Chapter 416 Changes in the Fishing Village
Shen Yi didn't want them to know too much, so he turned around and said to the brothers: "You can walk around the fishing village, or talk to the local fishermen. They may have some seafood. If you like it, you can ask the price and buy it."
The yamen runners were all a little tempted.
He asked jokingly, "Sir, can we take this seafood back? Won't it die?"
Shen Yi was amused, "You definitely can't bring live ones, but their local fishermen will preserve some seafood, maybe pickled or dried, how would you know if you don't go and see?"
"Your Excellency is right. We will leave first then." The bailiffs discussed and decided to act together.
Yu Xinghai was very excited and said in a flattering manner: "I asked a villager to lead the way for you. They have learned some Langya dialect from me this year and can barely answer your questions."
Shen Yi took a deep look at Yu Xinghai and smiled, “Village Chief Yu is indeed far-sighted.”
After the yamen runners left, Yu Xinghai took Shen Yi's family to the village and talked about the changes in the village over the past year.
"Since we got the fishing boats given by adults, the villagers' lives have become much better. In the past, several families went out to sea together, and people would get into trouble at sea from time to time. This year, all the men in the village acted together, wearing floating clothes when they got on the boat. Some people really fell into the sea, but only one person disappeared due to improper operation. The others were rescued and survived.
This is something that has never happened to us before.
The villagers are all hardworking and go out to sea every day. Sometimes we don't get much, but sometimes we are lucky and come back with a full load of fish. We then take the seafood to a town far away from the seaside. It only takes an extra hour to walk, so we can sell it for a lot more money.
Look, last year the villagers lived in small stone houses, but this year several families are planning to build houses, and the fenced land has more than doubled in size. This is all thanks to you, my Lord and my Lady!"
Su Tai was also very pleased listening to this. She really used the Gate of Time and Space to do something very meaningful and helped many people.
"Has anyone come to you to buy seafood this year?" Su Tai asked.
Yu Xinghai nodded hurriedly, "There really were a few groups of people who wanted those valuable big fish, weighing three or four hundred kilograms. We thought they were here to cause trouble. Big fish weighing three or four hundred kilograms are mostly found in the deep sea. You can only encounter them in special weather. Even if we encounter them, we may not be able to catch them. So we said we didn't have them at the time.
There were a lot of balang fish at that time, and the fishing boats caught this stuff for several days in a row. They didn't like it but didn't want to return empty-handed, so they bought a boatload of it. Later I heard that they went to other villages to collect the goods. As for the situation, I don't know. "
Su Tai covered her mouth and chuckled, "It's good that someone is willing to buy the balang fish."
As they were talking, the group passed by Yu Mengzi's house and found that Yu Mengzi's three children were still working in the yard, and they had grown a lot.
"I remember that child." Su Tai pointed at Yu Xiaoyu.
Yu Xinghai sighed, with a hint of sadness between his brows, "Madam is kind-hearted and still remembers them. What a pity! Yu Mengzi was unlucky and died in the winter, leaving behind three poor children. Xiaoyu has to raise two younger brothers by herself now. Oh! I don't know what to say."
Su Tai paused, the smile on her face gradually faded, and she just watched the three children working hard.
"Yu Mengzi is dead, how can they survive?"
Yu Xinghai sighed again, "So I said it's all thanks to you, sir and madam. In the past, everyone had a hard time, and no one would take care of such children. But this year, every household has a lot of salted fish left over, and some people who can't bear it will give them some.
The three children were also strong-willed. They would work for whoever gave them food, and would go fishing when the tide went out. Although they couldn’t get much, they would never starve to death.
It's just that life is extremely difficult.
Su Tai looked at the three of them carefully and found that the clothes they wore were not as clean as before, and some places were worn out. Without adults to mend their clothes for them, they still had a long way to go before they grew up. What would their future be like?
The couple looked at each other and instantly understood each other's thoughts.
Chen Yi turned around and looked at Yu Xinghai, "Village Chief Yu, actually we came here for another reason, which is to buy some servants to help us. It doesn't matter if they are adults or children, as long as they are suitable, we will buy them."
"Sir, are you telling the truth?" Yu Xinghai was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes. He thought of his past self. He was alone back then and only had a chance to survive because he went to work for a wealthy family in Langya Kingdom. In the end, he became the village chief of Xiaogang Village. In his opinion, as long as you follow the right master, being a servant is better than suffering in this barren place.
Shen Yi and Su Tai were obviously the right people, and if the villagers could go out with them, it would be considered a change of fate.
Yu Xinghai couldn't wait to lead Shen Yi's family back, first turned out the account book for them to review, and then hurried to the village to inform the villagers.
The first place he went to was Yu Xiaoyu’s house.
Yu Xiaoyu and her two siblings knew that a distinguished guest had come to the village, but they did not dare to step forward or say a word. They could only bury their heads in their work. Now that they saw the village chief who was supposed to entertain the distinguished guest coming, they couldn't help but feel strange.
"Uncle Village Chief." Yu Xiaoyu and her two siblings shouted in unison.
Yu Xinghai didn't bother to be polite with them, and said with a happy face: "Xiaoyu, good news, great news. The nobleman just said that they are coming here to buy some servants to take back. You three siblings should think about it carefully. If you go with the nobleman, you don't have to worry about your life every day in the future."
Yu Xiaoyu's two younger brothers didn't understand what Yu Xinghai was talking about and looked at their sister.
Yu Xiaoyu pursed her lips tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, but she was strong enough not to let them fall, "Uncle Village Chief, what are we going to do if we follow the noble man? We don't know how to do anything. What if the noble man is unhappy, will he beat us to death?"
She once went to a distant town with her grandfather to sell fish. The rich people in that town were unhappy and whipped the people around them. It was very painful.
Yu Xinghai was stunned and said hesitantly: "Xiao Yu! Not all masters are so cruel! The nobleman gave our village a large fishing boat. The villagers have had a much better life this year. I think your worry is unnecessary. Of course, if you are worried, you can ask the nobleman yourself later. I am here, so feel free to ask. I also want to find a way out for you."
To put it bluntly, fishing depends on the weather, and there are many dangers at sea. Last year's good weather does not mean good weather in the future. There is no guarantee for the three children to have food and clothing. Now there is an opportunity to escape from the sea of suffering, and we must seize it.
Yu Xiaoyu lowered his eyes, and after a struggle between his conscience and his mind, he gritted his teeth and said, "Uncle, let me discuss it with my brother. Can we go there by ourselves later?"
"Okay, okay! I still have to notify the other families, so you guys think about it carefully."
Yu Xinghai left in a hurry.
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