Chapter 20: Earned Thirty-Four Liang

Gu Yi set the price. “The East Star Grouper is worth seven taels, the longevity fish three taels, and the mackerel, eel, crabs, and shrimp… altogether fifteen taels.”

She thought this price was fair. The weather had been extreme recently, and the fishermen had been too afraid to go out to sea. Even if they did, they couldn’t catch much. As a result, the price of the fish had gone up.

The supplier haggled a little, but they finally settled at fourteen taels. The deal was made with cash exchanged for goods, and the supplier didn’t forget to remind her, “Next time, bring the good fish straight to me. I’ve told you I’ll make sure you’re not at a loss!”

Gu Yi didn’t respond, and she and her brother left, heading straight to the medical shop.

Behind them, He Chunli and her sister secretly watched them leave.

He Chunli saw the silver ingots handed to the supplier, which were then tucked into Gu Yi’s pocket. Her eyes turned green with envy.

These silver ingots and copper coins easily amounted to over ten taels.

How could such a small amount of fish be worth so much? Even with a few expensive fish, it shouldn’t amount to this much money.

“I knew it, they must have connections! They’ve gotten in with the restaurant supplier!” He Chunli’s jealousy was evident.

He Qiuli watched quietly for a moment before saying, “If they can sell, we can too!”

Everyone usually sold their catch by the docks, and while they had thought about selling elsewhere, no one cared to. Eventually, they gave up on trying.

He Chunli’s eyes lit up. “Right! We’ll go sell too!”

“You go ahead and sell! They’re probably not going back now. I’ll follow them and see what they’re up to.” He Qiuli fixed her gaze on them as they disappeared around a corner.

He Chunli pouted. “What are they going to do? They always go to the county to shop and buy stuff. They never seem to care about saving money.”

She didn’t say it aloud, but she was secretly waiting to see how long they could flaunt their wealth. Sooner or later, they’d ruin everything.

But she said nothing and went straight to the back door of the restaurant, eager to meet the supplier.

She ran up to him and, for a moment, didn’t know how to start. Then, raising her catch, she said, “I’ve got fish too! Selling cheap!”

The supplier barely looked at her and gave her a once-over before dismissing her with a wave of his hand. “Go away!”

As he turned to close the door, she widened her eyes and quickly called out, “Wait! I’m from the same village as them! I’ve got the same fish!”

Hearing this, the supplier turned back around. “You know them?”

She nodded and pouted. “Of course I know them! Look at my fish.”

The supplier looked at her bucket, picked through the fish, and his eyes flashed with disdain.

Most of the catch was lifeless, and the variety was plain. None of it was the kind of fish he wanted, like the East Star Grouper or longevity fish.

Nothing special. Not like that pair of siblings at all. There was a clear difference.

Did she really think he would take whatever fish she had?

He felt a little tricked and coldly responded, “I don’t want it!” and tried to shut the door.

“Wait! Why should they get their fish sold, but mine get rejected?” She couldn’t understand why her fish was being rejected when she had caught the same kind.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you really think you’re the same as them? Your fish isn’t good enough.”

He turned to close the door, but she rushed forward and blocked it. “You’re going to ignore me? Just because of them?”

The supplier rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested, and continued shutting the door. He had no patience for her.

She left, defeated, and in her anger, she realized she had wasted so much time trying to sell her fish when the siblings were making money so easily. She felt humiliated.

Meanwhile, Gu Yi and Dalang arrived at the medical shop.

The shop assistant recognized Gu Yi and greeted her enthusiastically. He quickly guessed she wasn’t there for treatment.

“Do you accept medicine?” Gu Yi asked.

The assistant nodded. “It depends on the kind of medicine. If it’s something we need, and the quality checks out, we’ll take it.”

Gu Yi reached into her basket and pulled out the shark liver. “This is shark liver. Do you want it?”

The assistant was surprised to see the shark liver. “This is rare. Not easy to get. You wouldn’t believe how valuable it is.”

He immediately called the shopkeeper over.

The shopkeeper took one look at the liver and immediately recognized its value. Shark liver was rare, had detoxifying properties, and was a great health supplement. Wealthy families in the county sometimes used it for health tonics or dietary plans. It was rare, and therefore, highly sought after.

“This is a bit rough in handling and small in size. If it were fresh, the price would be higher. This one can only go for twenty taels.”

Gu Yi had previously agreed with Dalang to sell it for ten taels, so this new offer was double the expected price. She couldn’t be more pleased.

The two siblings received the money, and this became the largest sum they’d ever made in the barren land. They were both elated.

Gu Yi asked, “Shopkeeper, where do you get your silver needles from?”

If she was going to practice medicine, even occasionally, a medical box and silver needles were essential.

Many villagers were reluctant to travel to the county for medicine. If she had a set of silver needles, it would be much more convenient, and sometimes, silver needles were more effective than herbal medicine.

Her family, especially her younger sister and mother, were still in suboptimal health, so occasional acupuncture would help them recover.

The shopkeeper paused, then replied, “I believe only Dr. Xu in our shop uses silver needles.”

The assistant nodded. “Yes, only Dr. Xu knows how to use silver needles.”

This place was remote, and there were few doctors, let alone skilled ones. It was rare for anyone to even have silver needles.

“Dr. Xu’s needles are made by Luo the blacksmith from the county. Do you know him? But silver needles are expensive.”

Gu Yi smiled, “I see! Thank you.”

Coincidentally, Luo the blacksmith was the one who made the iron pots she had ordered, so she was planning to go check them out.

Gu Yi and Dalang left the shop.

Dalang, curious, asked, “Are you planning to order a set of silver needles?”

He was surprised; he didn’t even know when she had learned how to use them.

Gu Yi nodded. “I sometimes have to treat people, and silver needles are more convenient, especially for treating some women’s ailments.”

He didn’t ask any more questions and followed her.

Meanwhile, He Qiuli stood nearby, watching them carefully. She had seen the grayish meat being sold for twenty taels and was shocked. In one day, they made thirty-four taels—a sum more than most families in the village could make in a year.

She felt envious and agitated. After they left, she carefully asked the assistant, “What kind of medicine did they just sell?”

The assistant didn’t hesitate to answer. “Shark liver. It’s rare and valuable. We definitely take it here at the medical shop.”

He Qiuli was stunned. Shark liver—something they usually discarded—could fetch such a high price here?

She felt both annoyed and regretful. How much had she missed out on?

Her frustration grew as she walked away, realizing that it was the shark liver she had seen earlier, the one everyone had fought over. It wasn’t the Gu family that had claimed it, but someone from the village. Now, she realized, the Gu family had gotten something valuable from it.

With a cold laugh, she muttered, “Those outsiders… they really know how to manipulate us.”