By the time their two boats returned to the dock, it was already completely dark.
The other boats were similar, all returning one after the other.
As long as the weather permits and there's plenty of cargo, everyone will work late into the night, hoping to make as much as possible.
Anyway, when I get home, I just eat, take a shower, and then go to sleep.
This is truly working from early morning to late at night.
Both fishing and farming are very hard jobs.
But compared to fishermen, fishermen have to work much harder.
Farmers, at least, work from sunrise to sunset and have a long rest period.
Fishermen go out under the stars and return under the stars, getting only a few hours of sleep a day and often having to catch up on sleep on the boat.
However, although fishermen work hard, they also earn more money.
As long as you go out to sea, you'll reap some rewards, more or less.
The Rising Sun had a great haul today; the bow deck was filled with baskets, which were stacked up to avoid taking up too much space.
Besides the thirteen baskets of needlefish that were picked up for free, the squid harvest was also very good, even more than yesterday, filling sixteen baskets, which weighed about 900 jin (450 catties).
The trawl nets didn't yield much of a catch, though they filled quite a few baskets because there were so many different kinds of fish.
Unfortunately, not a single basket was filled.
On the other boat, Feng Jiaqing and Feng Jialing caught about the same amount of squid, except for one less basket.
In addition, there's a basket of more than one scallop, which is also worth some money.
However, as the two boats slowly entered the harbor and docked, they sensed that something was off about the atmosphere at the pier that day.
Normally, the people at the dock are happy and excited, hoping that their fishing boats will have a good catch.
At most, they would only show some concern when the weather was bad.
However, the atmosphere today is noticeably different, appearing quite somber.
Today is a fine day with calm winds and waves, so there should be no danger at sea.
However, they all frowned and looked at the distant sea with worried expressions.
"What's going on? The atmosphere at the dock is off. It feels like something big happened in the village today."
Feng Ye was filled with doubt.
Upon hearing this, Feng Jiaqing frowned as well: "I don't know, it's probably nothing good. We'll find out when we go down and ask."
As soon as the boat stopped, two figures squeezed out of the crowd and came to the bow of the boat.
"Thank God, you're finally back!"
"Thank God, I feel relieved to see you all back."
Xiao Chunxiu and Aunt Ling both looked relieved, patting their chests repeatedly.
"Mother, Aunt Ling, what are you worried about? Has something happened?"
Feng Ye threw the rope down and carried a basket of fish down with him.
Xiao Chunxiu took the rope and was about to answer when she saw the needlefish in the basket.
"Needlefish? You encountered needlefish too?"
A look of surprise appeared on her face.
Aunt Ling was also surprised, but she didn't say anything. She climbed onto the boat and went to find Ah Can.
Feng Ye was taken aback upon hearing this.
also?
Does this mean that they weren't the only ones who encountered this, but others did as well?
He thought this to himself, and then asked it aloud.
"Yes, many of the boats that have returned have them. Some weigh two or three hundred pounds, while others weigh seven or eight hundred pounds. I heard they all jumped on the boats voluntarily."
"Needlefish are phototactic; when stimulated by light, they will rush towards the light source."
Feng Ye explained, then added, "It seems everyone is quite lucky; we only weigh around 600 jin (300 kg) each."
"What's so good about it?"
Xiao Chunxiu glared at him. "Do you know how worried we were when we heard about it? We were afraid you'd run into the same thing. Thankfully, you did, but at least you're all safe and sound."
"What's the meaning?"
Thinking of the somber atmosphere at the dock, Feng Ye frowned again. "Could someone be injured?"
Xiao Chunxiu nodded: "I know of at least four people who were stung by needlefish, and one of them even died."
"ah?"
Feng Ye's heart sank. "Who died?"
"You know Xu Chunhe from Group Two, right?"
"Um."
"It was his eldest son. I heard that his family's boat returned early this morning. The eldest son was pierced in the temple by a needlefish and died on the spot; the second son was pierced in the arm but endured the pain and steered the boat back."
Feng Ye was deeply shaken.
One son is dead and the other is injured. This is just too unlucky!
He was well aware of the dangers of needlefish, but he never expected the school of needlefish to be so large and to cause such serious consequences.
It's important to know that needlefish are not common in their waters; they are mostly found in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea.
Yes, it's also found in the Yangtze River; it's called the Jiuzhou Zhēn.
I wonder where this huge school of needlefish came from? How did they end up in the East China Sea?
He immediately thought of himself and Ah-Can.
Fortunately, they reacted quickly and dodged the needlefish's attack.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be much better off; they might also end up meeting Mazu (the goddess of the sea).
Then, Xiao Chunxiu talked about the other injured people, all of whom were from their village and whom he knew.
"After everyone found out, those who owned boats were extremely worried and had been waiting at the dock since morning."
She then asked, "Are you really alright?"
As she spoke, she reached out and touched Feng Ye's body, then pinched his arm, still somewhat incredulous.
"It's really nothing, Mother, don't worry."
Feng Ye was both amused and exasperated.
His mother really didn't hold back when she did it.
"It's alright, it's alright."
Xiao Chunxiu murmured devoutly to herself, "I will go to offer incense and fulfill my vow first thing tomorrow morning, thanking Goddess Mazu for her protection..."
Feng Jiaqing and Feng Jialing listened from the side, their expressions extremely solemn. They never expected that the needlefish would cause a death.
At the same time, they were extremely grateful that Feng Ye and A Can were both unharmed and safe, and that they had even managed to collect so many needlefish for free.
"Alright, stop arguing and hurry up and help unload the goods and go back."
Feng Jiaqing interrupted Xiao Chunxiu's incessant chatter.
"Yes, yes, hurry back, Ah Ling is still worried at home."
Xiao Chunxiu came to her senses and, without saying anything more, joined in to help unload the goods.
With Aunt Ling's help, the unloading speed increased considerably.
While they were moving the goods, some people came over to ask questions, but Feng Ye ignored them and let others handle it.
During this time, some boats also docked, and everyone who had just arrived was shocked to hear that a needlefish had killed someone.
Those who also managed to catch a needlefish were especially terrified when they recalled the terrifying moment when the needlefish jumped onto the boat in the early hours of the morning.
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