The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 133: Chapter 133: The First Haul Brought a Surprise

The very thought of Yang Jianming, Zhang Lili, and the Zhang family made Yang Zhigang grind his teeth in hatred.

Such wickedness!

The Zhang Family had demanded one hundred thousand from Yang Zhigang in exchange for a letter of forgiveness.

Yang Zhigang would rather let Yang Jianming go to jail than give them the money.

When the Zhang Family saw Yang Zhigang was unwilling, they changed their strategy.

Seeing how much Yang Zhigang cherished the child, Zhang Lili and the Zhang Family immediately declared that they would only agree to the divorce and give the child to the Yang Family for two hundred thousand.

That’s right, Zhang Lili and Yang Jianming were getting a divorce.

Since Yang Jianming had pushed Zhang Lili, she, along with Mr. and Mrs. Zhang, had reported him for assault and were using it as grounds to sue for divorce.

If the Yang Family didn’t pay up, Zhang Lili would fight for custody of the child.

Given the Zhang Family’s attitude, Yang Zhigang knew that if the child ended up with them, they would be treated worse than an animal and might not even survive.

He could harden his heart and wash his hands of Yang Jianming, but he couldn’t abandon the premature newborn, who was barely bigger than the palm of his hand.

’These are sins committed by adults, so why should the child have to suffer for them?’

He couldn’t bear to abandon the child; his conscience wouldn’t let him.

Yang Zhigang had no choice but to leave the mess at home to his nephew, Yang Jianguo, and his nephew’s wife, Wu Cuicui, while he took his men out to sea to fish.

He hoped to catch enough fish to fight for custody of his granddaughter.

Watching his uncle’s slumped shoulders, Yang Jianguo felt his eyes sting. He, too, grew to hate his cousin Yang Jianming and the Zhang Family.

On her boat, Han Xiaorui wandered about, inspecting her territory. In the distance, she could see Yang Zhigang’s vessel with her naked eye.

Liang Xiaoyu walked over, holding a food container. ”Xiao Rui, come try the mint jelly my mother-in-law made. It’s cool and refreshing.”

Sitting in the cabin, Han Xiaorui speared a piece with a toothpick and took a bite. ”Mmm, it really is cool and invigorating.”

”Xiao Rui, do you know why Uncle Yang went out to sea today?” Liang Xiaoyu asked, her gaze also turning toward Yang Zhigang in the distance.

Han Xiaorui shook her head. ”He said he wasn’t going out before. I couldn’t wait, so I just picked a good day to head out myself. Then yesterday afternoon, Uncle Yang told me he was going to sea after all. He didn’t say why, and I didn’t feel right asking.”

Liang Xiaoyu lowered her voice and replied, ”My mother-in-law heard it’s because Zhang Lili is divorcing Yang Jianming. She’s using the child’s custody as leverage to demand 200,000 from Uncle Yang. She said if he doesn’t pay, she’ll raise the baby like a cat or a dog but will never give them to the Yang Family.”

”What?” Han Xiaorui was stunned, and her disgust for Yang Jianming and Zhang Lili intensified. ”Are they even human?”

Liang Xiaoyu cursed under her breath, ”Yang Jianming and Zhang Lili are both rotten. But the poor newborn is the one who suffers. Still, the baby is lucky in a way, since Uncle Yang can’t bear to abandon them.”

Han Xiaorui recalled how when she divorced Yang Jianming, Yang Zhigang had given her generous financial and material support.

”Uncle Yang is a good man!” Han Xiaorui said with feeling. ”I hope good people are rewarded.”

Liang Xiaoyu nodded in agreement. ”Yeah. And it’s tough on Cuicui right now, taking care of Zhang Xiufang in the hospital and looking after the baby. Thankfully, Brother Jianguo is home to take Minmin to and from school.”

After about an hour of sailing, Yang Zhigang’s voice came over the radio. ”Xiao Rui, we can cast the nets up ahead.”

Han Xiaorui glanced at her watch, then at her instruments, and replied, ”Uncle Yang, let’s not fish here. It’s too close to shore. We should leave this area for the smaller boats. Follow me, I’ll take you to a spot with better fish.”

Hearing this, Yang Zhigang was momentarily taken aback, but then he smiled. ”You’re right. Our boats can travel far. Let’s leave the coastal fish for the smaller vessels.”

Han Xiaorui’s words suddenly lifted his gloomy mood.

’A family that performs good deeds will always have blessings to spare.’

’No matter who else does evil or acts unscrupulously, he couldn’t do the same.’

’There was no need to be angry at his despicable, shameless, and irresponsible son, nor was there a need to be angry at the Zhang family for using a child as a bargaining chip.’

”Brother Gang, should we cast the nets?” a crewman asked.

Yang Zhigang waved his hand. ”No, we’re going further out to fish. Follow that boat ahead of us.”

Yang Zhiyuan, a fellow villager, looked at Han Xiaorui’s boat with envy. ”Brother Gang, you believe in Xiao Han’s good luck too?”

Yang Zhigang nodded and smiled. ”I do. The hauls she brought in with a small fishing boat were no smaller than those of a large one. Otherwise, how could she have afforded a vessel like this?”

Yang Zhiyuan nodded in agreement. ”Then let’s follow Xiao Han this time. I’ve heard that the small boats in the village that follow her have been earning a lot more than before.”

Everyone in Jinshan Bay believed that Xiao Rui had good luck.

Chen Yishui also came to ask if they should cast the nets, but Han Xiaorui said no.

It wasn’t until more than four hours later, about a hundred nautical miles from the coastline, that Han Xiaorui finally gave the order to cast the nets.

Once Yang Zhigang’s boat got the word, they also cast their nets and began sailing southwest.

For lunch, Liu Huamei steamed rice and prepared a meat dish of braised pork meatballs, stir-fried greens, and a dried shrimp, seaweed, and egg drop soup.

’Liu Huamei’s cooking is amazing. Hiring a chef for the boat was absolutely the right decision.’

Han Xiaorui herself ate two meatballs, half a bowl of greens, and two bowls of soup.

The crew members were thrilled to be eating so well on board. After all, you have to eat well to have the strength to work hard.

Chen Yishui was very experienced, but her mother had told her to listen to Han Xiaorui’s orders on the boat.

Chen Yishui knew Han Xiaorui had a reputation for being lucky, but she had never witnessed it herself.

’If Han Xiaorui’s luck didn’t pan out, she would speak up then.’

The crew was excited. Han Xiaorui told them to get some rest, but they were too keyed up to sleep.

Although they didn’t say it, they were all eagerly anticipating the first haul, hoping to bring up something valuable.

Liang Xiaoyu was also excited, constantly looking out at the water and clasping her hands in prayer. ”Mazu, please bless us. Let our first net be a huge haul, filled with good, valuable fish.”

Three hours later, Han Xiaorui said with a smile, ”Haul in the net!”

The crew quickly operated the machinery, slowly pulling in the net.

Soon, judging by the tension and strain on the ropes, Chen Yishui made a rough estimate, a look of astonishment on her face. ”This is a big one!”

”No matter what we bring up, we’ll pick the most expensive fish from this first haul for dinner.”

Everyone was filled with anticipation, and they all laughed at Han Xiaorui’s words.

With a boat owner who appreciated good food, they were in for a treat.

As the net was hoisted up, everyone stared, dumbfounded. The codend was bulging and shimmering in the sunlight—with a golden glow.

In the sea, almost any fish that was yellow was bound to be expensive.

Based on her experience, Chen Yishui cried out, ”Mazu be praised, it’s Big Yellow Fish! Slow down, slower! Don’t damage these treasures!”

The net had a large mesh, so most of the small fish could escape, leaving only the large ones behind.

Hearing Chen Yishui’s voice, everyone gasped in unison. ”We’ve run into a school of Big Yellow Fish!”

They weren’t hauling in fish; they were hauling in money—pure gold!

Originally, they had worried that the big boat wouldn’t catch anything and that their jobs wouldn’t last. But now, seeing a net full of Big Yellow Fish—at least two or three tons of them, all large—they knew this single haul was worth tens of thousands.

Not only did they earn a salary, but they also got a commission. The more they caught, the bigger their share.

However, while Big Yellow Fish are a vibrant yellow when first caught during the day, they fade within minutes, turning a silvery-white with only a hint of yellow.