From afar, Yang Chuxia saw a large platform at the junction of the beach and the shallows. Various amulets hung on it. In the middle of the platform was an image of a creature with a dragon’s head and a fish’s body. Directly in front of the image was a long wooden table, topped with a large incense burner. On either side of the burner was an array of fruits, pastries, and other items.
In front of the table, five women were kneeling. From a distance, Yang Chuxia couldn’t make out their faces, but they were all wearing red auspicious dresses, their heads bowed and their shoulders slightly moving — perhaps they were crying.
To the left of the women were a few men dressed as fishermen. They were likely the buyers of these sea maidens.
However, she didn’t see the so-called Lord Sacrificer. Maybe it wasn’t time for his appearance yet.
She then strolled around the beach market with Ms. Wang and others, finding quite a few stalls selling small items.
There were teeny sailboats and baskets glued together with seashells, and even tiny hair clips and bracelets made of seashells. Yang Chuxia looked around but didn’t see any pearls.
She reasoned that pearls found in these seas, which were pricey even in modern times, would be even more valuable in ancient times. Anyone lucky enough to find a pearl would probably sell it in a shop.
Apart from seashell crafts, there were also many stalls selling small shrimps, crabs, and fish. Yang Chuxia asked about the prices. They were cheap, a few coins could buy you a pound.
However, those little crabs and fish didn’t have much meat. Buying them was like paying for flavor rather than sustenance. So, in the end, it wasn’t really a bargain.
"Mom, why don’t I see any salted fish or dried shrimps?"
Stewing salted sea fish would create a savory dish that went well with rice. Those small shrimps, when cooked with winter melon soup or seaweed soup would not only be nourishing but delicious.
Yang Chuxia looked at her siblings and herself, all of them short like radishes, clearly lacking nutrition and calcium. She thought of buying some shrimp to supplement their diet and promote growth when they had the money. But she hadn’t seen any so far.
Ms. Wang gave her a puzzled glance and said, "Salted fish? The fish in the sea are salty enough. If they’re any saltier, no one will eat them. As for dried shrimps, I’ve never seen any. The fresh ones have barely any meat; after drying, there would be even less. Nobody would want to eat that."
"Really?" exclaimed Yang Chuxia. "What a waste! How could people not eat shrimps which are so nutritious?"
Ms. Wang only smiled, "See those? No one even buys the fresh ones; after a while, they just discard them." Following Ms. Wang’s pointing finger, Yang Chuxia saw a middle-aged man dumping a bucket of small shrimps mixed with small crabs. Advancing a bit closer, she could smell their putrid odor.
When her gaze swept over the small crabs again, her eyes lit up. She lowered her voice and asked Ms. Wang, "Mom, do we have drunken crabs here?"
"Drunken crabs? Crabs?" Ms. Wang seemed not to understand. What was that?
"It’s a type of food made with crabs, has some taste of alcohol but is quite delicious."
Ms. Wang shook her head, "Never heard of it. Aren’t crabs just steamed? How else can they be eaten?"
Well, given Ms. Wang’s reaction, Yang Chuxia guessed that they didn’t have it. But that was even better. This meant that she could make money from it. The thought made her filled with happiness.
At the moment, she was still enthralled by having found a way to earn silver and didn’t notice the pair of eyes that were observing her from a distance.