna.
Just like in the morning, Jenna wasn’t able to make sales.
"It seems Jenna will be going ho with nothing today," a young man said, packing his custor’s goods.
"I see it too, Rupert, even after bringing the new worker."
Jenna ignored them. It wasn’t the first ti for her. She concentrated on trying to get even one buyer.
"Jenna, don’t be proud. Co to and beg properly. I might help you with your sales," another man teased, getting ready to close his stall after selling everything for the day.
"She won’t kneel for a man. Have you forgotten that? She refused to kneel for her husband. Isn’t that why she’s here in the first place?"
This ti, more n and won joined in laughing while acting like they weren’t paying attention.
"My Lady! My Lady!" Bruno, who had gone out with Rhane to find custors, returned running.
"What’s going on, Bruno? What about Anne?" Jenna asked worriedly.
The n who had been mocking Jenna were thrown into a laughing fit.
"Did he beat up a custor now? Jenna, you might have to sell your entire stall to save him."
Jenna ran after the young man. Other curious rchants looking for gossip joined them. As they got there, Jenna saw the crowd gathered, and her heart skipped a beat.
" too! too!"
As Jenna got closer, she saw young maidens gathered around the young man she had brought ho, asking him to fix hairpins in their hair.
"The ladies are buying everything he touches," Bruno said.
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