The southern part of the kingdom of Solbay was not large, and without the oppression of the aristocracy, most of the inhabitants of the town now lived a self-sufficient life.

Although I can't say how much wealth there is, as long as I work hard to live, I will never starve to death, and life can be regarded as a little hopeful.

Under the small-scale peasant economy, it is impossible to say how prosperous the southern region of the Kingdom of Solbay can be.

However, the fireworks in the countryside can still infect people's hearts, and in today's world, it is good for people to have such a life.

Ji Guoyuan, who had left the church, led his two children through the street again, and he didn't have much feeling about the current situation in the southern part of the Solbe Kingdom.

Because in the New World, there are many, many places like this.

Except for those cities that have been ravaged by pirates, islands with indigenous people generally have such harmonious scenes.

Passing through the southern block, Ji Kunichi and his two children walked towards the north.

The kingdom of Solbe is small in size, and there are several main roads between the north and the south.

From south to north, it only took them nearly two hours to follow the national edge.

said to be a kingdom, but in fact, in Yuanyi's view, it is just a small town at best.

Compared with the southern urban area, the northern part of the Solbe Kingdom is significantly more urbanized.

Unlike the buildings in the southern district, most of the houses in the northern city are made of stone and concrete, which is very different from the rammed earth wooden houses of the southern ones.

Even the roads are paved with stone slabs and are clean and tidy.

Not to mention that the people on the streets are much cleaner and brighter, and the shops on both sides of the road are also open, and there are several shops where customers are shopping for goods.

The business environment looks pretty good.

If the south of the Kingdom of Solbe is rural, then the north is a real urban area.

Irene, who was already lacking interest and clamoring to go back to the boat, found something new at this moment, broke free from Yuanyi's hand, and hurried to the shop on the street.

The pedestrians on the road came and went, busy with their own affairs, and they did not attract too many people's attention.

"Although there is a big gap between the rich and the poor in the north and the south, the people's living conditions are thriving."

"Without the so-called ruling class, the impact on people's lives does not seem to be so great."

Ji Guoyuan observed attentively, thinking so in his heart.

"Brother Jiguo!"

"Come on! Come on! ”

"Pay, I'm going to buy this!"

At this time, in front of a shop not far away, Erin waved wildly towards Ji Guoyuan.

Hearing the call, Yuanyi's face showed a little helplessness.

Erin is curious about everything, and after leaving Dressrosa, no matter what kind of island the warship docks on, this kid always has to buy a lot of things.

His curiosity never seemed to run out.

Leading Robin to the shop where Erin was staying, Ji Guoyuan looked at the thing in Erin's hand and found that it was a small handicraft woven from leaves.

Looking at the appearance, it should be a bird.

The shopkeeper was a girl, who was sitting behind the counter at this time, her body trembling slightly, her head lowered, her golden bangs hanging down, and she couldn't see her appearance clearly.

"Boss, how much is this."

Enichi walked up to Erin's side, reached out and rubbed Erin's head, and asked in the direction of the counter.

Only then did the girl behind the counter rub her eyes with her hands, slowly raised her head, brushed the long hair between her foreheads to her ears with both hands, showed a delicate face, forced a smile, looked at the goods in Erin's hand, and replied:

"100 Bailey."

Ji Guoyuan raised his eyes and found that the store manager was very young, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with tears on his beautiful face, and some sparkles in his eyes.

Looks like he was crying just now.

"A hundred Baileys?"

Ji Guoyuan looked at the blonde girl with tears on her face, and while confirming, she reached into her arms and prepared to take out her wallet.

And when the young shopkeeper heard Ji Guoyuanyi's words, he thought that Ji Guoyuan felt that things were expensive, and hurriedly said:

"It can be cheaper."

"50 Bailey is fine."

The female shopkeeper's tone was anxious, as if she was afraid that the customer in front of her would leave because it was too expensive.

“ohhh！”

"Sister, you're so nice!"

"Thank you!"

Hearing that the shopkeeper took the initiative to reduce the price, Erin immediately let out a happy cry and smiled.

Yuan Yi took out two coins from his wallet, put them in front of the counter, and said:

"I have two children here, so let's buy two."

"Those straw weaves, they should all be a price, right?"

Ji Guoyuan pointed to the bamboo basket not far away, in addition to the same bird-shaped straw weaving in Erin's hand, there are many other types, all of which are similar in size.

"Hmm."

"The prices over there are all the same, you can pick whatever you want."

With that, the blonde girl hurriedly walked out of the counter, came to the display case, picked up two straw weaves, bent down slightly and asked Robin:

"Little girl, what do you want?"

"Is this dog cute?"

The shopkeeper rubbed his cheek and asked Robin enthusiastically.

Seeing the other party's enthusiastic appearance, Robin subconsciously took a half step back, and looked at Jiguo Yuanyi helplessly, and at this time, Yuanyi also came behind Robin, squatted down, patted Robin's back gently, and said softly:

"Pick the one you like."

"It's fun to be in the room, isn't it?"

Hearing Yuanyi's words, Robin stretched out her hand, but instead of picking up the dog handed by the blonde girl, she grabbed the other hand, and said at the same time:

"I want my cat's straw to be made."

Hearing Robin's words, the blonde girl immediately gently placed the cat's straw in Robin's hand, and her smile became bright.

"Big sister, were you crying just now?"

"Why are you crying?"

At this moment, Irene, who was playing with bird-shaped straw in her hand, suddenly asked out loud. The blonde girl looked back, the smile on her face stiffening.

She seemed to think of something bad, her mouth was deflated, and her eyes turned into tears again.

Erin raised her head and was about to open her mouth to say something, when she suddenly noticed two young men walking in outside the door.

Both men wore black uniforms, a long stick pinned to their waists, and a round hat on top of their heads.

The older youth, visually in his early thirties, has thick eyebrows and big eyes, a square face, and a little bit of stubble on the chin, giving people a handsome feeling.

The younger one, only about twenty years old, with delicate and white skin, walked into the shop with dodging eyes, secretly glanced at Ji Guoyuan and others, and then lowered his eyebrows and looked at the blonde girl.

Both youths were dressed as law enforcers.

After stepping into the store, the young man walked around to the counter, skillfully opened the drawer, and began to rummage.

And the fair-skinned young man slowly walked up to the blonde girl, bowed slightly, and greeted:

"Miss Bebes."

"Long time no see."

The young man was a little stumbling when he spoke, but his face turned red when he just said hello.

However, the proprietress he called Beth didn't mean to pay attention to the young man at all for a while, her gaze crossed the young man, looked at the bearded young man who was rummaging behind the counter, and said timidly:

"I've had a bad business these days, and I haven't made much money."

At this moment when Beth spoke, the bearded young man had already rummaged through the cabinets and found all the money, he grabbed some coins in one hand and a few small denominations in the other, pouted, and said with some unhappiness:

"Hey!"

"Beth."

"Only a few thousand Baileys for so long?"

"Are you underestimating our Solbe Police Station?"

"Do you know who's protecting you vendors from doing business?"

"You can't pay the money, those guys will come back next time, we won't be able to help you!"

"After all, the brothers at the police station are all going to eat and drink, and we can only protect the vendors who have paid the money!"

The young man sat on the bench behind the counter, crossed his legs, then reached into his arms, took out a pack of cigarettes, held one to his mouth, and then hooked his hand at his companion.

"Big Brother Fulix, don't say that."

"After Uncle Berg died, Miss Beth had no relatives and was helpless"

"She's already working hard to make money."

"We at the police station should take care of people like Miss Beth."

The white-faced young man didn't need to be greeted by B. Bellis, and when B. Fold was taking out his cigarette, he had already hurried to his side, took out a lighter, and lit a cigarette for him.

"Shhhh

Taking a puff of his cigarette lightly, Bfeley looked at the white-faced young man with an embarrassed face, and said helplessly:

"Byer, Miss Beth's difficulties, I don't know."

"But I can't help it!"

"If the police station wants to maintain law and order, it has to recruit brothers, since the revolutionary army came, where is there still a government in the Kingdom of Solbey?"

"Where is someone paying us?"

"In order to maintain the law and order environment in North Town, I established the Solbe Police Station just to do something for everyone."

"The people also understand us, give us money, and ask us to help maintain order in North Town."

"Tell me, if we protect the vendors who don't pay them, won't the other contributors be unhappy? Isn't it going to give us funding either? ”

"In this way, what do the brothers eat and drink? Without us, who will protect these people? ”

In the end, Beverly looked righteous and awe-inspiring. It's like saying, "I can't run without this city." ”

Hearing Beverly's words, Bayer also smiled all over his face, bowed, and said again and again:

"Big Brother Beverly is right."

After complimenting him, Bayer also turned around and walked to Beth's side, and said helplessly: "Miss Beth, there's really no way." ”

"You've been owing it for more than two months."

“.”

"But Miss Beth, don't worry, I'll help you!"

Bair said, straightening his chest and patting his chest in reassurance.

At this moment, Beverly poked his head, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and said with a smile:

"Beth!"

"Otherwise, you sell the shop and don't continue to do business."

"As long as you keep doing business, no one will bother you."

"As for life?"

"Either you're with Byer, right? If you go to live in his house, he shouldn't refuse. ”

The second shop is divided into two floors, the lower floor is the shop, and the upper floor is the residence, with a floor area of about 60 square meters, which is not small.

Listening to these people, Ji Guoyuan also noticed that at the back of the store, there was a staircase, which was the staircase to the second floor.

"Hehehehe"

"How can this be convenient?"

"Nope"

"Miss Beth, I don't mean anything else, you can come and stay with me whenever you need to."

"My place is big and there are enough rooms."

Bayer waved his hand as if to refuse, turned his head, and said to Beth.

These two simple words seemed to have helped Beth make a decision.

"Beth, there's no way you're going to sell this straw."

"Look at it, for so long, that's just the money."

"I can't afford the cost of a shop at all."

"Listen to my advice and sell the shop."

"By the way, I have a friend who happens to have the idea of buying a shop."

"I told him about you, and if you want, he's willing to pay 100,000 Baileys to buy it."

"You know, your shop isn't prosperous at all, and Uncle Berg is dead at home."

"It's good that someone is willing to buy it, but you have to take the opportunity and think clearly."

"With 100,000 Baileys, if you find a man like Bayer, you don't have to worry about life for the rest of your life."

Seeing that Beth lowered her head and did not speak, Beverly continued with a smile. And Bayer also peeked at Beth at this moment, looking at the expression on Beth's face.

Young Beth's mother died young, and her father was the only one who raised her.

Her father was a carpenter, and after struggling for half his life, he finally bought such a small nest in the North District, opened a carpenter's shop, helped people do work, and at the same time made some small furniture to sell in his spare time.

Her family is not wealthy in the Kingdom of Solbey, but it is better than those in the South.

The father and daughter also lived a decent life, and Beth, who was favored by her father since she was a child, has always lived under the protection of her father, and when she grew up, she has never been exposed to anything or anyone.

But just over two months ago, her father suddenly fell ill and died.

Beth, who has no financial resources, begins to face the blood of life, and her first lesson in life is "protection money".

After the departure of the revolutionary army from the Kingdom of Solbey, the country's citizens began to re-establish order.

The "historical legacy" of the North-South Division still exists.

In the North District, the two largest forces at present are the "Solbe Provisional Government" and the Black Rose.

The Solbe Police Station, as Befuli and Bayer, belongs to the so-called Solbe Provisional Government, which is the country's current "official institution".

"One hundred thousand Baileys?"

"So cheap?"

Beth couldn't help but whisper when she heard that her shop could only sell 100,000 Baileys. Although she is not under her father's wing, she knows that her father spent 150,000 Bailey when he bought this shop.

This was when she was a child, and after so many years, the shop here is no longer at the same price as before.

"It's not cheap! It's already high! ”

"After all."

"Huh, huh?"

Seeing that Beth really had the intention of relieving, Belle's eyes suddenly lit up, and he hurriedly said, although his words were not thorough, but Beth understood what he meant.

It's nothing more than that the shop is not as prosperous as it used to be, and his father died in the family.

In the same way, it is not the first time that the other party has said it, but she has been saying that her shop is not good, and today I told her that someone wants to buy it.

Bowing her head slightly, Beth's body couldn't help but tremble slightly. The thought that she couldn't even support herself anymore and had to make ends meet by selling her father's shop made Beth feel aggrieved and missed living when her father was still there.

"You two guys, where did you come from, bastards?"

"There is no business at all in this shop, what do I need to pay?"

"The police department, is it also qualified to collect money from the people?"

"Isn't that a tax job?"

"Moreover, is there no one who teaches you that the commercial tax should be collected only if the people can ensure their own livelihood?"

At this moment, Erin tilted her head and asked with a puzzled expression.

He had attended the naval school in Dressrosa, and he only knew some of the common sense of Dressrosa's system.

"Hey—"

"Erin, this is not Dressrosa, every place is different."

"Although the system is different in different places, I know that these two guys in front of me are really bastards."

Robin grabbed the cat straw in one hand, half of his body hid behind Ji Guoyuanyi, let out a chuckle from his mouth, poked his head out and said.

And these two small conversations suddenly plunged the shop into silence.

"Huh?"

It was only at this time that Beverly and Bayer looked at Jiguo Yuanyi and them, and looked at them intently.

(End of chapter)