"Old Zhao, hurry up and calculate how much it costs for me. I have debts at home that I need to pay off. If the price is fair, I'll sell all my stuff here from now on. If you try to cheat me, there will be plenty of other people who want my stuff, including you."
Ming Dahai straightened his back and became more assertive.
Old Zhao chuckled, "What are you saying? I'll definitely give you justice, but you have to tell me how you caught it. I don't accept things of dubious origin."
"Everyone saw that I came up from the sea. Does Uncle Zhao have a problem with me? Well then, Dad, let's just go to town to sell it."
Ming Dahai grabbed the carrying pole, picked it up, and prepared to leave.
"Wait a minute!" Old Zhao hurriedly grabbed Ming Dahai's carrying pole, gritting his teeth, "Just kidding, you kid, you actually took it seriously. The price is negotiable."
Mingjing turned around and said, "Yesterday there was a high tide, and everyone went to the beach. The smart ones have already filled half a bucket."
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned around.
Making money is still more important; they can find out about the Ming family's affairs when they return.
After the crowd dispersed, Mingjing finally spoke, "Uncle Zhao, you tell me, how much?"
"I want to see how many kilograms it weighs!"
Old Zhao entered the house and brought out an old-fashioned scale. He placed the yellow croaker, along with the carrying pole, on the scale and weighed it precisely.
"It weighs a total of 123 jin!"
How much per pound?
"These large yellow croakers are a rare find; city dwellers love them, and croakers this big are even rarer. They're 60 yuan a pound now!"
Mingjing noticed Old Zhao's guilty look; was he trying to lower the price?
"Uncle Zhao, I know you have a problem with me, but you can't treat me like a fool. Otherwise, I'll go to town and ask around."
Old Zhao gritted his teeth. How did this girl become so shrewd?
"This is the price now. I can't help it if you don't believe me. Here's what I'll do: I'll add two dollars for you! It's not easy for anyone."
Old Zhao was heartbroken. Such a big yellow croaker would cost at least 100 yuan per catty at market price. With so many, he would be bankrupt.
"Uncle Zhao, that is, my dad said your prices are fair, but I don't think they're anything special. I'd better go to town and ask around."
Mingjing turned around and pretended to leave.
"Wait! Mingjing, you have to understand your uncle. We don't make much money buying seafood, this is already a high price. How about I add eight yuan to your price, so it's 68?"
Mingjing shook her head. "Uncle, is Dali home?"
Upon hearing this, Old Zhao quickly replied, "No, I'm not home. It's 70 yuan! The market price is 90 yuan per jin now. Let me make a little profit. If you have any good stuff in the future, come to me."
Mingjing rolled her eyes; she was really ruthless.
"89 yuan! Otherwise, I'll shout 'Dali!'" Mingjing's voice rose sharply. "Uncle, what kind of good stuff can't you get? You've made quite a bit from my dad's abalone, so why don't we settle those accounts?"
Old Zhao gritted his teeth and agreed, "No more additions allowed, we're not making any money!"
If we really calculate those costs, not only the son, but the house itself would also have to be compensated to the Ming family.
"Uncle Zhao, you mustn't tell anyone about what happened today, or I won't sell you any good stuff anymore, and I'll have to go talk to Dali about it."
Old Zhao glanced at her and picked up his pen and paper to do the accounting.
Two hundred and twenty-three catties of yellow croaker, at eighty-nine yuan per catty, totaling nineteen thousand eight hundred and forty-seven yuan.
Looking at the bill, Old Zhao grimaced in pain.
"And what about conger eel and sea bream? How much per pound?"
Mingjing took the eel bucket from Mingyue's hand and handed it to her.
"Weigh me!" Old Zhao's heart was bleeding.
He glanced at the scale, lowered his eyelids, and muttered, "Ten pounds of conger eel, seventy yuan a pound! One sea bream is thirty yuan, five for one hundred and fifty!"
"Wild eels aren't even as expensive as large yellow croakers? Who are you trying to fool?" Mingjing deliberately reminded him, shrilly, "Dali!"
"Don't shout, don't shout!" Old Zhao said helplessly, "Seventy-five yuan a pound! That's a thousand yuan! That's twenty thousand seven hundred and forty-seven yuan in total."
Mingyue shrieked, "Dad, we're millionaires now!"
"Don't scream!" Mingjing covered her mouth.
These days, being a millionaire is both an honor and a curse, especially if there's a spendthrift son in the family, which makes things even more difficult.
"Uncle Zhao, we've made money, so we're troubling you with this. Otherwise, if your son finds out you have so much money and gives it all to me, don't blame me."
"I know, I know," Old Zhao had no choice but to turn around and go inside to get the money. He spat and counted it several times before daring to give it to Mingjing.
Mingjing took the money, counted it twice, grinned, and handed it to Mingdahai, "Dad, that's right, keep it safe."
This was the first time she had ever earned so much money. In her previous life, her salary was only 25,000 yuan. To suddenly earn 20,000 yuan in one night was quite exciting.
"Hurry up and go, hurry up and go!" Uncle Zhao urged.
His son woke up immediately, and if he saw this vixen, he'd be up to no good again.
Ming Dahai took the money, picked up his carrying pole, and left the Zhao family's house with ease, feeling incredibly excited.
"Dad, give me ten yuan to pay back Grandpa Wang for the fishhook," Mingjing said, yawning.
Ming Dahai pulled out a blue bill and handed it to Ming Jing.
Passing by the convenience store, Mingjing handed over ten yuan, saying, "Here you go, Grandpa Wang!"
"Hey, good! How much money did Mingjing make? Judging from your dad's appearance, he must have made quite a bit," Old Man Wang observed.
"Not much, I still have to pay off my debts, there's no money left. I'm leaving now, Grandpa Wang, I need to go home and sleep." Mingjing yawned, she hadn't slept much yesterday and was extremely tired.
"good!"
After saying goodbye to Old Man Wang, the Ming family headed back. Along the way, they encountered villagers who were out gathering seafood. Everyone knew that Mingjing had caught a big fish and wanted to ask him how much money he had made.
Mingjing responded uniformly that they did not make any money.
Indeed, I didn't earn any money. After deducting 20,000 yuan in debt and my grandmother's living expenses, I only had a few hundred yuan left, which was about the same as working for several months.
At that moment, a heavy rain began to fall from the gloomy sky, hitting people painfully.
"Run! Hide under the eaves of that house over there!"
The three of them had just run under the eaves when the rain started pouring down.
Along with the sound of rain, one could also hear people talking.
"Jiu'er, don't worry, I will definitely marry you. But my family is too poor. My parents are about to kick me out of the house because they want to scrape together that 10,000 yuan for you."
“Hey, Mingliang, I heard your sister caught a big fish last night and must have made a lot of money. Go back and check on her, I want to eat fish.”
"Okay, Jiu'er wants to eat, I'll go back and get it. It'll help you and your uncle and aunt to nourish your bodies so you can give me a big, fat son in the future."
“Well, Mingliang, it doesn’t actually need to be 200,000. Go back and tell your dad that as long as he gives me 100 abalone pearls and gives us the house as our wedding home, that will be fine.”
"Jiu'er, you are so kind. I would do anything to marry you."
Mingjing rolled her eyes. How could Ming Dahai have given birth to such an ungrateful son?
She couldn't stand it anymore and shouted, "Jiu'er, why don't you just say you want all of the Ming family's assets?"
Hearing the sound, Qian Jiu'er looked downstairs, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Mingjing, why were you eavesdropping on me?"
"I didn't hear you. You were just too loud and squeezed in yourself. I've never seen anyone as shameless as you. You think you can get into the Ming family? Dream on!"
Qian Jiu'er stomped her feet in anger, "Mingliang, I truly love you, how can Mingjing say such things?"
“Mingjing, don’t push your luck. The family is so poor, where would we get the money to build me a new house? Jiu’er is right. If Dad had been more diligent in touching Baozhu, I would have married Jiu’er long ago.”
Mingjing snorted coldly, "Mingliang, I really want to spear your love-struck brain out with a harpoon. The old house is not going to be your wedding home. Why don't you become a live-in son-in-law instead?"
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