Chapter 9 - A Rewarding Trip (2/2)

“Brother Dahai, this mussel that you caught is at least twenty to thirty catties. When it’s dried, it would still weight around five catties. Brother Dahai never fails whenever he makes a move! Do you have any tips? Teach me some!” The speaker was a young man in his mid-twenties. He had a short stature, upright face, and tanned complexion.

In order to prevent disputes when hunting at the sea, the villagers each have their own fixed spots. Thus, their results would depend on their own luck. However, it was different for Yu Hai. He didn’t frequently gather seafood at the sea, but he returned with fruitful results every time.

Many of the villagers wanted to learn from him, but they couldn’t bring themselves to ask. After all, it was his own know-how to make a living and feed his family. If they learned his skills, it would be the same as snatching food from his mouth. It was fortunate that Liu Shuanzhu was close friends with Yu Hai. If another person asked, they might end up having a fall out!

“Uncle Shuanzhu, there’re a lot of reefs around the cliff that no one has been to. You can go check it out when the tide recedes!” Yu Hang knew Liu Shuanzhu was close friends with his father, so he didn’t hide it from him. However, he didn’t reveal his family’s treasured hunting spot.

Liu Shuanzhu looked at the villagers who were eavesdropping on them and laughed loudly, “Xiaosha, do you think we can climb cliffs, hike up mountains, and enter the sea, just like your father? It’s so dangerous over at the cliff. That was where Uncle Liu Si died! Your Uncle Shuanzhu still wants to live for a few more years!”

Yangfan’s wife walked over with her daughter and asked, “Dahai, where’s your wife?”

“She wasn’t feeling very well today, so she stayed at home to rest! How’s Brother Yangfan’s leg?” Li Yangfan was another good friend of Yu Hai. He recently encountered a storm on his way back from the sea. His ship crashed into a reef and he injured his leg. Thus, he was recuperating at home right now.

Yangfan’s wife asked about Liu Muyun’s health with concern, then replied, “He’s fine. The injury on his leg wasn’t very serious. However, our family’s ship was damaged quite badly. Dahai, when you’re free, can you come over to check if it can be fixed?”

Everyone in the nearby fishing villages knew Yu Hai was a very capable person. When it came to fishing in the sea, even three to five ordinary people were incomparable to him. A recent example would be early spring this year. At that time, Old Yu’s family caught a shark that weighed around three hundred catties. They had earned several taels with just the shark’s fin. It’s not that the villagers were looking down on Old Yu and his stepson, but without Yu Hai, they wouldn’t even be enough to feed a shark, let alone to hunt for a shark.

In addition to his fishing and hunting skills, Yu Hai also learned how to repair ships without a teacher. He was capable of fixing most issues and defects of a normal fishing ship. Thus, although many villagers of Dongshan Village were envious of Yu Hai’s skills, they would only gossip behind his back and wouldn’t dare to offend him.

“Alright! Tomorrow, when I return from the mountains, I’ll go over to take a look. Yangfan’s wife, here’s some barnacles’ meats. Brother Yangfan really likes eating this. Take some back for him, so he can eat it when he drinks wine.” Little Shitou’s basket was filled with barnacles’ meats and Yu Hai generously offered them without any hesitation.

Yangfan’s wife smiled and shook her head. She looked at the quiet Xiaocao, who was standing beside them, and said, “Keep it for the children to eat! Xiaocao, how’s your health? Does your head still hurt?”

Yu Xiaocao politely smiled at her and replied, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Grandpa You said I can take off the bandage in two days.”

Yu Hai briefly chatted with them before taking the children home. When he entered the door, he saw his wife, who was supposed to be resting inside the room, serving dinner from the kitchen. Thus, his expression immediately turned grim.

“Oh! You guys caught quite a lot of good things at the sea today. We’re going to have a feast tomorrow!” Madam Li’s piercing voice sounded behind them.

Yu Xiaolian was so angry that she threw the bucket on the ground and shouted at her eldest aunt, who was halfway into her room, “Eldest Aunt, didn’t Grandmother tell you to cook at home? You were wandering around the village and had just returned. You just want everyone to starve, right?”

Madam Li glanced at her, but she didn’t actually care about that little brat. She sneered, “Someone can pretend to be sick, but I’m not allowed to go out for an errand? How dare you speak to me like that? You have no manners at all. If you’re not careful, you won’t be able to get married in the future!”

[1] Copper coin (文) - a form of currency used in ancient China (1 tael = ~1000 copper coins)

[2] Catty (斤) - 1 catty = 0.5 kg