Back To the Small Fishing Village In 1982

"How come this coconut snail only has the shell? Where's the meat?" Mother Ye also helped with sorting.

"In the bucket, take a look and see if it’s there, let's stir-fry them for lunch."

"It's already been opened, but there's nothing inside?" Mother Ye asked casually. The chances were too low, and she didn't believe that a random one would yield a precious pearl.

"Um!"

He spoke without hesitation, while Lin Xiuqing couldn't help but sneak a glance at him, feeling a bit guilty.

He winked at her and said, “You go take a shower first to prevent catching a cold. Mom and the others are here."

She understood his meaning and nodded in agreement. She went back to the room and hid the precious bead, fearing that it might slip away. On her way back, she kept holding onto her pocket, afraid of losing it.

There was one crab without big claws, another with little meat, some miscellaneous fish, small fish, shrimp, and stone crabs left. The rest of the valuable ones were picked out by Mother Ye and placed in a bucket for him.

"While it's not raining much right now, you should go and come back quickly. Remember to wear a raincoat."

At a glance, Ye Yaodong saw the antique raincoat hanging in the corridor. He didn't mind using it. It's much more convenient than an umbrella and won't get blown away.

Once he stepped out carrying two buckets, the women in the house began to clean the fish and cook, while also replenishing water for the clams and sprinkling some coarse salt to keep them fresh.

Normally, the village is filled with the atmosphere of daily life. Every household, whether through the front or back doors, would have women sitting and weaving nets. However, today, every house had tightly closed doors and windows, and there was not a single person on the road.

When Ye Yaodong arrived at Ah Cai's house, he found him sharpening his knife and preparing to clean fish at the back door while shirtless. As soon as he heard someone approaching, he came out holding the knife.

"What are you doing, Brother Cai? I'm here to deliver goods, not to rob you. Did you really need to come out with a knife in such an aggressive manner?"

"Ah? Haha~" Ah Cai awkwardly glanced at the knife in his hand and explained, "I was just cleaning fish. Why did you come during a typhoon? Your father wouldn't go out to sea during a typhoon, would he? That's risking his life!"

"No, no. These are just things I picked up on the beach right after the tide receded."

"Oh? You're clever. You even know that there are good things to pick up during a typhoon with big waves. Let me see what good stuff you've got there," he said as he tucked the kitchen knife behind his waist and leaned over to take a look into the bucket.

"Not bad! Are these five or six blue crabs? They're quite big. And underneath, is that a moray eel? What else is there? Oh my... what is this? Is it a sea bass? It looks like a sea bass," Ah Cai was also amazed by the patterns on the fish and crouched down to take a closer look.

Ye Yaodong felt somewhat proud in his heart. Ah Cai was amazed by just one sea bass. If he knew that Ye Yaodong also found a Meile bead with a diameter of over 2 centimeters, his jaw would probably drop in astonishment.

"Give me a price! How much will you pay for it?"

He kicked the bucket, startling the sea bass inside. Its tail swayed, splashing seawater onto Ah Cai's face. Ah Cai wasn't annoyed; he simply wiped his face with his hand.

"This fish is rare around here. We might occasionally find it at the Yujing Port. Let's weigh it first."

Ye Yaodong nodded and followed him into the house, carrying the bucket.

It's not easy to weigh a live fish on a scale, but fortunately, he had a bucket at home. He quickly placed the fish on the scale, took the measurement, and promptly returned it to the bucket.

"It weighs 1 jin and 8 liang. How about I give you a straight 8 yuan for it?"

"You won't even offer 5 yuan per jin? Add a little more, can't you? Even when you sell it to wealthier bosses, you can double the price. We're from the same village, and you still rip me off?"

"Nonsense! Who's trying to rip you off? Who would buy it at double the price? Do you think money is so easy to earn?”

"Pfft, there are plenty of knowledgeable bosses in our town. For wealthy people, a few tens of yuan is nothing compared to the cost of their meal. They only care about getting quality goods; money is secondary to them. I've seen someone spend hundreds on a bottle of wine at the Hongsheng Hotel in town, with total expenses reaching thousands in just one night. Don't try to deceive me!"

Ah Cai stared wide-eyed and said indignantly, "Well, the hotel makes a profit too. It's normal for them to mark up the prices several times when they turn ingredients into dishes, right? How much can I, a fishmonger, really earn?"

"I won't argue with you. Let's settle for twelve yuan, and I'll sell it to you!"

"What? You're asking for too much! It's too expensive! I'll be at a loss..."

"Then I'll take it to Ah Gui's place..." Another purchase point at the pier.

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait, wait! You young people are so impulsive. I haven't finished speaking yet, and you're already leaving. Ten yuan, at most ten yuan... Alright, alright... then twelve... twelve..."

Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes, annoyed by the prolonged negotiation. After all the dilly-dallying, they ended up settling on the price he suggested. He knew that Ah Cai was a cunning and shrewd businessman who couldn’t miss out on making a good profit.

This fish is priced at several tens of yuan in hotels; there's no way he could be making a loss.

The remaining blue crabs and fish are priced fairly; they are settled based on the regular purchase price.

This time it was only about twenty-something yuan, and Ah Cai didn’t say that it would be settled in a few days; he simply counted the money and handed it over to him.

"Got it; all settled now."

"Thanks a lot!"

"Not a problem; feel free to bring more good stuff next time. This typhoon weather is really troublesome. I still have to take it to the small fish tank at the pier and keep it there..."

Ye Yaodong unbuttoned the buttons of his raincoat, securely placed the money, and hurriedly headed home. Although there was a faint morning sun earlier, now the strong wind had picked up, and the raindrops hitting his face felt somewhat painful. It was truly dreadful weather.

After returning home, the aroma of food filled the house, and it was rare for the whole family to gather together leisurely.

Upon seeing him return, Father Ye quickly put down the tobacco he was rolling in his hands and asked, "How much did you sell that sea bass for?"

"Twelve yuan!"

“So much?”

"Well, I randomly quoted a price just to test him, but I didn't expect him to agree."

Even Father Ye's father was speechless. Could it really be done like that?

As Mother Ye wielded her spatula, stir-frying the ingredients, she also took the opportunity to ask with concern, "How much did you make in total from selling all the goods?"

"Twenty-five yuan and eighty cents!"

"Not bad, not bad. Just by going out for a stroll, you earned this much. It's equivalent to what others would make spending a whole day out at sea."

Second Sister-in-law Ye couldn't help but say, "Yaodong has been really lucky recently. Every time he goes out for a walk, he can make a lot of money. He has earned hundreds of yuan, right?"

That sour taste in her words made him want to roll his eyes.

"Um, I've been lucky lately. I'll go take a shower first."

"Yaodong, use hot water for your shower. You got caught in the rain, so you shouldn't take a cold shower, or you'll catch a cold." The old lady was sitting in front of the stove, happily tending the fire, and she handed him a hot water basin with a smile.

"Ok."

Although he preferred taking cold showers, he still had to listen to the old lady's advice.

As it was raining outside, he had to bring the water inside to take a bath. In the meantime, he handed the money to his wife. However, as soon as he entered the room, he saw her sitting by the window, picking her palm with a needle.

"What's wrong? Did sand get inside?"

"Um, yeah."

"Let me pick it for you!"

"You go take a bath first; don't catch a cold.”

"Oh, this is the money from selling the goods. You keep it. There are also 80 cents left; I left it for myself."

Lin Xiuqing took the money and counted it, then exclaimed with surprise, "You sold it for so much?"

"The main reason is that the sea bass was expensive, and those few blue crabs were plump. One of them weighed two jin, while the other fishes were much cheaper.”

"That's great! We only went out for half a morning, and we already have such a bountiful harvest. We've hit the jackpot!"

"Mm, did you stash away the Meile bead properly?"

"Don't worry, I've hidden it safely."

(end of this chapter)

***

Ah Dong: Then I'll take it to Ah Gui's place...

Ah Cai: You have another man?! ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д`ﾟ)ﾟ｡Don't betray me~ or else... ( ♡▽♡)っ🔪

I wish I had Ah Dong's bargaining skills (⁎˃ᆺ˂) All I do is ask for the price then leave if it's too expensive.

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