Chapter 73 : Trading Seafood for Cotton Clothes

Seeing the woman’s attitude, the smile on Song Shiwei’s face gradually faded.  

“This isn’t some rotten fish or shrimp, these are sea cucumbers and abalone!”  

Hearing those words, the woman was momentarily stunned. The water in the bucket had been dark, and she hadn’t clearly seen what was inside. But since she had already spoken harshly, she didn’t want to take back her words.  

“Who cares what it is? Just leave and stop bothering our business!”  

Song Shiwei didn’t want to waste any more words with her. With that kind of attitude, she didn’t even want to sell to her anymore.  

Just as she was about to turn around, a middle-aged man wearing glasses rushed in hurriedly.  

“Hey, what good dishes do you have today? I need something urgently!”  

The woman’s attitude changed instantly when she saw him. Smiling, she said, “Oh, Director Sun, I’m sorry, but the dishes aren’t ready yet. You might have to wait a little while.”  

Sun Zeyan wiped his forehead anxiously. “How long will it take? What dishes do you have?”  

The woman glanced at the menu beside her.  

“Today, we have dried tofu with spicy peppers, twice-cooked pork, stir-fried pork slices with peppers, spinach and egg soup, and noodles with meat…”  

After listening, Sun Zeyan didn’t seem very satisfied.  

“Do you have anything better?”  

The woman immediately frowned, looking a little annoyed. “Director Sun, these are already our best dishes. What else do you want?”  

Sun Zeyan knew that these were considered luxurious dishes for ordinary people, many families couldn’t even afford them. But today, the factory was entertaining high-ranking officials!  

The factory director had specifically instructed them to prepare the best food and drinks to impress the guests.  

Looking at the simple dishes, Sun Zeyan frowned.  

“Is your manager, Old Zhou, here? I need to talk to him!”  

The woman pouted and tossed the order slip onto the counter.  

“He’s in the kitchen, counting today’s ingredients. I’ll go call him.”  

Just as Song Shiwei was about to leave, the anglerfish in the bucket suddenly flapped its fins, splashing water everywhere. The sudden movement startled Sun Zeyan, who had been standing nearby.  

He pointed at the bucket in shock. “What… what is that?!”  

“Oh, this bucket has a big anglerfish, and the other one has sea cucumbers and abalone,” Song Shiwei explained.  

The moment she mentioned sea cucumbers and abalone, Sun Zeyan was stunned. Then, excitement lit up his face.  

“Sea cucumbers and abalone?!”  

Song Shiwei nodded. “Yes.”  

“They’re alive?”  

She nodded again. “Yes, freshly caught from the sea.”  

Sun Zeyan was overjoyed. He had been searching for the perfect dish, and now it had practically fallen into his lap!  

But… what exactly was a anglerfish?  

He had never heard of it before and leaned in curiously to get a closer look. However, the fish in the bucket seemed to sense danger.  

Suddenly, it lifted its head and opened its mouth wide, revealing a terrifying set of sharp fangs as it lunged upwards.  

Sun Zeyan staggered back in fright.  

“What the hell is that?!”  

His panicked reaction was almost comical.  

Song Shiwei held back her laughter and patiently explained, “This is an anglerfish, a deep-sea fish. Its meat is rich in gelatin and incredibly delicious. Its liver, in particular, is considered the most exquisite part often called the ‘gold of the sea’ on dining tables.”

When Sun Zeyan heard this, he immediately became interested in the fish.  

“How do you eat this fish?”  

Seeing his curiosity and considering the reason for his visit, Song Shiwei felt she might be able to sell it to him.  

She patiently explained, “This fish can be braised, steamed, made spicy, or stewed in soup! It tastes delicious! But…”  

“But what?”  

Sun Zeyan was listening intently. When she suddenly stopped talking, he quickly urged her to continue.  

Song Shiwei smiled. “But I think all of these methods would be a waste of such a fine fish. If I were to prepare it, I’d go with ‘One Fish, Five Ways.’”  

“One Fish, Five Ways?”  

Sun Zeyan had eaten plenty of good food, but this was the first time he had heard of cooking a fish in five different ways.  

Song Shiwei smirked. “If you buy this fish, I’ll explain it in detail! If not, I won’t waste my time, I still need to go out and sell my seafood.”  

Seeing that she was about to leave with the bucket, Sun Zeyan became anxious.  

“I’ll buy it! I’ll buy it! Comrade, please don’t go! How much are you selling this fish for? But if it’s too expensive, I won’t take it!”  

He had finally found the perfect dish, how could he let her walk away?  

Besides, forget just this ugly fish he had to get his hands on that bucket of sea cucumbers and abalone too!  

Hearing that he was interested in buying, Song Shiwei was delighted.  

Pointing at the anglerfish, she said, “I don’t want much for this fish. I just want to exchange it for some cotton and cloth coupons!”  

As soon as Sun Zeyan heard she didn’t want money, only coupons, he felt relieved.  

What did their factory produce? Their factory was the largest garment manufacturer in Qing City. If they had anything in abundance, it was fabric and clothing.  

She didn’t want money, just cloth and cotton coupons? That was as good as getting the fish for free!  

With a chuckle, he said, “Comrade, do you need the coupons to make winter clothing?”  

Song Shiwei nodded. “Yes, winter is coming soon. I want to exchange this seafood for cloth and cotton coupons to make warm clothes for my family.”  

Sun Zeyan was even more pleased.  

“Then you’ve come to the right person! Our factory makes clothes, and I’m a workshop director there. My last name is Sun. How about this, if you don’t mind older styles, our factory happens to have some overstocked cotton-padded clothes for adults and children. I’ll trade you your fish and the bucket of sea cucumbers and abalone for some of them. What do you think?”  

Song Shiwei was surprised and thrilled. This was even better than she had hoped! She had been worried that even if she got the cloth and cotton, buying the materials would be difficult. And even if she managed to get them, she couldn’t sew clothes herself she’d have to ask the neighbors for help.  

But now, she had the chance to trade for ready-made winter clothes!  

Who cared about the old styles? In her hometown on Qilian Island, these kinds of clothes weren’t available at all. Even if someone had money, they couldn’t buy them without ration tickets!  

“Alright! I don’t mind the older styles. But I want to trade this fish for two cotton-padded coats and this bucket of sea cucumbers and abalone for four coats!”  

Sun Zeyan hesitated for a moment.  

Just then, the middle-aged woman returned with the restaurant manager. Hearing what Song Shiwei said, she was so angry that her face turned red with fury.  

“You shameless woman! You’re just using some random fish to fool people! Didn’t I tell you to leave? Why are you still here?!”