Arlo managed to obtain over a thousand pounds of fresh, tender mutton and more than thirty intact sheepskins from these thirty-plus goats. Additionally, he salvaged the brains and hooves, which, though not as valuable as the meat, were still considered delicacies. Arlo decided to give them as gifts to customers buying the mutton or share them with local neighbors, depending on his mood.
After dismembering so many goats, Arlo felt a wave of exhaustion. Caiyi tugged at his hair and said, "Master, your fatigue level is high. You should rest."
Arlo nodded. However, since this was the Dreamland Space and his body was fully digitized, he didn't sweat at all, which delighted him. Furthermore, the world would reset itself, and any dirt on his body would disappear after the refresh, sparing him even the need to bathe.
Arlo stored Little Yellow into the pet space and told Caiyi, "Caiyi, I'm going to sleep now. I'll come back tomorrow."
"Alright." Caiyi flew down from Arlo's head, waved, and said, "Goodbye, Master."
"Goodbye."
Arlo's body disappeared from the Dreamland Space. In the next moment, he was back in his bed, where the familiar foul odor made him uncomfortable for a while.
"I need to move out. I have to move out as soon as possible!" Arlo resolved.
The next morning, after breakfast, Arlo greeted his family and rushed to the wholesale market to buy specialized tools like boning knives and meat-trimming knives. By the time he finished shopping, the 800 coins he earned from last night's battles were almost spent.
"Ugh... I need to make money!"
After hauling the tools home on a tricycle, Arlo found the house empty since both Niu Xin and Ma Min were at work. Noting that it was still before ten o'clock, he asked the tricycle driver to help move a large, old table to a spot near his house. He then pretended to head back inside, loaded the prepared mutton into a newly purchased giant basket, and carried it to the roadside. Setting up the meat on the table, he arranged a manual meat grinder and picked up his boning knife, shouting, "Fresh mutton for sale! Don't miss out! Just 35 per pound! Only 35! Selling out fast!"
Hearing his call, a passing housewife stopped in her tracks.
"Hey, isn't that Arlo? How come you're selling mutton now? How much is it per pound?" Arlo's red hair made him a well-known figure in the area, and many passersby recognized him.
"Haha, Aunt Liu, I'm just trying to make a living! It's 35 per pound, guaranteed fresh. If there's any issue with the quality, I'll compensate tenfold," Arlo said with a hearty laugh.
"35? Are you sure it's 35 per pound?" Housewives were experts at managing their household budgets. They knew mutton was priced at 40 elsewhere, making Arlo's price of 35 a bargain.
"Aunt Liu, what are you saying? It's a grand opening sale! I'm pricing it this low to attract customers. You won't find this price again, so buy it while you can. Who knows when you'll get mutton this cheap again?"
Despite his youth, Arlo had developed a slick tongue over the past two years. His flattering words convinced the housewives, who, knowing Arlo was a neighbor, weren't worried he'd disappear if there were issues. Aunt Liu took out her wallet and said, "Alright, give me two pounds."
"Sure thing!" Arlo quickly weighed out two pounds of mutton and even threw in a sheep's hoof. "Aunt Liu, you're my first customer. This hoof is a gift. I hope you'll keep coming back!"
Aunt Liu beamed and handed over 70 coins. "Alright, I'll make sure to buy from you in the future."
"Thank you, Aunt Liu." Arlo pocketed the money, his heart bursting with joy. "Haha! Thank you, stingy goats, for bringing me wealth with your bodies. Once I'm living the good life, I'll burn lots of incense for you!"
Because of Arlo's low prices and the perks he gave with each purchase—like a hoof or some extra weight—word spread quickly among the housewives. In just over an hour, the two goats' worth of mutton he brought out was completely sold out, leaving even some customers who didn't make it in time grumbling.
At this point, Arlo placed the remaining goat bones on the table and announced, "Ladies, thank you all for supporting my stall on its first day. As a token of gratitude, these goat bones, though not much, make excellent soup stock. Please take two pounds each as my gift. Today's meat is sold out, but come early tomorrow for more at the same price of 35. First come, first served!"
Hearing that Arlo was giving away free bones, the housewives beamed. With the promise of more cheap mutton tomorrow, their earlier complaints vanished. They eagerly took the bones, showering Arlo with compliments before leaving satisfied.
Just as Arlo finished tidying up, Ma Min rode up on her bicycle. Surprised to see him at a roadside stall, she asked, "Arlo, what are you doing here?"
Seeing his mother, Arlo grinned and said, "Mom, I'm running a meat stall! I just sold out two goats' worth of meat and made quite a bit of money!"