"So these sardines were chasing after the squid. There must be tens of thousands of squid in such a large group."
"Captain, this is the first time I've encountered such a large group of squid. I've only ever encountered a few hundred or a thousand before."
Lu Ze said calmly, "It's not the squid season now, so we won't encounter any large schools of squid. These squid have been driven together by the sardines."
After hearing Lu Ze's explanation, the people on the deck understood what was going on, and their eyes were filled with admiration as they looked at Lu Ze.
As expected of the youngest regimental commander on the island, he's truly impressive.
Su Meihua exclaimed in surprise, "These fish are so smart! They even know to herd their food together. Now we're getting a good deal. Yu Yao, isn't this what you mean by 'the oriole stalks the cicada, while the mantis lurks behind'?"
Yu Yao smiled and said, "Sister-in-law Meihua, it's 'the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.'"
Su Meihua waved her hand dismissively and said, "It's all the same, it's all the same, we're the ones who benefit now anyway."
Lu Ze stood at the bow of the ship, tall and imposing, exuding an air of grandeur.
He just stood there, giving people a great sense of security.
Yu Yao looked at Lu Ze with eyes full of love.
Qin Lamei looked at Yu Yao, pursed her lips, and muttered under her breath, "She really got lucky. How did Commander Lu end up being entangled with her?"
Before Commander Lu's background was exposed, he was considered by many young comrades on the island to be one of the most desirable men to marry.
Now, with the added advantage of a prestigious family background, they have become even more sought-after.
Qin Lamei felt a little regretful. If Commander Lu had taken a liking to her cousin back then, the relationship between the two families would definitely be different, and there wouldn't be any Yu Yao involved.
Thinking about her recent side hustle made her even more upset.
This Yu Yao is someone who clashes with her and brings her bad luck.
"Commander Lu, could you tell us more about the fish? We'd like to hear it."
Seeing that his wife and other family members were interested in the fish, Lu Ze talked more about it.
"Sardines have a distinct schooling characteristic; they like to gather in dense groups. The school of fish you see here is a large school of fish formed by several small groups of sardines."
“Sardines are usually most active from May to October each year, with summer being the time when they are most active in hunting in groups.”
Sardines (pictured).
...
"Dolphins are natural predators of sardines, and when you encounter a school of sardines, you may also see dolphins nearby."
Hearing him say that, Yu Yao and the other family members all looked around at the sea, trying to see if there were any dolphins nearby.
Lu Ze said, "Everyone doesn't need to look anymore, there's nothing this time."
Yu Yao asked in surprise, "How did you figure that out?"
She wants to learn; it's always good to learn more.
"Look at the sardine school. This school of sardines is chasing squid very happily, without any sense of danger, which means there are no dolphins nearby."
After Lu Ze's explanation, Yu Yao nodded in understanding, "I see."
Song Yiming came to the deck with a smile on his face. "Commander, the trawling is over. You can check the harvest now."
Lu Ze instructed Song Yiming, "Stop the boat and catch the fish."
Then he looked at Yu Yao and the other family members: "There are still some squid that have escaped the net nearby. The patrol boat will stay on site for an hour. Comrades who have brought fishing rods can go sea fishing."
A family member raised their hand and asked, "Commander Lu, we haven't seen the net being pulled in yet. Can we go to the stern to take a look?"
This was echoed by the other family members: "Yes, Commander Lu, we would never cause you any trouble. Please let us go and take a look. We can help you."
Lu Ze thought about it and agreed.
There's no danger in setting up the nets, so feel free to go and take a look.
The patrol boat was equipped with ten fishing nets, using different nets for different types of fish. Two nets were used this time to catch squid and sardines.
The first one to be lifted was the largest fishing net.
As the crane arm operates, the huge fishing net is slowly pulled up from the seawater. Even before it reaches the surface, countless sardines and squid can be seen swimming in the net, making a splashing sound.
When the fishing net was pulled out of the water, countless silvery-white sardines were mixed with varying shades of orange squid under the sunlight.
Small fish broke free from the gaps in the fishing net and slipped into the water, splashing and making a sound like thunder, creating countless waves on the sea.
The seabirds that had just been chasing the sardines lingered around the patrol boat, flying into the sea to catch the small sardines that had just fallen, chirping merrily.
The catch of squid and sardines weighed tens of thousands of kilograms, and fish and squid of all sizes filled the deck at the stern of the ship.
The fish were still alive, jumping and struggling on the deck, making loud popping sounds.
It's spectacular.
Yu Yao and the others had never seen such a scene before, and they were all stunned.
At Lu Ze's command, all the soldiers except those on duty and those in the cabin gathered at the stern and began collecting fish.
Yu Yao and the others came to their senses and went over to help.
Sardines have delicate flesh and a soft texture. Due to their high fat content, they are very flavorful and versatile, making them a highly valuable fish species.
Although the price of fish is not high, the quantity is large enough that selling this catch to processing plants or food factories can generate good profits.
Even if it only sells for a few cents per pound, one net can still fetch several hundred yuan, and two nets together can easily sell for seven or eight hundred yuan.
This doesn't even include the price of the squid. If you include the squid, it would not only cover the fuel cost for this patrol boat, but also the boat's expenses for a whole month.
No wonder Company Commander Song and his men were so happy.
This is just the beginning, and we've already achieved so much. If it were her, she would be happy too.
It's a pity that so many fish can only be sold to processing plants. If the military had its own military factory, these fish could be processed into canned goods, fish balls, or fish rolls, and the profits would be many times greater.
They spent over an hour collecting fish with two nets, and Yu Yao and the others were all starving.
Lu Ze announced that he would cook nearby.
The cooks had prepared lunch well in advance, using freshly caught sardines and squid, and everyone ate their fill.
After eating and drinking their fill, the patrol boat continued its journey along the designated route.
At 2 PM, the ship stopped to resupply, giving Yu Yao and her friends a chance to go sea fishing.
Sea fishing spots are limited, and everyone has their own preferred location. Whoever is fastest will be able to grab their favorite spot.
Su Meihua didn't have a fishing rod, so she assisted Yu Yao and Sun Yu in preparing the fishing rod.
After helping Sun Yu set up her fishing rod, Su Meihua went to help Yu Yao.
Just as the two were about to take the fishing rods, they saw Qin Lamei dart past Yu Yao and snatch the fishing spot that Yu Yao had chosen.
Su Meihua's expression changed. "Qin Lamei, are you deliberately picking a fight?"
Qin Lamei acted as if she had just noticed the two of them, feigning surprise as she said to Yu Yao, "Comrade Yu, you also want to choose this spot. I'm so sorry, I got it first. You can go somewhere else."
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