“Is John Doe a pig? How can he eat that much?” Blour asked.
“You don’t need to worry about whether he is a pig or not,” Mag said calmly. “So how much does he have to pay?”
“800 copper coins each… two servings of braised chicken and rice…” Blour frowned and thought long and hard before he gave up and told Mag it was impossible for an elf to do it.
That was when Anna turned to Mag, and said, “38 gold coins.”
Mag and Blour looked at Anna.
Mag looked nodded at Anna with a smile. “That’s right. 38 gold coins.” It was not a hard math question, but it was not easy for a child to solve it.
“Oh, Anna… How could you do this to me? I’m so embarrassed right now.”
A smile showed on Anna’s face. “Can I work here as a cashier, Mr. Mag? Big Sister Shirley will work as a waitress.”
“You want to work here?” But you’re still a child. Only two years older than Amy. Shouldn’t you be in school?
Anna nodded. “Yes. I want to learn to cook from Mr. Mag and help you out. I still remember the 9×9 table Amy taught me. Besides, I don’t want to stay at the embassy alone.”
Blour touched Anna’s head. “Chaos School said she needs to wait until next semester to be enrolled.”
Mag smiled and crouched down. “Well, I guess you can work here for now,” he said to Anna. “You’ll get a handsome salary and free meals.”
Anna shook her head. “I don’t want money. I just want to learn to cook from you.”
“Listen, Anna,” Blour said, “if you work, you get paid. That’s how the world works.”
“Yes. It’s unethical to exploit a child,” Mag agreed. He stood up and put his hand out. “Congratulations, Miss Shirley, you’re hired.”
Blour shook it. “Congratulations, Mag, you found yourself an amazing waitress.” They laughed.
“There is still time before the morning service, so get some rest. I’ll find some clothes for you.” Mag poured them two glasses of water before going upstairs.
“I prefer to wear my own dress,” said Blour.
“I’m afraid you have to follow the rules here, Miss Shirley.”
Mag chose Han Chinese clothing for Shirley; a white shirt with a red skirt. The sleeves were embroidered with golden thread.
As for Anna, Mag bought her a blue dress and a coat. It was getting cold, so the little girl needed something warm.
“Ding, 3,000 copper coins have been successfully deducted. The female attire is being produced!”
Three minutes later.
“Ding! Goods delivered. Please accept it!”
“Change into these,” Mag said. “We’re a bit short-handed at the moment, so I need you to start working today.”
Mag decided to look at Blour as a woman when he was dressed in female attire; he felt much better this way.
“They’re so beautiful!” Anna exclaimed. “Thank you, Mr. Mag.”
Shirley touched her skirt to feel the fabric. It was smooth. She could tell that it was made of top-grade silk, but she didn’t think the white shirt would go well with the red skirt.
“These are called Hanfu,” Mag told Shirley. Since they were not easy to put on, Mag showed her step by step.
“There is a bathroom upstairs. You can change there,” said Mag. “I’m going to the market to buy some ingredients. Tell Amy I’ll be home soon if she wakes up. I’ll make some breakfast after I get back.”
“Let’s go, Big Sister Shirley,” Anna said when Mag was gone.
“Okay,” Shirley said reluctantly. “But I won’t wear them if they make me look ugly.”
It took Shirley a good 10 minutes to get into her new clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror, stunned.
The white shirt went surprisingly well with the red dress. They were stylish, elegant, and much more flattering than her favorite dress.
This went well with her temperament, surpassing even that favorite dress of hers.
The unique design and the magical match ultimately resulted in such incredulous effects. It exceeded her expectations.
Even more magical was that the attire seemed custom made for him. It fit him perfectly, with no error in measurement.
What surprised her even more was that they fitted her as well as if they had been made for her.
“Holy cow! These clothes are so amazing!”
Looking at the mirror, Shirley fell silent before exclaiming in amazement.
That was when the door creaked open. Amy was first surprised to see Shirley standing there, but when she saw the dress Shirley had changed out of, she angrily demanded, “Did you sleep with my father?”