Chapter 544: Who Would Dare to Eat It?
Chapter 544: Who Would Dare to Eat It?
Zhao Cheng Lei and his father, Zhou Fu, worked together to pull the fish out of the water.
As they hauled it up, the boat nearly capsized!
It took both of them a great deal of effort, and they finally managed to pull the fish onto the boat.
The entire small wooden boat was occupied by more than half of the fish.
Adding to the previous catch of fish in the net, there was barely any space left for them to stand.
The fish was huge, weighing around 120 to 130 jin (around 150 to 160 pounds).
It was a Mao Chuo fish, also known as Huo Mao Chuo or Da Jin Chuo.
The fact that it was referred to as Da Jin Chuo by everyone was a testament to its value.
Zhou Fu crouched down and worked hard to untangle the fishing net, saying, "This Da Jin Chuo is amazing! I was also thinking of catching this fish for Xia Xia to eat. This fish is good for children, and when they're growing up, eating it will help them grow taller and stronger. I'm not selling this one, I'll keep it for your wife to eat."
Zhou Fu had caught this kind of fish before, but not one this big; it was only around 20 jin (around 26 pounds).
He had kept it for his brothers, and now they were all strong and tall, the tallest in the village.
However, Zhou Fu had never seen such a large Da Jin Chuo before.
Moreover, its fish mucilage was beneficial for children.
Zhou Fu had been planning to go out to the open sea to see if he could catch this kind of fish or find a fishing boat that had caught one, so he could buy some back for the three little Wangs to eat and nourish them.
The three little Wangs were indeed too thin and small, and it broke his heart to see them like that.
Unexpectedly, the plan to go out to sea was foiled, but they still managed to catch the Mao Chuo fish!
The little Wangs were in need of strengthening their bodies, and they had just netted the fish they required.
It was as if their wishes were being granted, and their luck was overflowing!
"Keep the fish mucilage, and we can sell half of the meat," Zhou Fu said.
The fish mucilage was the most valuable part, so keeping it along with half of the meat was sufficient.
A fish weighing over 120 jin was more than enough for the family to consume.
Selling half and keeping the other half, with some shared with his brother, would be perfect for the nephews and nieces to enjoy.
The brothers were also at the age of rapid growth.
"Alright," Zhou Fu replied, skillfully untangling the net and freeing the fish.
The entire fish was entangled in the net, and there were many colorful Variegated Shrimps still hanging on it.
This large creature must have been chasing a school of shrimp when it got caught in the net, and then, in its struggle, it entangled itself further.
"I didn't expect that by casually setting the net, after just a little over two hours, we'd catch so many fish. If I had known, I would have set more nets," Zhou Fu exclaimed.
Indeed, their luck was overflowing, even in their pores!
"Set more nets, but the boat can't hold any more," Zhao Cheng Lei said.
Zhou Fu fell silent, realizing the truth in his son's words.
The boat was too small to accommodate all the fish and the luck it brought!
Zhao Cheng Lei steered the boat back to the village.
As they arrived at the wharf, it was the time when the fishing boats were returning to the harbor.
As their small wooden boat passed by the larger fishing vessels, the fishermen on board were left in awe.
One of them couldn't resist shouting from his boat, "Yongfu, what kind of fish did you catch? It's so big that it doesn't even fit in your boat!"
Zhou Fu shouted back with a smile, "Mao Chuo fish, Da Jin Chuo!"
"Damn! Da Jin Chuo? A Da Jin Chuo this big? You've hit the jackpot! You're rich! Rich!" the fisherman exclaimed.
Zhou Fu laughed, "I'm not selling it. What's there to get rich about?"
The fisherman was taken aback, "I can't believe it! You're the only one in the whole production team who knows how to enjoy life. Everyone else thinks of selling good things for money, but you just want to bring it back to eat!"
The fish mucilage of the Da Jin Chuo was a precious commodity, selling for a high price and rarely available. The fisherman couldn't believe that Zhou Fu was refusing to sell it!
A fish of this size would be worth several hundred yuan!
When the small wooden boat returned to the pier, it naturally caused a stir.
Others would rent small wooden boats for ten or eight yuan a day, but Zhou Fu's family had caught a fish larger than their boat, so it was no wonder it caused such a sensation.
Jiang Xia, Zhou Mu, and Tian Caihua each held a child as they waited at the wharf.
It was past five o'clock, and the sun had yet to set. The scorching heat had subsided, and the air was particularly stuffy before the typhoon, with not a hint of wind, making it pleasant to be by the sea.
Many village women gathered around them, admiring and playing with the triplets. Although the triplets merely opened their eyes and blinked, unable to offer any other reactions, everyone was still fascinated.
Even with several women surrounding them, Jiang Xia immediately spotted the enormous fish that couldn't fit in a small wooden boat.
She said to her brother in her arms, "Dad's back, and it looks like he's caught a big fish. Let's go see what kind of fish it is."
The women around her heard this and turned to look.
"Oh my, what kind of fish is that! It's huge!"
"It's bigger than the boat!"
"I'm going to see what kind of fish it is!"
And with that, several people ran over.
Tian Caihua and Zhou Mu also hurriedly carried the children and moved closer, finding a spot with a better view and fewer people.
"That fish is bigger than the boat. How did they get it onto the ship?" Tian Caihua exclaimed with envy.
Zhou Chengxin had never caught such a massive fish before!
Zhou Chenglei docked the boat, then jumped off and walked onto the wharf, approaching Jiang Xia and the three children. He glanced at Jiang Xia and the triplets and asked, "Have you been waiting long?"
"No," Jiang Xia replied.
Tian Caihua couldn't contain her curiosity and blurted out, "Ah Lei, what big fish did you catch?"
"A Da Jin Chuo," Zhou Chenglei answered.
Tian Caihua's eyes widened.
A Da Jin Chuo? It was perfect for the brothers of the Guizong Yaozu family!
Zhou Mu was astonished, "Such a huge Da Jin Chuo? Is it a hundred pounds?"
"Almost," Zhou Chenglei replied, then added, "Mom, please ask two people to remove the fish from the net."
"Okay, but why two people? Are there many small fish, too?"
"Several dozen pounds of Sharphead Mullet," Zhou Chenglei said, looking at the daughter in Zhou Mu's arms.
His hands, still smelling of fish, didn't touch the little girl's face.
Zhou Mu understood. Sharphead Mullet were small, so several dozen pounds meant the net was full, and it would take some time to remove them all, "I'll go find someone right now."
Zhou Mu carried her granddaughter and left to find help.
Zhou Chenglei turned to Jiang Xia, "I'll go and lift the fish off the boat and take it to the procurement office to be processed."
An idea struck Tian Caihua, "Why kill it? Are you keeping the fish maw?"
Such a large fish would have a substantial maw, and she could make soup with it, allowing her sons to have a bowl or two.
"Mhm, we'll only sell half the fish meat. Later, your sister-in-law can take a few pounds of fish meat back for Wenguang and the others to eat."
"What about the fish maw?" Tian Caihua blurted out.
"We'll dry it," Zhou Chenglei said, without elaborating further. He instructed Jiang Xia, "If you get tired, just take the children back. Don't wait for me; I still have some work to do."
Processing the fish and extracting the maw would take some time, and he didn't want Jiang Xia's arms to get sore from holding the children for too long.
"You do your work; don't worry about me. I've only been out for a short while."
Zhou Chenglei returned to the boat.
Zhou Fu was boasting to everyone about how they had caught the Da Jin Chuo, emphasizing how dangerous it had been.
"The boat almost capsized! We were lucky," he exclaimed.
As soon as he finished boasting, he declared, "I have work to do!"
Then, with the help of others, they secured the fish with ropes and carried it to the procurement office.
Mr. Jin took the initiative to assist, saying, "Ah Lei, you're selling this Da Jin Chuo, right? Sell it to me! I'll give you a good price!"
Thank you to all who voted!
In the next chapter, I'll have less content, so don't wait; just read it when you wake up tomorrow morning!
(End of Chapter)
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