As soon as the WeChat call connected, Chen Weiqiang, a long-time Air Force officer, immediately asked anxiously:
"You went fishing at the rocky beach on the outermost edge of the village this morning, didn't you?"
"Yes, didn't Grandpa say that was your and his secret base? You can't even recognize it?" Chen Zhiyao teased him with a grin.
"Okay, I'll head back early tonight." Chen Weiqiang was filled with excitement, wishing he could fly back to fishing immediately.
Seeing that her father's mind was completely on fishing, Chen Zhiyao quickly got to the point:
"I'm planning to set fish traps over at the rocky beach. Dad, could you get 10 fish traps from the shop for me?"
"Sure, which size do you want?"
Chen Zhiyao remembers that a medium-sized fish trap with a diameter of 50 centimeters and a 20-meter-long rope sold well when she helped out at the store before.
So he was asked to bring 10 back with him when he came home from get off work.
These fish traps are relatively small. The wholesale price is 22 yuan each, and they are sold for 30 yuan each.
As soon as the WeChat call ended, Chen Zhiyao transferred 300 yuan to her father.
Chen Weiqiang originally didn't plan to accept the money, but thinking about how much money his daughter had recently made from beachcombing and fishing, he happily accepted it instead.
Even a mosquito's leg is still meat; there's at least an 80 yuan profit.
Although the dock was deserted at this time, there were two small stalls selling fish, but they were all small, worthless fish.
Chen Zhiyao spent 15 yuan to buy a small pile of small, not-so-fresh fish.
If these small fish are left out at night, they'll probably go bad.
However, these small fish are placed in the fish trap as bait; they have a stronger smell, which is perfect for attracting small creatures from the sea.
Although there was no beachcombing today, the earnings were still quite good, and Chen Zhiyao was in a good mood as she went to a small shop selling roast meats.
This shop looks unassuming, and doesn't even have a sign, but their roast duck and poached chicken taste quite good.
I heard that his family has been making roast meats for generations, and there are long queues outside the shop every day.
The store opens at 4 pm every day and usually sells out by around 6:30 pm.
Moreover, the chickens they use to make poached chicken are raised by Grandpa and Grandma Chen.
It was only 3:40, and several elderly people were already chatting and waiting for the door to open.
Chen Zhiyao stood out among a group of kind-looking elderly people.
An elderly woman enthusiastically started chatting with her, asking her if she had a boyfriend, saying she wanted to introduce her to her grandson.
Startled, Chen Zhiyao quickly shook her head and lied, saying that she already had a boyfriend.
Fortunately, the shop door finally opened at that moment, and a large group of grandpas and grandmas all gathered around it.
Chen Zhiyao leisurely followed behind, buying half a poached chicken and half a roast duck.
Eating seafood every day can get boring, so this is a good opportunity to change things up.
I carried the poached chicken and roast duck home, and it was only 4:30.
The house was quiet at this time, except for Ah Huang, who came out to greet her by hopping and wagging its big tail after hearing the noise.
Chen Zhiyao put the things she was holding in the kitchen, then played with Ah Huang for a while before getting up and leaving.
At this time, her grandparents should be feeding the chickens and shrimp at the old house, and she planned to go over and help.
On a country road, Chen Zhiyao hummed a little tune as she strolled along, a gentle breeze caressing her face, feeling relaxed and comfortable.
Not far away is their own shrimp pond, where a gentle breeze ripples the surface of the water, and beyond that lies a lush green orchard.
The sounds of birdsong and roosters mingled together, and behind them stood two-story buildings arranged in a staggered pattern, the air filled with the aroma of cooking.
This is a scene unlike anything you'd find in a big city, exuding warmth and tranquility.
Seeing her grandfather feeding shrimp, Chen Zhiyao quickly walked over, taking two steps at a time.
However, she arrived a little late, just as Grandpa Chen was scattering the last ladle of feed into the shrimp pond.
"Grandpa, my dad said he's going fishing tonight. I'm going to catch some big shrimp to use as bait."
When it came to fishing, the old man immediately perked up and happily scooped up two pounds of shrimp.
"The fishing is good today, I'll head back early later." The old man was full of confidence, planning to catch a few more big fish that evening.
Chen Zhiyao quickly handed over the small bucket next to her and then brought up the matter of setting up the fish trap.
“I asked my dad to bring back 10 fish traps so we can set them off while we’re fishing at night.”
“There are a lot of snails in the stream next to us. I’ll collect some to use as bait for you.”
As he spoke, the old man rolled up his trousers and walked to a clear stream not far away.
Chen Zhiyao thought about the small fish she had just bought, which probably weighed only about seven or eight pounds, and might not be enough.
So he rolled up his trousers, intending to catch snails with the old man, but before he could get close, his own grandfather chased him back.
"You're not wearing rubber boots, don't come down. Girls shouldn't get too wet, you'll catch a cold. Your grandma's collecting eggs in the orchard, go help her over there."
The old man was doing it for her own good, Chen Zhiyao nodded obediently, and then said with a smile:
"Okay, I'll go help Grandma collect the eggs and then go back early to cook. I'll try to go fishing as soon as possible; I didn't get enough fishing at noon."
Chen Zhiyao had just caught a 15-pound bass that morning, and she was very interested in fishing.
Although it doesn't count as points, the money you earn is real.
The Chen family's orchard is located behind the old house, covering a total area of seven acres. Half of it is planted with lychees, and the other half with mangoes.
These fruit trees have only been planted for two and a half years and haven't borne fruit yet, but they look lush and green, and the scenery is quite nice.
The orchard was surrounded by wire mesh, and there was another fence in the middle, dividing the orchard in two.
On the left, there are about 200 young hens raised on feed. They are ready for market in about four or five months and are specifically raised for the roast meat shops in town.
Although these chickens are fed commercial feed, they are free-range chickens and are not given any random drugs, so the meat tastes quite good.
The one on the right is a genuine free-range chicken that was raised on corn and millet.
However, chickens raised on grains grow slowly and take more than half a year to grow before they can be eaten, so there are only about 120 of them.
Eighty of them were young and inexperienced, and most of them were ordered by wealthy bosses in Chen Weiqiang's fishing group.
In addition, there are 40 hens that lay eggs specifically for the owners of fishing groups.
People in Guangdong love to eat chicken, especially free-range chickens.
It was because Chen Weiqiang owned a fishing tackle shop that he knew many wealthy and idle business owners, which enabled his parents to manage an orchard and raise chickens at home.
Hens typically lay eggs during the day, but there's no specific time. Therefore, a small shed has been built in the orchard specifically for these hens to lay eggs.
But these little guys always like to find some secluded corners to lay their eggs, and then secretly hide the eggs.
Every evening, Grandma Chen would search the orchard thoroughly to collect any hidden eggs.
When Chen Zhiyao arrived at her family's orchard, Grandma Chen had just fed the chickens and was now carrying a small basket, searching for eggs in the orchard.
Chen Zhiyao walked to the other side of the orchard and carefully searched for eggs in the grass.
The free-range chickens raised at home are all old breeds, with crispy skin and tender meat, but they are relatively small, so the eggs they lay are also small and exquisite.
The tiny, white eggs are only slightly larger than a toe, and look much smaller than the eggs you buy in the supermarket.
However, these free-range eggs taste especially delicious.
With Chen Zhiyao's help, the eggs in the orchard were quickly found one by one.
There are 32 in total, but they only weigh about three pounds.
The Chen family sells these free-range eggs individually for 1.5 yuan each.
The quantity of eggs was limited; most of them were ordered by the owners of Chen Weiqiang's fishing tackle shop.
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