Morning.
The morning mist had yet to fully disperse, and the stone-paved road of Ginkgo Alley glistened with dampness.
Saina carried a bamboo basket as she pushed open the courtyard gate, then tossed it onto the stone table with a clatter.
There was only a palm-sized fish in the basket, still feebly flopping about.
Fat cat Silver caught the scent of fish and nimbly leaped down from the Old Locust Tree. The moment it approached the basket, Saina smacked its head away.
"Get lost! This lousy fish cost me three silver coins. If you dare take one bite, I'll skin you!" With her hands on her hips, Saina shouted toward the second-floor window, "Elena! Didn't you go to the eastern district for flour yesterday? A bag of coarse flour costs twenty silver coins? Why don't they just rob people outright?!"
The wooden window on the second floor creaked open.
Elena wore a fiery wine-red silk nightgown, her long hair carelessly draped over her shoulders. Holding a cup of water, she slowly looked down.
"Why are you howling like you're calling up ghosts this early in the morning?" Elena yawned, eyeing the scrawny grass carp with distaste. "Then don't eat it if you think it's expensive. With the war reduced to this mess and refugees from the north flooding into the Free City-State, of course food prices are changing by the day. You should be secretly delighted that three silver coins bought you a live fish."
"I'm furious at those black-hearted merchants in the eastern district!" Saina grabbed the grass carp and headed for the kitchen, grumbling as she walked. "Three silver coins could buy half a pig in Wading Village! That dwarf selling fish even told me it was some deep-sea specialty. Who's he trying to fool? This is obviously