Shopkeeper Du invited Zhang Tie inside and had a servant bring him a cup of tea. Before Zhang Tie could speak, Shopkeeper Du took out a booklet from beside him and respectfully handed it over. "Here are the goods our fish market can provide. Please have a look, sir. Cuttlefish bone, starfish ash, abalone shells, pufferfish livers, variegated clams, hawksbill shell, globefish livers, coral, seven-star eels, seahorses, as well as kelp, agar-agar, sea-man grass, partridge greens, sargassum, and more—we can supply all of them. Quality guaranteed, stock plentiful. If you need rarer items, such as jade pearls, sea ginseng, seven-colored sea snakes, and the like, you'll need to place an order in advance. We can also send people out to catch them, but the price will be higher and delivery will take longer. You may leave an address, and once the goods arrive, I'll send someone to invite you over to inspect them..."
Zhang Tie was slightly taken aback. Rather than opening the booklet, he smiled and set it on the table. Although the things Shopkeeper Du had just listed were seafood, they were used more often as medicinal ingredients—apparently, many people in Tiger Tuo Town were accustomed to coming here to buy all kinds of medicine produced by the sea, which was why Shopkeeper Du had taken him for someone buying medicinal ingredients at the fish market.
"I'm not here to buy medicinal ingredients." Zhang Tie shook his head. "I'm just here to buy some ordinary seafood."
"My apologies, my apologies..." Shopkeeper Du blanked for a moment, then hurriedly put away the booklet. He scrutinized Zhang Tie again before cautiously asking with a beaming smile, "May I ask where your restaurant is, sir? Are you ordering ingredients for it?"
"I don't run a restaurant either." Zhang Tie shook his