Chapter 340: The Benefits of Octopus
Chapter 340: The Benefits of Octopus
Jiang Xia glanced at the King Mackerel on the boat and instantly thought of the delicious taste of pan-fried mackerel fillets.
This mackerel was especially plump and fatty, and it would taste amazing when pan-fried.
Unfortunately, it was too large to keep at home, and without a refrigerator, it wouldn't stay fresh for long. It would be a waste if they couldn't finish it.
Jiang Xia looked away, gazing into the distance, admiring the sunrise over the calm sea early in the morning.
Zhou Father reeled in another long fish, and Jiang Xia turned to take a look, not recognizing it. "What kind of fish is this?"
Zhou Father laughed and said, "It's a wolf herring."
Zhou Chenglei: "It's also known as the swordfish. This fish is more common in the spring, and that's when it's at its tastiest."
Jiang Xia nodded, "Is it delicious?"
Zhou Chenglei: "I'll cook it for you when we get back tonight."
Noticing that Jiang Xia didn't recognize the fish, Zhou Chenglei decided to keep it and bring it home to cook for her.
Jiang Xia smiled, "Okay."
At that moment, Zhou Chenglei also hooked a fish, and it turned out to be a Spiny Dolphin Fish.
Its body was covered in hard spines, and its belly was swollen, bulging significantly!
Jiang Xia was familiar with this fish; it was delicious but highly venomous! "Be careful! Isn't this fish poisonous?" Jiang Xia reminded Zhou Chenglei.
"I know," he replied.
Jiang Xia had never tasted Spiny Dolphin Fish, but she knew it was delicious and nutritious, yet highly toxic.
Its venom was extremely potent, equivalent to 1250 times the toxicity of sodium cyanide, and even a small amount could be lethal.
The most poisonous parts were the ovaries and liver, followed by the kidneys, blood, eyes, gills, and skin. Ingesting even a tiny amount could pose a life-threatening risk.
However, its meat was exceptionally tasty, and many fishermen enjoyed eating it.
The Zhou family loved it too!
Zhou Father: "I'll take this Spiny Dolphin Fish home, and I'll have it with some wine tonight."
Zhou Chengxin: "Dad, I'll join you for a drink tonight! Didn't Ah Sen say he's coming back tonight? He loves this fish the most."
Zhou Father laughed, "Alright."
It was a perfect opportunity to celebrate the purchase of a hundred acres of land by the younger son.
Jiang Xia, seeing the fish, also wanted to try this legendary delicacy, but thinking of the child in her womb, she decisively gave up.
Zhou Chenglei asked Zhou Chengxin to navigate the boat along the ocean current, as he wanted to catch an octopus.
Octopuses typically move with the ocean currents.
Zhou Mother spoke up, "I'll fish too. Let's catch more and dry them for Xia to eat after she gives birth."
Octopuses are known to stimulate lactation, and with three children to feed, it was better to prepare more in advance to ensure a sufficient milk supply.
Zhou Mother anticipated that Jiang Xia would have a challenging time after giving birth, even though there was formula available, but she believed that breast milk was superior.
Humans have always been raised on breast milk since ancient times, and while cow's milk might be nutritious, it was more suitable for cows!
However, if the babies couldn't be fully satisfied with breast milk, formula would still be necessary.
Therefore, it was best to stock up on octopuses, and Zhou Mother decided to go to the dock daily to collect them.
Zhou Mother also said to Zhou Chenglei, "When you have time, buy more clay pots. From now on, when we go out to sea, we'll put some clay pots in the water to catch octopuses. I'll dry them and keep them for Xia to eat after she gives birth."
Zhou Chenglei didn't know the benefits of octopuses, and upon hearing Zhou Mother mention it for Xia to eat after giving birth, he asked, "What are the benefits of octopuses?"
Jiang Xia also looked at Zhou Mother, unsure.
"It stimulates lactation."
Jiang Xia: "..."
Zhou Chenglei: "Alright, I'll go buy some this afternoon when I return."
Zhou Father had caught octopuses for Zhou Mother before, so he was aware of their benefits. Hearing this, he stopped fishing, reeled in his rod, and went to get the octopus fishing hooks.
Jiang Xia noticed that both Zhou Chenglei and Zhou Father had switched to a different type of hook—a silver, small, iron rod with multiple hooks, resembling an octopus.
The small iron rod seemed to be made of a peculiar material, resembling silver.
Jiang Xia asked curiously, "Is this rod coated with silver?"
Zhou Chenglei replied, "No, it's tin."
Octopuses and squids are attracted to light, so a tin-coated rod, when moved in the water, reflects light and attracts them.
Jiang Xia understood the principle, similar to how lure fishing works.
"Does it work well?" she asked with curiosity.
"It's quite effective. The success rate is much higher than random fishing. Each type of fish has its own preferences and habits. Some are attracted to light, while others are sensitive to specific sounds, so targeted lures are used to catch them."
After fiddling with the intricate fishing hooks, the three of them started fishing for octopuses.
When an octopus bites, you can't just sit still.
To get a good catch, you need to regularly pull and release the fishing line.
The intensity and frequency of the pulls are critical.
Jiang Xia observed that they all moved in unison, reeling in the line at a consistent speed, then jerking and pausing.
It was a repetitive process of reeling, jerking, and pausing!
It looked exhausting just watching them!
Despite the apparent exhaustion, their efforts were paying off! Soon, Zhou Chenglei felt an octopus on the hook and quickly reeled in the line to land the catch in one smooth motion.
Jiang Xia saw the octopus squirt out a stream of ink, staining the deck black, but fortunately, it didn't spray on anyone.
Zhou Chenglei was prepared; he used his index and middle fingers to hold the octopus's round belly, facing away from people, so the ink didn't spray on anyone.
Zhou Father glanced at the octopus and remarked, "That's a big one!"
"Yeah," Zhou Chenglei replied as he removed the octopus, intending to put it in a bucket, but it squirted another stream of ink.
That was the downside of this creature.
After a few minutes, Zhou Father also had a catch, but it wasn't an octopus; it was a squid.
Then it was Zhou Mother's turn, and she caught a sea bass.
...
The sun gradually rose, and its warmth made Jiang Xia feel a bit sleepy after watching for a while. She yawned, listening to the puttering sound of the boat's engine, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
Zhou Chenglei noticed and covered her with a military coat.
An hour later, Jiang Xia woke up, feeling hot.
She opened her eyes and sat up, removing the coat, just as she was about to say something, she spotted a group of seabirds diving into the water in the distance to feed.
Many birds were also flying towards a nearby island.
"Zhou Chenglei! There's a school of fish over there!"
Zhou Chengxin also saw it and quickly steered the boat in that direction.
Zhou Chenglei, Zhou Father, and Zhou Mother hurriedly reeled in their lines and stopped fishing.
"A-Lei, pull up the net!" Zhou Father shouted, and the father and son quickly went to pull up the net.
Zhou Mother also went to help.
Jiang Xia stood up and adjusted the lounge chair to avoid getting in the way.
Zhou Mother quickly assisted, saying, "Let me do it. You sit down."
Jiang Xia stepped aside, "Put it away first! I won't lie down for now."
Zhou Mother didn't put it away but moved it inside, saying, "You can sit here if you get tired later."
After adjusting the lounge chair, Zhou Mother went to start the boat, asking Zhou Chengxin to pull up the net.
The boat had to travel some distance, and Jiang Xia watched the seabirds feeding frenziedly in the distance, unsure if the school of fish had moved on.
Jiang Xia turned back to look again, and the father and son were pulling the net with all their might.
After about an hour and a half of hauling, they had a large bundle of fish.
Jiang Xia spotted two enormous King Mackerel fish.
This catch weighed around six to seven hundred pounds.
She looked out at the distant sea again and noticed two fishing boats approaching from afar.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
