Xu An and Xu Guosheng could see from afar that dozens of people had gathered under the big banyan tree at the village entrance, their commotion carrying for miles. The most conspicuous figure in the center of the crowd was a towering figure, with snow-white hair neatly tied back with a black hair tie.
Xu An and his companion exchanged a glance and simultaneously uttered the same sentence: "Second Grandfather is back (Second Uncle is back)!"
After saying that, the two quickened their pace and walked into the crowd, squeezing to the front. They found that it wasn't just their second grandfather and Xu Dongliang who had returned; there were also five strangers standing next to them.
The leader was a burly man, about fifty years old, with a resolute appearance and sharp eyes, exuding an unspoken pressure. However, the sunburn marks from years of working at sea were clearly visible on his face, neck, arms, and other exposed areas.
Although the four men behind him also had somewhat dark skin, they looked quite refined and didn't seem like fishermen who spent most of their lives at sea. Moreover, they didn't look very old, at most three or four years older than Xu An.
This five-person group looks rather odd no matter how you look at it.
Grandpa Er had just introduced the five people, and now, seeing Xu An and Xu Guosheng arrive, he proudly introduced them: "This is Professor Yu Zhongming, whom we met during our research trip. These four are his students. They mainly conduct research on marine aquaculture and are currently working on a new project called 'Marine Ranch.' They heard that the conditions here are quite good, so they came to take a look."
He spoke these words with remarkable fluency; it's unknown how many times his second grandfather had silently recited them to achieve this effect.
"Hello, Professor Yu!"
Hello everyone!
After another round of meaningless small talk, Professor Yu seemed impatient and turned to his second grandfather: "Village Chief Xu, shall we go and take a look at that mudflat you mentioned?"
"Alright!" Second Grandpa pulled a key out of his pocket and tossed it to Xu Guosheng: "The driving is your job now."
Afterwards, the second grandfather, Professor Yu and his group of five, along with Xu Guosheng, got into a minivan and drove towards the mudflats in the southeast corner of Qianhai Town. Other villagers who wanted to watch the excitement went home, and bicycles, tricycles, and electric bikes all sprang into action. The entire village followed the minivan in a grand procession, attracting many onlookers.
With such a lively scene to watch, Xu An naturally wouldn't miss it. He rode his family's electric tricycle behind him, heading towards the mudflats together.
Professor Yu got out of the car, glanced at the mudflats, then turned back to the car, took out a large suitcase, and opened it to find everything from rubber waders to gloves and glasses.
In a short while, Professor Yu was fully dressed and stepped down onto the mudflat. Every now and then, he would bend down, grab a handful of mud, and smell it under his nose, while directing the four students behind him to take samples from the mudflat.
Xu An stood with Uncle Dongliang. Now everyone's attention was focused on Professor Yu and his four students. Xu An finally found an opportunity to ask Uncle Dongliang how they met Professor Yu and how they brought him back.
When asked about this, Uncle Dongliang's tired expression vanished, and he began to talk at length.
During this inspection trip, Second Grandfather and Uncle Dongliang visited three coastal provinces and met with seven or eight fishermen who make a living from marine aquaculture. They also visited all the aquaculture farms that Xu An had mentioned before, such as mudskipper, abalone, prawn, and oyster.
The last fisherman they visited was an oyster farmer. His farm was in the middle of the sea, requiring a boat trip. Professor Yu and his four students were also on the boat. Xu Dongliang immediately sensed they weren't fishermen, so he used his natural talent for "speaking to people in their own language" to strike up a conversation and quickly learned everything about Professor Yu.
After learning that Professor Yu was a specialist in marine aquaculture, I mustered up the courage to inquire about related matters. As I asked, Professor Yu became interested in the mudflats of Qianhai Town and eventually followed me there.
Finally, Xu Dongliang lowered his voice and whispered in Xu An's ear, "Professor Yu is doing some kind of 'sea ranch' research. He's just looking for a suitable place. If this place is suitable, he might stay here permanently, and we can get a professor to guide us for free."
Although Uncle Dongliang spoke with utmost seriousness and his entire explanation was flawless, based on Xu An's combined knowledge of both generations, he was certain that Professor Yu was someone his great-grandfather and his companion had tricked and deceived. Their aim was precisely that last sentence—the hope that the professor would stay permanently and provide them with guidance.
However, this is also a skill; it's a matter of mutual consent, so there's no right or wrong involved.
Xu An and Xu Dongliang's conversation was overheard by a portly man who had appeared behind them at some unknown time. The man took out his phone, opened his browser, and typed in "Professor Yu, Sea Ranch." More than a dozen web pages popped up, and he clicked on the first one.
Yu Zhongming, professor of the Department of Aquaculture at the National Ocean University of China, has solved several problems in the aquaculture of marine organisms.
"This guy is amazing!" The man rubbed his chin from side to side, muttering to himself with a thoughtful expression. "So he's planning to set up a marine ranch in Qianhai Town? If that's true, maybe I can get a piece of the action!"
Although the man spoke softly, Xu An had excellent hearing and accurately caught the key words in the man's words. He glanced at the man without showing any emotion, and his heart was immediately filled with shock. He not only recognized this man, but also knew clearly that he was the one who spearheaded the mudskipper farming in his previous life.
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