Chapter 6

A fleeting shadow made Lan Xiruo’s heart leap with joy. She quickly walked over, parted the reeds, and saw two large green crabs locked together.

Carefully stepping into the reeds, she emptied the contents of her bucket into her storage space, then swiftly used the empty bucket to trap the two crabs in the middle of their “harmonious movement.”

“Heh, today’s luck is really good! These two must be at least three to four jin* each. I should throw them into my space’s pond and raise them for later.”

Thinking this, Lan Xiruo moved even faster, tossing the two crabs into her storage space.

After the tide receded, this place was the best treasure trove. Many fish, shrimp, and crabs got trapped by the dense reeds, unable to return to the sea in time.

It was lucky she came early. If she were any later, a crowd would have rushed in to snatch everything.

Lan Xiruo crouched low and quickly rummaged through the reeds.

(⊙o⊙) Wow!

A jellyfish the size of a washbasin was stuck between the reeds! She quickly pinned it down with her tongs, pulled out a rope from her waist, and tied it up.

Once pickled, jellyfish could be enjoyed cold, stir-fried, or in other delicious ways!

Huh? Isn’t that a mandarin fish? It was still jumping lively, its firm flesh perfect for steaming or braising. Into the storage space it went.

Strange… Even a stingray, usually found at the seabed, had been washed ashore.

Though this one was on the small side, around five or six jin, it would still make an excellent sour and spicy stingray soup or stir-fried with pickled vegetables!

“Quick! The seawater has receded near the reeds!”

Someone shouted, and soon Lan Xiruo heard the sound of many footsteps rapidly approaching.

She quickly knocked the stingray unconscious, tied it up, and continued searching the reeds for more seafood.

Suddenly, deep in the reeds, a bright white patch caught her eye.

It was dragon-head fish!

A whole lot of dragon-head fish! This species was bonier but had tender flesh, making it a favorite among the elderly and children.

But the problem was—her bucket was already full.

Her bamboo basket was stuffed to the brim, yet there were still so many fish left in the pit. If she stored them in her space, it would be inconvenient to take them out later.

Just as she was hesitating, someone pushed aside the reeds in front of her.

“Lan Zhiqing, so you’re here!”

“A’Dong! Perfect! My bucket is full. Do you still have space in yours? Come quickly and pick up these dragon-head fish.”

Hearing this, A’Dong immediately stepped in with his bucket. “Mine still has room!”

Together, the two quickly gathered all the fish into A’Dong’s bucket.

By the time they finished, more people had arrived at the spot.

Seeing the full buckets in Lan Xiruo and A’Dong’s hands, as well as the fish, stingray, and jellyfish tied around Lan Xiruo’s waist, the newcomers could only sigh in envy and frustration.

“Sigh, we thought we were fast, but you two were even faster.”

An elderly woman with a slight hunchback stared at Lan Xiruo’s large fish and jellyfish for a long time, her jealousy barely hidden.

Her eyes flickered, and then she suddenly said to Lan Xiruo:

“Lan Zhiqing, you’re alone anyway. You can’t possibly eat all this fish. Why not share some dragon-head fish with me?

My family is poor! All year round, my children barely get to eat their favorite dragon-head fish. Now that we finally have a chance, you two took everything.

When I go back empty-handed, my kids will cry and throw a fuss. You wouldn’t want to see them go hungry, right?”

As she spoke, she reached out to grab some fish from Lan Xiruo’s bucket.

Lan Xiruo took a step back, holding onto her bucket. Her expression remained calm as she replied:

“These days, life is hard for everyone. I worked hard to find these fish, and I don’t plan to give them away for free.

If I can’t finish them, I’ll dry them into fish jerky and send them back to my family.”

Lowering her gaze to hide the disgust in her eyes, Lan Xiruo suppressed her annoyance. This old woman, Lian Laidi, had always loved gossiping behind people’s backs. In her past life, Lan Xiruo had suffered plenty from her rumors, all because of her appearance.

Lian Laidi’s face twisted upon hearing her words. “These are collective goods! How can you send them home?”

Lan Xiruo sneered. “I’m saving my own rations to send back—what’s wrong with that? Besides, the higher-ups approved this fishing trip, and we’re allowed to keep whatever we collect.

So, where’s this nonsense about ‘collective property’ coming from? Or are you just upset because you didn’t find much today and now want to appeal to the authorities to take everyone’s hard-earned catch?”

Hearing this, the women who had come with Lian Laidi exploded in anger.

“Pfft! Keep dreaming! We only get to do this once a year—whatever we catch, we keep!”

“Lian Laidi, you’ve got some nerve. If you didn’t catch anything, that’s your own fault for being lazy. Don’t drag us into it! Otherwise, we won’t let this slide!”

One woman spat in Lian Laidi’s direction before pulling her child along and rushing into the reeds to continue foraging.

Watching the drama unfold was fun, but their priority was gathering more food to improve their meals.

Lian Laidi, now humiliated by both Lan Xiruo and the other women, was fuming, her face red with anger. But since she was alone, she couldn’t snatch or fight for the fish. All she could do was spit angrily at Lan Xiruo and stomp away.

After she left, A’Dong gave Lan Xiruo a thumbs-up. “Lan Zhiqing, you’re amazing!

That old woman is always trying to take advantage of others. I thought we’d have to give up some fish today. But not only did she fail to get anything, she had to leave with her tail between her legs!

But you’ve made an enemy of her now. Be careful—her mouth can twist the truth like nobody else’s. I’m worried she’ll spread nasty rumors about you.”

A’Dong, having lived here for a while, knew Lian Laidi’s character well.

And indeed, Lian Laidi was already plotting. She hadn’t gotten what she wanted and was even scolded, so she was determined to retaliate in the way she knew best—spreading rumors.

The fishing trip was nearing its end, and staying longer wouldn’t yield much more.

Lan Xiruo and A’Dong returned to the beach, where they saw Sun Yuqing sitting on a reef with a bucket and a nylon bag filled to the brim.

Seeing them, Sun Yuqing waved excitedly. “Xiruo! You’re finally back. I was wondering how I was going to carry all this.”

A’Dong glanced into Sun Yuqing’s bucket and was surprised. “Sun Zhiqing, how did you collect so many razor clams and snails?”

Sun Yuqing pressed her lips together, slightly embarrassed. “I don’t have much experience with gathering seafood, so I focused on collecting razor clams.”

“That’s a good strategy. Having a lot of razor clams is great—they make generous gifts.” Seeing that Sun Yuqing was feeling a little shy, Lan Xiruo quickly changed the topic. “You two take the buckets back first. I’ll stay here a bit longer and see if I can find more.”

Sun Yuqing and A’Dong had no objections and left with their loads.

Lan Xiruo untied the bamboo basket and fish from her waist, securing them with her bag, then bent down to search the beach.

There were still plenty of spotted babylon snails, cat’s eye snails, bamboo clams, and sea worms left—small things that most people didn’t bother with because they had little meat and required extra firewood to cook.

Lan Xiruo picked out her favorites. Just as she was about to stand up, she spotted something ahead…

Alarms rang in her head instantly!