While the cargo ship was being tidied up, Fu Dahai and Fu Xiaochuan moved the remaining seafood from the deck into the cold storage.
Fang Min and Fu Qing helped in the kitchen, while Fu Ming and Fu Liang simply washed the deck.
Watching the busy figures of the boatmen on the two boats, Fu Wan turned and walked towards the kitchen.
Before even entering the kitchen, Fu Wan could smell the aroma of braised pork.
"Dad, how much rice did you cook for lunch today?"
Upon hearing this, Boss Fu immediately looked at Fang Min, who had been busy cleaning the eels and had not participated in cooking.
Upon hearing this, Fang Min quickly replied, "The large rice cooker is full. I was planning to cook it all at once at noon so I wouldn't have to cook it again in the evening."
"That's perfect. I'll take a big basin and fill it with enough for four people, and then deliver it to the people on the seafood collection boat."
Fang Min responded, and Fu Wan looked around at the dishes that had already been prepared on the table.
A large basin was filled with stewed eel and potatoes, with some onions and dried chilies added. It smelled incredibly fragrant and spicy.
Fu Wan picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. Leopard-spotted moray eels are difficult to catch and are slightly poisonous, so she usually just skips them when she's in the sea.
I didn't expect Boss Fu to be so good at cooking, and the eel meat he cooked was really fresh, tender and smooth.
"Dad, your cooking is really good!"
Upon hearing this, Boss Fu laughed heartily, "Not bad, right? I learned this myself."
When he was a child, his father didn't care about him, so he would go to the beach to catch seafood and cook it himself. At first, the dishes he made were not tasty. After eating them badly a few times, he learned how much seasoning to put in.
Over time, he also developed excellent cooking skills.
Besides the eels, Boss Fu was heating up some braised pork. Ye Xiaocui had cooked it a couple of days ago; it was ready to eat once the fat turned translucent.
Braised pork is a dish that gets more fragrant the hotter it is; the aroma wafted out so far that even the people on the cargo ship could smell it.
"It smells so good!"
Lin Wei took a deep breath. May Goddess Mazu bless him. He must be hallucinating from hunger. How could he smell braised pork at sea?
The other two boatmen nearby also smelled the aroma, and everyone immediately put down what they were doing. There was no way around it; it just smelled too good.
Fu Huanghua thought for a moment and went to the cabin to take out a few flatbreads, which were their lunch.
"Come on, let's go back after lunch."
While the aroma of braised pork still lingers in the air, eating a cold flatbread can be even more enjoyable.
However, just as the four of them each took a piece of cake and were about to start eating, they heard Fu Wan's shout coming from the "Riding the Waves".
"Uncle Huang, I've cooked some food on this boat. I'll put it down for you, and you can catch it!"
Lin Wei swears that, apart from the cry of his son when he was born, Fu Wan's shout at this moment is the most beautiful sound he has ever heard in his life.
"This...this is so embarrassing!"
Fu Huanghua looked up at Fu Wan. The two boats were about two meters shorter. Fu Wan ignored their formalities, found a clean new net, put the food bowl inside, tied a knot, and then lowered it down with a hemp rope.
The goods have already been delivered to your door; to refuse them now would be idiotic.
Fu Huanghua thanked him, then hurriedly told Lin Wei and the other two boatmen to take the food out of the net bag.
To prevent seabirds from defecating everywhere, Fu Wan specially found a lid to cover the food.
When Lin Wei lifted the lid, the four people on the seafood boat stared wide-eyed.
"Good heavens, are they not planning to stay on this ship? They're eating so well!"
Qian Gang, one of the boatmen, sighed, and Shen Jian next to him nodded in agreement.
Goodness, braised pork, eel, and a big spoonful of red chili sauce, topped with a layer of stir-fried, translucent cabbage.
Now, they completely forgot about the flatbread in their hands; all they could see was meat.
Fu Huanghua was the first to react, and then looked up at the "Riding the Waves" ship and shouted, "Awan, did you give us all the meat? How come there's so much?"
"Uncle, those are all for you guys, we still have some here!"
Fu Ming answered him, saying that Fu Wan had gone to tell everyone to go eat.
He was holding a bowl of rice, eating while shouting down to those below:
"Find some bowls and divide the food among yourselves, and remember to return that bowl to us!"
After saying that, he muttered to himself that there were only two basins on the boat. If the cargo ship took the basin away, it would be inconvenient for them to cook and serve food later.
Hey, Uncle Huang, why aren't you eating this delicious food? If you keep asking, the food will get cold.
Braised pork and fish taste best when they're hot!
Hearing Fu Ming's words, Fu Huanghua and the others didn't ask any more questions. Shen Jian was the first to react and ran to the cabin to find his lunchbox.
This is an aluminum lunchbox that his mother specially made for him. Every time before he sets off, his mother would fill it with dried fish.
They had been at sea for a whole night and half a day, and the dried fish had long been eaten by him and Qian Gang.
Seeing this, Qian Gang and the others hurriedly went back to find something to hold their food. They mainly ate cornbread and flatbread at sea.
Fresh food harvesting boats typically set sail and return on the same day, so there isn't much food available on board.
Qian Gang and Lin Wei also had aluminum lunchboxes, but Fu Huanghua didn't. After thinking for a moment, he took out his large enamel mug for drinking water.
After the four of them divided the food, the bowl of rice and dishes was almost full. There were a few mouthfuls left in the bowl, which Fu Huanghua had Shen Jian and Qian Gang eat.
The fragrant mixed grain rice was delicious on its own, but with so many vegetables on top and the broth soaking into the rice, Qian Gang and the others ate with gusto, not even lifting their heads.
Shen Jian was reluctant to eat the meat, so he scooped up a spoonful of cabbage and stuffed it into his mouth. As a result, that one bite of cabbage was so delicious that his pupils dilated and he almost bit his tongue.
"Hmm, this cabbage, this cabbage tastes like meat! It was stir-fried with lard!"
Lin Wei also ate a bite of cabbage upon hearing this. He was Fu San's brother-in-law, and since Lin Qiuju was still breastfeeding, his meals at Fu San's house were quite good.
That one bite made him start to taste something.
"It's not just lard, it also has the flavor of spices. This must be lard rendered from braised pork. I wonder who's in charge of the kitchen on this big ship. They're really talented!"
Chef Fu was eating when he suddenly felt an itch on his nose. He quickly went to a quieter spot and sneezed.
Hey, I wonder which bastard is talking about him behind his back, making it impossible for him to have a peaceful meal!
After lunch, the cargo ship started its diesel engine and set sail back. On the "Riding the Waves" ship, Fu Wan and Boss Fu took a look around the cold storage. After finding that there was still at least half the space left, they immediately discussed working at sea for a few more days.
"Ah Wan, I think we should stay at sea for another week since we have plenty of diesel fuel. Let's try to make as much money as possible on the first voyage of the new ship!"
Hearing what Boss Fu said, Fu Wan shook her head.
"No, Dad, we have to go back in two days at most. There's something going on at the factory next week, and I have to go to Shanghai for a trade fair!"
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