Veteran of Eastern RPGs here. There is likely a perfect right choice for materials and for NPCs that we will just find if we go everywhere in the region, talk to everyone and remember the location of everything.
For instance the inns supports are rotting away, the roofing material is provided but the support material is not.
There are going to be a) three tiers of support wood we can find and use, and b) three tiers of carpenters we will find who can do the work.
Say we find the carpenter, the tiers of carpentry may well be the same man but the man needs lunch.
We can feed him mixed grains from the fields. Unwashed rice. Or river-washed rice. Obviously the river washed rice yields the best result.
We also will earn xp for the more tasks we do.
That is just my 2 cents.