Inside the market, the crowds were endless. The farmers selling vegetables shouted at the top of their lungs in an attempt to attract customers, but their cries were eventually drowned out.

Although such places are chaotic, they are places that ordinary women come to every day.

In a corner of the southwest, a woman carrying a fish basket was talking to a man who looked like a eunuch.

Although the eunuch was dressed in plain clothes, his voice was high-pitched and shrill, with an upward inflection at the end. He couldn't help but raise his pinky finger and say, "Is your fish fresh? It looks quite ordinary!"

The fisherwoman, dressed in a gray shirt and wearing a headscarf, had a simple, honest smile on her face. She said, "Don't worry, these fish were all caught by my husband in the river in the village. They're very fresh!"

The eunuch glanced at the fish in her basket. They all looked quite large and seemed very fresh, still jumping around.

He nodded, glanced at the fisherwoman, and asked, "How much is this fish?"

The fisherwoman quickly said, "My fish are a few coins cheaper than others. If you buy a lot, I can give you an even lower price!"

Upon hearing this, the eunuch immediately thought it was a good idea.

He had just walked around the market, and the fish in other places were either not fresh enough or very expensive, with no willingness to lower the price. But the fisherwoman's fish was indeed quite good.

He coughed in a high-pitched voice, raised his chin and looked at the fisherwoman with a hint of arrogance, "If I buy fish from you this time, it's for a distinguished guest. If the fish you sell is even slightly defective, it's a matter of losing my life. Don't try to fool me!"

The fisherwoman was taken aback for a moment, then nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry, this is the best fish I have, absolutely suitable for your enjoyment. Since this fish is for your enjoyment, I will sell it to you at a lower price!”

The eunuch nodded in satisfaction. For this lotus appreciation event, the head of the kitchen had entrusted him with the task of purchasing ingredients. He had been wandering around the market for a long time but hadn't seen anything cheap and good. The only decent thing was the fish from the fisherwoman who had come up to him.

He figured that since the amount of silver allocated to him was quite large, he wouldn't gain much benefit if he bought fish from other places with good quality fish, but if he bought them from this fisherwoman, he could make a good profit.

Anyway, he'd be buying from someone else or from her, and the fish does look pretty good, so he won't lose out by buying from her.

So he nodded, took out some silver from his purse, and said, "How about this, I'll pay a deposit first. My family is holding a banquet in the next few days, and all the guests will be important people, so you must be careful. After you deliver the fish to this place, I will send someone to pick you up and take away the fish you delivered. Remember to deliver it every day."

After saying this, the eunuch pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve and handed it to the woman.

Upon hearing this, the fisherwoman nodded earnestly and happily accepted the silver. "Thank you so much! I understand, I understand. I will definitely handle it well!"

The eunuch smiled, turned around, and left.

As soon as he left, a faint, cold smile appeared on the fisherwoman's face, and then she looked in the direction he had gone with icy eyes.

She looked at the silver in her hand, weighed it in her hand, and casually put it into her purse, not caring much about the money.