The next morning.
"Big Brother Elliot, I did what you said and made twenty Mora meats today."
"But..."
"Can I really sell them all...?"
Ningguang held a large basket of Mora meat, visibly uneasy.
Usually, ten was already her limit—she'd end up eating some herself, so she only brought six or seven to actually sell.
But Elliot had asked her to prepare twenty. And she had to sell all of them on her own.
If they didn't sell, it would be a huge problem.
To say she wasn't nervous would be a lie.
"Don't worry. You'll definitely sell out," Elliot said confidently.
Then, using every Mora he had left, he bought Ningguang a full set of clothes—not fancy, but clean and tidy, including a pair of shoes.
It cost him everything he had.
"Big Brother Elliot, I don't need anything this nice. As long as it covers me, that's enough…"
Watching him spend so much just on her, Ningguang felt guilty.
It wasn't even her money, but it was being used on her. Instead of making her happy, it only made her more uncomfortable.
For children from poor families, being treated too kindly doesn't bring joy—it brings fear.
Fear that they don't deserve such kindness, fear that they're not worthy of such good things.
Sometimes, they even want to run away.
That's exactly how Ningguang felt at that moment.
"This is an investment," Elliot explained. "With this, you'll earn more Mora."
"You said that yesterday too… What does investment mean?" Ningguang asked, puzzled by the unfamiliar word.
"Investment means spending a little now to achieve something bigger later."
"In simple terms, it's using a small amount of Mora to make more Mora. Making Mora from Mora—that's what an investment is."
Ningguang tilted her head, trying to understand.
"Ningguang, how do you usually sell things?" Elliot asked.
"I follow people around and ask if they want to buy Mora meat," she answered honestly.
"Hmm. Did you bring it with you?"
"Yep."
She took out a small knife.
Elliot used it to slice one piece of Mora meat into many bite-sized samples.
"Ningguang, listen carefully. Here's what you're going to say."
'Would you like to try some freshly made Mora meat? Free samples! It's cheap and tasty!'
"If someone wants to buy, charge 1,000 Mora each."
Only now did Ningguang understand what the knife was for. So this was how people sold things—let customers try it first. If they liked the taste, they'd want to buy more.
This completely changed how she thought about selling.
"All right, it's time. Off you go—I'll be waiting for your good news."
Elliot gently fixed her hair and smiled.
The sun hadn't even risen yet.
Most people were still asleep, but sailors preparing to set sail were already up and moving.
At such an early hour, there was nothing hot to eat—just dry rations to get by.
But if they could get their hands on freshly made, piping-hot Mora meat?
It would sell like crazy.
"Okay, I'm off!"
With that, Ningguang took her basket and made her way to the harbor.
Elliot sat cross-legged and began to meditate again.
He had to meditate constantly—it was the only way to suppress the karmic corruption within him.
...
Just half an hour later, Ningguang came running back, beaming with joy.
She was practically skipping, her face glowing with excitement.
She clearly had good news.
"Big Brother Elliot! Big Brother Elliot!"
"I sold out! I sold everything!"
"I made 19,000 Mora!!!"
"I've never earned that much in my life!"
She was so overjoyed she dropped the basket and flung herself at Elliot, throwing her arms around him.
"You're amazing, Big Brother Elliot! I never thought I could make that much Mora!"
She hugged him tightly, rubbing her little face against him with pure delight.
"This is all thanks to you, Ningguang."
Elliot gently patted her head.
"Huh? No way! It's all thanks to you!" she insisted.
"Ningguang, think about it. You made the Mora meat, right? You went out and sold it, didn't you? I didn't do anything. So really, all the credit goes to you."
She paused for a moment, a little stunned. It made sense… but something still felt off.
It was indeed her food, and she was the one who sold it. But why couldn't she sell any before?
And at a much lower price, too!
"I don't get it… Why couldn't I sell anything before?" she asked, confused.
"Silly girl, selling is an art—it's not as simple as it seems."
Elliot smiled warmly, meeting her wide, curious eyes.
"There's a trick to it?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Exactly. There's a lot to learn."
"First of all, you're selling food, right?"
"When it comes to food, aside from taste, price, quantity, and safety, there's another crucial factor—cleanliness."
"No one wants to eat something that looks dirty, right?"
"Your food is clean, Ningguang. But your clothes weren't. So people automatically project that onto the food you're selling."
That's when it all clicked for Ningguang—and she finally understood what "investment" meant.
Wearing new clothes wasn't just about warmth or appearance—it left people with a clean, reliable impression.
She thought back to how she used to look and felt embarrassed by how naive she'd been.
Who would buy food from someone who looked like a beggar?
If the seller looks filthy, how clean could the food possibly be?
Most people think that way. No wonder her sales were so poor before.
"And that's just the first point..."
...