Perhaps because she had expended a lot of energy in the water, Fu Wan fell asleep as soon as she settled Su Ran in her sleeping spot.
Fang Min and the others knew she was exhausted, so they exchanged glances and tried to keep quiet.
When Fu Wan opened her eyes, took out her watch from her pocket, and looked at it over the kerosene lamp, it was already past five in the morning.
She stretched and got up. Su Ran was still asleep. Fu Wan quietly grabbed her coat from the bedside and put it on.
As Fu Wan stepped out of the cabin, a sea breeze blew in her face, instantly dispelling her lingering drowsiness. Fang Min and the others were indeed on the deck, and Li Jun was washing the fish. When he saw Fu Wan coming over, he quickly greeted her.
"Ah Wan, you're awake?"
"Yeah, Brother Dajun, how was the haul last night?"
Normally, trawling lasts a maximum of three hours. She went to sleep in the cabin at 11 p.m. last night, so she must have hauled the net in at least twice by now.
Li Jun chuckled and said, "Not bad, there are quite a few fish and crabs. I don't recognize sea fish, but Ah Lin said there are quite a few valuable ones."
Upon hearing this, Fu Wan glanced around. Li Jun was rinsing crabs and some dead sea fish that had just come ashore. Next to him were two baskets of decent-quality axefish, each of which looked to weigh two or three pounds.
The axehead fish, also known as the horsehead fish or square-headed fish, has an elongated, flattened body. Its head shape is quite unique, appearing square and somewhat resembling an axe or a horse's head.
The hatchetfish is brightly colored, with a striking red back, a common white belly, yellowish pectoral fins, and a tail that is half yellow and half grayish-blue, making it very beautiful.
Image of an axe-shaped fishing net, please delete if it infringes on copyright.
This fish feeds on small fish, shrimp, and snails, and can survive in all major sea areas of my country. Its flesh is very tender, and its scales are relatively thin, making it very crispy and delicious when fried.
Of course, steamed fish tastes great too. However, it definitely can't compare to grouper, which is much better in terms of taste and price, making it a very cost-effective option.
The quality of the trawler is slightly lower, and it's estimated to cost four or five cents per pound, while the longline catch is more expensive, around seven cents.
Fu Wan glanced at the axefish in the fish basket, but in the end she couldn't resist picking out two that looked undamaged.
"Brother Lin, this fish looks good. Could you clean it for me and add it to everyone's breakfast later?"
Ye Lin readily agreed.
"Okay, let me finish casting the last extension!"
Afterwards, he washed his hands in the bucket next to him. Fang Min, who was busy in the cubicle, heard the noise and poked her head out to greet Fu Wan.
"Ah Wan, let's have porridge for breakfast. Ah Qing and I cooked a lot."
"Porridge? Sure, let's add some shrimp and crab. Everyone's been working hard all night, they need a good rest!"
After saying that, she went into the cubicle. As soon as she entered, she saw Fu Qing stirring a pot with a large iron ladle. Fang Min had guessed that Fu Wan wanted to put crabs in the pot, and had even prepared the crabs and shrimp.
There will definitely be fewer shrimp, as they are more expensive than stone crabs. And these crabs were specifically chosen by Fang Min because they were missing their claws.
The fragrant rice porridge was bubbling in the pot. Since white rice was precious, Fang Min and Fu Qing also added a lot of corn kernels and brown rice.
Seeing that the rice grains had all bloomed, Fu Wan asked Fang Min to add the shrimp and crab. Of course, she also added a few shredded ginger to remove the fishy smell.
Just as they finished their work, Ye Lin also cleaned up the two axefish. The coal stove was already lit, and Fu Wan picked up another stainless steel pot, placed a plate upside down on the bottom of the pot, and then added water to prepare to steam the fish.
Although she preferred pan-fried fish, the conditions on the ship were limited, so she would have to wait until they got home from the sea to make it.
As the aroma of fish wafted out, everyone gathered around. Fu Ming was the one steering the boat at that moment. He had taken over Fu Laoda's shift at three in the morning. Fu Erlv and Fu Laoda had done a trawling operation and were busy until Ye Lin and Li Jun took over at four in the morning before they went to sleep in the cabin.
The aroma of seafood porridge woke Su Ran and Su Jianshe from their hunger. They quickly dressed and came out, feeling a little embarrassed to find breakfast already prepared.
He offered to help on the ship, but ended up sleeping until dawn and even had someone else make his breakfast.
However, Su Ran was a straightforward person, and without any hesitation, she went to the side and took an empty bowl.
As she filled the seafood porridge, she turned to Fu Wan and the others and said, "Let's make this clear first, I'll clean up the bowls later, so you can't try to take them from me."
Fu Wan couldn't really ask her to do any work, but considering Su Ran's feelings, she just smiled and agreed.
"Okay, I definitely won't fight you for it. But we have a rule on our ship: you have to wash your own bowl. There's nothing I can do about that."
"Then...then I'll wash the pot!"
Su Ran wasn't stupid; she glanced at the scene and immediately called out.
Fu Wan looked regretful upon hearing this, "You can't wash the pot either. My dad and Er Lv haven't gotten up yet, and this pot of porridge still needs to be kept warm for them."
Su Ran felt a little discouraged upon hearing this. Did she think that if she boarded the ship, she could expect to be taken care of?
"Haha, don't worry," Fu Wan said with a smile, trying to comfort her. "Su Ran, you'll be busy soon. Do you see that light over there? It's such a beautiful sunrise over the sea. Isn't it worth taking a picture and putting it in the newspaper?"
Su Ran held the bowl and looked in the direction Fu Wan pointed. It was almost 5:30. The gray-blue sky and the sea were a perfect blend of colors, which looked really beautiful.
Many seabirds took flight and landed on the sea surface. Where the sky meets the sea, orange light emanated from a cluster of clouds, making the entire sky appear much redder.
How beautiful, the sun is about to come out!
Su Ran was stunned; she had never seen such a beautiful sunrise over the sea. No, having lived in the city for so long, she had never had the chance to see a sunrise!
Su Jianshe was also stunned by the scenery. He hurriedly put down the bowl in his hand and then rushed to the cabin.
After taking a couple of steps, he realized that the camera was in Su Ran's cabin, where all the girls lived. It didn't seem right for him to go in!
"Xiao Ran, stop eating and hurry up and get the camera!"
Seeing his younger sister still holding a bowl and watching the sunrise, Su Jianshe hurriedly shouted.
"Oh, oh, oh, it's here!"
Su Ran took a big gulp of the porridge in her hand. Oh my, she had never tasted such delicious porridge before. Although it was mostly made of coarse grains, the freshness and sweetness of the shrimp and crab inside was truly captivating!
Even when she was engrossed in her work, Su Ran put down her bowl and ran into the cabin. She had used up all the film she had shot yesterday, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and get a new roll.
She had just bought this roll of film with her salary; it could take sixty photos. But Su Ran had a vague feeling that the roll of film she brought wouldn't be enough!
When Su Ran ran out with her camera, Fu Wan and the others were still drinking porridge and enjoying the sunrise. Su Jianshe took the camera from her, and Su Ran was a little reluctant to part with it.
She said with concern, "Brother, make sure you're sure you're in the right spot before you press the shutter, I'm running out of film!"
"What? Weren't there still a lot yesterday?"
"Yesterday... that white humpback whale was so cute, I couldn't resist taking a couple more pictures..."
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