The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 152: Chapter 152: The Legendary Turtle

The crew got busy, and she didn’t have to help.

Han Xiaorui went to the kitchen and saw the freshly made gazami crab and rice cake soup. She picked up a spoon and took a sip of the broth.

”So savory!” Han Xiaorui praised. The rice cakes were soft, and the gazami crab meat was firm and tender.

When Liu Huamei saw the boat owner enjoying her cooking, she smiled so wide her eyes disappeared.

As she spoke, she started peeling prawns. ”These are fresh prawns we caught this afternoon. I’ll peel some shrimp to make carrot, corn, and shrimp patties for your late-night snack. They’ll go with rice porridge—delicious and easy to digest.”

Han Xiaorui nodded repeatedly. ”Yes, that’s perfect. From now on, whenever we catch anything good, I’ll have it brought here so you can make something delicious.”

”Heh, Xiao Rui, you’re just a generous boat owner. What other owner would be willing to eat like this?” Liu Huamei laughed, clearly cherishing her job.

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”How much can we really eat? As long as we get the job done, that’s all that matters.”

”Exactly. Everyone’s morale is really high right now. They all feel they’re working for a good owner,” Liu Huamei said with a smile, her hands peeling the shrimp with great speed.

A late-night snack for more than ten people required a lot of carrot, corn, and shrimp patties.

A thought occurred to Han Xiaorui. ”Sister Mei, once you’re finished, get some rest right away. The other crew members have people to cover their shifts, but you’re the only cook on board. It’s tough on you.”

Liu Huamei waved her hand dismissively. ”I can sleep for a bit once I’m done. I don’t do any heavy lifting, and I get plenty of sleep in bits and pieces throughout the day. We were lucky last time; we returned to port in just two or three days.”

”This time, every net is bringing in a lot of fish. We might even be able to head back early, so I’m not tired.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”If you get tired, sleep more at night. You can have Sister Xiao Yu help you. In the morning, just making some porridge and serving it with pickles would be fine.”

Liu Huamei grew anxious. ”Xiao Rui, I’m really not tired! I can handle three meals a day plus the late-night snack. I don’t need anyone to help me. I know my own body.”

Seeing that Liu Huamei was on the verge of tears from anxiety, Han Xiaorui didn’t press the issue. ”Alright, Sister Mei. I believe you.”

After eating, Han Xiaorui was in an even better mood. She walked along the ship’s rail, taking in the sights.

The stars in the night sky twinkled brightly.

The sea breeze felt pleasant against her skin.

She found a place to sit and gazed up at the sky. ’Life is truly comfortable.’

「Three hours later.」

Han Xiaorui heard the noise of the net being hauled in and hurried over, eager to see what kind of fish were in this haul.

Chen Yishui untied the net. As soon as it was opened, a CRACKLING and SLAPPING sound filled the air as fish of various sizes and species tumbled onto the deck.

Although the floodlights were on, visibility was limited at night, so they couldn’t clearly see exactly what fish had been caught.

Just as everyone was eagerly watching, waiting for the rest of the fish to tumble out of the net, there was a loud THUMP.

Something like a black boulder crashed onto the deck, even making the boat rock. The fish that had already fallen were flattened by this black object.

Then, the remaining fish in the net fell out, covering the black thing.

”Back up!” Chen Yishui shouted, worried it might be dangerous.

A few stunned crew members heard Chen Yishui’s voice and quickly retreated. ”What is that thing?”

It happened too fast for anyone to get a clear look.

Han Xiaorui was closer, and with her good eyesight, she had already seen it clearly. ”I think it’s a giant sea turtle.”

Just then, Chen Yishui used a long bamboo pole to push aside the fish on top, revealing that it was indeed a giant sea turtle.

Seeing this, Chen Yishui breathed a sigh of relief. ”Don’t be scared. It’s a turtle, just a really big one. You all stay back; I’ll go over.”

The giant sea turtle didn’t move, its head retracted into its shell.

”Come on, sort the fish quickly. I’ll watch the sea turtle,” Chen Yishui ordered, wanting to get the fish sorted before dealing with the turtle.

Seeing there was no danger, everyone hurried over to sort the seafood.

Wanting to get rid of the giant sea turtle quickly, Han Xiaorui also squatted down to help sort the large seafood.

Half an hour later, the relatively small and mixed haul of seafood was sorted.

Some of the fish had been flattened by the giant sea turtle, wasting dozens of pounds of seafood.

Han Xiaorui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ”Sister Shui, are sea turtles valuable?”

Chen Yishui leaned in to get a closer look at the sea turtle and paused, slightly stunned. ”Xiao Rui, this isn’t an ordinary sea turtle. This is a hawksbill turtle. It was recently listed as a Class II protected species.”

”If we catch it and sell it, and someone finds out, this entire boatload of people will probably end up in jail.”

Han Xiaorui was dumbfounded. ’So this giant sea turtle, a meter long and nearly two hundred pounds, is the legendary hawksbill turtle?’

”Sister Shui, quick, let’s release this ancestor back into the sea.” Han Xiaorui was adamant about not doing anything illegal; they were fishing legally.

Chen Yishui sighed in relief. She had been genuinely worried that Han Xiaorui might act rashly and decide to keep the hawksbill turtle. After all, they have medicinal value, can be made into ornaments and crafts, and are quite expensive.

”Alright, on it.” Chen Yishui, Han Xiaorui, and two other crew members lifted the hawksbill turtle together and tossed it back into the water.

Just before, the hawksbill turtle had been struggling, as if it didn’t want to go back in.

Han Xiaorui was grateful. ”Sister Shui, thank you for reminding me. From now on, if we catch any protected animals, we’ll release them immediately. We can’t break the law.”

Chen Yishui smiled. ”It’s what I ought to do. Even though we wouldn’t go blabbing about it, the fact that it’s a protected species means its numbers are already very low.”

”We all make our living from the sea. We can’t drain the pond to get all the fish; we should cherish the creatures in the ocean.”

Han Xiaorui couldn’t agree more. ”Sister Shui, you’re right. We have to have some reverence and not take things to the extreme. Everyone, let’s work a little harder. Throw the smashed fish back into the sea and clean up the deck. Sister Shui, let’s cast the next net.”

”You got it!” Chen Yishui replied. After casting this net, they would let it trawl for a long time.

By the time they hauled it in, it would be dawn. This meant everyone could get some more rest.

Working together, they quickly shoveled the crushed fish off the deck and back into the sea.

After casting the net, Chen Yishui glanced at the time. ”I’m getting a little hungry. Huamei’s late-night snack should be ready.”

No sooner had she spoken than Liu Huamei called out with a laugh from the kitchen, ”Time for a late-night snack!”

”What delicious thing did Huamei make today?” Chen Yishui asked with a smile. When you do heavy labor, you eat a lot and get hungry easily.

Having a dedicated cook on board and eating well was a real pleasure.

Han Xiaorui walked ahead. ”Carrot, corn, and shrimp patties with rice porridge. Sister Mei already told me this afternoon.”

”Oh man, those things are delicious!” Chen Yishui exclaimed. An enamel mug full of rice porridge paired with shrimp patties—it was just wonderful!

After eating their fill, everyone found a spot to rest. Some covered themselves with a blanket, waiting for dawn.

「At 5:30.」

Chen Yishui checked the time. ”Haul in the net!”

Everyone scrambled up, rubbing their eyes, and quickly got ready.

The net was pulled up, bulging and heavy. It looked to be at least three tons, and everyone broke into joyous smiles.

After the net was untied, another loud THUD echoed, causing everyone’s expression to change in alarm.