Chapter 38: Man-Eating Fish
When we were going back, everyone was very happy. The cargo was shipped smoothly, and the prefect had increased the demand. These news made everyone full of energy.
Especially the box that Lord Deng gave to Gu Xiyue. Everyone knew that there was silver in it. Although they did not necessarily require Gu Xiyue to give them silver, they had hope in their hearts as long as Gu Xiyue earned silver.
She is Lijun of Nanhuang, their backbone, and will lead them to a happy life.
The ship headed westward, and throughout the entire voyage, it was not far from the shore. Standing on the boat, you could see the coast.
Gu Xiyue was still thinking that this route was relatively safe, and if there was a strong wind in the future, they would be able to reach the shore quickly.
Jiang Bing's shout woke everyone up.
Everyone looked at his terrified expression and their hearts were in their throats. They rushed to the side of the boat to see what was going on.
Although no one expressed their concerns, they all felt it and thought there was something wrong with their boat.
Maybe the bottom of the boat was falling apart and water was taking in. Jiang Bing was so scared because he saw this. After all, once the boat took in water, it would sink immediately, and then they would all fall into the sea and drown.
When everyone climbed to the side of the boat, they looked around to see where the boat had fallen apart and was leaking water. However, they couldn't find any part of the boat that had fallen apart after looking around.
Wang Hu was so angry that he slapped the side of the boat and said angrily, "Jiang Bing, why are you yelling so loudly? You've made everyone so nervous that they think there's something wrong with the boat we built."
Gu Xiyue was also confused. Xiao Heng beside her suddenly touched her lightly, pointed at the sea surface on the side and said, "Look, what is that?"
Gu Xiyue looked in the direction of his finger. At first, she didn't see anything, but when she saw something moving quickly under the sea, she was secretly surprised.
Because that thing was estimated to be more than two meters long, black in color, and swam very fast. And judging by the size, there were about ten of them.
One of them swam closer and suddenly popped up its head, which surprised Gu Xiyue.
This fish looks like a shark, but is uglier than a shark. It has long whiskers on both sides of its wide mouth. Its body is black and dotted with uncomfortable patterns.
"This fish is the same strange fish that dragged Boss Fang away. It likes to eat carrion. I've noticed that they often appear on the beach recently."
Gu Xiyue felt a chill down her spine when she heard this. Apart from anything else, the fish was scary just to look at. If she were dragged into the water by it, she would die just thinking about it.
She had never seen or heard of this kind of fish.
It is probably a strange fish in this world.
Jiang Bing's face turned pale and he was stammering to Wang Hu. He was so frightened that he couldn't speak clearly.
"Brother Wang!" Gu Xiyue called out to Wang Hu.
Wang Hu hurried over, and Gu Xiyue pointed to the fast-swimming fish on the beach and said to him, "Brother Jiang, these are the ones you are talking about."
Jiang Bing also followed. Seeing that there were more strange fish around than before, his face turned pale. "Yes, yes, it's them. I was strolling on the beach once and was almost dragged into the water by them. Their teeth are so long and sharp. If I hadn't dodged back in time, I'm afraid..."
As it spoke, it took two steps back, the fear in its eyes not diminishing at all.
Gu Xiyue comforted him with a few words, then turned around and observed carefully.
"It seems they knew there were people on the boat and thought we were prey, so they attacked us."
She stated her guess while calming herself down.
"Seeing them coming in groups to attack us means they can send signals to each other. If we can scare them, they might stay away from us in the future."
After hearing this, Wang Hu rubbed his hands and said, "Madam Gu, tell me, what should we do? These strange fish look disgusting and eat people. I have wanted to catch them for a long time."
Gu Xiyue looked around. Although these strange fish were running around their boat, they were unable to push the boat together. He felt relieved.
After observing carefully for a while, Gu Xiyue discovered that these fish seemed to have a leader. That fish was bigger than the others. It first rushed forward around the boat, then turned around and passed through the other side, even showing its ugly head to look at the boat from time to time.
The fish behind it followed it and circled around the boat, ready to pounce and bite at any time at its command.
Gu Xiyue pointed the fish to Xiao Heng. Xiao Heng looked at it for a few seconds and went to the stern of the boat to get a spear.
Just in case, there were several handy weapons on board.
Xiao Heng brought the spear over, and Gu Xiyue, Wang Hu and the others knew what he was going to do, and gathered around to watch. Xiao Heng asked Wang Hu to find two strong men to control the rudder at the stern and lower all the sails. Then he tied a rope to the tail of the spear and stood at the bow to observe carefully. When the leader of the strange fish swam to the front, he seized the opportunity and stabbed out with the spear.
The spear flew out through the wind and pierced the strange fish directly at lightning speed like a sharp arrow.
The strange fish felt pain, struggled and jumped a few times, and finally swam forward at the fastest speed. Bright red blood oozes out of its body. Its family members all surrounded it, gnawing and biting it. This scene shocked the people on the boat.
The strange fish seemed to want to break free from the pain and swam forward for its life, carrying the boat forward rapidly.
The men on the boat grabbed the side of the boat, their faces slightly pale.
Gu Xiyue thought that after returning, he would find an opportunity to teach them how to swim. There should also be some life-saving equipment on the boat to prevent accidents one day. This place is not far from the coast. If they fall into the sea, as long as they don’t encounter strange fish, they will have no problem saving themselves.
The boat was moving very fast at first, but after a while, the speed finally slowed down, and the people on the boat found that they were about to arrive at the dock of Xifeng Town.
The leader of the strange fish was no longer moving, its body had been gnawed away to the point where there was little left. A large group of strange fish surrounded it, flapping their wings happily. The scene was extremely cruel.
Gu Xiyue and Xiao Heng exchanged a glance, and Xiao Heng whispered, "Do you remember the fishing net I bought that day? I brought it with me, it's on the boat."
Gu Xiyue looked around and called Wang Hu and the others together. They discussed in a low voice for a while. Everyone was surprised at first, but then they all nodded with a determined expression.
These strange fish must be eliminated, and judging from the situation today, almost all of them have come, so we can catch them all in one net.
Xiao Heng pulled back the spear and started to stab the second fish. After being stabbed, the second strange fish continued to swim forward fiercely, quickly approaching the dock and rushing towards the west side of the dock.
Wang Hu, working with others to unroll a fishing net, jokingly said, "If they weren't cannibals, and if they were obedient, I'd really like to raise two to help us tow the boat."
The other men laughed too.
Zhao Yancheng was waiting at the dock for the boat to dock, preparing to take the reins and tie the boat to the pile on the side, but found that the boat was moving forward rapidly. From a distance, he saw Gu Xiyue waving at her, making a gesture to keep quiet.
Moreover, the boat seemed to be being dragged forward by something, and the end of the rope was in Xiao Heng's hand at the bow.
When he looked carefully into the sea, the hairs on his back immediately stood up.
He quickly asked everyone to step back, careful that no one would be dragged into the sea by this strange fish, while at the same time thinking about how to help them.
But he saw Wang Hu throwing a rope towards him. He rushed over to catch it, and tied it to the stake next to him at his signal.
The rope was connected to a net-like object, which was very long and wide, with stones tied underneath. It sank as soon as it entered the sea water.
The ship continued to be dragged forward and finally slowly stopped on a concave sea surface.
"That's where Boss Fang and Aunt Fang were found before. I didn't expect their lair to be here."
Xiao Heng whispered and asked Wang Hu to row the boat forward, lowering the fishing net continuously, and finally surrounding all the strange fish in their lair.
When they reached the westernmost side, which was still a little distance from the shore, there was a steep wall over there, making it difficult to get close. Xiao Heng grabbed the other side of the fishing net, stood up, and used his lightness skills to fly over and land steadily on the steep wall. He then found a strong place to tie the rope to it.
After everything is done, fly back.
Those strange fish were still surrounding the dead fish and gnawing at it. Some of the fish had already eaten their fill and had gone into the thorny vines inside to rest.
Xiao Heng took a look and killed a few more strange fish so that they would have something to eat and wouldn't have to think about fishing.
The people on the boat were amazed at how accurate Xiao Heng's hooks were. They had just been busy helping to set up the fishing net and were very nervous. Now that all the fish were trapped here, they felt relieved and looked at Xiao Heng with admiration.
Xiao Heng kept looking around, and only after he was sure that these strange fish had eaten their fill did he let Wang Hu row the boat back to the dock.
The people waiting at the dock looked at the shocking scenes, and when Gu Xiyue arrived at the boat, they all surrounded it. Gu Xiyue briefly recounted the situation, and Zhao Yancheng and others were amazed after listening. They had a new understanding of Xiao Heng's abilities.
Fang Laoer was also in Zhao Yancheng's boat transport team. Seeing these strange fish biting each other, he knew that they would all die here in the end. He was silent for a long time. Zhao Yancheng gave the order for everyone to load the boat. He silently went to carry salt, with even greater strength than usual.
Gu Xiyue and Xiao Heng watched them loading the ship at the dock. Wang Hu and Jiang Bing carried the boxes down and followed them. Gu Xiyue only went back after Zhao Yancheng and the others were ready and the ship had left the shore.
It will take seven or eight days to transport 200,000 kilograms of salt. The other ship will be ready in a few days. By then, the two ships will be faster. Moreover, that ship is larger than this one and can carry more than 10,000 kilograms at a time.
With Zhao Yancheng, Wang Hu and others taking care of this matter, Gu Xiyue didn't have to worry. From now on, she would only need to go there to settle the bill once a month.
Gu Xiyue had the box of silver carried directly to her room.
When the villagers heard that the strange fish was surrounded by Xiao Heng and Wang Hu at the westernmost beach, they were shocked. After lunch, they did not go home to rest, but went there in groups to see. The bodies of Aunt Fang and Boss Fang were found there. It turned out that this was their lair.
The villagers were a little scared when they thought that the strange fish's nest was near them. After seeing the scary-looking strange fish, the women and children stepped back in fear, and the children were even so scared that they started crying.
Xiao Heng knew that he couldn't stop the villagers, so he asked Wei Lin to take a few people to watch over there and be careful about anything happening.
After lunch at the academy, Yun'er followed her friends to see the strange fish. After finally squeezing to the front, she saw those scary fish and quickly backed away. The adults next to her held her hand and comforted her, saying, "Yun'er, don't be afraid. These fish have been rounded up by Madam Gu and the others. They've avenged your father and grandmother."
"Yes, Yun'er, there will no longer be these strange man-eating fish. I heard that they will all be killed in the next few days."
"Yun'er, do you miss your grandma and your dad?"
The adults were also kind and kept comforting her.
Yun'er's face was pale at first, and she didn't dare to look at the fish for too long. But after she heard that it was these fish that killed her father, she was suddenly not so scared anymore. She even took two steps forward, wanting to see clearly what the fish that killed her father and her grandmother looked like.
When she got home from school in the afternoon, she told Madam Du in detail what she had seen. Madam Du's belly was already very big, and she felt that she would give birth in the next few days. She didn't dare to walk around. After listening to Yun'er's description, she hugged her with a little fear and comforted her not to be afraid.
Yun'er shook her head, without a trace of fear in her voice. "Mom, I feel so comfortable without my dad and grandma at home. Thanks to those strange fish. If it weren't for them, my dad and grandma would still be fine. They would beat us every day and not give us food..."
Madam Du looked at the door with horror and quickly covered Yun'er's mouth.
"Yun'er, don't talk nonsense!"
She looked at the door again to make sure there was no one outside, then asked quietly, "Have you told anyone these words outside?"
Yun'er shook her head.
Madam Du breathed a sigh of relief, hugged her tightly, and solemnly warned her, "No matter what, they are your relatives. The dead are the greatest. No matter how they treated us when they were alive, you can't say that. Now they are gone, and we are still alive and well. This is all God's will. Don't talk about your father and your grandmother in front of anyone in the future. Do you understand?"
Yun'er nodded.
The child is only two years old, but he has become much more sensible due to the torture of life.
"Just pretend you never had a daddy and grandma, you hear me?"
Madam Du warned Yun'er sternly, fearing that she would talk nonsense outside.
"Yes, I've got it, Mom. I feel like my uncle is like my dad. From now on, I will treat him as my dad. In the past, he would hide his bread for me to eat, and now he treats me very well. I want him to be my dad."
After Yun'er said these words, Madam Du was stunned. She moved her lips, but in the end she said nothing.
He just hugged the child tightly.
In the evening, Fang Laoer came back with the meal ready. Yun'er had already had dinner in the school, so Fang Laoer only beat him and Madam Du.
Mrs. Du had already poured water into the washbasin. When she saw someone come in, she hurried to take the two large bowls from his hands.
Fang Lao Er quickly dodged and said carefully: "Sister-in-law, please sit down, I will do it myself!"
After saying that, he carefully placed two large bowls on the table. In the bowls was today's dinner. There were some meat flowers in the stewed noodles. Today's stewed noodles were made with the soup from yesterday's stewed meat, and it tasted great.
He gently brought one of the bowls to Madam Du and turned to wash his hands.
"Sister-in-law, eat it while it's hot. Today's stewed noodles taste great."
Madam Du has been eating and sleeping well during this period. She also doesn't go out, so she has changed completely. Her skin is fair and rosy, she has gained weight, and her hair is black and shiny. She looks much better.
She was naturally pretty, and now that she was in a good mood and eating well, she had regained her girlish appearance.
It's just because I'm getting older, so my face and body are a little swollen.
Seeing her uncle being so attentive, she turned around and took out the cloth, and after he washed his hands, she handed it to him with a friendly smile.
"No hurry, uncle, you are tired. I will wait for you to eat together."
Fang Lao Er smiled and glanced at Madam Du. After wiping his hands, he reached out and pinched Yun'er's little face. "Yun'er, are you full just now? Do you want to eat more? If so, uncle will share some with you."
Yun'er shook her head and patted her belly twice, saying with a smile, "Uncle, look at my belly, it's so round. You should eat quickly. You must be hungrier than me after working outside all day."
Yun'er's voice was soft and sweet, and Fang Laoer smiled lovingly after hearing it. Seeing that the child was indeed full, he asked Madam Du to sit down with him, and the two of them ate facing each other.
Both of them thought about the strange fish today, but they tacitly agreed not to mention it again.
They ate in silence. Today's noodles were delicious. Even though life had improved for so long, Madam Du still couldn't believe it was true.
She often feels that this is a dream, and maybe when she wakes up tomorrow, all this will no longer exist, so she lives cautiously. If this is a dream, she is willing to cherish every moment.
So she didn't want to mention the strange fish at all.
After they finished their meal, she stood up to clear the dishes. Just as she reached out to take Fang Laoer's bowl, Fang Laoer reached out and held her hand.
She was stunned and looked up at him, meeting his eager gaze. The man's rough and warm fingers startled her, and she quickly let go of the dishes and pulled her hands back.
"Sister-in-law, you don't have to worry anymore. My mother and my eldest brother are really gone. You have to believe this. Besides, those strange fish have been surrounded by people sent by Madam Gu. I took a special look today... Anyway, don't let your imagination run wild. Get some rest. Wait a few days for the baby to be born. When you have recovered, go out and take a look. There have been great changes outside. Our future life will get better and better."
He quickly finished these words, took the bowl in front of Madam Du, and took it out to wash the dishes together with his own bowl.
Madam Du stood there in a daze for a while before she came to her senses.
When she turned around, she saw Yun'er looking at her with a smile on her face. She looked like an adult, and she suddenly laughed.
"You devilish girl!"
Yun'er ran away with a smile, looking for her uncle.
**
In the evening, Gu Xiyue told Zhao Yancheng and others about the increase in salt supply and discussed with them what to do next. The next day, he asked the three generals to start preparing to open a small shop, first to keep up with the basic supply, and also to supply vegetables, meat and fruits.
At the same time, she wanted to build a granary at the foot of the mountain in the west, and she had already thought about where to buy food to store it.
Food must be stored enough for a year to ensure everyone's survival. No matter whether there is a natural disaster or a man-made disaster, at least there will be food to eat.
After Zhao Yancheng and the others left, Gu Xiyue said to Xiao Heng, "We can't accumulate wealth quickly just by relying on our sea salt. Now this sea salt allows us to have food without worrying about it, but we still have a long way to go before we can become rich. We have to think of other ways to open up ways to make money."
After listening to this, Xiao Heng thought about it carefully and nodded. "I support your idea on this point, but the sales of salt have just started. Let's take it slow for a while and take it step by step."
Gu Xiyue thought the same thing. "Yes, the above are just my temporary ideas. Even if we want to explore other paths, we still need to investigate and take time."
At this point, she took out two pictures she had drawn two days ago and showed them to him.
Xiao Heng looked at it carefully, his eyes full of surprise, "Did you draw these?"
Gu Xiyue nodded.
"I didn't waste your paper. Next time we go out shopping, I'll buy some more paper and leave some here for me. That way I don't have to go to your place to get paper every time."
Xiao Heng smiled without saying anything, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"I plan to rebuild the Southern Wasteland according to this layout. When the time comes, there will be a food street here, and a beach over here. I want everything to be built like this so I can go there and have fun when I'm free. And here..."
She introduced everything to Xiao Heng with great interest. Xiao Heng listened attentively, turning his head to look at her face from time to time.
At the end, a question was raised.
"In the future, the population of the Southern Wilds will only increase. This small area can accommodate a few hundred people, but if the population continues to grow, where will they live?"
Gu Xiyue had never thought about this question before. Now that Xiao Heng asked her this out of the blue, she looked up at him, her mind racing.
Xiao Heng smiled and said nothing, just stared at her, waiting for her to speak first.
Gu Xiyue blinked and smiled mysteriously, "That's a good question, but I already have an idea in my mind. Just now, I have figured out what to do."
"I'd like to hear more about it."
Xiao Heng pretended to listen attentively and put his hands behind his back.
"No matter what, the Southern Wasteland is our base for development, so it must be built according to this plan. However, I've just figured out how to deal with other development issues. As for the specifics, I'll keep them secret for now. You'll know later!"
Seeing Xiao Heng was about to ask more, Gu Xiyue quickly said, "In two days, the villagers will be paid their wages. If you have time, Your Highness, why not come and calculate the amount with me?"
After saying that, he asked Meixiang to bring the notebook in which she had recorded the past few days.
"Your Highness, there are quite a few people on this list. I can't count them all by myself."
Xiao Heng was still waiting for her to talk about her future plans. He became more and more curious about what she was thinking, but when he saw that she was unwilling to say it, he gave up.
Seeing her pulling him in to count the wages again, and looking at the densely packed numbers on the book, he was moved and asked with a smile: "The villagers have all received wages, I wonder if I have?"
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