Tak-Tam knew he’d have to talk to Ting-Yan. He couldn’t marry her like this. He had to break it off. Everyone would be so upset with him. He knew Ting-Yan would be mad, even though she didn’t want to marry him. To be rejected by the brother she didn’t want might be even worse for her than being rejected by the brother she did want. What if she cursed him too? And his mother would be so disappointed. If that weren’t enough, Captain Lee would likely feel insulted, and maybe the insult would harm his friendship with Cheung. For all of this, Tak-Tam would be responsible. But if he didn’t break it off, he’d spend his life disdained by the person he loved most in the world. It would not be a livable life. He wished he knew what she was thinking. He had to talk to her.

A cold wind came up from over mainland China. The water grew choppy and the heavy boat rocked and churned. Tak-Tam’s stomach churned with it. Would they never make it back to Causeway Bay?

At last, they arrived. It was raining a little and there were no customers down at the dock. The fish had to be sold right away while it was still fresh. All four of them worked to take it up to the causeway, where a few cooks and amahs shopping for the evening’s meal were already bargaining with fishers who had landed earlier.

Ting-Yan and Captain Lee coaxed and shouted, haggling with customers, but still giving them good deals in order to move the fish quickly. Tak-Tam and Yim-Fong helped, wrapping fish and taking in payments. There was so much fish! When would it all get sold? Tak-Tam gave the wrong package to a young servant girl, and an older amah from a different family, for whom it was intended, got angry and began to fight with the girl. He had to separate them. Ting-Yan sold a large bream she thought was dead to a quarry worker, but just as she placed the package in his hands, it flipped free of its wrapping and wriggled down the pavement. Tak-Tam kept trying to catch her eye, but she wouldn’t look at him. It was evening by the time all the fish were sold.

As soon as it was done, Yim-Fong hurried off to the Tai Hang house, hoping to catch Cheung and help him with the move, though she suspected he’d be long gone by now.

“I need to talk to you,” Tak-Tam said to Ting-Yan.

She pretended not to hear, but Captain Lee did.

“Why don’t you two go down to the boat and talk,” he said. “I don’t think Ah Fong is going to catch Cheung at the Tai Hang house. I’m going to the cricket club to look for him.”

“I’ll come with you,” said Ting-Yan.

“Please,” said Tak-Tam.