Chapter 342: He Will Always Strive
Chapter 342: He Will Always Strive
Guo Laoban smiled at Zhou Chenglei, "Thank you, Comrade Zhou, for giving me some face. How about we have dinner together tonight? I'd like to apologize on behalf of my fellow villagers."
"No need!" Zhou Chenglei directly refused.
After blocking the boat at the bow, Zhou Chenglei jumped back onto his family's boat.
Upon seeing Zhou Chenglei return to the boat, Zhou Chengxin immediately started the engine and sailed away.
After the Zhou family's boat left, the people on the two boats asked Guo Laoban, "Boss, who is that person? Do you know him?"
His skills were truly impressive!
There was a considerable distance between the two boats, yet he managed to jump over.
In an instant, he grabbed the air rifle, and before they could react, the rifle was pointed at them!
All of this happened within a few seconds.
Most importantly, the fact that he held the wooden barrel made them feel that he would really shoot, but they dared not take the risk.
They were just used to scamming and taking advantage, but they didn't dare to do anything that would land them in jail.
When encountering ordinary fishermen, they would usually lose some fish, seeking to ward off bad luck. After all, the vast ocean offered little hope for rescue, and if something happened, no one would know, not even their families. So, most fishermen would choose to let things go.
But today, they had met a tough opponent.
Two air rifles were broken!
That thing was not cheap at all! It was genuinely heart-wrenching!
Guo Laoban revealed Zhou Chenglei's identity.
"... "
They felt like the cage had opened its doors to them, and they almost ended up inside!
Guo Laoban warned them, "Next time, don't steal other people's fish! Times have changed. Focus on fishing, and don't get involved in unnecessary trouble. Otherwise, no one will be able to help you next time."
"We didn't do anything. We were just fighting over the fish with them!"
"Exactly, we were just arguing over the fish. We only wanted to scare them, we really didn't do anything! He jumped over without saying a word, snatched the air rifle from our hands, and pointed it at my heart. I almost peed my pants out of fear!"
...
Guo Laoban remained silent.
He watched the departing boats, still wanting to establish a good relationship with Zhou Chenglei and make a fortune together.
He heard that Zhou Chenglei had even bought a distant cargo ship.
Just how far had he spread his business?
That was an international venture! With his capabilities, his wife's family would also benefit, and by associating with such a person, how could one not become wealthy and prestigious?
But the other party didn't give him the time of day.
It didn't matter; sincerity moves even the most unyielding hearts.
He would continue to strive!
For the sea area contracted by Zhou Chenglei, Guo Laoban sent people daily to keep an eye on it. Whenever they saw a boat approaching, they would drive it away, preventing anyone from getting close or stealing the fish they were farming underwater.
He couldn't believe that even with his continuous help, he couldn't move Zhou Chenglei.
As the Zhou family's boat sailed away, Zhou Fu couldn't help but mutter, "Everyone in this village is from a bully background."
After saying this, he turned around and saw his younger son secretly holding his daughter-in-law's hand.
Zhou Fu smiled! Look, not only did a loving couple bring prosperity, but it also made everything go smoothly, and all matters turned out for the better!
Zhou Fu went to start the boat, asking Zhou Chengxin to unload the fish.
Zhou Chenglei approached Jiang Xia and held her hand, concerned that she might have been scared earlier, but it was clear that she wasn't.
"Are you cold?"
She had even taken off her jacket.
Jiang Xia shook her head, "No, this turtleneck sweater is suffocating."
The sun was so bright that she was almost sweating!
She had already said she didn't need to wear a turtleneck, but he insisted on getting her one.
Zhou Chenglei: "Don't stand for too long, sit down for a while."
He moved the lounge chair out a bit, letting Jiang Xia lie down, and then fetched some strawberries that he had washed before their departure and offered them to her.
Jiang Xia sat there, basking in the sun, enjoying the sea breeze, eating strawberries, and watching them sort the fish.
Zhou Fu drove the fishing boat, looking at Wang Cai's relaxed and comfortable appearance, feeling like he was driving a cruise ship instead of a fishing boat!
Hmm, in the future, he would have one on his left, one on his right, and one sitting in the middle, with three little Wang Wangs in his arms, basking in the sun on the cruise ship!
The mother and her three children quickly sorted and packed the caught haddock.
These haddock aren't particularly large, each weighing around two to three pounds.
They caught over three loads, totaling more than three hundred pounds.
Then, the two brothers dumped out a large bundle of fish.
There were three king mackerel, each weighing over a hundred pounds.
Next was a pile of shrimp, likely caught along with the mackerel as they fed on the shrimp.
There was also a giant jellyfish, weighing over a hundred pounds.
"No wonder this net is so heavy," Zhou Chengxin muttered.
Jiang Xia looked at the jellyfish and said, "Jellyfish strips are delicious when marinated."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chenglei grabbed a knife and swiftly separated the jellyfish head and bloom, removing the stinging tentacles and discarding them as they didn't taste good.
Zhou Mu said, "I'll add the salt."
Jellyfish needed to be salted and pickled with alum to dehydrate them. Zhou Mu was concerned that Zhou Chenglei might not pickle them properly.
Jellyfish were considered a treasure from head to tail, with the head, bloom, skin, and body being edible, and even the oil was usable.
The Zhou family all agreed that the jellyfish head was the tastiest part.
The jellyfish head consisted of eight large tentacles and sixteen leaves. The tentacles had a crispy and chewy texture, making them the best part.
The jellyfish strips that Jiang Xia mentioned were made by dehydrating and slicing the jellyfish skin. The taste of the strips depended on the dehydration time.
The quality of jellyfish strips relied on three factors: length, hardness, and dryness.
With sufficient length, the presentation would be appealing; hardness meant the salt was adequately aged; and dryness indicated a long enough dehydration time.
Only with these three factors guaranteed could the jellyfish strips be delicious.
Jiang Xia wanted to eat jellyfish strips, but Zhou Mu was worried that Zhou Chenglei might not prepare them well, so she offered to add the salt herself.
Zhou Chenglei agreed and let Zhou Mu handle it, as the jellyfish strips she made were always delicious.
He continued sorting the fish.
At noon, Zhou Mu and Jiang Xia stayed on the island to cook seafood rice noodles, while Zhou Chenglei and Zhou Chengxin went underwater to feed the fish.
A month passed, and the fish they had raised had grown significantly.
The fish cages were now filled with many more fish, all added by Zhou Chengxin over the past month.
The fish in the cages were high-value species like grouper, yellow croaker, and red snapper.
By the time the New Year arrived, they would fetch a good price when sold.
In the afternoon, they dragged another net, then headed to Pearl Island to feed the fish and collect clay pots before returning home.
Surprisingly, those clay pots had indeed caught several octopuses, totaling over ten of them.
They set sail for home at three in the afternoon, dragging another net on the way.
Tian Caixia arrived at the dock at three o'clock, expecting Jiang Xia to return early from her outing at sea.
Indeed, a little after four, she spotted the silhouette of their fishing vessel.
The boat was filled with baskets of fish, and there was still a large pile that hadn't been sorted.
At the sight of the boat brimming with fish and shrimp, Tian Caixia couldn't help but smile. It seemed that only when the fourth brother and his wife went out to sea together would they have such a bountiful harvest.
Tian Caixia hurriedly ran onto the boat to help sort the fish.
After the boat docked, Zhou Chenglei said to Tian Caixia, "Elder Sister, Xia Xia and I will head home first."
Tian Caixia happily replied, "Sure, go ahead! Leave it to us."
When Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia returned to the production team's entrance and started their motorcycle, they ran into Zhou Chensen and Li Xiuxian.
Zhou Chensen called out from behind, "Chenglei, Xia Xia!"
Zhou Chenglei stopped the motorcycle and turned, and the couple shouted in unison, "Second Brother, Second Sister!"
Zhou Ying sweetly called out from the back of Zhou Chensen's bicycle, "Uncle, Auntie!"
Jiang Xia smiled and acknowledged her.
Zhou Chensen asked, "Did you just return from the sea?"
Zhou Chenglei nodded, "Yes, I'll go home with Xia Xia first."
Zhou Chensen had already noticed the boat filled with fish and immediately said, "Yingying, you and your mom go help out, and you can ride Uncle's motorcycle home, right?"
Zhou Ying's eyes lit up, "Yes!"
Li Xiuxian: "..."
Great, they were already being asked to help out even before reaching home!
(End of Chapter)
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