2 Chapter 2: Daily_1

Dongting Lake, though nearly a thousand miles in size with many main tributaries and even connected to rivers flowing into the sea, ultimately could not pass through cities and prefectures, directly entering the street markets.

Let alone Mansion City, even for county towns that were twenty to thirty miles away, without horses and carts, fishing families couldn't dream of selling fish in city markets.

They could only set up stalls at the wharf fish market nearby, supplying local residents and merchants from the city who came to purchase.

Xu Yang walked into the fish market, found a spot, and before he had set down his fish basket, saw a group of people approaching. The leader was a robust man with a burly figure and coarse beard and hair.

"Oh, Old Xu, still not dead?"

Accustomed to this greeting, Xu Yang didn't mind. He set down his basket and, with a forced smile, said to the burly man, "All thanks to Seventh Master's blessing!"

"Haha!"

The burly man, called Seventh Master, laughed, looking at the fish basket by Xu Yang's feet, "Did you catch any soft-shelled turtles?"

"Thanks to your blessing, Seventh Master, I was lucky enough to catch one."

Xu Yang took a soft-shelled turtle tied with straw rope from the basket and handed it to a lackey beside the big man.

"I always say, when it comes to catching soft-shelled turtles, no one beats Old Xu!"

The big man smiled and then asked, "How much are you selling it for?"

Xu Yang replied with a smile, "If Seventh Master likes it, please just take it."

"Hey, in business, cash and goods should clear out evenly, that's the rule of the Goldfish Gang. Who dares not to follow it?"

The big man gestured, and one of his subordinates immediately tossed a small string of copper coins to Xu Yang. Then he stretched out his hand toward him and said, "The stall fee for today, plus the pocket money for the month, thirty big coins in total!"

Xu Yang didn't say much, took the small string of copper coins, and then flipped a small bag out from his bosom, pouring out more than ten slimy, fish-smelling copper coins. After counting them several times, he finally handed them over.

Seeing this, the big man smiled again, "If everyone were as straightforward as you, Old Xu, then I, Seventh Master, would have a lot less to worry about."

Xu Yang merely replied with another forced smile.

The big man didn't have more to say and waved his hand, "All right, I won't hinder your business anymore. There's a new batch of dried yellow croakers at Third Mother's place, and that's your favorite, Old Xu. Be sure to give it a try when you pack up later."

"Yes, yes, yes..."

Xu Yang smiled and sent off the big man and his entourage, then took out a small stool and started to hawk loudly with a slightly hoarse voice.

Where there are people, there lies the Martial World, and this small fish market was no exception. In addition to official clerks who collected docking fees, the market also had a fishing czar. Stall fees had to be paid, plus monthly pocket money, and on top of that, tax levies from the authorities. With both the underworld and officialdom bearing down, the common folk were practically wrung dry.

For lone fishermen like Xu Yang, it was one thing, but for those with families to support, the monthly squeeze, plus the daily living expenses for fuel, rice, oil, and salt, meant they could hardly hope to save, and it was a stroke of good fortune not to end up in debt.

If disaster struck, or they fell on hard times, unable to catch fish or beset by severe illness, there was even the possibility of losing everything they owned and having to sell their sons and daughters.

Getting rich through hard work was nothing but a delusional dream!

Chen Qi was such a fishing czar, a boss of the Goldfish Gang ruling over Dongting City's fish market, throwing his weight around.

Don't be fooled by his seemingly amiable demeanor; if you failed to produce the pocket money, he turned into a merciless predator, a wolf or tiger who ate men without spitting out their bones. Over the years, no one knew how many people he had driven to their deaths.

Fortunately, Xu Yang, being alone and a skilled fisherman, managed to get by.

...

"Sister, look at this fish, caught last night, guaranteed fresh, only ten big coins!"

"Who are you calling sister, you old bag of bones, you're old enough to be my father!"

"My apologies, my apologies, young lady, look at this fish..."

"It's barely breathing, still you guarantee freshness, no thank you!"

"Three big coins, if not, I'm leaving!"

"Three big coins, really, that won't do. Look, eight big coins, I'll clean and gut it for you!"

"Fine, fine, eight big coins it is, but throw in that small one for me."

...

Folk struggled to get by, and fishing families even more so. Living by the vast lake, fish sold for a pittance; a basket of fish and shrimp might not fetch much, sometimes even unsold.

Fortunately, Xu Yang had a stroke of luck today; he sold most of his basket of fish, and the odds and ends left over, picked through by the customers, were bundled up and sold off cheaply, earning a total of thirty-five one money.

Xu Yang secured the money and, carrying his fish basket, went to other stalls to buy daily necessities.

Although fish sold for little, as a source of meat, its nutritional value wasn't lacking.

A pity, one could not live on fish alone. Essentials like firewood, rice, oil, and salt were indispensable, especially salt. Without it, one would lack the strength for physical work and would fall prey to various diseases.

So even with the low price of fish, fishermen had no choice but to sell them and use the money to purchase the necessities of life.

This was why Xu Yang reluctantly accepted the oppression of the Goldfish Gang. Otherwise, with his current skills, he could slip into Dongting Lake and neither the authorities nor the Goldfish Gang could hope to find him, let alone collect any taxes or pocket money.

After buying a supply of daily necessities and spending most of the money he made from selling fish, Xu Yang didn't pocket the rest and head home, but instead headed to a small tavern.

"Oh, Old Xu!"

"Are you here to drink a couple of bowls again today?"

"Living alone sure is comfortable."

"Not like us, with families to look after. It's tough!"

The tavern was already filled with customers, who teased Xu Yang when they saw him.

Xu Yang didn't mind and picked a corner near the door to settle down. Then he called over a waiter and ordered, "Two bowls of dried yellow wine, a plate of fennel beans, a plate of scrambled eggs, and half a chicken."

"Right away!"

It wasn't long before the waiter brought the food and drink to his table.

Xu Yang cradled the bowl of wine, sipping it carefully before picking up his chopsticks to eat the side dishes and drink, appearing like a decrepit old man with a passion for wine.

Did he really like wine?

Not really.

But he had to come.

Because the owner of the tavern, Third Mother, was the mistress of the fishing czar Chen Qi from earlier.

Even though as a boss of the Goldfish Gang, Chen Qi ruled the fish market, there were appearances to maintain. One couldn't rob or extort openly, it was necessary to squeeze money from the fishermen's hands without making it too obvious.

Because the fishermen were the property of the Goldfish Gang; such actions would be equivalent to stealing from the Gang, which would not only disturb the market but also break the rules within the Gang. Chen Qi would not dare to take that risk, even if he had ten times the courage.

But just because overt methods won't work doesn't mean covert ones won't either. If you have the wisdom of Zhang Liang, I have a wall-scaling ladder; there's always a way to circumvent gang rules and extort tribute and money under various guises.

Take this tavern for instance, after Xu Yang sells his fish, he must spend here, blowing through the rest of his money to ensure his own safety.

Otherwise, a solitary old man with savings would have long since been slaughtered like a fattened lamb.

That being said, the experience is far from pleasant because the liquor here tastes like water mixed with water, the side dishes are pitifully scant, and the chicken served after being chopped clearly misses a few pieces...

Even a black shop might not be this bad!

However, Xu Yang doesn't show much reaction, sitting in a corner and eating and drinking to himself.

After all, this is still food—it's certainly better than those casinos and brothels that only take money in and never give it back.

The flavorless liquor may not taste of much, but drink enough of it and it goes to your head. Soon enough, people around him started blustering and boasting, even dragging Xu Yang into their conversation.

"Old Xu, you're fifty-eight this year, right? My goodness, quite the elder!"

"Nah, he's older than Old Zhang by half a decade, so probably just in his mid-fifties."

"Honestly, I'm envious of you. Full belly for one, the whole family's not hungry—unlike us..."

"If I were you, no way would I be here drinking. I'd be off enjoying some secret delight."

"Go on, get lost, why bring up such a sore point? Don't you know he injured his 'root' in his early years..."

"Hahaha, no wonder he's never spoken of matchmaking all these years."

"It's a shame, I was thinking of matching you with Old Yu's widow..."

"You'd actually present that old spring onion?"

"Hahahaha!"

The crowd laughed and jeered, ridiculing him in their fun.

Xu Yang, however, remained indifferent, paying them no mind, continuing to eat and drink alone in his corner.

And so it went, drinking bowl after bowl until the afternoon, when Xu Yang finally settled the bill and left, carrying his fish basket away from the fish market.

...

Having returned to his boat and stowed the fish basket, he pushed off toward the waters of the lake, quickly reaching familiar territory.

But before he could even sit down to rest...

"Yang!"

A shout came from the distance.

Xu Yang's gaze sharpened, his movements halted, and his body tensed under his straw raincoat. But just as quickly, he relaxed again, turned his head, and looked in the direction of the sound.

In the distance, a large black-awning boat approached slowly, with an old man standing at the bow, and two young men in simple clothing rowing and punting behind him.

"..."

Xu Yang fell silent for a moment but eventually steered his boat to meet the newcomer.

The boats drew alongside one another, and the elder from the other boat made no pretense of politeness, coming straight onto Xu Yang's boat: "What, don't you recognize me? It's me, Cheng. Big brother, little brother, aren't you going to call uncle?"

"So it's Cheng."

Xu Yang looked at the old man, replying with neutral tone, then got straight to the point, "What do you want?"

"Let's sit down and talk, sit down and talk."

The old man grinned, pulling Xu Yang toward the cabin while the two young men also jumped down, all making their way inside the cabin.

Entering the cabin, the elder glanced around and then shifted back to Xu Yang, chuckling, "Yang, you've gotten old, haven't you? Well, we've all reached this age; it can't be helped. I remember when..."

The man started on mundane topics, and though Xu Yang harbored suspicions, he didn't interrupt immediately and patiently engaged in idle chatter with him.

This man was named Zhang Cheng, a distant cousin of his, but they were not close and had not been in touch for many years. Their scant emotional bond had dried up long ago. His showing up now could not possibly be for anything trivial; nobody would believe it otherwise.

And sure enough, after some rambling, Zhang Cheng disclosed his motive, "Yang, before our uncle passed, he and my father said that we must find you a marriage match so the family line wouldn't end. But who could have expected... well, never mind, let's not talk about that. Second brother!"

Upon finishing, he motioned for the young man behind him to come forward and pointed at him while speaking to Xu Yang, "My second son will take the Xu surname and call you 'father.' He'll look after you in your old age!"

"This..."

"What are you standing there for? Call him 'father'!"

Xu Yang frowned, about to speak, when Zhang Cheng slapped the back of the young man's head.

The youth, with a simple and honest look, promptly stepped forward. Paying no heed to Xu Yang's reaction, he knelt and called out, "Father!"

"..."

Xu Yang remained silent, without a word.

Zhang Cheng smiled, squinting his eyes at Xu Yang and suggested, "Yang, even though this kid isn't the brightest, he's second to none when it comes to work. Let him assist you by your side, look after you as you age, and continue the family line. How about it?"

"..."

Xu Yang looked at him, silent for a while, but eventually nodded in agreement, "That'll do."

"Hm?"

Seeing that Xu Yang had readily agreed, Zhang Cheng's expression sharpened, but then he quickly recovered, clapping his hands and saying, "That settles it then. Second brother, aren't you going to fetch your..."

"Not so fast!"

Xu Yang interrupted, "This is a serious matter. It must be witnessed by others. Let's do this—tomorrow, you and I will host a table of wine and invite some elders for a proper testimony."

Faced with Xu Yang's seriousness, Zhang Cheng paused and then laughed, "Fine, fine, you think of everything, Yang. We'll do just that, and I'll set the table."

"Good!"

"..."

Moments later, Xu Yang stood at the bow, watching Zhang Cheng and his son depart, before he bent his back and slowly turned to go inside the cabin.

Within the cabin, Xu Yang sat in silence for a while; then, he reached down and slid open the floorboard under his feet.

As the board moved, it revealed a hidden compartment holding a sharp dagger, as long as an arm, with frosty blade gleaming with a bone-chilling light.

Xu Yang took out the dagger and without a word, picked up a grinding stone and sat in the cabin, silently sharpening the blade.