Chapter 76: Shops and Dreams (1)
Morning sunlight poured into the Trade Circle. The air was crisp, filled with the scent of warm bread, pine, and fresh cloth. Shops opened one by one. Wooden signs creaked gently in the breeze.
Jaro swept the floor of his herb stall, humming a little tune. "Every leaf in place," he muttered. "Presentation matters."
Next to him, Mira was setting out her painted stones. She'd drawn smiling faces on them, and little animals too. A group of kids gathered around, dropping coins into her small wooden box.
"Do you take special orders?" one girl asked.
Mira grinned. "Of course. What do you want?"
"Can you paint a mushroom... with wings?"
"I'll try."
Inside a newly built wooden hut, Kellen folded cloth carefully, tying it with string. "Green scarves sold well yesterday. I'll dye more tonight."
Her younger brother entered, holding a wooden box. "I made buttons! Wanna sell 'em together?"
Kellen looked at his crooked buttons and smiled. "Sure. We'll call it a family bundle."
Outside, a few villagers passed, admiring their setup.