The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Magnanimous, Warm-hearted, and Passionate

It was still early, so her sister, Han Xiaoqing, and the children weren’t home yet.

Han Xiaorui checked the time. It was exactly noon, the perfect time to start making lunch.

She would braise the gray pomfret.

The dish was very simple.

There was one important trick: when pan-frying fish, using a little lard made it taste even better.

Vegetable oil worked, but it always felt like it lacked a certain something compared to lard.

As for the precious Red Ribbon Fish, that had to be steamed, of course.

Steamed Red Ribbon Fish not only looked beautiful, but its flavor was also absolutely superb.

Add to that some garlic sprouts stir-fried with shredded pork and a simple vegetable egg drop soup, and lunch would be a three-dish, one-soup affair.

There weren’t many different dishes, but the portions were generous.

The food had just been set on the table when Liu Sihai’s ’turtle car’ pulled up to the door.

”Mama!”

”Auntie!”

As soon as they got out of the car and saw Han Xiaorui opening the door, the three little rascals’ eyes lit up, and they charged over.

Pingping and An’an flanked their mother, each hugging one of her arms. Cai Wenjun smiled, but his eyes were scanning everywhere for his own mom.

When he didn’t see her or hear her voice, the light in Cai Wenjun’s eyes instantly vanished.

Han Xiaoqing, being observant, noticed something was off with Cai Wenjun. ”Sis, where’s Wenjun’s mom?”

Han Xiaorui replied, ”Wenjun’s mom already went home. She’ll come over after we eat.”

The moment Cai Wenjun heard this, the light returned to his eyes. He smiled and nodded. ”Okay.”

”I’ve already finished cooking. Hurry up and wash your hands so we can eat,” Han Xiaorui urged. They were mostly meat and fish dishes, and they would taste best hot.

Han Xiaoqing filled a small basin with water. The three children were very well-behaved, lining up to wash their hands. They even lathered up with soap until there were bubbles, then rinsed them clean.

”Put on your smocks,” Han Xiaoqing said, bringing over three different-colored ones. She had sewn a different little animal onto each.

Pingping smiled. ”Red! I’m the little rabbit.”

An’an reached for hers. ”Blue! I’m the little cat.”

”Yellow... I’m the little dog,” Cai Wenjun said softly, taking his and putting it on by himself.

This was the result of more than a week of practice.

Han Xiaoqing helped them tie the straps at the back, and then they clambered onto their stools and sat down properly.

Han Xiaorui served the rice, putting portions of vegetables, Red Ribbon Fish, pomfret, and shredded pork into each of the children’s bowls, along with a small bowl of warm soup.

When Han Xiaoqing saw the red fish on the table, she looked puzzled. ”Sis, did this hairtail mutate? Why is it red?”

”This is called a Red Ribbon Fish. The flavor is incredible.” Han Xiaorui placed a piece in her sister’s bowl and then started eating herself.

Mealtimes were always Han Xiaorui’s happiest moments.

’Not eating properly is a betrayal of good food and a disregard for life itself.’

’In Han Xiaorui’s mind, you could compromise on anything, but never on food.’

”Sis, being with you is a real eye-opener. I get to eat so many delicious things I’ve never even heard of or seen before,” Han Xiaoqing said after taking a bite. The fish was succulent, its texture rich and complex.

’Being with my sister is pure bliss!’

”If you like it, have some more,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile. ”My boat is too small, so I can only fish near the coast. Once I earn enough to buy a bigger vessel, I’ll go deep-sea fishing. There will be even more delicious things to eat then.”

”I don’t really care about all that. I just love seeing you so full of life and spirit. Just be safe,” Han Xiaoqing said with a smile. It was like her sister had transformed back into the invincible figure from her childhood.

”I will, don’t worry,” Han Xiaorui chuckled. ’To her, the ocean of this era was as gentle as a lamb.’

’The ocean of the apocalypse, now *that* was terrifying!’

’Sharks had actually evolved wings, flying out of the sea to attack humans.’

Han Xiaoqing’s mind drifted to what Expert Wang had told her that morning, and she momentarily lost focus.

’If I go away for advanced training, what will happen to Pingping and An’an?’

With something weighing on her mind, Han Xiaoqing lost her appetite.

Han Xiaorui keenly sensed her sister’s change in mood. ”Xiao Jing, what’s wrong? Is something on your mind? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

Han Xiaoqing looked up, quickly shaking her head with a forced smile. ”It’s nothing!”

’Forget it,’ she thought. ’Sis is already working so hard to make money. I can’t burden her with my problems.’

’She needs me to help her, or she’ll be too exhausted.’

No matter how much Han Xiaorui pressed, Han Xiaoqing insisted that nothing was wrong.

Seeing this, Han Xiaorui decided she would go to the hospital tomorrow to ask around. ’Is Xiao Jing being bullied at work?’

That afternoon, Han Xiaorui took 49,000 yuan and seven cartons of cigarettes to the village committee to sign the lease contract with Yang Jianguo.

Yang Jianguo had already completed all the preliminary work. With several other village officials as witnesses, Han Xiaorui signed the contract, stamped it with her seal, and paid the money.

The rights to that seven-mu plot of land were now hers!

”Xiao Han, you’re really quite something,” Village Chief Liu praised her. ”Your fishing skills are on par with the legendary Aunt Chen San from back in the day. When you buy a bigger boat in the future, you must hire your crew from our village!”

Catches were dwindling these days, and many fishermen could no longer support their families on what they caught.

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Of course, I’ll hire from our own village. At least I’ll know who I’m dealing with. And with you here to keep an eye on things, I’m sure no one would dare cause any trouble.”

Village Chief Liu was very pleased by the compliment. A crewman’s wages were quite high.

When Yang Zhigang’s big boat went out, the base pay was 50 yuan, plus a commission based on the catch.

Every time they came back, the crewmen would take home at least two hundred yuan.

If they went out three times a month, they could earn several hundred yuan.

”Good kid. It’s great that you look out for your own villagers. If you ever need help in the future, just ask. The village will do its best for you,” Secretary Liu said with a smile. If the villagers were well-off and living comfortably, it was proof that he was a good village official.

”Uncle Yang and Brother Jianguo said the same thing,” Han Xiaorui said, giving a nod to the support from both Yang Zhigang and Yang Jianguo.

This improved the village officials’ impression of Han Xiaorui even more.

They used to think a divorced woman would have a hard time, but here Han Xiaorui was, not just getting by, but thriving.

Just as they were chatting, Cao Dapeng’s wife, Aunt Cao, walked in carrying some gifts. The moment she saw Han Xiaorui, she dropped to her knees before her.

Han Xiaorui had never been in a situation like this and quickly jumped back. ”Ma’am, why are you kneeling to me? Please, get up!”

Han Xiaorui hadn’t gone out much in the past, so she didn’t recognize everyone in the village.

Yang Jianguo hurried over to help her up. ”Aunt Cao, if you have something to say, just say it. There’s no need to go kneeling like this.”

Aunt Cao looked at Han Xiaorui with immense gratitude. ”Xiao Han, you saved my husband Dapeng and Qiangzi! You saved the breadwinners of the Cao family!”

Realization dawned on Han Xiaorui. She smiled and said, ”It was the right thing to do. It didn’t matter that we’re from the same village. Even if they were strangers, I couldn’t just watch a boat sink and do nothing to help.”

Yang Jianguo and the other committee members were stunned to hear this. ”When did this happen?”

Han Xiaorui replied, ”Just the other day. Uncle Dapeng’s boat was pierced by a swordfish weighing several hundred pounds. They couldn’t plug the hole, and it was taking on water. Uncle Dapeng was injured, so when I passed by, I rescued them and took them to the county hospital.”

At that, the way everyone looked at Han Xiaorui changed, now filled with a newfound respect. ”Xiao Rui is a true daughter of Jinshan Bay—kindhearted and courageous.”