Because Zhou Chengxin had also gone out to sea, and Tian Caihua had brought a piece of cured meat to help with the cooking in the evening, Zhou's mother simply cooked for her eldest son's family as well.
So, the two families ate together at the old house that evening, and after dinner, the whole family started cleaning abalone.
Only then did Tian Caihua realize that the burlap sack contained abalone, not the oysters Jiang Xia had mentioned!
Tian Caihua looked at the abalone, each one bigger than her palm.
Such large abalone, each one would be worth a lot of money. Ten whole sacks of abalone—how much could they sell for?
Dried and sold, each one could fetch at least five yuan, right? The price would be even higher at the end of the year!
Even if not all of them were this big, some of the smaller ones, dried and weighing a pound, could still sell for ten or twenty yuan, right?
Tian Caihua couldn't help but whisper to Zhou Chengxin, who was diligently cleaning abalone beside her, "Will we split the money from selling these abalone?"
Zhou Chengxin's face darkened immediately: "No, we won't split it. Lei found these abalone; I just helped catch them. Can't I help my brother with some chores?"
Tian Caihua: "..."
What does it mean to have your heart bleed?
This is probably it!
Tian Caihua's lips moved, wanting to say something, but seeing Zhou Chengxin's dark face, she ultimately said nothing.
Oh well!
She brought meat to cook today because she wanted to reconcile with Zhou Chengxin.
Although she didn't say anything, her heart was in agony.
If she had known that not coming to cook that day would lead to this result, she definitely would have come and cooked the meal!
How could she have imagined that the old house would almost burn down?
Zhou Chengxin ignored her for several days, and this morning she went back to her parents' house. Her mother said that Zhou Chengxin was blaming her for being too calculating.
Her mother said that the new house was given to them, and the elderly didn't need them to support them anymore; she had taken such a big advantage and she was still not satisfied.
Moreover, Zhou Chengxin earns thirty or forty yuan per trip at sea, which is equivalent to someone else's monthly salary, and he can earn several hundred yuan a month. Yet she still complains about the amount, is unhappy seeing her brother-in-law's family earn more, and resents her in-laws who helped raise her children for being biased.
It's like she wants people to work for her but doesn't want to support her in her old age—who wouldn't feel resentful? Once
people are resentful, it's hard to warm them up!
Her mother tells her to be more generous; it's the eldest sister-in-law's duty to respect the elderly and care for the young.
Tian Caihua knows that fishing at sea depends on luck, and her in-laws treat her well, but the difference is so great that she feels unbalanced.
Forget it, forget it, otherwise Zhou Chengxin will get angry again and never let it go!
Zhou Chengxin is indeed angry.
Tian Caihua is completely incorrigible; seeing her fourth brother catch so many abalone, she feels resentful again.
She feels that since he went out to sea with her, he should get a share.
But he went out to sea because he saw her upset, so he went to help his brother, not to get a share of the money!
Besides, it was Lei's good sea voyage that discovered the abalone nest—what does it have to do with him?
Zhou Chengxin got angry and ignored Tian Caihua after that.
Tian Caihua was extremely frustrated. She had only asked a question and hadn't even mentioned wanting a share of the abalone money, yet he still gave her the cold shoulder.
Jiang Xia naturally noticed that Zhou Chengxin and Tian Caihua were having a cold war, but since it was a matter between husband and wife, outsiders shouldn't interfere, so she pretended not to see anything.
Jiang Xia said to Zhou Chenglei, "We should pick out the largest abalone and keep them instead of selling them. They'll become soft-boiled abalone and be more valuable if stored for a few more years."
Thinking about soft-boiled abalone, Jiang Xia wanted to eat some too!
Zhou Chenglei noticed her craving and smiled, "Okay."
If she liked them, he would keep the large ones for her to enjoy. Such large abalone were rare, but there were many ways to earn money.
Jiang Xia added, "I won't go out to sea tomorrow. I'll stay home with Mom to dry the abalone."
Otherwise, with so many abalone, it would take cleaning, rinsing, and hanging them on cotton ropes to dry tomorrow, and Zhou's mother might not be able to manage it all by herself.
“Okay.”
Zhou’s mother then remembered the broadcast today: “The broadcast said there would be a typhoon in a couple of days, and that everyone should stay away from the sea.”
Zhou Chengxin: “It’s been especially hot these past two days, so I guessed there would be a typhoon.”
Zhou’s father frowned, “Another typhoon, I wonder how many days this will delay us.”
Jiang Xia frowned. A typhoon meant several days of rain, and she worried the abalone wouldn't dry properly. After all, such large abalone were thick and difficult to dry; if they went bad, it would be a huge loss!
Tian Caihua exclaimed, "That's right!"
Her family hadn't been able to go out to sea for many days!
"There's nothing we can do about it," Zhou's mother said with a smile. "I looked up an auspicious date today; they said the second day of the eighth lunar month is a good time to start construction."
Jiang Xia thought for a moment and then smiled, "That'll be soon, less than half a month."
Zhou's father chuckled, "If a typhoon comes and we can't go out to sea, we'll order a batch of bricks to prepare."
Tian Caihua hurriedly asked, "What date? Why order bricks? Are we building a house?"
Could it be a new house? They'd only separated their households a short time ago? Less than two months, and they already had money to build a new house?
Zhou's father smiled and replied, "Yes, Lei and the others are preparing to build a new house."
Tian Caihua couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. They already had money to build a house so quickly?
"Fourth brother, how big of a house are you planning to build?"
Zhou Chenglei: "Two and a half stories."
His parents and Zhou Zhou will live on the first floor, and he and Jiang Xia will live on the second floor, which requires climbing stairs, so it will be more convenient for everyone.
Tian Caihua: "..."
Two and a half stories? The new house is only one story!
"Building a house is much more expensive now than a few years ago, right? Building two and a half stories would probably cost tens of thousands of yuan, wouldn't it?"
Do they have that much money?
I wonder how much their in-laws will subsidize them for building the new house?
Every time it's Zhou's father's turn to go out to sea to fish, the money he earns probably all goes to the fourth brother and his wife.
Zhou Chengxin couldn't help but give Tian Caihua a cold look.
Tian Caihua: "..."
Fine, she won't ask anymore, okay!
Seeing that she didn't speak, Zhou Chengxin smiled and said, "We'll start construction in August, and we should be able to move in by the New Year."
Zhou's mother smiled and said, "That's what I was thinking too."
...
Ten sacks of abalone were all processed by the whole family in an hour, placed in a ceramic jar and pickled with salt, to be cleaned again tomorrow to remove the black pigment and mucus, and then processed further.
Drying abalone is quite troublesome, and drying it well is even more troublesome.
But Jiang Xia isn't afraid of trouble, she's just afraid it won't dry properly—hopefully it won't rain!
After finishing all this, Tian Caihua and Zhou Chengxin went home together.
On the way, Tian Caihua took the initiative to start a conversation: "I'll come over again tomorrow morning to help Mom dry the abalone. Are you going out to sea again tomorrow?"
Zhou Chengxin replied calmly, "Yes."
There were still quite a few abalone in the cave, and of course he had to help catch them as soon as possible, otherwise, if others discovered them, wouldn't it benefit outsiders?
Besides, diving into the sea is always dangerous; having more people
makes it safer. Tian Caihua breathed a sigh of relief; finally, someone answered her. She said, "Okay, I'll get up early tomorrow morning to make breakfast. I made glutinous rice balls today; take a lot to the boat tomorrow for Dad and Fourth Brother to try."
"Okay."
***
That night, Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei went to bed at eleven o'clock.
Zhou Chenglei was afraid Jiang Xia was too tired, so he didn't ask her to sleep.
The next day, Zhou Chenglei went out to sea again at around 4 a.m., and Jiang Xia got up as well. Together with Zhou's mother, they cleaned the abalone, blanched them, rinsed them in cold water, and then carefully strung them up with cotton rope to dry.
Tian Caihua brought several children over at 7 a.m. to help.
They worked until noon to dry all the abalone.
However, a strong wind picked up in the afternoon, and it grew stronger by evening. Jiang Xia went to the dock to wait for the fishing boats to return. The waves crashed against the dock, sending spray high into the air! If
the waves were this big here, they must be even bigger in the open sea!
A sense of unease crept into her heart.
In the distance, fishing boats returning to port bobbed and sank in the huge waves, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
Jiang Xia witnessed a boat being swallowed by a huge wave, her heart leaping out of her chest!
Fortunately, after a while, the boat resurfaced.
Jiang Xia looked at the rolling waves of the sea, watching the struggling fishing boats trying to reach the shore.
But she couldn't find a single familiar boat.
Tian Caihua was extremely worried: "We're going to die! Everything was fine this morning, how come the waves are suddenly so big!"
Zhou's mother angrily retorted: "Pah! Pah! Pah! Shut up!"
What do you mean by "die"? She hated that mouth of hers the most.
Tian Caihua didn't say anything more.
Time passed slowly, and one by one, the fishing boats approached the shore in a perilous and disheveled manner.
The wind and waves grew stronger and stronger, the waves at the entire dock were so big that it was impossible to stand. Jiang Xia retreated again and again, but still couldn't see her family's boat.
The sun had already set, and the afterglow of the setting sun spread across the entire sky, casting an orange hue over the deep blue sea, eerie yet magnificent.
As dusk settled, the orange hue that had bathed the world in a new light gradually faded.
No other boats could be seen on the sea; all the village's fishing boats had returned, and most had sailed to the sheltered alley.
Their boat hadn't returned yet.
"I'm going to the ancestral hall to pray!" Zhou's mother cried out in panic, turning and running towards the hall.
Tian Caihua also ran there, her face pale.
Jiang Xia stood there, the wind whipping her clothes wildly, her two braids flying, dust swirling around her, making it difficult to stand.
Sand and dust filled her eyes, making them red, and she dared not blink, her gaze fixed on the rolling waves.
Wave after wave, higher and higher, constantly obstructing Jiang Xia's view.
But she hoped to see something through the gaps in the crashing waves.
She knew Zhou Chenglei would be alright.
The male lead, what could possibly happen to him?
But she also feared that her presence would change his fate.
People are prone to overthinking when they are in extreme fear, and she was no exception.
Even though she forbade herself to think this way, she couldn't help herself.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Xia finally spotted a swaying boat through a gap in the waves, bobbing up and down in the giant surf.
Sometimes it was tossed into the air by the waves, sometimes it was submerged.
Each time, Jiang Xia's heart leaped into her throat. The boat gradually approached, finally reaching the shore!
Jiang Xia saw a familiar figure quickly jump off the boat.
Their eyes met briefly in the air, and he smiled.
Then, the towering waves behind him swallowed his smile.
Zhou Chenglei quickly grabbed a pillar and swiftly tied the rope to it.
Zhou's mother knelt down: "Thank God! Thank you..."
Tian Caihua also wiped away her tears.
The three of them braved the wind and waves to carry bags of abalone off the boat.
Only at this moment did Jiang Xia truly understand that the lives of fishermen were lived amidst great storms.
Every penny carried immense risk.
***
That night, a violent storm raged outside.
Zhou Chenglei lay on the bed, Jiang Xia applying medicinal wine to his back.
His entire back was bruised from the strong winds and waves; he had been hit by a bucket of water blown by the gale while navigating the boat.
Not only him, but his father and Zhou Chengxin were also injured.
Jiang Xia poured some medicinal wine onto his back and gently spread it evenly.
"That was too dangerous. Next time the weather forecast says there's a typhoon, don't go out to sea."
"Okay, next time I hear there's a typhoon, I won't go out to sea. I didn't expect the typhoon to come so quickly this time." Knowing she was scared, Zhou Chenglei promised.
When he returned and saw her standing there alone, his heart felt like it had been pierced by a needle.
When he held her hand on the way home, he could feel it trembling slightly.
The wind and waves were indeed very strong this time; the entire net of fish they had caught was gone, all swept away by the storm. If the abalone hadn't been kept in the live hold, it probably wouldn't have been anything left.
The boat almost capsized several times, and people nearly fell into the sea.
Jiang Xia didn't say much, gently applying the medicinal wine to his back, trying to let it penetrate as much as possible, but afraid of hurting him. "Does it hurt?"
His back was already covered with scars, and now there was a large bruise. She didn't know if his spine was injured.
"It doesn't hurt. You can apply a little more pressure, that will help the bruises go away faster." Her gentle application made him feel hot all over.
Jiang Xia increased her strength upon hearing this.
However, her strength was far too weak for Zhou Chenglei; she didn't feel much pain, only a burning sensation!
Zhou Chenglei's forehead was sweating from the effort of enduring the pain.
Seeing his apparent pain, Jiang Xia stopped, a little worried: "Does it hurt a lot? Did you hurt your back?"
If his bones were injured, wouldn't her forceful movements worsen the injury?
"No." Zhou Chenglei pulled her into his arms, then used his strength to prove he hadn't hurt his back.
The world had given him a storm.
He, in turn, gave her a storm, one carrying the scent of medicinal wine.
The air was filled with the aroma of medicine and wine, intoxicating him, leaving him unable to extricate himself. In the middle of the
night, Jiang Xia was awakened by a clap of thunder.
Zhou Chenglei held her in his arms, gently soothing her.
The thunder was loud, keeping Jiang Xia awake, worried about the roof tiles being blown away and the leaks.
He simply kissed her, so she wouldn't have time to be afraid, and would fall asleep from exhaustion.
Finally, Jiang Xia was indeed exhausted and fell asleep, and sure enough, there was nothing to worry about.
Zhou Chenglei woke up near dawn, wanting to get up, but Jiang Xia was still fast asleep, clinging to him and refusing to let go.
He couldn't resist.
When he woke up again, it was already noon.
It was raining heavily outside, the roof tiles were being battered by the rain, accompanied by the howling wind, dripping and pattering.
Jiang Xia moved, feeling that every bone in her body ached.
There was no one beside her, and the spot where he had been lying was cold.
She endured the pain and got up to change her clothes, finding herself covered in hickeys, even finding it uncomfortable to put on her undershirt.
Just as Jiang Xia finished changing, there was a knock on the door.
Zhou Chenglei wanted to come in, but when he pushed the door open, he found it closed, knowing Jiang Xia was awake, and he knocked.
Jiang Xia finished dressing, went to open the door, and glared at him.
"..."
Zhou Chenglei didn't understand what he had done to offend her so early in the morning.
He closed the door behind him, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her forehead. "What's wrong?"
Jiang Xia noticed the red mark on his neck, which couldn't be hidden even with his collar buttoned all the way up.
She remembered that last night she had also bitten his shoulder without thinking. It
seemed like she had drawn blood.
Thinking about it, they were in the same boat!
Her face flushed. "I'm hungry."
Zhou Chenglei immediately let go of her. He was worried she was hungry and came in to check if she was awake.
Jiang Xia went out to brush her teeth and wash her face,
and Zhou Chenglei followed her out to bring her breakfast, which also served as lunch, to the table.
A large bowl of abalone, sea cucumber, and scallop congee, two soft-boiled eggs, an ear of corn, a pan-fried sole fillet, and some greens. It
was very nutritious.
Jiang Xia was also hungry and ate it all.
After eating, she went to help in the kitchen.
Because of the rain, Zhou's parents were drying the abalone in the kitchen, worried that it wouldn't dry properly and would spoil.
Seeing Zhou's parents sweating profusely, their clothes soaked through, Jiang Xia offered to help tend the fire. Zhou's mother laughed, "No need, no need. The heat is hard to control; we'll handle it."
Drying abalone requires careful attention to the fire. There can't be smoke, otherwise the abalone will have a smoky taste, making it worthless. The
fire can't be too high either, or it will burn and become unsellable.
Zhou's mother was used to this; she always dried fish this way when it wouldn't dry properly, so she could control it very well.
Zhou's father, however, beckoned to Jiang Xia, "Xia, come here."
Jiang Xia, thinking she needed help, went over.
Zhou Chenglei pulled Jiang Xia back, "Dad, let me do it."
Drying abalone here for so long, it's so hot; how could Jiang Xia stand it?
Zhou's father said irritably, "Go away! I just want Xia to touch these abalone!"
Could his stinky hands compare to Jiang Xia's lucky hands?
Zhou Chenglei: "..."
It rained for three days straight, preventing them from going out to sea. With nothing to do, Jiang Xia spent her days translating at home.
Zhou Chenglei helped translate magazines, while Jiang Xia translated French original texts.
After Zhou Chenglei finished translating the magazines, Jiang Xia would check and revise them until they were perfect.
The couple worked together to finish translating all the magazines, and Jiang Xia also translated two French books.
On the fourth day, the weather improved slightly, and the rain stopped, but the waves were still high, preventing them from going out to sea. Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei took a car to the city publishing house to submit the translations of several books.
The five magazines cost 300 yuan, and one thick and one thin French original text cost 150 yuan, totaling 450 yuan.
This time, they went to the finance department to settle the bill with the approval slip given by Fan Lili, as Fan Lili didn't have such a large sum of money on her.
After settling the bill at the finance department, Jiang Xia met Wen Wan in the corridor.
Because other office doors were open in the corridor, with people sitting inside, Wen Wan smiled and said, "Sister Jiang Xia."
Jiang Xia didn't even glance at her and walked right past her.
They'd already fallen out; Jiang Xia wasn't going to pretend nothing had happened!
Wen Wan pursed her lips and walked towards the finance department at the far end.
The people in the finance department were discussing Jiang Xia: "Was that woman's translation really good? Editor-in-Chief Fan actually paid sixty yuan per magazine? One hundred yuan per French book?"
"Is she also Editor-in-Chief Fan's niece?"
"Editor-in-Chief Fan subsidized that position himself; that woman just went directly into the company accounts."
Wen Wan knocked on the door and greeted them sweetly.
She had been to the finance department a few times and was somewhat familiar with the people there, so she said, "Are you talking about Sister Jiang Xia? Her translations must be quite good. Editor-in-Chief Fan praised her highly!"
The accountant in the finance department said, "Xiao Wen, do you know Comrade Jiang?"
"Yes, don't you know her? Her father is a high-ranking city official; he's often in the newspapers."
The entire finance office fell silent for a moment.
A high-ranking leader? Surname Jiang?
No wonder the translation fees are so high!
Everyone tacitly refrained from saying anything inappropriate.
Someone even remarked, "Actually, it's not that expensive. That book is so thick; the translated version must be at least 70,000 or 80,000 words, right? A thousand words is only a little over a dollar."
"Right, a translator of a scientific article of a little over a thousand words gets two dollars."
Wen Wan, seeing their attempts to cover up their misunderstanding, remained silent and handed over her approval slip.
The finance department staff checked it and gave her forty dollars.
Wen Wan watched as she opened a drawer and tucked her approval slip into a stack.
The top one should be Jiang Xia's; she saw it stated a total of four hundred and fifty dollars.
Ha!
Everyone's a translator, yet Jiang Xia earns more than ten times her money.
And this isn't expensive? A single word is worth a fortune!
But it doesn't matter; Jiang Xia's actions will only give her father another charge in the future!
She'll report her later, ridding the world of a scourge!
Originally, she didn't want to cause trouble, but she's the kind of person who always seeks revenge.
This was all Jiang Xia's deliberate scheme, harming her first.
Wen Wan recalled the last time they went back together, Jiang Xia suddenly suggested going to town, causing her and Zhou Chengxin to return to the village together, where she was beaten by Tian Caihua and became the laughingstock of the entire village, almost disfiguring her.
Her face wasn't ruined, but her reputation was, almost preventing her from dating Zhou Guohua. Her stepmother then took the opportunity to persuade her father to marry her off to a divorced man.
If it weren't for her precognitive abilities in her dreams, which helped Zhou Bingqiang's family avoid the typhoon disaster, she wouldn't have been able to date Zhou Guohua and would have been forced to marry a divorced man, suffering the same fate as in her previous life!
So, Jiang Xia shouldn't blame her for retaliating after doing what she did.
~
Jiang Xia was unaware of what happened in the office. After receiving the money, she went to the lobby and called Zhou Chenglei to leave.
This time, when she came to see Editor-in-Chief Fan, Jiang Xia noticed she was much more affectionate, treating her like a younger family member and even giving her chocolates.
Jiang Xia took Zhou Chenglei's arm and offered him a chocolate: "Want some?"
Zhou Chenglei, holding several magazines and books he was taking back to translate, shook his head: "No."
Jiang Xia didn't force him, unwrapped it, and ate one herself.
After leaving the publishing house, the two went to the post office to mail letters to Jiang Dong and Zhang Fuyan.
Having a rare trip to the city, they had some free time, so after mailing the letters, Jiang Xia suggested they go for a walk.
Zhou Chenglei asked, "Go to the mall?"
Jiang Xia shook her head: "Do you know where there are new houses for sale in the city?"
Zhou Chenglei looked at Jiang Xia: "Want to buy a house in the city?"
If Jiang Xia wanted to buy a house in the city, then the house in the village wouldn't need to be built for now.
"I do want to, but we'll buy one after we finish building the house in the village and earn some money. Let's look around first and get a feel for the prices. I think the prices in our city will definitely rise quickly."
The house in the village had to be built; otherwise, she would worry about the tiles being blown away every time a typhoon came, and she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.
Jiang Xia's main concern right now was checking housing prices. According to the book's setting, their city was destined to become a first-tier metropolis, with housing prices so high they'd rank among the highest in the country.
She needed to understand the market now, work hard to earn money, and buy several properties.
Money earned in this era wouldn't hold its value in the future, but houses bought now would definitely yield huge profits.
Even if they didn't hold them until later, if the price appreciated, they could sell them when needed and still make a profit.
"Okay," Zhou Chenglei said, leading her towards the east of the city, where there were newly opened housing developments.
He also had this plan: firstly, Jiang Xia's parents lived there; secondly, if he and Jiang Xia had children in the future, the education in the city, whether in the village or the town, couldn't compare to that of the city. Moreover,
Jiang Xia's thoughts coincided with his; their city was a pioneer of reform and opening up, and according to the laws of urban development, housing prices would definitely continue to rise, probably every year.
Buying early was more cost-effective.
The two arrived at a new housing development, Donghu Huayuan, which was also the city's first housing development. One or two buildings were already for sale, and Jiang Xia went in to ask someone.
The man could tell from Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei's accents that they weren't interested in buying, but he still said, "There's a discount since it's just starting out, around 600-700 yuan per square meter. One apartment can be combined with three city residency permits. Would you like to take a look? We have apartments of 80-90 square meters with three bedrooms and a living room, and also 100+ square meters with four bedrooms. If you want to see, I can take you inside."
Jiang Xia was secretly astonished. No wonder this was supposed to be a first-tier city; the average salary was less than 100 yuan, yet the housing prices were already so high at the start. "
Okay, we'll go take a look then. Thank you." Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei followed the man inside. The building was only six stories high, and the layout was quite good. Even the second floor had good natural light, since there were no tall buildings around to block the sunlight.
However, the apartments for sale were all located by the roadside, which was dusty, and with more cars and people, it would be noisy in the future.
After showing the couple various apartments of different sizes, the man asked, "Have you two taken a liking to any of them?"
Jiang Xia smiled and said, "When will those apartments you're building, the ones not facing the street, go on sale?"
"By the end of this year or the beginning of next year, I can't say for sure, but those apartments might go up in price, maybe by a hundred or two. You know, we're currently in the best location in the city!"
Jiang Xia said, "Then we'll come and take another look then."
"Okay, come find me then, my name is Li Zhihua." Li Zhihua wasn't surprised that Jiang Xia and his wife didn't buy, after all, most of the buyers weren't from inland areas. There
are so few people with ten thousand yuan in inland areas now, and an apartment in their development costs at least tens of thousands; how many people can afford that?
After looking at the apartments, Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei went to the bus station to take a bus back to town
. When they got home, Jiang Xia noticed two more bicycles in the yard, and there was lively conversation inside.
Zhou Chenglei said, "Second brother and second sister-in-law are back."
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei walked into the house together.
Zhou Chenglei greeted them first: "Dad, Mom, Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law."
Jiang Xia followed suit and greeted them in the same order.
Zhou Chengsen heard the voices and turned around, smiling: "Ah Lei, Fourth Sister-in-law is back!"
Zhou Chengsen's wife, Li Xiuxian, also smiled and said: "Fourth Brother, Fourth Sister-in-law."
Zhou Chengsen's eyebrows and eyes were somewhat similar to Zhou Chenglei's, but his face was rounder and his belly was bigger, giving him a bit of a middle-aged appearance. Overall, he still looked refined and handsome.
Li Xiuxian had fair skin, was not tall, had a dignified temperament, and was quite pretty with delicate features. However, her eyebrows were too thin, making her look a bit serious and harsh.
Li Xiuxian then said to her daughter, "Yingying, why don't you call him Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt?"
Zhou Ying greeted them gracefully, "Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt."
Jiang Xia smiled and praised, "Yingying is getting prettier and prettier."
Zhou Ying's appearance is a combination of the best features of both her parents, and she is quite pretty.
Zhou Ying is Zhou Chengsen and Li Xiuxian's only daughter, and she is already 10 years old. The book says that Li Xiuxian suffered a severe hemorrhage when she gave birth to Zhou Ying, and she has not been able to conceive a second child since.
In the past two years, the one-child policy has been implemented, and the couple can no longer have a second child due to their work.
People by the sea place great importance on carrying on the family line and believe that it is essential to have a son. Therefore, every time the couple returns to the village, people ask them when they will have a son, saying things like, "If you don't have a son, you won't have anyone to take care of you in your old age."
So Li Xiuxian does her best to raise Zhou Ying well, forcing her to learn many things, hoping that she will get into university, bring honor to the family, and be able to support them in their old age.
However, things often go to extremes. Later, Zhou Ying became somewhat rebellious, disobeying her mother and skipping high school. Instead, she applied to a teacher's college in her final year of junior high, hoping to graduate early and become a primary school teacher.
At that time, graduates of teacher's colleges were guaranteed job placements, making them highly sought-after. A well-known teacher's college in the city had admission scores even higher than high school entrance exams. However, Zhou Chengsen and Li Xiulian were farsighted and believed that university would offer a better future.
Unfortunately, their daughter wouldn't cooperate!
After starting work, the times changed, and the educational requirements for teachers became increasingly stringent. Zhou Ying's qualifications were insufficient, and she had to continue her studies through correspondence courses to improve her education, only then regretting not listening to her parents.
Growing up pampered by her parents, Zhou Ying was much more lively than Zhou Zhou, and had a sweet tongue. She said sweetly, "Fourth Aunt is the real beauty! The most beautiful person I've ever seen is Fourth Aunt. The first time I saw her, I thought Fourth Uncle had married a celestial being as my aunt! It's been a while since I've seen her, and Fourth Aunt is even more beautiful now!"
Jiang Xia smiled and took out some chocolates, candies, cookies, and other snacks from the drawer under the coffee table, sharing them with her and Zhou Zhou: "Yingying, you have such a sweet tongue! Try and see if this chocolate is sweeter, or if you are."
Zhou Yingying's eyes lit up: "I'm definitely not as sweet as the chocolate!"
The whole family laughed.
Li Xiuxian's gaze fell on Jiang Xia with a hint of scrutiny. Jiang Xia seemed to sense it and looked over, but Li Xiuxian had already looked away.
Jiang Xia didn't care.
Her personality was different from the original owner's; Zhou Chenglei had also looked at her with scrutinizing eyes at first.
Regardless of whether her personality was different or not, this body belonged to the original owner, and she wasn't afraid of DNA testing.
Besides, it's normal for a person's personality to change after experiencing certain things; she had seen it in reality before.
Zhou Chengsen and his wife came back to visit their parents. Although they live in town, not far from home, they hadn't been back for a long time. Zhou Ying's school starts in a couple of days, so they brought their daughter back to keep her grandparents company for two or three days.
Therefore, the three of them would stay overnight.
It was getting late, so Jiang Xia went to cook dinner.
Initially, Jiang Xia, Zhou Chenglei, Zhou's mother, and others cooked together.
Zhou Chenglei killed the chicken first, then started the fire, while Jiang Xia took charge of cooking, and Zhou's mother washed the vegetables.
Later, the eldest son's family arrived, and Tian Caihua took over the fire-starting work, so Jiang Xia told Zhou Chenglei to leave.
When there were only the two of them in the kitchen, Tian Caihua couldn't help but say to Jiang Xia, "Every time she comes back, it's like she's visiting relatives! She doesn't do anything, just sits there waiting to be fed. Does she think she's a guest? She's home visiting her parents! She wants us to serve her whole family food and drink when she visits her parents? What kind of logic is that? Shouldn't she be cooking a meal for her parents? We're all Zhou's daughters-in-law, why should we cook for her while she just sits there waiting to be fed? Don't you think so?"
Tian Caihua felt that she and Jiang Xia were now on the same side, and this was the time they had the most to talk about! Even
a young lady like Jiang Xia, who had married into the family, had to personally cook for her; she couldn't believe Jiang Xia didn't have any complaints!
Jiang Xia, upon hearing this, said, "Sister-in-law, let's go to the market in town together another day, and then visit Second Sister-in-law's house for a meal?"
Tian Caihua was taken aback for a moment, then her eyes widened, and she gave a thumbs up: "Okay! Let's do it! Next time we go to the market, I'll go with you to her house for a meal! Let's strengthen our sister-in-law relationship."
My goodness!
Jiang Xia is so clever!
How come she never thought of doing this before?
Tian Caihua decided that from now on,
she would eat at Second Sister-in-law's house every time she went to town! Thinking this way, all her grievances and complaints disappeared, and she just looked forward to the market day so she could go to Second Sister-in-law's house for a meal and have Li Xiuxian serve her.
Jiang Xia is really amazing!
No wonder Zhou Chengxin told her to learn from Jiang Xia when she had time.
***
That night, Zhou Chengsen and his wife stayed in the storage room that Zhou's mother had cleaned up, while Zhou Ying slept with Zhou Zhou.
Because school was about to start, Jiang Xia had bought some pencils and notebooks for Zhou Zhou that day and brought them to her.
Then Jiang Xia saw Zhou Ying reading English at her desk.
Zhou Zhou was also practicing calligraphy at her desk.
Jiang Xia gave Zhou Zhou a notebook and a Hero fountain pen to Zhou Ying, then asked her, "Are elementary schools in town starting to teach English now?"
Zhou Ying replied, "No, this is a junior high school book. My mom made me start learning it now."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia thought to herself that it was indeed as described in the book; Zhou Ying was being forced to learn many things by Li Xiuxian, who wanted to raise a top scholar to prove that having a daughter could also bring honor to the family.
Zhou Ying then asked, "Fourth Aunt, do you know how to pronounce this word? I forgot."
Jiang Xia glanced at it; it was a hospital word, and read it to her.
Li Xiuxian happened to walk in at this moment and smiled at Jiang Xia, "Fourth Sister-in-law, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Jiang Xia smiled and said, "I was about to sleep, but I came to check on the two children. Second Sister-in-law, you should also go to sleep early. I'm going back to my room first!"
Li Xiuxian smiled, "Okay, I also came to check if the two children were asleep."
Jiang Xia said goodnight and went back to her room.
After Jiang Xia left, Li Xiuxian asked Zhou Ying, "Which word can't you read?"
Zhou Ying pointed to it again, "This one, my fourth aunt just told me."
Li Xiuxian didn't know English either, so she glanced at it and said, "Ask Teacher Feng again when you get back to town. Don't ask your fourth aunt next time. Don't study tonight, go to bed early."
Li Xiuxian knew that Jiang Xia had failed the college entrance exam three times and hadn't gotten into university. She didn't want someone with such grades to set a bad example for her daughter.
Li Xiuxian returned to her room. Zhou Chengsen was already in bed, having drunk some wine with his elder brother and fourth brother; his face was a little flushed.
Li Xiuxian felt uncomfortable living in this old house and nudged him, saying, "Don't you think Jiang Xia seems to have changed?"
Zhou Chengsen nodded, "Yes, she has changed. Or maybe it's just her nature. Before, she thought A Lei had lied to her and couldn't accept it. I guess she went back to her parents' home to find out and clear things up. She comes from a prominent family; children raised in such families are truly remarkable. A Lei is lucky."
Seeing how well A Lei and Jiang Xia got along this time, and how harmoniously Jiang Xia interacted with her parents, he finally felt relieved.
He had felt quite guilty that A Lei had given him a job opportunity, and Jiang Xia only found out after marrying him, leading to a divorce.
"Hmm, the couple seems to be doing quite well now."
Zhou Chengsen thought of his father saying that his fourth brother was planning to build a house, so he said, "I plan to give my dad five hundred yuan for the house."
Li Xiuxian's lips moved, but she was still a little reluctant, so she said, "How about three hundred? We have many expenses."
The couple were government employees with stable and respectable jobs, but their salaries weren't very high, and saving five hundred yuan wasn't easy.
"Three hundred is too little. I haven't given my parents any living expenses since they live with A-Lei. Besides, when we bought the house in town, my parents also contributed money, and you know that most of that money was sent back by A-Lei. And my job was also arranged by A-Lei."
"Alright!"
Li Xiuxian was naturally grateful to Zhou Chenglei. This brother-in-law was really good; otherwise, the couple wouldn't have the good life they had now.
As for Jiang Xia, regardless of Jiang Xia's personality, considering how powerful Jiang Xia's family was, she had to be on good terms with them. Otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen to stay at the old house tonight, but instead went to the new house.
Whether Zhou Chengsen can climb higher in the future might depend on Jiang Xia's family.
As for her sister-in-law, Tian Caihua, she really looked down on her; she was too petty and always tried to act like the eldest sister-in-law.
*
Jiang Xia returned to her room, where Zhou Chenglei was translating.
He was working hard on translating without any other thought than to make things easier for Jiang Xia.
Besides, if they wanted to buy a house in the city, they needed to find a way to earn more money.
Hearing Jiang Xia push open the door, he said without looking up, "The milk is ready."
Jiang Xia went over, picked up the bowl of milk on the table, and drank it: "A bowl of milk every night. I weighed myself at the purchasing office last time, and I've gained a pound. I guess I've gained two pounds now."
Zhou Chenglei turned and looked her up and down: "You haven't gained weight, you've just grown up."
Jiang Xia saw his gaze fixed on a certain spot, "..."
And that night, he was the one measuring where she had gained weight.
He was the most qualified to say whether she had gained weight or not.
***
The weather cleared up yesterday afternoon, and the waves weren't as big, so Zhou Chenglei got up at four o'clock the next morning to go out to sea.
Jiang Xia woke up and was about to get out of bed when Zhou Chenglei kissed her. "It's my brother's turn to go out to sea today. I'll go help him. You can go back to sleep."
Last night, thinking she wouldn't have to go out to sea today, he hadn't been restrained.
"No need, let's go together. Aren't there more fish after the typhoon?" Jiang Xia rubbed her eyes but insisted on getting up. Zhou Chengxin had helped them go out to sea for so many days; it was only right that she help him back.
Seeing her sleepy look, Zhou Chenglei kissed her again. "Not sleepy? Second brother is going out to sea today too. You really don't need to go."
"It's okay. Help me find some clothes. I want to go out to sea too."
Seeing her insistence, Zhou Chenglei went to find her some clothes.
The couple changed their clothes and left the room together.
After breakfast, the family, along with their companions, headed towards the dock, where they met Tian Caihua and Zhou Chengxin on the way.
Tian Caihua noticed Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei's slight nervousness and smiled, "Fourth Brother and Xia, what brings you here?"
Zhou Chenglei immediately saw her worry and said, "We're here to help. Our eldest brother helped us for so many days."
Tian Caihua was relieved; helping meant no money!
Her in-laws constantly told the villagers how good Jiang Xia's seafaring was, how she brought good fortune
to her husband. Even Zhou Chengxin, after going to sea with her, praised Jiang Xia highly.
Today, she wanted to see if Jiang Xia's seafaring was truly so good. Since
there were many people on the boat today, Jiang Xia didn't bring any books to translate; instead, she chose to fish.
Upon hearing that Jiang Xia wanted to go fishing, Zhou Chengxin stopped navigating the boat and asked his father, "Dad, will you drive?"
His father replied, "I won't!"
What a joke! With all his sons around, why should he drive?
He wanted to fish with Wangcai today!
Zhou Chengsen then said, "I'll drive! It'll be better if we're rusty from not driving for so long."
The three of them said in unison, "Okay!"
Zhou Chengsen: "..."
Why did he feel like he'd fallen into a trap?
Zhou Chenglei helped Jiang Xia bait the hook.
Zhou Chengxin and his father quickly positioned themselves on either side of Jiang Xia!
Zhou Chenglei: "..."
When Zhou Chenglei handed the fishing rod to Jiang Xia, Zhou's father said, "Ah Lei, help me hook the bait too."
Zhou Chengxin also said, "Help me hook it while you're at it."
Zhou Chenglei's face darkened: "Do it yourself, I don't have time!"
Zhou's father: "You don't have time? What are you doing? There's no fishing rod!"
Zhou Chenglei: "I have to watch Jiang Xia fish, she's not strong enough to catch a big fish."
Fishing enthusiast Zhou Chengxin: "Dad and I will watch! You can just help out."
Zhou Chenglei ignored the two of them, he directly picked up Jiang Xia from behind and carried her to the other side of the boat.
Jiang Xia: "..."
Zhou's father: "..."
Zhou Chengxin: "..."
Tian Caihua: "..."
Zhou Chengsen: "..."
Everyone was stunned by Zhou Chenglei's crazy actions!
Zhou Chengxin reacted quickly, got up, walked over, and took another spot next to Jiang Xia!
Zhou's father: "..."
One, both of them are unfilial sons!
Jiang Xia ignored the childish father and sons and cast the bait out.
Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia gripped the fishing rod together to prevent his older brother from snatching it.
Zhou Chengxin quickly baited his hook and cast it out.
After baiting his hook, Zhou's father came up behind Jiang Xia: "Xia, come touch my fishing rod!"
Jiang Xia turned around and squeezed his father's rod.
Zhou's father then happily walked over to Zhou Chenglei and started fishing.
Did he think he was helpless?
As long as Xia's hand touched it, a big fish would still come!
Zhou Chengxin, hearing this, also said: "Xia, you touch my fishing rod too."
Jiang Xia squeezed Zhou Chengxin's rod again.
Zhou Chengxin: "Hold it a little longer, don't let go so quickly! The longer you hold it, the bigger the fish should be, right?"
Tian Caihua: "..."
What kind of operation is this?
Does he really think Jiang Xia's hand is a magic touch, that letting her touch the fishing rod will catch a big fish?
Superstition!
Just then, Jiang Xia felt a fish take the bait and laughed, "A fish has taken the bait!"
Tian Caihua looked over, wanting to see what kind of fish she could catch!
Under Tian Caihua's unwavering gaze, a large, golden yellow croaker surfaced, gurgling softly.
It was estimated to weigh over four pounds.
Definitely a king among yellow croakers!
Zhou Chengxin laughed, "Xia's luck is legendary!" Tian
Caihua pursed her lips, thinking: It's just a coincidence; she can't be this lucky every time she fishes.
Let's see what she catches next!
Zhou's father happily said, "Quickly process it and put it in the live tank, otherwise the color won't be as beautiful after it sees the light."
Haha, truly a master of wealth-bringing, catching increasingly valuable yellow croakers with each catch.
Today's luck is definitely good!
Zhou Chenglei, Jiang Xia's capable assistant, was already processing the yellow croaker without Zhou's father's prompting.
At this moment, Zhou's father also caught a fish.
A large mackerel, clearly the largest mackerel he had ever caught in his fishing career!
Not a trawl, but a hook and line!
"Haha, he always said Jiang Xia's hands are a master at attracting wealth!"
Zhou Chengxin glanced at it enviously and said, "Dad, you've never caught such a big mackerel before, have you?"
"Enough nonsense, help! It's about to escape!" Mackerel are notoriously quick to take the bait, and Zhou's father was afraid it would get away.
At this moment, Zhou Chengxin's fishing rod also caught a fish, and he quickly said to the wooden-like Tian Caihua, "Go get the net to help Dad! I have a fish on the hook!"
"Okay!" Tian Caihua quickly got the net and helped Zhou's father get the fish.
Jiang Xia also caught a fish, and Zhou Chenglei sensed something unusual, quickly gripping his fishing rod. Jiang Xia had already run to get the net.
The two brothers, Zhou Chenglei and Zhou Chengxin, caught their fish at the same time.
Zhou Chengxin's was a flounder, about 80 or 90 centimeters long.
It was definitely the biggest flounder he had ever seen in his thirty-plus years of fishing.
Zhou Chengxin felt it was enough for him to brag about for the rest of his life.
Father Zhou was also a little envious; his son had surpassed his father!
He even knew to tell Jiang Xia to hold the hook a little longer!
If Jiang Xia had held his hook longer, this flounder would definitely have been caught.
But even the biggest flounder couldn't compare to the rare fish Jiang Xia had caught.
Tian Caihua had seen many fish, but she had never seen this one before. She asked curiously, "What kind of fish is this?"
Jiang Xia recognized it and said, "Fire Spot."
Fire Spot is also called Golden Scale or Black Star Snapper, probably because it has a black spot on its back, hence the common name.
Of course, this was just Jiang Xia's guess; she didn't know why it was called Fire Spot.
Jiang Xia had seen this kind of fish in her previous life; because its fat was golden-orange, it was very rare, so she remembered it.
Zhou Chenglei glanced at her, surprised that she recognized it.
Tian Caihua: "Fire Spot? Never heard of it! Is it expensive? Can you eat it? Is it poisonous?"
Father Zhou didn't like hearing this. None of the fish his Wangcai caught were useless; how could they be inedible?
"Nonsense, of course it's edible, and very expensive. This is a deep-sea fish, very rare. It was probably swept ashore by the waves during a typhoon. You'd never see one normally!"
Huodian was a deep-sea fish; Zhou's father had only seen one once in all his years of fishing.
This kind of fish can usually only be caught or netted in waters 100 to 150 nautical miles away.
It's rarely seen at their village's dock, and because it's rare, it's quite valuable.
Zhou's father didn't know how much it would sell for, but it was definitely expensive!
Moreover, the one Jiang Xia caught was 40 centimeters long, probably weighing over 10 jin (5 kg), so 20 or 30 yuan should be no problem. Sure enough,
no matter how many times you touch a fish, it's not as good as fishing yourself!
Zhou's father glanced at Jiang Xia's hands, somewhat wanting to switch hands with hers.
Zhou Chengxin said, "The bigger the fish, the rarer it is, and the more expensive it is. I estimate it can sell for 3 yuan per jin."
Upon hearing 3 yuan per jin, Tian Caihua realized this fish could sell for 30 yuan, which was almost what the couple earned in a day at sea!
She couldn't contain her joy; after all, the money from today's fish sales would all go towards her family!
She looked at the fish as if it were gold!
"So expensive? I must have been blind! If only I could have caught a whole netful!"
Zhou's father's lips twitched.
Zhou Chengxin was speechless, annoyed by her silliness.
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei ignored Tian Caihua.
Seeing that the boat had traveled some distance, Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia went to cast the net.
Anyway, even if he didn't invite Jiang Xia, his father would have made Jiang Xia try out the fishing nets, so Zhou Chenglei simply dragged Jiang Xia along to set the nets.
He also enjoyed setting the nets with Jiang Xia.
After the typhoon, there were plenty of fish, and there was a good chance of encountering some unusual fish.
Zhou's father and Zhou Chengxin ignored Tian Caihua's words and quickly baited their hooks to continue fishing.
When Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia returned after setting the nets, Zhou's father again told Jiang Xia to hold his fishing rod, and to hold it for a while.
Jiang Xia did as he was told.
Zhou Chenglei was too lazy to pay attention to his father and baited the hooks for Jiang Xia.
Zhou Chengxin also called out to Jiang Xia, "Xia, you hold my fishing rod too."
Tian Caihua thought of what Zhou Chengxin had said about the importance of harmony between husband and wife, and how harmony brings wealth.
She also noticed that Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia did everything together, setting the nets together, holding the fishing rods together, and they did seem very affectionate.
Tian Caihua reached out to grab the fishing rod: "I'll fish with you."
Zhou Chengxin instinctively dodged: "Don't touch me!"
Tian Caihua: "..."
What happened to the saying "husband and wife working together, harmony brings wealth"?
Jiang Xia, seeing this, naturally wouldn't be so tactless as to touch Zhou Chengxin's fishing rod again. She smiled and said, "Big brother, you and sister-in-law fish together!"
Zhou's father also said, "Yes, you two fish together too! Go fish on the other side!"
Don't compete with him for the fish here.
Zhou Chengxin also knew he had overreacted, so he thought for a moment and called Tian Caihua to go to the other side to fish with her.
After all, "husband and wife working together, their strength can break gold."
He wanted to see if it was true.
As a result, Jiang Xia had a fish on the hook, a three-pound bluefin wrasse.
Zhou's father also had a fish on the hook, a two-pound sea bass.
Zhou Chengxin hadn't!
He held back, reminding himself, "husband and wife working together, their strength can break gold!"
He'd wait a little longer.
A few minutes later, Jiang Xia had another fish on the hook, a red parrotfish.
Immediately after, Zhou's father also caught a fish—a large golden pomfret.
Zhou Chengxin still hadn't caught anything. He patiently waited, hoping a fish would bite eventually.
Maybe a big fish was swimming towards him!
A few more minutes passed, and Jiang Xia and Zhou's father caught fish again!
Zhou Chengxin's hook remained still!
Minutes passed, then minutes more, and more than ten minutes had gone by. Zhou Chengxin couldn't take it anymore. He reeled in his line, only to find the bait gone!
Tian Caihua's face darkened. She couldn't help but complain, "You didn't even notice the bait was gone! What are you fishing for? There's no bait, of course no fish will bite! How can you be so stupid!"
Zhou Chengxin was so angry he didn't even bother to look at her. He quickly reeled in his fishing rod and ran back to Jiang Xia's side.
He knew from her eyes that the saying "a united couple can move mountains" was nonsense!
Tian Caihua couldn't be united with her!
Zhou's father didn't chase Zhou Chengxin away anymore.
However, as Tian Caihua followed, he subtly moved away from the couple.
Zhou's father tugged at Zhou Chenglei, saying, "Come a little closer, leave more room for your older brother."
Good heavens, his eldest daughter-in-law is a master at cutting off their wealth.
Don't get too close.
Don't cut off their money!
Tian Caihua: "..."
Why did she feel like Zhou's father thought she was bad luck?
Not to mention Zhou's father, even Zhou Chengxin wanted to tell Tian Caihua to stay away from him.
But after all, she was his wife, and Tian Caihua had quite a temper. To avoid a fight, Zhou Chengxin didn't want to argue with her in front of his brothers, so he held back.
He kept reminding himself: Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth!
Fortunately, he had already returned to Jiangxia, and let Jiang Xia, this little money-making expert, touch the fishing rod again. Sure enough
, he soon got a fish on the hook!
He caught a grouper weighing about two pounds.
Zhou Chengxin was so excited he almost cried. Was it easy for him and Xia to get lucky while fishing together?
He almost missed out because he believed in the saying "when husband and wife are of one mind, their strength can break gold"!
Tian Caihua was silent for a moment.
Was Jiangxia's shipping really that good?
Otherwise, why would a fish bite as soon as Jiang Xia touched the fishing rod?
Knowing the boat was sailing, fishing wasn't easy, yet she was catching fish almost instantly. She even touched other people's fishing rods, and they quickly caught fish too.
Was it really that magical?
Tian Caihua couldn't resist coming up behind Jiang Xia.
Zhou's father turned around in alarm: What was this little gold-crushing expert up to?
He quickly tried to get her away: "Ahua, take the net and go watch over Axin! If he catches a big fish, you can help him get it right away."
"Oh." Tian Caihua thought it made sense, so she picked up the net from the deck and returned to Zhou Chengxin's side.
Zhou Chengxin: "..."
Could he really send her away?
Was this his own father? This was ridiculous!
Sailing was lonely, and seeing the three of them constantly catching fish, Zhou Chengsen, who hadn't fished in a long time, couldn't resist anymore.
He shouted, "Alei, you take the boat, let me fish!"
Zhou Chenglei, hard of hearing, completely ignored him.
Zhou Chengsen raised his voice again, "Ah Lei, you drive the boat, let me go fishing!"
Jiang Xia nudged Zhou Chenglei beside her with her elbow, "Second brother is calling you."
Zhou Chenglei couldn't pretend not to hear Jiang Xia's words, so he reluctantly replied, "No time, Jiang Xia doesn't know how to fish, and she's not very strong, I have to watch her."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengsen immediately switched to another person, "Big brother, you drive the boat, let me go fishing."
Zhou Chengxin: "No, I haven't fished enough yet."
Before his second son could speak, Zhou's father immediately shouted, "I drive the boat every day, it's rare for me to go fishing today, don't call me to drive the boat!"
After being a patriarch for so long, sometimes you need to act like a human being!
Zhou Chengsen: "..."
Damn it!
It turned out his initial intuition was right, he really had fallen into a trap.
And a big trap at that!
This boat can't be driven!
Unbeknownst to them, two hours had passed, it was time to haul in the nets.
Everyone stopped fishing and went to haul in the nets.
Zhou Chenglei pulled Jiang Xia over, knowing his father would make her feel the net before hauling it in.
Tian Caihua also went to help, as it was her family's fishing day, and it wouldn't be right to leave the net-hauling work to others.
Besides, she was used to manual labor and quite strong.
Seeing Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei hauling the net together, Tian Caihua said, "Xia, you don't need to, we can do it. Dragging the net is strenuous; your thin arms and legs definitely won't be strong enough."
Feeling she was being considerate of Jiang Xia, she pulled her aside and went to help.
Tian Caihua was strong and her movements were rough; Jiang Xia, caught off guard, swayed slightly from the pull.
Zhou Chenglei's attention was never off Jiang Xia, and he immediately steadied her.
Tian Caihua hadn't meant it; she was just strong and hadn't realized her own roughness.
Afraid she'd be bumped by Tian Caihua's roughness, Zhou Chenglei stepped aside, pulling Jiang Xia away.
Too many people together would restrict movement and increase the risk of collisions.
It would be better to let my older brother and sister-in-law set up the net themselves.
After Zhou Chenglei led Jiang Xia a little further away, he rubbed Jiang Xia's arm, where Tian Caihua had pulled, and it was all red.
Zhou Chenglei frowned, held her arm, and gently rubbed it back and forth with his thumb, trying to wipe away the unsightly redness. He whispered to Jiang Xia, "Stay away from her next time."
"How rude!"
Jiang Xia grabbed Zhou Chenglei's hand and smiled, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt. My skin is like this, it turns red easily."
Zhou Chenglei then realized that her skin was indeed delicate, extremely delicate.
He subconsciously turned his palm to face hers, their fingers intertwined.
Her hand was soft and delicate; his hand was rough, strong and powerful.
The couple stood there, hand in hand, watching them cast their net.
This invisible intimacy wasn't deliberate; it was so natural that neither of them noticed their hands were clasped together.
Tian Caihua was about to help Zhou Chengxin haul in the net when, before her hand even touched it, Zhou's father shouted, "Ahua, don't touch it!"
Tian Caihua: "..."
Realizing he'd been too loud, Zhou's father softened his tone: "Women aren't very strong. With so many men here, let them do it. You can divide the fish later."
Zhou Chengxin chimed in, "Right, let us do it!"
Zhou Chengxin turned and called to Zhou Chenglei, "Alei, what are you standing there for? Come help!"
Zhou's father had already seen his younger son and daughter-in-law scattering candy to attract wealth. He glared at his eldest son: "What's all the noise about? Didn't I come to help? What are all these people doing here, getting in the way! Besides, if you need help, why don't you call your second brother?" Completely oblivious!
Didn't he see that pair of little money-attracting creatures were working their magic? They're
definitely not meant to be ancestral tablets; the eldest son and his wife are both masters of money-making!
Zhou Chengsen, who had just finished a long boat trip and was about to rest, was speechless: "..."
When did he become so powerless in his father's eyes? When things got tough and tiring, he was the only one they thought of?
And the fourth son and his wife were just standing there showing off their affection?
Zhou Chengxin was speechless.
Fine!
If his dad wanted to do it, let him do it.
This net of fish was a bit heavy, and the two of them were struggling to pull it. Zhou Chenglei gestured for Jiang Xia to stand still, and he went over to help.
Tian Caihua was happy to see them struggling!
So heavy, how many fish would this net hold?
This net of fish lived up to expectations, bursting open!
A huge net of red snapper, covering the entire deck.
Tian Caihua even spotted a manta ray!
Zhou's father chuckled, "Three hundred jin won't be missing!"
Zhou Chengxin also smiled broadly, "More than that, it should be four hundred jin."
Red snapper was cheap, but the quantity was irresistible.
Tian Caihua was overjoyed and quickly sat down to divide the fish: "Should we continue casting the net?"
Zhou Chengxin: "No more nets, let's go to the cave to collect abalone."
Saying that, he went to set sail, his second brother not knowing where that area was.
Tian Caihua's eyes lit up; she almost forgot, they could also collect abalone, and all the abalone they collected today belonged to his family!
"Hurry up."
Jiang Xia didn't plan to dive today. While quickly sorting the fish, she said, "Big brother, take me to that nearby island first. I'll go see if there's anything good there after the typhoon."
"Okay," Zhou Chengxin replied.
Tian Caihua thought Jiang Xia was being nosy and wasting time. She wanted them to spend less time in the water and collect fewer abalone, so they could continue collecting tomorrow.
That's what she thought, but she didn't dare say it aloud.
The boat docked at the island, and Jiang Xia saw a boat moored there in the distance—it was Zhou Bingqiang's boat.
After the boat docked, Jiang Xia saw Wen Wan and Zhou Guohua searching around on the beach.
Wen Wan also recognized the Zhou family's boat and felt a little nervous. She couldn't help but roll her eyes: "Shameless! They saw us here and followed us!"
Hearing Wen Wan's words, Zhou Guohua said, "Let's hurry up and look, lest they find it first."
Wen Wan agreed; they absolutely couldn't let Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia find it first!
"Hurry up and look!" Wen Wan lowered her head and continued searching.
"What other clues did your dream give?" Zhou Guohua glanced at the vast beach, feeling that searching aimlessly wasn't a solution!
They couldn't possibly turn over every inch of sand on the beach, could they?
Wen Wan: "I only dreamt that Zhou Chenglei found coral on this beach."
A few days ago, Wen Wan had told Zhou Guohua about how her dreams sometimes foresaw the future and helped her avoid misfortune. She told them that the typhoon would arrive at four o'clock that afternoon and they must return before three o'clock.
Sure enough, the typhoon arrived at four o'clock that day, with huge waves; Wen Wan's dream was even more accurate than the weather forecast. Zhou Bingqiang believed it! That 's
why he allowed his son to continue dating Wen Wan.
Dreams that could bring good fortune and avoid misfortune—wasn't that a lucky charm for her husband?
The Zhou family is treating Wen Wan very well now. When Wen Wan mentioned wanting to go out to sea to this island to look for something, they immediately provided a boat for Zhou Guohua to take her.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Guohua said, "Since you dreamt that Zhou Chenglei found the coral, then we just need to keep an eye on Zhou Chenglei and get there first! Why bother searching so hard? Whatever he does, we'll just follow him!"
Whatever he does, we'll just follow him? Wen Wan suddenly understood and smiled at Zhou Guohua.
Zhou Guohua felt embarrassed by her gaze, afraid Wen Wan would think him shameless, so he said, "We can also look for it ourselves. I'll go with you."
Wen Wan's eyes lit up: "No, you're right! Follow him! Whatever he does, we'll do from now on!"
"Come on, let's get closer to them." Wen Wan was secretly excited.
One thing leads to another!
Jiang Xia, reborn, knows Zhou Chenglei is the richest man, so she doesn't divorce him, wanting to become the richest man's wife?
But unfortunately, she was reborn, and she also possessed precognitive abilities, able to dream of all of Zhou Chenglei's opportunities and even know his path to success in his past life!
Therefore, although she couldn't marry Zhou Chenglei, the future richest man, she could seize the opportunity and become the richest man herself! She
would prevent Zhou Chenglei from becoming the richest man, and prevent Jiang Xia from becoming the richest man's wife.
However, she had no boat, no capital, but Zhou Guohua had more than Zhou Chenglei!
She could partner with Zhou Guohua.
Meanwhile, Zhou Chenglei took off his water shoes, rolled up his trousers, and jumped off the boat.
His feet barely touched the ground, splashing water as the rippling seawater washed away the loose sand beneath his feet, revealing a glimpse of red hidden in the sand.
He glanced at it and looked away.
Zhou Chenglei saw Wen Wan and Zhou Guohua approaching. He gently placed one foot on the sand and stretched out his hands to Jiang Xia on the boat: "Come here."
Jiang Xia jumped from the boat into his arms.
Zhou Chenglei caught her steadily, holding her tightly, remaining perfectly still even though he was standing on only one leg.
After catching Jiang Xia, Zhou Chenglei didn't carry her to the beach as before. Instead, he supported her with one hand, took off her water shoes with the other, and tossed them onto the sand, saying, "Roll up your pants legs, then I'll put you down."
"Okay," Jiang Xia responded.
She could feel Zhou Chenglei standing on one leg and guessed that his other foot was probably just lightly stepping on something.
She quickly lifted her leg in his arms and rolled up her pants legs.
Zhou Chenglei held Jiang Xia like that until she rolled up both pant legs.
Wen Wan rolled her eyes: Disgusting!
Not only Wen Wan rolled her eyes repeatedly, but the people on the boat also thought this couple was really something else!
Couldn't Zhou Chenglei just carry Jiang Xia directly to the beach?
Tian Caihua couldn't bear to watch!
Only Zhou's father watched with a smile, wondering if this new loving posture concealed some great fortune?
Zhou Chenglei waited until Jiang Xia had rolled up both of her trouser legs before setting her down.
Then he bent down, moved his feet aside, and reached into the sand at the bottom of the water to rummage around her.
Wen Wan spotted a red tentacle hidden in the sand, its bright red color glistening in the ripples of the seawater.
Her red coral!
She rushed over: "Brother Zhou, this is mine! I've been looking for it here for days!"
Jiang Xia quickly bent down and grabbed the red smear, then looked at Wen Wan: "What nonsense are you spouting? Keep your farts away, don't disgust me!"
Wen Wan: "..."
Ugh! She
was furious!
"Don't be unreasonable! You saw me searching everywhere, for days!"
Jiang Xia: "The principle is, what you find is yours, what I find is mine! If you're not happy, go call the police, get lost! Don't bother me!"
Wen Wan: "..."
She looked at Zhou Guohua.
Zhou Guohua didn't know what to say.
Jiang Xia was right; whoever found it kept it.
If it were just Jiang Xia, they could have fought over it, but there were so many of them.
Zhou Chenglei was incredibly lucky; they had searched that spot when they disembarked, but hadn't found it. Zhou Chenglei jumped down and stepped on it!
Zhou Chenglei said to the people on the boat: "Give me two small shovels."
"Right away!" Zhou's father immediately responded and ran to find the shovels.
Wangcai was indeed Wangcai; he found treasure as soon as he got off the boat.
Tian Caihua was still on the boat, unaware that Jiang Xia had taken something from Wen Wan, and asked, "Xia, what did you find this time? A conch shell?"
Zhou Chenglei replied, "Red coral.
" Tian Caihua was speechless
. Red coral?
If it's a good-looking one, it's incredibly valuable!
What kind of luck does Jiang Xia have?!
Zhou Chengsen raised an eyebrow: "Not bad luck, how does it look?"
Zhou Chenglei: "Unknown."
Tian Caihua couldn't stay on the boat any longer and jumped in, splashing water everywhere.
The others followed suit.
As they jumped in, Zhou Chenglei quickly shielded Jiang Xia with his body to prevent her from getting her clothes wet.
Zhou's father then handed Zhou Chenglei two small shovels, smiling, "Here! Be careful digging! That stuff is very valuable if it's good-looking. Never mind, let me dig it!"
Zhou Chenglei took the shovels and, seeing Jiang Xia's clothes drooping, quickly pulled her up: "Don't get your clothes wet, I'll dig it."
Jiang Xia straightened up and let him do it.
The coral was buried quite deep, and in the water, making it difficult to dig.
Zhou's father jumped in as well, and together with Zhou Chenglei, they dug.
The waves were washing away the sand, making it hard to dig; just as they broke through, the seawater washed it back in.
Their clothes were soaked through in no time!
Wen Wan watched as the family huddled together, digging for the coral she had been searching for for days. Her eyes
reddened with anger!
She silently prayed that they, like her, would only find a small section.
But after digging for so long without finding anything, could it really only be a small section?
Wen Wan didn't know how long she had been watching, only seeing them dig up more and more, and she was struck by how large the coral cluster was!
Finally, after they finished digging, Wen Wan saw Zhou Chenglei hand a deep red coral to Jiang Xia.
It was a complete, bright red coral!
A very large one!
It was obviously extremely valuable!
Jiang Xia hugged it; it was half her height, completely obscuring her face!
Jiang Xia's eyes crinkled with laughter—a coral worth millions in the future!
Zhou Chenglei watched Jiang Xia smile, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.
Wen Wan clenched her fists, her whole body trembling slightly with resentment and anger.
They had beaten her to it again!
She was the one who came looking for coral first, she was the one who found a piece of coral first, why did fate always play such cruel jokes on her? Why was it
always so unfair to her?
Always giving her only a small reward, while giving Jiang Xia a whole chocolate kingdom!
Everyone silently examined the red coral, unable to look away, feeling it was extraordinary!
Tian Caihua didn't know much about it, only noticing its deep red color, and asked, "Is this red coral valuable?"
Zhou's father was overjoyed, finally managing to find his voice, "It can be kept as a family heirloom, don't you think it's worth it?"
Tian Caihua: "..."
Even with her thick skin and sour heart, Tian Caihua couldn't bring herself to ask, "Does her family have a share in this heirloom?"
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei were there to help them fish, but that didn't mean that anything good they found belonged to them.
Tian Caihua sighed inwardly, why couldn't such good fortune fall on her?
Jiang Xia, a little tired from carrying it, handed it to Zhou Chenglei, saying, "It's too heavy."
Zhou Chenglei quickly took it.
Now that the red coral had been dug out and the sun was up, Zhou's father cheerfully said to his sons, "Alright, back to the boat and back to work! A-Lei, are you going to stay on the beach or go back to the boat?"
Zhou Chenglei naturally wanted to stay on the beach, but today's voyage was to help his older brother harvest abalone from the caves, so he said, "Back to the boat."
Jiang Xia said, "Take the red coral with you and keep it safe."
Zhou's father, already on board, said, "Give it to me, I'll put it away."
Zhou Chenglei handed the red coral to his father and then instructed Jiang Xia, "You..." "Be careful on the beach, don't go near the rocks, and don't go into the sea. Just pick up some shellfish on the beach to eat, okay?"
Jiang Xia replied, "Okay, I'll check the beach for any more coral. Didn't someone find a small piece last time? It doesn't look like it fell from the one we found today. I'll keep looking! Maybe there's another one!"
Jiang Xia wasn't wrong; the coral they dug out was intact, and it was a deeper red and older than the small piece Wen Wan found. It was clearly not the same coral.
Wen Wan: "..."
Who are these people?
What's the difference between this and outright robbery?
It's infuriating!
There's even red coral? Tian Caihua immediately said, "Then I'll stay on the beach and look around too. I'll keep Xia company."
She also wanted a family heirloom!
Zhou Chengxin said, "Okay, then you stay with Xia and don't go to dangerous places."
So the men all returned to the boat.
Zhou Chenglei picked up Jiang Xia's rain boots: "Put on your boots, don't get them wet again."
Jiang Xia: "No need, my feet are covered in sand, how can I wear them?"
Zhou Chenglei squatted down and helped her brush the sand off her calves.
Jiang Xia pulled her foot away: "I can do it myself."
Zhou Chenglei ignored her and held her ankle: "Hold on to me, lift your foot, don't fall."
Zhou Chenglei gently lifted Jiang Xia's foot.
Jiang Xia quickly grabbed his shoulder to steady herself.
He brushed the sand off her feet, then rolled up his trousers and put rain boots on her.
After finishing one foot, he helped her with the other.
The Zhou brothers, Chengxin and Chengsen, were waiting for him to board the boat, but he was there leisurely helping his wife put on her shoes.
The two brothers thought in unison: Is the fourth brother afraid of his wife?
Tian Caihua was also dumbfounded. The men in the Zhou family were all good to their wives, but none were as doting as Zhou Chenglei! He practically spoiled his wife like a child!
Wen Wan was so depressed that her face was dark. Seeing Zhou Chenglei squatting there, holding Jiang Xia's feet and brushing the sand off her feet, his expression serious and focused, his handsome profile gentle, as if handling a precious treasure, even more carefully than when he had just dug up red coral, Wen Wan
felt even more resentful!
Zhou Chenglei was just too good!
Who wouldn't like a man like that?
The more she saw how good Zhou Chenglei was to Jiang Xia, the more resentful she felt.
Wen Wan's resentment grew, and she trembled all over!
This was the perfect man she had chosen after her rebirth.
This was the husband she had foretold in her dreams, yet Jiang Xia had taken him!
Aside from his slightly better family background and fairer skin, Jiang Xia was someone who relied on his parents for everything—how could he possibly be worthy of him?
Besides, Jiang Xia was a complete green tea bitch!
After Zhou Chenglei helped Jiang Xia put on her shoes, he stood up and noticed a gaze on him. He looked over and met Wen Wan's gaze; his eyes were cold and indifferent, carrying a warning.
Wen Wan: "..."
At this moment, Zhou's father handed over a snakeskin bag, a bucket, and Jiang Xia's straw hat and arm sleeves.
Zhou Chenglei looked away and took them. He then put the straw hat on Jiang Xia and reiterated, "We won't go far. If you need anything, wave loudly; I can see you."
Jiang Xia felt embarrassed by everyone's stares, snatched the arm sleeves from his hand, and put them on herself: "Okay, you should get on the boat now!"
Only then did Zhou Chenglei board the boat and leave.
Jiang Xia said to Tian Caihua, "Sister-in-law, let's look for any more coral."
"Okay!" Tian Caihua was secretly looking forward to it; she also wanted a family heirloom.
Wen Wan: "..."
Jiang Xia picked up a bucket and casually walked along the beach. Wherever there were bubbles, she would dig and collect some shellfish to take home and eat.
Wen Wan stopped searching and, pulling Zhou Guohua along, followed Jiang Xia, keeping a step's distance.
Disgusting!
Jiang Xia didn't care.
Tian Caihua couldn't stand it: "This island is so big, why are you following us? Stay away from us!"
Wen Wan: "Is this island yours? You go your way, I go mine. How we go is none of your business! If you're so capable, buy it and then kick me out!"
Tian Caihua: "..."
This damned bitch!
How come she never knew she was so annoying?
Jiang Xia: "Sister-in-law, let's go up and take a look."
Why did Jiang Xia come to this island? She remembered a scene in a book about Boss Guo.
Boss Guo's ancestors were pirates. The book said that her grandfather hid some gold and silver treasure on an island during a special period, so she came to look for it.
But with Wen Wan around, she was too lazy to search seriously; she'd just wander around and familiarize herself with the terrain first!
The two walked towards the top of the island, and whenever they saw bubbling water, Jiang Xia would dig.
It has to be said, when luck strikes, money seems to come to you!
Jiang Xia dug down and saw another splash of red.
Wen Wan rushed over immediately!
Wen Wan rushed over quickly!
Jiang Xia stepped on the red stain, stuck out his butt, and slammed into her!
Wen Wan was sent flying, landing heavily on the sand, glaring angrily at Jiang Xia: "Why did you hit me?"
Jiang Xia looked at her coldly: "You know perfectly well! Get lost, don't even think about taking it! Or I'll break your hand!"
"How is that taking it? Didn't you say whoever finds it first owns it!" Wen Wan scrambled to her feet, rushed forward, and reached out to push Jiang Xia.
Anyway, she had Zhou Guohua with her!
Jiang Xia's eyes narrowed. She grabbed Wen Wan's hand, twisted it, and dislocated it. Then she grabbed Wen Wan's hair and yelled, "Take it! Take it now, and whatever you get is yours!"
Wen Wan's hand was dislocated by Jiang Xia, and her hair was being pulled hard. In pain, she instinctively gripped her hair with her uninjured hand, afraid that Jiang Xia would tear her scalp off. She screamed, "Zhou Guohua, are you dead? Come and save me! Ah...it hurts!"
"What are you doing? Let go of Xiao Wan!" Zhou Guohua had already rushed in front of Jiang Xia, reaching out to grab Jiang Xia's hand, trying to separate them.
Jiang Xia angrily yanked Wen Wan's hair and shoved her towards Zhou Guohua: "Get out!
If you try to take it again, don't blame me for being impolite!" Zhou Guohua caught Wen Wan, released her, and stood in front of Jiang Xia, glaring fiercely: "You pushed and hit someone, and you still think you're right? Don't think I don't hit women! I'll give you a chance to apologize to Xiao Wan! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Jiang Xia sneered: "Are you blind? Didn't you see she rushed over, trying to snatch what I dug out? If I didn't push her away, would I be supposed to open my arms and welcome her? I'm not like you, enjoying her throwing herself at me!"
"Guohua, my wrist hurts so much! She twisted my hand!" Wen Wan was both ashamed and angry. What was there to apologize for? Hitting that bitch!
Zhou Guohua looked over and saw that Wen Wan's wrist was hanging unnaturally; it was dislocated. He felt that Jiang Xia was so vicious!
He reached out to grab Jiang Xia, to let her taste the pain of a dislocated shoulder.
Jiang Xia swiftly dodged his hand to the side and kicked his knee with lightning speed!
Just then, Tian Caihua rushed up and slammed into him from behind!
Zhou Guohua immediately fell to his knees!
Wen Wan: "..."
Zhou Guohua hadn't intended to hit anyone; he just wanted to teach Jiang Xia a lesson. He wasn't on guard, and he hadn't expected the two women to react so quickly. After being kicked hard and then slammed into him by Tian Caihua, he was immediately on his knees!
He quickly stood up: "You..."
Tian Caihua, hands on hips and chest puffed out, approached him: "What's wrong with us? You want to fight? Go ahead and fight! My boat just left, and you, a grown man, are bullying two women? Come on! Hit me! Hit me!..."
Tian Caihua, head held high and chest puffed out, stepped closer: "Hit me! Hit me! If you dare touch me, I'll report you to the production team for indecent assault!"
Zhou Guohua was forced back step by step by Tian Caihua. He was a pure-hearted young man in his early twenties, and his character was inherently good. How could he be a match for a middle-aged woman like Tian Caihua who had been a shrew in the village for many years?
Seeing her approaching with her "weapons" raised, he was so frightened that his face turned red, and he retreated repeatedly, afraid that she would brush against him and he would have no way to explain himself.
If it were Jiang Xia, it would be fine, but Tian Caihua was already an old lady to him, and he really couldn't accept it!
"This is simply unreasonable! A good man doesn't fight with a woman!" He blushed, enduring the pain in his knees, and pulled Wen Wan away.
Wen Wan was still waiting for him to stand up for her, and he just ran away like that?
Is he even a man?
Wen Wan was furious!
Useless man!
Zhou Guohua pulled Wen Wan back to his boat: "Xiao Wan, your hand is injured, let's go back first! Anyway, they've already picked up the red coral."
Whose fault is it that they picked it up? Wen Wan glared at him, thinking he was useless and couldn't compare to Zhou Chenglei at all!
She shook off his hand and said irritably, "Let's go!"
Her right hand hurt whenever she moved, and she needed to go back to find someone to set it.
Damn it, is Jiang Xia an orthopedic surgeon? How can he dislocate someone's hand so well?
Tian Caihua was also surprised by Jiang Xia's skill. After the two of them sailed away, she couldn't help but say, "Did you practice that move of sticking out your butt and twisting your hand? It was so skillful!"
Jiang Xia: "Sort of!" Sticking
out his butt was just an unconscious action for Jiang Xia.
In her previous life, she went to sell vegetables with her grandmother when she was three years old. They didn't have money to rent a stall, so they relied on grabbing roadside stalls early in the morning.
Street stalls, being conveniently located, tend to sell better than those inside the market.
However, it's common to encounter situations where people are vying for the same spot.
After being robbed so many times, you learn how to snatch it yourself.
You simply rush over, stick your rear end out, shove the person aside, spread your burlap sack on the ground, and you've claimed the spot!
Just as Wen Wan rushed over, Jiang Xia instinctively stuck out her bottom and bumped her away.
Jiang Xia saw her family's boat return and guessed that they had seen them arguing and were worried.
She moved her foot away and said, "Sister-in-law, I found more coral, let's dig it up quickly!"
Tian Caihua: "..."
Another red coral?
What kind of luck does Jiang Xia have?
The two squatted down and started digging.
However, this coral was broken into several pieces.
Jiang Xia dug out two pieces, and Tian Caihua dug out three pieces, but Jiang Xia's pieces were longer and larger.
Tian Caihua said with heartache, "It's worthless now that it's broken, right?"
Jiang Xia: "It can be sold to a jewelry store to be polished into beads, but I don't know how much it's worth. If you want to sell it, I can help you sell it."
Tian Caihua's eyes lit up with surprise: "You're giving me this coral?"
Jiang Xia: "What you dug is yours."
If Tian Caihua hadn't rushed over just now, Jiang Xia wouldn't have shared the coral with her.
Now, sharing is fine, at least she rushed over to help her without hesitation.
Tian Caihua was immediately satisfied. "If it were made into beads, even if it breaks a little, it wouldn't matter! It should be valuable, right?"
"I don't know."
"It must be valuable."
At this moment, the Zhou family's boat docked, and Zhou Chenglei and Zhou Chengxin jumped off the boat before it had even stopped.
Zhou Chenglei ran to Jiang Xia and looked her up and down: "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just a little argument."
Zhou Chengxin lagged behind and caught up, glancing at the smiling Tian Caihua: "What happened just now?"
Tian Caihua spilled the beans: "That shameless Wen Wan tried to snatch the red coral that Xia found, and Xia pushed her away..."
When Zhou Chenglei heard that Zhou Guohua had hit Jiang Xia, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he held Jiang Xia tightly.
Zhou Chengxin was speechless after hearing this: "Does that brat Zhou Guohua deserve a beating? I'll teach him a lesson when we get back. You guys go back to the boat! Don't stay here."
"Okay." Jiang Xia agreed. Today was the day Zhou Chengxin went out to sea, and she didn't want to waste their time making them pick her up and drop her off.
Back on the boat, Zhou's father and Zhou Chengsen asked with concern what had happened, and Tian Caihua poured out her heart again.
Zhou's father angrily said, "I'll ask Zhou Bingqiang how he raised his son!"
Then the family went back to the same area as before, with the men wearing diving gear to collect abalone.
This time, the three brothers and Zhou's father took turns. They collected most of the larger abalone from the cave, but the rest were too deep and dark for Zhou's father, Zhou Chengxin, and Zhou Chengsen to enter, so they gave up.
They figured the abalone would eventually grow out.
They finished collecting the abalone at 3:30, and decided to haul in another net to take home.
After their boat left, Boss Guo's boat arrived and stopped where they had just been. Then one of the crew
members jumped into the sea.