Wang Liang’s face turned as red as a monkey’s behind. He kept his head down, not daring to look at Han Xiaorui.
Seeing this, Ye Feng patted him on the shoulder. “Even if you are close to your cousin, you cannot abandon your principles and fail to distinguish right from wrong.”
Wang Liang felt awkward. “I’m sorry!”
Looking back at the situation, he was indeed in the wrong.
Han Xiaorui glanced at him, feeling that Wang Liang was a bit slow-witted, and said irritably, “Heh, after today’s business is finished, just don’t appear in front of me again.”
Wang Liang secretly regretted his impulsive actions. He was very close to his cousin. She called his mother every day, crying and complaining that Yang Jianguo’s ex-wife had hit and scolded her. Even though he knew his cousin was in the wrong, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, which gave him a poor impression of Han Xiaorui.
Ye Feng also felt that Wang Liang acted without principle, was overly emotional, and failed to separate his public duties from his private life. He would report this truthfully and have him replaced!
“Comrade Han, I know how to sail a boat. Would you like me to take the helm for a while?”
Han Xiaorui refused. “No need, I can handle it myself. Comrade Ye, there is a stool over there; please sit and rest.”
Seeing Han Xiaorui’s resolve, Ye Feng sat on a fixed crate in the cabin. “Thank you, and I appreciate your hard work. Keep the receipts for the fuel you just bought and give them to me; I’ll have the fuel and your lost-time wages reimbursed.”
“No need, I was coming out to fish anyway,” Han Xiaorui replied. “Protecting national security is everyone’s responsibility.”
Ye Feng was quite moved by her words and glanced at Wang Liang, who was standing not far away looking conflicted. In any case, he was determined to protect Han Xiaorui.
After sailing for about an hour and a half, Han Xiaorui gradually slowed the boat and circled the area to get her bearings. “Comrade Ye, it’s right here.”
Wang Liang scanned the surroundings. “There are no landmarks here. How do you know it’s this spot?”
Ignoring Wang Liang, Han Xiaorui looked at Ye Feng. “Comrade Ye, look closely. There are sea reefs down there. As for how I found it, I can only say it’s a gut feeling.”
Wang Liang quickly denied this, feeling that Han Xiaorui was bluffing. “Impossible. I grew up by the sea, and trying to find a specific spot on the vast, featureless ocean is too difficult.”
“You are you, and I am me. I don’t know how others do it, but I found this place. Believe it or not, that’s up to you.” Han Xiaorui couldn’t be bothered with Wang Liang. “Comrade Ye, feel free to observe. I’m going to start fishing.”
Taking out her fishing rod, Han Xiaorui began to hook the bait she had meticulously prepared.
Ye Feng smiled. “I believe you, Comrade Han. A foreign warship passed near here about half a month ago.” Wang Liang didn’t know these details, but Ye Feng did.
“That’s not something I can concern myself with; defending the country is up to you.” Han Xiaorui laughed as she threw the baited hook into the water and began to fish.
Her luck was good today; there were large yellow croakers below the spot where she had stopped. (This is their appearance in the water; their color fades when they are caught in the daylight. Generally, those caught with nets don’t fade and are quite valuable.)
This kind of fish was also very expensive and in high demand.
Seeing that Han Xiaorui ignored him, Wang Liang felt a bit annoyed. He had sensed a shift in Ye Feng’s attitude toward him and was worried about being punished when they returned. Once he calmed down, he felt some regret!
But Han Xiaorui had no time to spare for Wang Liang. The bait fell exactly near a group of feeding yellow croakers.
Yellow croakers belong to the Sciaenidae family and inhabit the middle and bottom layers of the sea area. They are one of the four most famous seafood products in China. An adult yellow croaker can reach a body length of 40-50 centimeters. Their golden color is seductive, their scales are arranged neatly, and they represent wealth and good fortune, making them highly sought after by consumers.
Seeing the lively food, how could these yellow croakers resist? A four- or five-jin yellow croaker took the hook!
“Fish on!” Ye Feng said, surprised. “You caught one in less than a minute?”
“I’m having good luck today.” Han Xiaorui reeled in the line quickly. Even though the yellow croaker struggled, her water-based ability allowed them to remain docile while helping their bodies adapt to the changes in water pressure. As she spoke, a fish with a golden body, shining brightly in the sunlight, leaped out of the water.
“A yellow croaker!” Wang Liang was stunned. This was a huge one.
Han Xiaorui quickly unhooked it and placed it in the live water tank. The nearly lifeless fish gradually regained its vitality and began to swim. She continued to bait the hook and fish.
Han Xiaorui had truly hit a nest of yellow croakers today. One after another, she kept pulling them up. Wang Liang was dumbfounded—how could she catch so many? Ye Feng didn’t understand fishing, but he was startled to see the thin, tall Han Xiaorui pulling up fish non-stop.
He didn’t disturb her. He knew Han Xiaorui was divorced and had to raise two non-verbal daughters. She didn’t cry or make a fuss; she lived tough and worked hard. Ye Feng thought Han Xiaorui was amazing! Thinking of his own family, he felt bitter, and a trace of mockery surfaced in his eyes. Forget it, don’t think about it!
Han Xiaorui glanced at the clock in the cabin—it was already 9:30 AM. She needed to fish quickly and head home early; besides, she couldn’t let Ye Feng just wait on the boat.
She scattered some bait on the water and picked up her fishing net, getting into position. Lured by the food, the yellow croakers kept surfacing, and in a short while, the sea surface around them turned a golden yellow.
Han Xiaorui cast the net with force. It traced a beautiful arc in the air like a wide-open mouth as it fell into the sea. She pulled hard on the net, but because of her thin frame and the sheer number of fish, it was physically taxing. Seeing this, Ye Feng rushed over to help. “Wang Liang, come help!”
Wang Liang, whose eyes were still filled with shock and fascination at the sight of the yellow croakers, hurried over to help. With their assistance, Han Xiaorui successfully pulled up the net. She quickly unhooked the fish—the live ones went into the live water tank, and the ones that had stopped moving were immediately frozen.
Ye Feng’s movements were clumsy, but Wang Liang was very quick at unhooking the fish.
“The school is still there! Cast the net again!” Wang Liang urged Han Xiaorui. “Hurry!”
Han Xiaorui cast the net again. They did this five times until the school of yellow croakers finally dispersed. All three live water tanks were full, and both freezing boxes were full as well. A rough estimate suggested they had caught over seven hundred jin of yellow croakers today.
Checking the time, it was 10:30 AM.
“Thank you very much. I’ll give each of you four large fish later,” Han Xiaorui said. “Without you, I couldn’t have managed the net alone, nor could I have caught so many yellow croakers.”
Ye Feng refused. “No need. It was just a small effort.”
Wang Liang glanced at Han Xiaorui from time to time. It was no wonder Han Xiaorui dared to have her own fishing boat—she not only knew how to fish but also how to cast a net.
“Comrade Wang, since you helped me catch the fish, I won’t go to your unit to report your poor attitude and lack of professionalism.”
“It’s your cousin’s business that she likes Yang Jianguo and wants to marry him; I’ve already divorced him, and he has nothing to do with me. I just want to raise my daughters and live a good life.”
Anyone who wants that garbage Yang Jianguo can have him! The morally bankrupt Zhang Lili and the despicable, shameless Yang Jianguo are a match made in heaven; at least that way they won’t harm anyone else!