Chen Laosi dressed as a small businessman and approached the Chenglingji Wharf. Since ancient times, Chenglingji has been an important water transport wharf and cargo distribution center in the north and south of the Yangtze River, but after the devils occupied Yueyang, this famous wharf gradually became deserted. The merchants did not dare to transport the goods to the wharf, for fear that both people and money would be empty, and the Japanese army did not have goods in and out of the wharf, and the ships from Wuhan and Yichang could not pass, and the ships from Yueyang could not be sent out.

Chen Laosi was dressed as a small businessman, followed by a few scouts dressed as buddies and porters, and went straight to the riverside wharf. When outsiders look at it, they are a group of people who have come to the river to buy fish.

I came a little early, there was not a single boat on the pier, and two groups of fish sellers who were dressed up like Chen Laosi and them were already waiting on the edge of the pier.

"The boss is new here? I've never seen it before, and it looks like it's tight. A fish boss came over to greet Chen Laosi warmly.

"Yes, I used to sell fish in Daorenji. Business over there has been a bad job in the past two months, so I'll try my luck here. Chen Laosi smiled and took out the dry tobacco stick, opened the cigarette purse and filled a bag for himself first, and then stretched the purse forward, "Come, brother, smoke a bag." ”

The fish boss who spoke hurriedly took out the cigarette pouch from his waist, stretched it into the cigarette purse, filled it with a pot, lit it and took a puff, spit out a puff of white smoke, and smiled with a wrinkle on his face, "Okay, this smoke tastes good!" ”

"What kind of smoke is it, let me taste it too?" Another fish boss saw that the two of them were smoking sweetly, and couldn't help but take out the cigarette pouch rod to come over and taste it, Chen Laosi generously handed the purse forward, "Come, taste, this is the Kanto cigarette I asked someone to get, taste the fragrance?" ”

The cigarette pouches were put together, and the three smoking guns swallowed the clouds and smoke, and the three of them became familiar with each other in an instant.

"Hey, you say, when was our city not a ship coming and going, which day was not lively? Now that it's like this, it's panicked when I look at people's hearts! Chen Laosi took the opportunity to complain.

"Yes, when I first entered the industry, I came to the river to buy fish early in the morning to queue, and when I came late, I couldn't buy good fish, which is like now, it's almost noon, just the three of us came to buy fish, but there was no fishing boat."

"Shhhh We are fishmongers who buy and sell fish, and the rest has nothing to do with us! Don't dare to talk nonsense! The fishmonger who came over at last looked around with a change of face, as if there was a devil spy hiding next to him.

"Hey, Bai Laosi, look at your timid and scared look!" The fishmonger who came over to talk to Chen Laosi first glared at the fishmonger who came later, but he didn't dare to continue the topic just now. The atmosphere on the docks was cold again.

"I've heard that there's a big fleet of dozens of ships coming from upstream, and if it's all full of fish, we won't make a fortune?" Chen Laosi began to deliberately introduce words to the fleet, and made a yearning expression as he spoke.

"Coming over the fleet? Don't dream! Even if there is really the fleet you mentioned, dozens of boats are full of fish, just with the two of us, can we buy it with the capital? Still making a fortune? "Bai Laosi probably belongs to the bitter vegetable type character, he doesn't think about anything good, as soon as he opens his mouth, he hits the emotions of others, he is unhappy, loves to complain, and brings the people around him to follow him and get in a bad mood.

The other fishmonger was obviously a sunny type, and when he heard Bai Laosi complaining, he immediately fought back, "What's wrong if you can't buy it?" If I can't buy it, won't I find more people to buy it with? Are there still fewer fishmongers in Yueyang City? As soon as I put the news out, one or two hundred households can find out! What happened to dozens of boats? We can also divide dozens of 10,000 catties of fish on the boat! ”

"One or two hundred? How many families still come to Chenglingji to buy fish? If it weren't for the fact that my family has been selling fish for several generations, I wouldn't have made a living except selling fish, and I would have quit doing it a long time ago! ”

Seeing that the more the two of them argued, the more intense they became, and their faces were red and their thick necks were about to develop into fists and kicks, Chen Laosi hurriedly persuaded him, "Two, don't quarrel with the two, don't hurt the harmony for a little thing that doesn't matter." ”

"Hey, by the way, brother, where did you hear about the fleet of dozens of boats, is this really the case?" The two of them were about to fight just now, and at this moment, Chen Laosi persuaded him, and he remembered to inquire about the accuracy of the news.

"Oh, I just heard about it, I don't know if there is, so I asked you two if I haven't seen a fleet pass through here." Chen Laosi spread his hands, looking very aggrieved. The two fishmongers looked at each other, and they all smiled wryly, just for such an uncertain thing, the two quarreled, it really didn't make sense.

After waiting for another hour or so, a boat finally came to shore, and it was a medium-sized fishing boat. Seeing the fishing boat, the two fishmongers led the servants to the river, and Chen Laosi also led his scouts to follow with the fish baskets.

The boat was still about ten meters from the shore, and a fisherman on the bow of the boat threw the cable to the shore, and the fishmonger on the shore then bundled the cable to the stake, and then the fishing boat slowly approached the shore. A few fishermen with trouser legs jumped out of the boat and began to negotiate the price with these fishmongers, everyone was acquaintance, and the price was agreed in a few words, and the fishmongers boarded the boat to pick fish, and the fishermen found a place to sit down and rest on the shore. Chen Laosi arranged for two scouts to follow him to pick fish, while he himself went to the fisherman to inquire about the news of the Japanese fleet.

"Brother smokes a cigarette." This time, Chen Laosi took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took out one and handed it to the old fisherman.

"Uh-huh, okay." The fisherman took the cigarette but was not in a hurry to light it, put it in front of his nose and sniffed it a few times, then cracked his mouth and smiled, "Good smoke, really good smoke." ”

Chen Laosi took out a match and lit a fire for the old fisherman, and he lit one himself, watching the old fisherman spit smoke with an intoxicated expression.

"This boss, Bai Laosi and the two of them are old customers, I can't give you a lower price than them." It turned out that the old fisherman almost regarded Camp Commander Chen's suit as a bargain. "However, I still have two kings at the bottom of my boat, and that one can be given to you." At that time, Wang Ba was worthless, cheaper than the price of river fish, and there were fewer people who bought it, and the old fisherman gave Chen Lao Si and Wang Ba to him, which was similar to Rao giving him two fish.

"Brother, let me ask you something, you are fishing on the river, have you ever seen a fleet coming down from the river?" The fishmonger on the shore didn't see it, so Chen Laosi wanted to ask the old fisherman who was fishing on the river. Fishing boats are on the river all day, and if there is a fleet of more than 50 boats, it is impossible for the fisherman not to see it.

"Fleet? What fleet? The day before yesterday, I saw two small Japanese steamers going up the river, is that considered a fleet? ”