https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-274-As-Zhou-Fu-Predicted-the-Night-Golden-Rush/12944944/
Chapter 273: A Spectacular Scene
Chapter 273: A Spectacular Scene
That night, everyone on the ship stayed awake all night, excitedly fishing.
Only Zhou Fu went to sleep in the bridge at midnight, as his energy couldn't match the younger ones.
The ship followed the fish, gradually veering off its original course.
Zhou Chenglei had noticed this earlier but didn't pay much attention, as there was still time.
The Huizhui Conference was in three days, and Jiang Xia wanted to arrive early with the team to familiarize herself with the environment and check out the companies and products from other cities.
The manufacturers needed three to four days in advance to set up their booths and display their products, but Jiang Xia's presence as a translator wasn't required for this, so it didn't matter if she arrived a day later.
So, Jiang Xia and the others fished happily throughout the night, and Zhou Chenglei let her be.
It wasn't until 5 AM, just before dawn, that he called for the nets to be pulled up.
Perhaps the joy brought them good luck, as Jiang Xia estimated that the catch of each person could sell for at least two to three hundred yuan, a truly impressive haul.
Indeed, the night was the best time to catch big fish.
In the dim light of dawn, the winches rumbled, and a huge bundle of fish slowly emerged from the water.
It was truly a massive bundle, incredibly long.
Would this be measured in tons? Probably even more.
Jiang Xia wondered if the ship could hold all the fish when they unloaded it! But this ship could hold a million tons.
Yang Mei and the other two women had never seen such a scene of a large ship hauling in its nets, and they stared wide-eyed.
"Do you catch this many fish every time?" Feng Jiezhen exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course not, this is my first time seeing this too. Usually, each net catches around four to five thousand jin, and sometimes even ten thousand jin. Ten thousand jin looks like a big bundle, but it's not as long as this. This one might have..." Zhang Jiayang couldn't even estimate the weight.
Firstly, he didn't have much experience, and secondly, the net wasn't fully out of the water yet, but it already felt long and like a huge bundle.
Seven to eight times more than usual? Maybe even more.
He wasn't sure.
The morning breeze was strong, and Zhou Chenglei adjusted Jiang Xia's hat.
The sea air was heavy during the night, so at 8 PM, Zhou Chenglei had fetched a hat and a waterproof, windproof jacket for Jiang Xia.
"Why don't you go sleep for a while?"
Jiang Yang had been following the fish and dragging the nets all night, and the fishing boat had traveled far. They wouldn't be able to make it to Suicheng as planned that morning and would likely only arrive in the evening.
This was a chance for Jiang Xia to catch up on some sleep.
But Jiang Xia shook her head, "I'm not sleepy yet."
After fishing all night, she was still excited, how could she sleep?
Seeing her energetic, Zhou Chenglei didn't urge her to rest.
The process of pulling up the nets was slow, almost matching the pace of the dawn.
As the sky gradually brightened, the long bundle of fish emerged from the sea, and countless seabirds flew in, flapping their wings as they fought over the fish in the nets.
More and more seabirds arrived, landing on the huge bundle of fish, creating a spectacular sight.
The scene was breathtaking and powerful.
"Oh my! Why are there so many seabirds?" Yang Mei exclaimed in surprise.
"They're eating the fish in the nets, won't they chase them away?" Feng Jiezhen asked.
"How can we chase away so many? We can't. They won't eat much anyway. The big fish they can't carry away, and it doesn't matter if they take the small ones." Yang Bin replied.
Jiang Xia raised her camera and captured these moments.
Zhou Chenglei stood behind her, ready to support her neck if she leaned back while taking pictures, preventing her from tripping over the ropes on the deck.
When Jiang Xia held the camera and tilted her head back to capture the birds in the sky, Feng Jiezhen gently nudged Yang Mei and Pan Jinmei with her arm, gesturing for them to take a look.
The three women looked and laughed, as Zhou Tuanzhang's actions that night truly exceeded their expectations.
Jiang Xia took over a dozen photos in quick succession, only stopping when she ran out of film.
"Out of film, need to change the roll," she said, having prepared ten rolls for the Huizhui Conference and their upcoming trip to see the coral reefs.
There, a bird's paradise awaited them.
Zhou Chenglei took the camera from her.
After loading a new roll, Jiang Xia resumed her photography.
This time, she slowed down and started taking photos of the people around her.
When the sun rose, she captured a beautiful sunrise.
As the massive pile of fish was dragged closer to the boat, nearly reaching the stern, the men prepared to get to work.
Zhou Chenglei led Jiang Xia to a safe spot where she wouldn't bump into anything, instructing her to stay put and take photos while they worked.
Zhou Fu woke up and couldn't contain his joy at the sight of the enormous pile of fish, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
He exclaimed that with Wangcai around, they could earn in one night what they would in ten days at sea.
Eagerly, he rushed to help.
It took the men over an hour to unload the entire catch onto the deck.
The fish piled up on both sides of the deck, forming mountainous heaps!
The seabirds became even more enthusiastic in their scavenging.
As the crew worked, they shooed away the birds and sorted the fish.
With such a large quantity and limited time, they swiftly sorted the fish by species into baskets, quickly freezing them to preserve their freshness.
Fortunately, the catch consisted of only two or three types, with the majority being mackerel, bonito, and Greenland halibut.
Due to their similar sizes, sorting was straightforward; they simply scooped them into baskets, setting aside the smaller and different-looking ones.
Jiang Xia took a couple more photos before putting away her camera and joining the crew.
Zhou Chenglei didn't want Jiang Xia to help with the fish, knowing she hadn't slept all night and fearing she'd tire herself out. He gently pulled her away, guiding her to wash her hands and face before returning to their room for some rest.
Yang Mei, Pan Jinmei, and Feng Jiezhen, having stayed up all night, were exhausted and went to sleep as soon as the fish were brought onboard.
Jiang Xia, lying on her small bed, struggled to sleep due to her excitement.
Zhou Chenglei, initially planning to help with the fish, noticed her energetic demeanor. He removed his outer clothing, lay down, and pulled her into his embrace, saying, "Go to sleep."
"Are you sleeping too?" she asked.
"Mhm," Zhou Chenglei softly affirmed.
Jiang Xia closed her eyes in his embrace, listening to his strong heartbeat. Her excitement soon subsided, and she quickly fell asleep.
Zhou Chenglei waited until she was in a deeper sleep before carefully extracting his arm and quietly getting dressed. He then went out to assist with the fish.
They worked until noon, finally finishing the task of sorting and freezing all the fish.
Jiang Xia woke up hungry. She sat up and looked out the small window, still seeing an endless expanse of blue.
At that moment, Zhou Chenglei entered, asking, "Are you awake?"
Jiang Xia nodded. "I woke up hungry. Are we almost at Suicheng?"
Zhou Chenglei guessed she'd be hungry and replied, "In half an hour. I've made seafood noodles with shrimp, crab, squid, boiled eggs, and some vegetables. Go brush your teeth and wash your face, and I'll bring a bowl to you."
Jiang Xia nodded and went to freshen up.
Afterward, she enjoyed a hearty bowl of seafood noodles with shrimp, crab, squid, boiled eggs, and vegetables.
The shrimp and crab were already peeled, making it convenient to eat.
As Jiang Xia ate, Zhou Chenglei lay on the bed, fast asleep.
When she finished, she didn't take the bowl out to wash, not wanting to disturb his slumber.
She sat there, taking out a stack of papers and quietly reading. After just two pages, she suddenly heard a horn sound.
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