Jiang Xia glanced at Zhou Guohua who had entered the convenience store before looking away and replied to the Marquis with a smile, "This price is a bit expensive; the cost is high."
"These are deep-fried, right? It's normal for them to be a bit pricey." The Marquis said to Jiang Xia while eating the dried fish, "You can make a lot of these fish. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and the New Year is just a few months away. They'll definitely sell like hotcakes! Make as many as you want, and I'll buy them all. Make one that's a bit spicy and one that's a bit sweet. Pack them like this! One or two jin (500g) per pack."
Jiang Xia shook her head: "I can't make too many right now. These are deep-fried, which uses a lot of oil, and you also need other seasonings, like salt, sugar, and sesame seeds. Sugar and sesame seeds are very expensive. And it's very laborious! It's very troublesome to make!"
The Marquis took another one to eat: "I'll try to get you some vouchers so you can make more. How much do you sell these dried fish for per jin?"
Jiang Xia: "These are a bit expensive because the cost is high. Dried fish is five yuan per jin, small yellow croaker is seven yuan per jin, and mixed small fish is cheaper at three yuan and fifty cents per jin." Jiang
Xia quoted a price five mao (0.5 yuan) higher than the budgeted price, giving the other party room to negotiate.
As a result, the Marquis realized that the cost of making these was more than double that of fresh fish, and then there was the need for oil, sesame seeds, and other sauces. Considering all that, the price was reasonable and not too high.
He said directly, "Sure, you can make a large quantity. I'll buy as much as you make. Make a lot."
Jiang Xia laughed, "I really can't make much. I don't have enough oil coupons to buy oil; I'll buy sesame seeds instead."
Everyone knows that larger quantities are more profitable, but given the current limited resources, the quantity couldn't be increased.
"I'll find a way to get it for you!" The Marquis pointed to the dried fish in the snakeskin bag again: "Is it all dried golden pomfret?"
Jiang Xia: "No, there are several kinds of dried fish. There are 373 catties of dried red snapper, 146 catties of dried mackerel, 225 catties of dried filefish, 56 catties of dried shrimp, 63 catties of dried squid, 56 catties of dried octopus, and 100 catties of large golden oysters."
Jiang Xia wouldn't have taken out the dried oysters to sell if it weren't for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. He would have waited until the New Year to sell them. But since the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, he can take 100 catties to test the waters first. If they sell well, he can go to the island to pluck more and sell them during the New Year.
Anyway, they have already applied to contract that sea area, including that island.
"Okay, I'll take them all. Let me see these dried fish..."
In the end, Jiang Xia kept the dried fish and small fish for Zhang Fuyan and Jiang Dong, and sold all the goods to the Marquis.
The Marquis bought the dried red snapper for 2.7 yuan per jin (500g), seeing that it was thoroughly dried, uniform in size, and headless. He bought the dried mackerel for 1.35 yuan per jin, the dried skinned fish for 2 yuan per jin, the various sizes of dried shrimp for 3 yuan per jin, the dried small squid for 2.2 yuan per jin, the dried small octopus for 2.5 yuan per jin, and the large golden oysters for 3.8 yuan per jin. All the dried fish sold for a total of 2,480.08 yuan!
Then there were the six large jars of small fish, yellow croaker, and miscellaneous small fish. Excluding the jars containing three different flavors of small fish, totaling 168 jin, the spicy yellow croaker for 57 jin, and the spicy miscellaneous small fish for 127 jin. The six jars sold for a total of 1,683.5 yuan.
The jars would be returned later.
This time, all the fish sold for a total of 4,164.3 yuan.
However, Jiang Xia had also spent a considerable amount of money buying the dried fish. She calculated that she made about 175 yuan from reselling the dried fish, less than 200 yuan.
However, because she had sorted the collected dried fish, the larger, better-looking ones were sold as dried fish, while the smaller ones were made into spicy small mixed fish and spicy small yellow croaker. These were more profitable; the spicy small mixed fish, after deducting costs, yielded a profit of about two yuan per jin (500g), while the spicy small yellow croaker earned about five yuan per jin.
So, she earned 539 yuan, which she split 50/50 with He Xinghuan, each earning 269.5
yuan. In other words, she earned over 400 yuan by herself this time.
It was a bit troublesome, as she had to collect and divide the fish, but it was still good, as it was extra income.
Moreover, now both her great-grandmother and He Xinghuan volunteered to do the collecting, dividing, and drying of the fish. They felt bad about only helping with drying and frying the fish for a 40% share.
So, Jiang Xia simply let them do both, giving them half the profit, while she only focused on selling and making the various flavors of small fish.
After selling his goods and arranging to contact Lord Hou by phone, Jiang Xia happily left the city dock with four thousand silver dollars and headed straight for the train station.
Only after Zhou Chenglei drove away in his tractor did Zhou Guohua emerge from the small shop, quickly grabbing two packets of Daqianmen fish sauce and approaching Lord Hou, handing them to him: "Comrade, I also sell dried fish here. Do you still buy from me? I'm from the same village as A-Lei; he buys dried fish from the villagers, and so do I."
The Marquis glanced at the cigarette offered, waved it off, and said, "Let me see your dried fish."
Zhou Guohua quickly led him to the bags of dried fish.
"These dried fish of mine are all very dry, just like A-Lei's. If you buy them all, I can sell them for one cent less per pound than his. Take a look at my dried fish."
The Marquis glanced at them, too lazy to even turn them over, and couldn't help but think: Same dried fish? The difference is huge!
Zhou Chenglei and Xia's dried fish were sorted, each one uniform in size, looking very marketable.
His mixed dried fish and red snapper were all different sizes, unsorted; who knew how many small fish were mixed in?
The Marquis directly quoted a price: "Red snapper two yuan and one mao per pound, mixed dried fish one yuan and three mao per pound."
Zhou Guohua was dumbfounded: What? So cheap? At this price, he's losing fifty-two cents per pound just on the red snapper! How can he sell them?
Zhou Chenglei and his group were buying dried red snapper for 2.5 yuan per jin (500g) and miscellaneous
fish for 1 yuan per jin. They couldn't possibly sell at a loss! They had to make at least a few cents, right? Zhou Guohua couldn't help but say, "Two yuan per jin for red snapper is too cheap! How about 2.6 yuan per jin for red snapper and 1.1 yuan per jin for miscellaneous fish?"
The Marquis looked at him like he was an idiot, shook his head, and said, "I've bought enough dried fish, I'm not buying anymore." Then
he left. Did he think
he was stupid?
Who sells these kinds of small, dried fish for more than 1 yuan per jin? 70 cents per jin is the absolute maximum!
Zhou Guohua watched the Marquis leave, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't sell at a loss!
The price he offered was already very low, there was hardly any profit left.
After all, he had to pay for the bus fare, and the few bags of dried fish that took up space also cost him 1.5 yuan for transportation. If he
lowered the price any further, he would be working for nothing!
The result of not lowering the price was that he waited until four o'clock in the afternoon and hadn't sold a single jin.
Just then, a middleman came over and asked if he was selling dried fish. "Two yuan a pound for dried red snapper, fifty-five cents a pound for dried mixed fish, are you selling?"
Zhou Guohua asked, "Can you raise the price a little?"
The middleman turned to leave.
Zhou Guohua quickly called out to him, "Comrade, I'll sell!"
He couldn't just take it back, could he?
It was getting late, and he still had to pick up Wen Wan.
Besides, taking it back would cost him a fare, and bringing it back to town to sell next time would cost him another fare—the back and forth would be even more costly!
So, he sold it at a loss, losing sixty-two cents a pound for red snapper and forty-seven cents a pound for mixed fish—a huge loss!
He still had hundreds of pounds of dried fish stored at home!
And he was still buying them every day!
What to do?
***
On the other side, Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei arrived at the city train station after leaving the city dock.
Zhou Chenglei carried six large burlap sacks into the station, while Jiang Xia only carried a basket, which she insisted on carrying. Otherwise, Zhou Chenglei could have carried it with one free hand, but now he was using one hand to hold Jiang Xia's hand to prevent her from being bumped by the passing crowd.
Train stations in those days were incredibly crowded, especially with Mid-Autumn Festival approaching! It was packed with people, each carrying a large bag or a load of luggage.
Jiang Xia tightly clutched the four thousand yuan in her pocket.
The two finally managed to squeeze through and find the stationmaster.
Jiang Xia found the train stationmaster and told him about Zhang Fuyan's request for help in shipping dried fish.
The stationmaster, knowing about this, smiled and said, "Comrade Xiaoyan already told me. Just give me the things. Are these the bags?"
Jiang Xia smiled and said, "Yes, these six bags. Thank you for your help."
The six burlap sacks contained 100 jin of golden pomfret, 100 jin of red snapper, and 100 jin of small fish in three different flavors prepared by Jiang Xia, as well as spicy small yellow croaker and spicy mixed small fish. She gave Zhang Fuyan 50 jin and Jiang Dong 50 jin, all packed in bags of one or two jin each, so they could easily share with classmates, teachers, or relatives and friends.
Zhang Fuyan and Jiang Dong went to the same school. Jiang Xia put a letter in the burlap sacks, asking Zhang Fuyan to tell Jiang Dong to pick up his own copy.
Jiang Xia had also mentioned the letter she had sent to Jiang Dong earlier in the letter.
The stationmaster smiled and said, "No trouble at all, it's all for the people."
Jiang Xia then took out six packets of small fish in three different flavors and two packets of spicy yellow croaker from his basket and gave them to the stationmaster with a smile, saying, "These are homemade snacks, for you and the train attendants to try. You've worked hard to ensure the people's travel!"
The stationmaster thought Jiang Xia was very good at talking and smiled, "No need, it's only right to serve the people, Comrade Jiang, please take them back!"
So many small fish, they looked expensive.
The stationmaster declined several times, but couldn't refuse. Hearing that Jiang Xia had made them himself and that the fish were caught by his family at sea and hadn't been bought,
he finally accepted them. After Jiang Xia left, he kept one packet of small fish to take home for his children and wife, and gave the rest to the train attendants.
After the train attendants tasted it, they all came over to ask the stationmaster, "Stationmaster, who gave you those dried fish? Can you ask them where they bought them? They're so delicious, I'll buy some for my son after work."
"Yes, Stationmaster, they're really good! So delicious! Can you ask the passenger where they bought them? I'll buy some for my dad too. He'll definitely love them."
The stationmaster replied, "That lady said she made them herself; they probably can't be sold outside."
"Does she sell them? Can you ask her if she sells them? I'll pay for them."
"The packaging is so nice, I thought she bought them, so she must be selling them!"
The stationmaster casually replied, "Okay, if she comes again next time, I'll ask her for you."
*
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei handed the items to the stationmaster and walked out of the train station.
The train station was still bustling with people. Zhou Chenglei held a carrying pole in one hand and had his other arm around Jiang Xia to prevent her from being bumped into.
Jiang Xia casually glanced around, noticing everyone's hurried pace. She inadvertently spotted a man's hand slipping into an old man's pocket to her left.
The movement was swift; he pulled his hand out in a flash, then put it in his own pocket, casually brushing past the old man!
The old man, and everyone around, were completely oblivious!
The whole process took less than a second. Jiang Xia quickly tugged at Zhou Chenglei's sleeve, pointing at the man: "The one in the black clothes is a thief!"
"I know," Zhou Chenglei replied, having also seen it, and quickly stepped forward to grab him.
The man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, as if he knew Zhou Chenglei was going to catch him, and suddenly started running.
Zhou Chenglei dodged a few times, appearing behind him, and swept a carrying pole across his legs, knocking the man to the ground!
Zhou Chenglei quickly dropped the carrying pole and subdued him!
Two train police officers at the station saw what happened and ran over: "What's going on?"
Jiang Xia also ran over: "This man is a thief! I saw him steal that old man's money! He has an accomplice, the guy in the white shirt riding the bicycle outside!"
Jiang Xia had just seen a person sitting on a bicycle outside the station and waved to the thief, which is why the thief ran off.
The person on the bicycle outside, seeing Jiang Xia pointing at him, immediately rode away.
One of the train police officers took off after him, shouting, "Stop him! Thief!"
Zhou Chenglei quickly handed the thief over to another officer and also gave chase!
The elderly man who had been robbed finally realized what had happened, rummaged through his suit pockets, found them empty, and his face changed: "My return permit is gone!"
Most importantly, the return permit contained a photograph, the only photograph he had!
Seeing this, others also checked their pockets, and several people shouted:
"Mine was stolen too!"
"My money is gone!"
"My money and tickets are gone!"
...
The train police officer pulled an ID card and several stacks of money from the thief's bag, along with a few train tickets.
The people who had lost their money and tickets quickly gathered around: "My money! My train ticket was in there!"
"I lost my ticket too! My ticket is for Xiangcheng, the train leaves at 4 PM! Comrade, can you check if my ticket is there?"
"That's my return permit!"
...
The station staff also arrived and quickly helped calm the people who had lost their money and tickets, telling them to be patient and that they would be returned as long as they gave the correct ticket number and amount.
People love a good show, and soon a lot of people came over to watch.
Jiang Xia suddenly felt her trouser leg move slightly,
but she still felt it. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed the person's hand! With a twist and a sweep of her foot,
the person fell to the ground, a large stack of money dropping!
Jiang Xia kneed them down, subduing them!
Everyone was stunned!
Their first reaction was: So much money! Their
second reaction was: There was a thief?
"This is a thief too!!"
"Kill him, he's despicable!"
...
The flight attendant quickly came over to help Jiang Xia catch the thief.
Only then did Jiang Xia let go and pick up the money from the ground.
Everyone looked at Jiang Xia differently now—he was so rich!
Even the thief thought Jiang Xia was incredibly wealthy!
If Jiang Xia didn't have that much money, he wouldn't have been so unlucky to fail.
He had noticed Jiang Xia earlier, always clutching the bag, acting like he had a lot of money on him.
He guessed Jiang Xia had a lot of money, but he didn't expect him to have this much!
So when he reached in to grab the stack of money, he hesitated for a moment, and then lost his grip.
Moreover, the other person was too alert and skilled; as soon as he pulled his hand back, the other person grabbed his hand, twisted it, and tripped him—the other person was even more skilled than him!
Zhou Chenglei ran back and saw that he had caught another person, whose hand was obviously dislocated. He looked at Jiang Xia: "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. This guy tried to steal my money, and I caught him."
The others exclaimed, "Your wife is amazing! She tripped him up in one go!"
"You two are both amazing, catching two thieves at once."
The flight attendant said, "These thieves are very skilled. Many people are robbed without even realizing it, and we can't find them. You two are truly incredible! Catching two at once! This is a gang crime!"
The train police officer then grabbed the accomplice in the white shirt who had run away, admiringly saying, "There are three! This one was also caught by this comrade."
He was incredible; he caught the guy riding a bicycle at breakneck speed!
He had never seen anyone react so quickly and be so agile!
At this moment, the station staff, having received the news, also arrived. Seeing that it was Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei who had apprehended the man, they were surprised for a moment, then smiled and said, "Comrades, on behalf of the train station and the people who lost their money, thank you!"
Zhou Chenglei replied, "It's our duty."
Jiang Xia smiled, "You're welcome!"
The old man, having retrieved his travel permit and money, also came to Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei, saying, "Thank you, comrades."
If it weren't for them, his photo would have been lost.
Ten minutes later, after Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia finished cooperating with the investigation at the train station, Jiang Xia left the station with the old man's business card.
"I didn't expect that catching a thief would also bring in a business deal."
The train attendants learned from the stationmaster that the small fish were a gift from her, and they all came to her to buy them, buying two or three pounds of several flavors each, resulting in nearly fifty pounds of business.
Zhou Chenglei: "Your fish is delicious; everyone who tries it wants to buy more."
Jiang Xia smiled: "That's true."
Looking at the name on the business card in her hand, she thought of a wealthy businessman from Hong Kong mentioned in the book.
This person was one of Zhou Chenglei's future major clients and partners in the book, but they later parted ways for some unknown reason.
In the book, Zhou Chenglei also helped this person at the train station and got to know him.
Jiang Xia casually put the business card into the basket, not paying much attention to it.
After all, whether he was a tycoon or not, she and Zhou Chenglei would help him if they saw him; as for the future, they could deal with it later.
Zhou Chenglei drove his tractor to the Maritime Department, carrying the relevant documents for the large ship that Factory Director Zhou had given him last time, to apply for licenses and ownership certificates.
After that, they went to the Fisheries Department to check if the permits had been approved and to apply for the ship's deep-sea fishing and shipping qualifications.
A few days ago, Zhou Chenglei had seen the production team and relevant department personnel going out to sea to survey and confirm the boundary markers. He saw them working every day when he went out to sea and knew they had finished yesterday, so he took the opportunity to inquire about it today.
This time, he again asked the same staff member from before.
The staff member recognized Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei at a glance and said with a smile, "You've come at the perfect time. Your permits were just approved this morning. You can take them after you pay the money."
They had contracted two sea areas, one 300 hectares and the other 280 hectares, for a total of 5,800 yuan per year.
So, all the more than 4,000 yuan they earned this morning had been given away, and they would even have to pay an additional 1,000 yuan to make ends meet.
Jiang Xia paid the money and received a large stack of relevant documents, which she checked one by one to make sure there were no errors or omissions.
Zhou Chenglei then handed over the documents and materials for the deep-sea fishing application.
Because Jiang Xia couldn't drive a boat and didn't have the necessary seafarer's certificate of competency, she submitted Zhou Chenglei's documents for this application.
Zhou Chenglei had both the "Inland Waterway Vessel Seafarer's Certificate of Competency" and the "Seagoing Vessel Seafarer's Certificate of Competency," and even more certificates beyond those two.
The staff member was shocked again when they saw Zhou Chenglei's documents!
Sure enough, the daughter of a high-ranking official wouldn't marry an ordinary person.
Impressive!
This application also went very smoothly because all the documents were excessively complete, and this time there was no need for the troublesome site survey and boundary confirmation; they didn't even have to wait several days, as the documents were complete and the application was processed directly.
After everything was done, Jiang Xia, carrying the thick bag of documents, got on the tractor, and Zhou Chenglei drove the tractor away.
It was already 5:25 PM!
Getting these certificates involved visiting two departments and took an entire afternoon.
Jiang Xia: "The permits for fishing at sea are so complicated! I see many boats in the village without licenses."
Zhou Chenglei: "Yeah, generally any boat over 6 meters needs one. Some people think they don't need one, but it's better to have one. As long as nothing goes wrong, it's fine; otherwise, it's troublesome."
Indeed, many fishing boats in the village don't have permits. Some are small boats, not big enough, and some haven't applied for them. Since people don't fish in very distant places, the regulations aren't very strict, and almost no one checks, so nobody applies.
But for deep-sea fishing, you absolutely need a permit. If you're fishing in international waters and get caught without one, your boat will be impounded.
Moreover, Zhou Chenglei has a strict, military-like work style; he likes to work with proper permits and follow the rules, so his family's boat has all the necessary paperwork, not to mention the newly bought large boat.
*
After leaving the office, the two went to a photo studio. They charged one yuan per photo, refusing to lower the price. Jiang Xia was in a hurry; they still needed to give the shipyard the information for their large boat. She asked them to teach her how to load and unload film, then bought another roll of film and left in a rush.
It was already past seven when she got home, and by the time she finished dinner it was eight. It was too late; her great-grandmother's house was already dark and she was asleep, so she didn't go over to give He Xinghuan the money she earned from selling the small fish that day.
After taking a shower, Jiang Xia returned to her room, opened her accounting notebook, and carefully recorded every expense.
Including her translation fees and the money Zhou Chenglei had earned from fishing at sea these past few days, not counting bank savings, she had 8,636.67 yuan in cash.
However, the final payment of 8,000 yuan for the boat was due soon.
After paying the final payment, he would only have 636.67 yuan left in cash. Oh, it should be 637.67 yuan. Zhou Chenglei only had one yuan left.
Money really disappears so quickly!
If it weren't for Zhou Chenglei earning over 1,000 or 2,000 yuan a day at sea recently, he wouldn't even have enough cash to pay for the boat.
They also needed to build a house soon, but they had already ordered some bricks, steel bars, and cement, spending 2,000 yuan, and there was still a final payment to be made.
Zhou Chenglei had just finished showering and came in, still damp.
Jiang Xia turned to look at him: "I'm going out to sea to fish tomorrow."
Zhou Chenglei raised an eyebrow: "All clean? Then go to bed early tonight."
Jiang Xia: "..."
Had he missed the point?
Jiang Xia was placed on the bed, looking at his black head buried in his work, and with a sliver of rationality remaining, she pushed his head, reminding him of a cruel reality: "After paying the final payment for the boat, we're out of money. We only have a little over 600 yuan left in cash."
"Yeah, I'll go earn some," Zhou Chenglei mumbled in response.
He'd made up for three days of abstinence tonight.
Gentle.
Surging.
Both.
The next day, Jiang Xia couldn't get up to go out to sea.
Zhou Chenglei left his room refreshed, carefully closing the door behind him.
Zhou's father glanced at the closed door, his face utterly listless.
Today was another day Wangcai wasn't going out to sea!
Going out to sea with his son was just too boring!
***
Jiang Xia didn't wake up until eight o'clock. Zhou's mother was making a fish cage.
It was a large cage; once placed on the seabed, it could hold many fish.
Seeing Jiang Xia awake, Zhou's mother smiled and said, "There's porridge in the pot, still hot, go eat."
Zhou's mother knew Jiang Xia wasn't lazy; if she'd gone to bed late that day, it must have been the two of them trying to make a grandson the night before.
She was happy to see it happen.
Jiang Xia smiled and agreed, then went to wash up and have breakfast. Afterwards, she said to Zhou's mother, "Mom, I'm going to Great-Grandma's to give them the money."
"Go ahead, did those dried fish sell well?"
Jiang Xia smiled and said, "They sold well. I made 539 yuan, over 200 yuan each."
It was only the beginning of the sale, and they had given away a lot, so the profit was low. They could raise the price a bit during the New Year to make more!
Jiang Xia had also factored the cost of the given-away fish into the price.
Hearing that they had made so much, Zhou's mother smiled and said, "Then your Great-Grandma and I will continue to collect more dried fish!"
The old man's words about Jiang Xia being lucky were indeed true! She was so
lucky! Whatever she did, she made money!
"Okay, I'll go and distribute the money to Great-Grandma first."
Tian Caihua walked in at this moment and subconsciously asked, "Distribute what money?"
Jiang Xia didn't respond to Tian Caihua's words. She smiled and called out "Sister-in-law," then politely walked out of the courtyard and went next door.
Great-Grandma and He Xinghuan were sorting dried fish. Since there was no school today, Zhou Zhou had come early to help Zhou Jie sort the fish. This was the dried fish they had received yesterday. They
were now collecting twenty or thirty catties of dried fish every day.
Jiang Xia handed the stack of ten-yuan notes to He Xinghuan.
He Xinghuan was stunned: "So much?"
Her great-grandmother chuckled: "Did you earn this much in total?"
Jiang Xia smiled: "No, we earned a total of 539, 269.5 cents each. Count it and see if it's correct."
He Xinghuan's hands trembled as she held the stack of money: "This is too much! Is this really how much we earned?"
Jiang Xia smiled: "It's alright. We've only just started selling, so there are no customers yet. We're only selling to middlemen. Things will get better once we open up the market. When fish prices rise at the end of the year, we can raise the price and earn even more." He
Xinghuan understood immediately: "I'll take advantage of this time to buy more dried fish."
Dried fish is cheap now, but as winter approaches and the weather gets colder, fewer boats will go out to sea, and the price will go up.
Jiang Xia smiled and agreed, then told her about the train attendant at the station wanting to buy dried fish.
He Xinghuan laughed, "Perfect timing! I exchanged some oil coupons with someone yesterday and bought twenty catties of oil. I also bought sesame seeds, salt, and sugar. Let's make the dried fish today."
Great-Grandma chuckled, "You all go ahead and do it! I'll just divide the dried fish."
In less than ten days, they had earned over two hundred yuan, more than twenty yuan a day, which was comparable to families with boats.
Great-Grandma and Grandpa never imagined their family could have such a "money-making" time.
Zhou Jieren, the little devil, said earnestly, "You all go ahead and do it! Zhou Zhou and I will divide the dried fish!"
Everyone laughed.
Jiang Xia smiled and patted their heads, "If you divide the dried fish well, you'll get a little fish treat as a reward!"
The two kids became even more serious!
Jiang Xia and He Xinghuan went into the kitchen to make the dried fish.
Making several flavors of dried fish took a whole morning.
Because it was deep-fried, there was a lot of smoke, and it was hot and tiring—it was truly hard-earned money.
Every time Jiang Xia finished cooking, she couldn't eat because she inhaled too much oily smoke.
Next door,
Tian Caihua couldn't help but ask Zhou's mother again, "Mom, what money are you sharing with Great-Grandma's family?"
"The money from selling dried fish. Xia Xia has been partnering with Great-Grandma's family to collect dried fish recently, right? They use the dried fish to make snacks to sell. They sold some yesterday, so we're sharing the money with them!"
Tian Caihua's face changed: "Partnering? Isn't it just hiring them to do the work?"
"No, it's a partnership."
Tian Caihua was unhappy. If it was a partnership, why hire outsiders instead of her, her sister-in-law?
"Does collecting and reselling dried fish earn a lot? How much can you make per pound?"
She thought she heard over two hundred yuan!
She'd only been collecting dried fish for a few days and already earned over two hundred yuan?
Seeing her eldest daughter-in-law's expression change, Zhou's mother said, "I didn't ask so clearly. But Xia spent a lot of money collecting dried fish; I've given away over a thousand yuan. Your great-grandmother's family also collected a lot, probably investing a lot of money as well."
Her eldest daughter-in-law was petty, so Zhou's mother didn't dare say too much to her.
Zhou's mother couldn't help but add, "Collecting dried fish is troublesome. The fish you collect have to be sorted. Fresh mixed fish have to be killed, dried, and sorted again. You have to go out to sea and take care of Ah Hai and the others; where do you find the time? Your great-grandmother's family doesn't have a boat, so they have more free time. Besides, when the kitchen caught fire, they risked their lives to help us put it out; we should remember that kindness!"
Mentioning the kitchen fire made Tian Caihua feel guilty, and she didn't say anything more, but she was still unhappy.
Partnering with an outsider instead of her sister-in-law—didn't she know who was closer and who was less close?
She put down the freshly picked vegetables and went home.
Because Zhou's mother helped with housework and watering vegetables when she went out to sea, she also helped water vegetables when she wasn't at sea, so as not to upset Zhou Chengxin and make him think she was unfilial.
Tian Caihua returned home with a dark expression. Looking at Zhou Chengxin, who was in the yard holding a mask and a welding rod, welding an iron frame amidst the crackling light, she couldn't help but say, "You help your brother whenever you have free time. You treat him like a brother, but he treats you like an idiot! People who make money don't want to partner with you; they just want to boss you around. They treat you like free labor."
The iron frame was for a large net cage, which Zhou Chenglei needed, but it wasn't Zhou Chenglei who made Zhou Chengxin weld it.
Zhou Chengxin saw his father making it at home yesterday, and since he wasn't going out to sea today and was free, he volunteered to do it.
Hearing Tian Caihua's sarcastic remarks, Zhou Chengxin retorted sarcastically, "I like helping my brother. You help your brother, I help my brother, what's it to you? I didn't tell you not to help your brother!"
Tian Caihua: "..."
More sarcasm!
Tian Caihua, remembering Zhou Chengxin's recent ignoring of her, didn't dare say anything more. "
Forget it, forget it," she thought, "lest Zhou Chengxin act up again and refuse to go to sea. Luck has been good lately; I can earn a hundred-odd yuan a day at sea. I should seize the opportunity to earn more money."
Jiang Xia was already a "ten-thousand-yuan household" (a term for someone with a large fortune), but since her family separated, only these two or three sea voyages had been profitable; otherwise, they hadn't even saved a thousand yuan! Others were already building two-and-a-half-story houses.
Around
noon, Jiang Xia and He Xinghuan had prepared over a hundred
jin (approximately 50 kg) of three-flavored small fish. Because Zhou Zhou and Zhou Jie were so well-behaved, sitting there dividing the dried fish all morning, Jiang Xia saw that her great-grandmother had washed lotus leaves, so she used them to put a little bit of the sauced small fish in each of them.
The two children happily took their bags of small fish and went out to play with the other children in the village.
Children in this era suffered from severe material shortages, unlike modern children who have all sorts of snacks and drinks.
In those days, children were thrilled to have a penny or two to buy a cup of sunflower seeds, becoming the envy of their village friends and surrounded by admirers.
Zhou Jie, being clever, had recently heard Jiang Xia talk about using dried fish as gifts to open up markets. So, after getting his hands on some dried fish, Zhou Jie dragged Zhou Zhou to the big tree in the village to find his friends; he wanted to help sell the dried fish too!
It must be said that fried dried fish were very appealing to children, and Zhou Jie and Zhou Zhou were immediately surrounded by a group of kids.
Some adults saw them and thought the dried fish looked delicious, so they asked Zhou Jie for one to try. They found it was indeed fragrant and chewy, making them want to eat more.
She asked, "Zhou Jie, did your family make these dried fish? They're delicious! Do you collect dried fish to make these and sell them? How much do they cost per pound?"
Although Zhou Jie was clever, he wasn't cunning enough. Thinking she wanted to buy them, he said, "Yes! Third Aunt, do you want to buy some? Then go find my mother or my niece-in-law, who is Zhou Zhou's aunt! You should hurry up and buy them, otherwise my niece-in-law will take them to the city to sell!"
The villagers were all curious and gathered around, asking questions one after another.
Everyone wanted to know how much money Jiang Xia could make from the dried fish they bought.
However, Zhou Jie and Zhou Zhou didn't know how much to sell it for.
The adults gave up after asking around for so long without getting any answers, but some still considered trying to make some to sell themselves.
At this moment, Wen Wan came out of Zhou Guohua's house. She had moved in with Zhou Guohua last night and become his wife.
She returned from school last night to find there wasn't even a bed left for her!
She had always shared a room with her stepsister, but her stepmother, seeing that she and Zhou Guohua had registered their marriage, dismantled her bed and gave the room to her stepsister, telling her to move to Zhou Guohua's house. Her luggage was packed and sent to Zhou Guohua's house. She had no choice but to move in. Although she was angry and aggrieved, she had no other option; she couldn't just end up
homeless.
As it turns out, men's words are deceiving. Last night, she and Zhou Guohua were perfectly fine; she only allowed him to hold her while sleeping. But in the middle of the night, she dreamt that she married Zhou Chenglei and did *that* with him. In her dazed state, she mistook Zhou Guohua for Zhou Chenglei.
Zhou Guohua thought she was the one who initiated it, and then they somehow ended up having sex.
Now that things have come to this, she and Zhou Guohua are completely bound together.
She can only change Zhou Guohua's fate, ensuring their family remains the richest family and isn't overshadowed by Zhou Chenglei.
Wen Wan came out because Zhou Guohua's mother had asked her to bring him home for dinner.
They hadn't used any protection last night, and she had asked Zhou Guohua to go to town to buy medicine, but he hadn't returned home for ages.
As soon as Wen Wan came out, she heard Zhou Jie loudly proclaim, "These little fish were made by my niece-in-law and my mother! You can't buy them anywhere else. If you want some, tell your mothers to come to my house to buy them; I have them. Or you can go to Zhou Zhou's house; they have them too! I don't know how much they cost per pound. You should hurry and buy them; they don't make many, and they'll sell out quickly."
Zhou Zhou was rather shy and only nodded, whispering, "Yes, these little fish were made by my aunt and great-grandmother."
Wen Wan looked over and saw the little fish in Zhou Jie's hand.
She finally understood why Jiang Xia was buying those miscellaneous dried fish.
It turned out that Jiang Xia wasn't just selling dried fish, but these spicy little fish!
Zhou Guohua lost money buying dried fish yesterday and said he was planning to stop buying them.
She absolutely couldn't stop buying them!
She knew about these little fish.
She especially loved them in her past life, so she learned how to make them by following online videos.
They tasted pretty good!
She was going to teach Zhou Guohua's mother how to make them.
Zhou Guohua had just returned from town. Wen Wan had asked him to buy medicine and family planning supplies at the town hospital because she wanted to focus on her university entrance exams and didn't want to have children so soon. He also bought some food at the supply and marketing cooperative for Wen Wan to take back to school.
When Wen Wan saw him return, she said, "Why did you take so long? Come in with me, I have something to tell you!"
...
So, in the evening, the rich aroma of fried fish wafted from several houses. The aroma
from Zhou Guohua's house was particularly strong.
Jiang Xia smelled it when she went to the dock. She guessed that everyone was learning to make small dried fish, and she wasn't surprised because there were fewer people selling dried fish today.
She didn't care; no one stole her recipe, and she couldn't control them.
Just do your best!
The sunrise at sea was beautiful, and the evening in the fishing village was also beautiful.
Summer sunsets loved to blanket the entire sky, magnificent, splendid, and breathtaking, different every day.
Zhou Chenglei returned to port bathed in the glow of the sunset, and Jiang Xia went to meet him.
Zhou Chenglei jumped off the boat and immediately handed over his catch.
Jiang Xia smiled and took the bag: "How much?"
"One thousand six hundred and eighty-eight yuan and eighty cents."
Jiang Xia laughed, "What an auspicious number, may you prosper all the way!"
Zhou Chenglei smiled and carried the load of small fish off the boat.
Zhou's father laughed, "Xia Xia speaks so well!"
He also carried the remaining basket of miscellaneous fish off the boat, and the family happily went home.
The next day, Zhou Chenglei did not go out to sea; Zhou's father and Zhou Chengxin went out to sea instead.
Tomorrow is the day construction begins on the house and the ship is launched, and he has many things to prepare.
His father has already hired the workers to build the house; his great-grandfather will lead a few villagers from the neighborhood to help.
However, the boatmen for the ship haven't been hired yet. His father, older brother, and the family's small boat need to be sailed, so they can't go out to sea.
They need at least five boatmen, making six including himself, which should be enough.
Zhou Yongguo counts as one, and Zhou Chenglei plans to ask his former comrades-in-arms for the remaining four.
So he rode his bicycle out early in the morning and didn't return until dark, reeking of alcohol.
His parents took a shower and went to bed after dinner; they need to get up at 3:30 the next morning to prepare for the house construction and the new ship launch.
After showering and brushing his teeth, Zhou Chenglei still smelled a little alcohol, but it wasn't unpleasant. Jiang Xia had cooked him a bowl of hangover soup, already cooled in water, and handed it to him: "Did you drink a lot?"
"Not bad, not too much." Zhou Chenglei took it, drank it in one gulp, put down the bowl, and hugged Jiang Xia.
Their eyes met, they embraced, neither speaking, a flutter of emotion spreading through their hearts.
After what seemed like an eternity, Zhou Chenglei lowered his head and gently kissed his girl, a girl who filled his heart and stirred his soul.
His lover.
The night was crisp and clear, carrying a hint of alcohol, intoxicating and captivating.
***
The next day, Zhou's parents got up at 3:30 a.m. to kill chickens and prepare offerings.
Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia got up at 4:30 a.m., and the elders had already steamed two chickens and two pieces of pork. Jiang
Xia had prepared the other fruits and other items as instructed by Zhou's mother the night before, making two portions: one for the new house's groundbreaking ceremony and one for the return of the large ship.
After dinner, the whole family put on their new clothes.
Today, they divided the tasks: Zhou's mother stayed home to preside over the groundbreaking ceremony for the new house, as a sacrifice was to be made at the four corners of the land before breaking ground.
Zhou Chenglei, Jiang Xia, and Zhou's father went to attend the launching ceremony of the new ship.
After breakfast, Zhou Chenglei carried a load of offerings, while Jiang Xia, along with Zhou's father and Zhou Chengxin, took 9,000 yuan in cash and headed towards the dock.
Jiang Xia had brought an extra 1,000 yuan as a backup, and she also left 1,000 yuan for Zhou's mother.
Zhou Chenglei sailed directly to the city, skipping the usual hauling.
No one was fishing either; everyone was filled with anticipation and excitement, wanting to do nothing but quietly gaze at the sea and savor the joy.
At 7:30, the boat arrived at the shipyard, and Zhou Chenglei found a spot that wouldn't obstruct the launch of the new vessel.
The four disembarked and went to slipway number one, where their new boat would be launched.
Their boat was already in place.
Factory manager Zhou was leading the boatmen in conducting final checks.
Before launching, the boat needed to undergo another round of equipment checks, leak checks, and other tests to ensure everything was in good working order before being launched.
Zhou Chenglei and his father also boarded the boat, watching the checks and also doing their own.
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chengxin waited below.
Looking at the large ship, Zhou Chengxin exclaimed happily, "I never thought our family would own such a large ocean-going vessel! This is something I've always dreamed of!"
Even though it wasn't his, Zhou Chengxin was still happy! Happy for his younger brother!
Jiang Xia, taking photos with her camera, laughed upon hearing this, "It's not just one; there will be more and more in the future."
Zhou Chengxin smiled, "That's right!"
At 7:50, all checks were completed, and everything was in order.
Zhou Chenglei disembarked and led Jiang Xia aboard.
Zhou Chengxin followed suit.
Everyone was ready.
They waited for 8:00, the auspicious time, to reach the center and launch the new ship!
With ten minutes to spare, Jiang Xia, after taking photos of the staff at their posts, said, "Director Zhou, I'd like to take a group photo with all the craftsmen who built this ship and the big vessel as a memento."
Director Zhou agreed, calling everyone to stand in line for the photo.
He smiled and said, "I brought my camera to take photos of you all. If you have a camera, use yours."
Jiang Xia immediately said, "Director Zhou, have someone take photos of the moment the ship is launched, capturing as many details as possible. We can take them to the Guangzhou Trade Fair to show foreign buyers the strength and technology of our shipyard!"
Director Zhou's eyes lit up: "You're so quick-witted!"
He immediately ordered someone to do it. Jiang Xia even taught the person how to take the photos and which details to capture. Just as they returned to the ship, a shipwright shouted, "One minute until eight o'clock!"
Everyone immediately took their positions and fell silent.
"Ten, nine, eight... one!"
The eight o'clock bell rang!
A boatman struck a wrench with a hammer, loosening the steel cable; another cut the towing rope.
At that moment, the boat moved!
Supported by airbags, the large red-and-blue boat slowly began to move, gradually sliding off the platform.
Halfway down, the weight shifted forward, the stern tilted, and the speed increased dramatically, propelling it straight into the water!
With a loud "thump," the boat plunged into the sea, splashing countless droplets.
The boat continued to slide into the water.
At that moment, everyone's hearts were in their throats.
The worst fear was that the boat would capsize the moment it entered the water!
The worst fear was that the force of the impact would be too great, causing it to sink to the bottom.
Fortunately, none of that happened!
After the stern hit the water, the rest of the boat continued to slide, cutting through the waves.
When the entire boat was in the water, splashing two rows of water, the boat rocked violently a few times before stabilizing. It came to
a steady stop on the sea!
At that moment, all twenty-odd people on and off the boat applauded!
Firecrackers went off simultaneously!
Factory Director Zhou shouted, "New ship launched, smooth sailing!"
Everyone echoed, "New ship launched, smooth sailing!"
Zhou Chenglei steered the ship, and it sputtered forward. "
When the engine roars, gold pours in!"
"Full throttle, a bountiful catch!"
"A turn of the oar, 24 meters becomes 60 meters!" "
A round trip on the sea, a big ship becomes a giant!"
...
Auspicious words flowed from everyone's mouths.
Zhou's father grinned and shouted, "Good!"
His response was very loud!
Jiang Xia smiled and filmed all of this.
The vast ocean!
Here I come!
Once a ship is launched, it's a lifetime.
From then on, it drifts on the water, either conquering the vast ocean or sailing on rivers, lakes, and seas.
The size of the ship determines the weight it carries.
So it is with the ship, and so it is with the person.
The ship gradually sailed deeper into the sea. After traveling a distance, Zhou Chenglei handed the ship over to the shipyard's crew to check if any of the machinery was functioning properly.
Factory Director Zhou and the other boatmen were also inspecting the equipment, checking for leaks in the hull, listening to the engine, verifying the fish finder was working properly, checking the refrigeration equipment, and inspecting the net hauling machine…
Jiang Xia didn't understand any of this; he just followed behind, listening and taking pictures.
The boat wasn't originally equipped with the fish finder; it was a gift from Factory Director Zhou.
This thing was imported, very expensive, and featured the latest technology, including a positioning function.
The reason it was a gift was because the original fish finder had broken and had been returned to the manufacturer for a replacement. The manufacturer forgot to take it with them, and the replacement arrived with a new batch of goods, so they got it.
Factory Director Zhou took it apart, fixed it, and decided to install it on their boat as a way of thanking them for their great help to the shipyard.
Jiang Xia touched the fish finder, thinking that with this, they wouldn't have to worry about not catching fish at sea.
Jiang Xia touched it and turned away. The boatman, glancing at the fish finder, couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "A school of fish! A school of fish!"
Everyone looked over immediately.
Zhou's father was especially excited; he'd never seen such high-tech stuff before!
Now they could detect schools of fish anywhere?
Zhou Qi asked excitedly, "A school of fish? How do you tell?"
The boatman explained, "Yes, look at the echo here—that's the school of fish. Then, look at the location of the school from here. Once you've determined the location, steer the boat over..."
He spoke as he steered the fishing boat over. Factory
Director Zhou walked over, glanced at the device, and chuckled, "You guys are really lucky. You've just entered the water and you've already encountered a large school of fish. You can start casting your nets now. We can test the trawl and haul-in equipment early." Zhou
's father immediately beckoned to Jiang Xia, "Xia, you and Lei can cast the nets together."
Wangcai's little golden hand touched the net, and even a half-hour test net yielded a huge catch.
The boatman and Factory Director Zhou were all stunned.
Honestly, having Jiang Xia join the launching ceremony was already quite a surprise to the crew.
This wasn't abroad, where new boats are launched with a ceremony led by women throwing bottles. But things were different here, especially on fishing boats.
The fishermen here are quite religious, and Director Zhou had never seen a woman on board for a new
boat launch. Here, it's always men who participate; there's rarely a bottle-throwing ceremony, mostly just tying flowers and setting off firecrackers.
Everyone was already surprised that Jiang Xia was on board, but then Director Zhou had her cast the first net, which surprised everyone even more.
However, everyone was well-mannered, and on such a joyous day, no one said anything inappropriate. Everyone just watched with smiles, secretly thinking: This family really respects their daughter-in-law!
If Director Zhou knew what everyone was thinking, he would definitely say: What do you know?
For the first net of a new boat, of course, it's for the youngest daughter-in-law, Wangcai, to cast the net with her youngest son!
He had just seen Xia touch the fish finder, turn around, and soon the fish finder detected a school of fish.
He wished she could touch every inch of the boat with her tiny, delicate hands!
The fishing nets were ready, spread across the deck, leaving almost no room to step. Zhou Chenglei naturally pulled Jiang Xia's hand and led her to the stern.
Jiang Xia smiled, "Dad, Big Brother, you should come too. This boat is big enough; we can stand on either side."
Zhou's father was even happier; look how clever his youngest daughter-in-law was!
He laughed, "Okay! Ah Xin, let's go together!"
Husband and wife united, father and son united, brothers united—a united and loving family is a sign of prosperity!
Jiang Xia then handed the camera to Director Zhou, asking him to take pictures.
Then Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia stood on one side, and Zhou's father and Zhou Chengxin on the other, and the four of them lowered the fishing nets together.
The ropes and nets on the deck quickly slid into the water from the stern, being dragged a long, long way.
Tears welled up in Zhou's father's eyes.
Who could understand?
For these fishermen, this wasn't just about fishing nets; it was about hope, it was about life!
Director Zhou and the boatmen didn't have much time to accompany them fishing. They went aboard to check if the ship had any problems navigating the water, and once they confirmed the ship was fine, they had to return to the shipyard.
So, this net was hauled in in less than an hour.
This was only because they spotted two schools of fish; otherwise, they would have hauled it in much earlier.
As the net-hauling machine started, a large bag of fish gradually emerged.
Everyone couldn't help but exclaim, "Burst net! Huge burst net! New net in the water, a bountiful catch!"
"The new ship's first test net burst, a good omen!"
"With this kind of luck, big ships this year, even bigger ships next year, it's all set!"
"Wealth rolling in! Wealth rolling in!"
...
Auspicious words were spoken as if they were free.
Jiang Xia took pictures of the huge net of fish!
After the fish were pulled to the surface, Zhou Chenglei and Zhou Chengxin went over and worked around with it, using a crane to hoist the fish onto the ship, then untying the ropes. In an instant, fish kept pouring out of the net,
covering the deck!
In that instant, Jiang Xia was afraid the boat wouldn't be able to hold all the fish, and they'd fall back into the sea.
There was barely any room to stand! The deck
was overflowing with yellow croaker!
The boatmen on the boat exclaimed in unison,
"
We're rich! We're rich!"
"We're rich, we're rich, we're rich!"
"One net is worth ten thousand yuan!!"
"This haul will make us a ten-thousand-yuan household!"
...
Zhou's father was smiling so hard his face was tired!
Haha, we've made a fortune!
A big boat is a big boat!
He happily said, "The hold is full, time to call it a day and head home!"
"Heading home, heading home!"
...
The boat heading home was piloted by Zhou Chengxin, the fishing boat carrying a deck full of fish and laughter, heading home at full speed!
The boatmen at the shipyard were excitedly talking to Zhou's father.
"Your shipping is amazing! I've worked in the shipyard for so many years, and I've never seen a new ship launched, catching so many fish in the trial net!"
"Yes! It's my first time seeing this either. Your new ship has great shipping potential! Guaranteed to make you rich!"
"And this is just near-shore fishing. If you go out to sea, one net can hold over a hundred tons of fish! Next year, you can buy a bigger ship."
...
Zhou's father had heard countless stories of earning tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, from a single net of deep-sea fishing .
He never imagined he'd have the chance to achieve that himself, and his face was practically cramping from laughing!
He'd never laughed so hard his facial muscles felt tired.
Jiang Xia tugged at Zhou Chenglei's hand.
Zhou Chenglei lowered his head and listened intently.
Jiang Xia whispered, "I still have a thousand yuan left."
Zhou Chenglei immediately understood: "You want to order another fishing boat?"
Jiang Xia nodded: "Didn't Director Zhou say that the shipyard would raise prices across the board at the end of the year? Let's pay a deposit first to secure the current price. If we take delivery of the boat in a year or two, maybe we'll have saved enough money."
Deep-sea fishing is measured in tons; a lucky net can catch hundreds of tons!
Zhou Chenglei immediately said, "Then let's order two. One fishing boat and one cargo ship. One 60-meter fishing boat, and the kind that Jill ordered."
He didn't intend to spend his whole life fishing. Now that reform and opening up have begun, and in another ten years or so, with the return of Hong Kong and Macau, international shipping will undoubtedly have great potential.
Two large fishing boats are enough.
With two ocean-going fishing vessels and two fishing grounds, he can attack or defend as needed.
He had been in that position before, and the people he interacted with were all high-ranking officials. He learned about some decision-making processes from chatting with them, and he had his own judgment on the general trend and opportunities.
Jiang Xia: "..."
Five hundred yuan to order a 60-meter large fishing boat, and five hundred yuan to order a 20,000-ton bulk carrier like Jill's!
What's the difference between this and getting something for nothing? And it's two in one!
Will Director Zhou be so angry that he wants to throw them off the ship?
Zhou Chenglei noticed Jiang Xia's shock and said, "If we order now, the ship won't be delivered for two or three years. Who knows if we'll have made enough money by then? If we don't have enough money in two or three years, we can just transfer it like the original owner did. There's no shortage of wealthy people in this world willing to take it over. Don't worry, I think it's worth the gamble. If I wasn't worried about Director Zhou's disapproval, I would have ordered three more ships, but two should be Director Zhou's limit."
Jiang Xia: "..."
She finally understood why Zhou Chenglei became a shipping magnate and the richest man in the book.
So that's how he acquired his ships!
"Let's go then!"
Jiang Xia was thick-skinned, and Zhou Chenglei wasn't thin-skinned either, so the two of them went to talk to Director Zhou together.
Jiang Xia didn't initially mention ordering a boat. She first chatted casually with Factory Director Zhou, asking if the Kent Ring was finished, if the fishing boat Jill and John had ordered had started construction, and if anyone at the shipyard had ordered a 60-meter fishing boat. Only then did she ask, "Factory Director Zhou, when can we expect delivery for a 60-meter fishing boat we order now?"
Factory Director Zhou replied, "The earliest delivery will probably be two years. There are many people ordering fishing boats right now."
"What about ordering a cargo ship as big as Jill's?"
"An identical one would be faster because we can work on them together. The shipyard had already ordered enough materials, equipment, and spare parts for several boats, considering the upcoming Guangzhou Trade Fair. If it's a different ship, it will probably be three years later because we need to prioritize orders from the Guangzhou Trade Fair."
Prioritizing orders from the Guangzhou Trade Fair was crucial, as promising fast delivery was essential to securing larger orders and generating more foreign exchange for the country.
Then, Jiang Xia took out her 1,000 yuan and proposed ordering two boats.
When Factory Director Zhou saw Jiang Xia pull out 1,000 yuan and say he wanted to order a 60-meter fishing boat and a 20,000-ton cargo ship, he looked at Jiang Xia as if he were an idiot.
He felt Jiang Xia was treating him like a fool!
In the end, Zhou Chenglei convinced him with an improved anchor technique, promising half the deposit for the 60-meter fishing boat a year later and the other half for the cargo ship two years later.
Zhou Chenglei's confidence in ordering the boats wasn't unfounded; a typical ocean-going fishing boat could recoup its costs in a year, and sometimes even six months.
Therefore, Factory Director Zhou would definitely agree to let them order a fishing boat for 500 yuan. The difficult part was the large cargo ship, because that was in the millions and too expensive.
However, Zhou Chenglei knew that even if he ordered it, he wouldn't have that much money to buy it later, and there was no shortage of foreign buyers for those ships. Zhou Chenglei could tell that Jill had originally wanted to order two more, but he didn't quite trust their technology. If he was satisfied with the ships after they were built, buying one or two more would be a piece of cake.
Another major reason was that Zhou Chenglei had been a great help on the Kent Island expedition, so the improved anchor that Zhou Chenglei mentioned was very attractive to Factory Director Zhou!
The benefits of a technological improvement are immeasurable.
Thus, Factory Director Zhou, in a moment of impulsiveness, was tricked by the couple, who used both sides to make a quick buck.
The ship sailed for over an hour before returning to the shipyard. When Factory Director Zhou and the others disembarked, Jiang Xia gave each of the shipyard employees two large fish.
She specifically chose the biggest ones.
Before boarding the ship, she had brought a bundle of straw rope and a basket, and before disembarking, she had already strung the fish on the straw rope.
The shipyard employees who had gone out to sea with her simply handed them the two fish.
For the employees who remained at the shipyard, Jiang Xia asked Factory Director Zhou how many people were in the factory, and gave each of them a fish, strung on straw rope and placed in a basket, so that the shipyard employees could help unload it from the ship.
Everyone saw that she also chose the best and largest fish to put in the basket.
Who wouldn't secretly give her a thumbs up for her character and conduct? More generous than many men!
No wonder she was able to board the new ship the moment it was launched.
Zhou Chengxin admired Jiang Xia; she gave away more than a hundred catties of fish—something even he would have hesitated to do.
Yet she didn't even blink!
Her magnanimity was something even men would envy.
After seeing Director Zhou and the others back to the shipyard, Zhou Chengxin went to sail the small boat, while his father sailed the large one.
The two boats, one large and one small, returned to the village laden with yellow croaker!
At 7:30 in
the small fishing village , Tian Caihua came over to the old house to see if there was anything she could help with. Zhou Chengxin had gone out to sea early that morning, so Tian Caihua wasn't surprised that she didn't see Zhou's father and Zhou Chenglei. Today was just the start of construction, and having a woman at home was enough. Seeing that Jiang Xia's room door was still closed, Tian Caihua asked, "Mom, is Xia still sleeping? Isn't 8 o'clock an auspicious time? Should we wake her up?" Jiang Xia was truly lucky; sometimes when she came over at 8 o'clock, she was still asleep. Zhou's mother replied, "No, she and your father went out early this morning." Tian Caihua's lips twitched. She hadn't expected Jiang Xia to go out to sea on such an important day. On the first day of construction for their new house, she didn't even personally offer sacrifices to the gods—she was really carefree! They were living in that new house now, and she had actively sought it out, personally offering sacrifices to the gods. With divine favor, the house would be hers anyway, wouldn't it? At this moment, Great-Grandpa and Zhou Yongguo walked over. Great-grandfather chuckled, "The auspicious time is almost here! Come help us move things over." Zhou's mother smiled and asked them to move an eight-immortal table over. Then, she and Tian Caihua carried the prepared offerings out, and they met Zhou Bingqiang's family carrying the eight-immortal table and offerings. Upon seeing Zhou's mother, Zhou Bingqiang immediately exclaimed, "Sister-in-law, what a coincidence! You're also starting construction at this auspicious time? My wife went to choose a date to build the house a while ago, and the fortune teller said today is the best day of the second half of the year. I figured since building the new house sooner or later is the same, I might as well choose the best day! After all, a house is for a lifetime, so of course it should be built on the best day, don't you think?" Today was indeed the best day for the coming days, but he wanted to build early because he didn't want to be outdone! Otherwise, when they went to the "Ten Thousand Yuan Household Conference," someone would ask if he was outdone by Zhou Yongfu's two-and-a-half-story house. Zhou's mother's lips twitched; she knew perfectly well that he didn't want to be outdone by her family and was deliberately trying to annoy her husband. On this joyous day, she didn't want to argue with anyone or say anything unlucky. Zhou's mother forced a smile and said, "Yes!" Zhou Bingqiang's wife, Zhang Guiying, also smiled and said to Zhou's mother, "We'll be living together again from now on! Come visit us sometime." Zhou Bingqiang's old house was next to his great-grandmother's; they only moved to a place near Dashuyuan when they built a new house. Zhou's father had specifically chosen a location far from Zhou Bingqiang's when building his own house, but unexpectedly, the other party came back to build here—clearly, they were deliberately trying to annoy their family. Zhou's mother was furious, cursing inwardly, but outwardly she still forced a smile and said, "Yes!" It was truly disgusting! That's right, the plot of land next to theirs belonged to Zhou Bingqiang's family. If it weren't for the fact that the plot belonged to Zhou Bingqiang, A-Lei would have wanted to buy the remaining plot so he could build a bigger yard for drying fish. Zhou's mother was furious! But it was someone else's land, and she couldn't do anything about it. It's all that old man's fault, always showing off. Look, he told everyone about his auspicious day, and this scoundrel deliberately chose the same day to come and annoy everyone! Great-Grandma, afraid Zhou's mother would start arguing—arguing is taboo on the day of groundbreaking—smiled and said to Zhou's mother, "Hurry up and set out the offerings, it's almost eight o'clock, don't miss the auspicious time." Zhou's mother also knew that arguments shouldn't happen during groundbreaking, and even though she was angry, she still smiled and placed the offerings on the octagonal table. Zhang Guiying smiled and called to Wen Wan, "Xiao Wan, you set out the offerings, you worship the gods." "Okay," Wen Wan smiled and went to help. Once this house is built, it will be hers, and it will be very valuable. Wen Wan was supposed to go back to school today, but she heard from Zhou Guohua that his father planned to build a new house for them, on the same day as Zhou Chenglei's, and right next to Zhou Chenglei's new house. So she decided to take the day off to watch the new house construction begin. She also suggested that Zhou Bingqiang hire a lion dance troupe to perform, making a big scene and outshining the Zhou family, thus putting Zhou Chenglei's family in a superior position.
After the worship ceremony and the groundbreaking ceremony, the lion dance troupe arrived.
Since it was already eight o'clock, neither family spoke; they quickly arranged the offerings and began the worship.
Wen Wan was secretly competing with Zhou's mother, wanting to finish the ceremony first.
Zhou's mother wasn't in a hurry; worshipping the gods was about sincerity. She earnestly bowed in the center first, then in each of the eight directions around the house, burning some paper money and saying many auspicious words.
After an hour, Great-Grandpa took a shovel and dug a handful of soil, excitedly shouting, "Good luck on the start! Let's begin!" Great
-Grandpa and the hired workers began pulling ropes, measuring the house's location, preparing for digging the foundation.
Zhou's mother, Tian Caihua, and Great-Grandma, the two women, carried the offerings home.
The four of them came out again to watch the workers dig the foundation, and then heard the "dong dong dong" of drums.
Then, Zhou's mother saw a lion dance troupe, pushing a large drum on a cart, beating it, and carrying a lion's head as they walked towards them.
Many children and villagers followed behind to watch the excitement.
Zhou's mother thought to herself, "Could it be that the old man hired a lion dance troupe to celebrate today?"
Then Zhou Bingqiang approached her with a smile, "Sister-in-law, my family hired a lion dance troupe to perform and bring prosperity to the new house. Since your family is also building a house, you can also share in the joy! By the way, where are Yongfu and Chenglei? They won't be out at sea today, will they? Let them come out and watch the lion dance too! Touch the lion's head for health and longevity! Share in the joy!"
Sharing the joy was a pretense; recently, Zhou Yongfu's family's luck had been incredibly strong, almost surpassing his family to become the richest in the village.
Therefore, he hired a lion dance performance to enhance the luck of his new house and ensure its prosperity.
With both families starting construction at the same time, his family had a lion dance to bring good fortune, while Zhou Yongfu's family didn't. His house's luck was stronger from the start, thus suppressing the other's.
Wen Wan glanced in the direction of the Zhou family's old house, a little regretful not seeing Jiang Xia. She wanted to see Jiang Xia's expression.
Mrs. Zhou was trembling with rage!
What did Zhou Bingqiang mean by this?
She was superstitious and believed that lion dances had the power to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune to the family on festive occasions.
But breaking ground for a new house was a major event! Zhou Bingqiang had hired a lion dance troupe right next door to their new home—wasn't this just driving away bad luck and misfortune, taking away all their good fortune?
This had truly touched a nerve with Mrs. Zhou, and she was furious!
Just as she was about to scold him, her great-grandmother quickly pulled her back, smiling broadly, and said, "On such a joyous day, since Bingqiang wants you to share in the happiness, then you should! This is Bingqiang's kind intention, how can you refuse? Bingqiang, right?"
Zhou Bingqiang laughed, "That's right! Sister-in-law, I specially invited a lion dance troupe to come, so your family can also share in the joy!"
Upon hearing this, her great-grandmother stepped forward and said to the lion dance troupe, "Masters, did you hear that? Bingqiang said he wants my nephew's wife to share in the joy too! Today, my nephew's wife's land is also starting construction..." "Ji, after you finish performing the lion dance on Bingqiang's plot, please perform it on this plot as well. Bingqiang will pay for it!"
Zhou's mother's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, yes... thank you so much, Bingqiang! Otherwise, I wouldn't have thought to hire a lion dancer! Thank you for your kindness! Master, after you finish performing for Bingqiang's family, please perform it on my family's land! Bingqiang just said he invited my family to share in the joy! Everyone in the village heard it; he's the richest man in our village, he won't renege on his promise!"
The entire Zhou family's faces darkened! Zhou Bingqiang
, being proud and unwilling to admit defeat, could only force a smile and say, "Yes! Perform for them too!"
Wen Wan looked at Zhou Bingqiang in disbelief.
Seeing their frustrated expressions, Zhou's mother finally felt relieved.
Hmph!
Trying to outdo them!
Let's see who outdos whom!
We'll make sure they suffer!
After their performance, we'll perform, driving away all the bad luck and bringing back good fortune!
Zhou's mother wasn't one to be easily bullied. After the lion dance troupe finished their performance on the house site, she continued to beckon them to their old house.
"Master, over here! This is the house we live in now. Dance for me too! I suspect we've recently attracted some bad luck, otherwise why would we have some unlucky things coming our way?"
Zhou's father said the large boat should return around noon. Seeing the sun already high in the sky and noon approaching, she decided the lion dance troupe should stay, so Zhou Bingqiang could continue to contribute money to ward off evil and bring good fortune to their new boat!
Zhou Bingqiang: "..."
That's too much!
Is she implying he's a villain, and treating him like a lamb to be slaughtered?
After Zhou's mother finished speaking, she looked at Zhou Bingqiang again.
“Bingqiang! You and Yongfu have been brothers for years, you don’t mind if we share in your good fortune, right? Hiring a lion dance only costs ten or twenty yuan, you’re the richest man in the village, you can afford it, right?”
Tian Caihua loved taking advantage of others, and immediately chimed in, “Uncle Qiang, let’s have a lion dance for my house too! I feel like my house’s luck has been a bit bad lately!”
Zhang Guiying was furious. These two, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, were shameless! Weren’t they treating them like suckers? She said directly, “No!”
Wen Wan was also frustrated. Zhou Bingqiang was stupid, stubbornly clinging to his pride and suffering for it. She should have just refused!
She originally wanted to suppress the luck of Zhou Chenglei’s new house. In her previous life, after Zhou Chenglei built his new house, his life skyrocketed. He bought boat after boat, and many feng shui masters said his house had good feng shui.
But now, she didn’t know who was suppressing whom!
Wen Wan couldn't help but say, "We've already enjoyed the festive atmosphere. Today is an auspicious day, and the lion dance troupe has to go to the next house. They're busy. Master, don't you have another house to go to? Hurry up and go!"
Zhou Bingqiang also hurriedly said, "Yes, Master, we're busy!"
The lion dance troupe master also said at this time, "Yes, we have another show this afternoon. Today is an auspicious day, and we also have to help someone celebrate a new boat. We have to go!"
If their next show hadn't been at the dock near this village, they wouldn't have stayed to dance for so long.
Zhou's mother was about to say something when Zhou Chengxin hurriedly ran back: "Mom, is everything ready? The boat is about to dock!"
He rushed back to inform his mother first.
Upon hearing this, Zhou's mother didn't care about the lion dance anymore. She immediately walked into the house while smiling and said, "The big boat is back? I've got everything ready! Hurry up and push it over."
Tian Caihua was surprised to see Zhou Chengxin return and said, "Why are you back so early today?"
"Yeah." Zhou Chengxin answered haphazardly and followed Zhou's mother inside to get the things.
Soon he pushed the cart out.
The cart was loaded with two large baskets of firecrackers and some offerings.
A villager, seeing so many firecrackers, couldn't help but ask, "So many firecrackers, what good news is this? Did they buy a big ship?"
Zhou's mother had just mentioned that a big ship had returned.
Zhou's mother chuckled, "It's not a big ship, just a 24-meter boat, barely enough to go out to sea. Those 50 or 60-meter ones are the real big ships. Oh dear, I can't talk to you anymore, my new ship is about to dock, I have to take all this stuff over!"
With that, Zhou's mother told her great-grandmother to watch the house, then quickly pulled Zhou Zhou to catch up with Zhou Chengxin.
Their big ship is back!
Upon hearing this, Tian Caihua's expression changed, and she quickly followed.
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei bought a new ship?
A 24-meter ship that can go out to sea?
How come she didn't know anything about it beforehand?
Did this family still consider her family?
Zhou Bingqiang's face changed drastically!
A 24-meter ocean-going ship?
How could Zhou Yongfu possibly have the money to buy such a big ship?
Such a big ship would cost over 20,000 yuan!
He couldn't help but run after them to see for himself.
Wen Wan also ran towards the dock .
Zhou Chenglei bought a large ocean-going fishing boat so quickly?
How could that be?
This is even faster than in her previous life!
In her previous life, he only bought his large fishing boat at the end of the year.
Zhou Guohua saw this and ran over to see as well.
All the villagers couldn't help but run to see.
A 24-meter-long boat, a boat that can go to the open sea!
The first of its kind in their village!
They had only ever seen such a large boat at the city dock or at sea.
***
At noon, the dock was at its quietest.
Only a few boats that had gone out to sea in the middle of the night and were returning in the morning were docked along the entire coast.
Therefore, the Zhou family's 24-meter-long boat stood out conspicuously.
The brand-new fishing boat gleamed red!
Zhou's mother squinted in disbelief!
Zhou Bingqiang stared wide-eyed.
It really was a 24-meter-long boat!
This one was worth three of theirs!
Most importantly, owning a deep-sea fishing boat made one a big shot in the fishing world!
Wen Wan looked at the boat, clenching her fists, filled with resentment!
How could Zhou Chenglei have such a large boat so quickly?
Even if her family didn't have a boat, they knew that deep-sea fishing earned far more money than small boats in coastal waters.
That involved fishing in the deep sea, where there were countless fish!
Zhou Guohua's three fishing boats might not even earn as much as one of theirs!
What would Zhou Guohua use to compete with Zhou Chenglei in the future?
Wen Wan's resentment made her tremble slightly: she felt she couldn't catch up with Jiang Xia even by speedboat!
Zhou's father and Zhou Chenglei carried baskets of yellow croaker off the boat.
Jiang Xia and Zhou's mother placed offerings on the boat and worshipped the gods.
After all the fish were unloaded from the boat, they finished their prayers, and Zhou Chengxin set off firecrackers at the dock.
Two lion dance troupes performed joyfully on the boat.
The firecrackers crackled and popped!
The drums beat deafeningly!
A festive atmosphere filled the air!
More and more villagers came to watch the excitement.
Some villagers came forward to offer their congratulations. They were astonished to see the baskets of fish that Zhou's father had brought down, filling the entire dock. "You caught yellow croaker on your new boat's first test voyage! What a lucky omen! Congratulations!"
"So many yellow croakers! You went out to sea on your new boat's first test voyage?"
Zhou's father's eyes narrowed into slits as he began his performance: "No, we didn't have time to go out to sea. We just hauled in a net nearby, and we had it all in less than an hour!"
"You caught so many fish in less than an hour?"
Zhou's father's mouth watered. "No wonder! This boat has a fish finder. That thing is really amazing. It can spot fish anywhere in the sea with just one look!"
"You even have a fish finder? That thing is really expensive! How much did you pay for it? Come on, take us up to see your big boat. We've never been on a big boat before!"
Zhou's father happily led the group up, not forgetting to call out to Zhou Bingqiang!
Zhou Bingqiang pretended not to see him, turned around with a dark face, and left!
Mr. Zhou happily introduced the fish finder to everyone: "Xia and Lei helped the shipyard a lot, and the factory manager gave it to us! If we were to buy it, it would cost over a thousand!"
Everyone asked what kind of help they had given, and Mr. Zhou took the opportunity to boast about it.
"Such a big ship, it must have cost a lot of money, right? Can we get it for 20,000?"
Zhou's father chuckled, "Haha, about right. Xia and Lei helped the shipyard a lot; both factory managers gave us discounts, so it was much cheaper!"
...
Over here, Zhou's father led the villagers aboard the ship for a tour, boasting about it enthusiastically, his vanity thoroughly satisfied. The women on the dock were also gossiping:
"It really is a big ship! Zhou Yongfu's family is so rich!"
"It's not that he's rich, it's that he's good at having children. He had a good son. Zhou Chenglei is capable; it must have been Zhou Chenglei who bought it!"
"He really had a good son. Lei is so capable; he bought a big ship and built a new house at such a young age! He's not just a 10,000-yuan household anymore; he must have at least 100,000!"
"That shouldn't be the case. This big ship probably cost over 20,000. If we had ordered it a few years earlier, it would have only cost around 10,000 to 20,000. Now, you can't get it for less than 20,000 or 30,000."
"So, Zhou Yongfu's family has been a 10,000-yuan household for a long time? They've kept it a secret for a long time!"
"Don't you see? Lei joined the army before graduating from junior high, and he sends money home every month. He wasn't even old enough to join; if it weren't for the fact that his age on his household registration was a year older, he would have been so amazing that they wouldn't have accepted him! He quickly earned merit and became a platoon leader, and later he repeatedly made great contributions, rising through the ranks... It's not surprising that he's already a millionaire!"
Zhou Chenglei used to be a regimental commander, so people outside the military didn't really notice his prowess, but this big ship was a different story!
It truly shocked the villagers!
Tian Caihua, who was initially feeling sour and aggrieved, widened her eyes after hearing everyone's words, and then, realizing something, she wasn't sour anymore!
So this big ship was ordered before the family split up?
She quickly ran over to help, beaming.
Tian Caihua ran to the foot of the large ship, touching this and that.
This ship is really big!
So imposing!
Tian Caihua touched everything under the ship, then climbed aboard and touched this and that, a smile spreading across her face.
Haha… her family also has a large ocean-going ship now.
They're big shots in the fishing world
now. Most of the families with large ships these days bought them jointly by several brothers. Now that her family has split up, she wonders how the ship will be accounted for, whether the second son should get a share?
Tian Caihua has no doubt that the ship wasn't ordered before the family split.
If it was ordered after the split, how could such a large ship be delivered so quickly? It would take at least a year and a half!
She knows this basic common sense.
Tian Caihua asked Zhou's mother, "Mom, we bought a big boat. Shall we have dinner together tonight to celebrate?"
Zhou's mother was also surrounded by people. Hearing Tian Caihua's question, she smiled and replied, "Yes, we'll have dinner together tonight. Let's invite A-Guang and the other brothers over to the old house for dinner."
They hadn't eaten lunch yet, but it wouldn't matter if they missed one meal. There were plenty of snacks at home. She had steamed some rice cakes and corn in the pot, and also boiled some eggs. Anyone who was hungry could just take something from the pot.
Tian Caihua smiled and said, "Then I'll go to the vegetable garden to pick some vegetables!"
Zhou's mother couldn't leave right away, but smiled and said, "Okay, I'll be back in a bit. The meat and vegetables are all prepared."
"Okay," Tian Caihua replied with a smile. She glanced around and saw Jiang Xia taking pictures of Zhou Zhou, Zhou Jie, and Guang Zongyaozu with his camera.
Tian Caihua didn't mind that Jiang Xia was only playing and not doing any work. She quickly ran to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables.
Running to the roadside, she saw an ice pop vendor and bought one for two mao (0.2 yuan) for each of the children, including Jiang Xia!
The kids were overjoyed!
Guangzong Yaozu exchanged glances, both seeing the words "What the hell is wrong with him?" in each other's eyes.
Jiang Xia was also surprised and instinctively refused, but Tian Caihua smiled and stuffed it into her hand: "Eat it! Don't be so polite!"
Then she happily ran off!
On the way, she encountered a butcher selling pork in the village, and only ribs were left. She generously spent ten yuan to buy the remaining ribs.
Perhaps because the village was bustling today, someone came in to sell watermelons, and she bought a large watermelon.
In the future, her family would own a large ocean-going ship, so she was willing to spend this much money.
Tian Caihua, carrying the large watermelon and a rib, hummed an off-key song as she headed towards the vegetable garden.
Jiang Xia, holding her ice pop, walked towards Zhou Chengxin.
Zhou Chenglei and Zhou Chengxin carried the fish to the purchasing station to sell. Three thousand five hundred jin of yellow croaker sold for one yuan and thirty cents per jin, totaling four thousand five hundred and fifty yuan.
If they hadn't given away over two hundred jin
of fish and kept a basketful at home, they could have made even more. Jin, the purchasing station attendant, chuckled as he filled stacks of yuan notes into black bags, "Wow! You bought a big boat without a word! The whole village won't catch as many fish as you now. You've practically emptied my drawer."
Zhou Chenglei just smiled and explained simply, "We got a great deal—someone else returned the fish; otherwise, I couldn't afford it."
Zhou Chenglei and Zhou Chengxin exchanged a few more pleasantries with the man and left the purchasing station with their stacks of yuan notes.
Jiang Xia approached and handed Zhou Chengxin an ice pop: "Brother, have an ice pop to cool off."
Zhou Chenglei: "..."
He couldn't help but glance at Jiang Xia!
Seeing the resentment in his fourth brother's eyes, Zhou Chengxin smiled and took the bag, taking a bite: "Thank you, Xia, it's so sweet!"
Zhou Chenglei: "!"
Jiang Xia chuckled: "It was bought by my sister-in-law for my brother."
Zhou Chenglei's expression returned to normal, and he took her hand: "Go home?"
It was a little past two in the afternoon, the sun was at its hottest, and she was so hot that her clothes were soaked through on the chest and back, thankfully her clothes were dark and opaque.
"Okay. Let's go back and see how the foundation is going." Jiang Xia was indeed unbearably hot. She glanced over and saw that Zhou's father was still on the boat, showing the villagers around the new ship, explaining the ship's features with spittle flying everywhere.
Zhou's mother was also surrounded by admirers.
They were excited right now and probably wouldn't be home for a while.
Zhou Chenglei adjusted her straw hat, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and replied, "Mm."
Jiang Xia then went to instruct the Guangzong and Yaozu brothers to take good care of Zhou Zhou and Zhou Jie and not to let them play in the sea. Then, the couple and Zhou Chengxin pushed a basket of fish, two boxes of fruit and offerings given by Factory Director Zhou, home.
When the three returned home, they saw Great-Grandma sitting outside the courtyard gate distributing dried fish.
Across the way, Great-Grandpa was leading workers in a vigorous work on the original flat site, where a foundation had been dug, revealing the layout of the house.
There was a lot of excavated yellow soil piled up on the ground.
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei both saw that the foundation for the house on the adjacent plot was also being dug, but neither of them said anything.
Both of them were extremely rational and mentally strong people, and would not be influenced by outsiders.
Zhou Chengxin, however, couldn't help but say, "Uncle Qiang's family is starting construction on their house today too? Won't Dad be furious when he gets back?"
Jiang Xia laughed, "Why wouldn't the other side be furious? I think Dad will be very happy in the future."
After all, he wouldn't have to go too far to see Zhou Bingqiang anymore.
Zhou Chengxin was stunned for a moment, then understood and laughed, "Xia is right!"
In the past, Zhou Bingqiang always showed off his high earnings in front of his father, and his father would avoid Uncle Qiang whenever he saw him.
Now that his fourth brother has a large ocean-going ship, the money he earns from one voyage might be equivalent to what Zhou Bingqiang earns from ten days at sea. His father will definitely go to Zhou Bingqiang to show off every day!
Great-Grandma smiled when she saw them return, "You're back? Is the boat big?"
Jiang Xia smiled and said, "It's bigger than the previous one, Great-Grandma. You can go and see it after the sun goes down."
Great-Grandma put down the dried fish in the winnowing basket, stood up, and said with a smile, "Of course, I'll go and see it in a bit. I cooked some mung bean porridge and cooled it with well water; you can drink some to cool off."
As she spoke, she went into the house and filled three bowls of mung bean porridge for the three of them, and also brought them a plate of golden-brown fried sweet potato cakes.
In the summer, it's hot at noon, and sometimes people don't have much of an appetite, so they cook some mung bean porridge to eat, which is both cooling and refreshing.
Jiang Xia first went into the yard to wash her hands and face, then took a bowl of mung bean soup and went straight out, sitting on the stone outside the courtyard gate. She held a bowl of mung bean soup in one hand and a sweet potato cake in the other, eating a mouthful of mung bean soup and a bite of sweet potato cake.
She looked at the house next to her and asked, "Great-Grandma, did my mother get angry today?"
Great-Grandma smiled and told Jiang Xia about the lion dance.
Jiang Xia couldn't help but laugh.
She ate a bowl of mung bean soup, a sweet potato pancake, and then a corn cob and two eggs that Zhou Chenglei had peeled for her, and was full.
Just as she finished eating, Tian Caihua came over carrying a large watermelon, a rack of ribs, and a big basket of vegetables, stunning Jiang Xia.
Tian Caihua happily said, "Xia, Mom said we should have dinner together tonight to celebrate, so I picked some vegetables to cook."
Zhou Chengxin, having finished eating, went to help dig the foundation. He was surprised to see what his wife was carrying, but then thought she had finally gotten it right.
Jiang Xia thought Tian Caihua must have misunderstood. She smiled and agreed, then invited her great-grandmother's family to come over for dinner and went back to cook.
Her great-grandmother came over to help with the fire.
Today, she had killed two chickens for a sacrificial ceremony and bought ten pounds of roast pork. Last night before bed, she had soaked some abalone, and today she had brought home a basket of yellow croaker from the sea, intending to share it with the construction workers and her own family.
Jiang Xia thought about the menu and felt there wasn't enough meat, so she asked Zhou Chenglei to buy more seafood after the fishing boat docked.
Zhou Chenglei, who was digging the foundation with a shovel, agreed.
Not long after, Zhou's mother returned home carrying a large bucket of seafood.
Dinner was particularly lavish. Jiang Xia cooked, with the others helping out. They made braised abalone and chicken, pan-fried oysters, boiled prawns, stir-fried pork with chili peppers, stir-fried shrimp and small fish with chives, pickled fish, garlic-flavored split shrimp, steamed scallops with vermicelli, braised pork ribs, steamed loofah with garlic, stir-fried water spinach, cucumber salad, and a winter melon, seaweed, and egg drop soup.
After the three families happily finished their meal, Zhou Chenglei asked Zhou Yongguo to go out to sea with the large ship the next day.
Tomorrow, Zhou Chenglei planned to first place two large net cages on the seabed to try raising fish, and then go out to sea in a couple of days after all his comrades arrived.
Zhou Yongguo smiled and agreed.
Taking the opportunity, Tian Caihua asked with a smile, "So how will the big boat and the small boat be used in rotation from now on? Will Fourth Brother and Chengxin take turns going out to sea, or will the three of us take turns?"
The whole family looked at her.
Zhou Chengxin looked at her and said, "The big boat was bought by A-Lei himself, why should we share it?"
Tian Caihua looked at Zhou Chengxin incredulously, "How could A-Lei have bought the big boat himself? Do you think I don't know how long it takes to order a big boat? We've only been separated for about three months. Even ordering a small boat doesn't take that long, let alone such a big one."
You're kidding me!