Yugang Town was a well-known port town, bustling with the endless trade of fresh seafood every day.
This naturally attracted a wave of connoisseurs who loved eating the freshest catches.
In Yugang Town, there was a street lined with restaurants and taverns, all catering specifically to these food lovers.
When Li Suisui arrived, she didn’t follow Li Erzhu’s advice to wait at the fish market for buyers.
Instead, she carried her wooden bucket straight to the row of restaurants.
In her mind, rather than passively waiting for buyers, it was better to take initiative.
“Juxian Lou… that’s the one.”
Giving herself a pep talk, she stepped toward the restaurant.
But she hadn’t even reached the steps when a waiter came out and ruthlessly drove her away.
“Where did this beggar come from? Move aside! Don’t dirty our floors!”
Li Suisui glanced down at her clothes. Sure, they were patched, but they were clean.
“Brother waiter, you misunderstood—I’m not a beggar.”
“Bah! Look at those rags! And you say you’re not a beggar?”
Li Suisui’s temper flared instantly. “What’s wrong with my clothes? Just because I wear rags doesn’t mean I steal or rob. Who are you to look down on me? You’ve really got a dog’s eye for judging people!”
“You brat, who are you yelling at?”
“Who looks down on others? That’s who I’m yelling at!”
“I think you’re just looking for a beating.”
Seeing the waiter raising his hand to slap her, Li Suisui felt a flash of regret. She’d been impulsive.
Regret aside, she knew she had to get through this obstacle quickly. This man was strong—if she got hit, she’d lose face. She hurriedly stepped back.
But her reaction wasn’t as fast as his—oh no, she was about to get hit!
Just as she braced herself, the waiter’s hand froze five centimeters from her face.
What? Could it be that he was just trying to scare her?
“No way—who the hell grabbed my hand?”
Ah—truth revealed. It wasn’t that the waiter had wanted to scare her; someone had grabbed his hand.
She turned to see who the good Samaritan was.
Young, about twenty years old, and remarkably familiar-looking.
And most importantly—handsome. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs…
Tall, too. Easily over 1.8 meters.
Oh no… she was crushing hard!
“Handsome guy, please accept my heart-eyes!”
Xie Guiyuan released the waiter’s hand and snorted coldly. “Open your dog eyes. See who I am.”
“Xie… Fifth Master?! It’s you!”
“Why can’t it be me?”
The waiter bent his knees and knelt. “Fifth Master Xie, I was wrong. Please spare me this time!”
“You’ll be spared, but you must apologize to this young lady and, from now on, stop looking down on people.”
“Ah, I’ll apologize right away! Miss, I was wrong—I shouldn’t have driven you away, nor should I have raised my hand. I promise never to look down on anyone again, Fifth Master Xie. Is that acceptable?”
“Don’t ask me. Ask this young lady.”
“Miss, please forgive me this once.”
Li Suisui was still daydreaming, oblivious to the waiter’s words.
“Miss? Are you listening?”
Startled by the waiter’s repeated calls, she snapped out of it.
“Ah? What did you just say?”
“I said, please forgive me this time. I promise never to look down on people again.”
“Alright, seeing that your apology is sincere, I’ll forgive you this time.”
“Fifth Master Xie, I’ve already apologized to the young lady. Can we consider it settled?”
“Lead the way. I want to meet your manager.”
The waiter’s face immediately lit up. “Fifth Master Xie, this way, please.”
Li Suisui followed a few steps behind. “Fifth Master Xie, thank you just now!”
Xie Guiyuan raised an eyebrow, amused. “Oh? You want to thank me? How will you do that?”
Li Suisui froze. She had only meant a simple verbal thank you! Now… how could she repay him? She had nothing to offer.
Xie Guiyuan had only intended to tease the girl; seeing her flustered, he lost interest and turned to walk ahead.
But just a few steps later, the girl called after him.
“Fifth Master Xie, I want to use this grouper to thank you.”
He paused, turning to look at Li Suisui and then at her wooden bucket.
“Why did you bring this fish to the restaurant?”
“My family is poor. I wanted to sell this grouper to get some money.”
“And give it to me? How would you get money then?”
“I live by the sea. If I want seafood, I can always catch more at the shore.”
“This grouper looks big. Selling it could get 100 copper coins easily. Are you really willing to part with it?”
“You saved me, Fifth Master Xie. How could I not give a single fish in return? Please accept it.”
“You might not know what my family does. Let me tell you—we have no shortage of fish.”
Huh? Li Suisui looked bewildered. What did that mean?
Xie Guiyuan ignored her and turned to his attendant. “Xie Hong, help her out.”
“Yes, Fifth Master.”
Li Suisui was even more confused. Help her with what? She didn’t understand at all.
She wanted to ask more, but Xie Guiyuan had already entered the restaurant.
“This young lady.”
“Hello, sir. May I ask your name?”
“I’m Xie Hong, Fifth Master Xie’s personal attendant. Fifth Master Xie is kind-hearted—he wants me to help you. I’ll give you two options; you decide.”
What? She didn’t understand a word.
“You have a fine grouper. If you sell it to our Xie Family Fish Shop, you can get around 100 coins. If you sell it to a restaurant, you could get about 115 coins. How do you want to sell it? Whatever you choose, I can help you make the introduction.”
Ah! She understood now. He was helping her sell the fish!
Fifth Master Xie was amazing—not only did he refuse to take her fish, he would also help her sell it.
From now on, she wouldn’t follow modern-day celebrities—she’d follow Fifth Master Xie of this era!
Xie Hong waved his hand in front of her. “Young lady, are you listening?”
“Yes, yes! Hehe, Brother Xie Hong, of course I can choose!”
“Since Fifth Master Xie has spoken, I’ll help you properly.”
After thinking it over, Li Suisui decided to sell the grouper to the Xie Family Fish Shop.
The shop dominated Yugang Town and even had businesses in other regions. If she could establish a relationship with them, selling seafood there would be far easier than wandering around looking for buyers.
“Brother Xie Hong, I want to sell to the Xie Family Fish Shop. Can I keep selling to them in the future if I get good fish?”
Xie Hong looked at her in surprise. She seemed naive, but she was actually clever, already thinking ahead.
“Don’t worry. As long as your seafood is good, the Xie Family Fish Shop will accept it. I’ll also give them a heads-up. Come with me.”
“Ah, thank you so much, Brother Xie Hong!”