Chapter 571 - 573: Fishing

Chapter 571: Chapter 573: Fishing

Jin Qianqian knew, however, that his good behavior was simply him remembering the etiquette he had been taught.

But she had promised him this. If she broke her word, the boy, though he wouldn’t say it, would surely get upset.

Seeing that Ancient Wen Heng had finished all the introductions, she finally smiled and asked, "Mr. Gu, I was wondering if you gentlemen will be free in a little while?"

Ancient Wen Heng’s eyes swept over her. ’That eager tone, on top of calling me ’Mr. Gu’... it looks like she wants something.’

Jin Qianqian caught his glance and sighed inwardly. ’This is one downside to being an old married couple—he instantly knows what I’m thinking.’

Ancient Wen Heng smiled. "My dear, are you planning to treat us to a banquet?"

He Gaofei and the others immediately lit up. They’d heard about the ever-changing daily seafood feasts at Tianfu Restaurant, and it looked like today was their lucky day.

To their surprise, however, they saw Jin Qianqian shaking her head, and the expectant smiles on their faces nearly froze solid.

But then, her words took an unexpected turn. "If you’re not busy, we could head out to the open sea, cast a net or two, and experience the grandeur of the ocean."

For men like He Gaofei, who had spent their entire lives on land, this was an incredible novelty.

Without even waiting for Ancient Wen Heng to speak, they were already nodding enthusiastically. "An excellent idea! Excellent!"

Ancient Wen Heng was speechless. ’Yes, and my kidneys are good, and my liver is fine too...’

"It’s just... this is a new ship. There probably aren’t any fishing nets prepared, are there?"

’Sometimes, it’s great fun to crush their hopes a little, just to see how fast their expressions change.’

He Gaofei and the others, clearly unaware of Ancient Wen Heng’s wicked sense of humor, saw their smiles instantly collapse into looks of disappointment.

Jin Qianqian could feel the little fellow beside her getting so antsy he was about to jump up and down. She quickly said, "I’ve already sent for the fishing nets. They’re on their way now. We just need to wait a moment."

"That’s fine, we’ll wait," Wu Yichen said immediately, afraid Ancient Wen Heng might find another excuse to object.

He Gaofei and Lu Shenggen quickly chimed in, "We’ve never been out to sea. Today, thanks to Mrs. Gu, we’ll get to have our eyes opened."

Ancient Wen Heng was silent. ’Do they all really think I was going to refuse? It’s been years since I’ve been out to sea myself...’

’Besides, my wife is rather undermining me today, which is a bit unusual.’

Then he saw the expectant look on the little fellow’s face beside Jin Qianqian, and he instantly understood. ’So that’s it. She’s spoiling the boy again.’

Sensing his father’s gaze, Gu Benluo secretly stuck out his tongue. ’He had his mother as a protective talisman; he was definitely going fishing today, and that was final.’

When Wang Li heard the owner wanted to go sea fishing, his mind started racing, and he immediately went to find the captain.

"Captain, I’m very familiar with these waters. I know where we can cast the nets and be sure to catch fish."

"You’re not just talking big, are you?" Minghai said. "You should know, the masters don’t like braggarts."

Ming Nian was the one who had brought Wang Li aboard, praising him over and over. ’Now,’ Minghai thought, ’is the time to see his actual ability.’

Wang Li replied, "My father, my grandfather, and I have always cast our nets in these waters, so of course I know the area.

If you don’t believe me, go ahead and ask around in the nearby villages. Everyone knows that the Wang Family never returns from the sea empty-handed."

If it weren’t for the hurricane that had taken his father and grandfather, leaving them in these waters forever, he might still be sailing his own small boat just like before, freely and happily casting his nets across this sea.

Unfortunately, his boat had been destroyed, and he himself had been injured and bedridden for half a year. It had cost nearly everything his family had, leaving him no choice but to find work.

Then he had the misfortune of dealing with the untrustworthy Zhaoyu Village, so his situation never improved.

’Since the people of Zhaoyu Village were dishonest, telling someone else about the place where the fish always gathered would serve as a form of punishment for them.’

"Then you’d better think carefully before you speak, son. You need to understand, there are several high-ranking gentlemen on this ship. If we don’t catch any fish, the masters won’t blame you, but their impression of you will certainly worsen," Minghai reminded him.

"Please rest assured, Captain," Wang Li said. "Of the spots I know, there’s bound to be one with a huge haul. I will definitely not let the masters return empty-handed."

Minghai called over Ming Qin, who was up ahead, and explained what Wang Li had proposed. "Go and see if the Madam has given any instructions."

Jin Qianqian was naturally more inclined to trust a fisherman born and raised in these parts. Once the nets were on board, she put Wang Li in charge of casting them, instructing all the sailors to follow his commands.

This was an immense show of trust, so Wang Li was determined to give it his all. He guided the ship to the very fishing spot he had once told the people of Zhaoyu Village about.

Everyone sat on the deck, watching the sailors cast the net and then pull it in.

As the net was pulled from the water, the onlookers could no longer stay seated, and everyone crowded around.

Seeing the net full of jumping, thrashing sea creatures, even the normally staid Ancient Wen Heng walked over to lend a hand pulling it in.

As for He Gaofei and the others, they had long since rushed over, shouldering the sailors aside and heaving the net onto the deck with all their might.

Jin Qianqian had a few maids hold Gu Ben Can and stand far away. She held Gu Benluo’s hand. "You’re still small, don’t go over there yet. When the net comes all the way up, you could get trapped underneath."

Gu Benluo’s face was flushed with excitement as he watched the net clear the water completely. "Mama, so many fish! There are so many fish!

Let’s go a little closer! I promise I won’t cause any trouble."

But Jin Qianqian held his hand tight and took a few steps back instead. "Careful now. They’re about to pull the net onto the deck."

Besides, the fishy smell that wafted over was a bit too much for her to take all at once.

Gu Benluo clearly smelled it too. This time he didn’t insist, but his eyes remained glued to the deck.

The moment everyone dragged the net onto the deck, Gu Benluo wrenched his hand free from Jin Qianqian’s and dashed forward.

Lichun started to go after him, but Jin Qianqian raised her hand to stop her. "Have Wang Li stay by his side and watch him. And have him teach Luo Luo to recognize the ones that shouldn’t be touched."

The size of the catch exceeded even Wang Li’s expectations. He never imagined the Madam would have prepared such a large net. Coupled with the stable, large ship, this haul was ten, even a hundred times greater than what fishermen like him would get in a single outing.

He breathed an inward sigh of relief. ’With a haul like this, I’ve done my part.’

"Wang Li, the Madam asks you to go assist the young master. Please pick out the fish that can’t be touched and set them aside. Remember to explain which ones are harmful or poisonous as you do so."

Wang Li snapped out of his daze. Recognizing her as the Madam’s head maid, he immediately agreed and rushed to Gu Benluo’s side as quickly as he could.

When he saw what Gu Benluo was doing, he broke out in a cold sweat and rushed to stop him. "Young Master, you can’t touch that!"

With swift movements, he snatched the creature and tossed it aside.

"This is a striped eel catfish. The front of its dorsal fin and its pectoral fins all have venomous spines. If you get stung, the wound feels like it’s on fire. It’ll make you suffer a great deal.

This spotted scat is the same. You can’t touch the spines on its back. And also..."