1983Fishing and Farming between Mountains and Seas

Chapter 311 The Biggest Fortune
Old Xie continued to tell:
"In the first few times, the clam rake came up empty-handed. Then it was obvious that the clam rake had hit something, and it was a pretty heavy hit. I felt like it must have scraped something, so I didn't care, I just had to get it out first!
I tried to pull it up, but it was stuck so tightly that even I couldn't pull it up!
I lay on the boat and looked into the deep water. The reefs above had been blown away, but if I lay down and looked carefully, I could still see the bottom of the reef. Wow!
A corner of the gray stone is exposed, which is more beautiful than jade! I never thought that this is a jade giant clam? The jade giant clam is much more valuable than the adductor muscle of the giant clam. It can be said that I have found a treasure.

I don’t understand what’s wrong with those two turtle boys. How could they, who specialize in collecting giant clams, not see such a big jade giant clam hiding at the bottom of the reef? They actually left it there and just walked away! In my opinion, they are either blind or stupid!”

Old Xie still can't figure out what was wrong with the two people who blew up the reef and left such a big giant clam without taking it.

Liang Ziqiang didn't know how to respond, and was speechless for a while: "..."

Tiezhu and Shouhou were certainly not stupid or foolish. According to the conversation between the two later on Snapper Island, they hooked the giant clam with a net hook with an iron claw, and when they tried to pull it up, the giant clam was stuck too tightly on the lower part of the reef, and their net hook tools were a bit old, so the hook broke directly!
The two men had no other replacement tools on the boat, so they agreed on the spot that they would come back tomorrow morning with new tools and it would not be too late to hook the jade giant clam.

This triangular reef was discovered by the two of them together, and no third person knew about it at all, so they were very relieved at the time and did not think there would be any problem if the jade giant clam stayed here for one night.

Their idea was actually not wrong, the only thing they overlooked was that just after they left in the boat, someone came.

Old Xie came following the sound of the explosion.

Old Xie continued to talk about the following things:
"It's really a bit tight. To be honest, I, Old Xie, don't rely on these sources of income to make a living. If it were any other time, I wouldn't bother with this effort.

But I can't leave this time. I'm worried that I don't have anything to give you. If I really want to get this thing, what giant clam meat can compare to this?

Boy, because of you, I put a lot of effort into it that day. I kept changing positions and looking for angles, and worked up a sweat. Finally, I managed to hook it with a clam rake and pulled it onto the boat!

When I pulled it onto the boat, I saw that it was quite big. I weighed it and it must be more than 20 kilograms. Whose jade can weigh dozens of kilograms?
Not only was I happy, Lao Qiu was also happy to bring it back to the island! He said that I had finally done something decent this time, and using this thing to save his life was not bad at all!
You will know what happened later. I was forced by Lao Qiu to circle the sea every day. I had to find you as soon as possible and hand over the giant clam to you. I also had to continue looking for those two turtle boys and beat them up...

I didn't tell you in advance, but it's not easy to find you. You guys are playing hide-and-seek with me. Wherever I drive the boat, you won't go there. I change the place, but you still won't go. I've been worried for most of the past month!
Now it’s all right, hurry up and take it! Lao Qiu said that this whole jade giant clam is for you. Oh, it’s finally done! "

After Old Xie finished speaking, he let out a long sigh and felt relieved.

He was relieved, but Liang Ziqiang and the others were not at all relaxed. They all looked dazed at the moment, trying their best to suppress the fluctuations in their hearts. It felt like they would be unable to suppress it in the next second...

Damn, it wasn't until now that they figured out one thing.

Tiezhu suspected that Shouhou had sneaked into the sea in the middle of the night and stole the jade giant clam, while Shouhou suspected that Tiezhu wanted to keep it for himself.

The two of them became suspicious of each other just because of a large jade giant clam, so much so that they pushed each other into the sea, and then fought each other to death, until they ignited the explosives and finished both of them...

The source of the internal strife, the jade giant clam, was now right in front of them!

I guess those two guys didn't figure out what was going on until they were blown into a bloody mist, and the one who pried away their jade giant clams was Old Xie!

Old Xie's only motive was to get a valuable gift and repay Liang Ziqiang's favor.

At this moment, each of them looked as if they were about to burst out crying. They were holding the truth in their stomachs but could not speak it out. Who could understand the feeling...

After all, when they were on Snapper Island, they had agreed with each other that they would just pretend they had never seen the internal strife between Iron Pillar and Skinny Monkey, and not tell anyone about it.

Liang Ziqiang glanced at the expressions of Lin Baixian, Deng Zhaocai and others.

The most exciting thing is Deng Zhaocai, who looks like he is about to burst his pants at any moment!

I suddenly felt that it was really difficult for Deng Zhaocai to be able to hold back for so long without saying a word!
Even after holding the giant clam in his hands, Liang Ziqiang still felt a serious sense of unease:

"You're really going to give me such a big jade giant clam?"

"Why don't you want it?" Old Xie's brows, which had just relaxed, frowned again and waved his hands, "If you don't want it, don't tell me. Wait until Old Qiu comes out of that room tonight and then you can talk to him yourself!"

Liang Ziqiang thought about it and thought that with Old Qiu's personality, he would probably put the giant clam in his hands in the end. So there was no need to be polite.

"Please thank Lao Qiu for me. Thank you too!" Liang Ziqiang picked up the whole giant clam. He was suddenly hit by this thing when he was in urgent need of money. He couldn't refuse it...

"Don't leave yet, the giant clam is for you. The others who were present at the time also wanted to save Lao Qiu. Lao Qiu said that everyone should thank him!"

As he spoke, Old Xie took out a few small, translucent things that were yellow and brown from his pocket.

When Liang Ziqiang took a look, he found that it was fish glue, the kind that had been air-dried and made into a finished product!
Good fish maw has been a royal treasure since ancient times, among which the fish maw of yellow croaker is the most precious and top-grade, followed by the fish maw of hairtail and croaker, which are also relatively valuable.

Last year, Liang Ziqiang caught a catfish and sold it to Du Ziteng. What Du Ziteng valued most at that time was the catfish's swim bladder.

When Old Xie took out these things, Liang Ziqiang couldn't tell at a glance what kind of fish's maw these were made from.

Old Xie picked out the largest one and handed it to Zhu Tianpeng:
"I heard that you also helped Ah Qiang that day and made some efforts to save Lao Qiu. This biggest fish maw is for you!"

The following ones were given one by one to Liang Fu, Liang Tiancheng, Li Liang, Lin Baixian, Lin Baiyi and others, exactly one for each person.

Finally it was Deng Zhaocai's turn. Old Xie looked a little reluctant and kept the smallest and worst looking one, and reluctantly handed it to Ah Cai:

"I didn't want to give it to you, but Old Qiu insisted on giving it to you. Take it!"

Ah Cai had a complicated look on his face, and no one knew whether it was gratitude, surprise, or resentment. Anyway, he quickly reached out and took the small piece of fish maw that had a somewhat ugly shape.

"Your jade giant clam is much more valuable than these fish maws, so I didn't prepare your share of fish maws!" Old Xie looked at Liang Ziqiang and said, "Remember to go to the city early to contact a buyer and sell the giant clam. I didn't have any skills when I picked this giant clam, and I was a bit reckless. The clam rake broke some of the giant clam, which may affect the selling price, but you don't have to sell it at too low a price!"

Liang Ziqiang smiled and said yes, but at the same time he couldn't help but sigh again, this old Xie is so strict that it's outrageous!
Not only did he give him the most valuable jade giant clam, but also the fish maw given to others, which came in different sizes and of different quality, and were treated differently.

Even the reward system based on merit is not as clear as his...

"What kind of fish is this isinglass?" Lin Baixian couldn't help but asked curiously.

"Don't ask what kind of fish the fish maw is from. It's all made by Old Qiu himself. By the way, you all know the functions of fish maw, right? Not to mention the fish maw made by Old Qiu. It can enhance physical strength and improve resistance. For women, it can also replenish blood and help to nourish the fetus. This thing can be kept for a long time in the rice jar. Just take it out when you need it!" Old Xie did not answer Lin Baixian, but introduced the uses of the fish maw to them.

"Can it also protect the fetus and keep it healthy?" Liang Ziqiang and Li Liang blurted out almost at the same time.

People generally believe that fish maw is a precious tonic that is nourishing but not dry. Some top-quality fish maws can replenish physical strength, improve immunity, promote growth and development, nourish blood and stop bleeding. Most people know this. It is precisely because of this that fish maw has been expensive since ancient times. Large yellow croakers have even been sold at sky-high prices of several million yuan each in later generations.

But in addition to these, Lao Qiu's fish maw can also have the effect of maintaining pregnancy, which Liang Ziqiang had not thought of. I don't know what kind of marine fish maw Lao Qiu used. Lin Baixian did ask just now, but it seems that Lao Xie obviously does not intend to elaborate.

"Liangzi, your wife has had an unstable fetus recently. Isn't this just right? Why don't you try it on her tonight when you get back?" Deng Zhaocai immediately reminded him.

"Is it really possible?" Li Liang hesitated while pinching the isinglass.

"Is the fetus unstable? You don't need to eat too much. Just stew the clear soup in your hand. If nothing else, the bleeding will basically stop the next day!" Old Xie said affirmatively, "I'm not as good as Old Qiu, but I know a little about fish maw after being with him!"

"In the past, some wives from wealthy families did eat fish maw as a tonic when they were pregnant. As long as you don't eat too much, it does have some benefits!" Liang's father recalled some of his previous experiences and told Li Liang.

Upon hearing this, Li Liang thanked Lao Xie again and again.

Several people put away the fish maw, and Liang Ziqiang also picked up more than 20 kilograms of jade giant clams and was about to get up.

"Wait!" Old Xie suddenly stopped them, "There's one more thing. When I arrived at Triangle Reef, the two turtle cubs had already left, right? And then it was really weird. I wandered around the sea for more than ten days, but I never heard any explosions again. Really, not a single one!"

Liang Ziqiang and the others were all silent:
It won’t sound anymore. From now on, the sound of reef explosions will never be heard again…

Old Xie discussed with them again:
"The sea is so vast that the area I can travel alone is still too limited. I would like to ask you for another small favor. When you are fishing, if you hear the sound of reef blasting somewhere, send someone to find me here and inform me.

"These two bastards want to get away with it, but they won't get away with it that easily. How can I let them go without beating them half to death? By the way, your efforts are not in vain. Let's put things aside and deal with this matter separately. Whoever finds them will be thanked by me!"

Several people were stunned again. There was actually a thank you...

However, there is no chance to get this money.

Several people nodded and agreed to help keep an eye out, but they felt regretful in their hearts:

It’s too early to die. Tiezhu and Shouhou still died too early!

If I could really live to this day, I would be two walking bills!
At the same time, they thought about it and felt that Lao Xie could actually let it go.

Didn't those two people get into an internal fight and both died because of what Old Xie did? So, what's the difference between that and Old Xie beating them up himself? It's even more brutal than beating them up himself...

"Ahem, Old Xie! Actually, you don't have to find them. Think about it, they blow up the reefs all day long. It's such a dangerous job. Isn't it just a matter of time before something goes wrong? Suddenly, there has been no sound of blasting for more than ten days in a row. Maybe those two accidentally blew themselves up on some reef. Otherwise, how could they suddenly stop for more than ten days, don't you think?"

Liang's father coughed twice and tried to persuade Old Xie in a roundabout way.

Old Xie seemed to be thinking: "You mean they might have been in trouble? That's a pity. They can wait until they are hit by my fists, then it won't be too late for them to die!"

Old Xie sighed and groaned, blaming the fate that had played tricks on him.

"No matter what's going on with them, please keep an eye on them!" Old Xie finally gave a reminder.

Liang Ziqiang and the others nodded solemnly in agreement, then said goodbye to Lao Xie and returned to their respective boats.

As soon as the boat started moving, everyone on board couldn't hold back for even half a second.

"Damn it, this is the first time in my life that I've seen someone die so unjustly. It's so fucking tragic!"

Deng Zhaocai had been holding back his anger to the point of exploding, but when he finally spoke, he immediately opened his voice and expressed his feelings.

"Old Xie is still the best. Others kill the enemies while the enemies are kept in the dark; he kills the enemies while he himself is kept in the dark!" Li Liang couldn't help laughing.

Liang Ziqiang also joined in and complained a few times.

When I encounter this, I can’t help but complain!
But besides complaining, he also had some different thoughts on this matter.

In his opinion, Lao Xie's quiet seizure of the giant clam was just a fuse.

In the final analysis, Tiezhu and Shouhou did not trust each other. They might have already developed a grudge against each other and buried their suspicion deep in their hearts.

In this situation, even without Lao Xie as the fuse, the two of them might not be able to cooperate for long, and stabbing each other in the back is likely to happen.

After a while of chatting and laughing, they took out the fish maw from their pockets and examined it carefully. Lin Baixian was still curious:

"What kind of fish's fish maw is this? It has so many functions. It sounds like it's almost as good as the yellow croaker. Do you think he really gave us the yellow croaker maw?!"

"It shouldn't be!" Liang's father shook his head and said, "How precious is yellow croaker? How can you just give it away like this, and give away so many fish maws? Besides, I've seen yellow croaker fish maws before, and they're not quite the same as this."

Liang Ziqiang actually wanted to know what kind of fish this fish maw was. He agreed with his father. No matter how grateful Old Qiu was, he would not give so many people yellow lip fish maw. After all, he was the one who rescued Old Qiu. The others just gathered around to worry about him.

The preciousness of the yellow croaker is not a recent phenomenon. The maw of the yellow croaker has been regarded as a treasure since ancient times.

Last year, Liang Ziqiang sold a hairtail for 120 yuan, and if it was a yellow croaker, it would be much more expensive.

Even Liang's father and Liang Ziqiang couldn't identify what kind of fish maw it was, and the others were even more confused. Anyway, they just knew that it was a good thing and they would not go wrong if they took it home and kept it.

It was still early, so a few people returned to the sea with fish maws in their pockets and began to look for fish. At this point, they could still cast nets or longline fishing, and if they were lucky, they might catch a lot of fish.

Only Liang Ziqiang did not stay on the sea any longer. He said hello to his father and Li Liang and drove the boat directly towards the village.

He wanted to contact the seller and sell this large jade giant clam as soon as possible.

No matter how much you earn from casting nets and fishing, it's unlikely to be comparable to the precious thing in your hand, right?

After driving the boat back to the village shore, Liang Ziqiang went straight to Zhong Kang and Zhong Ming's homes as soon as he got off the boat, intending to contact people in the city first.

It is now late June, and it is not long before the ship price increase that Lao Xu mentioned. It is almost time for the countdown.

Can I buy the big ship before the price goes up? My biggest hope now is this giant clam in my hand!
(End of this chapter)