Beachcombing: The beach is full of amazing seafood, but my wife won't let me get out of bed!

After everyone left, Wang Feng quickly unpacked the things Chen Fugui had brought over.

"Oh my god!"

She exclaimed in surprise and brought the bag opening closer to the light.

Two bottles of Moutai, two cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes.

These bright red items were displayed on the table, completely masking the fishy smell of the sea.

"Did the sun rise in the west?" Wang Feng clicked her tongue twice.

"Chen Fugui usually has to be extremely frugal even to buy a bag of salt at the convenience store. Has he lost his mind today? He's gone to such lengths!"

Wu Gang propped his carrying pole against the corner of the wall and craned his neck to look over.

"This must cost several hundred, right?"

He had been honest his whole life and had never seen Chen Fugui be so humble to anyone, even bringing his own father to deliver lavish gifts.

Wu Jianguo held the pipe bowl in his hand and tapped the ash off the cigarette he hadn't finished smoking on the table leg.

"Changgui is the village chief, and Fugui wouldn't dare disobey him, but that shouldn't be enough to scare him like this."

The old man had lived a long life and was very perceptive; he knew that things weren't as simple as they seemed on the surface.

Wu Sui pulled up a low stool and sat down, picked up a match from the table, and lit the pot of tobacco that his father had just repacked.

"Uncle Changgui's words were effective, but what really caused him to suffer a major loss was his fear."

"What are you afraid of?" Wang Feng didn't understand. "Afraid you'll beat him up? He has quite a few brothers."

Wu Sui smiled and tapped two fingers on the table.

"He was afraid the fishing season would open, so I joined him in doing bad things."

"Think about it, I ordered a 17-meter steel boat, with a powerful engine and strong wind resistance."

"What kind of boat is Chen Fugui's? It's a twelve-meter-long iron-clad wooden boat, and it's almost eight years old."

"When the fishing season really opens, I don't do anything. I just sail my big boat close to the back of his boat every day. When he sets his nets, I intercept them. When he fishes, I disrupt him."

Wu Yang, listening nearby, grinned and said, "Brother-in-law, does that mean we won't make any money either?"

"I can afford to lose, but he can't."

Wu Sui's tone was calm, yet it revealed a ruthless edge.

"I have savings now, and the big ship will make money sooner or later."

"Even if I waste a month with him, it's just burning some diesel fuel."

"But Chen Fugui is different; his whole family depends on that boat for food and drink."

"I heard that his youngest son got into university this year, and the tuition and living expenses will be a lot of money."

"If I cut off his source of income, his whole family will starve."

"We hold his economic lifeline in our hands, so he has no choice but to bow down."

The courtyard was quiet for a few seconds.

Looking at his second brother, Wu Gang felt that this younger brother was completely different from the idle loafer he used to be.

Without firing a single shot, just a few words and a gesture, and the village's most troublesome rogue would obediently offer his face to be slapped, and even have to smile and offer generous gifts.

"Great job, second brother!" Wang Feng slapped his thigh, his smile practically bursting out.

"Even the wicked need to be dealt with by the wicked... No, I mean, you're really smart."

Wu Sui is now immune to her sister-in-law's words and doesn't care anymore.

He casually pushed the plastic bag in front of Wu Jianguo.

"You keep this tobacco and alcohol, Dad."

"Don't always smoke those harsh, throat-irritating cigarettes; smoke a couple of packs of good ones instead."

"Open the bottle if you want to drink, don't be stingy. I'll buy you more when you finish it."

Wu Jianguo looked at the Moutai on the table, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything to refuse. He just took a heavy puff of his pipe, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.

Wu Sui raised his wrist and looked at his watch; it was already past 9 p.m.

"Big brother, Xiao Yang, stop standing there, pack your gear, we're getting ready to go out to sea."

Chen Xue had just finished washing her hands and came over. Upon hearing this, her face immediately changed color.

"Are you going again today?"

She walked over to Wu Sui and reached out to touch the red veins in the corner of his eye.

"You've been working hard for days, and then you spent your days arguing with those people at the village committee. Even if you were made of iron, you couldn't take it. Can't you just stay home and rest for a night?"

Wu Yang yawned beside him, but didn't dare to say anything.

Wu Sui held Chen Xue's hand and gently comforted her.

"Now that things are calm, it's a good time to make money."

"Going out to sea is entirely dependent on the weather. If the wind picks up and the waves rise in a few days, I won't be able to go even if you ask me to."

"Besides, it's the fishing moratorium now, so big boats can't go out and can't cast large nets."

"We rely on longline fishing, so there's less competition and the fish are priced high, so we have to act quickly."

He pointed in the direction of the stone house at the east end of his village.

"The land for the homestead has been approved, and we need to start building the new house immediately."

"The final payment for the big ship, building houses—there are always places that ask for money. I won't feel at ease if I don't make as much money as possible in these few days."

Chen Xue knew that once Wu Sui made up his mind, no one could dissuade him, and she also understood that the family needed money for many things.

She didn't stop her anymore and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

"Sister-in-law, please pack some tea eggs for me, and also give them the steamed dumplings from this afternoon. I'll make a pot of fish soup so they don't go hungry."

Wang Feng agreed faster than anyone else: "It's already packed, and the tea has been poured for them. Go make the fish soup, and I'll prepare some vegetables for them."

After Wu Sui and the other two had finished tidying up, Chen Xue and Wang Feng had also prepared the food.

The three pushed the cart out of the courtyard and hurried towards the dock along the dark village road.

Four baskets of longline fishing rods were piled on the cart. Wu Gang also took some time in the afternoon to go to town and buy live shrimp.

When we arrived at the pier, the sea breeze carried a salty and damp scent.

Wu Sui stood on the breakwater and looked down.

At this time last night, the dock was bustling with noise.

More than a dozen boats were crowded together like at a market. Chen Fugui and Li Daqiang all had red eyes and wished they could swallow his boat whole.

The dock was unusually quiet tonight.

Only a few small fishing boats had their dim lights on.

Those villagers who tried to take advantage of the situation yesterday have all disappeared.

"Wow, there are so few people today."

Wu Gang pushed the cart to the side of the boat, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and a smile appeared on his honest face.

"Finally, some peace and quiet."

Wu Yang chuckled as he carried fish baskets onto the boat.

"How could it not be peaceful? They followed us all night yesterday, and not only did they not catch any fish, they also lost over a hundred dollars on fuel alone."

"Plus, the boats belonging to Chen Fugui and Li Daqiang are practically totaled from the collision. I heard the repair shop will charge over 20,000 yuan. Who would dare to risk their life and follow us?"

Yesterday's "Ghostly Scare" boat race, coupled with his defeat of Chen Dapao in the village committee compound during the day, has solidified Wu Sui's reputation in the village.

He's rich, ruthless, and shows no mercy.

Anyone who dares to be envious and provoke this trouble should first consider whether their own ship is strong enough and their financial resources are sufficient.

Wu Sui was the first to jump onto the fishing boat and begin checking the wiring of the water pump and winch.

"This is what they call striking once to ward off a hundred blows."

He filled a bucket with seawater and poured it onto the deck to wash away the dust that had settled during the day.

"It doesn't matter if your reputation is bad. When you work in the village, it's better for people to be afraid of you than for them to scheme against you."

Wu Gang nodded and went to the driver's seat to start the diesel engine.

"Second brother, where are we going tonight? Back to the cliff again?"

The diesel engine roared from its exhaust pipe, and a plume of black smoke billowed from the chimney.

Wu Sui stood at the bow of the boat and untied the ropes tied to the iron stakes.

"Let's go to the cliff first."