Chapter 551: The New Ship Returns
Chapter 551: The New Ship Returns
"Uncle, how big is the fishing boat you ordered? Did you really order another one as big as the current one?"
With Jiang Xia not around, Tian Caifua couldn't keep her mouth shut, "Xia is just being too modest! It's not just a little bigger! It's more than half the size larger! It's a fishing boat over sixty meters long! The kind that can stay out at sea for months on end without returning home."
The air suddenly grew quiet!
Sixty meters, longer than their house and yard combined!
"Are you just blowing smoke?"
"Why would I lie? Lei not only ordered a large fishing boat but also a ten-thousand-ton cargo ship, one that can sail across the ocean! Our dock can't even accommodate such a large ship."
"A ten-thousand-ton cargo ship? Those things cost thousands just to fill up with fuel?"
Tian Caifua didn't know the exact cost of fuel, but she replied, "Yes! That's exactly it, and it's a twenty-thousand-ton cargo ship! The kind that only foreign billionaires order!"
Everyone was speechless.
"Do you know how Uncle managed to afford such a large ship? How did he make all that money?" someone couldn't help but ask.
They all go out to sea to fish, so why is there such a big difference?
Tian Caifua: "Of course I know, it's all because he married a wife who brings prosperity to the husband and home! It's all thanks to Xia!"
Even her own family has benefited!
Everyone: "..."
*
The next day, before dawn, Zhou Fu and Zhou Mu got up to prepare the offerings for the ship's launch ceremony.
Zhao Cheng Lei also got up early to help.
Jiang Xia slept until around 6:30.
The three children had a regular schedule, always waking up between 6:00 and 6:30 in the morning, so she woke up at the same time.
Zhao Cheng Lei checked the time and went upstairs to help change diapers, prepare formula, and breastfeed.
Zhao Cheng Lei held the baby bottle to feed the little sister: "Today, it's just you and Mom at home. If you get too busy, call for Great-Grandmother to help. Eldest Sister-in-Law should also come over."
"Alright, I understand. The three children are so well-behaved, I won't be too busy. Don't worry."
Jiang Xia fed the younger brother while holding the elder brother's hand to play with him.
The elder brother had a really good temperament; he wouldn't cry as long as someone was with him. He only cried if his diaper was dirty, he was very hungry, or he was extremely tired.
Of course, this was on the condition that the younger brother and little sister didn't cry.
When the two little ones cried, he would cry too, but once they stopped, he would stop as well.
Zhao Cheng Lei didn't say anything more. The three children were indeed well-behaved, probably because they had each other for company.
In the past, their nephews and nieces weren't as easy to handle.
After the couple fed the children, they carried them downstairs.
Zhou Fu immediately stepped forward to hold each of the three little fortunes: "Grandpa and your dad are going to the shipyard to bring the big ship back. We'll take you all to see the big ship later."
Zhou Mu reached out to take her granddaughter from his arms and urged, "Alright, it's already past seven. Let's go!"
After holding the three little fortunes, Zhou Fu felt a surge of good fortune: "Let's go!"
Prosper!
Prosper!
Prosper!
This year, we get two ships; next year, we'll get four more!
Otherwise, there won't be enough for the three little fortunes to share!
In the future, each of them should have at least one large fishing boat and one cargo ship to ensure fairness, right?
Zhou Fu placed the large firecrackers in the car and then asked, "Did you bring the camera?"
Zhao Cheng Lei: "Yes."
Zhou Fu: "Do you have enough film?"
"Yes, I have two rolls."
Zhou Fu was reassured and got into the passenger seat.
Zhou Chengxin and Zhou Chengsen also got into the car, and they drove off.
Jiang Xia placed the three children in the stroller and pushed them into the yard to bask in the sun.
She pulled up the canopy on the baby stroller to shield their eyes from the sun and lowered the mosquito net.
There were more mosquitoes in the courtyard during the summer, and they especially liked to bite the triplets.
Yesterday, the younger brother’s little face was bitten, leaving a big, red, and swollen bump.
Zhou Zhou and Zhou Ying were playing shuttlecock in the yard, showing their younger brother and sister.
After settling the triplets, Jiang Xia and Zhou Mu prepared the offerings for the upcoming worship ceremony. Most of the preparations were already done; they just needed to cook the chicken, fish, shrimp, and meat.
Zhou Mu also had to feed the chickens and water the vegetable garden, which was especially busy in the morning.
While Jiang Xia was steaming the chicken in the kitchen, she suddenly heard a broadcast: "Please listen carefully, all villagers. Our village has received instructions to start paying the patriotic grain and state-purchased grain from tomorrow. Please prepare your rice and follow the instructions to pay per acre of land..."
It was a long message, promoting the patriotic act of paying public grain and the consequences of not paying. It also reminded everyone to prepare their rice, ensuring it was thoroughly dried, without any hulls or broken stems and leaves, and not to substitute inferior quality.
Zhou Mu said, "I’ll go upstairs and dry the rice again."
When the early rice was harvested, Jiang Xia was still in her postpartum confinement period. Zhou Chengsen and Zhou Chengxin, along with their families, helped with the harvesting and planting. They also hired some help.
However, tasks like drying and collecting the rice couldn’t be left to others and were done by Zhou Chengsen and Zhou Chengxin.
After returning, Zhou Mu hadn’t checked on the rice, unsure if it was dry enough or if it had gotten damp.
The rice for public grain needed to be especially dry and full, with no broken leaves or other impurities. Excess moisture and impurities would result in a deduction in weight.
Jiang Xia, who was unfamiliar with this, asked, "Mom, how much public grain do we need to pay?"
"We have a lot of land. Including the state-purchased grain, we need to pay three thousand pounds."
Jiang Xia was surprised. "That much?"
Zhou Mu explained, "It’s the combined public grain for two seasons. Early rice isn’t as fragrant as late rice when cooked, but late rice is more delicious. So, we usually pay the public grain for the autumn harvest during the summer harvest. This way, we can keep the late rice for our own use."
Jiang Xia asked, "Will the summer harvest be enough for a year?"
"It depends on the yield. Sometimes it’s enough, sometimes it’s not. When the yield is low, it’s not enough. Before we separated the family, we had more boys who ate a lot, so it was a bit short. When it wasn’t enough, we mixed sweet potato rice. It was definitely enough, but your eldest brother ate the most sweet potato rice. He hated it the most and said he couldn’t stand the smell. But when it came to serving the rice, his bowl always had the most sweet potatoes."
Now that the family was separated, there was no need to worry about not having enough to eat. First, they earned more money and could buy rice if needed. Second, the family wasn’t as large after the separation, and the three grandchildren hadn’t grown up yet, so the food supply was definitely enough.
The eldest family’s yield might not be enough, as the boys were still growing and eating a lot. But since they had money to buy food, Zhou Mu wasn’t worried.
Jiang Xia understood why Zhou Chengxin ate the most sweet potato rice. Zhao Chenglei went to serve in the military, Zhou Chengsen went to university, and later worked for the government. Zhou Chengxin, on the other hand, stayed home and took on most of the farming work.
As a son, husband, and father, he always gave the best to his elders and children.
*
Around eleven in the morning, the new ship returned to the dock.
Zhao Chenglei drove a jeep back to pick up Jiang Xia and Zhou Mu.
Tian Caifua, along with the brothers, also came over. The family loaded the offerings onto the car and drove to the dock.
The sixty-meter-long ship, surrounded by a few small fishing boats, looked like a giant!
Thank you to everyone for your votes and donations. Good night! (End of Chapter)
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