Fu Wan finished the sweet potato porridge at the bottom of the bowl and then responded.
"Yes, I know. I'll have my brother inform them later, or we can go out to sea tonight."
"Tonight? Awan, are you going or not?"
Fu Ming hurriedly asked, "If Fu Wan doesn't go, I always feel uneasy leading the team out to sea."
Fu Wan thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes, I've been so busy these past few days that I'm feeling really down. Going out to sea will be a good way to clear my head."
Upon hearing this, Fu Ming immediately perked up, put down the empty bowl, and headed out.
"Then I'll go find Ah Liang and discuss going to sea!"
They've been so busy with the food factory these past few days that they haven't noticed whether A-Liang's son has recovered. If he has, Fu-Liang should be able to go out to sea with him.
After breakfast, I finally had some free time.
Fu Wan moved a bamboo chair to sit in the yard and basked in the sun. Knowing that the children would be going out to sea in the next couple of days, Ye Xiaocui did not go to work in the fields after breakfast. Instead, she took out her net-mending tools and prepared to check if there were any holes in the fishing net.
Boss Fu then brought out the crab traps and fish traps. These things had actually been cleaned before, but because they hadn't been used for several days, they had been piled up in the backyard. The traps also had a fishy smell, making them easy targets for rats.
Therefore, everything must be checked before going out to sea, otherwise, if there are any holes, the fish, shrimp and crabs caught in the net may easily escape.
While basking in the sun, Fu Wan helped Ye Xiaocui adjust her fishing net.
While they were busy, Yuanbao, who had been lying next to Fu Wan's legs sunbathing, suddenly stood up and looked warily toward the door.
"Woof! Woof!"
"Hey, Yuanbao, it's me! It's me!"
A familiar voice came from the doorway. Fu Wan and the others looked over and were surprised to find that it was Fu Dahai and Fu Mancang.
Judging from their muddy appearance and the buckets they were carrying, they must have just returned from beachcombing.
"Hey, Dahai, Mancang, what brings you here?"
Ye Xiaocui put down her work and hurried forward.
Fu Mancang smiled sheepishly, "Awan, Uncle, Aunt, you're all here!"
"Yes, we're checking the fishing nets. We should be going out to sea tonight. Did my brother tell you?"
Fu Wan casually replied, and Fu Dahai shook his head, "We didn't run into A-Ming, I guess he went home to inform them."
As he spoke, Fu Mancang scratched his head and placed the bucket in front of Ye Xiaocui and the others.
“Ah Wan, Uncle and Aunt, this morning when the tide went out, Da Hai and I caught some fish in the crevices of the rocks at the dock. You gave us wild boar meat yesterday, so these fish are our return gift.”
Fu, who was closest to him, was initially pleased to see the small grouper in the bucket, but when he turned his head and saw the dense patches on the clothes of Fu Dahai and Fu Mancang, his pleasure turned into a bit of speechlessness.
"Hey, what are you two doing?" He looked at Fu Dahai with displeasure and said, "Nothing to do? Trying to return the favor like others? This little bit of fish can be exchanged for some money with Fu San. What's wrong, are you being so polite with us now?"
Fu Dahai was about to explain when Boss Fu sighed and continued:
"Dahai, aren't you going to save money for your child's medical treatment and health care? And Mancang, you too, aren't you going to get a wife or build a house?"
"You're so young, what are you thinking about all day? We appreciate your kindness, but we don't need the fish. They're just small grouper, after all. Even if we don't sell them, they're good for the kids. Our family isn't short of fish!"
As Boss Fu spoke, his words carried a hint of anger, which made Fu Dahai and Fu Mancang turn pale instantly. Although they were both tall and strong men, they were no different from children when facing Boss Fu.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Ye Xiaocui quickly stepped forward and patted Boss Fu on the shoulder.
"Alright, Hai and Mancang mean well. You've been irritable these past few days, so don't start lecturing everyone you meet."
Fu Wan agreed wholeheartedly. She peeked into the bucket and exclaimed in surprise.
"Hey, isn't this the black-spotted stag? Brother Dahai, did you two catch this?"
"Yes," Fu Dahai nodded with a simple smile, "There was some fishing too. There wasn't much wind at the beach today, and we went early and had a bit of luck."
After saying that, he secretly glanced at Boss Fu and boldly explained, "We know what Uncle is saying. Besides the black-spotted fish, we also kept other fish at home. Uncle also sold some. These are the ones we specially kept for you."
Don't let Fu Dahai's quiet and reserved nature fool you; he's actually quite stubborn.
Even though Boss Fu said those things, he still insisted on keeping the fish.
Fu Mancang, being younger, simply shrank his neck and hid behind Fu Dahai. Seeing that Fu Dahai's expression had improved, he dared to secretly smile at Ye Xiaocui and Fu Wan.
Oh dear, now he finally understood why the uncles and elders in the village said that Boss Fu was not someone to be trifled with. Just those few words had almost scared him to his knees.
Good heavens, no wonder Fu Lao Er and his gang always try to avoid Fu Lao Da whenever they see him from afar!
Seeing that Fu Dahai was sincere, Fu Wan simply found an empty bucket nearby and poured out the fish from Fu Dahai and the others' bucket.
"Okay, Brother Dahai, we'll accept the fish. Don't be so polite next time."
Wild boar meat is a benefit we give to everyone. If every time I give you something, you have to give something back, then when I pay you a salary in the future, will you still have to think about how much to return?
We're all brothers and sisters from the same village, so there's really no need to be so polite in the future.
Fu Wan's meaning was actually similar to what Boss Fu said, but for some reason, Fu Dahai and Fu Mancang found what Fu Wan said particularly appealing.
"Okay, we understand. Let's go back and pack our things to get ready to set sail!"
Fu Wan responded and, after everyone left, glanced at the fish still swimming around in the bucket.
"Mom, this black spotted dog looks good. Let's stew it for dinner tonight when Lingling and the others come back!"
Ye Xiaocui nodded in agreement, "Okay, the black-spotted meat is tender, they'll definitely like it!"
Upon hearing this, Boss Fu curled his lip. It's just a black grouper. He often catches these kinds of small groupers when he's fishing!
Seeing Fu Dada's appearance, Fu Wan couldn't help but shake her head. Her father had been so angry about the food factory these past two days that he had nowhere to vent his anger. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been constantly talking about Fu Dahai and Fu Mancang.
The black-striped grouper, also known as the banded nine-spined grouper, is a small grouper that prefers to live near rocky areas.
This type of fish is generally the size of an adult's palm, with a brownish-brown body and distinct vertical stripes.
As one of the more affordable grouper varieties, the black grouper has a very tender and delicious flavor. The flesh is firm and refreshing, with plenty of meat and few bones. It also has a strong fishy taste and is delicious whether steamed, stewed, or used in soup.
Villagers often catch this fish when they go beachcombing or fishing at the dock. Most people sell the fish they catch to Fu San, but a few people occasionally keep some of the smaller ones to nourish their children.
Image of black silk motif (image removed due to copyright infringement)
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