The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Good Luck Arrives with a School of Bluefin Tuna

’I can’t argue with him. I can’t make a scene!’

If she made a big enough scene for Yang Zhigang to file for divorce, she would truly lose everything.

She had managed to snatch Yang Zhigang away from Zhao Cuilian all those years ago, and she absolutely refused to let the now-widowed Zhao Cuilian snatch him back.

Zhang Xiufang was no fool. She could run her mouth and slander Han Xiaorui and Yang Zhigang because there were no real consequences.

But she wouldn’t dare accuse Zhao Cuilian and Yang Zhigang of having an affair in front of the other villagers.

After all, the two of them had genuinely been dating before her marriage.

Now that Zhao Cuilian was a widow, she was probably just dying for a chance to get entangled with Yang Zhigang again. Zhang Xiufang had no intention of giving her that opportunity.

When Zhao Cuilian saw Zhang Xiufang, a knowing look entered her eyes. ”Well, if it isn’t Xiufang. You’re back. How’s Lili doing?”

Zhang Xiufang managed a smile. ”She’s doing great, about to be discharged from the hospital. Thank you for your concern, Sister-in-law Zhao. Zhigang, you rarely get a day off. You two chat for a while longer. I’ll head home and start making dinner.”

Yang Zhigang didn’t respond, but Zhang Xiufang didn’t cause a scene either.

Zhao Cuilian glanced at Yang Zhigang, then back at Zhang Xiufang, and decided not to say anything else.

After Zhang Xiufang left, Yang Zhigang said his goodbyes and went straight to the docks, choosing to live on his boat rather than go home.

Zhang Xiufang didn’t confront Yang Zhigang about whether he had bought a boat for Han Xiaorui. Instead, she made a call, asking someone from the seafood market to go to the Fortune Seafood Grand Restaurant in the county seat and do some digging.

She learned that Han Xiaorui had recently sold six large Yellowlip Fish for 290,000 yuan. Moreover, whenever she went to sea, she never earned less than 10,000 yuan, and now she had several hundred thousand yuan saved up.

That was more than enough money to buy a fishing boat worth hundreds of thousands.

’So I have even less of a reason to blow up at Yang Zhigang!’

Zhang Xiufang, now out of money, rode her bicycle to the seafood market, only to find that Yang Zhigang had rented out her stall to someone else. She was dumbfounded.

”Yang Zhigang, what is the meaning of this?” Zhang Xiufang found him on the boat. She wanted to scream that they couldn’t go on like this, but she was afraid that was exactly what he wanted—a divorce.

Yang Zhigang was busy cooking noodles. He had added two eggs, a handful of greens, and a dozen large shrimp. ”It means exactly what you think it means. I built this business with my own two hands. I don’t want to hand it over to the Zhang family on a silver platter, I don’t want you to squander it, and I especially don’t want to raise a despicable and shameless son like Yang Jianming.”

Zhang Xiufang’s face twisted in anger. ”Fine, don’t give it to the Zhang family, I agree with that. But if the money you earn isn’t for me and our son, then who do you plan on giving it to?”

”I’ll give it to whoever I damn well please,” Yang Zhigang said coldly. ”If there’s nothing else, you can leave. I’ve had enough. And don’t you come at me with your claws out. Just because I never hit you before doesn’t mean I won’t hit you now.”

As soon as Yang Zhigang played hardball, Zhang Xiufang lost her nerve.

Liang Xiaoyu stopped by the boat to grab her old shoes to take home and wash. She took the opportunity to vividly recount to Han Xiaorui all the gossip she’d heard from the older women at the docks.

”Xiao Rui, it’s just as they say: ’Good people get bullied, and gentle horses get ridden.’ It’s absolutely true. Uncle Yang finally hardened his heart and is giving the Zhang family the cold shoulder.”

Han Xiaorui sipped her honey-osmanthus tea and smiled. ”No matter how much they fight, Uncle Yang is a kind-hearted person. He can’t bear to see children suffer. Things will change once Zhang Lili has her baby.”

”It’s just a pity Uncle Yang can’t escape that family. But it’s none of our business! When my daughters are older, I’ll tell Pingping and An’an that their grandpa loved them very much and that they should always remember Uncle Yang’s kindness.”

Liang Xiaoyu sighed with a smile. ”Ah, Xiao Rui, you’re the one with the good heart. No wonder Mazu protects you.”

”’Just do good deeds, and don’t worry about the future,’” Han Xiaorui said with a laugh, looking up at the sky. ”Tomorrow’s going to be a nice day. Let’s go out to sea. I have a feeling my luck will be good.”

”Alright, I’ll go home and get ready!” Liang Xiaoyu was thrilled to hear this. Working with Han Xiaorui meant a high salary and a generous commission.

She wished they could go out to sea every single day!

When Granny Cai heard that Liang Xiaoyu and Han Xiaorui were heading out to sea the next day...

She woke up at five the next morning, went to the street market to buy ribs, and made soy-sauce braised ribs and red-cooked pork chops. She also packed two lunchboxes of rice for them.

She also brought Liang Xiaoyu another lunchbox filled with a type of sweet rice roll snack.

Granny Cai and her daughter-in-law delivered all of these things to Han Xiaorui’s home together.

Han Xiaorui was incredibly touched to see so much food. ”Sister Cai, you went to all this trouble for us so early in the morning!”

Lady Cai smiled and waved her hand dismissively. ”Fishing is already hard enough. If you can’t even eat on time, you’ll ruin your stomach in the long run.”

”We’re practically family, so allow me to be a preachy old woman for a moment. You can neglect anything else in this world, but you can’t neglect your own stomach. You have to eat well to keep your body healthy.”

Liang Xiaoyu quickly chimed in, ”That’s the honest truth! Xiao Rui, let’s hurry up and head out!”

”Thank you, Sister Cai,” Han Xiaorui accepted. After Song Sixth took his sister and the three children away, she and Liang Xiaoyu headed out to sea.

Granny Cai stood on the shore, waving to them. ”May Mazu protect you!”

The morning sea breeze carried a fresh, salty aroma that was utterly refreshing to those who loved the ocean.

The other fishing boats from the village followed closely behind Han Xiaorui’s.

Not only that, but several boats from other villages were now trailing Uncle Hei’s boat as well.

Han Xiaorui hadn’t gone out for the past few days, and their catches had been far worse than before.

They couldn’t help but marvel once again that Han Xiaorui was truly blessed by Mazu.

As she steered the boat, Han Xiaorui mused, ”Sister-in-law Xiao Yu, Sister Cai must have spent a good bit of money preparing all this food for us.”

”When I calculate your wages later, I’ll give you the money for Sister Cai’s labor and ingredients too.”

Liang Xiaoyu quickly waved her hands. ”We can’t possibly take that! The commission you gave me last month was enough for my family to save for a whole year!”

”Yes, cooking requires ingredients, but compared to what I’m earning, it’s a drop in the bucket. Please don’t offer money, or my mother-in-law will get angry.”

Han Xiaorui was in a difficult position. ’Granny Cai probably wouldn’t be happy to accept money,’ she thought. ’I’ll have to find another way to compensate them later on.’

The fishing boat traveled for about two hours before Han Xiaorui brought it to a sudden stop.

’I knew my luck was good today,’ she thought. ’Time for a big haul!’

”Sister-in-law Xiao Yu, quick, bring me the fishing rod!” Han Xiaorui exclaimed. She had finally found them—a school of tuna, and the most expensive kind at that: bluefin tuna.

”Which one?” Liang Xiaoyu asked.

There were too many rods for Han Xiaorui to be specific. Her eyes were fixed on the surface of the sea. ”Just haul them all over here!”

Liang Xiaoyu complied, quickly shouldering the large bundle of fishing rods and carrying it over.

Han Xiaorui quickly selected a live bait, hooked it, and cast her line out.

The crews on the nearby boats saw Han Xiaorui start fishing and looked on, confused.

Despite their confusion, they copied her, taking out their own rods to bait and cast.

Han Xiaorui watched her baited hook with intense focus as it landed right in the middle of the school of fish.

The squirming live bait and its alluring scent made the school of fish slow down.

Fish large and small rushed toward the bait.

One enormous fish barged through the rest, pushing aside its smaller brethren before opening its mouth and chomping down on the tasty morsel.