Chapter 278: Sea Essence

Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at the scrolls full of the flavor of life and couldn't help but swallow her saliva.

Unexpectedly, near this Xuzhou wharf where prices were extremely high, the prices of these seafood aquatic products were even lower than she imagined.

But thinking about it, it made sense. The fishing technology of this era was already very mature, with many methods such as catching fish with bare hands, fishing with nets, spearfishing, fishing with rods, and fishing with covers.

Xuzhou was coastal, the wharf was built large, and fishermen who made a living by fishing were naturally indispensable.

With many things, the price was naturally cheap.

Jiang Wei held her and walked over, pointing to the basket of small fish about an inch long and asked: "How do you sell these fish?"

The woman smiled and said: "Little Lady, these fish were freshly caught this morning and are almost sold out. I'm in a hurry to go home and cook for my grandson. If you want the remaining basket, just pay one hundred wen."

Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at the clams and scallops left on her side and couldn't help but ask: "Then how do you sell these?"

"You mean those sand clams? This thing has little meat, and it's full of sand inside, and the taste is fishy; it's not worth much money. I originally wanted to take these shells back to dry for my grandson to play with. If you want them, take them for three wen." The woman said enthusiastically.

Jiang Xiaoxiao widened her eyes.

People in this era could make shrimp and crab into delicacies; why did they look down on these clams and scallops?

Although there was little meat, in this late autumn and early winter season, the meat in the clams was the most delicious. If made into spicy clams, plus green onions, ginger, garlic, chili, and vermicelli, and various seasonings, it would be so delicious that you could swallow your tongue along with it.

Jiang Wei took out half a tael of silver: "I want them all, and sell me the basket you use to hold the fish too."

"Alright!" The woman saw the silver and immediately responded with a full face of smiles, giving Jiang Wei the basket for the fish and all the other utensils.

Jiang Wei didn't refuse and took them all.

Jiang Xiaoxiao saw a few black thorny balls at the stall next to her and couldn't help but pull Jiang Wei's sleeve happily: "Mother, let's buy some of that too!"

It was sea urchin!

She didn't expect that there would be sea urchins for sale at this Xuzhou wharf.

This sea urchin was a delicious and nutritious seafood product!

However, as soon as she finished speaking, the woman opposite hurriedly stuffed a few sea urchins into the utensil holding the fish, as if afraid of being snatched by others.

"Little girl, I'm sorry, we don't sell these Sea Essences." She smiled apologetically at Jiang Xiaoxiao.

Ah?

Why not sell them?

Jiang Xiaoxiao was puzzled.

Seeming to see her confusion, the woman who had just sold them the fish smiled and explained: "Don't be surprised, these Sea Essences were hard-earned by someone who spent a lot of effort to find these few. This rare thing is not something that people like us can afford to sell."

Why?

Jiang Xiaoxiao was puzzled again. Wasn't this just an ordinary sea urchin? Why wasn't it something that people like them could afford to buy?

"I'm really sorry." The woman saw Jiang Xiaoxiao still staring straight at the utensil holding the sea urchins and explained helplessly: "These Sea Essences were reserved by people above; I really can't sell them to you."

People above?

Jiang Xiaoxiao's pupils shook. Could it be that this sea urchin had become so precious that it had become a tribute?!

But thinking about it, the way to get sea urchins in this era was indeed very difficult.

Sea urchins generally liked to live in high-salinity sea areas, so there were few or no distributions near the estuary of rivers and shallow water areas with lower salinity.

There were no modern diving devices in this era. If fishermen wanted to go into the water to collect sea urchins, they needed to hold their breath themselves. However, sea urchins often lived in those reefs, gravel, or sand layers, which were extremely difficult to find.

For those old sailors who could hold their breath, being able to collect more than a dozen a day was already extremely difficult.

The woman saw Jiang Xiaoxiao's stunned appearance and couldn't help but add a few words: "Little girl, let me tell you, once these Sea Essences arrive on shore, we commoners have no right to enjoy them; they all have to be offered to the imperial court... I heard that there is an alchemist beside the current Holy Emperor, and one of the medicinal ingredients needed to refine immortal pills is this Sea Essence."

"Sea Essence is a treasure bestowed by the River God. Eating it can prolong life. How dare we commoners eat it..." The woman shook her head and sighed, packing up her things and leaving.

Leaving Jiang Xiaoxiao with a face full of surprise.

Was the emperor of this era so superstitious? How could he believe the nonsense that sea urchins could refine immortal pills?

Although sea urchins did have the effect of tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the yang, and strengthening the muscles and bones, that was all. It was impossible to refine immortal pills that could make one live forever.

Sigh, it seemed that no matter which dynasty or world, when a ruler's power and wealth reached a critical point, they would begin to pursue immortality.

Hopefully, the emperor of this era wouldn't do anything harmful to heaven and reason for the sake of pursuing immortality...

After the sea urchin episode, the mother and daughter continued to stroll.

It was just mealtime, and many people were in a hurry to go home to cook, so the prices were relatively low.

In a short while, Jiang Wei had a few more large fat fish and a basket of small fish and shrimp in her hands, and even Jiang Xiaoxiao was carrying a basket of large white crabs.

The mother and daughter left the wharf vendor area with satisfaction.

Jiang Xiaoxiao looked down at the large white crabs crawling around in the basket with their claws raised, and countless ways to make large white crabs appeared in her mind.

Steamed white crab, scallion oil crab, spicy dry pot white crab, white crab stir-fried with rice cakes, white crab porridge...

Thinking about it, her saliva was about to flow out...

"Mother, when we leave, let's buy some fish fry and small shrimp to raise at home."

She wanted to dig a pond at home and raise all kinds of fish, shrimp, and crabs in it, so she could eat as much as she wanted in the future.

"Alright, I'll listen to you." Jiang Wei responded with a smile.

The two gradually walked into a remote alley. Jiang Wei's gaze suddenly turned cold: "Still sneaking around following us; how much silver did that girl Yu Ying'er give him?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao then came back to her senses, quietly turned her head and looked behind, and sure enough, she saw the sneaky figure scrambling to hide in the alley next to them.

Her expression couldn't help but darken.

This guy kept following them, so her mother couldn't put the fish, shrimp, and crabs they just bought into the space. If it took a long time, they wouldn't be fresh.

"Follow me." Jiang Wei gave her a wink.

The two hid in the alley on the side.

The waiter poked his head out from the alley entrance and looked; why were the people gone?

He hurriedly stepped forward to chase after them.

However, just halfway through the chase, he was tripped by a small foot that suddenly stepped out, and he stumbled forward uncontrollably and fell to the ground.

"Speak, why are you following us?"

The waiter fell and ate dirt. Before he could make a wail, he heard Jiang Xiaoxiao's cold questioning voice, and he was so scared that he trembled, hurriedly turning to kneel and kowtow to her.

"The small one was wrong, the small one will never dare again." ===== CHAPTER 279 =====