"You..."
Chen Yao was furious at her words.
As if she had suffered the deepest humiliation, her face turned pale and flushed by turns.
Calling her a maidservant was just another way of making her a slave!
Zhou Min, however, acted as though she hadn't noticed. She spoke as casually as if discussing the weather, leaving Chen Yao room to decide. "Think it over carefully. If you agree, come find me."
After leaving her with those confident words, she turned and walked away without the slightest hesitation.
Her steps were steady and sure, as though she knew Chen Yao would eventually give in.
She understood the Chen Family's predicament better than Chen Yao did. Chen Yao had no reason to refuse—and no right to refuse.
She had said all she needed to. Now all that remained was to wait for Chen Yao to yield, bow her head, and become her servant.
Zhou Min had left, but her words lingered like a demonic chant, haunting Chen Yao's ears and tormenting her heart.
Chen Yao stood rooted to the spot like a clay statue, her expression shifting between dark and light.
The main tent of the Archery Battalion's Third Team.
Han Ming was handling official business. The fish tide had ended, but his real workload was only just beginning.
Just then, a Water Soldier came to report, "Squad Leader Han, Hong Ming requests an audience."
"Hong Ming?" Han Ming was a little surprised.
He hadn't gone looking for Hong Ming, but Hong Ming had come to him first.
Han Ming didn't dwell on it. He had a vague idea what the man wanted and ordered a soldier to summon him.
Hong Ming arrived a short while later. Seeing Han Ming, he cupped his hands. "Your subordinate pays his respects, Squad Leader Han."
"No need for formalities."
Han Ming waved a hand, unconcerned with ceremony, and got straight to the point.
"Hong Ming, what brings you here?"
Hong Ming considered his words before replying, "Reporting to you, Squad Leader Han: I happened upon a Treasure Fish during the fish tide, but I know very little about it. I've come to ask you to point me in the right direction."
"Point you in the right direction?" Han Ming raised an eyebrow.
The kid sure knew how to talk. He'd dressed up the question of whether Han Ming wanted to buy it in such elegant language.
Han Ming studied Hong Ming and saw no trace of the timidity people often felt because of their humble background. He seemed more at ease than anything else.
After a moment's thought, Han Ming feigned sudden understanding. "You want to sell the Red-Horned Pomfret you have?"
"I was indeed considering it. What do you think, Squad Leader Han?" Hong Ming left the decision to Han Ming.
Han Ming asked as if it had just occurred to him, "Oh? You weren't planning to sell it to the Chen Family?"
"The Chen Family?"
Hong Ming froze, then asked in confusion, "Please tell me plainly, Squad Leader Han. What happened to the Chen Family?"
Seeing that Hong Ming truly seemed unaware, Han Ming sighed. "There's no harm in telling you. The Chen Family's business has run into trouble lately, and they urgently need Treasure Fish to get back on their feet."
At that, Hong Ming understood. Now he finally saw why Han Ming had asked.
"If you're looking to sell, as it happens, I'm interested in buying."
Han Ming made his intentions clear, offering to buy the Red-Horned Pomfret.
Hong Ming didn't agree right away. Instead, he deliberated before saying, "Squad Leader Han, would you mind giving me some time to think it over?"
"Of course not."
Han Ming understood. A flicker crossed his eyes as he saw Hong Ming off.
Outside the Military Town.
Chen Yao had lost all hope.
The worst had happened. Every Treasure Fish in the Water Army had already been spoken for.
There was no way an ordinary Water Soldier like her could get involved.
On the way back, thinking of her family's predicament, her heart grew heavy. "If things are this bad on my end, Father and the others must be in the same position."
They had already done everything they could to buy the Treasure Fish that were available, yet they still hadn't gathered enough. That said it all.
The Chen Family had reached the end of its rope!
"I'll ask when I get back. If that still doesn't work, then I can only..."
Chen Yao couldn't stop herself from recalling what Zhou Min had said earlier.
She clenched her fists, then let them fall helplessly at her sides, as though she had made up her mind to give in.
Clinging to her last shred of hope, she returned to the residence. Her father, Father Chen, and her second brother, Chen Jue, greeted her with weary sighs.
"Xiao Yao, how did things go on your end?"
When Chen Yao came back, the two hurried to ask, their voices full of hope.
Hearing their anxious questions, Chen Yao silently shook her head.
The light died in their eyes. Their expressions fell before her very eyes.
Chen Jue's heart sank. He shook his head without a word, while Father Chen slumped down, utterly disappointed.
Chen Yao pressed her lips together. Her throat worked as she struggled to speak. "Father, Second Brother, what did the Wang Family say? Are they truly unwilling to make even the slightest accommodation?"
The two shook their heads without a word, sighing deeply. Their meaning was clear.
"Can our family afford the compensation?" Chen Yao asked again.
The deadline was almost here. If they failed to gather five Treasure Fish, the Chen Family would be in breach of contract and have to pay ten times the amount in compensation.
That sum would be enough to drain the Chen Family's coffers!
"I've already sent Chen Hong to contact buyers and prepare to sell off our property, but gathering enough in such a short time... I'm afraid it won't be enough," Father Chen said with a shake of his head.
Chen Jue added, "The key is that the Wang Family won't give us any time at all. They say that if we haven't gathered the Treasure Fish by the deadline, they'll immediately make us repay them with our fishery. But the price they've offered is less than half its value. They're clearly kicking us while we're down, trying to seize our family's property while they have the chance. If we hand it over to them, we'll suffer a devastating loss!"
The two complained about the Wang Family's arrogance and shamelessness. They were frustrated and angry, but more than anything, they felt helpless and lost.
After paying that compensation, how would the Chen Family survive in Clear River City?
Chen Yao fell silent. Deep in her mind, the thought that had wavered back and forth slowly hardened into resolve.
"Father, Second Brother, I need to go out for a while."
With that, she didn't give them time to ask questions. She turned and hurried away.
"Haha, good news!"
Chen Yao had barely stepped outside when Chen Hong rushed home, eager to share his joy with his family.
Seeing Chen Yao walking away in the distance, he called out, "Little Sister, where are you going?"
Chen Yao didn't answer, as if she hadn't heard him.
Chen Hong didn't mind. He hurried inside, about to shout, when Chen Jue, having heard the commotion, beat him to it. "Big Brother, did you buy the Treasure Fish?"
He stared straight at Chen Hong, afraid that even half a no might escape his lips.
Father Chen was just as hopeful and tense, his heart rising into his throat.
Knowing how anxious they were, Chen Hong didn't beat around the bush. "That's right. I got it!"
His brief reply swept away the gloom in their hearts like a fresh breeze, and their spirits, which had sunk to the bottom of the valley, suddenly sprang back to life.
The two exchanged looks, excitement plain on their faces.
"A Hong, how did this happen? Where did you find the Treasure Fish?" Father Chen asked curiously, finally recovering his wits.
Chen Hong dropped a bombshell. "We have Little Sister to thank for it!"
"Little Sister?" The two were baffled.
Chen Hong explained, "You don't know this, but Little Sister's friend gave us the Treasure Fish."
He went on to excitedly recount what had happened. "All afternoon, I visited every Fishery Market and came back empty-handed each time. I had no choice but to return to the fishery empty-handed. But just as I arrived, I heard that the Wang Family had sent people to take over. They were appraising it right in front of me, and they offered such a low price that I wanted to beat them to a pulp. But don't worry, I held back, because I couldn't win..."
"Big Brother, get to the point!"
Unable to bear Chen Hong's increasingly irrelevant rambling, Chen Jue cut him off.
Chen Hong gave an awkward laugh and got back on track. "Just as we were haggling, Little Sister's friend came to visit. Since we had that connection, I thought I should meet him. When I did, it was like a heavenly soldier had descended. He didn't say a word—just tossed the Red-Horned Pomfret to me..."
Father Chen and Chen Jue barely listened to the rest.
They had already grasped the gist of it from Chen Hong's account.
Father Chen interjected at the right moment. "A Hong, who is this friend of Little Sister's?"
"His name is Hong Ming!"
Before you continue