https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-23-The-Young-Bride-s-Incredible-Luck/12811705/
Chapter 22: A Single Net Catching Half a Year's Worth of Earnings
Chapter 22: A Single Net Catching Half a Year’s Worth of Earnings
It was a school of yellow croakers!
The loud, boisterous "croaking" sound could only belong to a school of yellow croakers.
Father Zhou accelerated the boat toward the source of the sound, his body trembling with excitement. "A-Lei, get the casting net ready!"
Yellow croakers emit a boiling-like sound when they gather in large numbers, a sound so loud it can deafen their predators, making them a rare species among fish.
Father Zhou steered the boat closer, and sure enough, he saw the school of yellow croakers.
Even in the dim light, their golden scales shimmered.
Yellow croakers dislike light and sink to the bottom of the sea as soon as it gets bright.
"Quick, cast the net! The casting net!" Father Zhou urged excitedly.
Zhou Chenglei had already picked up the casting net and cast it into the water.
Father Zhou quickly grabbed another casting net from the deck and cast it as well.
Jiang Xia had never cast a net before, but she knew how to use a dip net to catch fish! She had already picked up a dip net and was ready to scoop up the fish.
Zhou Chenglei’s first cast brought up a large net full of fish.
"Pour them into the live hold," Father Zhou reminded him.
Zhou Chenglei had already opened the live hold in advance and knew what to do without being told.
Jiang Xia scooped up three fish and saw them being dumped into the live hold, their golden bodies glinting.
This single net must have caught at least a hundred fish, maybe even more.
She quickly poured her three fish into the live hold and turned back to scoop up more.
Lagging behind in everything means missing out on all the benefits and opportunities, and that’s worse than being wasteful.
Now that the opportunity to make money had come, if she didn’t seize it, she would have wasted her chance to be reborn, and she might as well jump into the sea and feed the fish.
At that moment, Father Zhou also pulled up a net, and countless golden yellow croakers splashed into the live hold.
Zhou Chenglei and Father Zhou continued to cast their nets, while Jiang Xia scooped up fish with her dip net, picking out the larger ones with speed and accuracy!
They cast their nets three or four times in a row, and the fish school dispersed and swam away.
Even though the fish school had dispersed, Zhou Chenglei and Father Zhou didn’t chase after them.
Father Zhou had always been a fisherman who didn’t take everything he could get. It was hard to catch all the fish in one go, and there were always some that escaped, but he wasn’t a greedy man.
Naturally, Zhou Chenglei felt the same way.
However, the two live holds were almost full!
Father Zhou looked at the two full live holds and smiled. "Xia Xia has good sea luck. We encountered a school of yellow croakers as soon as we set out!"
These yellow croakers would fetch a good few hundred dollars at least.
A single net had earned them what they usually made in half a year!
Jiang Xia smiled. "It’s Dad’s good sea luck. You chose the right waters. And it’s because of your and Chenglei’s experience that we knew it was a school of yellow croakers. I just have good ears. If I had gone out alone, I would have been scared and hidden."
Father Zhou laughed heartily. Who doesn’t like to hear good words?
He was right; if it hadn’t been for Jiang Xia hearing the "croaking" and the boat moving fast, they would have missed the opportunity.
This young daughter-in-law seemed to have really changed, and she knew how to speak well.
He had always believed that when a couple is united, they can overcome any obstacle.
The saying "harmony at home brings success in all endeavors" has been passed down through the ages for a reason.
He didn’t believe that a woman on the boat would bring bad luck. He only believed in the power of unity and harmony in the family.
When a family works together and pulls in the same direction, they will surely succeed.
It’s like rowing a boat; if one person rows east and the other rows west, how can the boat move forward?
When everyone rows in the same direction, the boat will move forward.
When they returned, he would go find Mr. Xu and show him that bringing his daughter-in-law on the boat wouldn’t bring bad luck!
Father Zhou steered the boat a bit further and said to Zhou Chenglei, "I’ll take the boat a bit further. You cast the net."
Zhou Chenglei covered the live hold, responded, and went to cast the net.
After deploying the net, Zhou's father increased the boat's speed.
Jiang Xia could vaguely see the fishing net gradually sinking into the water, spreading out toward the seabed as it was dragged along.
The process of trawling was a long one, and with the summer days being longer, the sky was already bright even though the sun hadn't risen yet.
Zhou Chenglei, noticing Jiang Xia watching the net sink into the sea, said, "Trawling usually takes at least one to two hours. You can get some sleep if you want."
After this trawl, they would find a small island to dock at. With the sun up, it would be a good place for her to stay.
Jiang Xia was surprised, "That long?"
"Yes, if we don't trawl for a longer time, we won't catch many fish. If we stop suddenly, the net will sink to the bottom, so it takes at least one to two hours. You can sleep for a bit."
"No, thanks," Jiang Xia shook her head. She was fascinated by how the net sank into the water. After watching for a while, she started to walk around the boat, examining the equipment and asking questions out of curiosity.
She also watched how Zhou's father navigated the boat. Seeing her interest, Zhou Chenglei patiently explained everything to her.
Jiang Xia spent about ten minutes exploring the boat, but the sun was about to rise. She decided to sit down and wait to enjoy the sunrise over the sea.
As the boat continued to move forward, the sun finally appeared, its rays piercing through the thick clouds, casting a brilliant glow across the sky!
Jiang Xia sat quietly, the red light of the sunrise illuminating her fair face, making her fine, soft hair shine in the sunlight.
Zhou Chenglei's gaze inadvertently fell on her, and he found himself unable to look away for a moment.
After a while, Jiang Xia stopped watching the sunrise. Sitting idly was a bit boring for her, as she wasn't used to such leisure. She asked, "Do you have any fishing rods?"
Zhou Chenglei shook his head, "No."
With nothing else to do, Jiang Xia decided to observe whether the net had caught any fish.
Two hours passed unnoticed, and Zhou's father called out, "Ailei, it's time to pull the net in!"
"Okay," Zhou Chenglei responded.
The father and son worked together to haul in the net, and Jiang Xia stood nearby, watching them. She noticed that they were struggling a bit.
Zhou's father exclaimed happily, "It's so heavy, the net must be full!"
As they pulled the net closer, a large mass of fish began to appear.
"Wow, so many fish!" Jiang Xia exclaimed.
Zhou Chenglei said, "We must have caught a school of fish."
Both father and son were excited. Catching so many fish on their first trawl was rare, something they hadn't experienced in years.
With great effort, they managed to drag the entire net of fish onto the boat.
After pulling the net in, Zhou's father needed a moment to rest before he could help Zhou Chenglei unload the fish.
Jiang Xia watched as the father and son grabbed one end of the net. Zhou's father shouted, "One, two..."
They pulled the net in unison, following the rhythm.
A massive pile of fish spilled out, covering the entire deck!
The fish formed a small mountain, and Jiang Xia's feet were surrounded by jumping mackerels.
They must have caught the mackerels while they were feeding on a school of shrimp.
So this trawl had netted both the mackerels and the shrimp.
Most of the catch was mackerels and tiger prawns, with a few other types of fish mixed in.
"What do we do with all these fish?" Jiang Xia asked, unsure.
She thought they couldn't just leave them on the deck, scattered everywhere.
It was summer, and if left out in the sun for half a day, they would start to smell and wouldn't be fresh anymore.
Even though it was early morning, the sun was already quite strong, and Jiang Xia had already covered her head and face to protect herself.
Zhou's father said, "We need to sort them and put them in baskets. You two can sort them while I set the net again."
Zhou Chenglei said, "Dad, let's dock at the nearby island for a bit."
He had intentionally steered the boat toward this area, knowing there was a small island not far away.
"What for?" Zhou's father asked.
(End of Chapter)
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