https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-469-The-First-Sea-Expedition-After-the-New-Year/13080707/
Chapter 470: Who Cares Where They Came From
Chapter 470: Who Cares Where They Came From
Jiang Xia tightly gripped Zhou Chenglei's sleeve, her eyes wide as she stared at the illuminated sea surface where countless small fish leaped out of the water.
The fish were so dense, they resembled a swarm of summer ants gathering under the light.
Visible to the naked eye, more and more small fish gathered, numbering in the billions!
It was clear that they had stumbled upon a school of fish passing through this area.
Zhou Guodong was left in awe. "Weren't we planning to catch small squid? How did so many small fish appear?"
Zhou Kangping replied, "There are small squid too! Just that there are even more small fish."
Zhou Guodong added, "These small fish aren't as valuable as the small squid. If we had caught all squid, we'd have made a huge profit tonight!"
"Even these small fish are good," Jiang Xia said with delight.
They had been lacking small fish to make the flavorful fish fry.
In the distance, on Zhou Guodong's fishing boat, Zhou Guoxing and Zhou Guoye also witnessed the scene, thinking it was a swarm of mosquitoes gathering under the light.
However, they knew these weren't mosquitoes but some kind of small fish attracted to light.
The two brothers quickly grabbed bamboo poles, light bulbs, and fishing nets to lure the fish with the light.
These fish didn't grow very big and weren't valuable, but their sheer number made up for it!
At one cent per pound, catching a few thousand pounds would still earn them a decent sum.
In less than ten minutes, the fish had gathered into a massive, dark cluster.
Jiang Xia stepped aside, and Zhou Chenglei, Zhou Guodong, and Zhou Kangping began to pull up the net they had set earlier.
The three strong young men struggled to pull it up with great effort.
Jiang Xia looked at the huge bundle of fish, wondering if it would even fit in their boat. It seemed larger than their vessel.
Their boat was anchored nearby, and Zhou Guoxing and Zhou Guoye had just finished securing the lights, ready to extend the light bulbs.
They caught a glimpse of the enormous fish bundle and worried that the three of them might not have enough strength to handle it.
Zhou Guoxing said, "Three people might not be enough to pull it onto the boat. I'll come over to help."
Zhou Guoye steered the boat closer, carefully maneuvering alongside.
As the two boats drew near, Zhou Guoxing quickly jumped onto their boat.
After Zhou Guoye docked the boat, he also jumped over to lend a hand.
With two additional helpers, they managed to pull up the net filled with small fish and dumped it onto the deck, forming a mountain-like pile.
Zhou Guoye estimated, "This must be around five or six thousand pounds."
Zhou Guoxing disagreed, "I think it's more than that. I suspect it could be seven or eight thousand pounds."
Jiang Xia also believed it to be around eight thousand pounds, if not ten thousand.
If they caught another netful, this boat would definitely not have enough space.
Zhou Kangping asked, "Have we ever seen this kind of small fish in these waters before?"
Zhou Guodong replied, "I've never seen them before, and I have no idea how they swam over here."
Zhou Guoye speculated, "They probably migrated here for the winter and were on their way back when we encountered them."
Zhou Kangping added, "Or perhaps the area where they intended to spend the winter became dangerous, forcing them to swim over to this side."
The group enthusiastically discussed their theories.
Zhou Kangping, usually reserved due to his physical limitations, was excited and more talkative than usual.
However, the fish remained silent, offering no answers.
Zhou Guoxing declared, "No matter how they got here, let's just catch them!"
Zhou Guodong enthusiastically agreed, "Yes, yes, yes... Keep going, keep going. Many more didn't get caught in the net just now."
Jiang Xia reminded them, "You should quickly return to your boat and use the light to attract more fish!"
Jiang Xia was already grateful for their help. But everyone was out at sea to make money, and they had traveled a long distance, incurring fuel costs. It was only natural to seize the opportunity and see if they could catch a netful for themselves.
The three men didn't hesitate and immediately jumped back onto their boat. They moved a certain distance away and began using the light to lure the fish.
If these fish were indeed migrating for the winter, there might be more schools in the area, offering potential catches in the coming days.
Zhou Chenglei also set out a net, but this time he dared not use too large a net, fearing that the two of them wouldn't be able to pull it up.
Jiang Xia brought out a basket to hold the fish.
Then, Jiang Xia discovered that among the small fish, there were still quite a few small squid mixed in.
It's just that there were far fewer small squid than small fish.
Jiang Xia picked out the squid one by one: "It should be time to start night fishing with lights to attract squid. Look, there are quite a few squid."
Zhou Chenglei turned to take a look: "Yes, there are quite a few. If it weren't for us encountering this school of small fish migrating, we'd probably only attract these squid tonight."
During this season, from March to May, the waters here are the best time to use lights to lure and catch squid.
[This part is untranslatable as it seems to be a random string of characters with no meaning]
At the peak, they could catch over a hundred pounds in a single night.
These squid usually sell for one to one and twenty cents per pound, more expensive than many fish.
Therefore, many fishermen would switch to night fishing during these two months.
Earning several tens or even hundreds of yuan in a night is more than what they usually make from trawling.
Zhou Chenglei also planned to start night fishing from tonight onwards and rest during the day.
Under the glow of the lights, the small fish gradually gathered and jumped out of the water.
While waiting, Zhou Chenglei and Zhou Kangping quickly loaded the fish on the deck into baskets, clearing some space.
Both were skilled workers, and in no time, they had loaded a third of the small fish into the baskets.
Zhou Chenglei glanced at the sea, feeling it was about right, and together with Zhou Kangping, they began to pull up the net.
As the fishing net emerged from the water, Jiang Xia saw numerous small cuttlefish.
When the small fish jumped out of the water, they appeared black under the light, like flying insects dancing in the light. The small cuttlefish gathered at the surface, their bodies shimmering, as if dusted with glitter, and their eyes shining like tiny glowing sprites. It was a beautiful sight.
Jiang Xia smiled and said, "There are quite a few small cuttlefish this time."
Zhou Chenglei took a look, and indeed, the small cuttlefish and small fish on the net seemed more numerous than the small fish alone.
It was probably because they had just caught a large net of small fish, scaring away the rest.
Zhou Kangping also smiled, "It seems the peak season for small cuttlefish has arrived."
Zhou Kangping was also aware that many villagers in the village had been trying to attract small cuttlefish with lights every night, but without much success.
Everyone said they'd probably have to wait a few more days.
Unexpectedly, on the first night that Brother A Lei tried to use lights to lure and catch squid, he was successful.
This sea fortune was truly beyond reach!
Seeing that this net had so many squid and small fish mixed together, Jiang Xia took the opportunity to quickly fetch the baskets while they were pulling up the net.
Zhou Chenglei caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye and hurriedly said, "Slow down!"
The boat was filled with fish and various fishing gear; what if she fell?
Jiang Xia brought over several baskets and smiled, "Don't worry, I'm watching my step."
She was well aware of her physical condition and could see every step clearly.
Jiang Xia arranged the baskets neatly and said to them, "Later, try to pour the fish into these baskets."
Zhou Chenglei acknowledged.
This net was mostly a mix of small cuttlefish and small fish, making it more troublesome to separate them, so putting them in baskets was indeed more convenient.
Moreover, he had timed this net, and it wasn't too much—just two to three hundred pounds—so pouring them into the baskets was easier.
A mile or two away, Zhou Guodong and his three brothers also pulled up their net.
The small cuttlefish and small fish together formed a large bundle, weighing nearly a thousand pounds!
The three brothers were overjoyed.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
