Chapter 209: She's Also a Little Collector
Chapter 209: She's Also a Little Collector
The three of them looked out at the sea, where a dark mass was bobbing up and down in the waves.
They weren't the only ones who noticed it.
Others on the beach had also spotted it, and they all rushed over.
Those who hadn't seen it noticed the commotion and instinctively looked towards the sea, then followed the crowd, running towards the shore.
As the dark mass in the sea drew closer, more and more people joined the rush.
Tea Caihua, seeing the crowd rushing towards them, angrily shouted, "They're going to steal our catch! We saw it first!"
Tea Caihua clenched her fists as she stared at the sea, "Hurry up! Hurry! Pull them up quickly! Everyone's coming to steal our fish!"
Zhou Mu also silently urged in her heart, "Faster! Faster!"
Closer and closer!
Just as the mass was about to reach the shore, Zhou Chenglei grabbed a fishing net and ran to the edge of the reef.
Jiang Xia quickly picked up the remaining fishing net, "Mom, Sister-in-law! Hurry! Spread the net and catch the fish!"
The two immediately understood and quickly ran to opposite ends of the net, spreading it out as wide as possible.
Tea Caihua ran with particular urgency.
Here it comes!
The wave brought the dark mass closer, and the crowd ran towards it.
Zhou Chenglei aimed carefully, targeting the densest part of the black mass. Just as the wave receded, he cast his net! His timing was perfect.
As the wave surged forward, a large group of fish was swept into the net by the current.
He grabbed the fishing net and quickly crouched down, pulling with all his might.
The waves crashed against the reef, and fish rained down from the sky as they hit the shore.
Zhou Chenglei got up and quickly pulled the large bundle of fish onto the shore.
Jiang Xia, Zhou Mu, and Tea Caihua, holding onto a fishing net, ran to collect the fish.
After a moment, they quickly released the net and ran to gather the fish that had fallen to the ground.
Everyone had rushed over, scrambling to pick up the fish.
Jiang Xia's movements were swift!
These were Golden Scallop Fish, renowned for their fish jelly, considered the king of fish jelly, a luxury item.
If preserved until modern times, its value could reach over 150,000 yuan per pound, making it a prized item for collectors.
Jiang Xia and her family, being the closest, simply tossed the fish they caught onto the fishing net spread on the ground.
Most of the fish were caught in Zhou Chenglei's net.
The remaining fish were also mostly caught by the large net pulled by Jiang Xia and the other two.
With so many people and so few fish, those that fell to the ground were quickly picked up.
Only a handful of people managed to grab one or two fish, while most didn't get any.
Some couldn't resist the temptation and secretly tried to pick fish from Jiang Xia's net.
Tea Caihua noticed this and shouted, "Babo Ling, what are you doing? Get your hands off! I'll beat you up! Don't dare steal our fish!"
Babo Ling, the one Tea Caihua was scolding, retracted her hand and huffed, "How can you do this? Using a net to catch fish, you've emptied the entire sea!"
Tea Caihua replied as she pulled in the net, "You can go home and get your own net. If you have the skills, go catch all the fish in the sea, and I won't say a word!"
Babo Ling was speechless.
She stared at the two nets full of fish belonging to the Jiang family, filled with envy.
What kind of luck had the Zhou family been having lately?
They seemed to encounter all the good fortune!
Not only Babo Ling, but the entire village was envious.
These were Golden Scallop Fish, and this area usually only caught one or two occasionally, rarely seeing such a large number.
The locals knew that its fish belly had miraculous effects on postpartum hemorrhage, making it the best food for women after childbirth.
Moreover, these Golden Scallop Fish were quite large, and each one could sell for at least 30 yuan.
That was equivalent to a month's salary!
If the fish belly was removed and dried to make fish jelly, selling the jelly and fish meat separately would bring in even more money.
The two nets of fish they caught probably had over a hundred fish!
Unfortunately, they had discovered it too late, and by the time they ran over, Zhou Chenglei and his family had already picked up all the fish.
It was unbelievable; who brings a fishing net when going to the shore?
Jiang Xia, Zhou Mu, and Tea Caihua quickly pulled in their nets.
Zhou Mu pried open the fish's mouth with her hands and checked its gills, which were still a vibrant red.
Zhou Mu smiled and said, "It's very fresh!"
Jiang Xia couldn't help but laugh.
Haha, she could now consider herself a small-time collector with a growing collection!
The teardrop-shaped pearl, the cluster of coral, the abalones, the fish jelly, and that sea snail—she wondered if there was anything inside.
Jiang Xia began calculating her future assets...
Her breathing became uneven as she did the calculations.
Tian Caihua curiously asked, "Why are all these fish dead?"
Zhou Mu, seeing that the fish were all intact, replied, "They probably encountered electric eels or similar fish and got electrocuted. I once heard your dad mention seeing a group of electric eels discharge electricity, electrocuting a school of fish. The sea surface was filled with floating fish, and there were too many to scoop up."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia exclaimed, "The fish in the ocean are truly amazing. They have all sorts of special abilities."
Tian Caihua agreed, "Yes, there are all kinds of fish! Some can discharge electricity, some release ink, and some even glow!"
Zhou Mu said, "We should hurry and take the fish back to slaughter them. If we delay too long, they won't be fresh anymore."
They needed to take advantage of the freshness and quickly remove the fish bellies for processing and drying.
The fish bellies were especially good for postpartum recovery, and Zhou Mu planned to keep them for Jiang Xia to eat after giving birth.
Jiang Xia acknowledged and turned to look for Zhou Chenglei, only to find that he was nowhere in sight.
"Mom, where's Alei?" she asked.
Zhou Mu also looked around, "I just saw him a moment ago!"
Jiang Xia hurried towards the water's edge, and at that moment, Zhou Chenglei emerged from the water.
He held a fish over a meter long with one arm and gripped a reef with the other, "Mom, come help!"
Jiang Xia quickly approached, "This fish is about fifty pounds, right?"
Zhou Chenglei replied, "Around sixty pounds. Stay back, let Mom handle it. This fish is heavy, you might not have the strength."
Not only was the fish heavy, but the waves were also strong. Zhou Chenglei was concerned that a single wave could sweep Jiang Xia into the sea.
His mother was more experienced in dealing with the waves, and her strength far exceeded Jiang Xia's.
Zhou Mu and Tian Caihua quickly rushed forward to help pull the fish onto the shore.
Jiang Xia kept her distance, aware of her own limitations, to avoid causing trouble for them.
Her physical strength had been growing, but it was still no match for Zhou Mu's.
Jiang Xia stood on the shore, keeping an eye on the fish in the bucket and the two fish in the net, to prevent anyone from casually taking them.
Tian Caihua and Zhou Mu together took the fish, and the splashing water soaked both of their clothes. Tian Caihua, her face dripping with water, couldn't help but exclaim, "So heavy, it must be fifty or sixty pounds!"
Other villagers gathered to watch, their envy growing.
Had they stumbled upon a golden scallop king?
Zhou Chenglei seemed to have found all the treasures! It was said that ten pounds of fish could yield one pound of fish jelly, so this golden scallop alone could produce several pounds of fish jelly! The larger the fish, the more valuable, and the same went for fish jelly, with prices doubling!
As Zhou Mu and Tian Caihua took the fish, Zhou Chenglei quickly climbed onto the reef.
Another wave crashed onto the shore.
After the wave subsided, someone couldn't resist walking over to take a look, "Are there more? Are there more fish in the sea?"
Zhou Chenglei directly moved the large fish away from the shore, "No more, they were swept away by the waves."
Upon hearing this, someone else said, "Swept away, but there's a chance the waves might bring them back. Who has a net bag?"
"I do!"
Zhou Chenglei reminded everyone, "Be careful, the waves are strong. Don't fall into the sea!"
After his warning, he didn't pay further attention, as everyone present was familiar with the sea and knew their limits.
The wind was strong and a bit chilly, and Jiang Xia was soaked. Zhou Chenglei, worried she might catch a cold, said to Zhou Mu, "Mom, sister-in-law, you two watch over these two fish. Jiang Xia and I will head back first, and then I'll bring a basket to carry the fish."
Zhou Mu nodded, "Alright, go quickly!"
Tian Caihua added, "Dad and Chengxin are already on their way with baskets!"
Zhou Chengxin, having seen the commotion from afar, informed Zhou Fu, who guessed that they must have caught some fish. He immediately borrowed baskets from the buying station and hurried over.
Zhou Fu was filled with excitement!
His voice preceded his arrival, "What kind of fish? Are they big?"
His voice boomed like a bell.
(End of Chapter)
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