On the dock, the crowd gradually dispersed as people went about their own business.
Shouts, inquiries, and bargaining filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere at the dock, which returned to its usual bustling state.
Zhao Dezhu's face was ashen, and he looked as if he had lost his parents. He left the dock in a daze.
He knew he was finished!
After realizing they had messed up, the group of thugs made their escape while Hao Aiguo was speaking.
Seeing that the matter was resolved, Ah-Can and the others dispersed and went to negotiate the price of the fish with the fishmonger.
Feng Ye did not leave because Hao Aiguo and Qin Aijun were walking towards him.
Hao Aiguo did not greet him first, but instead extended his right hand to Guixiang's man.
Gui Xiang was very reserved. He rubbed his right hand on his pants for a while, and just as he was about to reach out, he pulled it back and wiped it on his shirt before finally reaching out.
Hao Aiguo held Guixiang's hand and shook it affectionately: "I'm sorry you had to go through this today."
"Thank you, County Chief Hao. I am not wronged at all, not even a little bit."
His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
That's true; ordinary folks in the countryside have never seen any high-ranking officials.
Even town and township heads are generally unknown, and in larger villages, people might not even know who the village committee members are.
Not to mention meeting the county magistrate and shaking hands and talking with him.
However, his body swayed slightly as he spoke.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Hao Aiguo noticed something was wrong and couldn't help but ask.
"It's nothing, it's nothing." He shook his head.
"I'm sorry, he's feeling a little weak, he'll be fine after a rest."
Gui Xiang saw it too and quickly stepped forward to help him up, looking apologetic.
“He fell into the water and almost didn’t make it. He’s still quite weak. Aunt Guixiang was in a hurry to sell the fish and take him to the hospital for a check-up, which is how that group of people started targeting him.”
Feng Ye spoke up.
"Is that so? Then I won't take up any more of your time. Quickly sell the fish and take him to the hospital for a thorough check-up. We mustn't let him develop any health problems later."
Hao Aiguo frowned, his tone full of concern.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Gui Xiang kept apologizing as she helped her man sit down on the deck.
Immediately, feeling as if granted a pardon, they disembarked and went to find the fishmonger.
She felt extremely uncomfortable in front of a high-ranking official like the county magistrate.
At this moment, Hao Aiguo turned to Feng Ye and said, "Little Feng, we meet again."
"Yes, it's great to see you again. I never imagined you were the county magistrate of our county. It's quite a surprise."
"So what if he's the county magistrate? He's still serving the people."
"County Chief Hao, President Qin, what brings you here?"
Feng Ye asked with some curiosity.
Given their status, it's unlikely that these two people would come to this fishery wharf that reeks of fish, and they're not here for an inspection.
"We're not going out to sea to fish anymore, so it's closer to go back from here."
Hao Aiguo said with a smile.
"Sigh, County Chief Hao insisted on going back from here, so I had no choice but to go with him. We had just reached the shore when we discovered the situation here, so we came over to take a look. Little did we expect to see such a good show."
Qin Aijun shook his head. "I never imagined that people these days could be so lawless."
Upon hearing this, Feng Ye felt an urge to roll his eyes.
"Big brother, let's not talk about second brother. Weren't you even more lawless before?"
Of course, he couldn't say these words out loud; he only muttered them to himself.
He didn't respond to Qin Aijun's question, but instead asked Hao Aiguo, "Oh, did you go fishing in the South China Sea again?"
He didn't think before he said that; it just slipped out.
But he quickly realized that it was unlikely.
It's not a holiday now, how could a county head possibly abandon his work to go fishing?
really.
"How could that be? It's just a two-day weekend, I can't go that far, I just fished in the nearshore waters," Hao Aiguo said. "Occasionally getting away from the hustle and bustle of the office, going out for some fresh air and fishing, makes me feel much more relaxed."
"County Chief Hao is right. Sometimes, getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city can indeed be refreshing."
Feng Ye paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, although the resources in the near sea cannot compare to those in the South China Sea, they are still quite good, and with a bit of luck, one can have a decent harvest."
Hao Aiguo laughed heartily, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes: "That's true. I've had some good luck these past two days and caught a few decent fish. Although they can't compare to the fish I caught when I went fishing in the South China Sea last time, it's still a good catch."
"Oh, what good catch did you catch that makes County Chief Hao so happy?"
Hao Aiguo said excitedly, "A large yellow croaker, a bigeye tuna, a red snapper, and another one of what kind of grouper..."
"Rat spots," Qin Aijun reminded him.
"Yes, it's a grouper, weighing five or six pounds. I heard this fish is very expensive, isn't it?"
"It is indeed quite expensive. I caught one before, and it cost several hundred yuan per kilogram."
"Is it really that expensive?"
Hao Aiguo was somewhat surprised.
Upon hearing this, Feng Ye glanced at Qin Aijun without making a sound.
It seems Qin Aijun mentioned the price, but Hao Aiguo doesn't seem to believe it.
Fortunately, he didn't mention a specific price beforehand, otherwise he would have been exposed.
Qin Aiguo said, "Things are valued for their rarity. The catch of these rat grouper is extremely small, and they are hard to find on the market. They also taste very good, so naturally they are expensive."
"Mr. Qin is absolutely right. Many things in the sea cannot be judged by common sense. Some are ridiculously expensive, such as large yellow croaker, grouper, and yellow croaker, which cost hundreds or thousands of yuan per kilogram."
Feng Ye responded in agreement.
"Wow, it's really that expensive! This has broadened my horizons."
Hao Aiguo sighed, then changed the subject and asked, "Xiao Feng, do you have time during the National Day holiday?"
Feng Ye's heart skipped a beat. The National Day holiday was coming up, could it be...?
"Yes, we fishermen may not have much else, but we have plenty of time."
"That would be great. Please take us fishing in the South China Sea again sometime. We need to catch big fish to make it exciting."
Upon hearing this, Feng Ye burst into laughter and said, "It's no trouble at all. I'm just lucky. I was planning to go fishing in the South China Sea again anyway. I made quite a bit of money last time!"
He really did have this idea, especially after discovering an oil drilling platform on his last return trip, and he really wanted to go fishing there.
"Then it's settled. Remember to arrange the time in advance."
"Okay, I'll plan the trip carefully and try to come back with a full load like last time."
"With you here, we're sure to return with a full load, haha..."
Hao Aiguo smiled expectantly, then turned to Qin Aijun: "President Qin, I'll be troubling you again then."
"No problem at all, I was just thinking of going anyway..."
The three of them chatted about going fishing during the National Day holiday, imagining their catch in the South China Sea, their hearts filled with longing and anticipation.
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