Chapter 21 - 30

Today, Zhou Chenglei was to use the boat first. The three of them had agreed at dinner yesterday that Zhou Chenglei would go first, followed by Zhou Chengxin tomorrow, and finally their father.

Zhou Chengxin probably felt bad that he lived in the new house while Zhou Chenglei and his parents lived in the old one, so he let Zhou Chenglei go first.

Zhou Chenglei carefully removed the forearm and long legs that were draped over him.Full novel: After transmigrating into the book, she became wealthy in the 1980s. — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠

But as soon as he removed Jiang Xia's forearm and long legs, her arms were back on him, even tighter.

Zhou Chenglei tried several times, but he couldn't remove them; every time he tried, she would grab him again.

He was sweating!

Zhou Chenglei could only whisper, "Jiang Xia, let go of me first, I need to get up and go to sea."

"Jiang Xia, Jiang Xia,"

Zhou Chenglei called three times before Jiang Xia woke up, groggily replying, "Oh, do I have to get up to sell vegetables?"

Jiang Xia sat up without even opening her eyes.

Zhou Chenglei: "..."

What's with getting up to sell vegetables?

Was she dreaming about selling vegetables?

"I'm going out to sea, you can keep sleeping."

A deep, mellow male voice came from beside her, making Jiang Xia jolt awake instantly.

She had just dreamt of sleeping with her grandmother.

Zhou Chenglei pulled back the mosquito net, got out of bed, and didn't turn on the light: "You can keep sleeping."

Jiang Xia was completely awake. Remembering that he had just said he was going out to sea, she quickly got out of bed and fumbled for the light switch: "I'm going out to sea with you. I've never been out to sea before, and I want to see it, is that okay?"

People live off the land, and those living by the sea make a living by fishing. Jiang Xia wanted to see how to fish; maybe she would have the chance to own a fishing boat and go out to sea to fish someday.

Zhou Chenglei wanted to refuse; the sun was strong at sea, and she definitely couldn't stand it. But when he looked into her eyes, he couldn't say anything.

Under the light, those beautiful big eyes shone like the surface of the sea in the dark night, deep and captivating, filled with anticipation.

He nodded, "Okay."

Anyway, it was his turn to go out to sea today, and all the money he earned would be his own; it wouldn't affect his older brother.

If she couldn't handle it, she could just come back early; it would only cost her a little money on fuel.

Jiang Xia smiled, her eyes shining, "Then I'll go prepare!"

If her eyes were like the sea surface shattered by moonlight in the darkness just moments before, then now they were like the sea surface shattered by sunlight at dusk, dazzling and radiant like a galaxy.

Zhou Chenglei responded softly, looked away, grabbed his clothes, and left the room.

Because Zhou Chenglei was taking Jiang Xia out to sea, Zhou's mother quietly told Zhou's father to be sensible and not interfere with their son and daughter-in-law's relationship development, and to stay out of the way if nothing was wrong.

The two had finally shared a room last night, and she was looking forward to having a grandchild soon!

Zhou's father was speechless. Did she think their boat was so big?

Stay out of the way?

He might as well jump into the sea!

The three of them walked towards the dock together.

It was August, and the seaside before dawn was bright with a clear moon and few stars, dotted with fishing lights.

A sea breeze carrying a faint ocean scent swept over them.

The villagers who went out to sea to fish usually set sail around this time, but today they were a little late; several boats had already sailed out.

Zhou's father, wearing a flashlight on his head, walked quickly to light the way.

Jiang Xia, not wanting to hold him back, jogged to keep up.

"No rush, my dad's going to buy some diesel first,"

Jiang Xia said, slowing her pace.

Zhou Chenglei held the flashlight to light her way, keeping pace with her.

After walking for about ten minutes, they reached the dock.

Fishing boats were moored there, their lights casting shimmering shadows, with figures moving about.

All were fishermen and their boats preparing to go out to sea.

Zhou's father had already bought the diesel and taken it aboard.

When everyone noticed that the person next to Zhou Chenglei wasn't Zhou Chengxin, but a woman, they couldn't help but glance at her strangely.

An elderly man, about the same age as Zhou's father, glanced at Jiang Xia and asked Zhou Chenglei, "Chenglei, is this your wife? You brought her out to sea?"

Zhou Chenglei boarded the boat first, reaching out to help Jiang Xia onto it. Afraid she might lose her balance, he only replied with a simple, "Yes."

Jiang Xia glanced at his large hand before extending hers.

Zhou Chenglei helped her onto the boat and then let go.

The man then looked at Zhou's father, "Zhou Yongfu, are you trying to get yourself into big trouble by bringing a woman out to sea?"

As Zhou's father was untying the ropes, he heard this and said irritably, "Bullshit! I'm not as superstitious as you, I have no taboos!"

"Pah, don't be so skeptical, women are bound to have problems, you dare to take her out to sea? Just wait for your bad luck!"

Other villagers couldn't help but chime in, "Chenglei, going to sea isn't a joke, listen to your uncle's advice, don't take your wife out to sea! Women on boats will bring bad luck, are you trying to kill yourself?"

Jiang Xia had never heard of such things, although she didn't believe them.

But she didn't know if Zhou Chenglei would mind.

She asked, "Is there a saying in the village that women can't go to sea?"

Zhou Chenglei didn't like hearing these things and said indifferently, "My family can, don't worry about others."

It's reform and opening up now, women can hold up half the sky, there are women on warships, how could they have bad luck?

He never thought women couldn't do anything, some female soldiers are very brave.

Zhou's father steered the boat out to sea.

He didn't believe in these things either, he had secretly taken his wife out to sea before, and she had lived a peaceful life.

He only believed that when husband and wife are of one mind, their strength can break metal!

Everyone shook their heads when they saw they wouldn't listen. "Those who don't heed the advice of their elders will suffer the consequences."

"They're really not afraid of death!"

"Just wait and see! Even if they don't capsize, they won't catch any fish."

"Why are you all so kind as to remind him? Let them be..."

*

The engine made a "clattering" sound, and the boat slowly headed towards the boundless, dark sea, above which twinkled stars.

The sea at night wasn't much to see, only the lights of a few fishing boats.

She looked up at the summer night sky, the stars twinkling.

"Aren't you cold?" Zhou Chenglei handed her a military green jacket.

"A little."

The sea breeze was a bit cool, and Jiang Xia took it and put it on.

The jacket had a faint scent of soap, his own scent.

Zhou Chenglei gave the jacket to Jiang Xia and went to start the boat, letting his father rest.

As time passed, the stars gradually closed their eyes, and the sky was beginning to brighten. A line of white light appeared on the eastern horizon, gradually spreading out.

Jiang Xia prepared to watch the sunrise at sea when suddenly she saw a flash of golden light disappear on the distant sea.

She asked curiously, "Zhou Chenglei, I saw a flash of golden light on the sea over there. Was it some kind of bioluminescent fish?"

Zhou Chenglei was steering the boat, the engine clattering, and he couldn't hear it because of his hearing. He looked in the direction Jiang Xia was pointing, but unfortunately, he didn't see anything.

"Some fish do glow," he said casually.

Seeing that they had sailed about a distance, Zhou's father went to steer the boat and said to Zhou Chenglei, "You go and cast the net, I'll steer."

Zhou Chenglei went to prepare to cast the net.

Jiang Xia faintly heard a "clucking" sound.

She asked, "Did you hear a clucking sound? Was it the call of a seabird?"

"A clucking sound?" Zhou Chenglei paused, stopped casting the net, and looked out to sea. "Which direction?"

Zhou's father also looked at Jiang Xia. "Where was that clucking sound?"

This wasn't the sound of an ordinary fish.

The sound stopped, but Jiang Xia still pointed in a direction: "It seems to be coming from over there."

Zhou's father immediately steered the boat in the direction Jiang Xia pointed, hoping for a response.

The clucking sound... could it be...?

Just then, the clucking sound rang out again.

Jiang Xia: "Listen, it's happening again!"

As soon as Jiang Xia finished speaking, the clucking sound resumed, and it was "clucking..." "clucking..." one after another, like old frogs in a summer field, or birds chirping in the trees.

Then, in unison, they all chirped, one after another!

"Clucking..."

The sound was so loud, like water boiling in a kettle, or like the sound of wind blowing through pine trees.

It's a school of large yellow croakers!

The powerful "clucking" sound was definitely from a school of large yellow croakers.

Zhou's father steered the boat at full speed towards the source of the sound, his body trembling slightly with excitement: "Ah Lei, get the hand net ready!"

When large yellow croakers are in a dense school, the sound they make is like boiling water, so loud it can deafen predators, a rare occurrence among fish.

Zhou's father steered the boat over and indeed saw the school of large yellow croakers. Even

in the dim light, they could be seen shimmering with golden light.

Large yellow croakers dislike light and will sink to the bottom of the sea at dawn.

"Quick, cast the net! Hand net!" Zhou's father said excitedly.

Zhou Chenglei had already picked up the hand net and cast it.

Zhou's father quickly picked up the hand net on the deck and cast it as well.

Jiang Xia had never cast a net before, but she knew how to use a net to catch fish!

She had already picked up a hand net, ready to catch fish at any time.

Zhou Chenglei cast the net in one go, and a large net full of fish was scooped up.

"Pour them into the live hold," Zhou's father reminded.

Zhou Chenglei had already opened the hatch beforehand; he knew without his father's prompting.

Jiang Xia scooped up three large, golden croakers, one after another, into the hatch.

This net must have at least a hundred, if not more.

She also emptied her three scoops in, then quickly turned to continue scooping.

Being a spendthrift is worse than being a spendthrift! (Meaning: Always falling behind, never seizing opportunities and benefits, only knowing how to suffer losses, is worse than being a spendthrift.)

A chance to make money had come, and she still didn't seize it; then she'd wasted her time traveling and might as well jump into the sea and become fish food.

At this moment, Zhou's father also pulled up a net, and countless golden croakers slid into the hatch with a splash.

Zhou Chenglei and his father cast net after net, while Jiang Xia scooped net after net, picking only the big ones, quick and accurate!

After three or four nets, the fish scattered and swam away.

The fish scattered, so be it; Zhou Chenglei and his father didn't set sail to chase after them.

Zhou's father never hunted to the last fish, though it was difficult to catch them all in one net; some always escaped. He wasn't greedy.

Zhou Chenglei was the same.

Both fish holds were almost full!

Looking at the two full holds, Zhou's father laughed, "Xia, your seafaring is good! You encountered a school of large yellow croakers right away!"

These large yellow croakers could easily sell for several hundred yuan.

One net earned half a year's worth of money!

Jiang Xia smiled, "It's because Dad's seafaring is good, and you chose a good area. Besides, you and Chenglei are experienced and knew it was a school of large yellow croakers. I just have a sharp ear; if I were alone at sea, I would have been scared and hidden."

Zhou's father laughed heartily. Who doesn't like to hear compliments?

He wasn't wrong; if Jiang Xia hadn't heard the "clucking" sound and the boat hadn't been moving fast, they would have missed it.

This daughter-in-law seemed to have really changed; she was so good at talking.

He had said, "When husband and wife are of one mind, their strength can break metal. "

The saying "Harmony in the family brings prosperity" has been passed down since ancient times, and it's not without reason.

He didn't believe a woman on a boat would leak; he only believed that harmony between husband and wife brought prosperity to the family.

A family united as one, working in the same direction, could never go wrong.

Just like rowing a boat, if one rowes east and the other west, how can the boat move forward? Only

when everyone rows in the same direction will the boat move forward.

He'd go back and find that Xu guy, and see if bringing his daughter-in-law on a boat would bring bad luck!

While steering the boat, Zhou's father said to Zhou Chenglei, "I'll go a little further, you lower the net."

Zhou Chenglei closed the hatch, responded, and went to lower the net.

After he lowered the net, Zhou's father increased the boat's speed.

Jiangxia could vaguely see the fishing net gradually being lowered, spreading towards the seabed under the impact of the current.

The entire trawling process was lengthy; in summer, the days were long, and it was already dawn before the sun even rose.

Zhou Chenglei said to Jiang Xia, who was lying there watching the fishing net sink to the seabed, "Trapping will take at least an hour or two. You can take a nap."

After this haul, they'll find an island to dock on; the sun will be strong there, and she can stay on the island.

Jiang Xia was surprised: "That long?"

"Yes, if we don't trawle for a while, there won't be many fish. If we stop abruptly, the net will sink to the bottom, so it'll take at least an hour or two. You can take a nap."

"No need." Jiang Xia shook her head. She watched with great interest how the fishing net sank into the sea. After watching for a while, she started walking around the boat, studying how to use the equipment, asking questions curiously. She

even watched how Zhou's father steered the boat. Seeing her interest, Zhou Chenglei patiently explained things to her.

Jiang Xia studied everything for a while, and only ten minutes had passed, but the sun was about to rise, so she simply sat down to wait and enjoy the sunrise at sea.

The boat moved forward on the sea, the sun came out, and the sunlight pierced through the thick clouds, creating a magnificent display of light!

Jiang Xia sat quietly, the red sunlight illuminating her fair face, the fine downy hair shimmering in the sunlight.

Zhou Chenglei's gaze inadvertently fell on her, and he forgot to look away for a moment.

Jiang Xia looked at him for a while, then stopped, but sitting there was getting a bit boring. She wasn't used to such leisurely sitting, so she asked, "Do you have a fishing rod?"

Zhou Chenglei shook his head: "No."

So they could only sit there. Jiang Xia decided to examine the fishing net on the seabed to see if it had caught any fish.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. Zhou's father said, "A-Lei, let's haul in the net!"

"Okay," Zhou Chenglei replied.

The father and son worked together to haul in the net, while Jiang Xia stood not far away watching, noticing that the two were struggling a bit.

Zhou's father exclaimed happily, "It's so heavy! The net's bursting!"

As the net was pulled closer, a large bag of fish began to emerge.

"So many fish!" Jiang Xia exclaimed in surprise.

Zhou Chenglei: "We must have encountered another school of fish."

The father and son were also excited; they had caught so many fish on their first day at sea. They rarely encountered such a situation, not even once in several years.

It took the two of them a great deal of effort to haul the entire net of fish aboard.

After hauling it up, Zhou's father needed to rest before he could help Zhou Chenglei empty the fish.

Jiang Xia watched as the father and son grabbed one end of the net, and Zhou's father shouted, "One, two..."

The two pulled the net simultaneously in rhythm.

A huge cascade of fish poured out, filling the entire deck!

It piled up like a small mountain, with wriggling mackerel all around Jiang Xia's feet.

It must have encountered a school of mackerel preying on a group of shrimp.

So this net caught both mackerel and shrimp in one go.

Most of them were mackerel and tiger prawns, along with other miscellaneous fish.

"What should we do with these fish?" Jiang Xia asked, unsure.

She couldn't just leave them on the deck, scattered everywhere.

It was summer, and after half a day in the sun, they wouldn't smell good or be fresh.

Although it was still morning, the sun was already quite strong, and Jiang Xia had already covered her head and face.

Father Zhou: "Sort them and put them in baskets. You guys sort them, I'll continue casting the net."

Zhou Chenglei: "Dad, take the boat to the island and dock for a bit."

He had deliberately steered the boat to this area; there was a small island not far away.

"Why?" Father Zhou asked.

"Let Jiang Xia rest on the island."

Upon hearing this, Zhou's father didn't speak and prepared to sail the boat to the island.

Jiang Xia was in high spirits and had no intention of resting.

"No need to rest on the island, I'm not tired. I'll sort the fish on the boat. Keep casting the net, while we're still lucky, cast another net."

Zhou's father also thought so; it was still so early, why rest? It was rare for his daughter-in-law to be so understanding, so he smiled and said, "Then cast another net, it'll be noon by then, we can rest while eating."

"Okay." Jiang Xia smiled and replied to Zhou Chenglei, "Keep casting the net."

Zhou Chenglei could only go and cast the net, and then he and Jiang Xia sorted the fish on the deck.

The fish were sorted by size, with fish of similar size grouped together in the same basket, filling about fifty pounds per basket.

These fish were already dead because they were caught in the trawl net, making them easy to sort.

Zhou Chenglei was used to this, and he could tell the weight of the fish at a glance, so he sorted them quickly and accurately.

But he never expected Jiang Xia to sort them so quickly and accurately, just like she had done it countless times before.

In her previous life, Jiang Xia started helping her grandmother sell vegetables every day when she was a little over three years old. At first, she couldn't help at all, but by the time she was four or five, she had learned to help a little. Until junior high school, she could tell the weight of a pound just by holding it in her hand.

So fast and accurate? Nothing more than practice makes perfect.

The mackerel were quite large, and the two of them worked together for over an hour to put all the mackerel into the basket.

Then they sorted the fish and shrimp, getting over ten pounds of tiger prawns and over ten pounds of miscellaneous fish. Among these miscellaneous fish were a few small red squid and flower crabs, perfect for cooking that evening.

It had been over two hours since they finished sorting everything. Zhou's father said, "Ah Lei, you can haul in the net now."

"Okay."

So Zhou's father slowed down the boat, and the father and son worked together

to haul in the net. This net was not as heavy as the previous one, and the two of them pulled it up relatively easily.

Zhou Chenglei emptied the fish out by himself.

Jiang Xia immediately spotted a spotted grouper in a polka-dot pattern.

Quite pretty!

Most importantly, the fish was still alive when it was hauled into the net, which was very rare.

Zhou's father also saw it and immediately picked it up, putting it in a bucket to keep it alive. Live fish sell for more.

This time, there were mostly miscellaneous fish, but also a dozen or so mackerel and large yellow croakers, and quite a few small red squid.

The quantity was small, but the quality was good.

Zhou's father smiled and said, "This net is pretty good too. Let's divide it up quickly."

It was already noon, and Zhou Chenglei said, "Let's eat first.

" Zhou's father: "Okay." "

The food was prepared by Zhou's mother in the morning and packed in lunchboxes for them to take on the boat.

The food was already cold, but that wasn't a problem in the summer.

Zhou Chenglei opened the lunchboxes and looked at each one before handing one to Jiang Xia. This time, all three lunchboxes contained the same dishes; Zhou's mother didn't treat them differently.

The dishes were only steamed dried small fish and pickled cabbage. She couldn't prepare so many dishes in the morning because she was in a rush, and green vegetables turn yellow if left out for too long, so they don't taste good. Zhou's mother usually doesn't prepare those.

In addition to the lunchboxes, Zhou's mother also prepared six boiled eggs for the three of them to eat if they got hungry.

The food wasn't as tasty when it was cold, but the pickled cabbage was good with rice, and Jiang Xia was indeed hungry after working all day. She ate most of the lunchbox, and then Zhou Chenglei finished the rest.

After the meal, Zhou's father wanted to go trawling again.

He wanted to make the most of every moment of the trip to trawle, hoping to earn as much as possible.

But the sun was too strong, and Zhou Chenglei wanted to take Jiang Xia to an island to rest.

How could Jiang Xia go to rest?

There was a lot of work on the boat, and she wouldn't feel comfortable until she finished it.

"I don't need to rest. Let's quickly sort these fish." Jiang Xia picked up a large blue crab that seemed to be trying to escape and handed it to him to tie up.

She didn't know how to tie it yet.

Zhou Chenglei didn't care, took it, and used herbs to tightly bind the crab's claws, legs, and body into a cross shape.

Jiang Xia watched his movements attentively. Then, she picked up a crab herself and tried to tie it up.

At first, she wasn't familiar with it and got her hand pinched by the crab's claws, but she was wearing gloves, so it was fine.

Zhou Chenglei saw that although she was a little clumsy, she tied the crab up perfectly in one step.

At that moment, he had only one thought: She's so clever!

She's really smart; she learns everything quickly.

Jiang Xia tied the crab up, even adding a bow, admired it for a moment, then held it up to Zhou Chenglei: "Isn't it pretty?"

Zhou Chenglei glanced at it, genuinely thinking the bow was unnecessary and even a nuisance, but he still nodded, "Mmm."

Ignoring her, he went to set the net, intending to come back and sort the crabs later.

Jiang Xia put the crab aside, intending to continue finding crabs to tie up. As she wiped the sweat from her forehead, her gaze swept across the sea, and she seemed to see a red light flash on the surface before disappearing into the depths.

Jiang Xia immediately pointed ahead and said, "A school of fish! A school of fish ahead! Red ones!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou's father immediately increased the speed, and the fishing boat sped forward.

Zhou Chenglei stopped setting the net and looked over.

After a short while, the boat spotted the red patch Jiang Xia had seen.

"Red snapper! It's a school of red snapper! Hand-throw net! Chenglei, quickly prepare the hand-throw net!" Zhou's father shouted excitedly as he steered the boat to chase after them.

What's going on today? Why are there so many fish?

Zhou Chenglei had already picked up the hand-thrown net.

Jiang Xia hesitated for a moment, then also picked up a hand-thrown net.

After watching them cast the net a few times, she felt she had learned how to do it.

As the fishing boat approached the school of fish, Zhou Chenglei cast the net.

The net spread out in mid-air and fell into the sea, trapping a school of red snapper, which thrashed about.

Zhou Chenglei hauled the net up!

Jiang Xia imitated Zhou Chenglei, casting her own net forward. Her net wasn't as wide as Zhou Chenglei's, but it still caught quite a few fish when it hit the water.

Much more than with a scoop net!

She pulled it forcefully onto the boat.

Zhou's father also rushed over, casting the net with practiced ease.

The three of them cast six or seven nets in total, and the school of fish dispersed.

The deck was full of lively red snapper.

Their bright red color was very festive!

Zhou's father's dark face beamed with a wide smile.

These were red snapper, also known as red sea bream.

Like the large yellow croaker, it's a relatively valuable fish.

Now, both large yellow croaker and red snapper are becoming increasingly rare, and their prices are rising.

He'd been fishing for years, and while he'd seen others encounter red snapper, he'd never seen one himself. He'd heard people were researching artificial breeding of red snapper, but he didn't know if it was true.

Seeing that the red snapper was quite large, probably weighing one to two pounds, Zhou's father beamed. "

We're rich! We're rich!

My daughter-in-law's sea voyage is amazing!

" Zhou's father said, "Let's go back early today. Today's a good day. While it's still early, let's take the boat to the city dock to sell."

The city docks offered slightly higher prices than the village docks. Usually, when they didn't have much fish, the villagers wouldn't bother going to the city to sell, since the fuel cost of the round trip was almost negligible.

But today they had a lot of good fish, so of course they had to go to the city to sell.

Zhou Chenglei replied, "I'll lower the net and haul another net back."

"Okay." Zhou's father went to start the boat.

After setting down the net, Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia quickly sorted the fish and packed them into baskets.

Jiang Xia's eyesight and speed in sorting fish were now even better! She

was so fast that Zhou Chenglei couldn't help but glance at her.

The afternoon sun was scorching, and she wore a straw hat and long-sleeved clothing, completely covering herself, her nose beaded with sweat.

She was trying to avoid the sun.

He felt hot just looking at her; he couldn't believe she could stand it!

However, her skin was fair, and when she occasionally looked up to wipe her sweat, her skin was dazzlingly white in the sunlight.

Two hours later, the fishing boat docked at the city's pier.

It was still early, only a little past four, and there weren't many fishing boats returning to the pier, but there were still quite a few.

Many people were already selling fish at the pier, and there were also middlemen waiting to collect their catch.

As

soon as Jiang Xia and his crew's boat docked, everyone exclaimed in surprise upon seeing basket after basket of red snapper piled high on the boat.

"Did they encounter a school of red snapper? They're rich!"

"Brother, in which sea area did you encounter this school of red snapper? So lucky! You even found such rare fish!"

"This boatload of red snapper must weigh several hundred pounds! Almost a thousand yuan! You're going to make a fortune!"

"Make a fortune! Make a fortune!"

...

People around them stood either on the dock or on their own boats watching the spectacle.

Zhou Chenglei said to his father, "I'll go to the dock and see if there are any scalpers buying the goods."

His father nodded.

At this moment, several people squeezed out from the crowd: "Which boat caught red snapper? Let me see! ...My God! So many!"

He then pushed his way through the crowd and jumped onto Zhou Chenglei's boat, touching the fish in the basket, lifting it, and glancing at the gills: "These fish are dead, but still quite fresh."

Jiang Xia corrected him: "They are very fresh. These aren't trawlers; they were still lively when they were pulled onto the boat. We went back immediately after catching them."

A man in a white shirt also boarded the boat and said directly: "Brother, I want these red snapper! I'm Xu Wen'an, the manager of Futai Restaurant. How much for these fish?"

Today was an auspicious day; the restaurant had hosted several wedding banquets and was short of fish.

Red snapper are red, and their name is auspicious, perfect for a wedding banquet.

"Damn it, Manager Xu, I got on the boat first! How can you be so dishonest!" the middleman who had just boarded complained.

Then he pulled Zhou Chenglei aside, pointing to two baskets of fish of different sizes, and said, "Brother, my name is Yang Dayou, I'm also a fish buyer. These large red snapper are eighty yuan a dan, the small ones are sixty yuan a dan, I'll take them all! And this pile of miscellaneous fish on your boat, I'll take them all for ten yuan."

Fish here are sold by weight or by dan, depending on the quantity. Generally, a dan is about one hundred jin.

That means Yang Dayou's price was only eight mao and six mao per jin.

Everyone at the dock knew Yang Dayou; they knew he was a ruthless exploiter, always offering low prices to unfamiliar fishermen.

But no one spoke up; cutting off someone's livelihood was almost like killing their parents, and no one would cause trouble for no reason.

Jiang Xia didn't know the prices, but she instinctively felt this man was dishonest, deliberately criticizing her fish to try and lower the price, his eyes darting around, full of calculation.

She didn't understand and remained silent, looking at Zhou Chenglei and his father.

Jiang Xia didn't know the price, but Zhou Chenglei and his father did—this person was asking too low!

Zhou Chenglei hated dealing with these kinds of people and said directly, "Not selling!"

The pile of miscellaneous fish on the boat was worth more than ten yuan.

Although the two nets of fish were miscellaneous, they looked like they had a lot of good stuff, but they hadn't had time to sort them out.

The restaurant manager then spoke up, "Comrade, a 1 jin (500g) of red snapper is 100 yuan per dan (500g), and a 1.5 jin (0.75g) is 120 yuan per dan. Are you selling? I also want ten more fish weighing over two jin."

The larger the fish, the more expensive it is, but for restaurants hosting banquets, fish weighing around one jin are the most cost-effective. They look neither too small nor too big; too small would seem stingy, and too big wouldn't make much profit for a banquet.

So he only wanted the one-jin and one-and-a-half-jin fish. He also wanted ten more fish weighing two or three jin to put in the refrigerator, which would be perfect for serving to individual customers.

Jiang Xia knew that a dan was about 100 jin, or at least a little more, which meant less than 1 yuan per jin—truly cheap.

This was wild red snapper.

However, with prices like these, and people's wages only reaching thirty or forty yuan a month, even one yuan per jin (a unit of weight) doesn't seem cheap.

The middleman glared at the restaurant manager: "Why are you setting such a high price? One hundred yuan per dan (a unit of weight) is too expensive! Don't ruin the market! Ninety yuan per dan at most! If they don't want to sell, fine! Let's go!"

Xu Wen'an took the small fish, and the price was so high. The bigger the fish, the more expensive it was. How could he possibly negotiate a lower price later?

Yang Dayou frantically winked at Xu Wen'an, pulling him away.

Jiang Xia glanced at Yang Dayou and said indifferently, "Goodbye, don't bother seeing me off!"

Yang Dayou: "..."

Xu Wen'an didn't move. Red snapper was a rare find. He asked Jiang Xia, "Will you sell it?"

Jiang Xia: "Ask my husband, he decides."

The word "husband" brushed against Zhou Chenglei's heart like a feather. He couldn't help but glance at Jiang Xia, but hadn't said anything yet.

Just then, another middleman squeezed onto the boat: "I heard there are red snapper? I'll buy them! I'll buy them! What's the price?"

Zhou Chenglei remembered his father saying that these two days were auspicious, and auspicious days meant many people were having weddings. Red snapper was perfect for weddings, with a pleasant and festive name. He said directly: "One hundred and ten yuan a dan for about one jin, one hundred and thirty yuan a dan for one and a half jin, one hundred and sixty yuan a dan for two jin, two yuan a jin for more than three jin, and three yuan a jin for one fish over four jin. Anyone want this price? No bargaining!"

Jiang Xia added: "Our dan of fish is definitely more than one hundred jin. After deducting the hulls, it's at least one hundred and fifty jin."

Jiang Xia lifted each basket of fish, feeling their weight with her hands.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at Jiang Xia upon hearing this. She actually knew?

The restaurant was waiting for the fish to be cooked. Xu Wen'an was in a hurry, and the price wasn't too high; he could accept it. He immediately said, "Okay, I'll take them all. I'll take all the one-pound and one-and-a-half-pound ones, ten two-pound ones, and I'll also take the three-pound and four-pound ones."

It was rare to find such auspicious fish; it was perfect for a banquet. Most importantly, it was only ten yuan more per load, which meant each fish was less than a dime more expensive. The restaurant could make half or even more profit on a single dish, so a dime was nothing.

The customers at the restaurant were all wealthy people. Wealthy people valued grandeur and liked large fish; three- or four-pound fish sold very well. They

bought red snapper weighing over three pounds for two yuan per pound, and once it was served at the restaurant, it would be around four or five yuan per pound—definitely a profitable deal.

The middleman behind them, surnamed Hou, was called Old Hou or Lord Hou by everyone. Seeing that the fish were very fresh and could be stored, he said, "I'll take all the rest, and I'll take all your mackerel too!"

Yang Da was annoyed, but he still did the math. He figured he could still make a profit by reselling them, even if it was just a few cents a pound. The more he sold, the more he would make. He was just a little unwilling to make a big profit because of the two competitors.

This boatload of people looked unfamiliar; he had never been here before.

He glared at the middleman who came after him: "Old Hou, I got here first. Don't try to take it. I'll take everything!"

Old Hou glanced at him: "I heard them say they wouldn't sell to you!"

This old Yang always wanted to eat raw fish and bully those unfamiliar, out-of-town fishermen. Not every fisherman was honest and easy to bully!

The young man on the boat looked like he wasn't an ordinary person; he was probably a soldier on leave helping his family fish.

Yang Dayou: "..."

Zhou Chenglei said to Lao Hou and Xu Wen'an, "There are still large yellow croakers in the live hold, do you want them? There are probably several hundred catties."

The two men's eyes lit up, and they said in unison, "Yes!"

Yang Dayou regretted not having large yellow croakers, "I want them, I want them! I want the large yellow croakers, the price is negotiable, comrade, you decide the price! You decide the price!"

What kind of luck did this boat have?

How could it have caught so many good fish?

If only he hadn't tried to bargain in the first place!

These past few days have been auspicious, with many people celebrating weddings, so fish like red snapper and large yellow croaker, with their good color and appearance, are easy to sell.

Zhou Chenglei ignored Yang Dayou; he had said he wouldn't sell to him, and he wouldn't.

Xu Wen'an was a little anxious: "Help me unload the red snapper first; I need to have someone send it back to the restaurant."

Old Hou said, "I'm not in a hurry. Let's unload the red snapper Manager Xu wanted first! The rest are mine."

Xu Wen'an rummaged through the baskets and, seeing that the fish weren't being sold as smaller ones, told Zhou Chenglei to unload them.

Zhou Chenglei and his father unloaded the red snapper he wanted.

Xu Wen'an and Old Hou didn't stand around either; they helped carry it.

Jiang Xia sorted through the miscellaneous fish on the boat while keeping an eye on the cargo.

She thought the restaurant would probably need shrimp for the banquet, so she wanted to pick out the shrimp first.

The four of them quickly finished unloading.

Old Hou returned to the boat and said, "Can we take a look at the large yellow croaker?"

Zhou's father opened the live hold, showed it to the two of them, and then closed it again.

Yang Dayou also came over and glanced at it!

Good heavens, they're golden! Some even look alive, which is quite rare; usually, the large yellow croakers caught by trawlers are dead.

Yang Da's eyes widened as he looked at Zhou Chenglei: "Comrade, brother, elder brother..."

Zhou Chenglei ignored him.

Old Hou: "You encountered a school of large yellow croakers before dawn, and it wasn't from a trawl, was it?"

It sounded like a question, but it was a statement of certainty.

Zhou's father nodded with a smile: "We encountered a school of fish not long after we went out to sea."

Xu Wen'an: "No wonder they're so golden."

Old Hou: "You're really lucky!"

Zhou's father smiled: "It's all thanks to my daughter-in-law."

Both of them glanced at Jiang Xia upon hearing this.

The sun hadn't set yet, and Jiang Xia was wrapped up tightly, so they couldn't see what she looked like.

However, it was quite rare to see a woman on a fishing trip in their area, but they didn't mind.

Live large yellow croakers were more expensive than dead ones.

But the large yellow croakers hadn't been sorted yet; they varied in size, but all looked to be around a pound or eight or nine ounces, with a few particularly large ones.

After some haggling, Zhou Chenglei and the two men

finally settled on a price of 1.25 yuan per jin (approximately 0.5 kg). The large yellow croaker was sold regardless of size and simply scooped up and put into baskets.

Xu Wen'an also bought all the shrimp Jiang Xia had picked out, along with a load of mackerel, a grouper, and several sea bass.

Old Hou bought the remaining red snapper, large yellow croaker, and mackerel.

Zhou Chenglei refused to sell the miscellaneous fish, otherwise he would have bought them all.

He saw that there were quite a few valuable fish among the pile, but since they weren't sorted, the price was low. However, Jiang Xia had already picked out some of the larger fish.

In the end, there were four loads of red snapper weighing around one jin (approximately 0.5 kg), which cost 100 yuan per load, totaling 440 yuan. There were three loads of red snapper weighing one and a half jin (approximately 0.5 kg), totaling 390 yuan. There were a few more weighing two jin (approximately 0.6 kg), about one and a half loads, totaling 204 yuan. There were only five three-jin (approximately 1.5 kg) fish, totaling 36 yuan. There was also one four-jin (approximately 0.5 kg) fish, which sold for 15 yuan. One load of fish weighing less than one jin (approximately 0.5 kg) cost 80 yuan.

The red snapper sold for 1,165 yuan!

That's equivalent to what others earn in a year and a half at sea.

The large yellow croaker sold for 572.2 yuan.

The mackerel, a total of over 300 jin, sold for 105.7 yuan at 0.3 yuan per jin.

Several sea bass sold for 3.55 yuan.

Shrimp and squid also sold for 11.2 yuan.

Other large fish, picked from the two nets of miscellaneous catches, sold for 43.7 yuan.

The final total was 1,901.35 yuan.

A pile of small fish and shrimp remained on the deck, probably worth a few yuan.

Jiang Xia: "One more haul and we might make 2,000!"

Zhou's father's dark face was beaming. "It's already very good. Except for large ships going to the open sea, our kind of ship has never earned this much."

Today was definitely his highlight!

Enough for him to brag about for a lifetime!

He'd been fishing at sea for so many years, and the most he'd ever earned was nearly two hundred yuan. He never dreamed he could earn almost two thousand yuan.

Two thousand yuan!

"We couldn't even earn enough to fish for a whole year before,"

Zhou Chenglei said, steering the boat without speaking.

Jiang Xia, having never truly experienced the prices of this era or what two thousand yuan could buy, didn't feel the weight of two thousand yuan as much as her father did, but she was still happy.

"How much can a big boat earn on a single trip to the open sea?" Jiang Xia asked.

"That's hard to say, but I've heard that most trips can earn over a thousand yuan, since there are more fish in the open sea."

Jiang Xia nodded: "I'll buy a big boat when I have the money."

Her father didn't respond; a big boat costs tens of thousands, how easy is it to buy one?

He squatted down to sort through the pile of miscellaneous fish that hadn't been sorted yet.

The sun had already set, and the sunset painted half the sky with a dazzling and domineering glow, half the sea shimmering and half crimson.

Jiang Xia took off her straw hat and removed her face towel; the sea breeze rushed towards her face, instantly making her feel refreshed.

She faced the wind and took a deep breath of the ocean air.

Zhou Chenglei steered the boat, his gaze inadvertently falling on her. The sea breeze ruffled a few strands of her soft hair, her eyes gentle.

The sky was beautiful, the sea was beautiful, but she was even more beautiful.

Jiang Xia put away her straw hat and towel, then squatted down to sort through the pile of miscellaneous fish and shrimp.

Back at the village's small dock, many fishing boats were already moored.

A long queue had formed at the purchasing station, and Jiang Xia saw villagers carrying baskets of fish off the dock, all beaming with smiles; it seemed they had a good catch.

A few fishing boats were still drifting scattered on the sea, returning to port.

Zhou's mother had been waiting at the dock for a long time, and finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her family's boat return.

Although fishing at sea yielded high incomes, the risks were also great, and the family's hearts had been on edge from the moment the boat set sail.

Tian Caihua also came to the dock to help, ostensibly to help, but she wanted to see how much the second branch of the family could earn that day, so she would have a better idea of ​​the outcome.

When the boat docked, Zhou's mother approached and asked Zhou's father, who had jumped off the boat and was holding the rope, "Why are you so late? Is there a lot of cargo?"

Without waiting for his reply, she glanced at the cargo on the boat and her heart sank.

Unbelievable!

Only a bunch of worthless fish?

Zhou's mother quickly boarded the boat, turning her head to look around, somewhat incredulous, yet forced to accept it.

Really just a bunch of worthless little fish?

What terrible luck today!

Tian Caihua glanced at the boat and also felt unlucky: "There's hardly any cargo today! How come there's so little? I've never had so little cargo before!"

The villagers all looked at Zhou's father's boat, and someone said, "Yongfu, your luck is so-so today!"

Zhou's father smiled and said, "Today is alright."

At this moment, the old men from that morning came aboard their boat and laughed when they saw it: "You call this alright? Old Zhou, your mouth is harder than a diamond! No, I should say you're easygoing, satisfied with such a small amount of stuff, keep it up, haha."

They all felt that their prediction had come true and couldn't help but gloat: "I told you not to bring women out to sea, it'll bring bad luck, but you didn't listen. Look! After a whole day out, you've only caught a bunch of worthless cargo. " "You've lost money on fuel! Everyone's catch today was pretty good, at least forty yuan. I made over a hundred, and Bingqiang made almost two hundred! You probably don't even have ten yuan."

Zhou Bingqiang: "You'll regret not listening to your elders. I've always said a woman with a dirty bottom shouldn't go on a boat, it'll bring bad luck! You don't believe me! Let me tell you, you won't catch anything good on this boat anymore! You better believe me, you'd better change boats sooner rather than later!"

Tian Caihua's face instantly darkened. She glared at Jiang Xia's back, her dislike for her reaching its peak, and couldn't help but mutter: "Why did you come out to sea for no reason? Do you even know how to fish? You're just causing trouble!"

This was the only boat their family owned, and they depended on it for their livelihood!

Jiang Xia had dirtied the boat!

The more Tian Caihua thought about it, the angrier and more aggrieved she became, and her eyes welled up with tears.

What to do about the dirty boat?

Going out to sea was risky,

but staying put meant starving and drinking seawater.

She even wanted Jiang Xia to compensate her with a new boat!

"Don't wash your dirty linen in public," Zhou's mother glanced at Tian Caihua and said irritably, "What era are we living in? Still indulging in feudal superstitions? Women hold up half the sky! Who can guarantee they'll catch fish every time they go out to sea? Who hasn't caught only a few fish and shrimp at times?"

Though she said this, Zhou's mother was also afraid: If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have let her go out to sea this morning.

Whoever marries her is truly unlucky!

"Mom, come here for a second." Zhou Chenglei called out to his mother as soon as he parked the boat.

"What?" Zhou's mother was in a bad mood and answered irritably. She was about to walk over when Jiang Xia, carrying a bucket to pick some shrimp, blocked her way. Annoyed, she snapped, "Move aside!" What's she

doing standing there like a block of wood? She calls herself cultured, but she's not clever at all!

Jiang Xia didn't argue with her; she'd be the one embarrassed later.

Zhou's mother walked over to Zhou Chenglei, her tone even more impatient: "What is it?"

Zhou Chenglei pulled a large stack of money from his pocket and handed it to his mother: "Mom, take this first, don't drop it."

Tian Caihua stared wide-eyed at the thick stack of money: "Where did this money come from?"

Could it be their secret stash?

Zhou Chenglei said calmly, "It's the money from selling fish today."

Zhou's father tied up the boat and returned to it, then took out a large wad of money and handed it to Zhou's mother: "I have some more here. Take this first, and give it to A-Lei when we get back. Don't lose it; I'll help with the cargo."

Tian Caihua's eyes almost popped out: "This is also the money from selling fish today?"

How could there be so much?

Zhou's mother held the large wad of money in one hand, her hands trembling: "This is the money from selling fish today? This, so much?"

What kind of fish did they catch today? Fish made of gold?

Zhou's father: "If it's not the money from selling fish today, where did the money come from? We went directly to the city dock to sell the fish before coming back, so there wasn't much cargo on the boat."

After saying that, he glanced at Tian Caihua: "Superstition is no good. I've taken your mother out to sea before, and nothing happened."

This eldest daughter-in-law is hardworking, but she's too petty.

Zhou's mother hurriedly said, "Yes, your father used to secretly take me out to sea."

Tian Caihua smiled awkwardly, "So you went to the city dock to sell fish. Dad, why didn't you tell me sooner? You're right, feudal superstition is no good, haha."

The villagers stared wide-eyed at the two thick stacks of ten-yuan bills, secretly estimating how much money such a thick stack of money was.

"Yongfu, what kind of fish did you sell to make so much money?"

"We encountered a school of fish! And not just any school of fish. This is comparable to a large ship sailing on the open sea!"

Zhou's father glanced at Zhou Bingqiang and the others, and laughed, "We encountered several schools of fish, so we went directly to the city dock to sell them before coming back. Sigh, if we hadn't come back early, we could have made an extra hundred or two yuan by hauling in one more net. I regret not listening to my daughter-in-law and hauling in one more net. How come she's so good at sea voyages?"

After saying that, he glanced at Zhou Bingqiang again, humph, little brat, taking a woman out to sea will bring bad luck? I made two thousand today!

Zhou Bingqiang: "..."

"Two hundred yuan from one net? What kind of fish did you catch? What kind of fish can sell for so much money? That's two or three thousand, right?"

Zhou's father replied cheerfully, "Not two or three thousand, it's not that exaggerated! It's about two thousand yuan! We came back too early, we arrived at the city dock at four o'clock. If I had known, I would have listened to my daughter-in-law and hauled in another net, then it would have been enough for two thousand."

About two thousand!!!

Some people gasped.

Their family's savings weren't even enough for two thousand!

Zhou Bingqiang didn't believe it: "You're bragging! Even the big ships at sea don't earn as much as you. Did you strike it rich?"

His father glanced at him: "Do I need to brag? Go to the city dock tomorrow and ask if anyone sold hundreds of kilograms of red snapper and large yellow croaker today. Then you'll know if I'm exaggerating!"

"What? You encountered schools of red snapper and large yellow croaker!"

Zhou Bingqiang still didn't believe it: "Impossible! Schools of red snapper are rare around here. I've fished my whole life and I've only ever seen someone encounter one. You encountered schools of red snapper and large yellow croaker at the same time? So the ocean is your private fishpond, where you can catch whatever you want? You're just bragging!"

Just then, a boat pulled up, and someone shouted, "Zhou Yongfu, I knew your boat was the one selling red snapper and large yellow croaker in the city! It's all over the city docks—you've caught a whole boatload of red snapper and large yellow croaker, and even encountered a school of mackerel! They say you made several thousand! What incredible luck!"

Today, he had encountered a school of mackerel and caught over a thousand pounds, so he also went to the city docks.

He thought he was already lucky, but someone else had encountered large yellow croaker, red snapper, and a school of mackerel all at once!

Encountering a school of fish once a day is already considered lucky.

Encountering three schools of fish in one day—had he stumbled into the arms of the God of Wealth?

The villagers were shocked: "What?! We encountered a school of red snapper, a school of large yellow croaker, and even a school of mackerel? Really?"

"You made several thousand? That old geezer Zhou Yongfu said he made less than two thousand! I knew he was lying! Those two thick stacks of money! It's definitely more than two thousand!"

Zhou Bingqiang: "..."

He actually encountered schools of red snapper and large yellow croaker?

That's a once-in-a-century occurrence, right? Does he think he's some kind of genius?

Father Zhou beamed with pride: "Haha...you said I just got incredibly lucky, but I'm not that lucky! It's all thanks to my youngest daughter-in-law. She had a fantastic start right away at sea. She found all these fish; she's got great luck with the shipping. I'm not lying, it wasn't several thousand, less than two thousand, really!"

"I don't believe it was less than two thousand! Okay, people in the city are saying you made several thousand, don't deny it! Tell me how you encountered the schools of red snapper and large yellow croaker? Where did you find them? I want to go tomorrow!"

"Yeah! Where did you find them? I want to go too!"

...

The surrounding villagers were all curiously asking how they encountered the schools of large yellow croaker and red snapper.

They wanted to see them too!

Mr. Zhou vividly recounted what had happened: "As soon as we set out to sea today, my daughter-in-law heard the call of a large yellow croaker. When I heard her describe the sound, my heart jumped. Wasn't that the sound of a large yellow croaker? I immediately steered the boat at full speed, and as we got closer, there was a dazzling golden light! I was so excited that I almost had a heart attack..."

"I had just finished catching the big yellow croaker when I told A-Lei to cast the net. My daughter-in-law called out again, saying there was a red patch over there, maybe a school of fish. I immediately sped off, and oh my god, a whole sea of ​​red snapper, all bright red! Haha, I knew my lucky days were coming! I wish I had ten hands..."

At the end, Zhou's father looked at Zhou Bingqiang and the others and added, "Luckily I didn't listen to you guys and not take Xia out to sea today, otherwise I would have missed out on the big yellow croaker and red snapper! I wouldn't have earned that two thousand yuan!"

Zhou Bingqiang and the others: "..."

Zhou Bingqiang was annoyed by his father's smug look. He said with a forced smile, "Then I wish you such good luck every day, such good luck for your whole life, and a prosperous life!"

He didn't believe he'd be so lucky next time!

Zhou's father: "Thank you, I appreciate your kind words! I also wish you such good luck every day, and such good luck for your whole life!"

Zhou Bingqiang turned and left angrily.

He initially thought earning two hundred yuan today was lucky, but compared to Zhou Yongfu's two thousand yuan, he didn't feel that way at all!

Tian Caihua glanced at Jiang Xia with mixed feelings.

They'd only separated the family and made so much money at sea on the second day.

Her family probably didn't get a share of that two thousand yuan, right?

She should have delayed the separation by a day.

Jiang Xia was busy dividing the fish, ignoring everyone's conversation.

Zhou's mother came to Jiang Xia's side with a smile and said, "Xia, don't divide anymore, you rest, I'll do it, I'll do it."

"I'll pick out some shrimp to take home and eat." Jiang Xia was only picking out the fish and shrimp to take home and eat. After a busy day, she had to treat herself properly.

"I've already cooked the food, but you're tired today too, so pick out more. Pick whatever you like, I'll cook it when we get back."

Zhou's father was still bragging, and Zhou Chenglei also came to help divide the fish.

The three of them picked out some of the more valuable fish from the pile of miscellaneous fish on the boat, sold them for ten yuan, and took the rest home to dry and store for later consumption.

Jin, the purchasing agent, looked at the bucket of goods that Zhou Chenglei had kept.

The bucket contained two large yellow croakers, about a pound of tiger prawns, a few small red squids, a few flower crabs, and a dozen mudskippers.

There was also a basket of small fish and shrimp.

He laughed, "Not selling these? I'll sell them all together, twelve yuan in total."

Zhou Chenglei: "No."

Tian Caihua asked, "Not selling? You're taking these yellow croakers and tiger prawns home to eat?"

"Yes."

Jiang Xia said she'd keep one yellow croaker to make sauerkraut fish, but he kept two. Yellow croaker is nutritious, and she's weak, so it'll help her recover.

Tian Caihua looked at the two yellow croakers in the bucket, wondering if one was for their family.

Zhou's mother, seeing that Zhou Chenglei had left two yellow croakers, assumed he was planning to give one to his eldest son.

Although she thought selling them for money would be better, she didn't say anything.

Normally, she would never eat a large yellow croaker she caught; she would sell it for money. The family usually ate small, inexpensive fish, shrimp, and crabs.

Fish bigger than the palm of her hand were only eaten during holidays and festivals.

But today, having made a lot of money and misunderstood Jiang Xia, it was only right to have a good meal.

After selling the remaining goods, the family happily carried a bucket of fish and a basket of small miscellaneous fish home.

Only when they reached the door of the old house did Zhou Chenglei ask Tian Caihua, "Sister-in-law, would you like to take a few mudskippers home to eat?"

Mudskippers? Not the large yellow croaker?

Tian Caihua's face fell. "No need, I have vegetables at home."

It's not like they're starving; why would they need a few worthless mudskippers?

She walked away with a dark expression.

Jiang Xia was quite pleased that Zhou Chenglei hadn't given the large yellow croakers to Tian Caihua.

Zhou's mother looked at the two large yellow croakers, each weighing about a pound, in the bucket, hesitant to speak.

Why didn't he share one of the two fish with her eldest son's family? Wasn't it a bit extravagant for just a few people to eat two large yellow croakers?

She looked at Jiang Xia.

Seeing Zhou's mother's thoughts, Zhou's father said, "Xia, today is your first time at sea. You've been busy with Cheng Lei all day, you must be tired. Hurry up and kill the fish and cook it, let's eat!"

Jiang Xia pretended not to understand Zhou's mother's meaning and only said, "It's okay, I'm not tired, I'll cook the fish!"

Since no one mentioned it, Zhou's mother didn't say anything either.

Well, children grow up and live their own lives now that they've separated.

Zhou's mother wasn't the type to expect her daughter-in-law to do housework after a long day, so she said, "No need, go take a shower and rest, I'll do it."

She had already steamed the rice, steamed the dried fish, and washed the vegetables before leaving home, planning to stir-fry them and eat as soon as she got back. Now she just needed to steam two more large yellow croakers and shrimp.

Jiang Xia said, "It's okay, I'll make sauerkraut fish, that's more appetizing, I'll make it."

Zhou's mother didn't know how to make sauerkraut fish, so she could only let Jiang Xia do it, and she would assist her.

Originally, Zhou's mother planned for Jiang Xia to clean the fish, but she didn't expect Jiang Xia to be able to do it too.

Zhou's mother had cleaned fish her whole life, and her knife skills were superb, but she was still stunned when she saw Jiang Xia slicing the fish meat into thin slices, each one the same size and thickness!

This daughter-in-law is a hidden talent!

It's good to marry a cultured wife!

Cultured, capable, and blessed!

Whoever marries her is lucky!

Zhou's father and Zhou Chenglei cleaned the basket of fish and dried them.

Jiang Xia cooked, Zhou's mother washed the vegetables, and Zhou Zhou tended the fire. Together, the three of them made a sauerkraut fish, a steamed shrimp with garlic, a mudskipper stew, a plate of blanched baby red squid, and a plate of greens.

Looking at the large plate of pickled fish, Zhou's mother said, "There's so much food today, we can't possibly finish it all. Should I pack a plate for Wenguang and his brothers?"

Jiang Xia, who was washing a clean plate, replied, "Next time, it's not enough this time. I'll pack a plate for Great-Grandma. Yesterday she brought us a three-pound piece of meat and a big watermelon."

Hearing this, Zhou's mother quickly said, "You're so thoughtful! It's appropriate to bring some. Pack plenty of fish and meat. Should I take it over?"

In the village, it's customary to give and take. Great-Grandma brought three pounds of meat yesterday, so it would be good for them to try a new dish today.

"No need, I'll go. Mom, you can start eating!"

Zhou's mother didn't insist; it didn't matter who brought it. She started carrying the food.

Jiang Xia, carrying a plate of pickled fish, walked out of the courtyard and saw Zhou Junjie coming out with a bowl of rice.

Zhou Junjie's eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Xia. He flicked his hair and, thinking himself handsome, said, "Is this what my sister-in-law made? It smells so good! Can I try some?"

His gaze then fell on the pickled fish in Jiang Xia's hands.

He had been drawn out by the aroma of the food; just yesterday evening, the smell of food wafting from the neighbor's yard was so enticing that he had lost his appetite for the simple meals at home.

Zhou Junjie's gaze first fell on the pickled fish, then on the pair of small, white hands holding it, and finally on Jiang Xia's full chest, unable to look away.

Jiang Xia disliked his gaze and ignored him, turning to walk towards the left-hand yard.

Today, for the sea trip, Jiang Xia hadn't worn polyester clothing, fearing it would be see-through if wet; instead, she wore a more absorbent and dirt-resistant sailor shirt and army green trousers.

The sailor shirt was knitted and slightly stretchy. The original owner preferred fitted clothes, and this sailor shirt made her waist look incredibly slim, her curves accentuated, and her exposed arms and neck glowed white.

Zhou Junjie felt a surge of heat in his lower abdomen. This wife Zhou Chenglei married was damn hot!

No wonder he couldn't bear to divorce her even after being cheated on.

What a vixen!

But if she could run off with other men, could she also…

Suddenly, a bowl of fish-bloody water splashed out, drenching him completely, covering him in fish scales and entrails.

Zhou Junjie almost vomited from the fishy smell. "Who the hell…"

He turned his head and met Zhou Chenglei's gloomy eyes, startled: "Oh, it's Chenglei! Why didn't you look where you were going to splash water?"

He quickly grabbed a bowl of "fish soup" and hid back in his yard.

Jiang Xia was delivering groceries to her great-grandmother when they came out while they were eating. She said a few words and then came out, just in time to see Zhou Junjie, looking disheveled, retreating back into the house. Her mood instantly brightened.

She'd find a time when no one was around to show him why the flowers were so red.

Zhou's mother's voice rang out from the yard: "Ah Lei, why did you throw away the water from cleaning the fish? It's made the doorway stink."

Zhou Chenglei replied, "Just doing it. I'll wash it clean in a bit."

Jiang Xia walked in, smiling at him. Zhou Chenglei met her gaze casually and said softly, "Dinner's ready."

Jiang Xia smiled: "Okay."

The pickled fish was tender, refreshing, and appetizing; the garlic-flavored split shrimp had a strong garlic aroma and was sweet and delicious. Because they were split open, there was no need to peel them; you could just bite into them and spit out the shells. The baby red squid was crisp and chewy, and even the mudskipper was more tender than usual.

In the end, the whole family was stuffed!

Zhou Chenglei and Zhou's father even mixed a bowl of rice with the broth from the pickled fish.

It was so delicious that they couldn't bear to throw away the broth.

Zhou Zhou had never eaten so satisfyingly before. She couldn't compete with her brothers for food, and she had never eaten so much shrimp and fish in one meal in a single day.

Her little belly was round and full, and she couldn't help but pat it. Then she met her aunt's smiling eyes, and she quickly withdrew her hand, her face turning red.

Jiang Xia smiled.

Zhou's mother's cooking skills were average; she mainly focused on cooking the fish until it was cooked through, regardless of whether the fish was overcooked.

Fresh seafood is naturally sweet and delicious, and it won't taste too bad even if you just steam or boil it. But not bad doesn't mean it's delicious.

Jiang Xia's cooking is just delicious! Super delicious! It makes you want to keep eating even when you're full, the kind of eating that makes you want to eat until you're stuffed.

Zhou's mother also admired her youngest daughter-in-law's cooking skills.

After Jiang Xia finished eating, Zhou's mother smiled and said, "Xia, you've been at sea all day and then cooked, you must be tired. I'll wash the dishes, you go take a shower and rest."

Zhou Chenglei said, "Go sit or walk around in the yard first, I'll get you some water later."

It's not good to take a shower right after eating, but before there was no choice because there were many people in the family, but now she doesn't need to rush to take a shower.

Jiang Xia didn't like washing dishes either, so she pulled Zhou Zhou out for a walk in the yard, she was also stuffed.

After Zhou's mother finished cleaning up the dishes and the kitchen, Jiang Xia went to wash her hair and take a shower, and then she dried her hair in the yard.

Zhou Chenglei brought back some old wooden planks and some iron bars from somewhere using a metal cart.

Jiang Xia watched as he placed the planks one by one over the well opening and traced its shape with a pencil.

Zhou Zhou, squatting nearby, asked curiously, "Uncle, what are you doing?"

"Making a well cover," Zhou Chenglei replied to his niece's question.

Zhou's mother, who was washing Zhou's father and Zhou Zhou's clothes in the courtyard by the well, said upon hearing this, "Why are you making a well cover? Zhou Zhou is all grown up now; she learned a couple of years ago that she shouldn't go near wells."

Zhou Zhou nodded and said, "That's right, Uncle, I won't go near the well; I know it's dangerous."

Jiang Xia couldn't help but think: Is Zhou Chenglei making this well cover to prevent her from falling into the well?

“I’m planning to install a water pump.”

Zhou’s mother said, “Why install a water pump? It’s unnecessary! The terrain here isn’t as high as the new house, and the well is shallow. We can just use buckets to draw water, which is easier and faster.”

Zhou Chenglei said, “Installing a water pump will make it easier for Zhou Zhou and Jiang Xia to draw water.”

“Oh, that’s true, then let’s install it!” Zhou’s mother knew immediately that it was for Jiang Xia, so she didn’t say anything more. After washing the clothes, she called Zhou Zhou back to the house to sleep.

Jiang Xia watched Zhou Chenglei’s work with great interest in the yard.

After Zhou Chenglei drew the shape of the well opening, he took out a saw to cut off the excess wood, then nailed the planks one by one into a circle, and then nailed a ring of planks around the edge of the circle to make a large round support.

Then Jiang Xia saw him take out some iron rods, crisscross them in the round support, and tie them with iron wire.

Then he used the sand and cement left over from building the house to mix into concrete, poured it into the round support, and used a small iron shovel to flatten it so that the iron rods were not exposed.

Two days later, once the concrete had dried and hardened, a simple cement slab well cover was ready.

Jiang Xia glanced at the yard. Except for a small courtyard near the well, the rest of the yard was dirt. It was dusty when it wasn't raining, and muddy when it rained.

She said, "My brother is going out to sea tomorrow, we don't need to. Why don't we go to the river and collect some pebbles to pave a path in the yard?"

Jiang Xia also said that it was a waste to leave such a large yard empty; why not plant some fruit trees and flowers?

Zhou Chenglei replied, "I'll go to the market in town tomorrow morning to buy a water pump, and I'll collect some more in the afternoon."

The yard wasn't planted because they needed to dry fish frequently, and Zhou's mother was too lazy to plant anything, though Zhou Chenglei hadn't told her.

The market? Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia immediately said, "I'll go to the market with you."

Zhou Chenglei sized her up. She had only been married to him for two days; he had asked her if she wanted to go to the market, and she had refused with a look of disgust.

"There are many stalls selling fish, chickens, geese, and ducks at the market, and they smell bad."

The rural market was chaotic and dirty, and he had to remind her, afraid she wouldn't be able to stand it.

"I'm not afraid,"

Zhou Chenglei said without saying anything more. "It's getting late, go to sleep! We have to get up at six tomorrow to go to the market."

Zhou's father, mother, and Zhou Zhou had all showered and gone to their rooms to sleep.

Jiang Xia went back to her room.

Zhou Chenglei washed his hands and came in, handing Jiang Xia a large stack of ten-yuan notes.

Jiang Xia looked at him in surprise.

"Here's a thousand yuan of the money we earned from going

out to sea today." Such a good deal? After all, she had only hitched a ride on the boat.

Jiang Xia: "I didn't do much, and I get so much money?"

Zhou Chenglei: "Without the gurgling sounds and seeing the red snapper, we wouldn't have earned this much today. This is yours, remember to put it away."

Zhou Chenglei put the money in the cabinet on the dressing table, and he also put his share in a metal box in the wardrobe in front of Jiang Xia.

Then he grabbed some clothes and went to take a shower, leaving the light on, afraid she would be scared alone.

Jiang Xia counted the stack of money; it was exactly one thousand yuan. She put the money away without hesitation.

Jiang Xia had made a decision: she planned to tell Zhou Chenglei when he returned

from his shower. After putting the money away, she went out to wash her hands before going back to bed.

She had originally intended to wait for Zhou Chenglei to return to discuss things, but she was too tired and had gotten up early that day, so she fell asleep as soon as she lay down, completely forgetting about the snake.

When Zhou Chenglei returned from his shower, Jiang Xia was already asleep, her sleeping face serene and radiant.

Zhou Chenglei noticed a few beads of sweat on her forehead, took a clean towel, went back to bed, wiped the sweat from her brow, applied medicine to her hands, then turned off the light, went back to bed, closed his eyes, and gently fanned himself with a large palm leaf fan until he gradually became sleepy.

The next day, Zhou Chenglei woke up at five o'clock, and Jiang Xia's arms and legs were draped over him again.

He took his pillow and draped it over her, then carefully got up and went for a run.

On days when he wasn't at sea, he would run for an hour every day.

Zhou Chenglei returned from his run at six o'clock, and Jiang Xia was still asleep.

The living room was empty except for a dining table. Zhou Chenglei wanted to go to the market to buy some bamboo beds and stools.

Bamboo beds sold at the market usually only come in one at a time, as they are too bulky and difficult to move; if he went too late, they might be sold out.

He had no choice but to wake Jiang Xia.

Jiang Xia woke up immediately and quickly got up to wash.

Zhou's mother had already prepared breakfast: sweet potato porridge with pickled vegetables and two boiled eggs.

She gave one to Zhou Zhou and the other to Jiang Xia.

On days when they weren't at sea, Zhou's father and Zhou Chenglei didn't have any eggs!

They didn't have many eggs at home; besides occasionally giving one to their grandson and Zhou Zhou, they saved them for their father and son to take on their voyages. Zhou's mother, remembering her misunderstanding of Jiang Xia the day before, had boiled an extra one. After

the couple ate breakfast, Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia went to the village committee to borrow a tractor.

Then, the two drove the tractor to the town market.

It was the same road as last time, and at the same intersection, he encountered the female protagonist in a white dress.

However, this time Wen Wan wasn't herding sheep; instead, she was pushing an iron cart with a large wooden plank on top, upon which rested a slaughtered sheep.

Wen Wan reached out and stopped Zhou Chenglei's tractor.

Wen Wan, dressed in a white dress, spoke in a gentle voice: "Brother Zhou, are you going to the market? Could you give me a ride? I left a little late today, and I'm afraid if I'm late, the mutton won't sell well, and it'll spoil in this hot weather."

Her voice was gentle, a natural gentleness, not an affected one, making one feel like a spring breeze.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at the mutton on her cart and hesitated.

Normally, as neighbors, Zhou Chenglei would help.

But he was worried that Jiang Xia wouldn't be able to stand the smell of the mutton. She already got tractor sickness, and the strong, gamey smell of mutton would only make it worse.

He turned to Jiang Xia and asked, "Aren't you afraid of the smell?"

Wen Wan: "..."

Did I even need to ask her?

Did Jiang Xia not want to ride the tractor just because she was afraid of the smell?

What happened to the soldiers serving the people?

Jiang Xia wasn't afraid of the smell; she grew up in the market, how could she be afraid of the smell?

Seeing Zhou Chenglei's hesitation, she said, "Don't be afraid."

Only then did Zhou Chenglei say to Wen Wan, "Okay."

This answer didn't surprise Zhou Chenglei; she had changed a lot in the past two days.

Zhou Chenglei got out of the driver's seat. Still worried that Jiang Xia couldn't handle it, he said to Jiang Xia, "The mutton smells strong. Would you like to sit in the front driver's seat with me?"

"Sure."

The driver's seat on the tractor was quite long, enough for two people, and most importantly, there was a roof for shade.

Jiang Xia agreed and was about to get off the tractor.

As she jumped off the trailer, Zhou Chenglei reached out to help her.

The trailer was high, and he was afraid she would twist her ankle.

Wen Wan glanced at Zhou Chenglei: without a doubt, he was a very considerate man, even taking good care of a woman who had cheated on him.

But when would they get a divorce? Could Jiang Xia tolerate that dilapidated house?

Or should they get a divorce today?

After helping Jiang Xia off the tractor, Zhou Chenglei went to help Wen Wan load the mutton onto the tractor.

Wen Wan snapped out of her daze and hurriedly said, "No need to trouble Brother Zhou, I can carry it myself."

Just as Zhou Chenglei's hands gripped the wooden pallet, Wen Wan's hand reached out and grasped his.

She blushed and withdrew her hand, saying, "No, I'm sorry."

Zhou Chenglei expressionlessly loaded the pallet of mutton onto the tractor, then loaded the iron cart onto the tractor as well. He found two stones by the roadside stream and used them to brace the two wheels of the iron cart, then washed his hands.

He said to Wen Wan, "Remember to hold the iron cart steady when you're done."

His voice was cold, carrying a hint of "keep away."

After speaking, he returned to the driver's seat.

Wen Wan felt Zhou Chenglei had become even colder and mumbled a reply.

She felt a little wronged; wasn't it normal to accidentally bump into someone? It wasn't intentional!

Wen Wan then thought of her dream last night where he saved her from being swept away by the waves.

In her dream, she was adrift in the waves, thinking she was going to die, when he rushed into the sea without hesitation and pulled her into his arms.

The scene was very real; it was after a typhoon, when she went to the beach. She felt it was an omen, and besides, Jiang Xia had divorced him then.

The typhoon was coming soon! Thinking of this, Wen Wan happily climbed onto the tractor.

The tractor's trailer was a bit high, and she was wearing a skirt, so her movements as she climbed up were a little unladylike. Just then, Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia both turned around to look.

Her face turned a deep purplish-red.

Zhou Chenglei

glanced at her and then turned away. Wen Wan glanced at Jiang Xia, feeling that he was laughing at her.

Just now, when Jiang Xia got off the tractor, Zhou Chenglei had helped her up, and when she climbed onto the low driver's seat, Zhou Chenglei had also reached out to protect her head.

Compared to him, she felt particularly unloved.

But Jiang Xia wouldn't cherish such a good man; he would be hers sooner or later.

Blushing, she said to Zhou Chenglei, "Brother Zhou, I'm all set."

Zhou Chenglei didn't reply. He turned to Jiang Xia and said, "Sit tight, I'm starting the tractor."

Jiang Xia noticed she hadn't gotten on the tractor for a while before turning back to look at her. Hearing this, she turned around and sat down, saying, "Okay, let's go!"

The tractor chugged along the bumpy dirt road.

Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei sat side by side, their shoulders sometimes bumping against each other because the road was so uneven and the tractor swayed so violently.

Jiang Xia subtly shifted her position slightly away from him.

She regretted sitting next to him, afraid she might fall off at any moment.

She gripped the handle on top of the tractor tightly.

Zhou Chenglei, worried she might fall off or get tractor sickness, said, "Sit closer, be careful not to fall."

Jiang Xia didn't move: "I won't, I'm holding on tight."

The tractor didn't have a cab, so Wen Wan sat in the back, watching their unspoken intimacy through the low partition. She felt a little uncomfortable and wanted to break the unspoken bond.

She laughed loudly, "Jiang Xia, you're obviously used to cars, and you're from the city. You city people aren't used to tractors, are you?"

She knew Jiang Xia was proud of being from the city and looked down on rural people.

Jiang Xia retorted, "Does every household in the village have a tractor?"

Wen Wan: "How could that be? Only one family and the village committee have one in our village."

Jiang Xia: "So that's why.

" Wen Wan: "..."

So what? Wen Wan was dumbfounded.

Suddenly, she realized that Jiang Xia meant that since not every household in the village had a tractor, it wasn't just city dwellers who couldn't get used to it; villagers couldn't either.

Wen Wan didn't want to talk to Jiang Xia anymore. This person spoke in circles, with a sarcastic tone!

She hated this kind of condescending attitude from city people.

In her previous life, she had a local in her dormitory at work in the city, who looked down on everyone.

She was on the upper bunk, and that person was on the lower bunk. When she sat on her bed, that person looked down on her because she was from the countryside.

Jiang Xia looked like that person too.

Bah, if you look down on the countryside, then go back to the city!

Wen Wan switched to talking to Zhou Chenglei, tentatively asking, "Brother Zhou, are you going to the market or somewhere else?"

Wen Wan was sitting next to Zhou Chenglei. She knew that Zhou Chenglei was deaf in one ear. She leaned her head close to the partition in front of her. The partition wasn't very high, so she could see Zhou Chenglei's head.

She asked, close to the back of his head.

Zhou Chenglei, who had been leaning against the partition, straightened up, moved a distance away from it, and gave a faint "hmm."

Hmm? What did that mean? Going to the market? Wen Wan asked again, "What are you planning to buy? I often go to the market to sell mutton; I know which stalls have good stuff and reasonable prices."

"Buying things."

Wen Wan: "..."

"Brother Zhou, is your house repaired?"

"Yes."

"I heard there might be a typhoon in a couple of days, the waves will be big, remember to moor the boat properly and don't go out to sea."

"Yes."

"Brother Zhou, what time do you usually go out to sea?"

"..."

"Brother Zhou, what time do you usually come back from sea? Do you need someone to clean the fish? I want to earn some money for my school tuition."

"No need to hire anyone."

"It's okay, then remember to call me when you need me, Brother Zhou, I'm very good at cleaning fish."

"Brother Zhou..."

...

Wen Wan kept talking.

Zhou Chenglei was a man of few words, and he had never felt the journey to town was so long!

He regretted bringing her along.

Couldn't she just sit quietly like Jiang Xia?

Finally, Zhou Chenglei couldn't help but blurt out, "You're so noisy!"

Wen Wan: "..."

Zhou Chenglei was a man of few words, not fond of talking. Now, driving the tractor, he had to pay attention to the road conditions and whether Jiang Xia was feeling unwell.

Someone was constantly chattering incessantly in his ear, saying random, pointless things, which annoyed him.

So, he finally snapped, "You're

so noisy!" He thought she was noisier than the tractor!

Wen Wan's face flushed red, more embarrassed than ever before.

The world went silent!

Finally arriving at the town market, Zhou Chenglei parked the tractor and quickly got off to help Wen Wan unload the iron cart and mutton.

Jiang Xia found it a little funny; she had sensed Zhou Chenglei's impatience, but the female lead seemed oblivious, like a chatterbox.

Wen Wan's face was still red, and she smiled awkwardly, "Thank you, Brother Zhou, Sister Jiang Xia."

She couldn't help but glance at Jiang Xia, feeling that she was laughing at her.

Zhou Chenglei nodded coldly, not wanting to say a word.

He watched Jiang Xia patiently wait for her to "arm" herself.

Jiang Xia didn't look at anyone. The sun was up, so she put on a straw hat and arm sleeves, trying to cover every inch of her skin in the sunlight.

Today, Jiang Xia wore two braids, a white floral polyester shirt, green military pants, canvas shoes, and a straw hat. Her skin was fair and smooth, and despite the rather rustic outfit, she managed to make it look stylish, so beautiful that it was hard to look away.

People passing by couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.

Wen Wan was also beautiful, with a gentle and radiant beauty.

But Jiang Xia was tall, had a good figure, and excellent temperament. Every gesture she made exuded an aura of confidence. Standing there, she was like the rising sun over a river in midsummer, dazzling and radiant.

Next to Jiang Xia, Wen Wan was like the moon that hadn't yet set after the sun had risen.

Her beauty faded.

Looking at Jiang Xia like this, Wen Wan disliked her: Too pretentious!

If you're afraid of the sun, don't go out.

In the countryside, who goes to the market like this?

Zhou Chenglei must disapprove, right?

Wen Wan glanced at Zhou Chenglei, only to see him staring intently at Jiang Xia.

Wen Wan: "..."

She looked down at her white dress, stained with sheep's blood, blushed, and quickly pushed the iron cart away.

"Let's go!" After fully equipping herself, Jiang Xia carried a yellow-green plastic woven basket towards the market.

The market was on a main street, and the first part mainly sold poultry like chickens, geese, ducks, and rabbits. Since she already had chickens and ducks, she didn't need to buy any.

Jiang Xia saw some goslings for sale, all green and cute.

"Want to raise geese?" Zhou Chenglei asked, shielding her from passersby.

Jiang Xia nodded, then shook her head: "I want to eat goose meat, let's not buy any yet, let's go!"

Jiang Xia continued walking, and Zhou Chenglei didn't say anything, quickly following.

Chicken and goose feathers flew everywhere along the way, and the two walked quite fast.

Zhou Chenglei led Jiang Xia to a place selling handicrafts.

Jiang Xia saw many woven bamboo baskets, dustpans, and other items. Only one shop sold bamboo beds, bamboo chairs, rattan chairs, and other furniture. Not far away, there were also shops selling wooden furniture, all of which were very simple in style, without any patterns or other decorative craftsmanship.

Jiang Xia touched a bamboo bed, her eyes filled with admiration:

"This bamboo bed is so beautiful! We can buy this bamboo bed and put it in the yard. We can build a grape trellis and put it under it. In the summer, we can hang a gauze curtain and sleep under the grape trellis. It should be very cool."

Zhou Chenglei: "Uncle, how much is this bamboo bed?"

The uncle quoted a price and added, "No bargaining!"

Zhou Chenglei: "I'll take it."

Jiang Xia looked at the bamboo chairs: "How about buying a few bamboo chairs? Sitting on a long bench when eating feels like sitting on a seesaw. I'm always worried that someone will suddenly get up and the chair will tip over."

Zhou Chenglei then said to the shopkeeper, "I'd like six more bamboo chairs."

Jiang Xia exclaimed, "This recliner looks so comfortable! How about we buy two more? We can take them out to the yard at night, lie on them, enjoy the breeze, and look at the stars—it'll be so relaxing!"

The shopkeeper replied, "These are rattan chairs, they're more expensive, but much more comfortable than bamboo recliners."

Zhou Chenglei looked at the recliners and remembered how she had said that if he washed her hair while lying down, she wouldn't get it in her eyes or wet her clothes.

"Two, please,"

he said. The shopkeeper happily replied, "Great! See if you need anything else; I have a lot of things here. Do you want dustpans, winnowing baskets, or anything like that?"

In the end, Zhou Chenglei bought a bamboo bed, six bamboo chairs, two recliners, a covered bamboo woven vegetable basket, two wicker baskets, several round dustpans of different sizes with holes, winnowing baskets, sieves, fish baskets, a straw hat, and so on.

Seeing Jiang Xia pick them up and look at them, Zhou Chenglei bought them all.

The couple bought most of the items from the stall.

The vendor grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and offered to help them load the goods onto the tractor.

Zhou Chenglei paid, saying he'd come back to pick them up afterward.

The couple continued walking. Jiang Xia saw a lumber shop with a solid wood sofa and a coffee table; it looked simple and sturdy.

Jiang Xia said, "That looks quite practical. We can put it in the living room, add some cushions and pillows, and it'll be comfortable. And that coffee table set looks really nice; it would look great in our old house."

Zhou Chenglei then led Jiang Xia across to the lumber shop and bought a solid wood sofa, a wooden coffee table, and a desk for Zhou Zhou.

The shopkeeper enthusiastically offered to help them load the goods onto the tractor.

Zhou Chenglei then went to a nearby general store and bought a large iron pot and a coal stove before helping the others load the furniture onto the tractor.

Jiang Xia wanted to see what else was for sale, so she wandered around the market by herself.

Then Jiang Xia bought three jin of fresh water chestnuts, two jin of wild jujubes, three pineapples, and four cantaloupes at the market. She then bought half a rack of pork ribs from the pork stall.

Wen Wan watched Jiang Xia buy things at the market as if money were no object; she could buy whatever she wanted without a care in the world.

Meanwhile, she could only stand there hawking her mutton. Wen Wan's eyes darkened.

After Jiang Xia divorced Zhou Chenglei and she married him, would she live a similar life?

Jiang Xia walked on, checking what else was available at the market, when suddenly someone grabbed her arm from behind: "Xia Xia."

*

Zhou Chenglei loaded everything onto the tractor and tied it up before turning back to look for Jiang Xia.

Seeing Zhou Chenglei looking around, Wen Wan called out, "Brother Zhou, are you looking for Sister Jiang Xia?"

Zhou Chenglei looked at her and asked, "You saw her?"

Wen Wan pointed ahead and said, "I saw Sister Jiang Xia go up ahead to buy something. There was a man who seemed to be following her, but there are so many people in the market, I'm not sure if he was really with Sister Jiang Xia. He just glanced at her a few times, which is normal; Sister Jiang Xia is so beautiful." Upon

hearing this, Zhou Chenglei strode forward.

Wen Wan bit her lower lip. She felt she had said the wrong thing; she shouldn't have said the last two sentences, as it seemed like she was trying to sow discord.

But she was also worried that Jiang Xia might cause trouble.

Just now, Wu Qizhi had come to buy mutton and flirted with her.

That was Jiang Xia's man; why would he flirt with her?

She couldn't help but say, "Aren't you afraid Sister Jiang Xia will see you like this?"

Then she looked at Jiang Xia not far away, and Wu Qizhi followed her gaze and saw Jiang Xia as well.

He then chased after her.

Wen Wan could no longer see Jiang Xia; there were too many people around, and she was uneasy and worried about him, which was why she spoke to Zhou Chenglei.

*