The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 166: Chapter 166: A Great Surprise, Two Golden Croakers

The next morning, Yang Zhigang came over early.

”Xiao Jing, was everything okay last night?” Worried, Yang Zhigang hadn’t slept well, waking up two or three times during the night to come and check.

Han Xiaoqing replied, ”Uncle Yang, no one came last night. Wu Jiao might have scared them off, so they didn’t dare to show up.”

Yang Zhigang thought for a moment and said, ”Don’t be afraid, I’ll figure something out. I bought you breakfast. Go on and eat. You still have to go to the hospital later.”

”Thank you, Uncle Yang.” Han Xiaoqing was grateful; she didn’t have any good ideas herself.

Yang Zhigang thought for a moment and said to Han Xiaoqing, ”Xiao Jing, don’t lock the door later. I’m going to find some people to come over and add something to the top of the wall.”

Han Xiaoqing froze, her eyes full of confusion. ”Uncle Yang, the wall is already very high. What else can you add?”

”Shards of glass,” Yang Zhigang answered. ”We’ll get some cement, smash some liquor bottles, and stick the pieces in it. If anyone tries to climb the wall, they won’t dare.”

Han Xiaoqing smiled. ”Okay, Uncle Yang. Since my sister isn’t home, I’ll have to trouble you.”

Yang Zhigang nodded. ”Don’t worry, I’m here. Nothing will go wrong at home. You can go without any worries.”

Granny Cai brought her grandson, Cai Wenjun, over and asked Han Xiaoqing to take him to the hospital with her.

She had heard about the situation and immediately assured Han Xiaoqing that she would also stay and help, to prevent people from gossiping.

Wu Jiao and Wu Yao also went to the hospital to protect them.

Yang Zhigang went into the village and found two villagers who knew masonry work. He also bought a few bags of cement and sand, and spent some money on several baskets of liquor and beer bottles.

The men smashed the bottles into shards, picking out the sharpest, longest pieces to set aside.

They spread a layer of the cement and sand mixture, a few centimeters thick, on top of the wall. Before it hardened, they embedded the large glass shards into it.

The sharp points of glass glinted coldly in the sunlight.

(You’ve seen this kind of thing before, right? (*^▽^*))

Granny Cai made lunch to treat the men who were helping.

Yang Zhigang bought the groceries and also spent money on cigarettes, which he handed out to everyone.

Everyone in the village now knew that a thief had targeted Han Xiaorui’s house.

Jinshan Bay was a very safe place, but with Han Xiaorui’s family making so much money, and with only women and children at home, it was inevitable that someone would get malicious ideas.

When Han Xiaoqing returned at noon, she saw the courtyard wall had been completely transformed. It was covered with woven plastic sacks, and underneath were rows of embedded glass shards.

’This is great. Anyone trying to climb the wall now will not only get hurt, but they’ll also make a lot of noise.’

”Thank you so much, Uncle Yang,” Han Xiaoqing said gratefully. Whenever they were in trouble, Uncle Yang would help them without asking for anything in return, no matter the cost.

Yang Zhigang, holding his two granddaughters, chuckled. ”No need to thank me. We’re all family. Because of Pingping and An’an, I see you and your sister as my own daughters.”

”If you need anything, just tell me. If you run into danger at night, call for help first. Don’t try to fight a bad guy head-on.”

Han Xiaoqing agreed, ”I know, Uncle Yang.”

The ill-intentioned person probably saw that Han Xiaorui’s family had added broken glass to their wall and had the villagers increase their patrols, and didn’t dare to come back.

Han Xiaorui knew nothing about what was happening back home.

She had just woken up and saw the crew hauling in the net. Her eyes filled with anticipation as she came over to see what this catch would bring.

This time, it was Sister Tang’s turn to empty the net.

The fish that tumbled from the net were a dazzling gold, both large and small. But the last ones to fall out came down with a loud THUD, a huge sound that shattered everyone’s delighted surprise.

”Yellowlip Fish!”

”The big fish crushed the smaller ones! A lot of them are ruined!”

The last two Yellowlip Fish to fall out each weighed over two hundred pounds, and they had smashed the smaller ones beneath them to a pulp.

Sister Tang hadn’t expected to pull such a good catch from her net either.

Seeing this, Chen Yishui quickly urged, ”What are you waiting for? Get those big Yellowlip Fish out of there, quick!”

Everyone brought over a sturdy plastic tarp, spread it on the ground, placed the two large Yellowlip Fish on it, and then carried them to the refrigerated fish hold.

More than twenty other Yellowlip Fish had been crushed, and everyone felt a sharp pang of regret.

”Next time, let’s look over the side of the net to get a rough idea of what’s inside before we empty it. Otherwise, it’s too much of a waste to have so many expensive fish crushed like this,” Chen Yishui said, feeling terrible about the ruined fish.

Liang Xiaoyu deeply agreed. ”Right, we should check first.”

But Han Xiaorui just chuckled. ”Sometimes the big fish are hidden inside, how would you be able to see them? It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Hurry up and toss the ones that are smashed to a pulp back into the sea. The ones that aren’t completely ruined, gather them up and take them to the kitchen for Sister Mei to cook for lunch.”

Hearing Han Xiaorui’s words, everyone quickly got busy.

The boat owner wasn’t concerned, but the crew was. They decided they would do as Sister Shui said next time and check first.

After casting the net again, they all started cleaning the deck until it was spotless.

Just then, Liu Huamei finished cooking the meal.

The main course for the day was Yellowlip Fish.

The Yellowlip Fish, also known as the Chinese Bahaba, lives in clear seawater. It is rich in protein and fatty acids, making it a healthy food.

Its flesh is snow-white, tender, and full-bodied, with no fishy smell and a hint of sweetness.

Steaming is the best way to preserve the original flavor of the Yellowlip Fish.

The fish is steamed whole or sliced, sprinkled with green onions, ginger, garlic, and some seasonings. After it’s cooked, a drizzle of light soy sauce and sesame oil is added, allowing one to savor its delicious taste.

Pan-frying is another excellent method that also brings out great flavor.

From the Yellowlip Fish that had just been crushed, the fish maws had all been carefully removed from their bellies. Liu Huamei soaked them in water, cleaned them thoroughly, strung them on a line, and hung them to air-dry in a cool, ventilated place.

This stuff was treasure.

The fish maw is an organ inside the Yellowlip Fish, similar to collagen, and it possesses extremely high nutritional and medicinal value.

It is said that fish maw can nourish the body and boost metabolism, and is highly effective for enhancing beauty and invigorating one’s health. For this reason, it is hailed as the ”ginseng of the sea” and has always been highly sought after.

Han Xiaorui came over, and seeing so many, she asked with a smile, ”Sister Mei, are the maws from the small Yellowlip Fish useful too?”

Liu Huamei replied, ”Of course they’re useful. We’ll keep the large Yellowlip Fish to sell, but we’ll keep these small fish maws. When you and your sister get married and have children someday, they’re the best thing for nourishing the body, replenishing blood, and stopping bleeding. You’ll recover faster.”

”There seems to be a lot now, but there won’t be much left after they’re dried. Still, it’ll be enough for many meals. In short, it’s good stuff. I’ll prepare it for you. You take it back, and don’t just go giving it away to anyone.”

”If it’s preserved properly, this fish maw can be stored for over ten years without spoiling. If you give it to someone else, you’ll just have to spend money to buy it when you need it later, and you might not even be able to find good quality. How could it be as good as what we prepare ourselves?”

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui nodded repeatedly. ”Okay, I’ll keep it.”

’I don’t know when I’ll get married, but my sister will be twenty-three when she graduates from college. She might get married and have kids around then. I should save this for her.’

As Liu Huamei worked, she chattered on to Han Xiaorui, her face alight with a joyful smile, wishing the boat owner would have such good luck every time she went to sea.

”This stuff is really expensive. The fish maw from the bellies of those two big fish will be even more valuable. Even if we don’t get a full haul this trip, we can still make a lot of money just from these two large Yellowlip Fish.”