The giant sea creatures are incredibly strong. If you try to reel them in now, it will be a head-on collision, and you'll likely end up with a snapped line, a lost fish, or a broken rod.
Li Xiangdong, with considerable experience, began to play the fish.
He rested the end of the fishing rod against his stomach, gripped the bamboo rod tightly with both hands, ensuring that the angle between the fishing rod and the sea surface did not exceed seventy degrees, and sensed the direction of the giant creature swimming in the sea. He adopted the strategy of "the fish moves, I don't move," letting the fish move forward with resistance, in order to dissipate the force of the giant creature in the sea.
"That's really powerful!"
After walking for less than ten minutes, Li Xiangdong felt his arms getting sore. Of course, the initial force from the giant sea creature had already dissipated.
Li Xiangdong focused his energy in his dantian, exerted force in his lower body, and held onto the fishing rod with all his might. Now he had only one thought: he had to see what was in the sea!
The hunting gene from ancient genes seemed to awaken at this moment. Li Xiangdong felt his blood boiling and he could no longer feel the soreness in his arms.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Xiangdong finally felt that the other end of the fishing line seemed to have loosened.
Right now!
Li Xiangdong roared and jerked his fishing rod towards the side near the water, reeling in the line. Suddenly, the calm sea surface churned, and a large fish head emerged.
With another burst of effort, half of a plump, dark brown fish body was revealed!
By this time, the fishing rod was almost bent into a U-shape. Li Xiangdong heard the "squeaking" sound of the fishing line and had a premonition that this fishing rod might be ruined by this fish.
Even if the fishing rod is ruined, he's determined to bring this big, fat fish up!
With another pull, a black fish, half a meter long, was pulled out of the water. It thrashed about, its huge tail slapping the surface of the sea as it tried to dive back in.
Li Xiangdong had good eyesight; just as the big, fat fish was struggling and pulling, the hook was about to come off!
At the same time, the fishing rod made a "squeaking" sound, and it looked like it was about to break. Li Xiangdong followed the direction in which the big fat fish was swimming, and flipped his hand to let the tip of the rod go back into the water. As soon as the big fat fish went into the water, it stopped moving immediately.
Li Xiangdong sensed the movement of the big fat fish, then quickly turned the reel, flicked the fishing rod, and the big fat fish was out of the seawater.
The large, fat fish, once out of the sea, seemed to have lost its source of power. Although it continued to struggle, it was all in vain.
It was eventually brought up by Li Xiangdong.
Li Xiangdong used his last bit of strength to unhook the big fat fish from the hook. There was no more room in the bucket, so he put the big fat fish into a natural shallow crevice formed by the rocks next to him.
After settling everything in, Li Xiangdong wiped the sweat from his face and collapsed onto the rocks, feeling utterly exhausted.
This way.
The old man cooked all the grouper he had caught, but Li Xiangdong didn't return after a long wait. The two of them were a little worried, so they rushed over to look for Li Xiangdong again.
When Li Guoqing saw Li Xiangdong lying motionless on the rocks, his face pale, he was immediately terrified.
"Second Brother—"
He called out "Second Brother" and tears streamed down his face. He quickly walked up to Li Xiangdong and, with trembling fingers, placed them under Li Xiangdong's nose.
A long, even breath landed on Li Guoqing's fingers.
"My God, he's still breathing!"
Li Guoqing plopped down on the rocks, terrified. He thought his second brother had done *that*!
The old man, who walked slowly, also came over. He spotted the large, fat fish next to Li Xiangdong and his eyebrows twitched in surprise. "A giant grouper!"
Li Xiangdong was exhausted and had dozed off in the sun. He opened his eyes when he heard the old man's scream.
"You've arrived?"
The old man pointed to the big, fat fish and asked, "Did you catch that?"
"What else could it be? The fish just jumped up on its own?"
The old man laughed heartily, "You're really lucky! You actually caught a grouper. Although it's not very big, it looks like it weighs fifty or sixty pounds!"
Li Xiangdong sat up, before he could even take a closer look at the fish he had caught.
A giant grouper weighing over 200 kilograms
Giant grouper
The fish was elongated and oval-shaped, flattened, with a large mouth like a monster from an animated film, and two large eyes above it. The fish was dark brown overall, with bluish-black spots distributed on its head, sides, and fins.
This fish really is a grouper!
Li Xiangdong once had the privilege of eating a giant grouper weighing 260 jin (approximately 180 catties). According to local fishermen, that grouper must have lived in the sea for at least 50 years to reach that weight!
"Grouper is a deep-sea fish and is not easy to catch. You are lucky to have caught it!"
The old man exclaimed, "This little boy's luck is truly extraordinary; he's practically bursting with good fortune!"
Actually, giant grouper is also a type of grouper, scientifically known as *Gastrodon saddleback*, also called giant grouper. It is the largest grouper in the world and an extremely precious seafood.
The most important difference between giant grouper and other groupers is that the most valuable part of the giant grouper is not its meat, but its scales and marrow.
After cleaning the scales scraped off the grouper, steam it with shiitake mushrooms, then pour on the seasonings. It tastes exceptionally delicious.
Alternatively, you can peel off the entire skin of the grouper, air-dry it, and then rehydrate it before cooking. The rehydrated grouper skin will be fragrant, crispy, and golden in color, and the broth will taste somewhat like abalone sauce.
The most expensive dish in the Manchu Han Imperial Feast—Kunlun Bao Fu—is made with grouper skin.
The bone marrow of the giant grouper is commonly known as dragon marrow!
Tell me, is it precious or not?
The "Records of the Eastern Sea" states that the "Pearl of the Vast Ocean," made by mixing over a hundred catties of dragon marrow with the tears of the East Sea mermaids, has effects comparable to an elixir of immortality, granting immortality to those who consume it!
Dragon marrow is actually the marrow core from the bones of the grouper. It is crystal clear and can be eaten raw or used in cooking.
Li Xiangdong had eaten a rare delicacy once, a small pill made from dragon marrow and pearl powder. It tasted quite good, but it didn't have any magical effects.
Perhaps because of the rarity of giant grouper and the preciousness of pearls in ancient times, there was a legend that consuming a pearl lost in the sea could grant immortality!
Li Xiangdong picked up the giant grouper, followed by Li Guoqing carrying a bucket of fish and an old man holding a fishing rod. The three of them walked home chatting and laughing.
After finishing his work at noon, Professor Liu had his students keep an eye on the experimental data while he strolled over to the old man's house to find Li Xiangdong and his companion. I wonder if the two youngsters felt bored.
So, as soon as he reached the old man's door, he saw a big black fish walking towards him!
Good heavens, is it that his old eyes are failing him, or have these big fish become sentient these days?!
Professor Liu shouted, "The fish spirit has come ashore!"
The old man, hearing his voice, looked around in surprise and doubt. "Where? Where?"
Professor Liu was so surprised that he overlooked the old man next to the fish spirit. Only after looking closely did he realize that it was Li Xiangdong holding a giant grouper.
Li Xiangdong was so thin that his arms wrapped around the giant grouper, completely covering its upper body and head, leading Professor Liu to believe that the fish had mutated and grown legs.
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