Chapter 23 Entering the City

Song Wenhui quickly brought the backpack over and put all the sea urchins in it. She was carrying the backpack and holding the bucket of fish in her hand.

"Aunt, please take the fish home first and take good care of it. I'll go get the basket and be back soon."

Jiang Wan said this and pulled her cousin to find the place where she had buried the basket yesterday.

It was low tide now, and her basket was far enough from the sea that it was not easy for the villagers to find it.

"Cousin, can you really catch anything with such a smelly fish?"

"Of course you can. Stinky fish may smell bad to us, but it's a delicacy to those marine creatures. People from different regions have different eating preferences, not to mention different species. Look at the dog in the village, it loves to eat shit..."

Jiang Wan had only said half of the word "shit" when her cousin covered her mouth.

Yin Ning looked left and right to make sure that all the villagers were far away before she let go of his hand, her face blushing and adorable.

"You have such a mouth! How can you say such words..."

If someone heard a little girl saying these things, her image would be ruined.

"Cousin, we are all from the village, so why should we be afraid of these things? I used to hear those aunties talk much more rudely than I do. We should adapt to the local customs, and forget about remembering the rules of the aristocracy, it's so tiring."

She can’t say this, can’t do that, and now she is glad that she was exiled.

"Let's go, let's go and see if the basket is still there."

Jiang Wan took her cousin away, and after the two sisters walked away, the two people who were lying behind the reef not far behind them and trying to catch octopus stood up.

"Brother Yue, this new Miss Kyoto speaks really interestingly."

The boy had a very dark complexion, but his teeth were dazzlingly white.

"Behave yourself and don't provoke them."

Lian Yue only glanced at the two of them and then looked away and put the octopus into the basket. Lian Qiao also calmed down and talked about business.

"Brother Yue, Wanyuzhai can't collect fish recently. The price of fish at the dock has been suppressed a lot. Should we sell the fish we catch at a lower price in the future? Or should we find another way out?"

"Let's lower the price like everyone else. It would be a waste if we don't sell the fish in this weather."

The weather will get hotter and hotter, and the fish will become less and less resilient. He is not a god, and with limited abilities, he can only follow the crowd.

Jiang Wan didn't know that there was an acquaintance nearby. She pulled her cousin to the place where the basket was buried, pulled aside the surrounding weeds, looked inside, and immediately smiled.

"Look, cousin~"

She pulled out the basket, and Yin Ning looked out and saw the crab waving its big claws.

One, two...

"Cousin! A crab leg is missing!"

"It's okay. It's normal for crabs to fight when there are too many of them. We won't sell them. We'll just eat them at home so they can break their legs."

Jiang Wan was thinking about going into the city, so she picked up the basket and went straight home without any delay.

At this time, all the herbs in the house have been tied up and put into the backpack, plus a red grouper. Today's income in the city depends entirely on them.

"Let's go, let's go. We still have to go to the ferry to wait for the boat."

It takes a long time to travel from coastal villages to the city by land, but traveling by water can save half the time. In addition, there are many fishing boats and rafts in each village, so people usually go to the city by water.

Whether it is a fishing boat or a raft, when going from village to village into the city, if you see people at the ferry, you will stop. You will be charged one cent per person, and you can earn some money on the way into the city.

Jiang Wan and the other two didn't have to wait at the ferry for long. They paid three cents and quickly got on the boat.

"Hey! This is a seven-star spotted fish!"

There was another person on the boat, a woman from the next village. When she saw the fish in the bucket, her eyes widened and she stood around the bucket in amazement.

"The last time I heard of someone catching a seven-spotted grouper was four years ago. You girls are so lucky."

This was the first time that the old lady saw a seven-star grouper up close, and she felt inexplicably excited.

"No wonder all the old men like this fish. Look how festive it is in its bright red color."

Yin Huaixi raised his eyebrows and walked forward to talk to the old lady.

"Auntie, do you remember how much you sold that seven-star grouper for last time?"

"I remember, of course I remember! I sold it for five taels of silver!"

Most sea fish cost a few coins per pound, and the more expensive ones only cost a dozen coins. When the fisherman sold them for five taels of silver, I don't know how many people were shocked.

"If you don't believe me, ask Lao Yu. He will definitely remember it."

The old lady turned around and shouted outside the cabin. Old Yu, who had listened to the whole process, gave a positive answer, saying that it was indeed sold for five taels.

Yin Ning covered her mouth in surprise, but Jiang Wan was a little disappointed.

She thought she could sell the fish for more than ten taels, or even dozens of taels, but it was only sold for five taels. She was too greedy.

Five taels is not bad. You know, it is very difficult for the villagers to earn five taels. If this trip goes well today, I can buy a lot of things for my family.

Thinking of this, Jiang Wan became happy again. The two sisters sat beside the wooden barrel, listening to the gossip from the neighboring village while looking at the unparalleled beauty outside. They felt that time passed very quickly.

Soon the fishing boat stopped near the pier. Yin Huaixi was very relieved about her daughter. She carried the bucket in one hand and held her niece in the other. The three of them asked about the location of the city gate and went straight there. After each of them paid two cents, they finally entered the city.

Yin Ning had lived in the back house since she was a child, and she rarely left home except for banquets and incense burning. She was unfamiliar with the streets and alleys of Kyoto, let alone this unfamiliar Yuanxi City.

The little girl shrank her eyes, curious about the surrounding scene but afraid of being stared at. She looked at her cousin, but saw that her cousin was looking around openly, and several times she even asked for directions from passers-by in a sweet voice.

Her admiration for her cousin suddenly deepened. If she were to go, she would definitely not be able to finish her sentences.

"Mother, the uncle just now said that the two best restaurants in the city are both on Changhong Street. There is also one near the drugstore. Should we go there first?"

Yin Huaixi nodded. She really had to sell the fish first. Otherwise, if the fish died suddenly, she would not be able to sell it at a high price. Besides, the bucket was full of water and it was really heavy. She could hardly lift it.

"Is Changhong Street far?"

"It's a bit far, but it's quick if you take the alley."

Jiang Wan got a lot of useful information by talking sweetly. Changhong Street and the streets around it were very busy and the prices were not low. Many residents in the surrounding area would come here from the alleys to buy vegetables and meat. They only needed to follow those residents who were buying vegetables to get to Changhong Street.

Without even a sip of water, the three followed the people buying food in groups of three or four, walked through several alleys, and finally arrived at a slightly bustling street. After asking someone, they found out that the restaurant was only two cups of tea away.

One is called Fengweilou and the other is called Dongfuju.

"Let's go to the nearest Dongfuju."

Jiang Wan noticed that A'niang was struggling, so she took the bucket and carried it with her cousin all the way to Dongfuju.

Ahem...she almost went too far. Luckily her cousin could read and stopped to hold her back, otherwise she would have been exposed.