Back to the small fishing village in 1982

Chapter 1146 Swaggering through the market
There was Storm Jack and then there was the red tide, and then there were large schools of fish that suffocated due to lack of oxygen due to the red tide.

Although I have to rest again tomorrow, I have earned enough on this trip, so I can rest for a few more days.

Father Ye smacked his lips and said, "Why do I feel like you are making so much money... You make as much as other people do in a day at sea!"

Ye Yaodong glanced at his father and said, "What kind of boat do they have? When I first bought the boat, you all complained and objected to my decision. Now you know that everything I did was right, right? They didn't even know about the red tide, but we've already harvested a large number of fish because of it."

"Who knew there were so many seafood out there, and it was so easy for you to make money. At the time, I only thought about the danger. Everyone has been salvaging near the coast, but you want to get such a big boat and go so far. Isn't that worrying? And you are so unreliable. How old are you, and you have no experience. Who can be assured?"

"Yes, you have eaten more salt than I have eaten rice, but when you are old, you need young people who are brave and daring to make money. If you are too conservative, you will not make money."

"Hurry up and eat your food instead of talking..."

Father Ye knew that what he said was right and did not argue with him.

"Who has been talking to me?" Ye Yaodong said unhappily. He ignored his father's nagging and finished the remaining food. He also took a tomato as a fruit after the meal.

But Ye's father suddenly came over to whisper something, and he took a big bite of the tomato, splashing tomato juice all over his father's face.

Father Ye narrowed his eyes, wiped his face with his hand, and glared at him angrily, "How did you eat it!"

Ye Yaodong laughed while eating, and said vaguely: "Who told you to come over here suddenly? There is too much tomato soup. Mm, it's delicious. Do you want some?"

Father Ye held back his anger and asked quietly, "We gave them red envelopes when we got big catches before, why not today?"

"When did you become so generous? Did the sun rise from the west?"

"You are generous, not me. Aren't you always like this? That's why I asked you."

While eating, Ye Yaodong looked towards the door, and saw boatmen coming in and out to share fish with their neighbors.

"Forget it. We're going home after just one day out. We have to rest for two more days to repair the fishing nets. I don't know if the red tide will affect our fishing. If not, it doesn't matter. We can wait for the locals to give up in the next two days and then go catch sea urchins."

"If there is any impact..."

He was stunned for a moment before he reacted. "Uh... the red tide doesn't seem to affect our fishing for sea urchins. If we can't go out to sea because of repairing the fishing nets, we can borrow a cart from our neighbors, pull the fishing nets back, and have them repair the nets in the yard. Anyway, we don't need fishing nets to fish for sea urchins."

"Oh... I've gone off topic. If you say you won't give out red envelopes, then you won't give out red envelopes. The salary is already high for those who come here, and those who go into the water have to add another two yuan in subsidies. That's more than 6 yuan. Who the hell can earn that much? Those who work on ships are better than the skilled workers. They can make or yuan a month."

"These tasks are part of their job. I want to give them red envelopes because I have a conscience. If I don't give them red envelopes, they can't say anything to me."

"Originally, the old men on the Dongsheng were not asked to go into the water to help catch sea urchins. They just stayed at home to cook. In the end, they didn't do much work, but they still got such a high salary. It was already comfortable enough."

"The few people who went into the water also received additional subsidies, 6 yuan a day. Damn, how can money be so easy to earn? I'm already very conscientious. If I give them too much, I won't spoil them. I won't give them this time."

"Those with a conscience won't say anything, they will definitely be satisfied. Those without a conscience won't be asked to do this in the future. Anyway, when they go back, they can all be given a red envelope of a few dollars as a token of their appreciation."

After hearing so much, Father Ye asked, "Who do you think you are?"

Ye Yaodong was choked. "I said so much, and you just listened to me?"

Father Ye kicked him in the knee, causing him to stagger.

"Just talk, don't keep calling me old man all day long." After saying that, he put his hands behind his back and walked towards the door, ready to go out to enjoy the cool air.

Ye Yaodong was furious. He had just said it casually, but his father took it so seriously.

He took a big bite of the tomato in his hand, feeling that his father also wanted revenge.

After finishing the tomato on hand, he immediately returned to his room. He had been up all day and night and had only slept for about three hours. He could no longer bear it.

The next day, he slept until he woke up naturally. He was tired after a tiring day yesterday, so he slept well today. No one came to make trouble early in the morning, and his room was not close to the street, so it was relatively quiet.

When he went out for breakfast, he felt the house was empty, with only his father picking up the vegetables in the corner of the yard.

"What about people?"

"They were out making phone calls."

"Oh, I was wondering why it was so empty so early in the morning. I didn't hear any noise, and I didn't see anyone. Did two women come over this morning to say they wanted to mend their fishing nets?"

"Yes, we took them to the boat at around 7 o'clock, and we also left two people on the boat to watch over them."

"Well, that's good. Did you see any red tide outside the dock this morning?"

"No, I haven't heard of it. There are not many boats on the shore this early in the morning. They have all gone out to sea."

He nodded and said nothing.

After finishing his meal, he went to the dock as soon as possible. Two middle-aged women wearing sun hats and patched clothes were sitting on a fishing boat. The fishing nets they had shaken out covered the entire deck, leaving no place for people to step.

He fiddled with the fishing net before stepping onto the deck. The two women only looked up at him, then lowered their heads to repair the fishing net and whispered a few words to each other.

Ye Yaodong didn't come here specifically to watch them mend the nets. Their workers were already on the boat, so he came to take a look at the sawfish he caught yesterday.

The fish were still in the fish warehouse and the ice on it had not melted yet, so they were still very fresh. After telling the boatman to keep an eye on them, he went out with peace of mind.

It was already past 9 o'clock and the Coast Guard had already gone to work. When he arrived, Zeng Weimin was on the phone.

I waited for a long time before I saw him hang up the phone.

"Are you here to ask about that couple? Did that family come to your place to cause trouble again?"

Ye Yaodong was stunned for a moment before he realized what he was talking about. He quickly shook his head, "No, no, it's not about this. They only came yesterday morning and left in disgrace. They didn't come today. The day before yesterday, you said to send someone to warn them and tell them about their family's sentencing. They probably don't dare to make trouble again."

He nodded.

Ye Yaodong continued, "I caught an unusually large fish when I went out to sea yesterday. I wanted to donate it to the aquarium and make it into a specimen."

Zeng Weimin was a little surprised. It was a bit beyond his expectation. He thought that someone had come to him for something again.

"What fish?"

"It's a kind of fish called sawfish. It should be very rare here. When we dragged it back yesterday, the fishermen on the shore said they didn't recognize it. It might be a species that flowed in from the high seas or some distant sea areas."

Zeng Weimin seemed a little confused as he didn't know much about fish.

"Very rare?"

"It's very rare. Actually, it's because it can't be sold. Haha, because no one knows it and doesn't know its value. No one dares to take it over for fear of losing money. I think it's a rare and large item, several meters long. It would be a waste to leave it to rot. If there is technology, it can be made into a specimen for future generations to admire. There is an oceanarium in our city, right?"

"Yes, yes..."

"That's right. We can contribute them to the aquarium and make them into specimens. Then people can enjoy them and learn more about them. It can also enrich the aquarium's species. After all, rare fish are hard to come by. A dignified aquarium can't only have ordinary fish. There must be some that are impressive and attractive."

"How many meters long do you say it is?"

"3 meters, almost 92 meters. Maybe the measurement is inaccurate, so there is a little error. But the most special thing about it is that the tip of its snout is more than one meter long, like a sawtooth."

"So big? Serrated? There are serrations more than one meter long on the mouth?" Zeng Weimin was surprised. It looks so weird?
Everyone said it was a big fish, so he wasn't surprised if they said it was three or four meters long. However, it was a bit strange and unimaginable that there were more than one meter long teeth on its mouth.

"I took some photos, but I haven't used up the film yet. I haven't taken it out for development. It won't be that fast if I take it out for development. How about I take you to the pier to have a look?"

Ye Yaodong thought about the scorching sun outside, and felt that it was unrealistic to ask the leader to walk a long way to the dock and the boat, so he added: "Or if you don't mind, I'll have someone carry the fish to the door? Let everyone take a look? This fish is really rare, let alone ordinary people, almost no one has seen it."

"Since you say it's so rare, then have someone bring it over for us to have a look. If it's really that rare, I'll ask someone to come over and have a look at it to see if it can be made into a specimen. If it's really a remarkable fish and it's made into a specimen and hung in the aquarium, it would be a real honor."

He happily agreed, "Okay, I'll ask someone to carry it right away. Leader, please wait at the office first. The sun is too scorching outside. Please don't come out yet. I'll call you when the person is carried."

"Okay, you're thoughtful too."

"Hey, this is also to give back to our city. You want to recommend me as the vice president, so it is only right for me to reciprocate by donating a rare fish to our city's aquarium."

"Okay, then you bring it over here first and I'll ask someone to get someone from the Ocean Bureau to take a look."

Ye Yaodong happily went out immediately and ran to the dock again excitedly, making himself sweat profusely. However, it was difficult for only three people to lift the fish, which weighed at least 200 kilograms.

He asked someone to run back home and call someone over.

While waiting, I allowed myself to relax.

After everyone was present, they worked together to lift the fish out of the fish warehouse.

As soon as it was lifted out, the two women on the boat widened their eyes in surprise, stood up, and muttered.

"You guys mend your nets, we'll be back soon." After saying that, Ye Yaodong asked them to carry the fish down first. He locked the fish warehouse and the cabin before following.

The nearly 4-meter-long sawfish was lifted onto the dock and immediately attracted everyone's attention. It was nearly noon and there were not many people here. Except in the early morning and evening, the dock was usually deserted on such hot days.

Some were just some nearby vendors or people at the purchasing point, who were all sitting in the shade and dozing off listlessly. When they saw how big the fish they were carrying, some of them were stunned and ran over.

Yesterday, the sawfish was tangled in fishing nets. Apart from a few owners of purchasing points, only a few people saw its true appearance.

By the time the fishing net was completely untied, it was almost dark. Seeing that they had sold all their catch, most of the fishermen also hurried back home. Many of them did not know that there was such a big fish at the bottom. Only a limited number of people who were still watching at the time knew about it.

The people who gathered around at this time included those who had seen him yesterday and those who had not. Those who had seen him were curious, while those who had not seen him were surprised.

"Is this the fish from yesterday evening? It seems to be even bigger when it is brought ashore in broad daylight... The teeth are really like the iron pieces on a saw..."

"Hey, what kind of fish is this? Why is it so big? And why does it look so weird?"

"Is this fish just caught? Oh my... Such a big fish? Why is it so ugly? It needs so many people to carry it. How heavy is this fish? How many hundreds of kilograms? It's several meters long. Can it be sold for a lot of money?"

"Where are you going to carry this?"

"Are you going to take this fish back home? Why didn't you take it back last night? It's almost noon now, and the sun is so bright..."

"Aren't you going to sell these fish? Where are you going to carry them to?"

“How much can this fish sell for?”

Ye Yaodong was all smiles, "There's still some unmelted ice on this fish, so it won't get damaged if we take it a short walk to the sun. We're going to take it to the Coast Guard, we're not selling it."

After saying that, he called on everyone to go to where there were more people.

Of course he had to show it off in public, otherwise how would people know that he caught such a big fish?

If you don't show off when you should, isn't that just walking in the night in gorgeous clothes?

The more people you attract, the better. It would be best if you could attract everyone on the entire street, have them surround you and make everyone act as if it's something special. This way, the person in a higher position will find it even more special and pay more attention to you.

Everyone finds it strange, so it must be strange.

"Why are you carrying this to the Coast Guard?" asked the boss who bought his fish yesterday.

"I am familiar with the leader inside. I mentioned it to him earlier and he asked me to carry it over and take a look."

The people watching on the side were surprised.

"Aren't you from out of town? How come you know the leader of our Coast Guard?"

"Yeah, you're actually familiar with the leader of our Coast Guard? Is that true? Where do you come from?"

"Then why is the leader looking at this fish?"

Ye Yaodong remained silent, did not answer, just smiled, leaving some room for the crowd's imagination.

The more gimmicks there are, the more people it will attract. The more people there are, the more it means that everyone is interested and wants to watch the fun.

People nowadays are very gossipy. There are too few entertainment activities, and there is nowhere to go on a hot summer day. If there is any movement, not only the whole street, but also people from several nearby streets will come to take a look.

Not long after they walked, a large group of people gathered around them. They didn't mind the heat at all, and there were three layers of people inside and outside the room. They all wanted to see what the strange big fish that was parading in the city looked like.

Since I have seen it before, I will follow it not too far or too close, and try to walk in the shade under the big trees. I want to follow it to the destination and see why the leader wants to carry the fish over.

Ye Yaodong looked at the crowds of people surrounding him and in front of him, which was seriously hindering their movement. In addition, many people not far away came over in twos and threes to see what had happened.

He shouted, "Everyone, make way. If you want to see it, please walk to the side and don't block the road ahead. The fish will get damaged if they are exposed to the sun for too long in this hot weather. The leader has specifically asked us to see it, so we have to move it over quickly."

Others also shouted to the people in front to make way.

"It's too hot. If we walk too long, we will all be exposed to the sun. If you want to know what's going on, you can go to the entrance of the Coast Guard Station in advance and wait. The fish will also be carried to the Coast Guard Station."

Ye Yaodong shouted again, and they could continue walking on the road ahead.

"Why does the leader want this fish? Are they planning to kill it and eat it tonight?"

"That's not possible. Anyway, we'll know once we follow. Let's go quickly and grab a good spot in advance. There are so many people here. When we get to the door later, there won't even be room to stand..."

Everyone rushed to the Coast Guard Station in twos and threes to reserve seats, and the crowd around became a little emptier, but there was still a steady stream of people who came over to take a look after hearing the news.

They had no choice but to carry the fish as they walked and shout to get the people in front of them to make way.

It was just a fish, but it attracted so many people to watch. Even a funeral didn't attract so many people.

Ye Yaodong thought so in his heart, but he was too embarrassed to say it out loud. It was too unlucky, so he could only mutter it in his heart.

It would take less than an hour to walk from the pier to the Coast Guard Bureau, and even faster if you run. However, there were too many people blocking the road on the street, and word spread quickly, so people would go wherever there was excitement.

They were forced to carry the fish for nearly two hours. Ye Yaodong was worried that everyone had gone home after get off work. They had to guard the fish until they went to work. The fish would be sun-dried and rotten, and they would be dried up as well.

However, he underestimated the public's curiosity. When they arrived at the Coast Guard Station, everyone was stunned. When they were 100 meters away, they saw crowds of people on the road ahead.

Moreover, the gossip spread by the people has become a rumor that the leaders are preparing to set up a pot at the gate to cook a big fish...

"No, no, what I heard was that they caught a big fish several dozen meters long, and the leaders were going to share it with the people so that everyone could have a taste of the soup."

"I heard that the fish was super big and very rare. The fish's mouth alone could cut a shark in half... The leader even wanted to buy it back..."

"I heard that the fish is delicious. Although it looks ugly, the meat is very smooth. Even the leaders have heard about it and want to buy it back..."

"I've heard that fish soup is very delicious..."

Ye Yaodong's sweat kept dripping down his body. Listening to these rumors, if he was not a participant, he would have believed them too.

Father Ye couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you say you wanted to make it into a specimen? Now the leader wants to eat it? Then we're not getting anything for nothing?"

"Don't listen to what everyone is saying. Some things change as they are passed around. The leader just said to take it over and have a look. Who knew everyone had such a rich imagination?"

I've already thought about eating 18 before anything else.

"No, how can we get through with so many people gathered in front?"

"You guys are done."

Ye Yaodong let go of the end he was holding, walked to the front, and shouted with all his might, "Everyone make way, the fish are coming, the fish are coming..."

"The fish are coming, the fish are coming..."

He just shouted once, and the people in front of him spontaneously helped to shout, and then he didn't need to say anything else, the crowd automatically made way for him.

Actually, there aren’t that many people. It’s mainly because the streets are too small now, so it seems like there are a lot of people.

People in front give way and stand on the sides, and the road will appear empty.

"Oh, this fish looks like this, it's not more than ten meters long. Who said more than ten meters long?"

"Yeah, who is more than ten meters tall? But the mouth does look like a saw. So weird and ugly..."

"The fish are here, the fish are here, should we put the iron pot on the fire? Can we share the soup?"

"You're dreaming, right? Can the boss share the fish he bought with you?"

"No, didn't everyone say that it was the leader's birthday and they were planning to treat all the people over 80 years old in the county to fish soup?"

"Really? Do I have to go home and get the bowl?"

Ye Yaodong was embarrassed when he heard this...

Isn't it too much to say that you have to go home and get a bowl?
It's only been two hours, aren't you guys so good at spreading the news?
By the time they carried the fish to the door while listening to various comments, the door of the Coast Guard was already filled with people in various uniforms, not only from the Coast Guard, but also from other units.

He couldn't tell what unit they belonged to based on their clothes, but an ordinary person probably wouldn't be able to stand with them, right?

Ye Yaodong quickly ran forward and wiped his sweat, saying, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. I should have come earlier. Who knew that after the fish was carried to the street, it attracted so many people to watch. No one had ever seen such a big fish, and they didn't know what kind of fish it was. Everyone was very curious."

"It spread like wildfire, and it seemed like everyone in the city came out to see it, so much so that the roads were blocked. It delayed us for a long time, and it took us twice as long to get here, delaying our leaders from getting off work."

He was probably very curious, and seeing that even the people were so curious, he must have become doubly curious, so he didn't leave work and waited there.

"It's okay, it's just that the rumors are a bit too much. In just a short period of time, people are saying all kinds of things." Zeng Weimin felt helpless.

Ye Yaodong was also a little embarrassed. He just said that the leaders of the Coast Guard wanted to see the fish, but who knew that everyone's imagination was so rich.

"Is this the fish you are talking about? I have never seen one before. It looks quite rare. No wonder everyone came out to see it when they heard about it."

"It doesn't seem to be as magical as it is said to be, more than ten meters in size..."

Ye Yaodong said helplessly: "I don't know how everyone spread it. Now the fish is here, leaders, take a look. I think it would be nice if it can be made into a specimen and placed in an aquarium."

"Seeing so many people so curious today, everyone will definitely be happy to go to the aquarium to take a look, to see something new and increase the popularity of our city's aquarium. I heard that there are only some turtles and goldfish in it... hehe..."

"Strange species always arouse people's interest. Common ones are not rare. I have never seen this fish before. After all, we are near the sea. It would be good for the aquarium to have more marine life, haha..."

He shut up after he finished speaking, and everyone looked at them as leaders who didn't need him to tell them what to do.

They were all whispering to each other.

The people also saw the true appearance of the fish. Some who had not seen it also crowded to the front, pointing and whispering to each other, making constant noise.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Didn't they say they were going to cook it and share it with the people? When are they going to light the fire?"

Some people shouted because they were squeezed in the crowd and couldn't see who was starting the noise.

"Do you really want to cook it?"

Zeng Weimin looked at everyone talking and thought they were going to cook the fish and share it with everyone, so he quickly shouted, "Everyone has misunderstood. This fish was just caught yesterday and is a bit rare, so we asked the fishermen to bring it over to discuss what to do with it. We are not going to eat it, and I am not going to celebrate my birthday. Everyone has misunderstood."

I don’t know why Ye Yaodong wanted to laugh when he heard him say that he wasn’t going to celebrate his birthday…

He felt that his sense of humor was a little low.

"What is that for?"

"Fish should be eaten, right? It's big enough for a hundred people, right?"

Ye Yaodong watched the uniformed leaders whispering to each other, and soon he saw one of them loudly say: "Everyone has misunderstood. This fish is not meant to be eaten. This fisherman wants to donate it to the Ocean Bureau."

"Well, we've discussed it. We're going to take this fish for research first, not for eating. After all, this is the first time we've seen a marine creature. It's very worthwhile to study, and it would be a waste to eat it."

The people around him also echoed, "Yes, everyone has changed their minds after passing the word around. This is not to be eaten, but to be sent for research first, and then made into a specimen if it is valuable."

"Yes, if it is really made into a specimen, it will definitely be displayed in the oceanarium. Everyone can go to the oceanarium to take a look at it then."

Ye Yaodong thought that it would be a good idea to use it for research. Right now, the country is in a state of disrepair and there is a lack of understanding and development of the ocean.

Even some academic and technical talents have only been recalled and appeased a few years ago, so it is normal to study and learn more about new and unprecedented species.

"Ah, is this true? Do you want to study it? What's so good about studying fish?"

"Wouldn't it be possible to study it in your stomach?"

“It’s not for eating…”

Zeng Weimin also loudly comforted them, "I heard from the fishermen that the fish meat is rough and not suitable for consumption, so they plan to donate it to the Ocean Bureau. After all, although such a large fish is not suitable for consumption, it is also very rare. He also wants to contribute to the development of marine research. Don't get me wrong, this fish is not delicious."

Ye Yaodong also spoke up appropriately, "Yes, I caught this fish. I heard that it has great research value, so I thought I could make a contribution to our country. By researching it, it can also help everyone understand more about the ocean."

"Hey, who is that person spreading rumors there?"

"Yes, they also said that on the leader's birthday, he would treat the elderly to fish soup and wish them a long life. This is all spreading nonsense."

Zeng Weimin shouted, "Don't believe the rumors. Don't be fooled by them. You can go home now. Don't get a heat stroke in the middle of the day."

"Everyone can go home and have lunch. Stop basking in the sun here. You've seen the fish. Let's all go..."

"Oh...it's gone, it's gone..."

"It's good to have seen it. Let's go, let's go home and eat..."

Although everyone was a little disappointed, they felt balanced because they thought they were going to study it and not eat it.

Everyone conveyed to each other what the leader had just said, and then dispersed in groups of three or four and returned home.

Those in uniform also breathed a sigh of relief. With so many people gathered there, saying that they were taking it away for research was an explanation to the masses. Otherwise, they would all be waiting to get their bowls of soup.

(End of this chapter)