A few days before the fishing season opened, Chen Zhiyao took advantage of her two friends' annual leave to go to Guangzhou for a few days of fun.
During those few days, the three sisters explored almost every street and alley in Guangzhou.
They can be found in both bustling commercial streets and alleyways brimming with life.
The variety of local snacks delighted them, from the sweet and delicious double-skin milk to the fragrant rice noodle rolls, and the rich and flavorful beef offal soup; every dish was unforgettable.
In just a few days, Chen Zhiyao developed a double chin from all the food she ate.
Happy days always fly by, and before we knew it, it was the day before the fishing season opened.
Early in the morning, Chen Zhiyao boarded the high-speed train home with bags and packages.
As soon as she got home, before she could even catch her breath, her anxious mother and grandmother grabbed her and hurriedly headed towards the Tanah Lot Temple.
According to local custom, people must worship the sea god before the fishing season opens.
They prayed to the sea god to bless the fishermen who were about to set sail so that they could return safely, and also hoped that their own family would have good weather and a prosperous year.
Before long, the three arrived at the magnificent Poseidon Temple.
Upon entering the temple, one sees wisps of smoke rising all around, enveloping the entire hall like a light veil.
A faint sandalwood scent permeated the air, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.
The three of them arrived a little late because they were waiting for Chen Zhiyao to return. By then, most people had already finished their prayers and gone home.
The three devoutly took out various offerings.
Grandma Chen and Yan Shuting were the first to walk to a prayer mat, kneel down, put their hands together, and look extremely devout.
Chen Zhiyao, who couldn't get a seat, had no choice but to wait on the side.
After waiting a little while, I took over my mother's place, sincerely praying that all future sea voyages would go smoothly and that the whole family would stay healthy.
As I rose from the ground, a gust of wind blew by, and the candle flame flickered.
Chen Zhiyao looked up and saw an ancient mural on the wall that seemed to move slightly.
Am I seeing things?
Chen Zhiyao rubbed her eyes and found nothing there, as if everything just now was an illusion.
"I guess the flames were too dazzling, and I misjudged them for a moment."
When the three arrived home, Chen Weiqiang and his grandfather had already brought back the fishing boat that had been taken for maintenance.
With a four-month fishing ban in effect, local fishermen have long been eager to show off their skills.
There will definitely be many fishing boats fishing in the nearby waters tomorrow.
The catch of fish is limited, and if there are too many people, the harvest will naturally be poor.
After discussing it, Chen Weiqiang finally decided that they would go fishing and beachcombing at Wanyu Island, which is further away, tomorrow.
It used to take more than four hours to get to Wanyu Island, but Chen Zhiyao and her family of five set off in their fishing boat in the middle of the night.
Before setting off, Chen Zhiyao thought her family was one of the earlier ones.
When I arrived at the dock, I was surprised to find it brightly lit, with many fishing boats already set off.
Unlike the quiet days before, the sea was unusually lively today.
No matter which direction you look, you see fishing boats either fishing or on their fishing routes. It's a scene of thriving prosperity and vibrant life. The fishing season has begun! After taking a nap, Chen Zhiyao casually walked onto the deck.
The further the fishing boats sailed, the fewer fishing boats they encountered. When they got close to Wanyu Island, there were only two or three fishing boats in the vicinity.
As they were getting close, Chen Zhiyao diligently prepared the fishing nets that would be taken into the water later.
In fact, she had secretly sprinkled bait additives on these fishing nets.
After doing all this, she casually carried the fishing nets onto the deck, as if nothing had happened.
Looking up at the calm sea in the distance, she noticed that besides their fishing boat, there were two other fishing boats operating nearby.
The fishing boat on the left is larger, and it is currently casting its trawl net into the sea.
The fishing boat to their right, which looked about the same size as their own, was currently setting crab and shrimp traps into the sea.
Seeing the shrimp traps other people had set up, Chen Zhiyao suddenly realized that her family didn't have any special traps for catching shrimp.
At the beginning of the fishing season, it's the peak season for seafood, but the crabs are no longer plump enough.
Thinking of this, Chen Zhiyao immediately ran to find Chen Weiqiang.
"Dad, let's buy some shrimp traps to catch shrimp too."
Upon hearing the word "shrimp trap," Chen Weiqiang suddenly slapped his forehead and said excitedly:
"Yes, yes, I had forgotten. Now is the perfect time to eat shrimp."
As he spoke, Chen Weiqiang immediately took out his phone and called Xiao Li from the fishing tackle shop, asking him to prepare 10 shrimp traps and deliver them to his home in the evening.
Not far from Wanyu Island, the fish finder detected a group of ribbonfish nearby.
Chen Weiqiang glanced at the fish finder's display screen, then beamed and told everyone to put down the smallest mesh net.
Now there are more and more fishing nets and cages on the fishing boats, and the small cranes we used before are not enough.
In the past few days, in addition to maintaining the fishing boat, Chen Weiqiang has also specially purchased a mechanical arm, which is used specifically for casting and hauling in the nets.
With the help of the robotic arm, the net-dropping speed has been significantly doubled.
The moment the fishing net entered the water, the bait spread out in all directions at an astonishing speed.
This unique aroma had an irresistible attraction for the fish in the vicinity.
The fish, which were swimming freely in the sea, suddenly seemed to have smelled the most delicious food in the world, and all turned around and crashed into the fishing net.
However, apart from Chen Zhiyao, who has X-ray vision glasses, no one else knows about the magnificent underwater scene.
Everyone operated the robotic arm with great anticipation, quickly placing the remaining fishing nets in the appropriate locations.
After setting up the sticky nets, Chen Zhiyao followed the same method, adding bait that had been soaked in bait additives to the earth traps and crab traps.
With the fishing gear set up, all that's left is to wait for time to bring a bountiful harvest.
It wasn't time to haul in the nets yet, but Grandpa Chen enthusiastically steered his fishing boat toward Wanyu Island ahead, ready to go beachcombing.
The fishing boat sailed eastward for a short while, and a green island appeared on the deep blue sea. For other fishermen, fishing with nets and gathering seafood was far too slow.
When Chen Zhiyao and her family arrived on the island, they found that they were the only ones on the entire Wanyu Island.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com