The Starfield Farming Sovereign (Elizabeth Schofield) novel Chapter 40

Chapter 40 A Bite of Premium

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“Understood.” Elizabeth nodded and pointed at the potatoes on the ground. “If you’re not comfortable, you can take them to a professional lab for testing. Like I said, if there’s any problem, I’ll pay 10 times the

amount.”

At that moment, a young man wearing the latest smart glasses, looking like a total tech geek, excitedly squeezed his way to the front. He raised the sleek device on his wrist. “Perfect timing. I just upgraded my device. It comes with an advanced rapid food composition scanner. Let me test it and see what we’ve really got.”

His words instantly grabbed everyone’s attention. Even some passersby who had been drawn over craned their necks curiously.

The young man carefully picked up a potato and gently inserted the tiny probe attached to his device into

the skin.

A faint light swept over it, and data immediately began scrolling rapidly across the screen. A few seconds later, the results appeared clearly.

“Item: Potato (Tuber)”

“Freshness: Excellent”

“Nutritional Content: Carbohydrates, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Potassium, Dietary Fiber… All levels meet or exceed the Kingdom’s premium natural food standards.”

“Harmful Residue: None detected”

“Overall Rating: Premium Quality”

“Premium quality?”

“No way!”

“The potatoes labeled ‘premium‘ at the food counter sell for over 300 stellar coins per 100 grams!”

The crowd burst into shocked exclamations.

The young man himself froze for a second. Not convinced, he quickly tested several more potatoes beside it.

Without exception, every single one received a “Premium Quality” rating.

In an instant, the early customers who had still harbored doubts felt their suspicion replaced with pure excitement and relief.

It felt like they had just scored the deal of a lifetime.

They had placed their orders on the Free Market simply because the price was 10 stellar coins cheaper than official listings. They had thought they would give it a try, figuring that even if the quality was slightly worse, they could accept it.

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Chapter 40 A Bite of Premium

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They never expected to receive something comparable to high–end counter products labeled “premium”

“Ma’am, give me 10 more!”

“I was here first. I want 20!”

“What time are you leaving? I want to call a few friends to come check this out!”

The crowd instantly became buzzing. Afraid of missing out, people began shouting to add more to their orders.

Seeing this, Elizabeth’s heart skipped. Oh no. I priced them too low.

Premium potatoes selling for over 300 stellar coins.

Her potatoes were even better than premium. At 180 stellar coins, they were practically a giveaway.

A painful twinge rose in her chest.

Still, the thought of raising the price only flickered briefly in her mind.

A merchant valued trust. Since the price had already been announced, she would not go back on her word and raise it on the spot. Elizabeth would not do something like that.

Reputation was the foundation of long–term business.

But looking at the excited customers in front of her, she felt she needed to clarify something.

She cleared her throat and raised her voice. “Everyone, hold on. Let me say something.”

The crowd quieted a little, all eyes fixed on her.

Elizabeth pointed at the potatoes on the ground and spoke clearly, “Thank you all for the support. You’ve seen the quality. These absolutely deserve the ‘premium‘ label. The original listed price on the Free Market was 180 stellar coins per 100 grams. To celebrate my shop’s opening, customers who placed orders on launch day got a half–price discount at 90 stellar coins. Any additional purchases are at the original price.”

To make things easier, she simply sold them by the piece. Her potatoes were uniform in size anyway, each weighing between 200 and 220 grams. Selling by piece or by weight did not make much difference.

“180 stellar coins?”

“I thought it was 90.”

When people heard that the price was not 90 but 180, it was like cold water had been poured over them. Their heated excitement quickly cooled.

Most of the people who frequented the Free Market looking for bargains were not well–off financially.

Being able to eat even the most basic natural food was already a luxury. At 180 stellar coins per 100 grams, even if these were premium potatoes, the price far exceeded their usual budget.

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At that price, they could buy 200 grams of regular potatoes at a store counter.

For a moment, those who had just been shouting to add more orders now showed hesitation and embarrassment on their faces. Their feet unconsciously shifted backward, and the once–heated atmosphere cooled noticeably.

They clutched tightly to the potatoes they had snagged at a bargain, silently feeling lucky.

Elizabeth took in everyone’s reactions but did not look worried.

She had already prepared a backup plan.

Unhurried, she sat cross–legged behind her cloth stall and took out several pre–boiled potatoes from her storage button. They were still warm.

She pulled out a small knife and skillfully cut them into many small, fingernail–sized cubes, placing them neatly on a clean tray.

“Come on, come on. Freshly boiled premium potatoes. Free samples. Whether you buy or not, come have a taste,” she called out with a bright, pleasant voice.

Free samples.

For people who carefully stretched every coin, those words held enormous appeal.

The crowd that had just stepped back quickly surged forward again. Whether they planned to buy or not, getting a taste of these “premium” potatoes for free was too good to pass up.

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