Xu Jiafu had a great experience on his last sea voyage, and as soon as he got back, he went to find Dong Haiyang.
First, attract his attention with the city's largest ship, then casually reveal that the ship is still missing a helmsman.
Upon hearing this, Dong Haiyang immediately grabbed him and asked for an introduction.
When Fu Wan first met Dong Haiyang, his genuine love for the "Riding the Waves" ship was evident on his face.
Fu Wan asked Dong Haiyang a few questions about his past experience at sea. Seeing that there were no problems, she agreed to let him take the helm of the ship. His salary was more than that of the crew members, eighty yuan a month.
Of course, dividends are calculated separately.
Dong Haiyang was very satisfied with this income. Although he worked at the shipyard and was provided with room and board, he only earned forty yuan a month.
With seniority pay included, earning fifty a month is already quite remarkable.
Although Dong Haiyang's salary was higher, no one else had any objections.
In their eyes, Dong Haiyang was an expert that Boss Fu poached from the city's shipyard, so it was understandable that he received a higher salary.
Besides, their salaries are already quite good, including bonuses, so they are quite satisfied.
As the long horn blared, the four boats left the dock one after another. Ye Xiaocui and Jiang Chunlan, with their children, watched Fu Wan and her group's boat leave. Only when the boats were no longer visible on the sea did they turn back.
"Xiaocui, Chunlan, your family is sure to have a great haul on this voyage!"
Liu Sanniang and her companions were also watching the commotion at the dock, and upon seeing this, they made some jokes.
Ye Xiaocui and Jiang Chunlan grinned as they listened.
"Haha, you already know this so soon after we set sail? If we really catch something when we get back, I'll definitely bring you a fish to eat!"
"Well then, I won't be polite. I want grouper, I won't eat anything else!"
Liu San Niang had an arrogant look on her face, but several familiar older women nearby shook their heads when they heard this.
"Listen to that, listen to that, you're dreaming! You still want to eat grouper, huh? Third Aunt, did the old village chief go fishing again? Did he catch seven or eight groupers for you?"
"Pah! What grouper? That old man only catches small fish he can't even finish. He'd be lucky to catch a sea bass!"
The village women never stopped chatting, and Ye Xiaocui and Jiang Chunlan joined in for a few words. But for some reason, Ye Xiaocui always felt that someone was watching them.
"Chunlan, it's almost time. Let's hurry back. It's getting dark, and we won't be able to see the road soon."
Jiang Chunlan nodded in agreement, and then turned to see Ye Xiaocui rubbing her arms.
"Xiao Cui, what's wrong with you? Are you cold from the wind?"
"No, I always feel like someone is watching us."
Ye Xiaocui looked around in confusion. All around her were familiar faces. Some were out gathering seafood, while others were chatting. No one was looking in their direction at all.
Even when our eyes occasionally meet, we politely nod and smile to greet each other, without making anyone feel uncomfortable.
"Never mind, let's go back first."
Ye Xiaocui spoke directly, calling out to Fu Ling and Qin Mingzhu who had run away, and then pulling them along as they walked quickly home.
Only after entering her home did Ye Xiaocui feel her heart finally settle down.
Seeing her old friend's nervous expression, Jiang Chunlan guessed that she felt insecure because Fu Wan and the others had gone to sea.
"Alright, judging from your expression, it seems like you're still adjusting after Awan and the others left."
Okay, I'll stay with you tonight. Huiping went to her parents' house and hasn't come back yet, and I'll be bored at home alone."
Upon hearing Jiang Chunlan's words, Ye Xiaocui quickly nodded with a smile.
"Okay, that would be perfect."
As soon as the gate closed, Yuanbao sensed something was wrong and kept pacing around the entrance.
In a nearby alley, two men hid in the shadows. The thin, short man was chewing on a blade of grass, his eyes filled with greed.
This man was none other than Wang the Cripple, who had previously been collecting fish with Wang Jianshe.
Last year, Wang Jianshe was in charge of collecting goods from the areas around Fujia Village and Wangjia Village, while Wang Quezi was in charge of collecting seafood from the vicinity of Shenjia Village.
After Wang Jianshe absconded with the money, Wang the Cripple was hated by everyone in the village, but because his leg was broken by a water buffalo when he was a child, he was a cripple and could not escape.
Since Wang the Cripple had some savings, after the village chief intervened and allowed him to refund the money for the fish sold near Shenjia Village, the fishermen stopped bothering him.
But Wang the Cripple had lost all his possessions and had no income, so he had to beg for food everywhere.
He begged in all the surrounding villages, and then went to the county town to beg for food.
There are quite a few beggars in the county town, and you can occasionally run into some kind-hearted people.
Just two days ago, Wang the Cripple actually met a kind and wealthy person.
This rich man often bought him large meat buns from the state-run restaurant next door. You know, meat buns aren't cheap; they cost two cents each.
After eating meat buns a few times, the man became acquainted with Wang the Cripple and soon began asking Wang the Cripple about someone.
That was Fu Wan from Fujia Village.
Wang the Cripple didn't know the others, but he had heard Wang Jianshe mention Fu Wan's family members more than once or twice.
He not only knew that Fu Wan's family had a lot of fish and was the richest in the nearby villages, but he also knew that Fu Wan would occasionally lead a team out to sea.
Because Wang Jianshe ran away, Wang the Cripple hated not only Wang Jianshe, but also Fu Wan.
He felt that if Fu Wan hadn't stopped the people of Fu Family Village from selling their fish and depositing their money with them, Wang Jianshe wouldn't have run away with the money so quickly.
So when the wealthy man mentioned wanting to find something at Fu Wan's house, Wang the Cripple immediately patted his chest and agreed to lead the way.
What he didn't know was that the wealthy man he brought with him was actually Tahara, an enemy agent who had some connection with the Kujii family.
At this time, the islanders did not know that the Imperial Seal had been secretly sent to the capital. The disappearances of Kujiro and Kujiro Hiroichi all pointed to the waters off Fu Family Village.
Coupled with the news sent back by Kujii Hiroichi, Kujii Yu's family couldn't help but suspect that Fu Wan must know something.
According to the information they received, Fu Wan was a fisherman with some assets, but the failure of the Jiu Jingxiong brothers forced Tian Yuan, who had traveled a long way, to act cautiously.
He inquired about the situation in the county town for several days and finally decided to pose as a thief and find a beggar to take him to Fu Wan's house to find out what was going on.
Even if caught, they can use theft to cover up their true intentions.
Wang the Cripple leaned against the wall, listening to Yuanbao's occasional barking.
He turned to Tian Yuan and asked, "Brother Tian, should we go to Fu Wan's new house, or steal from their old house?"
"She also has her own house?"
Tian Yuan was somewhat surprised, while Wang the Cripple nodded resentfully.
"Yes, it's said to be the most beautiful little villa in the area. Damn it, God is blind! How come they have such good luck at sea!"
When these words reached Tian Yuan's ears, they had a completely different meaning.
As far as he knew, there was also a lot of gold and silver jewelry with the jade seal. Ordinary fishermen wouldn't have the money to build a small villa, so Fu Wan's ability to build a house meant that she had probably found something good at sea.
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