Chapter 84
Tongzhou was not far from Hailin Prefecture, being a neighboring prefecture. With fast travel, it could be reached in three to five days.
However, to procure high-quality seafood at a good price, they had to go to the coastal counties on the edges of Hailin Prefecture.
With such a roundabout journey, the trip back and forth would take at least half a month.
The group returned covered in dust, clearly having traveled day and night to make it back.
Yet, all they brought back was a single cart of goods.
Huo Shu didn’t rush to ask questions. Given the weather and the journey, their exhaustion was understandable.
He let them enter first, helping to carry the goods to the backyard. It was just past lunchtime, and they likely hadn’t eaten yet, so he told Tian Xiaodian to fetch meals from a nearby eatery.
Ji Taoyu prepared hot water and tea for everyone to wash up and rest.
Ji Wenliang, being lively and impatient, had his face stiff from the cold ride back. Only after washing up did he finally relax a little.
He gulped down a mouthful of tea and said, "This trip was really unlucky!"
"What happened? Did something go wrong on the road?"
Ji Taoyu, who had just bought oranges and the sugar-roasted chestnuts Huo Shu got, brought them out for everyone to snack on. Hearing Ji Wenliang’s words, he hurried out from the kitchen.
Huo Shou said, "Aside from the rainy weather in the south making the roads muddy, nothing much happened on the way."
"The problem was that we couldn’t procure much seafood in Hailin Prefecture."
They first arrived in Hailin’s main city and inquired about seafood prices, only to find them shockingly high.
Their original destination was the coastal counties, so they didn’t linger in the city. Yet, even in the seaside towns, after visiting several fishing docks, the prices remained steep—almost matching those in the prefecture’s markets.
Upon asking, they learned that the seas were unstable. Pirates had been raiding since the tenth month.
These pirates were vicious, plundering merchant ships and even killing fishermen at sea.
The prefecture had sent troops to resist them, but losses were heavy.
Fishermen in the coastal towns no longer dared to venture out, relying solely on stored goods for trade. With no end in sight to the standoff, seafood prices had skyrocketed.
They were no longer the cheap bargains of before.
"The prices were too high, and the costs were steep, so we didn’t dare to stock up."
"But since we’d made the trip, we didn’t want to return empty-handed. So we brought back some goods for the New Year."
Huo Shu frowned. He agreed with Uncle Fan’s decision.
If the costs were too high, it wasn’t wise to stock up for resale. News traveled slowly these days, and without knowing about the pirate crisis in Hailin, buyers elsewhere would assume merchants were price-gouging.
Ji Taoyu said, "There’s a small overseas kingdom that’s been peaceful for over a decade. Why are they causing trouble again? Have they forgotten how the imperial army crushed them the last time they invaded?"
Uncle Fan and the others, being from the northern frontier where news was scarce, weren’t familiar with the pirate situation in Hailin.
The north was constantly embroiled in conflict, leaving them little time to worry about troubles in the south.
Huo Shu said, "After ten years of recuperation, they must have regained enough strength to stir trouble again."
He then asked Uncle Fan, "Did you get a sense of the situation?"
Uncle Fan replied, "We asked around. These pirates cause chaos here and there, spreading panic, but they haven’t launched any large-scale attacks."
"Hard to say if they’re testing the waters or planning something bigger."
Huo Shu exhaled heavily, his expression grim.
Tian Xiaodian returned quickly with two food boxes.
Huo Shu said nothing more, letting everyone eat first.
While the others ate, Ji Taoyu couldn’t resist opening the crates.
Tongzhou had plenty of rivers and lakes, so fish and shrimp were common, but they couldn’t compare to the variety of seafood in Hailin.
The crates contained dried goods. Even in winter, when food spoiled more slowly, they hadn’t dared to bring back fresh seafood for the journey.
When the lid was lifted, despite the paper wrapping, the pungent, salty scent of seafood was unmistakable.
He pulled out a bundle—dried cuttlefish, flattened and stiff like a fan.
Even without bringing it close, the distinct oceanic aroma was stronger than that of river fish or shrimp.
He patted it lightly. "Quite plump. The meat will be thick once stewed or steamed."
Next, he found dried abalone, scallops, dried oysters, clams, fish maw, and dried sea cucumbers—all premium seafood.
Since they’d bought directly from the coast, and Ji Wenliang had a good eye, the quality was far better than what merchants sold in Tongzhou.
Truthfully, Tongzhou had everything, but the prices were much higher.
A single large dried sea cucumber could cost two to three hundred copper coins, or even four to five hundred.
Huo Shu stood nearby, watching.
Having spent most of his life in the northern frontier, he’d rarely seen such goods. As Ji Taoyu examined them, he also looked on curiously.
Most of the crate’s contents were seafood, but the bottom layer was packed with dried seaweed and kelp.
Ji Taoyu pulled out a strip of kelp that stretched longer than his own height when held up, its dark surface coated with a fine, salt-like white powder that resembled frost
Ji Wenliang, still holding his rice bowl, sidled over. "This whole crate cost over thirty taels of silver. We didn’t dare buy more."
Huo Shou added, "Seafood is expensive. A tiny portion can cost as much as a whole sheep in the north."
He shook his head. The north ate simply, while the south dined delicately.
Still, they’d eaten at seafood restaurants twice in Hailin. The fresh catches were delicious, though some had a fishy taste he couldn’t get used to.
Ji Taoyu said, "It’s still a good deal. Buying this much seafood in the city would cost two or three times as much, if you could even find it. Prices rise for everything during the New Year."
"And it’s not just the goods—we also spent on travel, food, and lodging. All things considered..."
Ji Wenliang paused. "...it’s still worth it."
Ji Taoyu smiled. "We’ll keep some for ourselves, and the rest can be given as gifts for the New Year."
Now that the shop was open and business was underway, social interactions had also increased.
Although they hadn’t stocked up on goods for trading yet, they no longer had to worry about gifts for the New Year—those were already settled.
Later that day, Ji Taoyu set aside some seafood to give as gifts and brought a generous portion back home.
Uncle Fan and the others also bought a large pig’s trotter, planning to stew it with kelp so their fellow northerners who hadn’t been to Hailin Prefecture could also taste the flavors of the sea.
That evening, the Ji family cooked dried cuttlefish with chicken.
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