Chapter 522 - 524: Zhao Yu Village

Chapter 522: Chapter 524: Zhao Yu Village

"Don’t be so nervous. It’s just a three-year-old child." Jin Qianqian patted Lichun and the others on the back.

Lichun and the others, however, did not relax. They had been careless before, and they would not allow such a mistake to happen a second time.

"Little girl, where are the grown-ups in your family?"

The little girl sized them up curiously. It was clear at a glance that these three pretty ladies weren’t from the village.

"The grown-ups are at home," the little girl said, staring at them curiously.

"Then why are you here all by yourself?" Jin Qianqian thought. ’The people here are really something else, leaving a child alone at the village entrance. Aren’t they afraid of kidnappers?’

The little girl tilted her head and thought for a moment. "Daddy and Mommy are asleep, so I came out to play."

Jin Qianqian knew, of course, that the fishermen here worked according to the tides, sometimes spending the whole night at sea.

’This little girl probably snuck out while the grown-ups were resting. That would explain why there’s almost no one in the village during broad daylight.’

Jin Qianqian straightened up and looked at Lichun and the others. "It seems we’ve come at a bad time. We shouldn’t enter the village and disturb their rest."

Since their mistress had spoken, Lichun and the others naturally had no objections. Just as they were about to turn and leave, they saw an old woman leaning on a cane, hurrying toward them.

"Little Hua, what are you doing all the way out here? Hurry back." The old woman looked at them with a guarded expression, not forgetting to scold the little girl and urge her to come over.

"Who are you? What business do you have in our Zhaoyu Village?"

"Zhaoyu Village," Jin Qianqian glanced at the seafood laid out to dry on the beach and nodded. "That’s an auspicious name."

"Hello, Ma’am. I just wanted to ask, do you sell your seafood products to outsiders?"

"Here to buy goods?" The old woman sized them up for a moment. "You don’t look like buyers."

’The usual buyers never dress like this. Aren’t they afraid the sea breeze will ruin such new, fine clothes?’

Jin Qianqian looked down at herself and saw nothing amiss. She had even picked out some of her plainer clothes for this trip.

But she had forgotten that to fisherfolk accustomed to wearing coarse linen, even her plainest clothes were a luxury they could never hope to afford.

"We don’t sell to the public; we supply regular merchants. Why don’t you try another village?" The old woman’s gaze swept across their young faces as she secretly wondered about their true intentions.

Jin Qianqian hadn’t known these villages had exclusive arrangements with merchants. She smiled and said, "My servants and I were just passing through and hoped to bring some seafood back with us. We don’t need a large amount. I was wondering if you could spare some for us, Ma’am?"

The old woman relaxed a little. They had encountered situations like this before.

’Just some young masters and ladies from the city with nothing better to do, wanting to stroll by the sea and pick up some souvenirs on the way back.’

"In that case, you’ll have to wait here. I’ll go get the person in charge. An old woman like me doesn’t understand these matters."

Jin Qianqian replied, "Of course. We’ll be troubling you then, Ma’am."

The old woman started to head back with her cane, but she stopped after a few steps and called out to the little girl, "Ah Hua, come back with Grandma. Your parents will worry if they wake up and can’t find you."

The little girl was quite obedient. She trotted over, took the old woman’s hand, and glanced back at Jin Qianqian. "Grandma, they’re so pretty."

"Yes, they’re important people. Ah Hua, remember, you mustn’t offend them..."

Lichun waited until the old woman and child were some distance away. "Madam, life in this fishing village seems quite good. I’m afraid no one will be willing to join us."

Jin Qianqian replied, "It doesn’t matter if no one is willing. The seafood products here look well-prepared. If possible, let’s order some to take back. They’ll be perfect for New Year’s gifts."

Jin Qianqian wouldn’t force an uncertain issue. Besides, since they were already here and had seen so much fresh seafood, it would be a waste not to stock up on some.

"I’m just afraid we won’t be able to buy this seafood," said Li Qiu, who usually handled procurement for their estate and knew how these things worked.

Clever merchants would buy up entire batches, then sell them off in smaller portions to make a profit.

Seeing how meticulously the seafood was prepared, she didn’t have high hopes.

She was just trying to manage the Madam’s expectations, afraid she would be too disappointed later.

Jin Qianqian said, "Success or failure, we’re only spending a little time to ask. But it seems this fishing village has its own unique methods; otherwise, they wouldn’t have such a good haul."

The mistress and her servants stood chatting at the village entrance. Before long, several burly men came running toward them, startling Lichun and the others. They immediately assumed a defensive stance, even wondering whether to signal the guards following them to hurry over.

Jin Qianqian gently patted their shoulders. "No need to panic. Let’s assess the situation first."

’Even if something happens, we only need to hold them off for a few moments. The guards aren’t far and can arrive in time.’

Fortunately, the men stopped some distance away to size them up, whispering amongst themselves.

After a moment, the old man leading them approached with two old women.

Seeing them act this way, Jin Qianqian and her two attendants knew these people understood propriety.

"I am Village Chief Xiao of this Zhaoyu Village. May I ask what seafood our honored guests are looking for?"

Lichun asked, "So you do sell your seafood to outsiders?"

Village Chief Xiao smiled. "Large quantities might not be possible, but if you only require a small amount, then I can make that decision."

’For bulk supplies, the price is always pushed down. We’ve had individual customers like this before. They pay a higher price, which makes life a little easier for the villagers.’

’After all, the villagers risk their lives for this. Who wouldn’t want to earn a few more Silver Taels?’

Li Qiu glanced back at Jin Qianqian, who gave her a slight nod. Li Qiu’s face immediately broke into a polite smile. "Village Chief Xiao, as long as the quality is excellent, we’ll take as much as you’re willing to sell."

Village Chief Xiao glanced at the mistress being protected by the two maids, then stroked his beard and nodded. "The price will certainly be a bit higher than our bulk rate, but it will be much more reasonable than what you’d find at the market. If our honored guests don’t mind, please come into the village to discuss the details."

"Enter the village..." Lichun decided instantly. "In that case, please wait a moment, Village Chief. We have more people following us who haven’t arrived yet. We’ll enter the village together once they’re here."

While Village Chief Xiao and the others were still confused, they saw one of the young maids take a whistle from her sleeve and blow it. This startled them, and they immediately grew wary.

"What are you doing? Do you intend to harm our village?"

Although bandits had never come ashore here, other villages had suffered that fate. Seeing the three act this way, the villagers’ defenses immediately went up.

The burly men behind him looked as if they were about to turn and run back to the village to call for help.