Read/BTSFVI/Chapter 71
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Chapter 71 Red Spotted Fish
Father Ye was also pleasantly surprised. “There's a red spotted fish too?? I didn't expect to find a red spotted fish here!"
Ye Yaodong picked up the fish and examined it in his hands with delight. "Um, I think so! I thought this catch wouldn't be anything special, but I didn't expect to find a red spotted fish! Perfect haul!"
"Let me take a closer look!" Father Ye couldn't wait.
"In winter, there's pufferfish; in summer, there's red spotted fish. This one weighs over two jin, so it should be close to three jin. It should fetch a good price."
He remembered that before his rebirth, farmed red spotted fish would sell for two to three hundred yuan per jin, and wild ones would go for 800 or more!
"Well, it's much bigger than the sea bass you caught during the typhoon."
"I told you I had good luck, tsk tsk tsk~ Such a big red spotted fish!"
"Keep it separate; don't damage it. If it doesn't look good, we'll have to give a big discount." Father Ye carefully took a small basket to put it in.
"After dragging the net for so many days, besides the big yellow croakers, Today's catch has been the most fruitful one. We can sell it for over a hundred yuan."
Father Ye glanced at the delighted Ye Yaodong and said, "Well, your luck is indeed good. From now on, your eldest brother and second brother don't need to come. Just stay at home and help build the houses. You can come with me every day."
"Huh?" His smile froze for a moment. He wanted to protest, but then he thought about it. Besides having to wake up early and not eating or sleeping well, going out to sea seemed easier than doing physical labor like picking stones or carrying rocks. His stagnant smile suddenly returned to his face.
"Okay."
"Stop daydreaming and start working."
"Well, you were the one who said..."
Father Ye ignored him and adjusted the last load of goods. He had a rough idea in his mind, "Apart from that big red spotted fish, the catch from this haul is still good. Sort out the items, tie the crab's legs together, and pick out the thin and small ones. I'll steer the boat back. The sun is setting, so let's go back early. Otherwise, the tide will be too shallow, and the boat won't dock properly."
"Oh."
Ye Yaodong had no objections. He had been drifting since 2 a.m., and he was a bit tired now. It was better to go back early.
He sorted the various seafood into baskets and then sat down leisurely to tie the crab's legs.
There weren't many crabs today. After he finished tying them, the boat was not far from the pier, and he could see several fishing boats returning from the sea.
They were all from their village, and everyone was familiar with each other. When they saw each other, they naturally greeted and asked about their catch.
"Huh? Old Third Ye, why did you bring Yaodong out today?" It was his father's friend, Uncle Lin Jingye.
"Don't the three brothers take turns working? If he doesn't do some work, what will become of him? He won't be able to support his wife and children in the future."
Work, and he'll be scolded! Don't work, and he'll still be scolded!
This is what his father is like. Only his father would scold him for not turning iron into steel.
Hey, since he came back, besides hanging out with friends, hasn't he been working hard?
Ye Yaodong helplessly said, "Dad, haven't I been performing well and working diligently recently? Can't you say something good?"
Uncle Lin smiled and said, "That's right, Yaodong has been diligent and ambitious recently. I heard he caught a lot of big catches. We've been fishermen all our lives, but we've never caught anything rare."
"Well, it's all luck. Who can have a lifetime of good luck? Hard work is what we rural folks should do. No one can guarantee coming back with a full load every day. There are so many unpredictable things at sea, and the risks are higher than on land."
"It’s because the risks are high that luck becomes important. Otherwise, when going to sea, some people get a low harvest, while others get a high one. Some people may even lose their lives at sea."
That's indeed true. Father Ye couldn't argue, and Ye Yaodong agreed, "Uncle Lin is absolutely right. Luck is crucial for us who work at sea!"
"Yes, that's why I'm asking, how much did you catch today?"
This question struck a chord with Father Ye. He smiled and said, "We caught three nets of skatefish, one net of balang fish, and one net of shrimp and crabs..."
Before Father Ye could finish speaking, Uncle Lin exclaimed in surprise, "Such a big catch? And three nets of skatefish? That must be over a hundred jin, right? Wow... And balang fish and shrimp and crabs too, you had quite a harvest today."
"More than that, we caught around three to four hundred jin of skatefish, and we also caught a big red spotted fish weighing almost three jin!"
"What? Red fish?"
"It's a red spotted fish! What's so special about a red fish? Is it worth mentioning?"
"Ah, a red spotted fish? And it's almost three jin? Show it to me! Did you really catch a red spotted fish? Your family has been so lucky recently. How come you're encountering all these good things?"
Uncle Lin stretched his neck, and he saw Ye Yaodong taking out a large fish with red color, stripes, and spots from the foam box. His eyes widened.
"Unbelievable, it's really a big red spotted fish! Your family's luck has been quite good lately! Could it be because of the good Feng Shui of your new house?"
"Well, you never know; it's possible." Father Ye had heard someone mention the good Feng Shui of their new house yesterday.
"Wow, you've hit the jackpot again today! Three to four hundred jin of skatefish alone can sell for sixty to seventy yuan. This red spotted fish is worth at least a dozen yuan or more. And there are other seafood..."
"What red spotted fish?"
When they approached the shore, their loud conversation caught the attention of the villagers on the nearby boats. Due to the loud noise from the boat's engine, they had to speak loudly. It was like poking a hornet's nest, and everyone started asking about the red spotted fish.
Ye Yaodong had already put the fish back in the foam box and didn't want to take it out again. "You'll see when we unload the goods later."
Since he didn't take it out, Uncle Lin, who had seen the goods, naturally helped them boast. Now everyone was even more curious about what kind of incredible luck the Ye family had recently.
With this interlude, when they unloaded the goods, there were many people gathering around the pier to watch.
As they carried the skatefish off the boat, everyone wasn't too surprised. But when they continued to carry several baskets, everyone was amazed!
"Old Third Ye, did you have a massive catch?"
"There are quite a lot of these skatefish! Several hundred jin?"
"I heard there's a red spotted fish weighing nearly three jin!"
"Is it true?"
"Yes, it's really a red spotted fish!"
Seeing the basket with the red spotted fish placed on top of the basket of miscellaneous fish, everyone crowded around and started discussing how much the fish was worth.
"Everyone, make way and let us weigh the goods first. Once it's weighed, we'll know how much it's worth." Mother Ye smiled with joy. She hadn't expected such a bountiful catch today.
Ah Cai, seeing the red spotted fish, had a big smile on his face too. He had sold some rare fish recently, and even the youngest son of the owner of the Hongsheng Hotel in town remembered him. He told him to send any good catches over.
Hongsheng is the largest hotel in their town, and they even have an OK lounge. The wealthy people spend lavishly there. In this era, the crackdown on illegal activities like prostitution is not very strict in their area. Even in the surrounding towns and the city, many affluent individuals and officials like to go there for entertainment.
Ah Cai happily said, "This red spotted fish is a great catch. Let's weigh this first!"
Ye Yaodong handed him a cigarette and said, "Let's agree on the price per jin first, Brother Cai!"
(end of this chapter)
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