Aunt Zhang wiped away the tears on the little boy's face. "Good boy, bear with it. Mom will go find some wild vegetables to make you a wild vegetable soup tomorrow."
Sun Erniang was squatting by the corner of the Lin family's wall, inhaling the aroma deeply, as if she could eat it herself.
No one in the Lin family noticed the commotion outside.
Lin Chaosheng served the rabbit head and sprinkled it with chopped green onions.
Liang Mei lifted the lid of the steamer, took out the seafood, and then put the abalone stewed with potatoes into a plate.
"Dinner's ready!" Lin Chaosheng called out happily, placing a sumptuous spread of dishes on the table.
Lin Shansheng and Liang Fu stood to the side, their eyes wide with astonishment. They had never seen such a sumptuous meal before, let alone in this year of famine.
"What are you all standing there for? Come and eat!" Lin Chaosheng called out to Lin Shansheng and Liang Fu with a smile, his eyes narrowed.
"Take this with you," Lin Chaosheng said, packing three cleaned rabbits, a few swimming crabs and scallops, and then putting the abalone and potatoes in another bowl. He then handed the package to Lin Shansheng.
"Take this to Mom and Dad first; they probably haven't eaten yet," Lin Chaosheng urged Lin Shansheng.
Lin Shansheng felt a warmth in his heart. He felt that his brother had really changed a lot. In the past, all the food would have gone into his brother's stomach, and there would have been no chance for their father and mother.
"Brother, shall we go hunting in the mountains again tomorrow?" Lin Shansheng suddenly remembered this important matter as he was about to open the door.
“No, we’re going fishing tomorrow!” Lin Chaosheng looked at his younger brother with a smile. “Bring a big wooden bucket with you tomorrow, and we’ll go out to sea together.”
Lin Shansheng's eyes lit up, then he frowned again. "But... these fish are getting harder and harder to catch. The fishing boats that went out in the village a few days ago basically didn't catch anything. Can we manage...?"
Lin Chaosheng blinked. "Good brother, you don't believe me?"
Looking at Lin Chaosheng's confident smile, Lin Shansheng felt a sense of relief.
Yes, isn't all the stuff his older brother brought back these past few days enough to prove his brother's abilities?
"I believe you, brother! I'll believe whatever you do!" Lin Shansheng exclaimed excitedly. "Then I'm off, brother!"
"Go ahead, be careful!" Lin Chaosheng waved to Lin Shansheng and then began to help Liang Mei clear away the dishes.
Lying in bed that night, Liang Mei couldn't help but feel worried after hearing what Lin Chaosheng had said earlier. "You two be careful, the sea is dangerous, and so are you..."
Lin Chaosheng sensed his wife's unease and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. If I have to die, I'll at least wait until our child can have a good life."
Liang Mei was both embarrassed and angry. She nudged Lin Chaosheng with her elbow and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who wants to have a child with you..."
Moonlight streamed onto the edge of the bed, and the two of them fell asleep amidst their playful antics.
The next day, Lin Chaosheng woke up early as soon as it was light and began preparing his fishing tools.
After everything was almost ready, Lin Shansheng arrived. "Let's go, bro!"
Lin Shansheng was filled with fighting spirit and couldn't wait to be at sea the next second.
Lin Chaosheng patted Lin Shansheng on the shoulder and said, "Let's go!"
The two had only walked halfway through the village when some villagers spotted them.
"Hey, you two, are you going fishing?"
"Oh, I know you, Lin Chaosheng, are capable, but there really isn't a single fish left in this sea lately."
"That's right, the fishing team from the production team went out fishing a few days ago, and they came back looking so pathetic..."
Lin Chaosheng ignored him and walked straight towards the beach.
Upon reaching the beach, Lin Chaosheng and Lin Shansheng worked together to carry the large wooden barrel and fishing gear onto the Lin family's only remaining possession—a small, dilapidated fishing boat.
The fishing boat was almost falling apart; the planks were barely held together with fish glue.
"Brother, which sea area are we going to?" Lin Shansheng asked as he untied the rope.
"South." Lin Chaosheng was busy with his work and didn't even look up.
Just then, a few sarcastic remarks suddenly came from the side.
"And to the south? That place is practically devoid of any living creatures."
"Exactly, you're so young and you're just wasting your time. Why don't you come with us to the East China Sea? At least you can bring back a meal."
"Yeah, we don't want to end up exhausted and starving."
"Exactly, don't think you're a god just because you caught a fish that slipped through the net a few days ago."
It turned out to be a few fishermen who got up early to prepare for going out to sea. They were very disdainful after hearing Lin Chaosheng's words.
Lin Shansheng glared angrily at the fishermen with their mocking expressions, but seeing that his elder brother remained unmoved, he could only give up.
Lin Chaosheng rowed the oars and whistled. A moment later, a silver light flashed.
That was "Xiao Ba," the first marine creature he had contracted a few days ago.
When Xiao Ba saw its master arrive, it swam happily around Lin Chaosheng's boat.
"Xiao Ba, take us to find fish," Lin Chaosheng said in a low voice.
Xiao Ba understood the command, and with a "whoosh," it leaped out of the water, carrying him to a certain area.
The small boat slowly glided across the water, which was dyed golden by the rising sun.
Lin Chaosheng squinted and looked closely. In the distance, there was a large expanse of shimmering water on the sea.
Those are a school of fish!
However, due to the sun's rays and the great distance, ordinary fishermen could not find it at all.
"Shansheng, go that way!" Lin Chaosheng confidently pointed to that area of the sea.
Lin Shansheng couldn't open his eyes because of the sunlight. He looked in the direction Lin Chaosheng was pointing and could only see a shimmering sea.
"There's nothing there, bro, is that really okay?" Lin Shansheng couldn't help but become skeptical.
Lin Chaosheng nodded, "Trust me!"
Seeing Lin Chaosheng's determined look, Lin Shansheng gritted his teeth and rowed towards that sea area.
Gradually, all the fishing boats beside them disappeared, and they drifted alone on the sea.
Suddenly, Hachi leaped forward and accelerated.
"Fish!" Lin Shansheng shouted, pointing at Xiao Ba. "Brother, hurry up and catch it!"
Lin Chaosheng shook his head. "Follow it."
Lin Shansheng was puzzled, but he listened to Lin Chaosheng and followed Xiao Ba.
If the fishermen had seen this, they would have laughed at them for being led by the nose by a mackerel.
But Lin Chaosheng knew that Xiao Ba was searching for schools of fish.
Through the contract, he received a hint from Xiao Ba:
Warm currents are converging near this area; it's teeming with fish!
After swimming for a while, Xiao Ba suddenly stopped and started swimming around Lin Chaosheng's boat.
"We're here, it's just ahead!" Lin Chaosheng pointed to the sea area in front of them.
Lin Shansheng looked left and right but couldn't see a single fish. But then Lin Chaosheng stood up and prepared to cast his net, so Lin Shansheng helped him out of a daze.
"Brother, how about we row a little further?" Lin Shansheng whispered in Lin Chaosheng's ear.
Lin Chaosheng shook his head firmly, "Right here, let's log off!"
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