Chapter 165: The Boat is in Position
Chapter 165: The Boat is in Position
Everyone was curious about how much money Jiang Xia would make from selling the fish jerky she bought from them.
But even Zhou Jie and Zhou Zhou didn't know the selling price.
After asking around for a while without getting any answers, the adults gave up, but some still got the idea to try making and selling it themselves.
At that moment, Wen Wan came out of Zhou Guohua's house. She had moved in with Zhou Guohua the night before and was now considered his wife.
The previous night, when she returned from school, she found that even her bed was gone from her house!
She had always shared a room with her stepsister, but after her stepmother learned that she had registered her marriage with Zhou Guohua, she dismantled her bed and gave the room to her stepsister, telling Wen Wan to go live with Zhou Guohua. Her luggage had already been packed and sent to Zhou Guohua's house.
She had no choice but to move in with Zhou Guohua.
Although she was angry and aggrieved, she had no other option; she couldn't very well become homeless.
As it turned out, men's words were deceitful. The night before, she and Zhou Guohua had slept peacefully together, but she only allowed him to hold her while sleeping. However, in the middle of the night, she dreamed that she had married Zhou Chenglei and was intimate with him, and in her confusion, she mistook Zhou Guohua for Zhou Chenglei.
Zhou Guohua thought she had taken the initiative, and before they knew it, they had consummated their marriage.
Since things had gone this far, she and Zhou Guohua were now firmly bound together.
She could only change Zhou Guohua's fate, ensuring that his family maintained their status as the richest in the village and not be outdone by Zhou Chenglei.
Wen Wan came out, and Zhou Guohua's mother asked her to call Zhou Guohua home for dinner.
As they hadn't taken any protective measures the night before, she asked Zhou Guohua to go to town to buy some medicine, but he had been gone for half the day and still hadn't returned.
As soon as Wen Wan came out, she heard Zhou Jie shouting, "These fish fry were made by my niece and my mother! You can't buy them anywhere else. If you want to eat them, ask your mother to buy them from my house. We have them for sale. Or you can buy them from Zhou Zhou's house; they have them too! I don't know how much they cost per pound. You'd better hurry and buy them; there's not much, and they'll sell out quickly."
Zhou Zhou, being more shy, just nodded and said softly, "Yes, the fish fry were made by my aunt and great-grandmother."
Wen Wan listened and looked over, then saw the fish fry in Zhou Jie's hand.
She finally understood why Jiang Xia had collected those variety fish jerky.
It turned out that Jiang Xia was selling not just fish jerky but this spicy fish fry!
Zhou Guohua had bought fish jerky at a loss yesterday and was planning not to buy any more.
They absolutely had to continue buying!
Wen Wan knew about this fish fry.
In her previous life, she had also loved eating it, so she had learned to make it by following an online video.
The taste was quite good! She wanted to teach Zhou Guohua's mother how to make it.
At that moment, Zhou Guohua returned from town, and Wen Wan asked him to go to the town hospital to buy medicine and contraceptives, as she wanted to take the college entrance exam and didn't want to have a child so soon. He also went to the supply co-op to buy some food for Wen Wan to take back to school.
Seeing him return, Wen Wan said to him, "Why did it take so long? Come with me, I have something to tell you!"
...
So, in the evening, several houses were filled with the rich aroma of fried fish.
Especially Zhou Guohua's house, where the scent was particularly strong.
Jiang Xia smelled it as she walked towards the wharf and guessed that everyone was trying to make the fish fry. She wasn't surprised, as fewer people had come to sell fish jerky that day.
She didn't mind; since they hadn't stolen her recipe, she couldn't do anything about it.
She just needed to focus on herself! The sunrise over the sea was beautiful, and the fishing village's evening was equally enchanting.
The summer sunset often spread across the entire sky, a spectacle of splendor and magnificence, and each day was unique.
Zhou Chenglei sailed towards the dusk glow, and Jiang Xia went to meet him.
Zhou Chenglei smiled and handed over his earnings: "One thousand six hundred and eighty-eight yuan and eight cents."
Jiang Xia laughed and said, "What a lucky number! May you prosper and prosper!"
Zhou Chenglei smiled and unloaded a load of fish fry from the boat.
Zhou Fu laughed and said, "Little Xia has the best way with words!"
He also unloaded the remaining basket of variety fish and, together with his family, happily returned home.
(End of Chapter 165)
The next day, Zhou Chenglei did not go out to sea, but his father and Zhou Chengxin did.
Tomorrow was the day for both the house construction and the new ship's launch, and he had a lot to prepare.
Zhou Fu had already arranged for the construction workers for the house, asking the great-grandfather to oversee the work with a few villagers from nearby.
However, he hadn't hired the ship workers yet. His father, older brother, and the family's small boat were not suitable for deep-sea voyages.
He needed to hire at least five ship workers, making six people in total, including himself.
Zhou Yongguo was one, and Zhou Chenglei planned to ask four of his former comrades.
So, early in the morning, he rode his bicycle out and didn't return until it was dark, carrying a slight smell of alcohol.
After dinner, Zhou Fu and Zhou Mu took a bath and went to sleep. They had to wake up at 3:30 am to prepare for the house construction and the new ship's launch.
After taking a bath and brushing his teeth, Zhou Chenglei still had a hint of alcohol on him, but it wasn't unpleasant. Jiang Xia prepared a bowl of hangover soup for him, which she had already cooled in water, and handed it to him, asking, "Did you drink a lot?"
"It's okay, not too much," Zhou Chenglei replied, taking the bowl and drinking it in one go. He put down the bowl and hugged Jiang Xia.
Their eyes met, and they embraced each other, both silent, as their hearts fluttered with emotion.
After some time, Zhou Chenglei lowered his head and gently kissed his girl, the one who filled his heart and made it flutter endlessly.
His love.
The night was crisp, with a hint of alcohol in the air, making one feel intoxicated and lost.
The next day, Zhou Fu and Zhou Mu woke up at 3:30 am to prepare the sacrificial offerings, including killing chickens.
Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia woke up at 4:30 am. The two elders had already steamed two chickens and two pieces of pork.
The night before, after dinner, Jiang Xia had prepared the other items, including fruits, as instructed by Zhou Mu, and packed two sets—one for the house construction and the other for when the new ship returned.
After breakfast, the family changed into new clothes.
Today, they divided the tasks. Zhou Mu stayed at home to oversee the house construction ceremony, as they needed to pay respects at the four corners of the homestead site before breaking ground.
Zhou Chenglei, Jiang Xia, and Zhou Fu went to attend the new ship's launch ceremony.
After breakfast, Zhou Chenglei carried a load of sacrificial offerings, while Jiang Xia brought 9,000 yuan in cash, and accompanied Zhou Fu and Zhou Chengxin to the wharf.
Jiang Xia had an extra 1,000 yuan as a backup, and she also left 1,000 yuan with Zhou Mu for emergencies.
Zhou Chenglei sailed directly to the city, and this time, he didn't drag a net behind him.
No one went fishing, as everyone was excited and eager, not wanting to do anything but quietly gaze at the vast sea ahead, relishing this joyful moment!
At 7:30 am, the ship arrived at the shipyard, and Zhou Chenglei found a spot that wouldn't obstruct the new ship's launch.
The four of them disembarked and headed to Ship Platform No. 1, where their new ship was to be launched.
By then, their ship was already in position.
Zhou Factory Director was leading the ship workers in the final round of inspections.
Before launching the ship, they conducted equipment checks, leak tests, and other inspections to ensure everything was in order before pushing the ship into the water.
Zhou Chenglei and Zhou Fu also boarded the ship to observe the inspections and conduct their own checks.
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chengxin waited below.
Zhou Chengxin, looking at the large ship, exclaimed with joy, "I never imagined that our family would also have an ocean-going ship. This is something I've always dreamed of having."
Although it wasn't his, Zhou Chengxin was delighted for his younger brother.
Jiang Xia, holding the camera, smiled upon hearing this, saying, "Not just one ship, there will be more and more in the future."
Zhou Chengxin laughed, "Yes!"
At 7:50 am, all the inspections were completed, and everything was in order.
Zhou Chenglei disembarked and led Jiang Xia onto the ship.
Zhou Chengxin followed them aboard.
Everyone was ready.
They waited until 8:00 am, the auspicious time, and as the moment arrived, the new ship was launched!
(End of Chapter)
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