"My parents were adventurers too… But one day, they encountered a powerful monster. Only the two of them managed to escape back…"
Xiaoling's voice trembled. "After they returned, they couldn't bear the gossip and judgment from everyone around them… so they chose to leave this world…"
As she said this, tears streamed down her face. "If only they had been strong like you, Sister… maybe then, they wouldn't have left me behind."
"Xiaoling…"
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Sister. It's been many years now—I've already come to terms with it."
Xiaoling wiped her tears and forced a smile. "Wow, we picked so many mushrooms today. I'm sure they'll sell for a great price. Let's head back."
"Mm."
There was a teleport waypoint in Springvale, but since Xiaoling was an ordinary person and couldn't use teleportation, the group had to return on foot.
Once they got back to Mondstadt, the first order of business was, of course, to sell the mushrooms.
So where would they sell them? Xiaoling led Zephyr to a dedicated produce market.
Zephyr was genuinely surprised—there was an actual vegetable market in Mondstadt? But thinking it over, it made sense. Without a place to buy food, how would the townsfolk eat?
This feature instantly made the game world feel ten times more realistic.
Xiaoling brought Zephyr to a small, tucked-away stall. It wasn't much, but it was a proper stall nonetheless.
"Alright, Sister, just put the mushrooms here. Where do you live? After I sell the mushrooms, I'll come find you to return your share of the Mora."
"Mora?"
"I mentioned it before—since we went mushroom picking together, we'd split the profits 70/30."
"Wait, didn't we agree on a 50/50 split?"
"Well, it was like that at first, but I'm small and not very strong. Most of the mushrooms were picked by you, Sister. I don't deserve that much money."
Paimon chimed in, "A deal is a deal! If you agreed on a 50/50 split, then you should stick to it!"
"Exactly! And if it becomes 70/30, then I'm not helping you next time."
"Uh…"
"If you really want to thank me," Zephyr added, "you should save up and buy a new house. Something big. Preferably so big I can glide around inside with Wind Gliders."
Xiaoling stuck out her tongue. "How big does a house have to be for that? I'm afraid I could never afford it in this lifetime."
"You never know what you're capable of until you push yourself!"
Paimon groaned. "That's some seriously toxic motivational talk…"
In the end, after much persuasion from Zephyr and the others, Xiaoling accepted the original 50/50 split.
"Come to think of it, it's kinda amazing that Mondstadt actually has its own produce market," Zephyr commented.
Paimon replied, "Of course! There are so many people in Mondstadt—what, did you think they'd all starve without a market?"
"You know… that actually makes so much sense, I don't even know how to respond. Xiaoling, how much do mushrooms sell for per jin?"
"Usually, the common ones like these go for about 10 Mora a jin."
Ten Mora, huh? For the average Mondstadt citizen's wages, that wasn't exactly cheap—but not outrageously expensive either.
After all, these were wild mushrooms, handpicked from the forest.
As the market gradually filled up with people, Xiaoling's stall remained relatively quiet.
Her stall was small, in a secluded spot, and only sold mushrooms and a few other ingredients. Naturally, that meant fewer customers.
"This isn't going to work…"
Zephyr was confident that their mushrooms were top quality—fresh and delicious. They were picked just this morning, after all. The problem was simply a lack of foot traffic.
"…Got it."
A sudden idea struck Zephyr.
He shouted, "Fresh mushrooms for sale! Mushrooms for sale! Officially recommended by Mondstadt's very own Outrider Knight Amber! Anyone want mushrooms? This is the one and only vendor endorsed by Outrider Amber herself!"
"Huh!?"
Paimon and Xiaoling were both stunned.
"Is that even allowed!?"
Xiaoling whispered anxiously, "W-Wait, Sister! Pretending to act under the name of a Mondstadt knight is a serious crime—especially using the name of that Amber, one of the most well-known knights in Mondstadt! We'll definitely get arrested!"
"Relax, chill, I know Amber personally. It's fine."
As expected, with just that shout, a crowd quickly gathered in front of the stall.
"Is this really the stall recommended by Outrider Amber?"
"That's odd… I've never heard of her endorsing any vendors."
"Have you heard about this?"
"Nope, never."
As murmurs spread through the crowd, Zephyr stepped forward and declared confidently, "Fellow citizens of Mondstadt, think about it—in a city with such strict laws, do you think I'd really have the guts to lie to you?"
Paimon mumbled under her breath, "Obviously you would."
Zephyr continued, "And even if I were lying and using Amber's name, why would I use it to sell vegetables? Why not something like… health supplements? You don't make much money selling vegetables—what's even the point of lying in this case?"
"Huh… you know what? That actually makes sense."
"Yeah, sounds reasonable."
"Wait a second—that's Xiaoling, isn't it? I know this kid, she's a good girl. No way she'd be involved in a scam."
"That's right, I know her too. Honestly, I bet Amber just wanted to help her out because she's a kind-hearted kid."
"Exactly, exactly! I'll take a jin of mushrooms!"
"Same here, give me a jin!"
The crowd buzzed with excitement. In no time, all one hundred jin of mushrooms and the handful of other vegetables sold out completely.
Xiaoling stood there, mouth wide open in shock.
Excited, she said, "I have to find a chance to properly thank Outrider Amber!"
"There's no need to thank anyone. This was all thanks to your hard work and dedication."
Paimon muttered, "Unbelievable. She wasn't even talking about you…"
Jin was working at the Knights' headquarters, Eula was out adventuring, Amber was hunting hilichurls, and Xiaoling was selling mushrooms at the market—each of them living their own meaningful life.
In other countries, who knows how things would go, but in Mondstadt, that's just how it is.
Zephyr said, "Xiaoling, go on home. You've worked hard all morning—get some good rest."
"Okay, Sister. What about you?"
"I've got something to take care of this afternoon—I'm heading out with Amber."
"I knew it! You really do know Miss Amber! Where do you live? Can I come visit you sometime?"
"Of course! I live with Amber. You know where her place is, right?"
"Really? That's amazing! Miss Amber's place is not far from mine!"
Zephyr couldn't help but sweat a little. Amber really was the model worker of Mondstadt—everyone knew her, praised her, and even knew exactly where she lived.
"Sister, here's your share."
Ordinary mushrooms sold for about 10 Mora per jin, and they had gathered 100 jin today. Including the extra ingredients, they made over 1,000 Mora.
That was nearly half a month's wages for the average citizen.
A massive haul.
Even with just half the earnings, Xiaoling ended up with 600 or 700 Mora—enough to improve her living conditions significantly.
Of course, that was largely thanks to Zephyr. If Xiaoling had gone alone, she might have come back nearly empty-handed.
For starters, she would've never dared venture so far into the wild to pick mushrooms—it was far too dangerous. And hiring an adventurer to help wouldn't be worth it either. The cost would outweigh the profit.
//END