CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 58: CATCHING EELS

"Then we need to prepare more buckets to store the fish!"

Lin Yi listened silently on the side and couldn’t help pouring cold water on them, "Fishing relies on God’s favor, it’s not like you can catch as much as you say you will. Now the current is so strong, the nets aren’t safe. Don’t end up with nothing and damage the nets too."

When there are floods, along with the fish, there are also floating debris like trash and tree branches. If these get tangled up, it could be troublesome.

Chen Wenjun chuckled, "Dad! By then, I’ll use some bamboo poles to block them. There’s no way our nets will get damaged."

Curious about Chen Wenjun’s method, Lin Yi decided to go help.

In the afternoon, as expected, the rain lessened, and the water level of Nanxi visibly rose.

The couple, worried about the situation at Nanyu, hurriedly used bamboo poles to check it out.

Upon arrival, they found the water level was about twenty centimeters from the ground, not affecting Nanyu at all.

They carried wooden boards to shield the rain and specifically went to the island to check the foundation.

The road leading to the homestead was all muddy, wet, and slippery, with all the wild grass on the sides soaked in water. The couple stumbled along, narrowly avoiding slips.

Chen Wenjun said with a serious expression, "Hold onto me, so you don’t fall."

Lin Qin didn’t dare to take chances, offering one hand to Chen Wenjun.

Chen Wenjun’s strong and sturdy arm supported her step by step toward the homestead.

Once they reached the foundation, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Wenjun stomped on the cement ground several times and grinned, "I was worried the rain would stop the cement from drying, but it seems it had no impact!"

Lin Qin squatted to examine it carefully, "Strictly speaking, the foundation was done the day before yesterday. Yesterday was just finishing touches, leveling the ground. In this hot weather, a thin layer of cement dries completely in less than a day.

All right! It looks like Nanyu is pretty elevated after all, at least we don’t have to worry about floods."

The two of them stood on the foundation and looked across the river. The terrain here was almost level with the road, so unless there’s an extremely massive flood, they don’t have to worry about water reaching their home.

If such a flood did happen, even the county town across Nanxi would be submerged.

Moreover, they could escape to the mountains, making them feel that buying this island was a wise decision.

The couple returned to the fishing boat.

Chen Wenjun quickly fetched a bucket of water to rinse Lin Qin’s legs and shoes clean, watching the yellow mud wash away was surprisingly satisfying.

Lin Qin giggled, "I think we can visit the restaurant now and sell all the fish and shrimp. If we catch more stuff later, we won’t worry about having too much on hand."

Conveniently, there were still plenty of cement bags at home; they were all saved up. You could just drape one over, wear a bamboo hat, and head out.

Lin Yi was worried, "The rain hasn’t stopped yet, and the restaurant might have no business. Why are you going through all this trouble!"

However, Lin Qin insisted.

Chen Wenjun had to agree with her, loading the fish, shrimp, and wild duck eggs onto the cart.

On the rainy day, there were barely any people on the streets, not many people drove in those years, and no one bothered them pushing the cart along the vehicle lane.

After walking through the water for an hour, they arrived at Guoxing Restaurant.

Upon entering, they found the restaurant filled with customers, but each table only had two or three simple dishes on it.

Chen Wenjun rushed to the kitchen.

Zheng Guoxing was so excited to see him that he almost threw away his big iron spoon, "Good brother! You came to deliver fish in this weather? I knew I could count on you!"

While speaking, he dashed out in excitement.

Seeing the items on the cart, his smile widened even more, "Perfect! You’ve saved me! You truly are my benefactors!"

"Boss Zheng, what are you talking about?" Lin Qin smiled apologetically, puzzled in her eyes.

Chen Wenjun also found it baffling.

Zheng Guoxing pointed his mouth towards the restaurant’s customers and whispered, "On rainy days, several cafeterias said they couldn’t buy any ingredients, either they didn’t cook or didn’t have enough to go around, so everyone braved the rain to come here. I’ve been non-stop since ten, and luckily some of the fish and shrimp you delivered yesterday afternoon are still left for guests who came before eleven-thirty.

After eleven-thirty, all I could serve was scrambled tomato eggs, taro rice, sweet potato porridge, and pickles. I only have half a box of tomatoes left. The things you brought saved my life today! What do you have today?"

Lin Qin quickly pointed to the buckets, "There are thirty-eight Chinese perch, seven grass carps, nine white crucian carps, four bighead carps, quite a few crucian carps, though they’re not big, weighing three or four ounces each, and many common carps as well. I’ve brought a large basket of river snails and about fifty pounds of river shrimp! We also have more than half a bucket of wild duck eggs.

Some of these fish were caught in Long Cages. We daren’t set Long Cages in this weather, unsure if we’ll have such a haul tomorrow."

Zheng Guoxing let out a long breath, laughed heartily, and said, helping to move things inside, "Let’s worry about tomorrow’s affairs tomorrow. Today’s catch will suffice for me!"

He walked into the restaurant hall and shouted, "Fresh crucian, carp, grass carp, white crucian, bighead carps, Chinese perch, and river snails just arrived. Shrimp patties are available for frying. Now you can place your orders if you want!"

The dejected diners instantly perked up, with almost every table ordering a plate of river snails, some requested Chinese perch and tofu soup, while others called for soy-steamed fish.

Chen Wenjun and Lin Qin brought everything to the kitchen and called over a waiter to help weigh and record.

Once accounted for, Chen Wenjun approached Zheng Guoxing, "Check this number and see if the price is right."

Zheng Guoxing glanced at it, then immediately sent a waiter to get the money for Chen Wenjun.

As he was about to leave, Zheng Guoxing reminded him, "If you catch anything good, bring it here first. The day after tomorrow is my brother-in-law’s birthday, and he wants to set up three tables here. We need some main dishes, and there should definitely be fish."

Chen Wenjun and Lin Qin exchanged a look, beaming with joy, and agreed enthusiastically.

They took the money and left the restaurant, noticing that only drizzle remained outside. It was a good time to rush back and set up the net by boat.

They weren’t the only Dang people with this idea.

When they returned to Nanxi, they found a bunch of fishing boats heading upstream.

Chen Wenjun didn’t bother eating. He paddled with the bamboo pole, trying to avoid congested fishing areas.

Along the way, they encountered Chen Yongding’s family’s fishing boat, and Chen Wenjun greeted them.

Zhou Shuifang, seeing the fishing net on the deck, enviously said, "You’re sure to have a bountiful catch later!"

"From your lips to God’s ears!" Chen Wenjun grinned, using the bamboo pole even more forcefully.

The couple found a spot with fast-flowing water where no one had set up fishing nets.

Chen Wenjun eagerly took down several long bamboo poles from the boat, threading them through the net to connect them.

Two bamboo poles reached the riverbed, while the sides and center each had a long bamboo pole driven deep into the river to secure the net.

Once the net was set, Chen Wenjun fixed the remaining bamboo poles about a meter in front of the net.

The bamboo poles could block large logs and branches. He set up Long Cages nearby, ready to promptly clear any large debris that got stuck, while small debris sweeping into the nets wouldn’t have any significant impact.