Chapter 29: You Can Watch But You Can't Move
As they were talking, Liang's mother began to prepare dinner.
The fresh mussels Liang Ziqiang brought back were as fresh as can be. They must be delicious when used to make soup.
However, the shell of the mussels still has a lot of mud and dirt because they have been in a seawater and reef environment for a long time.
Liang's mother ordered Liang Lizhi to take a brush and squat there to brush the shells.
Anyway, this girl is learning to weave a web just for fun and she won’t be able to make any real progress.
Soon, three-year-old Xiaohai also came forward. In their eyes, shelling has turned from a chore into a new recreational activity.
After brushing the surface of the mussels clean, the dark green color of the mouth becomes more vivid, making people more appetizing.
Liang Ziqiang took a basin and sprinkled some salt into the water.
Even after brushing the mussels clean, they are not suitable for cooking immediately. Instead, they should be soaked in light salt water for about an hour to remove impurities.
After an hour or so, Liang's mother rinsed the mussels again, put them in the pot, added clean water to cover about two-thirds of the mussels, and threw a few slices of ginger into the pot.
After just a short while, the water began to boil, and the mussels, which had originally closed their mouths, opened their mouths one after another. At the same time, a special fresh and fragrant smell spread and blended into the twilight.
Liang Ziqiang walked to the pot, took a look at it, and thought to himself what a pity.
If you add tofu, mushrooms and the like into the soup, it will be simply delicious.
Unfortunately, given the current conditions at home, it’s better to save your energy and not think too much about it.
Fortunately, it was just a clear soup with a little salt added. After it was served on the table, the whole family still enjoyed it happily.
After dinner, Liang’s father picked up two watermelons from the corner of the room and cut them with a knife.
Each person held a piece of melon and had it as a dessert after the meal.
Liang Ziqiang discovered that ever since he picked these melons, herbal tea was instantly relegated to the sidelines, while watermelon and cantaloupe became the new popular items.
While eating watermelon, Liang's father asked Liang Ziqiang casually: "I heard from your mother that you made dozens of dollars by just reminding someone today? What reminder did you make that is so valuable? Was there someone running around on the beach and almost fell into the sea?"
Liang Ziqiang stopped eating melon and said to his father:
"It's much more serious than what you said. There was a blue-ringed octopus under the rocks near the island. The city woman didn't know it, and she thought she had stumbled upon a treasure, and she almost tried to catch it with her hands."
"Blue ring seal?!"
Everyone in the room was shocked. The eldest brother Liang Tiancheng asked in surprise: "Are you sure you didn't see it wrong? That thing can poison even cows, but it's rare here!"
"Just because it's rare doesn't mean it doesn't exist!"
Liang Defu said with some fear on his face:
"It's been about 30 years. There was a couple from outside the village who didn't know anything. They found a blue-ringed octopus from somewhere and fried it as if it were an ordinary octopus. In the end, the whole family, including adults and children, was wiped out. It was so tragic!"
"So, the people in the city really deserve to give you this money!" Liang Tiancheng said with emotion.
"The main thing is that you have to be extra careful. If you see this kind of octopus, avoid it immediately and don't touch it at all!"
Liang Defu said with a straight face, emphasizing this.
After he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Liang Ziqiang:
"You went to such a faraway island, and along the way, didn't you see a small boat floating far away on the sea?"
Liang Ziqiang was stunned for a moment, then he immediately understood that his father was still unwilling to give up and was still fantasizing that the lost old boat could be miraculously recovered.
Liang Ziqiang felt guilty at his father's unwilling look, but he didn't show it on his face. He just thought and replied:
"Dad, if the boat was really set free by Yang Laizi, it would have drifted hundreds of miles away with the ocean current. If I could see it on the sea, wouldn't I just bring it back?"
Father Liang actually knew that he was asking a nonsense question, but he was still very upset about the loss of the boat and cursed angrily:
"Fuck it! If the boat hadn't been lost, the eldest and third brothers and I would be fishing at sea right now. Even if our luck is bad, it's definitely much better than what we earned from working for others these past two days! This thief is so cunning, I really want to skin him alive!"
As Liang Ziqiang listened to his father's words, he felt a chill all along his spine, as if someone was really holding a knife, stabbing the back of his neck and skinning him.
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he said in a tone of solidarity: "If there is really a way to catch him, there is no need for you to take action, I will be the first to beat him up!"
Now, it has almost become a regular routine for the family to sit together and condemn the damn ship thieves in unison.
If cursing could really kill someone, Liang Ziqiang felt that he had died many times in the past two days.
Fortunately, no matter how he was scolded, he was unharmed.
All you need to do is be thick-skinned and have a big heart, and everything will be fine.
But some of the insults are really unbearable...
"You bastard, I curse him so that he can't get up. He looks at his wife every night, but he can only look at her but not use her!"
These words actually came out of the mouth of the silly elder brother...
"Brother, you are really outrageous. You might as well skin him alive!"
This is my younger brother Liang Zifeng finishing off the enemy...
Liang Ziqiang's face was so dark that it could be compared with the night outside.
He gritted his teeth, followed the formation closely, and said harshly:
"That's not enough! I hope his brothers are like him, unable to move when they see a woman!"
After a brutal exchange of insults, it was already late.
There were not many entertainment options in the countryside at that time, not even a TV.
After a tiring day, the only thing left to enjoy is basically falling into a deep sleep.
Liang Ziqiang was sweating so much that he could even smell it.
I went to the back of the house and took a bath in the dark with a bucket of water.
It's still very hot in the small fishing village in August.
He picked up a large bucket of water and poured it over him from head to toe, like a complete revelation.
The water was spring water carried from the mountain stream behind. When it was poured on my body, every pore of my body felt cool and comfortable.
While taking a shower, Liang Ziqiang was very conscious and even took care to wash his big feet thoroughly.
Don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you, right?
With two pairs of stinky feet squeezed on the bed at the same time, the whole room is about to explode.
Unfortunately, his younger brother Liang Zifeng does not have such self-awareness.
The two brothers lay down on the bed, one on each side. As soon as their heads touched the pillow, Liang Ziqiang felt an extremely unfriendly smell.
It rushed towards him from his brother Liang Zifeng's feet! Liang Zifeng heard the noise from his end and asked quickly: "Second brother, why are you coughing? You don't usually catch a cold?"
I didn't catch a cold, but after being exposed to smelly feet for so long, who wouldn't get a respiratory infection? Liang Ziqiang asked with a dying look:
"You didn't shower?"
Liang Zifeng was confused when he heard this. "How is that possible? He must have rushed over!"
Liang Ziqiang didn't want to hide it anymore and asked angrily:
"Don't you wash your feet when you take a shower?"
Liang Zifeng was silent now.
He slipped out of bed silently, apparently to wash his feet.
Watching his brother walk out the door somewhat embarrassedly, Liang Ziqiang suddenly felt a surge of regret in his heart.
Zifeng is quite different from him and his elder brother Liang Tiancheng.
Liang Tiancheng and Liang Ziqiang are both typical rough men.
Only his younger brother Liang Zifeng is very gentle and cultured, and a little more thick-skinned.
Liang Ziqiang didn't know whether he would take what he just said to heart.
However, the two brothers usually have a good relationship, and they wouldn't have a fight because of this little incident.
Liang Ziqiang decided not to think too much about it and went to sleep quickly to replenish his energy so that he could work and earn money.
It can be seen that the father is still very anxious and angry because there is no boat to go out to sea to fish.
In the past, the family relied on that small broken boat and went out to sea every now and then to bring back some income. However, after deducting the cost of diesel, plus the food and drink expenses for a family of eight and rent, there was not much money saved.
Now even the little broken boat is gone, how can the father not be anxious? If Liang Ziqiang hadn't had good fortunes one after another these days, the family would have been worried to death.
Now, Liang Ziqiang has become the biggest source of income for the whole family.
While I felt a heavy pressure, I also felt more motivated.
In the future, when he marries Chen Xiangbei, starts a family and has children, one day the three brothers may separate and live their own lives.
But right now, he just wanted to do his best to let this whole family live a more normal life!
Thanks to the recommendation votes from the book friends "Old Zhang Riding Horse" and "The Last Number 888" last night, and the monthly votes from "You Who Tell Stories" this morning! (End of this chapter)
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