The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 296: Chapter 296: A Dowry for the Former Daughter-in-law

Early in the morning, Han Xiaorui kissed her two daughters on their foreheads, then said to Wu Jiao and Wu Yao, ”I’m leaving the house in your hands. I’m heading out to sea!”

Wu Jiao was already used to this lifestyle. ”Don’t you worry, Xiao Rui. Pingping and An’an have long since adapted to you being away from home!”

”Here in the familiar environment of Jinshan Bay, they’re surrounded by people they know, so they’re happy and at ease.”

And that was why Han Xiaorui could head out to sea with peace of mind.

Standing on the fishing boat, breathing in the sea breeze, she found even the briny, fishy smell of the ocean captivating.

While others might have found it unpleasant, to Han Xiaorui, it was like a powerful tonic that refreshed her mind and spirit.

Seeing Han Xiaorui heading out, everyone came over to greet her.

”Congratulations, Shipowner!” everyone said, their faces beaming with joy.

Han Xiaorui cupped her hands in return. ”Congratulations to you all, too. I’ve been busy lately, so thank you for all your hard work.”

Chen Yishui smiled. ”Shipowner, you’re being too formal! We’re the crew, the fishers. This is our job.”

”If you didn’t let us work, sure, it’d be less tiring, but our pockets would be empty, and we definitely wouldn’t be happy about that.”

Sister Tang laughed as well. ”That’s right! So you don’t need to worry about us at all, Shipowner. We love this job.”

Especially when fishing with the Shipowner—the bigger the catch, the bigger the commission. Plus, she has a great sense of humor, and everyone enjoys chatting with her.

Now that it was winter, the wind over the ocean had turned icy cold.

”It’s cold on the boat, so everyone remember to dress warmly and don’t catch a chill. If you get a cold, speak up right away. We have a first-aid kit on board.”

”If you’re really feeling unwell and can’t handle it, you need to speak up! We’ll just turn back. Don’t try to tough it out if your body isn’t up for it.”

Wu Mengyue said with a laugh, ”I took everyone’s temperature before we boarded. No one who’s sick is allowed on the boat. If you violate that rule, you forfeit your commission.”

As one of the more respected members of the crew, Sister Tang also chimed in. ”We all know the rules. The sea is a vast, empty place. If there’s a real medical emergency out here, you can scream for help all you want, but no one will hear you.”

”It’s not like on land, where you’re close to a hospital and can get treatment right away. It takes us hours to even reach the fishing grounds.”

”If someone hides an illness at sea and their condition worsens to the point they can’t take it anymore, the cost of the round trip in fuel and lost time would be a massive loss for our boat.”

”Anyone who hides an illness will have their commission for this trip docked, which means working for nothing. So no one would do something so stupid. We know it’s a well-intentioned rule, and we all agree to it.”

Hearing everyone agree, Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Since everyone is on board with the rules, I won’t say any more. Making money is important, but your health is even more important.”

On another boat not far away, Captain Qi was scanning the ocean with a pair of binoculars.

Cao Yang grinned. ”I see Xiao Han Shipowner is out today. Does that mean we’ll be able to catch more and better fish than usual?”

Captain Qi laughed. ”But of course. It’s just like the old saying goes: those who are blessed with good fortune really do have all the luck.”

Cao Yang agreed. ”Exactly! Just look at Zhu Yuanzhang. There were so many beggars back then, so how did he manage to start with just a bowl and go on to become the Emperor?”

Everyone burst into laughter at that. ”That’s true. All you can do is be impressed. Let’s just see how big our catch is this time.”

With a high commission rate, the more fish they caught, the more money they made.

Cao Yang smiled. ”Uncle Qi, our shipowner, Uncle Yang, is really something else—so broad-minded. I heard his former daughter-in-law got engaged, and Uncle Yang even attended as an elder representing the bride’s family.”

”If she can’t be his daughter-in-law, he’ll treat her like a daughter. In any case, Xiao Han Shipowner is still the mother of Pingping and An’an. Old Yang might be a little sad about it, but he’s mostly happy for her.”

Cao Yang nodded. ”That’s true. If he weren’t so understanding and accepting, and Xiao Han Shipowner took the kids away, it wouldn’t be easy for Uncle Yang to see them.”

Another fisherman from Jinshan Bay, Old Song, chuckled. ”You’re all just looking at the surface. Brother Yang is no ordinary man. He’s even become friends with Xiao Han Shipowner’s fiancé now. In the past, whenever Brother Yang wanted to see his granddaughters or drop off gifts, he’d just leave them at the door, feeling too awkward to go inside.”

”But now that his former daughter-in-law is with someone, Brother Yang can visit Xiao Han Shipowner’s home anytime without worrying about gossip. He gets along great with Ye Feng. When Xiao Han Shipowner isn’t home, he often picks up the kids with Ye Feng, and they’ll have drinks and dinner together.”

Qi Heng nodded. ”And when Captain Xiao Han and Ye Feng have kids of their own, they’ll all truly become one big family. That’s why I say we’re no match for Brother Yang. The way he handles relationships is a true art form. I’ll tell you something you don’t know—guess what our shipowner is preparing as a dowry for Xiao Han Shipowner.”

Old Song was taken aback. ”Brother Yang is preparing a dowry for Xiao Han Shipowner?”

”He’s acting as an elder for the bride’s family, and besides, Xiao Han Shipowner isn’t leaving Jinshan Bay even after she marries. Of course Brother Yang has to show his goodwill,” Qi Heng replied, sighing to himself. ’Old Yang is truly generous.’

”It’s got to be money or some gold jewelry,” Old Song guessed.

Qi Heng waved his hand dismissively and pointed to the large boat across from them. ”Forty-meter deep-sea fishing vessels. Brother Yang ordered two of them, and one is for Xiao Han Shipowner.”

”Oh my god! So that means Xiao Han Shipowner will have three fishing boats to her name, then?” everyone exclaimed in amazement.

”That’s right, three boats,” Qi Heng said. ”Ye Feng’s family might be impressive, but our Captain Xiao Han is no slouch either. The crucial thing is her powerful luck. She has great fortune ahead of her.”

The others were filled with envy. Every crewman dreamed of owning their own fishing boat, especially a large one.

While the others looked on with envy, Han Xiaorui’s boat arrived at the designated spot.

The little sea snake was a fast swimmer, sometimes so quick the boat couldn’t keep up as it darted back and forth playfully.

Finally, it could race across the open ocean with its master again.

The little dolphin and Xiao Dai also leaped from the water, helping to herd the schools of fish.

An hour and a half later, the nets were full.

Haul in the nets!

They had run into a school of hairtail—the fish were as wide as a palm, thick-fleshed and delicious.

It was just about lunchtime, so Han Xiaorui grabbed three of the fish and headed straight for the kitchen.

”Sister Huamei, let’s pan-fry these hairtail,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile. ’The fish from the first haul are so fresh, of course I have to eat some.’

Liu Huamei’s face lit up when she saw the hairtail. ”You got it! They’re so fresh. Pan-fried hairtail won’t take long at all.”

It took a grand total of twenty minutes for those hairtail to go from sea creatures to a pan-fried dish.

Just that fast!

The crew ate in shifts. The freshly cooked hairtail, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, was absolutely divine.

There was another way to eat it: pan-fried without salt and sprinkled with a bit of cumin, perfect for snacking.

As Liu Huamei walked away, Han Xiaorui couldn’t wait, picking up a piece with her chopsticks and starting to eat.

’The taste of the ocean is just too wonderful.’

’I really hope everyone will cherish this cradle of life, so the ocean can continue to provide us with such delicious food forever.’