The narrative portrays life in the drained Cambridgeshire Fens through the fortunes of an itinerant market seller and his daughter whose stall draws attention at fairs and outside the cathedral. Their daily commerce, family illness, and interactions with locals escalate into community tensions, brawls, and legal entanglements as economic pressures and traditional customs collide. Interwoven episodes depict fen landscapes, local characters, riots, and courtroom scenes, offering a textured portrait of rural social dynamics, resourcefulness, and the consequences of changing landscapes and livelihoods.