Transported Into The Book, She Thrives In The 80s Chapter 260: A Hearty Meal - Novel Cool

Chapter 260: A Hearty Meal

Chapter 260: A Hearty Meal

Dinner was a lavish spread, featuring soy sauce chicken, grilled cod, grilled mackerel, boiled and dressed shrimp, spicy crab, braised eel, sea urchin steamed eggs, steamed snapper, spicy stir-fried squid, boiled duck, sour and spicy potatoes, pumpkin stir-fried bean sprouts, and an old duck soup.

The cod, mackerel, shrimp, crab, and eel were all brought back by Zhou Fu, while the chicken and duck came from Grandma's house.

Since Zhou Yongguo and Zhou Fu went on a far-sea fishing trip together, they returned with both families, and as the two families had always been close, they decided to have a meal together.

Almost all the dishes on the table were prepared by He Xinghuan and Grandma. After Zhou Mu and Tian Caifa cleaned all the ingredients, they had just enough time to go to the pier to pick up the goods, so they took on the responsibility of cooking.

He Xinghuan and Jiang Xia had cooked together many times, and their culinary skills had improved significantly.

With the family's improved finances, He Xinghuan and Jiang Xia could earn several hundred to a thousand yuan each month by selling small fish together.

Zhou Yongguo earned over three thousand yuan after just two far-sea fishing trips.

Grandpa was also earning money by helping the Zhou family build their house.

Life had gotten better, and with no shortage of money, they were more willing to spend on food, generously using oil and seasonings to create a feast that was a delight to the senses.

The Tian family was not wealthy, and Tian Caixing rarely had such a sumptuous meal at home.

No, to be precise, they had never had such a feast, not even during the New Year! Seeing the abundance of dishes, Tian Caixing asked Zhou Chengxin, "Ah Lei, where's the wine? Don't you have any?"

Zhou Chenglei scooped a piece of boiled and dressed cod for Jiang Xia without even lifting his head, "No."

Tian Caixing didn't have any bad habits, except for his love for drinking. However, he had a low alcohol tolerance and an even worse drinking demeanor. After a couple of drinks, he would say anything without restraint, and his words were harsh.

Zhou Chenglei had witnessed this once before, so he would never allow him to drink in his home.

Tian Caixing nudged his brother-in-law, "Ah Xin, why don't you go to the convenience store and buy a bottle of wine? With so many dishes, it's not right to not have wine."

"I..." Zhou Yongguo wanted to say that his family had wine, and he could go and get it. But Grandma and He Xinghuan, standing on either side, simultaneously stepped on his feet, silencing him.

Or perhaps, he was rendered speechless!

Ouch!

Both his feet were in pain! Did his wife and mother-in-law have to be so forceful? What a perfect coordination! Tian Caifa knew that her brother tended to speak nonsense when drunk, and he would offend everyone if given the chance.

Because of this, she had argued with her parents and elder sister-in-law countless times. So, she quickly spoke up, "It's getting late. What's the point of drinking now? Ah Xin, we need to go out to sea tomorrow. Let's finish eating early and go home to sleep."

Zhou Mu smiled and said, "Yes, we're going out to sea tomorrow, so it's not appropriate to drink. If you drink, the alcohol will still be on your breath when you have to wake up for the trip. That won't do! We can invite Uncle another day when we're not going out to sea."

With the conversation reaching this point, and no one going to buy wine, what could Tian Caixing say?

He pursed his lips, thinking, "They don't even have basic hospitality! They didn't even prepare wine."

He picked up a piece of golden-brown grilled cod, took a bite, and changed the subject, "This fish, did Father-in-Law bring it back from the far sea? It's delicious!"

Zhou Fu smiled, "If you like it, have more. Without wine, I apologize for the lack of hospitality, but please don't blame me!"

Tian Caixing ate while speaking, "It's understandable. You have to go out to sea tomorrow. Earning money is important!"

His mouth full of food made his words unclear.

Zhou Fu laughed, "Indeed, it's not easy to provide for a family. Everyone has to work hard every day to put food on the table."

Tian Caixing said, "You have two boats and still say it's not easy? You're building one house after another, and buying one boat after another. How can you say it's not easy? Our family is the one struggling. My six brothers are still living together in a mud-brick house! Unlike you, who are preparing to build two or three-story high-rises! I have three younger brothers who are waiting to earn money to build houses and get married."

Zhou Fu smiled, "With hands and feet, as long as brothers and couples work together and everyone is diligent, you'll have a house sooner or later."

"You're right, brother-in-law! As long as we siblings work together, we'll surely make enough to build a big house one day! I heard that those who go out on big ships to the far seas can earn tens of thousands in one trip, is that true?"

Tian Caifa looked at Zhou Father, curious to know how much he had earned this time on his trip to the distant seas.

Zhou Father chuckled, evading the question, "It's hard to say, it depends on luck. Each trip is different, and each person's experience is unique. Some earn tens of thousands, some a few thousand, and some can't even cover their fuel costs."

But he was different; he brought Wangcai's photo with him on his trip. Whenever he didn't encounter any fish after half a day, he would take out the photo and turn in the direction it pointed.

Wherever the photo pointed, that's where he steered the ship!

He was bound to find schools of fish or large fish, and it worked every time! So, this time, he earned fifty-six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six yuan!

And that was after deducting wages, bonuses, and fuel costs!

He gave each crew member a bonus of two thousand yuan, and the total wages exceeded ten thousand. He also spent over nine thousand on fuel.

Haha, that's impressive, right?

When selling the catch to the fishing transport ship, the owner of a larger vessel nearby mentioned that he had been out at sea for over half a month and only earned a few thousand.

Seeing that Zhou's ship sold its catch for several thousand, the owner immediately followed their ship to trawl together.

So, how could he reveal how much he had earned?

It's fine to show off a little when it's a small amount, but for a big sum, it's best to keep it hidden!

How could he tell Tian Caixing?

Tian Caixing asked again, "Even a few thousand is a lot! Uncle, after this trip to the far seas, you must need some rest, right? When do you plan to go out again?"

Zhou Father smiled, "Yes, I need some rest. I'll take five to seven days off."

It wasn't easy for the shipworkers to accompany him on these trips; the risks were high, and they couldn't attend to family matters. So, after each trip, they would rest for at least five days, ensuring about ten days of rest per month.

This way, they earned more money and had more holidays, making everyone happy.

For those on the same ship, it was important to go out happily and return happily.

Hearing that they rested for so many days, Tian Caixing immediately said, "Brother-in-law, can I borrow the big ship for five days? I'll take a few of my brothers out to sea, so we can earn some money to build a house and marry a wife!"

Zhou Father's smile froze on his face.

Tian Caifa covered her face; why was her brother still not giving up? Hadn't she already explained the severity of the situation to him? She quickly spoke up, "Brother, don't talk nonsense. Do you even know how to operate the ship?"

"You don't need to worry about that. I don't know how to operate it, but there will be someone who does! Brother-in-law, I know it's not easy to borrow a ship. But I'm Ah Xin's older brother, and we've sent such a hardworking sister to your family, treating you like our own parents. Can't we consider ourselves family? Can I borrow the ship for a few days?"

Zhou Father smiled, "It's really not convenient. This ship belongs to Ah Lei, and he has other plans for it!"

Tian Caixing turned to Zhou Chenglei, "Ah Lei, Ah Hua came to your family when she was thirteen or fourteen and has been like a daughter to you. As the saying goes, 'Eldest Brother as Father, Eldest Sister as Mother.' Ah Hua is like your elder sister, isn't she? And I'm like your elder brother, right? Can't you lend it to your elder brother for a few days?"

Zhou Chenglei replied, "No, I won't lend it."

Tian Caixing smiled, "I knew Ah Lei would lend it... Wait, what did you just say?"

Did he hear that correctly?

Zhou Chenglei peeled a shrimp for Jiang Xia and placed it in her bowl, his tone calm as he repeated, "I won't lend it."

Jiang Xia put a piece of black seabream belly meat into his bowl, as he preferred eating fish belly meat.

Tian Caixing was speechless.

"No, Ah Lei, I'm your elder brother. Your ship is just sitting there, not being used. It's not like it's doing anything, so why won't you lend it?"

Zhou Chenglei peeled another shrimp and placed it in Zhou's bowl, "It's my ship. If I want to lend it, I will. If I don't, I won't. There's no 'why' to it."

Tian Caixing was at a loss for words.

In the end, Tian Caixing left the Zhou family's old house with a dark face! He didn't even eat much of the delicious food, leaving in a huff.

(End of Chapter)

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