"Then.. How do you preserve the meat you hunt?" Coco sighed out with her shoulders sagging.
She decided to just accept the fact that this world's technology advancement is far from her previous world's.
She is not that smart to suddenly have an idea to create refrigerator or freezer in this new world. She might be one of the honoured students, but that does not that she is actually smart smart!
"What?" The man's eyebrows creased as he shot her a quick glance, "Look, I don't know what you're talking about preserve this, preserve that, but I don't preserve them. The villagers just buy them as soon as I'm done butchering the meat."
The man explained briefly as if it is the normal thing. Well, in a sense, it is, but to Coco? It is not.
"But you won't be open tonight, right? It's probably a little late to open your shop and I'm sure the villagers have already cooked something for dinner." Even though Coco wants to eat meat, she will have to be patient if she does not want to eat spoiled meat by morning.
"That's where you are wrong, Mrs. Hughes." The man scoffed out, but that was not what shocked Coco.
"You know me?" She let out a dramatic gasp which made the man raise an eyebrow in her direction as she back away in a exasperated way.
"Who wouldn't? You're the infamous turd of the Yogusho Village. Your reputation has spread far and wide, the fallen child of the Hughes family tree. It's actually shocking that you're not aware of this because truly, you were a proud woman that frequents the bar." The butcher waved the axe in the air, speaking nothing, but the truth.
There was a short silence before the man realized that he had dissed his potential supplier so he quickly apologized, "No offense, ma'am."
"None taken." Coco sighed and rolled her eyes, she was not that aware about Coco Hughes' family background because her mother— a mediator— brought her to this village when she was a child.
Her mother and father tried their very best to pamper her as much as they could, but they soon perished and left her alone when Coco started to drink and got a huge debt under her name.
They did not want to shoulder their daughter's debt so she was alone for as long as she could remember.
Coco can understand the parents decision to leave their child. From her memories, she could tell that they have loved her greatly and tried to bring her back to the right path.
However, Coco Hughes is a stubborn woman, continuesly drowning herself in debts and alcohols.
She let a sigh, rubbing the back of her head as she tried to shake off the memories of the previous Coco from her mind. She don't want to get sad because thinking about them will make her think about her mother and sisters.
"Anyways, why did you say that I was mistaken?" She decided to divert her mind and bother the man who was preparing his knives to skin the tiger.
He paused for a moment, glanced at her before going back to sharpening his knives.
"Meats like this— poison tiger, earth boar, tough crocodile, farming rabbits— are hard to catch. Those who catch these will earn a lot, but since they are all high level monsters for the villagers to catch and kill, no one would have the ability to sell these in this town."
The man's explanation was easy to understand. Coco stayed focus on one thing though..
"Oh.. So they'll buy this tonight?" She tilted her head and gave the man a wide grin as she nudge him with her elbow, "Nice! I'll share some of the money I'll earn once you're done selling the meat!"
"You can put aside the breast and thighs since they're quite juicy from the looks of it." Coco leaned to tiger's body and caressed the stomach part of the monster, "You can sell the rest, you can have half a kilo of whatever part you want as well."
"Are.. You sure..?" The man ceased in sharpening his knives and turned to her.
In a situation like this, people would have jumped at the offer without batting an eye, eager to get a free item or food, but the man in front of her is hesitating.
It was as if he was pitying her for not having enough knowledge when it comes to these things.
"I'm very sure. I know that you won't try to embezzle the goods and money." She gave the man a pat on the back, "That honesty of yours made me want to be generous!"
Coco shrugged her shoulders and tried to shake off the perplexed expression on his face, but the man only continued to stare at her which made her puff out her cheeks.
"Oh, come on! I'm saying that I want to collaborate with you! I'll hunt while you skin and sell whatever I give you then we'll share the profits!" Coco whined and slammed her hand on the table, being careful not to smack the tiger.
"It's called business partnership! Partnership! You know? We will work together and use each other for our own benefits!" Coco made several hand gestures in the air, similar to a way when a friend is trying to convince their friend.
The man seemed to understand what she wanted to convert to words and nodded his head, "Understood. I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to these things, but I'll do my best to be of help to you."
"Nice! Good job!" Coco crossed her arms and nodded her head approvingly, "I don't get the reason why you're helping the turd of the village, but you just earned a trustworthy business partner, my friend! Ah, which reminds me, what's your name?"
"I'm only helping you because it looks like you wanted to change from your old self. Everyone deserves a second chance in life, right?" The man chuckled at her quirkiness, "My name is Renaldo."
"Okay! Nice to meet you, Renaldo!" Coco shot him wide smile.
"It was nice to officially meet you, too, Mrs. Hughes. I'm looking forward to our future business partnership."