CH 4

Chapter 4 was very rewarding.

“Okay, okay, sorry about that.”

Yang Xiaolong quickly placed the grouper on the scale, weighing 4.26 pounds, while the sea bass was 2.68 pounds. After calculating on his phone, he handed the result to the auntie and said, “Auntie, the grouper is a total of 468.6, and the sea bass is 120.6. Together, it’s 589.2, but you can just give me 585.”

The elderly woman said, “What 585? Let’s make it lucky, 580.”

Yang Xiaolong was a little hesitant, but he could still sell it.

The girl beside them took out her phone and asked, “WeChat or Alipay?”

“WeChat.”

“Ding! You’ve received 585 yuan on WeChat.”

The old woman saw the money and smacked her lips a few times, but ultimately decided not to say anything. Though Yang Xiaolong didn’t keep the change, he still had some crabs and small shrimp in his bucket that he couldn’t bring back. He gave them to the ladies instead of wasting them, and the old woman’s expression improved slightly. She praised him for being good at doing business before he left.

With the fish sold, Yang Xiaolong said hello to the grocery store owner before heading back to his dorm. 

By the time he arrived, it was already past one in the afternoon, and his stomach was already growling.

He had earned a lot today, so he decided to treat himself to a large serving of Huangmeng chicken at the restaurant downstairs.

“Boss, one large order of Huangmeng chicken.”

“Sure thing, just wait a moment.”

As it was hot outside, the restaurant was empty. The owner acknowledged his request and then quickly got to work in the kitchen.

“Be careful, it’s hot.”

In just a few minutes, a bowl of fragrant Huangmeng chicken was brought out, with its thick soup and steaming pot getting more aromatic by the second.

“Mmm, thank you.”

After he had eaten his fill and rested for a while, Yang Xiaolong went to a nearby fishing gear store.

After getting the blue-ringed octopus, he planned to buy another set of slightly better equipment. 

Today, the fish he caught only weighed a few pounds, but his current fishing rod was nearly not enough.

As he walked into the fishing gear store, a bone-chilling coolness hit him. His wet t-shirt clung to his skin, and the cold air from the air conditioner made him shiver.

There were many fishing gear stores in the harbor, and they were all doing well. If he had money, Yang Xiaolong would also like to open a fishing gear store.

The shop owner behind the counter nodded as he came in, acknowledging his presence. However, because there were other customers who needed his attention, the owner could not immediately help him.

As he waited, Yang Xiaolong looked around the shelves and the counter, seeing a wide variety of fishing gear that he had never seen before.

After a few minutes, the owner sent away the other customers and came over with a cigarette in his mouth, saying cheerfully, “What can I help you with, bro?”  he also offered Tang Xiaolong a cigarette 

“Thanks, but I don’t smoke. I’m looking for a fishing rod that can handle catching big fish.”

“Of course, I have it. My store has the most complete range of fishing gear in the area. Take a look and pick what you like, I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.”

The chubby boss pointed to the shelves behind him as he spoke, “These are all newly arrived goods. There’s no problem catching fish weighing around ten catties on a regular basis.”

Yang Xiaolong glanced over, he didn’t know if the items were good or not, but the prices weren’t low, ranging from several hundred to over a thousand.

After scanning around, Yang Xiaolong fixed his gaze on a rod with a price tag of 388 yuan.

“Boss, can you show me the one with the black color in the middle?”

“Sure.”

The fishing rod felt heavy in his hand, and the texture was good to the touch. Unlike his previous one, which was over eighty and light as a feather, it nearly broke when he exerted force today.

“This one is best suited for inland seas. The material used in the rod body is high-quality fiberglass, and the biggest advantage is that it is non-conductive. Although not as good as carbon fiber, in terms of cost-effectiveness, it is the best in the same price range,” the shop owner explained.

Yang Xiaolong tried it out and found it to be pretty good. After negotiating with the boss for a long time, he managed to get a discount of about thirty yuan and was also given a lot of bait.

With his new equipment in hand, Yang Xiaolong walked back to his dormitory feeling satisfied. On the way, he ran into Liu Yufei, who had resigned from his job. Liu Yufei was wearing a local deliveryman’s leather jacket, riding a large delivery electric bike, with messy hair like a chicken coop, no longer shiny and black, and his skin had darkened a degree.

“Lao Yang, what’s in your hand?” Liu Yufei asked.

“A fishing rod that I just bought.”

“Oh, you’ve changed your gun in just two days,” Liu Yufei teased. “What’s the use of buying such a good fishing rod? The big fish are all inside.”

Yang Xiaolong smiled and didn’t explain. He hadn’t caught any big fish before, but it was different now. He planned to use it to get rich and marry a wife.

After chatting for a while, Liu Yufei mentioned that he would be going out to sea over the weekend and asked if Yang Xiaolong wanted to come along.

“Is there a fee?” Yang Xiaolong asked.

“Yes.”

“Then forget it.” Although he had earned some money today, he had already spent it on new equipment and his hospital bills. His salary for this month had not yet been paid.

“I’m just kidding. Just let me know if you want to go.”

“ok”

The next morning, Yang Xiaolong went to work as usual. A new employee had started in the shop today, and because she was a girl, Fan Zhengqing, who was not very diligent, was suddenly working hard today. This gave Yang Xiaolong a chance to take it easy.

After roll call, the manager came over and asked Yang Xiaolong to take care of the new employee. It turned out that the girl was his cousin, Wang Haiyan, who had come to work as a summer intern.

She looked like she had never worked before, not speaking unless spoken to, blushing like an apple when she occasionally spoke.

Today, the shop’s business was normal, with occasional customers sitting for a long time with a cup of coffee, but otherwise, it was a great place to retire. Except for the lack of benefits and low wages, everything else was good.

The next morning, he went to work as usual. A new employee had joined the store and because she was a girl, Fan Zhengqing, who was not very diligent, had suddenly become energetic and was doing everything she could to help out. This allowed Yang Xiaolong to have a more relaxed day.

After roll call, the manager came over to ask Yang Xiaolong to show the new employee the ropes. It turned out that the girl, whose name was Wang Haiyan, was the manager’s niece and had come to work during the summer vacation.

The young girl clearly had no work experience and would blush like an apple whenever someone spoke to her. The store’s business was normal that day, with occasional customers coming in for coffee and staying for a while. The store was particularly suitable for retirees as it offered a comfortable environment, but the wages were low and there were no social security benefits.

It was now lunchtime.

“Master, the manager asked me to come and tell you to make two more dishes for lunch, there may be leaders coming to inspect.” Wang Haiyan ran over and whispered shyly.

“Okay.”

Since Yang Xiaolong came to the coffee shop, the others have never cooked staff meals again, not because they don’t want to, but because the food they made was really bad. A simple dish like sour and spicy cabbage could turn into a white-boiled dish, and it was still too salty. But he wasn’t working for nothing, he could earn an extra two hundred yuan a month.

“Master, do you need any help?” Wang Haiyan asked weakly.

“No need.” Yang Xiaolong smiled.

“By the way, you can call me Yang Xiaolong from now on. It sounds weird to call me Master.”

“Okay, Master.”

Seeing the two of them chatting happily, Fan Zhengqing on the side began to act up again.

“Yang Xiaolong, come over here.”

“I’m busy, I don’t have time.”

During lunch, the manager chatted with Yang Xiaolong and asked about his harvest at the seaside yesterday. When he heard that he had caught two fish, he was a bit skeptical, and Fan Zhengqing on the side rolled his eyes at him, thinking that he was bragging in front of the girl.