Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

As dawn broke, the docks along the Liangshan Marsh began to bustle with activity.

The Liangshan Fish Market has finally officially opened.

Simple sheds were set up on the shore, and clean straw mats were laid on the ground. Fishermen carrying fish baskets arrived one after another.

Zhang Shan stood at the entrance of the dock, his hands behind his back, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire fish market.

To lower the guard of the surrounding merchants and fishermen, he didn't send many Liangshan brothers over.

He came to check the situation in person, and he was somewhat hopeful.

Fortunately, the number of people who came was neither too few nor too many.

The number of people is about the same as when we were in Wangjia Village.

Zhang Shan secretly calculated that Wangjia Village was just a corner of Liangshan Marsh.

Now that the entire marshland is under the control of Liangshan, and all the fishermen have been brought together, their numbers should be two or three times greater.

It seems that both fishermen and merchants have reservations and dare not come easily.

The fishermen arranged their fish baskets on straw mats according to their villages, and each took their assigned spot.

Zhang Shan had made arrangements in advance, managing the villages by village and electing a liaison person for each village.

For future matters concerning the fish market, I can directly contact the liaison, which saves me a lot of trouble.

Ruan Xiaoqi swung her arms as she weaved back and forth in the fish market.

Fishermen passing by stopped what they were doing and greeted him.

"Good morning, Little Seven!"

"Little Qi, thanks to Liangshan, we're able to sell fish peacefully!"

Ruan Xiaoqi grinned, waved in response, and occasionally patted the fisherman on the shoulder.

Zhang Shan stood aside watching, and couldn't help but nod in approval.

He truly lives up to his reputation as a well-known street urchin in the surrounding area; he knows a lot of people.

With him around, the fishermen felt much more at ease and were less afraid of Liangshan.

The fish market looked bustling, but Zhang Shan knew in his heart that Liangshan was not only not making money, but was also losing money.

The timber and straw mats for building the shed, and the rations for the brothers who maintained order, all contributed to the expenses.

To put it bluntly, we're currently operating at a loss to gain publicity and build up the reputation of the fish market.

Ruan Xiaoqi walked around and came to Zhang Shan's side, scratching her head with a somewhat depressed look on her face.

"Brother, something's not right. There aren't many big fish today, maybe only a few dozen at most."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shan couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to pat him on the shoulder: "Haha, the less the better, scarcity makes things valuable!"

"Huh?" Ruan Xiaoqi was stunned, her eyes wide open, her face full of confusion.

"How much can you sell such a small fish for?"

In his simple mind, the more fish the better, the more money he could make selling them; he had never heard of the idea that "the fewer the better."

Zhang Shan shook his head without offering any further explanation.

The principles of a market economy cannot be explained to Ruan Xiaoqi in a short time, and even if they were, he might not understand.

"Don't overthink it. Where's the biggest fish? Take me to see it." Zhang Shan directly changed the subject, his tone decisive.

As he followed Ruan Xiaoqi, he casually asked, "How much were these big fish sold in the past?"

Ruan Xiaoqi pursed her lips and casually replied, "How else can it be sold? It's only a little more expensive than small fish, around thirty-four coins per catty."

"That won't do." Zhang Shan immediately shook his head, his tone firm. "Our big fish are all over ten pounds. We don't sell them by weight, we buy them by the fish."

"One piece, at least ten strings of cash!"

"What?!" Ruan Xiaoqi exclaimed, her voice rising eight octaves in an instant, as if she'd been stepped on. "Brother, are you kidding me? Ten strings of cash a piece? Will anyone even buy that?"

In his view, ten strings of cash was no small amount; it could buy a lot of grain. Who would spend so much money to buy a fish?

"We're not buying any, we'll just eat it ourselves," Zhang Shan said with a smile, his tone tinged with arrogance.

It's impossible to sell it cheaply. Even if it ends up being thrown away, it can't be given to those rich and powerful people.

Although Ruan Xiaoqi didn't understand, she still led Zhang Shan to a special fishing net.

Dozens of large fish were kept in a net, swimming back and forth in the water, their scales shimmering and looking very lively.

Zhang Shan stared at the fish in the net, his eyes gleaming slightly.

The fishing enthusiast gene in his bones was suddenly stirred up.

He couldn't help but recall the days before he transmigrated, when he would often go fishing by the river. Counting the time, it had been a long time since he had fished.

"Call everyone over," Zhang Shan said decisively, withdrawing his gaze.

Last time in Wangjia Village, it was considered a benefit for fishermen and merchants, so the price wasn't a concern.

This time, it's time to really test the waters and see if we can actually make money in this fish market.

Ruan Xiaoqi responded and turned to call out, her voice booming, "Merchants who want to buy big fish, come over here!"

Before long, a dozen well-dressed merchants gathered around the fishing net.

They came from surrounding towns, and even Jeju City, specifically to buy fresh big fish.

Seeing the big, lively fish jumping around in the net, their eyes lit up with excitement.

"Wow, what a big fish! I haven't seen one in ages!"

"I want all of these! Get them up here right now!" a fat merchant said urgently.

"What? You want them all? No way, my family wants them too!" another merchant quickly retorted, afraid of missing out.

For a time, merchants were scrambling to buy, creating a lively scene.

Ruan Xiaoqi stood to the side, snorted coldly, put her hands on her hips, and said loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry, but today's price is different from usual!"

The noisy scene instantly fell silent.

The merchants were taken aback, and the excitement on their faces instantly faded.

They then realized that the people opposite them were not ordinary fishmongers, but bandits from Liangshan.

If they say they're raising prices, then they have to raise prices; they can't argue with that.

Ruan Xiaoqi cleared her throat and continued, "This time, for big fish weighing over ten catties, the starting price is ten strings of cash!"

"For orders over 15 jin (7.5 catties), the minimum order is 20 guan (10 strings of cash)!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd below erupted in a commotion.

"What? Ten strings of cash for one? That's way too expensive!"

"Yes, it's more than ten times more expensive than usual. This is highway robbery!"

"I'm not buying it, I'm not buying it! It's so expensive, I'll just be stuck with it!"

The merchants complained, and some turned to leave, their faces full of dissatisfaction.

Ruan Xiaoqi's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

This was the first time Liangshan Fish Market had sold large fish, and they had already messed it up.

Zhang Shan remained calm, even smiling, and stepped forward, saying to the merchants, "Since everyone thinks it's too expensive, then we won't sell it."

"Brothers, haul all the fish up and bring them up the mountain; we'll eat them ourselves!"

He knew that scarcity increases value, and the rarer something was, the less likely it was to be discounted.

If you sell to wealthy people at a low price, they'll feel like you're looking down on them and that the fish is bad.

The merchants were stunned and looked at each other, none of them expecting Zhang Shan to be so tough.

Buying and selling is about give and take, and bargaining is normal. How can you just refuse to sell?

Just as everyone was at a stalemate, a middle-aged man dressed in silk and wearing a small hat walked out from the crowd.

He came from Jeju Prefecture, his surname was Qin, and he was the purchasing manager for a wealthy family in Jeju Prefecture.

Steward Qin quickly cupped his hands, a smile plastered on his face, and said respectfully, "This chieftain, please wait a moment."

"I need it. My master is having a birthday celebration soon and needs a fresh, large fish."

"I want twenty fish weighing over ten catties each, and one large carp weighing over fifteen catties. The price will be as the village chief says!"

For him, a little price was no problem; tens or hundreds of strings of cash were nothing to wealthy families.

But if he can't buy fresh, big fish, he won't be able to explain himself when he gets back, and then he'll be in trouble.

Upon seeing this, Ruan Xiaoqi's unpleasant expression vanished instantly, replaced by joy.

He quickly stepped forward, rubbing his hands together, and said, "Alright! I'll pick out the best one for you right away!"

Steward Qin smiled, then cautiously asked, "However, I have a question: will all the large fish at the Liangshan fish market be priced the same from now on?"

"Of course!" Ruan Xiaoqi patted her chest confidently. "Big fish are scarce to begin with, and whether you can catch one depends entirely on luck."

"Butler Qin is already quite lucky to have managed to buy it today!"

As he spoke, he directed his brothers to take fishing nets and carefully scoop up the fish, selecting those of suitable size.

This brought in over two hundred strings of cash, more than a whole day's worth of selling small fish.

Ruan Xiaoqi became happier and happier as she picked out her things, secretly admiring Zhang Shan, thinking that her brother had good taste.

The remaining merchants also became somewhat anxious upon seeing this.

With most of the big fish already caught in the net, if we don't buy some soon, there might be none left.

One of the merchants hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and asking, "Chief, Brother Xiao Qi, if we pre-order the big fish, can we get a discount?"

Ruan Xiaoqi was stunned for a moment. He had never encountered this situation before and did not know how to answer.

He subconsciously turned his head to look at Zhang Shan, waiting for Zhang Shan to make a decision.

Zhang Shan slowly shook his head, his tone calm: "No need to make reservations. Fishing depends on the weather; we sell whatever is available."

He knew in his heart that he didn't really want to be a businessman; opening a fish market was just a means, not an end.

The purpose of making money was to support the brothers of Liangshan, buy weapons and food, and strengthen the power of Liangshan.

It is essential to distinguish between primary and secondary priorities, and not to let immediate gains cloud your judgment.