Those who live by the mountain depend on the mountain; those who live by the water depend on the water. Zhengyang was a place where waterborne transport was far more developed than road travel — one could see it clearly in the enormous flow of people passing in and out of the smaller docks, all of them thoroughly accustomed to traveling by boat.

Hua Zhi first went to look at several passenger docks, then made her way over to the cargo docks.

The smell at the cargo docks was deeply unpleasant — all manner of odors mixed together, the reek of fish and brine the most overpowering of all. Hua Zhi spent some time getting used to it before she stepped forward, heading with a clear purpose toward the source of the strongest smell.

She did not go too close, watching from a middle distance.

Five boats were presently unloading at the riverside. Shouts, reprimands, laughter, and flattery rang out all at once — in this small slice of the world, every aspect of human experience was on display.

After quite a while, Hua Zhi walked toward one of the boats. Barrels of fish were being carried down from its deck and loaded directly onto carts to be hauled away. The clerks and managers were all smiling, their voices cheerful.

Hua Zhi approached one of the large barrels that had just been brought down and peered at the thick-bodied grouper packed inside.

“Buying something, Miss? We do not sell in small amounts.” A man in short working clothes came over. His face was dark reddish-brown — clearly someone who had spent his life on the water.

Guessing his position, Hua Zhi said pleasantly, “Just taking a look at the goods. These seem particularly fresh.”

“Naturally. These fish were caught in the early hours this morning and brought here without delay — not a moment wasted. Fish that is not fresh simply does not sell in this market.” The man’s standard speech was not quite right, and he could only just make himself understood; he seemed to know his own weakness, for he spoke at a measured pace.

Hua Zhi gave a small nod. There were many people making their living in this trade, and to do well one had first to guarantee quality. Looking at the fish in the large barrel that were still moving, a thought struck her. By her calculation, the fish had been in transit for roughly four hours. After all that time, they were still alive…

“Is it seawater inside the barrel?”

“It is.” Saltwater fish cannot survive without seawater — this is a simple fact. The man thought inwardly that this lovely young miss was asking rather obvious questions, but kept a respectful face.

Hua Zhi let go of her lingering concern. When the time came, she would simply have her people fill the containers with seawater for the journey north. The quantity of goods might be slightly less, but so be it — they could always make an extra run. She also needed to prepare a backup measure: Yan Xi’s ice trade could be put to excellent use here. She would have people place blocks of ice on board as well, so that if any fish did die on the journey, the losses would not be too severe.

Turning these thoughts over, she began to draw the man into conversation. “How should I address you?”

“My name is Chen, Chen Er. I am a small manager at Antai Fishing House.” Chen Er had a keen eye. Seeing that Hua Zhi was clearly someone of wealth or status and did not appear to be looking for trouble, she might well be a prospective buyer. If he could land this deal, he would certainly earn himself a handsome reward at the end of the month. With that thought, his manner grew noticeably warmer.

Bao Xia stepped forward and said quietly, “My lady, shall we speak somewhere more comfortable?”

The smell here was indeed difficult to bear. Hua Zhi looked at Chen Er, who caught on immediately and bowed. “Please wait a moment. Allow me to make arrangements.”

Chen Er quickly summoned a clerk to oversee the goods, gave a few instructions, and then came hurrying back over, moving sideways to lead the group out of the dock. Not wanting to attract attention from fellow tradespeople, he avoided the conspicuous teahouses and instead dug deep into his own pocket to bring the party up to a proper tea house, where he reserved a private room — the kind of treatment befitting a master. Even as he did it, Chen Er both winced at the expense and felt oddly proud.

He ordered an assortment of teas and refreshments, and as Chen Er swallowed, the cost pained him considerably.

Hua Zhi watched his expression and found it quite entertaining — and rather endearing. When it came to business, the one type of person she most dreaded meeting was a miser.

“How far is Antai Fishing House from here? What is its size?”

Chen Er rallied his concentration and answered with utmost care. “By boat from our fishing house to here, the journey takes four hours; with a fair wind and calm waters, three and a half. By road it would take considerably longer. Our fishing house is medium to large in scale.”

He paused, then added: “Though we may be medium to large, we can generally take on most orders — and the quality is always fresh. We would never do anything to go against our conscience.”

Honest, too. Hua Zhi quietly congratulated herself that her eye for people had not dulled. She had spent a fair while observing back there, and what she was reading was not how well business was going, but the demeanor of the workers and certain small details. The people coming to collect goods from that boat took one look and hauled everything away — a clear sign of deep trust. By contrast, at the boats beside it, those picking up goods had to go through everything carefully to verify its quality before accepting it. One comparison told the whole story: in business, trust was the hardest thing to earn.

She gestured to Bao Xia to pass over the diagrams. Chen Er wiped his hands on his clothes before accepting them carefully, then looked through and looked up. “All of these are goods our fishing house carries.”

“Even the rarer ones?”

Knowing now that there was real potential here, Chen Er answered with greater care. “I am not certain of the client’s standard for ‘rare,’ but anything another house can obtain, ours can as well. On occasion we come across items rarely seen on the market, though those tend to have buyers who have standing orders for them — they may not be easy to come by.”

Hua Zhi gave a small nod and asked a few more questions. Once she had a clearer picture, she said, “I still need two days to consider this. If I decide to work with your fishing house, I will come to the dock to find you at this same hour the day after tomorrow, and we will travel to the fishing house together.”

Chen Er understood perfectly well that a deal of this kind was not settled in one meeting. He was not disappointed — having been given these words, he knew there was hope. He nodded promptly. “I will await the good news.”

Hua Zhi smiled, rose, and left. Bao Xia set down a red envelope on the table and followed quickly after.

Chen Er saw them to the door before turning back to pick up the red envelope. He opened it and looked inside — a few pieces of broken silver, adding up to perhaps four or five taels. A smile spread across his face. Deal or no deal, at least today had not been a loss.

He packed up the untouched pastries to take home, then went to settle the bill, only to learn it had already been paid. Clutching his silver, he felt his spirits lift a little more. With a patron this generous, if the deal came through, there was no way it would not come with considerable benefit for himself. Replaying the conversation in his mind, Chen Er decided that even if he were to do it all over again, he could not have done better, and with that he settled himself down. Two days — he dearly hoped they would pass in the blink of an eye.

Before boarding the carriage, Hua Zhi beckoned Xu Ying over. “Did you note everything Chen Er said just now?”

Xu Ying straightened up. “Yes, my lord. I have it all.”

“Stay behind. Go and make contact with a few other houses and find out what the situation is like.”

“Yes.”

Xu Ying had just taken a few steps away when he was called back.

Hua Zhi looked toward the Sixth Prince, whose gaze had been drifting around them. “Xiao Liu, has Bolin ever mentioned to you that one of the assignments for the princes is to get a thorough understanding of the prices for all manner of goods in the capital?”

“He has. Bolin mentioned it.”

“Then during our stay here, you will make it your task to learn the prices in this small place.” Hua Zhi looked out toward the busy dock. “Start with the business of sourcing goods. Xu Ying, keep close to him.”

“Yes.”

“This is not the capital. The only people available to us are the few we have. In everything you do, your own safety must come first.”

The Sixth Prince felt a warmth bloom in his chest and answered in the most gentle and obedient tone. “Yes.”

“Go.”