This time, Li Long took Tao Daqiang to Old Street Station first.
With New Year approaching, Old Street was noticeably busier. Vehicles stopped at the station one after another, like iron monsters spitting out people before taking more aboard and roaring away.
Just as he had last time, Li Long carried his urea sack on his back and asked everyone he met:
"Want some fish? Fresh big common carp and grass carp, caught yesterday! Cheap, too!"
His sales pitch was simple, but repeating it really worked. Out of every ten people, one or two wanted to look at his fish, and out of every four or five who looked, one would buy.
After selling more than twenty fish there, Li Long moved on to the Farm Machinery Factory's residential compound.
This was where he had first sold fish in Stone City, so he knew his way around. What surprised him a little was that the old gatekeeper still recognized him.
"Young fellow, you haven't been here selling fish for a while. Still the same price?"
"Yes, sir. Want one?"
"Sure, give me a five-stripe perch!"
Li Long chuckled.
"You know your fish, sir. This one has tasty flesh."
"Of course. I used to catch fish in the Ma River when I was young. I certainly know which ones taste good."
After picking out a large five-stripe perch for the gatekeeper, Li Long collected two yuan, shouldered his sack, and entered the residential compound.
As usual, he spread out his plastic sheet and laid the fish out one by one. Before he had finished taking them out, people were already coming over to ask the prices.
Some had bought from him before and knew his fish really were fresh. When thawed at home, they weren't the limp, "past-their-prime" sort, so they