The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Becoming a Top Figure in Jinshan Bay

The people on the docks were stunned to see another large boat pull in.

”Isn’t that Wu Guangfu’s boat? Why is it docked here?” a woman mending her nets asked curiously.

Another, slightly heavier woman spoke up gleefully while sorting her own fishing net, ”Wu Guangfu’s son hurt someone and had to pay up, so he sold the boat.”

Understanding dawned on everyone.

Han Xiaorui disembarked and called out to Yang Zhigang and the others. ”Uncle Yang, Mr. Chen, thank you all so much for today. I’ve already booked a private room at the Fortune Seafood Restaurant. Let’s go have dinner.”

Yang Zhigang started to refuse, but Yang Jianguo cut him off. ”Alright. I’ll call for a car. We’ll head over together.”

Village Chief Liu was invited along as well, and soon they were all drinking in a private room at the Fortune Seafood Restaurant.

When Boss Zhang heard Han Xiaorui was hosting, he immediately gave them the best private room and served an impressive spread of food and wine.

He refused to take Han Xiaorui’s money, which made her feel a little awkward.

”Thank you so much, Boss Zhang,” Han Xiaorui said gratefully. After all, a large table filled with high-end dishes and fine wine like this couldn’t be cheap.

Boss Zhang chuckled. ”Xiao Han, don’t mention it. Now that you’ve bought a big boat, you’ll be able to fish in farther and deeper waters. Your catches will only get bigger.”

”I run a restaurant—two of them, actually—but even I can’t buy an entire boat’s worth of seafood. My restaurants are mid-to-high-end, so I need top-quality seafood, not just anything. So, Xiao Han, how about you sell some of your best catches to me? What do you say?”

Han Xiaorui readily agreed, since selling to a restaurant paid a little better than selling to a wholesaler. ”Of course. I’ll have my crew sort it for you. You’ll get first pick of the best fish.”

Boss Zhang raised his glass to toast her. ”Xiao Han, thank you.”

Seeing how familiar Han Xiaorui was with a wealthy man like Boss Zhang from the county seat, Village Chief Liu and the others couldn’t help but feel a new level of respect for her.

Now that Han Xiaorui had bought a large boat, it became clear that she had, almost without anyone noticing, become one of the most prominent figures in Jinshan Bay.

Others noticed it too, and began speaking to her with a newfound deference.

After the banquet, Han Xiaorui returned to Jinshan Bay and paid a visit to Grandma Chen San’s home.

When Grandma Chen San saw Han Xiaorui, her eyes were gentle and wise. ”Xiao Rui, the sea is generous, but we must not be greedy. When you take from it, know when to stop.”

Han Xiaorui nodded solemnly. ”Third Granny, I’ll remember that. I’ll be sure to follow the rules of Jinshan Bay: keep the big ones, and release the small.”

”You want to hire my daughter as your captain? I’ll send word for her to come talk to you.” Grandma Chen San was very pleased. As a female captain, her daughter could earn more money.

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment, then asked, ”Third Granny, when I go out to sea, I’ll be going with Uncle Yang. His boat has an all-male crew, but for my boat, I’m planning to hire an all-female crew. Having just Sister Chen as one captain isn’t enough. Do you know anyone else you could recommend?”

Grandma Chen San paused, then a smile spread across her face. ”Is that right? As a matter of fact, I do! I have a goddaughter who can also pilot a large boat.”

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui’s eyes lit up. ”Third Granny, anyone you recommend must be highly skilled. The base salary for a captain will be one hundred yuan, and each of the two captains will get a one percent commission. Regular crew members will get a salary of seventy yuan, and I’ll also set aside five percent of the profits to be divided among them.”

Grandma Chen San gave Han Xiaorui a thumbs-up. ”You’re very generous. Okay, then. I’ve trained quite a few apprentices over the years. They’re all excellent workers at sea. Do you want them?”

A look of delight crossed Han Xiaorui’s face. ”Yes, of course! Third Granny, thank you so much.”

”No need to thank me.” Grandma Chen San gave a faint smile. ”I taught them the skills, but because of prevailing attitudes, and the fact that women generally aren’t as strong as men, the big fishing trawlers simply won’t hire them.”

Han Xiaorui couldn’t have been happier to find such fisherwomen. ”Third Granny, my boat needs at least fifteen to twenty people. A few of the women in the village want to work, but how many can you recommend from your side?”

”About ten,” Grandma Chen San answered. ”Find a few more trustworthy people on your own, and you’ll have enough to run the big boat.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Okay, great!”

With Grandma Chen San’s help, Han Xiaorui felt much more at ease.

All that was left was to finish the paperwork, get the crew ready, and then she could set sail for more distant waters.

After finishing her business, she went home to celebrate with her family.

Han Xiaoqing smiled. ”Congratulations, Sis.”

Han Xiaorui beamed. ”You too! From now on, each trip to sea will take two or three days, maybe even longer. I’ll be counting on you to look after things at home.”

”Don’t worry, Sis, you can leave everything to me.” A flicker of worry crossed Han Xiaoqing’s eyes. ”I’m not scared during the day, but I worry about safety at night.”

Han Xiaorui waved her hand dismissively. ”Don’t worry. Ye Feng found two sisters from a village known for martial arts. They’re skilled fighters and will be here to protect and look after you.”

Han Xiaoqing’s eyes lit up at the news. ”Oh, then I’m not worried anymore. We have money now, so we have to be careful.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Exactly. The fact that you’re so cautious makes me feel even better about leaving.”

Granny Cai’s voice called out from the kitchen, ”Xiao Rui, hurry and set the table! Dinner’s almost ready.”

The words were barely out of her mouth when Wu Cuicui emerged from the kitchen carrying a dish. ”Sister Cai’s secret-recipe salted duck!”

Liang Xiaoyu followed with two plates in her hands. ”Chilled lotus root salad and chilled octopus salad!”

Seeing this, Han Xiaorui said, ”It’s a family celebration today. I’ll help bring out the food too!”

Liang Xiaoyu quickly stopped her. ”We can’t have the boat owner doing the work. We’ll bring out the dishes.”

Han Xiaorui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She said with a playful pout, ”Sister-in-law Xiao Yu, you’re terrible!”

”Oh, really? I can be much more terrible, you know. Want me to show you?” Liang Xiaoyu teased, raising an eyebrow and winking.

Seeing Liang Xiaoyu’s teasing expression, Han Xiaorui blushed slightly. ”I don’t want to hear it. Just go get the food.”

Wu Cuicui brought out another dish, scallion oil clams, and said with a suppressed smile, ”Xiao Yu, we’re middle-aged women with thick skins. How could our little Xiao Rui possibly be a match for you?”

”Haha!” Liang Xiaoyu roared with laughter. ”No rush. She’ll be just like us sooner or later.”

There was a salad of enoki mushrooms and daylilies, plus Han Xiaorui’s favorite—chilled pig ear salad.

Next came the hot dishes: squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, sweet and sour spare ribs, and steamed egg with shrimp—all favorites with the children.

Then came the dishes for the adults, with bolder flavors: steamed shrimp with garlic and vermicelli, spicy portunus crab, and steamed pork belly with preserved vegetables.

Freshly pan-fried beltfish, golden-brown on both sides, was absolutely delicious.

Since it was a very hot day, they skipped the sweet dessert soup and opted for locally made orange soda instead.

The children drank theirs at room temperature.

The adults drank theirs ice-cold, brought over from the ice factory, a wonderfully refreshing and invigorating treat.

This was the good life, plain and simple.

As they ate, dreaming of future voyages to farther seas, they were startled by a loud, insistent knock on the main gate.

The ever-diligent Liang Xiaoyu got up, walked to the gate, and peeked through the peephole.

It was Zhou Yang and a colleague. She paused, surprised. ”Zhou Yang? What brings you here so late? Is it something urgent?”