Chapter 14: 14. The First Meal in Westeros
Some merchants from across Westeros hadn't bought anything yesterday. They had heard about the magical paper and pens and were eager to see them for themselves, hoping to buy some to sell back home.
Finally, the businessmen, who smelled profit like sharks smell blood, settled down.
Jason Liu quickly opened his backpack and began selling the gel pens, refills, and A4 paper he had brought with him.
"I want 50 gel pens, 200 refills, and 100 sheets of white paper. Here's my money—" A businessman from Hejiandi, leaning on his plump body, pushed his way to the front and placed a large order.
Jason Liu accepted the 1 golden dragon and 60 silver deer that the man handed him, then counted out 50 gel pens, 200 refills, and 100 sheets of A4 paper for him.
Seeing someone spend such a large amount right away made the other merchants anxious. Worried that they might miss out, they started shouting out their orders.
While busy collecting the payments, Jason Liu quickly counted out the right amounts for the other customers, making the whole process very hectic.
After nearly three hours of hard work, he finally sold out all the 200 gel pens, 800 refills, and 900 sheets of A4 paper he had brought.
"—there's none left?"
"How can there be no more? This is too little, isn't it?"
"Master East, do you still have those pens and paper? I want 30 gel pens and 100 sheets of white paper..."
"Damn, I should have pushed harder! I should have bought more when I had the chance!"
"Master East, do you have any more? Please bring some more for sale!"
"Lord East, when will you sell this magical pen and paper again? I want a lot; I have the money ready—"
Some people sighed in disappointment, others regretted not buying sooner, and some held up their wallets, hoping to buy the magical paper and pens.
"Now that I have sold everything I brought, if you still want to buy more, you will have to wait until this afternoon!" Jason Liu called out to reassure them. "Yes, this afternoon, I will have more gel pens and white paper. For now, everyone please leave!"
As the crowd began to thin out, Jason Liu started counting his profits.
He had sold 200 gel pens for 200 silver deer, 800 refills for 400 silver deer, and 900 sheets of A4 paper for 90 silver deer.
In total, he had earned 690 silver deer, which meant he had 3 golden dragons and 390 silver deer in his hands.
With the remaining 40 silver deer from last time, Jason Liu now had a total of 3 golden dragons and 430 silver deer in his possession.
Those silver coins made his backpack heavy.
Noticing it was already noon, Jason Liu rubbed his hungry stomach and turned to look around. He decided to head to a nearby tavern close to Stark's castle—Papa Rodel's Tavern—to have a proper Westerosi lunch.
He chose the tavern near Winterfell because he was concerned about being targeted by unsavory characters, especially since he was carrying a lot of money.
The area around Stark's castle felt a bit safer.
As for directly visiting Winterfell?
After learning about the strict social hierarchy in Westeros, Jason Liu had given up on the idea of meeting the Stark family or the Duke of Winterfell.
After all, this was reality, not a story.
How could the most important noble in the North care about a businessman from the far East?
The most likely outcome would be getting stopped by the guards and sent away.
So, Jason Liu decided not to try to make contact with the Stark family for now.
He needed to find the right moment and work on staying under the radar for a while.
With that in mind, he briefly glanced at the closed door of Winterfell from a distance before turning and walking into Rodel's Tavern.
The tavern was not small; it had more than ten tables, seven or eight of which were already occupied by customers.
These guests included rowdy mercenaries, ragged peasants, and knights in armor.
The knights had trout patterns on their chest plates, indicating they belonged to House Tully, the rulers of the Riverlands.
When Jason Liu walked in, the patrons looked at him with curiosity. They had heard about the recent visitors to Winterfell Market Town, including a noble from the East who had brought some magical items.
While they were interested, they soon turned back to their drinks, chatting and laughing together.
Not wanting to attract too much attention, Jason Liu quietly walked to a table by the window and sat down, placing his backpack beside him.
"Master Yi… East from the far East, right?" An old man with a fur hat and a red nose approached him. As he spoke, his breath smelled strongly of alcohol. "Sir, Old Rodel sends his regards. What can I get you...?"
Recognizing that this old man was probably the owner of the tavern, Jason Liu straightened up, trying to avoid the strong smell of wine. He nodded slightly and said, "Boss Rodel, please bring me the best food you have, no wine!"
"You don't drink?!" Old Rodel looked surprised, studying Jason Liu with his brown eyes. After muttering a few words to himself, he replied casually, "Yes, my lord, I'll remember that. You want the best food, no wine..."
After speaking, Old Rodel rubbed his big red nose and turned to head toward the kitchen, muttering about no wine.
Jason Liu shrugged, unconcerned.
To an alcoholic, not drinking must seem strange!
Not long after, a wide, plump woman approached with hot toasted bread in one hand and a plate of barbecued meat in the other.
"My lord, this is the wild deer caught by the nearby villagers today. Carroll's roast venison is quite famous in Winter Market Town…" The chubby woman introduced herself respectfully and enthusiastically.
Carroll must be the chef of this tavern, Jason thought.
"Thank you, I'll enjoy it!" he replied with a slight smile.
"Please take your time—" The plump woman seemed pleased, perhaps feeling honored to serve someone she saw as a noble.
Jason Liu picked up a piece of toasted bread, which smelled delicious, and took a bite.
It tasted pretty good, although it was a bit rough and chewy, but overall, quite satisfying.
Since there were no chopsticks or forks, Jason Liu had to follow local customs and eat the barbecue with his hands.
As for the barbecue?
It seemed the cook had used plenty of spices, which overpowered the natural flavor of the venison, making it taste a bit bland.
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