A doctor who travels through two eras

Chapter 160: Ban on the sale of golden croaker fish maw

Among various fish maws, the golden croaker, also known as yellow lip fish maw, is considered to be the most expensive.

In Guangdong, a merchant once sold more than a kilogram of golden sturgeon fish maw for 280 million yuan, setting a trading record.

The price of 150 grams of yellow lip fish maw on the market is usually more than 9 million yuan, and it is selected by the media as one of the nine most expensive foods in the world.

In the two provinces of Hu Jiandong and Guangdong, when wealthy families marry off their daughters, the dowry often includes "fish glue" in addition to tangerine peel.

Therefore, there is no shortage of buyers for a good piece of fish maw. It is in great demand in the market and all the bosses who speculate on fish maw have made a fortune.

But in 1959, the yellow croaker was as common as the Zhoushan yellow croaker, a "home-cooked fish".

If you still can't understand, just think about the past year in 1958, when the catch of yellow croaker was 180 million tons, and you will know how worthless this fish is. It is almost on the same level as the later saury.

By the 1980s and 1990s, the number of yellow croakers had been greatly reduced due to excessive commercial hype about the nutritional value of yellow croaker maw, worsening water pollution, overfishing, deteriorating living environment and other reasons.

“Scarcity makes things valuable.”

By 2023, the price of yellow croaker will reach 1 to 2 yuan per catty.

An adult yellow croaker generally weighs 15-30 kilograms, and a large one can weigh up to 100 kilograms. The cheapest yellow croaker costs hundreds of thousands of yuan, and the most expensive ones can cost up to several million yuan.

Of course, this is a later story. What the future will be like is something that people like Zhang Xingbang and Huang Liqiang can imagine.

It is precisely because their generation did not think of overfishing that species such as yellow croaker, big yellow croaker, Yangtze River knife fish, etc. were almost fished to extinction.

Seeing Lin Sanqi's surprise, Zhang Xingbang thought that Lin Sanqi, whose ancestral home was in Guangdong, particularly liked to eat yellow croaker, and thought that his gift touched the heart of the person, so he was also very happy:

"I'm sorry, Doctor Xiaolin, we don't have any special products in Hujian, so we can only treat you to fish. This yellow croaker is not a rare fish, but it is fresh. The fishing boat went directly to Cangxia Wharf and was immediately delivered to the hospital and steamed in a pot. It only took a few hours."

It's like inviting someone to dinner. Besides fish and crabs, there were a few plates of stir-fried vegetables and shredded meat on the table.

It was estimated that the Zhang family had put a lot of thought into preparing this simple meal. Lin Sanqi knew that he couldn't ask for too much.

"Very good, very good. We southerners like to eat fresh fish. Today, I am also grateful to Director Zhang."

Zhang Xingbang laughed, "Doctor Xiaolin, you are a distinguished guest, please start eating first."

Lin Sanqi was not polite and could not wait to open the fish belly, revealing the white and yellow fish bladder inside, and then swallowed his saliva.

This stuff, after being dried, is sold for millions per pound. It can only be described as insane.

Even if it can cure postpartum hemorrhage, can't you just use a hemostatic needle? One needle only costs a few dollars.

If there is real hemorrhage, surgery is required. Will fish maw be helpful?
This was also the first time that Lin Sanqi had seen real golden sturgeon maw in his 20-year life. After putting it in the bowl, he looked left and right to see what was special about it.

Huang Liqiang also smiled and said to liven up the atmosphere:

"Comrade Lin is indeed from the south. It seems that he also knows the benefits of golden croaker maw. Try it. This fresh golden croaker maw is fat but not greasy, chewy, and delicious. It is also very nourishing. It is definitely a good thing."

Lin Sanqi also pretended to sigh:
"Yes, our Lin family has been away from Huadu for 10 years. We can't eat seafood in the north, let alone this kind of fish maw."

At this point, Lin Sanqi pretended to ask casually:
"Isinglass is not only delicious, but can also be used as medicine. Director Zhang, do you have any way to help me get some isinglass?"

Zhang Xingbang is also an old fox. After hearing what Lin Sanqi said, he wondered if this guy was secretly doing some "resale business" to make a profit.

Just like he asked for Pian Zai Huang before and now he wants fish maw, these should not be purchased by the Capital Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, but transported to the north, and then the hospital makes a profit from it.

Of course, he didn't think that Lin Sanqi took the money for personal speculation.

Firstly, he thought Lin Sanqi didn't have the courage to do so, and secondly, he didn't think these things had a market in the north.

After all, he was an old supply and marketing man, and he knew exactly what Hu Jian shipped to the north, and Pian Zai Huang and fish maw were definitely not among them.

The most likely possibility is that he would sell these two items to a restaurant or hospital, and then get some kickbacks in the middle, but it definitely would not be the Capital Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine where he works.

Otherwise, there should be a purchase list with the official seal.

These days, whether you are working in a supply and marketing cooperative or in the purchasing department of some large organization, it is an unspoken rule to make some extra money while on business trips.

But they will not go too far and dare not resell sensitive materials. Generally, they focus on local specialties when traveling on business trips, so they have a reason to deal with it if they are inspected along the way.

"Doctor Kobayashi, the thing is, if you want to buy ten or twenty kilograms of fish maw, I can get it for you tomorrow."

Lin Sanqi shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, no, Director Zhang, it's not me who wants it, but our unit wants to purchase it." Zhang Xingbang and Huang Liqiang held their chopsticks in shock, thinking that this was not something that Dr. Xiao Lin came up with on a whim? How could it be purchased by the unit?

Lin Sanqi knew that the other party didn't believe him, so he smiled and said, "Wait for me, I'll go get my letter of introduction and purchase list."

After saying that, Lin Sanqi ran to the remote room arranged by the Chinese Medicine Hospital, opened the door, quickly returned to 2023, and took out a blank piece of letter paper.

The letter paper was real, with a red letterhead on it: Capital Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

There was the company’s official seal stamped underneath the blank piece of letter paper. Yes, it was a fake seal that I had someone carve myself.

Lin Sanqi wrote on the letter of introduction: "I would like to introduce Comrade Lin Sanqi... to purchase fish maw and Pien Tze Huang... I hope you can cooperate."

As for the shopping list, it is even simpler. Just add "500 kilograms of fish maw" and "5000 pills of Pien Tze Huang" in the last row of the fake list.

Everything is seamless.

Maybe someone will say, no one would doubt that this letter of introduction is fake?
Please, what Lin Sanqi purchased was Chinese medicinal materials, not TNT, which is not a sensitive thing. Who would be so bored as to run to the capital to verify it?

China is so big, with hundreds of thousands of buyers working there. No matter what supplies they go to other places to buy, they will all be suspected. So, should the materials in this country be circulated?

Besides, Lin Sanqi’s work permit is real, he is a real person, and he also took the formal invoice after giving the money. There was no mistake in the whole process. Who would doubt it?
Even the Jinyiwei who mixed in with the common people could not notice anything unusual.

Lin Musen heard the noise in his son's room and knew that his son had returned from 1959, so he came over to take a look. He saw his son writing about golden sturgeon fish glue and was shocked.

"Qizi, are you planning to buy golden croaker fish maw over there?"

"Yes, Dad, you don't know how cheap yellow croaker was in 1959. One net could catch hundreds or even thousands of kilograms. This golden croaker fish maw is also worthless. I plan to purchase it from 59 and sell it. Then we can make a small fortune again, right?"

Lin Musen smiled bitterly and said, "It's a good idea, but it's too late. The country has banned the trade of golden sturgeon fish maw."

"ah?!!!"

Lin Sanqi was stunned for a moment. "There is such a thing? Why is it forbidden? It's just some fish bubbles. We missed out on hundreds of millions."

"Why else? The yellow croaker is now a protected species, so its status is different."

Old Cantonese people are no strangers to fish maw and can talk about it very knowledgeably, especially old Chinese medicine practitioners like Lin Musen who know even more about it.

Lin Sanqi was a little unconvinced: "Wait a minute, Dad, there are so many fish maw specialty stores on the street, the prices are so high, how can they trade?"

Especially in Chaoshan and Huadu areas of Dongguan Province, various fish maw specialty stores and online stores are everywhere, and they all take the high-end luxury route, which is not uncommon.

Lin Musen patiently explained:
"Isinglass can be purchased, and it's not just the golden sturgeon fish maw. For example, red-billed sturgeon fish maw, white fish maw, and house fish maw are all high-priced fish maws on the market. In addition, northern sea fish maw and yellow fish maw are ordinary fish maws, and you can also find ways to purchase them.

Even though fresh golden croaker fish maw cannot be traded, aged golden croaker fish maw is not included. If you can purchase golden croaker fish maw that is 30 or 40 years old, you can buy it. This kind of collection-level fish maw is allowed to circulate. "

As long as they are elderly people in Hu Jian, Guangdong, there is no one who is not interested in the golden croaker fish maw. Who doesn’t want to own this precious fish maw?

Lin Musen actually wanted to say that if you can get the golden croaker fish maw, but you can't sell it, you can "give it away". Then after a while, the buyer will come to Lingnan Hall for treatment and spend several million. Isn't it reasonable? It's not illegal.

The buyer and seller knew it tacitly and it would be fine as long as they didn't make it public. However, he didn't say it out loud in the end because he didn't want to teach his son a bad lesson.

Sure enough, Lin Sanqi did not understand what his father meant. The honest child nodded and agreed:
"Okay, we won't do anything illegal. I'll buy red-billed sturgeon fish maw, white fish maw, and house fish maw. I want fresh golden sturgeon fish maw and aged ones."

"Yes, we must abide by the law!"

Lin Musen nodded in agreement on the surface, but in his heart he cursed his son for being so stubborn.

Lin Sanqi quickly returned to 1959.

I took the letter of introduction and the purchase list to the canteen, but the golden sturgeon fish maw on the list was changed to red-billed sturgeon fish maw, white fish maw, and house maw.

Zhang Xingbang and Huang Liqiang were completely relieved at the sight. As long as it was the unit's behavior, it didn't matter how much Lin Sanqi purchased.

Do they have any doubts in their hearts? They are all adults, so they should not ask too much, look too little, or inquire too little. Anyway, they only recognize letters of introduction and work permits, and don't care about other things. If there is any problem in the future, they will not be held responsible.

Zhang Xingbang thought for a moment:
"Doctor Xiaolin, your company needs 500 kilograms of fish maw, but our supply and marketing cooperative really can't provide it at the moment. I suggest you go and talk to several coastal fishery cooperatives in person. I can help you make some connections."

Lin Sanqi was a little puzzled and wondered why he should contact them himself. Isn't your supply and marketing cooperative in charge of this area?

"Director Zhang, don't you sell any fish maw from your supply and marketing cooperative?"

(End of this chapter)