“It will be easy, you’ll see”. That’s what your father said when he asked you to give a hand to help him with the farm, despite your other activities. You knew well he couldn’t manage alone both the harvest, stocking, and the trade business. It was precisely that period of the year, when all the farmers would collect the year’s growth and sell a part. Though, exchanges were more ordinary, and that is precisely why your father asked you to attend. All you had to do is step in the farmhouse, and try your luck. A world full of men, and not the most galant ones, unfortunately, where you would need to step as confidently as possible.

You entered the building, where many men were already waiting, laughing and talking loudly. You glanced at them, holding a crate of freshly grown potatoes, and stepped further, trying to reach a more comfortable area. Some dirt from the potatoes was staining your dress, you only noticed when you found a chair to sit on. You looked at your potatoes, trying to gather the remains of your confidence among such… masculine forms. As you raised your head, you noticed the trade stand in the middle of the room : men were coming with their goods, placing them on a table. A more impressive man, Simon Riley, was assessing the products and giving the farmers an offer. He was standing over the table, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, a quill in his hand, as he scribbled the list of the goods exchanged.

You stood up, approaching the table with your crate, and stood in line for a few minutes. When your turn came, you got closer, placing the potatoes on the table, looking up at him. He estimated them quietly for a few minutes, so you broke the silence. “We would like to have a kilogram of beef, in exchange.” He looked up at you, almost surprised, and leaned back. “The potatoes aren’t enough.” You stayed quiet for a few seconds, a bit disappointed, thinking, as he followed, his gaze meeting yours as his hands gripped the table. “Or… You give me your hand too, and the beef is yours.”