The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 353: Chapter 353: Danger on a Gloomy, Rainy Sea

In an ordinary life, things are always happening one way or another to make it interesting.

Wu Jiao’s maternal aunt, Aunt Zhou, came to Jinshan Bay with Wu Yao and Wu Yao’s younger sister, Wu Xia.

Aunt Zhou went to the hospital for a physical. She had no infectious diseases and was in good health, so she started working as a nanny at Wu Cuicui’s house.

Aunt Zhou was especially meticulous with the children and took great care of both Yang Shunshun and Yang Lili.

Sister Feng was a local who was responsible for cooking, laundry, and cleaning. She came in the morning and went home in the evening.

Aunt Zhou was a live-in nanny and also had to help with the children at night.

With her three nieces nearby, Aunt Zhou didn’t feel homesick at all. After all, her son was already married. It was clear she didn’t fit into her son’s new little family, and perhaps they didn’t want her to.

Rather than harboring resentment back home, it was better to get out and see the world.

This trip was absolutely the right decision; it had really opened her eyes.

The job paid one hundred and fifty yuan a month, which was more than her son and daughter-in-law’s combined salaries. More importantly, room and board were included, so she had no expenses and could save all her money.

Wu Cuicui made a special point to find the time to thank Han Xiaorui and Wu Jiao. ”Thank you both so much for introducing me to Aunt Zhou. Ever since she arrived, I can finally get a full night’s sleep.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”It’s much easier with two people looking after them. Once Shunshun is a little over two, you can send him to a daycare class at the kindergarten. With teachers and other kids his age to play with, it’ll be even easier for you.”

Wu Jiao also laughed. ”Sister Cuicui, my aunt says you’re very good to her. You can rest assured. My aunt is kind-hearted and great at taking care of children.”

”Yes, she takes better care of them than I do,” Wu Cuicui said with a laugh. Her complexion had improved greatly, and she no longer looked so listless.

Just then, Aunt Zhou smiled. ”To me, there’s nothing easier than taking care of children. And for such a high salary, I have to do an even better job. But, I have a small request, Cuicui. You must promise me.”

Wu Cuicui was taken aback and quickly asked, ”Aunt Zhou, what is it?”

Aunt Zhou replied, ”My salary is one hundred and fifty a month. If anyone asks you about it, just say it’s fifty yuan a month. I’m telling people back home it’s fifty a month, too. I plan to save the other hundred.”

”My son is very filial, and my daughter-in-law is nice enough, but how should I put it? I just don’t fit into their little family. After all, everything I could do, her parents are already doing.”

”Her parents are putting in all that effort, and as his mother, I have to be grateful. But I also have to think about myself. I probably can’t rely on them for my retirement. I don’t really have a bond with my daughter-in-law, so when I get old, I can’t expect her to take care of me.”

”I’m saving up to buy a house, maybe acquire a small property, so I’ll have a safety net when it’s time for a nursing home. Jiaojiao, Yaoyao, and Xiaxia—I watched those three grow up, too. I looked after them a lot back then.”

”They’re working and studying here, and they’ll probably get married here, too. When I’m old and in a nursing home, it’ll be enough if they can just come visit me occasionally.”

Aunt Zhou had only been here for a short half-month, but she had already adapted to the place and grown to like it, feeling it was better than her hometown.

She wanted to secure her own future so she wouldn’t have to trouble anyone.

Hearing their aunt say this, Wu Jiao, Wu Yao, and Wu Xia’s eyes instantly turned red.

Their father had died young, and their mother had struggled to raise five children on her own, which was incredibly difficult. Their aunt, who lived in the next village, often helped them out.

But who knew that their aunt had also suffered? Her husband passed away before her son, their cousin, was even an adult. Now that their cousin was married, their aunt was all alone.

”Auntie, you still have us!” Wu Jiao said, hugging Aunt Zhou’s arm and shaking it gently.

”It’s no problem. I understand. If anyone asks, I’ll tell them fifty yuan,” Wu Cuicui agreed. ”Aunt Zhou, you’re still young. At this salary, buying a house won’t be a problem.”

With Aunt Zhou around, Wu Cuicui no longer complained that the children were difficult to raise, nor did she complain about being too tired.

Seeing that the weather was finally clearing up and there were still five days until the fishing ban, Han Xiaorui decided to go out to sea one more time.

The other boat crews felt the same way.

It had rained for four consecutive days, and the winds and waves at sea were too strong, making it impossible to go out.

They checked the weather forecast on TV, listened to the report on the radio, and confirmed with the maritime bureau. Finally, they determined the weather conditions were suitable for going out to sea.

Ye Feng couldn’t say anything. ’What else can I do?’ He saw his wife off to sea.

Lately, with Han Xiaorui going out to sea with them, the crew members had been getting great hauls, and their share of the profits was also very high.

Going out to sea was exhausting, but the good money was enough to erase all their fatigue.

In the ship’s cabin, Chen Yishui asked, ”Xiao Rui, what are your plans for the fishing ban?”

Han Xiaorui smiled and patted her belly. ”I’ve got a baby in here, so even if I had plans, I’d have to put them aside. But what about you all? You’re usually so busy. Now that you’ll have some time off, you can spend it with your children.”

Chen Yishui smiled. ”Just the other day, my kids told me they want to go climb Huang Mountain during summer vacation. It’s not far, so I’m planning to take them.”

”Huang Mountain?” Sister Tang smiled. ”Is that the one with the Welcoming-Guest Pine? If so, I’ll take my kids to see it too.”

Chen Yishui smiled again. ”Okay, anyone who wants to go can contact me. I’ll buy the tickets for everyone, and we can travel as a group. That way, we can look out for each other on the road.”

Sister Lan chuckled. ”Doesn’t anyone want to go to West Lake? They say, ’Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below.’ We should go take a look.”

And just like that, they arranged their schedules with each other and made plans to go traveling once their children were on vacation.

Making money was all about improving their lives.

The day went smoothly. The fish they caught weren’t particularly expensive, but they made up for it in sheer volume.

But as six in the afternoon approached, dark clouds began to gather. Chen Yishui looked up, raising a pair of binoculars to look outside. ”Xiao Rui, the weather forecast said no rain, but it looks like it’s about to start.”

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment, then said, ”You’re right. Let’s not fish tonight. We’ll find a place to anchor.”

Just as she finished speaking, Xiao Dai and the little dolphin appeared. They chirped near the boat, then swam away.

Han Xiaorui was startled for a second, then smiled. ”All living things have a spirit. Xiao Dai and the little dolphin are leading us to a safe place.”

Chen Yishui laughed too. ”Alright, let’s follow these two little guys.”

Just then, Qi Heng and Wu Guangfu called Han Xiaorui on the walkie-talkie. Should they continue sailing, find a place to stop, or head back?

Han Xiaorui told them directly, ”Follow me. We’re going to find a safe place to anchor.”

By now, Qi Heng and Wu Guangfu were completely convinced by Han Xiaorui’s judgment. ”Alright, we’ll follow the boat owner’s lead.”

Qi Heng and Wu Guangfu had both heard about Yang Zhigang’s family situation. He hadn’t been on the boat for the last few trips, so Han Xiaorui had been going instead. Therefore, when something came up, they just had to listen to Han Xiaorui.

About two hours later, it was completely dark. According to the ship’s sonar, they had finally reached the island—the same one where they had harvested so many abalones and scallops before, the location that Cao Jun later sold.

Now, all the abalones and scallops on it, big and small, had been stripped clean.

Just then, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. As they were about to drop anchor, Han Xiaorui noticed a shimmering on the surface of the sea, glowing with a faint golden color.