Chapter 369: Uninvited Guests Are Rare
Chapter 369: Uninvited Guests Are Rare
Just then, the boat from the Second Son's family returned as well.
Tian Caihua immediately pulled Jiang Xia's hand, intending to run over.
"Big Sister-in-Law!" Zhou Chenglei was securing a basket of fish and shrimp he had caught onto his motorcycle when he turned around and saw them. He quickly stopped Tian Caihua.
Tian Caihua realized that Jiang Xia couldn't run at the moment, so she quickly released her grip, "I'll go help Second Younger Sister! Xia, you stay here!"
Zhou Chenglei glanced at Zhou Chensen's boat, which had several loads of fish and three men on board. They could finish unloading without making multiple trips, so he didn't offer to help. Even if they had caught a lot of fish, he would first take Jiang Xia home before returning to assist.
Zhou Chenglei rode his motorcycle towards Jiang Xia, "Let's go home first."
"Okay," Jiang Xia lifted her foot to get on the motorcycle.
Zhou Chenglei leaned over and extended his hand to support her, then said to Zhou Chengxin, "Big Brother, we're heading home. We caught some Black Tiger Shrimp today, do you want to come to the old homestead for dinner?"
Zhou Chengxin shook his head, "Not today, maybe next time!"
Everyone had been out at sea for eleven hours, and no one had the energy to prepare a big meal.
Would they let their mother cook for so many people?
It was best to go home, have a simple meal, and then get some rest.
Zhou Chenglei nodded, "Then we'll head back first."
Tian Caihua ran over and saw that the Second Son's boat only had four or five loads of fish, mostly cheap fish worth only a few cents or a corner, and not many expensive ones. She felt relieved!
Regarding the mullet Jiang Xia mentioned, Tian Caihua only saw two, which was fewer than what Zhou Chenglei had kept for himself.
As someone who had been a sister-in-law for almost ten years, Tian Caihua could tell from Li Xiuxian's expression that their catch wasn't great. Pretending not to know, she smiled and said, "I heard Xia mention encountering a school of mullet! Second Younger Brother, did you and Second Younger Sister have a big catch today? Did you go to the city to sell the fish?"
Li Xiuxian was feeling annoyed. After chasing for hours, they only caught two fish, so she replied irritably, "It was Xia who encountered them, not us!"
Tian Caihua: "What? Were you far apart? What a pity!"
Tian Caihua now knew what she wanted to find out, and she didn't want to stay any longer.
Why stay? To help Li Xiuxian with her work?
Tian Caihua said, "I'll go home and cook. Those stinky boys probably haven't made any food either."
After saying this, she glanced at Li Father and Li Qingmin, then asked Li Xiuxian, "Second Younger Sister, are you returning to town or staying at the old homestead tonight?"
Li Xiuxian: "We'll stay at the old homestead."
She was exhausted and hungry. She didn't have the energy to ride back to town, and she still needed to cook when she got home.
Zhou Chensen: "We'll go back to town."
Li Xiuxian looked at him, "It's already past five. By the time we finish selling the fish, it'll be six. It's getting dark, why go back to town? Walking at night isn't safe. We won't go back; we'll stay at the old homestead for the night."
Zhou Chensen: "Dad and Big Brother helped us at sea for the first time today. Let's treat them to a meal in town."
Li Xiuxian: "We can just eat at home. Dad and Big Brother aren't outsiders; there's no need to be so polite."
With such a small catch today, going to town for a meal would be a loss.
Li Father: "That's right! No need to waste money. We can just have a quick meal at home."
Zhou Chensen: "Alright, then you go back and cook to treat Dad and Big Brother!"
Li Xiuxian: "..."
Zhou Chensen: "Take that mullet and mackerel back to cook, and also bring the fish and shrimp from the bucket. I'll stay here with Dad and Big Brother to sell the fish."
Tian Caihua laughed, "I rode here on my bicycle. Come with me, and I'll take you back so you can hurry home and cook.
Little Jiangxia had been busy all day, and with her big belly, she certainly wouldn't be cooking. Alei had to take care of her and didn't have time to cook either. Their mother was probably busy until seven o'clock and wouldn't be able to finish everything, which would delay the return of her father-in-law and older brother.
Zhou Chengsen: "Thank you, sister-in-law!"
Zhou Chengsen walked over and picked up a bucket filled with some mud eels and shrimp, preparing to put the mullet and blue-spotted mackerel into the bucket.
Li Xiuxian quickly took the bucket from him and selected some mud eels and yellow carp: "Dad, big brother, in winter, it gets dark early. It's unsafe to walk on the road at night. Why don't you take advantage of the daylight and head home early? Take some fish back for Mom and sister-in-law to eat."
She really didn't have the energy to cook.
If she didn't cook this meal herself, Zhou Chengsen would definitely do anything.
Li Xiuxian handed the bucket to Li Qingmin: "Next time, come back from fishing earlier and have dinner at home! Today, it's a bit late, and I'm worried."
Li Qingmin didn't mind and agreed to take some fish and shrimp home for the children: "Alright, then we'll move the fish to the collection point and head home."
Zhou Chengsen: "Next time, I'll treat Dad and big brother to a meal in town and invite Mom and sister-in-law too."
The one who suffered the most at the old homestead was his mother, and then it would trouble Alei and his wife.
He only felt sorry for his mother and didn't want to trouble his own brother. It wasn't that he was reluctant to treat them to a meal.
It was right for the couple to treat their father-in-law and older brother to a meal, but it wasn't right to trouble others.
After all, what did Li Xiuxian's father and brother have to do with his parents and brothers?
They had nothing to do with each other.
When Jiangxia and Zhou Chenglei returned home, they saw a woman in the courtyard talking to Zhou Mu.
Zhang Aijiao saw Jiangxia and Zhou Chenglei and smiled: "Alei, Little Jiangxia has returned from the sea."
Zhou Chenglei called out, "Auntie," and Jiangxia followed with a "Auntie."
Zhang Aijiao was the wife of Zhou Fu's older cousin, and they were considered close relatives in the village.
However, the relationship between the two families had been strained since the time of their grandfather due to a conflict. So, they weren't very close.
Jiangxia heard that Zhang Aijiao's father-in-law had borrowed two hundred from Zhou Chenglei's grandfather. Later, when Zhang Aijiao's father-in-law passed away, Zhou Chenglei's grandmother urgently needed money for medical treatment. They went to ask for the money back, but without a written record, the other party refused to acknowledge the debt.
Since then, the relationship between the two families had been strained.
Today, the other party suddenly visited, and Jiangxia guessed they were looking for staff.
Zhang Aijiao replied with a smile, looking Jiangxia up and down: "Your wife, Alei, seems to have gained some weight since she returned."
Jiangxia smiled: "Yes, she has gained some weight. Seafood is nourishing, and my mother's cooking is delicious. Eating well leads to weight gain."
Recently, she had been sleeping after eating her fill and eating after waking up. How could she not gain weight? It wasn't very noticeable in other places, but Jiangxia noticed a certain area becoming more prominent.
Even before her pregnancy was showing, that area had started to prepare.
"Gaining some weight is a blessing. Look how blessed you are now. You've bought one boat after another. But isn't going out to sea tiring? With so many boats, can you manage? Did only the two of you go out to sea today?"
"Not just us, today we went out with big brother and second brother."
"The two of you aren't enough? Alei, your wife is delicate. Do you let her go out to sea often? Ah Xing is free at home. I'll have him help you tomorrow. That way, Little Jiangxia won't have to suffer the hardship of going out to sea."
As expected, uninvited guests are rare. Jiangxia glanced at Zhou Chenglei without showing any reaction.
(End of Chapter)
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