CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 60: MONEY FLOWS LIKE WATER

Early in the morning, Guoxing Restaurant was already open for business.

The breakfast was quite simple, like fast food, with all dishes prepared uniformly.

No one was ordering, so Zheng Guoxing took the opportunity to go over the accounts.

He was just halfway through when he caught sight of Chen Wenjun out of the corner of his eye.

Zheng Guoxing looked surprised, "Brother! Early in the morning, you don’t have to work this hard! Were you fishing all night?"

Chen Wenjun waved at him, "Come take a look, see if you’re satisfied. If not, I’ll just sell it at the market!"

"What’s with all the secrecy..." Zheng Guoxing said as he walked outside.

When he saw the more than ten-pound big fish on the cart, Zheng Guoxing jumped up, shouting excitedly, "So big!"

The diners in the restaurant all curiously looked over, and upon seeing the more than ten-pound big fish, they were instantly thrilled, all crowding around to watch the spectacle.

Some even asked for the price.

Zheng Guoxing was startled and quickly said, "This fish is already reserved, sorry!"

He kept apologizing, coaxing the customers back to their seats, afraid someone else would ask about the price, and immediately wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, asking someone to carry the big fish to the back kitchen.

"What about the rest?"

Chen Wenjun opened everything up, "These are all river eels, I specially picked the big ones for you. There are more at home, if you want, I’ll bring them here. If not, I’ll have to ask other restaurants, this time I caught a lot, they need to be sold quickly.

There are also several barrels of river shrimp at home, couldn’t bring them all at once."

"Wow!" Zheng Guoxing took a deep breath, "You cleaned out the river eel’s nest! Bring me another cart of eels! I want all the river shrimp! Let’s weigh everything first, we’ll settle up when the next batch comes in, how about that?"

"No problem!"

Chen Wenjun was very efficient, after all the eels were weighed, there were fifty-six pounds, the big fish was sixteen pounds net, Zheng Guoxing wrote down the weight on a receipt and handed the ticket to Chen Wenjun.

Chen Wenjun immediately returned to Nanxi, first loading two large barrels of river shrimp and two large barrels of fish, delivering the eels on the third trip.

These items stacked in the back kitchen of Guoxing Restaurant made even the waiters green with envy.

"Boss, who said the Dang people’s life is tough! I think Chen Wenjun makes money too easily! In a few months, he can save what I’ve earned in over ten years!"

Zheng Guoxing withdrew his gaze, shaking his head, "That’s because you haven’t seen the hardships he endures behind the scenes. Look at his legs and feet, they’re almost spoiled from soaking, and he’s working so hard to buy land and build a house, which hasn’t even started yet!

Your family has fields and land, what’s there to envy? Besides, the only Dang person I’ve seen who can fish so well is him; other Dang people, just relying on fishing, their whole family would starve!"

The waiter chuckled awkwardly, touching his nose, realizing it was true, and immediately felt less envious.

After mumbling a few words, Zheng Guoxing went to the cashier’s desk to record the last batch of eels, then gave Chen Wenjun a cigarette.

"Let me see... that big fish is sixteen pounds, it’s definitely a centerpiece, I can even promote a bit, let’s say forty yuan, okay?"

Chen Wenjun nodded, "Alright!"

"Great!" Zheng Guoxing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, continuing: "The total of river eels is one hundred and two pounds, all quite fat, one pound according to the supply and marketing agency’s price, two yuan and six each, totaling two hundred sixty-five yuan and two; river shrimp eighty-three pounds, we count one hundred fifty, plus the other fish, count eighty-five.

Adding it all up, that’s five hundred forty and two, is that right?"

Chen Wenjun was watching Zheng Guoxing calculate, so naturally, he didn’t doubt it, "That’s it."

After settling the account, Chen Wenjun said to Zheng Guoxing, "Could you please tell Boss Zheng and Boss Huang that I need ten tons of cement and a batch of red bricks, needed by tomorrow."

"No problem! I’ll tell him when he comes over, and he’ll deliver it to the side of Nanxi this afternoon, but you’ll have to figure out how to get it to the deserted island."

After agreeing, Chen Wenjun quickly rushed home with the money.

When he got home, Lin Qin had also returned from the market.

He hurriedly took Lin Qin to the back cabin, "How was the sales today?"

Lin Qin didn’t say a word and directly opened the money bag, "Yesterday there weren’t many vendors at the market, today it was crowded with people! Although there were many selling fish, there were also many buyers, and everything I brought was sold out, the money is right here. How much did Boss Zheng pay?"

Chen Wenjun pulled out the five hundred forty and two, "That big fish sold for forty, almost a hundred pounds of eels, over eighty pounds of shrimp, plus some other miscellaneous fish, all accounted for, a total of five hundred forty-two.

I asked Boss Zheng to relay a message, the cement and red bricks will be delivered this afternoon, we can start work tomorrow."

Lin Qin paused for a moment, then quickly said, "In that case, we need to go to Shanglin Village and ask Uncle Qingxiang to find some workers, we can’t handle the upcoming work ourselves!"

Chen Wenjun nodded, he had the same idea.

After Lin Qin finished calculating the accounts, the two made a total of six hundred seven yuan and thirty-six cents by noon today.

Though it was quite a sum, it would be spent as soon as the cement and red bricks arrived in the afternoon.

Lin Qin joked, "Does this count as money flowing like water for us now?"

Over six hundred! Not even enough time to warm it up!

Chen Wenjun burst out laughing, "Don’t worry, in the summer, there will be plenty of rain! Next time there’s a flood, we’ll set up nets and surely make another fortune."

Lin Qin shook her head regretfully, "Who knows when that will be! In about ten days, I’ll probably have to help cook!"

"Cooking is only half a day, it won’t be a problem!" Chen Wenjun had already planned it all for Lin Qin.

The couple collected their money and went out to eat.

The afternoon sun was especially strong.

It was as if the heavy rain from the day before hadn’t happened at all.

Lin Qin, having nothing else to do, decided to go and collect some wild duck eggs again.

She really made a good trip this time, with wild duck eggs all over the pile of rocks, filling one and a half buckets.

While delighted, she couldn’t help but worry. Returning to the fishing boat, she muttered to Lin Yi, "I wonder if these eggs have been spoiled by the rain?"

"Just crack a couple and see! Perfect for cooking some eggs for the kids!" Lin Yi said happily.

Lin Qin was a bit surprised, "Dad! Since when did you become so generous?"

Lin Yi scowled in dissatisfaction, "What are you talking about? When have I been stingy? If I weren’t worried about your hard times, would I be so meticulous?"

Liu Yaya whispered, "Mom, Grandpa’s only being generous because we’re starting to build the house tomorrow!"

Lin Yi, caught out by the little girl, glared at her, "Still want to eat? If not, I’ll eat them myself!"

"I do, I do! Grandpa is the best! I love Grandpa the most!" Liu Yaya’s little mouth was suddenly as sweet as honey.

Lin Yi couldn’t argue with her and turned to crack two duck eggs into a bowl.

Seeing the eggs were good, after hesitating for a moment, he cracked two more, for Lin Qin and Chen Wenjun to have some nourishment too.