novelSusiti Chapter 5: How did selling fish become the Dragon King offering treasure?
Chapter 5: How did selling fish become the Dragon King offering treasure?
Guangling City was a rare and prosperous place, and it was a famous land of extravagance during the Dayu Dynasty. The city was divided into many small communities by rivers, and there were more than two hundred bridges of various sizes. Seventy-two of these bridges were famous and have been recorded in poems.
Li Xuan walked across the bridges, big and small, with practiced ease. Seeing the familiar white banner sign, he wiped away imaginary sweat and ran over happily.
This was a silk shop, and most of its customers were women. So there were quite a few female customers inside, selecting and appraising fabrics. Li Xuan ran to the door, but seeing so many women, she didn't dare go in; instead, she peered out from the doorway.
The quick-witted waiter recognized him and hurried out to greet him: "Isn't this Brother Xuan? What brings you here today?"
Li Xuan said amiably, "Erxi, is the shopkeeper here? I'm here in town to do business today, and I need your help."
Erxi understood immediately: "Yes, yes, Master is in the shop. Please come with me and don't offend the female customer."
Li Xuan quickly replied, "No, no, I would never dare to offend you."
After saying this, Erxi led Li Xuan into the shop from the edge away from the female customer. As they walked, Erxi greeted the female customer with a cupped-fist salute. Li Xuan smiled and returned the salute, saying, "I apologize for my intrusion."
Whether in the Great Yu Dynasty or the present-day Yu Kingdom, it was not uncommon for women to interact with men when they went out. Here, being a public place, the female guests only returned the greetings briefly before resuming their selections.
The silk shop was owned by Li Xuan's cousin, Li Hua. The property belonged to Li Ji and was his last remaining possession. It was a combined commercial and residential building, with the shop in the front and the living quarters in the back. After Li Ji had no other businesses, he originally intended to sell the shop as well. Li Hua stepped in to stop him from "wasting his fortune" and proposed renting the property to open a silk shop.
As Li Ji's almost only close relative, Li Xuan negotiated with Li Hua on Li Ji's behalf, and finally settled on a rental agreement for twenty bolts of silk and one hundred catties of millet per year. Therefore, Li Hua was quite familiar with the brothers Li Xuan and Li Ji. He had been operating in Guangling City for a long time and had extensive connections, and had already acquired several shops. However, Li Ji's house was the largest and best, suitable for living. So Li Hua set up his "headquarters" there.
Li Hua was setting out counting rods in the room. He started as a shop assistant and worked his way up to become the owner of several shops by the age of thirty. He had established a reputation among the merchants in Guangling City, all thanks to his diligence, conscientiousness, and fair business practices.
Li Xuan knocked gently on the door. Li Hua looked up at the sound and said with surprise, "Brother Xuan, what brings you here? It's not even December yet, there's no need to rush to collect rent."
Li Xuan laughed and said, "Uncle Hua, you're joking. Yesterday, my family caught a big blackfish, weighing over twenty catties. We rushed to Guangling early this morning to sell it. I thought it would be more profitable to sell it to a wealthy family in urgent need than to a restaurant, but I don't have any connections. I have no other choice but to ask Uncle Hua for help."
Mutual assistance among clansmen is a social consensus. Even in today's world, where etiquette has collapsed and morality has declined, clan relationships remain a haven carefully cherished by everyone, not even the most vulgar and tyrannical warlords.
How could Li Hua be an exception? He was in business. Of the four classes of people—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants were the most despised and therefore the most concerned with maintaining their image. As a merchant, one earned a reputation; as a member of the clan, one even more so, one had to earn a name.
Li Hua stood up and thought for a moment: "Hmm, a fish weighing over twenty catties is quite large. If it were any bigger, it would be considered an auspicious sign. We need to find a good family to take it into. How about this: Prince Qi, Li Da, is serving as the garrison commander of the Eastern Capital in Guangling. I have a prior relationship with the steward of the garrison commander's office, so I'll take you there to explore some connections. Prince Qi is of the highest bloodline, and he eats only the finest food. A blackfish weighing over twenty catties is practically a dragon's offspring, worthy of him."
Li Xuan asked worriedly, "The King of Qi holds a high position; might he renege on his debt?"
Li Hua laughed and said, "It's alright. My uncle has quite a bit of business with them. To put it bluntly, it's just a fish; they wouldn't be tempted by money."
With Li Hua's guarantee, Li Xuan had no further objections and immediately rode in the same car with Li Hua to the garrison headquarters.
Li Xuan looked at the luxuriously decorated carriage and said to Li Hua, "Uncle has indeed prospered. Now his carriage is comparable to that of the Prefect."
Li Hua smiled wryly and said, "It's all the vulgarity of the outside world. In this day and age, when doing business, you have to respect clothes before you respect people. If you don't have any prestige, people won't even bother to talk to you. This is the carriage we use to go to the garrison headquarters. If we go to other government offices or other shops, we have different carriages, and those can't compare to this one in terms of luxury."
Li Xuan asked, "I wonder what kind of person this Prince Qi is? Even my uncle needs a luxurious carriage to go out on business. Could it be that his household sets an example of extravagance, with him leading the way?"
Li Hua sighed, "They are sons of dragons and phoenixes, so noble and honorable. The wealth in the garrison's mansion is something we can only dream of. Even a small portion of it would be enough for us to live on endlessly."
Li Xuan shook his head: "What dragon princes and phoenix grandsons? Everyone in Guangling knows their family background. To be so extravagant after only occupying two-thirds of the world is not an attitude of ambition."
Li Hua quickly covered Li Xuan's mouth; "Little darling, stop talking, you mustn't show your feelings on your face. I'll talk to her later."
Naval Base
The butler strolled in leisurely, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Oh dear, what brings Manager Li here?"
Li Hua said with a smile, "My family caught a big black fish yesterday, weighing over twenty catties. Such a precious dragon fish, besides the Prince of Qi, who else in Guangling City could enjoy it? Upon hearing the news, I came to ask you for help without even opening my shop."
Upon hearing this, the steward's eyes lit up: "Oh my, dragon seed! That's incredibly valuable. Indeed, only a prince is qualified to consume dragon seed. Old Li, you're a true friend. Tell me, how much do you want to sell it for?"
Li Hua quoted a price: "One hundred strings of cash, the old rule, nine times nine equals one." The so-called nine times nine equals one means that the steward takes nine and Li Hua takes one.
Li Xuan didn't understand the concept of "returning to oneness," but he was startled by the price of one hundred strings of cash. His uncle's asking price was far too outrageous.
Unexpectedly, the steward laughed heartily and said, "Brother Li, you're too honest. How can a mere hundred strings of cash be worthy of a royal heir? How about this, I'll offer a thousand strings of cash, plus two hundred bolts of silk. A thousand pieces of gold can't buy the prince's happiness. As long as Prince Qi is happy, this amount of money is nothing."
Even the seasoned businessman Li Hua was taken aback. He smiled wryly and said, "Alright, I'll do as you say, brother. The black carp is still on a boat under Yingxun Bridge outside the city. Do you think it would be better if the government sent a carriage to fetch it back?"
The butler readily agreed, "Yes, we must welcome them back in a grand manner. I'll get you a flight ticket first, and then we'll go together. We need to make a big show of it."
Li Xuan was stunned. It was just a blackfish, how could it be so valuable? But the butler was in a good mood after making a big deal, and when he saw the tall Li Xuan, he praised, "Is this your nephew? Good size, good physique."
Li Xuan quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Your Excellency."
Later, the steward rode in the mansion's luxurious carriage in front, with Li Hua and Li Xuan riding behind. Li Hua explained the situation to Li Xuan: "Therefore, you can only get one hundred strings of cash and twenty bolts of silk. Don't complain about it being too little, and don't make a fuss about it."
Li Xuan said admiringly, "No wonder Uncle wanted to sell it to the garrison. Xuan has truly broadened his horizons."
Li Hua sighed, "The world is in chaos, and demons are running rampant. Once they rise to high positions, they squander money like water. It's beyond our imagination."
The garrison's carriages and horses packed the market to the point of being impassable. Li Xuan and Li Chang carefully carried the large black fish aboard the boat. After inspecting it with his own eyes, the steward nodded in approval: "The Prince of Qi has just arrived in Guangling, and the Dragon King has already offered up dragon offspring. This is a blessing from Heaven for our Great Yu."
The poor black fish, unable to escape the manipulation of the naval base's professionals, was transferred to a pure gold basin. The naval base's entourage then departed in a grand procession, accompanied by the sounds of gongs and drums.
The tax collectors at the market watched as the steward praised Li Xuan, and their attitude towards Li Xuan and Li Chang improved accordingly: "Oh, Brother Chang, and Brother Xuan, you should just say you have connections with the garrison. Look, the flood has washed away the Dragon King's temple; how can I possibly take your money?"
Li Xuan pushed the money back: "We weren't familiar with each other before, and we've been quite distant. My brother Chang has been selling his goods here for many days, and it's only because of your care that he's been able to do so peacefully. This little bit of money is just a token of my gratitude."
When the garrison's convoy blocked the market, a carriage on Yingxun Bridge was also blocked from entering the city. The owner of the carriage instructed the maid outside, "Ying'er, go and see why there's a blockage ahead."
The maid took the order and went to investigate, eventually reaching the morning market where she listened to the stories told by the onlookers.
Then she spotted the Li brothers, Li Xuan and Li Chang, and with Li Hua present, she understood. Smiling, she turned and went to the carriage to inform her mistress: "Miss, what a coincidence! The Prince of Qi's steward and his carriages are blocking the road. They can't get through. But I inquired under the bridge just now; it turns out that Manager Li Hua sold a dragon-breed black carp to the Prince of Qi's mansion. The Prince of Qi considered it an auspicious omen and sent carriages to welcome it. I even saw Brother Li at the market."
The owner of the carriage was a young girl. She glared at the maid and gently lifted a corner of the curtain to look down at the bridge, but unfortunately the bridge railing blocked her view.
The girl sighed and said, "I never imagined he'd fallen so low as to be a fishmonger in the marketplace. Wait a minute, how do you know Brother Li?"
The maid smiled and said, "Miss, although I was young a few years ago, I knew very well who I should recognize and who I didn't need to remember."
The girl didn't delve into the reasons behind it, but simply instructed with concern, "His parents are deceased, and I don't know what kind of person he is or what he has been through. Since he's selling fish, you should keep an eye on his business and see what he does on a daily basis. Understand?"
The maid smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Miss, I know how to wake up properly."