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Jiang Sanlang quickly picked up the deboning knife, drew it across the fish, and asked, “Where do you want a piece from? The dorsal flesh is delicate and can be made into fish slices, while the belly is fatty and can be braised or grilled, you see…”

The fox fur hat member gestured around the fish’s body, “Just here, cut two more pieces of the fins, a bit deeper, more sticky flesh.”

Apparently, the flesh under the fish’s fins tastes the most delicious, particularly the large fish’s fin meat, when stewed or boiled, it is delightful. His master especially had a taste for it.

“Alright then.” With a swift movement, Jiang Sanlang chopped off a large chunk of fish and cut away two pieces of the fin. He tied them together with a thin hemp rope and hung them on a hook to be weighed.

“It weighs a total of twenty-one catties (about 25.2 kg) and three taels. I’ll discount the weight of the hemp rope and call it twenty-one catties for you. It’s two hundred and ten coins.”

The man in the fox fur hat took four strings of coins from the coin pouch around his waist and added another ten copper coins before handing it to Jiang Sanlang.

Jiang Sanlang took the coins and counted them. Four strings, each containing fifty coins, added to ten odd pieces, just the right amount of two hundred and ten coins.

“Thank you for shopping.” With the fish handed over to the customer in both hands, Jiang Sanlang had a big grin on his face as he waved off his first customer.

After making the first successful sale, things went smoothly, and the few spectators who had been lingering around also each purchased large portions of fish before leaving.

The crowd at the market was getting bigger and bigger. Most of the fish on Jiang brothers’ cart were already sold.

Then, the local tax collector, Xiang Zhi, arrived. He inspected the goods in the cart and demanded twenty coins as the market tax.

Jiang Dalang was displeased and intended to argue the amount, but his younger brother intervened.

Jiang Sanlang handed over twenty coins to Xiang Zhi, sliced another chunk of meat from the fish’s head and handed over: “This is our first time setting up a stall in the town. This is a small token of our gratitude.”

Xiang Zhi eyed him for a moment, chuckled, accepted the fish meat and asked:

“Which village are you from? Are you coming back next time?”

“From Chen Village, if we manage to catch more fish, we will surely come back.” Jiang Sanlang also laughed.

“Alright then.” Xiang Zhi remarked: “Next time you come, set up your stall right here. I’ll consider you as regular traders, and you’ll only need to pay ten coins each time.”

Jiang Sanlang thanked him and said, ‘We are indebted to you.”

After Xiang Zhi left, Jiang Dalang complained, “The stalls around us only have to pay three to five coins. The ones who sell vegetables and eggs only need to pay one or two coins. Why did he ask us for twenty coins? Why did you even give it to him?”

“Even dragons don’t step on local snakes. Our village is far from town, and we are not familiar with these people. If we want to sell fish smoothly in the future, we have to keep a low profile temporarily.”

Jiang Sanlang explained, “Besides, we don’t have the time to quarrel with him.”

“Sanlang is right. We might come back next time. It’s a good thing that Xiang

Zhi has arranged a fixed place for us now.

Jiang Dalang was silent for a moment before asking, “Will we come again? Can we catch such a big fish again?

Jiang Sanlang scratched his head without uttering a word.

Whether we can catch a big fish is uncertain, but regular fish should be fine.

We still have two of our little girl’s baits left, which should suffice for two more times.

By noon, the last bits of fish were sold out, even the fish heads and bones have been sold at a low price; the three brothers pushed their empty cart home. As soon as they reached their house, the three brothers hurried inside to count the money.

With a swoosh sound, the money bag was poured out, and a pile of copper coins made people dizzy.

They counted the money together and quickly reached a conclusion.

“Four thousand five hundred and thirteen coins. One fish sold for over four thousand five hundred coins!” Jiang Dalang was ecstatic.

This amount was nearly close to his family’s annual income.

Jiang Dalang worked on the land, and the total annual yield was only fifteen to sixteen coins. After deducting land taxes, household taxes, and miscellaneous expenses, not to mention the cost of seeds, only remained around five to six coins. Their living conditions were very tight.

Luckily, he and his brothers had some hunting skills; every winter they would go hunting to make up for the household expenses. Otherwise, they would not have made ends meet.

He didn’t expect to be so lucky this year. In the summer, they made more than two coins with Sanlang, and today, they earned more than four coins. Combined, they had seven coins in total.

Although this money would eventually be divided among the three of them, each receiving a part, it would remain in Jiang’s family.

Jiang Dalang couldn’t help but laugh out loud, looking expectantly at Sanlang and asking, “Sanlang, are we going to go fishing again tomorrow?”

Jiang Sanlang scratched his head, “Why don’t we wait a bit longer? In about ten days, there will be a big gathering. We can go fishing prior to the gathering, that way we can sell the fish fresh the next day.”

On the first and fifteenth of every lunar month, the country folks would come out in droves for the temple fair. Everyone had to make the most of it, especially as they could sell the fish at a higher price. Furthermore, in just a short span of time, it would be the Lunar New Year. Before the festival, the market would be more bustling as everybody needed to prepare the New Year goods and were also more willing to spend.

“Yes, Yes, Yes! Sanlang makes sense.”

Jiang Erlang kept nodding his head, “In another month, it’ll be the Lunar New Year. If we fish before the festival and sell it at the market, we might fetch a good price.”

Jiang Dalang was slightly disappointed, but he agreed with his brothers,

“Hmm, that’s better, we have already caught the big catfish from the river.

There won’t be another one for a while. Let’s just wait for some time.”

After the three brothers came to a consensus, they started to divide the money.

Over four coins in total were at first discounted with the odd change, and then, the net four coins were divided into three portions. Each family received one thousand three hundred and thirty-four coins.

The remaining five hundred and eleven coins were given as a dutiful share to their parents, two hundred coins. The other three hundred and eleven coins were requested by Jiang Dalang to be given to Yingbao.

It was because he observed that Yingbao had put something in the river that attracted those two big fish.

“Are we good with this division?” As the eldest brother, Jiang Dalang spoke with an authoritative tone.

Jiang Erlang quickly nodded, “I agree. The big fish came for Yingbao. Without my grandniece, we would not have been able to catch such big fish.”

Jiang Sanlang laughed and said, “Thanks to my two elder brothers. I’ll accept it on behalf of Yingbao for now, and hand it to her when we get home. However, there’s a matter that I’d like to inform my brothers in advance.”

Jiang Dalang and Jiang Erlang were both slightly taken aback, “Sanlang, just say it. Your brothers are all ears.”

Jiang Sanlang coughed once, and said, “I speak straight and simply, please don’t take it personally. But this matter relates to my daughter so I had to speak up first.

Well, we are all family here, no need for pretense. But outside, please remember not to mention that the big fish were attracted to Yingbao. She is still young, and I worry that people might start spreading unsavory rumors.”

“Understood.” Jiang Dalang patted Sanlang’s shoulder, “You are right to remind us. We forgot about it. Your brothers will be cautious in the future.” Jiang Erlang also assured, “I will not mention it outside. Sanlang, rest assured.”

Jiang Sanlang bowed to his brothers, and said with a laugh, “Thank you for your consideration, brothers.”

“It’s not about being considerate or not. You have reminded us. Let me tell my son right away, not to talk nonsense when he goes out.”

“Hmm, hmm.”

Back home with the money, Jiang Sanlang immediately told his wife and daughter about everything and handed over the money that belonged to Yingbao.

Yingbao happily received it and placed it into the small wooden box in her bed.

Ha -ha, she finally earned her first batch of money.

Though not much, being less than two years old, she was already a little tycoon in the village.

Sister Dani, was almost ten years old. Her family had already started looking for a good family for her to marry into, but she had not a single coin in her possession.

Compared to her cousins, she was simply rolling in riches.

Yup, after a while, she’ll definitely ask father to take her to the market to buy colored silk and fabric flowers as hair accessories for her older cousins..