Chapter 22 - Laws and Decrees (2/2)

After walking for several steps, Xu Yi halted and narrowed his eyes, trying to see clearly what was happening in the distance.

…

“ Ah, Elder Mu, you have caught such a big carp. What a lucky day for you!”

“Come on, guys. Look what Elder Mu got today. I guess this big carp will weigh at least one hundred kilograms.”

“I’m so envious of you, Elder Mu. For the price of such a big carp, it is worth several months’ earnings.”

“Every dog has its day! When luck knocked on your door, maybe the big carp just jumped into your net. Haha.”

“Look at those small fish in my net, it is worthless compared with Elder Mu’s.”

With great effort, Elder Mu was dragging the carp on shore; Sweat had long soaked his clothing.

Soon, all the nearby fishermen had gathered around Elder Mu, amazed by the mere size of the carp.

Carps were the traditional speciality of the Evil Dragon River, the meat was tender and greasy. Quite a number of high-ranking celebrities or government officials were fond of the carp soup. They were willing to pay a high price to enjoy this classic cuisine.

The price of the carp was best known by its demand. Usually, the large carps lived in the deeper areas of the river; it was extremely difficult to capture them. Even for experienced fishermen, capturing a big carp was just a matter of luck. As for the carp captured by Elder Mu, a hundred taels of silver might even be a conservative estimate. This was an extraordinary amount of money for a normal fisherman.

All of a sudden, the crowd was separated, as if someone terrifying was approaching.

“Get the hell out of my way! Ah, Good news travels fast. A big carp? Let me have a look!” A man in black clothing, who was escorted by several strong bodyguards, dashed through the crowd.

With a shrieking sound of ripping, the man in black clothing tore the net open. He then immediately grabbed the carp by its head.

“Hmmm, what a delicious carp. I was just wondering what to offer to my distinguished guests for dinner. Ah, what a coincidence. This must be a gift bestowed by the heavens.” The man in black clothing scrutinized the carp, while shamelessly saying these words, as if the carp was already his own property.

“Your Excellency, you’re so lucky to get this carp!” A middle-aged man squeezed to the front and smiled at the man in black clothing. Turning around, his friendly smile quickly disappeared, as he harshly yelled at Elder Mu: “Hey, old man. What are you waiting for?! Hurry up and bring that carp to our warehouse.”

“Zhou Yuya, wait, wait…” Elder Mu replied and called some familiar fishermen to help him carry the carp with him.

The middle-aged man was named Zhou Yuya, the boss of the fishing industry here, who had monopolized the whole fishing market in this small town. Every catch was supposed to be sold to him, usually for a rather low price. Although Yuya had reaped most of the profits, it was still convenient for the fishermen to earn some silver coins by selling it to him. After all, they didn’t have a better way to sell their fish.

Elder Mu was an honest man, so he silently agreed to the deal, despite the fact that this rare carp would hit a higher price on the street market.

When Elder Mu, together with two strong fishermen were about to grab the carp, the man in black clothing suddenly moved the carp from its original spot. Obviously, by doing so, he intended to make a fool out of these fishermen.

………

[1] Yao Pai: a plate used as a token of identity, which will be attached to the waist.