Background Battle

In the north coastal city, the month of October was pretty cool. The theme of the city this time of year was not barbecuing or drinking beer, but having fresh, real seafood.

"Real" seafood for local Qing people meant wild seafood that was caught in the sea, rather than artificially bred fish and crabs. The average person may not be able to tell the difference, but for those who had been born and raised here—those whose families had lived near the sea for many generations—they believed that wild seafood tasted better.

The five month long offseason for fishing had ended. There were now plenty of people around the pier everyday, buying the freshest seafood on the market. It was the busiest season for seafood dealers.