Goblin Dependency-Chapter 294 - 156: Fool’s Gold - Pigeon Feathers_2

"It’s fine, I’m in a hurry, no need to pack it for me."

Saying this, he glanced at the tightly shut inner room door, then hurriedly turned around and walked towards the shop’s entrance.

But those short, stubby legs had only taken two steps before they suddenly stopped in their tracks.

At some point, several fierce-looking men with tattoos on their chests, wearing sinister smiles, were already blocking the shop’s entrance.

And they paid no mind to the middle-aged woman who stood there in shock.

The bald-headed strongman, who stood at the front and seemed to be the leader, walked slowly into the tailor shop with his hands behind his back.

Without speaking,

he looked just like an ordinary customer, his gaze sweeping over the colorful fabrics and clothes on the shelves.

Lilina stood behind the counter.

Instinctively, she turned, her lips slightly parted, as if she was about to call her father from the inner room.

But as if she remembered something Jeff had reminded her of during this time, she forced herself to straighten her back, put on a stiff smile, and greeted,

"Welcome to Pigeon Feather Tailor Shop. Is there anything the customer needs help with?"

Seemingly surprised by Lilina’s reaction, the bald hooligan raised an eyebrow, stood still, and without looking at her, continued to casually glance around the shelves, saying slowly,

"You introduce it."

Lilina didn’t dare to breathe deeply, and upon hearing his words, she quickly gathered herself, her brain racing as she recalled lines she had practiced countless times at home.

"Over here is aged linen from Sheep Hoof Village near Neum. Whether made into grain sacks or used to hang salted meat, it’s very sturdy. An ordinary person can’t cut through it with a knife."

"On the shelf to your left is reed cotton from the lower reaches of Silver Scale River, born from seeds carried by water birds from velvet grass. It’s as soft as cotton, making it ideal for swaddling if you have children at home."

"And then in front of the counter..."

Seeing that Lilina was getting smoother with her words, the bald strongman coughed lightly to interrupt her, saying softly,

"The Moon Feast is approaching, and I want to make a few clothes for my brothers with comfortable materials, like that cotton you mentioned. Can you do it?"

"Of course!" Although they looked fierce, they seemed to be just customers shopping. This made Lilina instantly relieved, nodding repeatedly.

"May I ask roughly about the sizes and quantities..."

"Two hundred pieces."

The bald strongman stared at the girl who was momentarily stunned, and finally, a sinister smile appeared on his face, as should have been there.

Grinning, he held up three fingers.

"I’ll give you three days. When the time comes, I’ll send someone to pick them up. If there’s even one less..."

His smile grew more hideous, and his eyes seemed to melt into the shadows under his deep eye sockets.

"I’ll smash this shop to pieces, got it!?"

"But two hundred pieces... two hundred pieces, even the large shops in the city center... and only three days, I..."

Obviously, the sudden downturn of events, and the abrupt outburst after relaxation, caused the string in Lilina’s heart to finally snap.

In her panic, she babbled incoherently, not even knowing what she was saying.

And it wasn’t until then that Jeff, carrying several large rolls of fabric, hobbled out of the inner room.

Having traveled far and wide and managed caravans for so many years, he didn’t need the girl to explain. With a glance at the people in the shop, he roughly understood what had happened.

Casually placing the green fabric in his hand on the counter, a fawning smile appeared on his face.

Moving his prosthetic limb, he hunched over and proactively approached.

"Oh, dear sirs, if you were coming, why didn’t you send someone ahead to say a word?"

"I’m sorry I only saw it now, you see I’m an old cripple."

Saying that, a money pouch he had prepared long ago was already stuffed into the strongman’s hand.

His gaze swept over the tattoos on the strongman’s chest as he laughed,

"So it’s the gentlemen from the Gray Badger Gang. Look at me, driving the coach for so long, I almost forgot the rules."

"Consider this money to add a candle for the Moon Feast, and I’ll personally come to apologize some other day."

The strongman did not refuse, taking the pouch, weighing it in his hand, his gaze briefly flicking over Jeff’s prosthetic leg.

"Old man knows his place."

"But... just this little amount of money, do you think I’m a beggar?"

Jeff’s expression didn’t change in the slightest, still wearing that humble smile as he replied,

"What are you saying? How dare I?"

"It’s just that last night at the ’Iron Bucket Toad’ with the ’Stubborn Donkey,’ I drank a bit too much and didn’t control myself, ordered an expensive bottle, and used up all my money."

"My wife even scolded me when I got home, haha."

As if something was mentioned, the expression on the bald strongman’s face suddenly turned cold, his eyes squinted, staring intently at Jeff in front of him.

He certainly knew the ’Iron Bucket Toad’ was a nearby tavern.

’Stubborn Donkey’ was the nickname of the tavern owner.

It’s said that in his younger years, he spent a few years as an adventurer in River Valley Town before saving up some money and returning to Neum to open a tavern.

With quite a few connections, he knew many people, and the tavern was often filled with adventurers.

Remembering the mention of having followed a caravan for some time before,

it wasn’t impossible that this cripple actually had some connection with the ’Stubborn Donkey.’

But...

He still hesitated.

And with so many people present, he couldn’t just let it go.

So he purposely lowered his voice, speaking deeply,

"Are you threatening me?"

"Of course not!" Jeff immediately denied it, backing up two steps, ready to say something.

But then there was a sudden commotion outside the door.

Causing Lilina, the strongman, and himself, to all coincidentally look toward the shop’s entrance.

In the doorway stood a young man with sharp features, sporting short black hair.

As his gaze swept across the youth’s overly young face, the bald strongman frowned slightly.

Then he noticed the two long and short longswords behind him, along with the obviously high-quality metal chain armor on him.

His expression gradually turned serious.

And when he personally watched this youth, dressed as a senior adventurer, walk straight into the shop,

the lackeys originally blocking the entrance at his command suddenly seemed to be pulled back by some invisible force, each staggering back a few steps to make way.

Pupils constricted!

"Jeff, opening a shop without letting me know?"

"If I hadn’t happened to come to Neum for a task, I’d probably not know until next year."

Xia Nan’s tone carried some complaint as he smiled and greeted his old friend.

Just as his words fell,

the bald strongman suddenly changed his fierce demeanor, with a smile so enthusiastic it created a stark contrast.

He stuffed the money pouch back into Jeff’s hand with forced intimacy, embracing him by the shoulder:

"Oh! Speak up earlier, I know ’Stubborn Donkey’ too, we’re all brothers here, came specially to support your business today, and you’re being polite!"

"Are you treating me as an outsider!"

Saying this, he even called in the lackeys outside who had just stabilized themselves, somewhat bewildered. fгeewёbnoѵel_cσm

"What are you standing there for, forgot what we came here to do today?"

He casually grabbed a roll of fabric from the shelf and took out a money pouch, placing it carefully on the counter.

"No need for change!"

Signaling to Lilina with an exaggerated wave.

Under his threatening gaze, the bewildered lackeys, who hadn’t figured out why the dramatic change in attitude happened, could only comply, lining up at the front to pay.

With an awkward smile, the bald strongman seemed to remember something.

His face suddenly turned cold, like when he had just entered the shop.

Only this time, his threat shifted from Lilina and Jeff to the middle-aged woman who remained in the shop, surprised by their sudden appearance.

"This tailor shop already has such reasonable prices, and you still want a discount, how’s the business supposed to be done!?"

"Go, pay up the rest of the money to the old man!"