Chapter 45: Reported by Second Aunt

The sea breeze howled, carrying the salty scent of the ocean as it brushed against their faces, yet it did nothing to diminish the two men’s joyful spirits, brimming with the satisfaction of a fruitful day. In fact, Wang Dachun even began humming a folk tune from the fishing village, feeling utterly content.

“Xiao Yu, we had a good haul today. How about we celebrate with some homemade liquor tonight?” Wang Dachun suggested cheerfully.

“Brother Dachun, I’m not used to drinking. If you want to, I can have just a little, but not too much,” Lin Yu replied.

“Heh heh, not too much! And the master’s wife won’t allow it either if we drink too much,” Wang Dachun chuckled, humming his tune again.

After a while, a familiar fishing boat appeared on the horizon. Squinting, they recognized it as their second uncle’s vessel.

Second uncle Lin Qiang’s fishing boat was quietly anchored there, looking somewhat solitary on the vast sea. Lin Qiang stood alone on the deck, his figure seeming a little lonely on the empty boat as he gazed listlessly at the surroundings.

When Lin Qiang saw Lin Yu and Wang Dachun’s boat heading toward shore so early, his eyes flickered with surprise before a slight smile spread across his lips.

With his arms crossed, he stood at the ship’s rail and shouted out loud, “Hey, what’s with you two? Heading back so early? It’s barely been a while out there. You must not have caught much, right? Otherwise, who finishes fishing so soon? Haha!”

Lin Yu and Wang Dachun were momentarily stunned by his words, then exchanged a glance and smiled helplessly.

Wang Dachun was about to retort but was gently stopped by Lin Yu, who tugged his sleeve and shook his head, signaling it wasn’t worth arguing.

Understanding, Wang Dachun simply shouted back, “Second uncle, don’t jump to conclusions. We actually had a great catch today. We just thought it best to head back early since we had enough. You just keep fishing at your own pace.”

Lin Qiang looked unconvinced, pursed his lips, and mocked, “Hmph, great catch, huh? Sounds like bragging to me. I know your little tricks. Didn’t catch fish, so you’re just too embarrassed to admit it. Better to quit early and not waste time out here.”

As he spoke, he deliberately shook his head and called out, “Xiao Yu, don’t follow them. Come aboard second uncle’s boat instead. My fishing skills aren’t any worse than your dad’s. We’re family; I won’t treat you unfairly!”

Lin Yu just let these words pass in one ear and out the other, not even bothering to reply.

Ignoring second uncle’s sarcastic remarks, Lin Yu and Wang Dachun focused on steering their boat toward shore. They knew exactly how good their catch was, and the full boat of fish was the best proof. There was no need to argue further.

Their fishing boat slowly approached the dock, and the details of the pier gradually came into view.

At the dock, several rows of weathered yet sturdy wooden piles stood in the water, supporting a wooden walkway stretching out into the sea. Time had left its mottled marks on the piles. Alongside the walkway, numerous fishing boats of various sizes were moored at their berths, gently rocking with the waves. The hulls creaked softly as they bumped against the wooden stakes.

The shoreline was an open space, usually cluttered with fish baskets and nets. Though few people were around at the moment, the scene still carried the simple peace unique to fishing village life.

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Only a few fishmongers were vying for the best spots to sell their catch on the dock.

Second aunt Liu Guilan was famously strong-willed, always arriving earliest at the dock, and today was no exception. She stood with hands on hips, arguing loudly with Aunt Chunhua from the village, her face flushed red.

“I’m telling you, Chunhua, this spot is mine every day. Do you even understand the rules?” Second aunt glared, refusing to back down.

Aunt Chunhua was equally unyielding, retorting, “Oh, Liu Guilan, this dock isn’t your private property. First come, first served. You can’t be so bossy.”

The two exchanged sharp words, neither willing to give ground, their faces reddening with passion.

Seeing Liu Guilan’s stubbornness, Aunt Chunhua finally gave up, snorting with dissatisfaction as she turned toward another spot, muttering, “Hmph, I’m not going to stoop to your level. There are plenty of places to sell fish.”

With Chunhua gone, Liu Guilan smoothed her hair triumphantly, ready to settle into her claimed spot.

Then she spotted Lin Yu and Wang Dachun’s boat returning so early. A mocking smile immediately appeared on her lips. Striding over, she called out loudly, “Oh, back so soon? Must’ve caught nothing. Fishing takes patience, you know. You can’t just—”

Before she could finish, she reached the side of their boat and saw the hold packed full of fish. Her eyes widened in disbelief, mouth agape, stunned by the sight. The mocking words choked off in her throat.

She stared dumbfounded at the various fish gleaming under the sunlight, lively and jumping, each larger than the last, piled like a small mountain.

After a long pause, she finally regained her composure, feeling both shocked and envious. She had never expected Lin Yu and Wang Dachun to catch so many fish—completely contrary to her assumptions.

As second aunt stood amazed, other fishmongers on the dock were drawn by the commotion and gathered around.

Seeing the massive haul, their eyes glimmered with envy, and they began praising loudly.

“Wow, Dachun and Lin Yu are amazing! Such a bounty this trip!”

“That’s right! Their fishing skills are no joke. Look at those fish—every single one’s huge!”

Everyone smiled and gave thumbs-up.

Second aunt Liu Guilan, hearing the praise, felt a surge of defiance rise within her. Puffing out her chest, she raised her voice, “Hmph, that’s nothing! My husband is the best fisherman in the village. When he comes back, he’ll catch way more than them. This is just the beginning!”

Her words hung in the air, but the surrounding fishmongers exchanged glances and said nothing. Some even rolled their eyes.

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Since Lin Yu’s father passed away, Lin Qiang had indeed been widely recognized as the best fisherman in the village, consistently returning from sea with impressive catches. That was true enough. But Lin Qiang and Liu Guilan’s arrogant, mocking attitudes had made them unpopular, so even now, despite Liu Guilan’s boast, the crowd listened silently, unwilling to engage.

Just then, the commune officials arrived at the dock on schedule.

The commune collected fishing quotas every day at fixed times, and the fishermen were accustomed to the routine.

Approaching the boat and seeing the full catch, the commune officials were genuinely surprised, their faces full of astonishment. One of them said to Wang Dachun, “Dachun, you’ve had quite a haul this time. Impressive, congratulations!”

“Thank you, thank you!” Wang Dachun grinned widely. In all his fishing trips, this was the first time he had caught so many fish.

The official pulled out the task sheet to check and said, “Dachun, you still haven’t delivered the full quota for several fish species this month. Only five days left. Do you have enough in this catch to fulfill the tasks?”

Hearing this, Wang Dachun laughed heartily, “Of course, we’ll deliver. There’s plenty of fish today to cover the quotas, and we can sell the rest to make a good profit, heh heh.”

The official nodded, then began calling out fish types and quantities. Wang Dachun hurriedly searched the boat for the corresponding fish, and Lin Yu helped steadily.

Amid the busy but orderly work, second aunt Liu Guilan’s eyes darted as a cunning idea struck her. Suddenly, she shouted loudly, “Old Shuan! I want to report someone for profiteering!”

Her outburst instantly silenced the crowd, all eyes turning sharply toward her.

“Profiteering?”

Upon hearing this, the commune leader, Old Shuan, furrowed his brow and glanced around. “Mrs. Lin Qiang, you can’t throw around accusations like that. Don’t speak nonsense!”

Liu Guilan placed her hands on her hips and raised her chin. “I’m not talking nonsense. Someone really is profiteering. Whether you deal with it or not is up to you.”

Old Shuan hesitated, then said seriously, “We will. Now tell us, who is profiteering?”

“That’s easy—it’s my nephew Lin Yu. He’s the one profiteering. That kid has never submitted his quotas. Every time he brings in a big catch, he secretly sells the seafood himself and keeps the money. He buys rice and flour and lives quite well!”