Reborn in the Millennium: Building a Fortune from Fishing

Chapter 585 Gearing up
Because there weren't enough deck chairs, after the parasols were set up, holes were dug on both sides of the spot.

In the afternoon, Qin Dahe planned to rest on the beach. The fishing boats couldn't stay there at all today without the stabilizer on.

Located on the edge of the South China Sea basin, even small waves can be quite unbearable.

As the tide receded, Qin Dahe, thinking about his giant octopus, grabbed an entrenching tool and started working on it.

The others were familiar with beachcombing and knew that this was the time to harvest seafood, so they were all planning to get some shrimp and crabs to eat.

Those with more experience are already looking for breeding grounds for mantis shrimp and razor clams.

The giant octopus is located in a hole made up of several large rocks, and is currently about half a meter underwater at low tide.

With visibility this low, there was no need to dive down; I could just go down wearing wire gloves and grab it.

As soon as I reached in, I didn't know what I grabbed, so I immediately pulled back.

There was nothing else around, so Qin Dahe wasn't worried about the octopus escaping.

I never expected that they would start throwing away "life-saving money".

Inside, scallops were being thrown out one after another, presumably as a storage food source. Finally, an abalone was also thrown out.

Although local abalone is not expensive, this size alone is worth at least several hundred yuan.

"You're smart enough to let me off the hook today." He put the things away, both amused and exasperated.

This is the first time I've encountered this situation. If the octopus was released, that's fine, but what about the seafood?

There were some oysters next to a few large rocks, so he scooped them up with a shovel and planned to grill them with minced garlic when he got home.

As he walked away carrying a bunch of things, the octopus quickly emerged from its burrow and headed into the deep sea.

He shook his head and went straight back to the beach.

"Ce, where did you get this abalone?" Boss Li was a little surprised to see the abalone. He had been to this place many times, but he had never seen wild abalone before.

Moreover, abalone do not like these sandy areas; they prefer to hover among the reefs in the tidal zone.

"A gift from a friend in the sea, I ate it with some sea snails." I casually tossed it into the big basket; I ate quite a lot for lunch today.

"Friends from the sea?" Those who heard this were a little confused.

Qin Dahe explained with a smile, and upon learning of this miraculous experience, some people even went to take a look.

The guys have already started cooking the seafood. Men aren't picky; they just boil the shellfish in a big pot and then make some dipping sauce for themselves later.

There are also a few resourceful individuals who have acquired several smaller green dragons; these creatures are quite numerous in the South China Sea.

"Once the fishing season opens, those nanny boats often dock nearby, and you can find all kinds of seafood you want at cheap prices."

"How cheap?"

"You can get a carton of cigarettes, any brand, for under fifty yuan worth of seafood." The boat captain doesn't make money from that; he's just doing it for fun.

"That's definitely cheap."

The group lay on the beach sunbathing, occasionally turning over to enjoy the sunshine.

Boss Li specially offered him cigars, but he didn't like them and declined, saying that pine cigars were the way to go.

The deep, thick smoke is both invigorating and satisfying.

Cigars can't be inhaled, so they're not very appealing.

After the seafood was cooked, everyone came forward to help pick out the meat.

Each person is given a bamboo skewer to pick out the meat from the conch, which is then ready to eat.

Qin Dahe ate two; they were incredibly fresh and sweet.

Seafood is all about freshness; the fresher it is, the better it tastes.

The cooked baby lobster meat is tender and bouncy, and it tastes amazing with just a little soy sauce.

Today's staple food is rice, which is a little coarse, but no one cares.

The last jar of braised dace with fermented black beans has been opened; it's specifically for eating with rice. Today is the fourth day, and there are still three days left. I should have brought more. Boss Li also said that next time we go fishing, we'll bring a case of canned food.

People from Guangdong all have this problem: they always think that canned dace is something extraordinary, and no matter how rich they are, they can't bear to eat it every meal.

Qin Dahe's behavior has changed his aunt's attitude somewhat; at least she will occasionally stir-fry dace and lettuce.

The last dish was grilled tuna belly, with its juicy, oily texture that was incredibly delicate in the mouth.

These large-bellied fish would sell for over 100 yuan per kilogram if sold individually. They were contributed by several fishing buddies who had come ashore. The appetites of these dozen or so adult men were terrifying, and they ate a lot.

Including Qin Dahe's 147-jin (73.5 catties) fish, which he also contributed.

It's just that none of us here have gout, otherwise if we ate this for a week, we'd be in the ICU.

"Damn, if golden tuna tastes this good, bluefin tuna must be taking off!"

"Haha, the bluefin tuna is indeed top-notch. It's up to you guys now."

Uncle Qing sighed, "I've been out to sea many times, and I've never encountered this before."

"This thing is a matter of fate; some people just have a strong luck with water."

After indulging in seafood to his heart's content, Qin Dahe began to think about bringing some back with him.

If you only enjoy yourself, you'll definitely get complaints when you get back; your wife and kids will also need to eat some deep-sea seafood.

"Which boat caught the bluefin tuna? I'll buy some later."

"Flying Fish No. 1," Boss Li said with a smile, "You really want to buy tuna?"

"Hmm, let my family try some. A friend of mine is on boat number one too, let's see how much he got." Brother Shui is on boat number one.

The fish will definitely receive the rain and dew equally, but it's unclear how much he can distribute.

Qin Dahe also caught a red snapper, but since no one in his family likes to eat sashimi, bluefin tuna is more reliable.

"You can negotiate that yourselves, but apart from what you eat or take home, all other catches must be handed over to the boat for sale."

"I understand the rules, and I definitely won't do anything wrong."

"That's right, the Li family is very fair in their dealings."

Everyone agreed that this sea voyage was incredibly rewarding, as they would be able to enjoy seafood feasts every day, and that following the agreed-upon rules was perfectly appropriate.

After dinner, everyone went swimming again, and the group of grown men had a great time together.

Qin Dahe downed a bottle of Coke and lay comfortably on the beach, enjoying the cool shade under the parasol.

A gentle sea breeze was blowing, and I was feeling a bit sleepy, so I decided to just go to sleep.

I vaguely heard Boss Li talking on the radio, but I didn't pay any attention.

When he woke up again, it was already past 3 p.m., and he had been woken up by someone.

"We're on board. We need to get to Nanwei today; there's a first-level punctuation mark there."

"There are punctuation marks again?" Qin Dahe, who had just woken up, instantly perked up.

Fishing in ocean currents is nowhere near as enjoyable as fishing at a fixed spot; there are plenty of spots that cost hundreds of dollars.

"Yeah, but this time we're fishing with Flying Fish No. 2, so we'll have to work harder."

"Definitely." He quickly got up and started packing with his colleague.

Everyone was also talking about punctuation.

Since two reconnaissance ships are going to follow the third-level markers, the remaining three ships will definitely be much slower in finding new markers; it would be good if one of them could find any.

"We need to hurry over there; Number Two is only twenty nautical miles from Nanwei."

"Hurry up!" Everyone sped up their work, eager to get started.

(End of this chapter)