Zhao Dahai woke up, walked into the kitchen, and saw his grandma Zhong Cuihua frying salted fish. She was preparing lunch for herself. Gouluo from the island would not come back until three or four in the afternoon, so she had to bring her own food. "Grandma!"
"You don't need to get up early! I can just prepare it myself."
Zhao Dahai took the shovel and fried the salted fish.
"Wouldn't it be enough for you to get married as soon as possible? I don't need to get up early, your own wife will do these things for you."
Zhong Cuihua smiled.
Zhao Dahai thought to himself that Ding Xiaoxiang, whom he fell in love with, was only fifteen or sixteen years old now, and was just a child, so he didn't even know what to do about it.
After finishing his breakfast, Zhao Dahai took a lunch box with rice, pork belly and two pieces of salted fish. He picked up a plastic bucket with mesh bags, lunch boxes and other items on a pole. He then put on a flashlight and walked out of the courtyard wearing a straw hat.
We arrived at the small pier in front of the village and waited for less than five minutes. A boat just happened to take people out to the island.
"How is the repair of the ship going?"
"When will we go fishing?"
……
"Yo!"
"Dahai. Are you going to the island to hook up with snails?"
……
"This is a job for old ladies like us. Are you here?"
……
Some of the people on the boat were from Langtou Village and some from other surrounding villages. Zhao Dahai was young and the only male, so he suddenly became the center of fire. At first, he asked about repairing the fishing boat, and then the topic quickly went off the rails.
It is said that hooking up with snails is a job for women, and men have to find other jobs.
Zhao Dahai responded to every word he said. The unmarried eldest girls in the village, especially the married ones, were very talkative and could not be taken seriously. When they got anxious, they became even more enthusiastic. Is hooking up with snails something that women do? It doesn't happen.
.It’s just that most of them are done by women. Any job that can make money is a good job. There is no shame in making money.
The diesel engine made a "chugging" sound, and the fishing boat moved forward, cutting through the water and turning up white waves. The wind blew in the face, and the nose was filled with the fishy saltiness of the sea.
The dark sky slowly becomes brighter.
The sky is white enough to see clearly, and several large islands appear.
The fishing boat slowed down and moved closer.
"Slow down! Don't be in a hurry!"
……
"Get your stuff!"
……
"Four o'clock in the afternoon."
"Remember the time. Don't wait for anyone. If you don't get picked up, stay overnight on the island and wait for tomorrow!"
……
The boss of the boat shouted loudly.
Zhao Dahai held a pole in one hand and a bucket filled with mesh bags and lunch boxes in the other. He stood on the bow of the boat, looked at the location, and stepped forward to the island. He walked forward without stopping.
There are many snails in some places on the island and few in others. To pick up more, you have to occupy a favorable position. From the moment you step on the island, you have to work hard and pick a good direction to grab a good place. Zhao Dahai walked forward. When he was young, he came here with his father and mother several times, but he was always playing. Today is the first time he has visited Gouluo Island. He is not familiar with the situation here and does not know where it is.
There are many snails.
Chen Fang looked back at Zhao Dahai, who was walking a few meters behind her, and wondered whether she should take Zhao Dahai with her. Choosing the right place to go to the island was very important. People who were inexperienced and unfamiliar would not be able to do much at the end of the day.
"The sea!"
"How about you follow me?"
Chen Fang hesitated for a while and decided to take Zhao Dahai with him. This was not the gangster he used to be. It didn't take long to scrape together enough money for repairs. The fishing village is not an easy place to make money. This is a capable person.
It doesn’t matter if there are more snails or less snails, it’s very cost-effective depending on your personal situation.
"Auntie."
"You are busy with your business!"
"I'll go to a more remote place later. It's my first time on the island. I'll visit some places to get familiar with the situation. It doesn't matter whether I gain something or not."
Zhao Dahai shook his head. Chen Fang married Liu Qishan from Langtou Village. Going out to the island at three or four in the morning was not just for a picnic, but to make money. One more person means less income. Don't look at it as just a few hundred.
Ten yuan for snails, but it’s not easy to make money in a fishing village. A hundred or dozens of yuan is not small money. It is often the income of a whole day of hard work and exposure to the sun. As long as others earn money to support their families, no matter how much it is,
It's a big deal. Chen Fang is willing to take it, but he can't do it without any discernment. Not to mention that everyone who often goes to the island to hook up with snails has his own nest and his own route, so he followed it.
It is very troublesome to know that things are under the control of melons and plums. Chen Fang is not his father and mother, but he is just from the same village. He still has to pay attention to the things that should be paid attention to and cannot be careless.
Chen Fang knew at first glance that Zhao Dahai was not willing to follow, so without saying anything, she reminded him to pay attention to safety, turned around and walked towards a place he was familiar with.
Zhao Dahai waited for the people who were on the same boat to disperse to the island, and picked a direction and location where no one was around before speeding up and not climbing to higher places. The higher the island, the drier it is, and the snails would only move up a little above the waterline.
A place like this is relatively humid, so snails will crawl up, especially if the tide is right, one nest after another and one pile after another.
Zhao Dahai used his hands and feet. He looked at his position before taking each step before moving his legs. The island, especially the place near the waterline, has been soaked in sea water for many years and is very wet and slippery. If you accidentally slip and fall, it is not a big deal.
Just kidding, it can range from a broken head and bleeding, to severe limbs, and if you fall into the sea, your life will almost be lost.
Some people may think that it’s okay to fall into the sea, as long as you can swim, you can climb up. Let’s not talk about whether the rocks on the island are climbable or not, and let’s not talk about the oyster shells growing on these rocks. It’s just that the rocks are slapped one after another.
The extremely beautiful waves can kill people invisible while looking at the harmlessness of humans and animals. If you fall on the open sea, you may not be able to survive if someone comes to ask for you.
If you fall off the island and there are waves, the chance of death is very high. When these waves hit you, they will roll you into the rocks. When you retreat, they will suck you and pull you into the sea. After several back and forth, you will be exhausted and you can only watch helplessly.
Watching myself sink into the water and die.
Zhao Dahai was sweating profusely. Not only were the rocks on the island difficult to climb, but more importantly, he had to be highly concentrated and his physical strength was exhausted very quickly.
Zhao Dahai continued to climb forward without any hurry. He stopped to take a cup of water and drank a few sips of water. While resting, he looked around. There were no other hookers around. Only a few black spots could be seen in the distance from the direction he came from. He decided to
Just look for it in this place now to see if there is any.
Zhao Dahai searched carefully, focusing on the location of the reef half a meter above the waterline where the waves were beating. Within a few minutes, he saw five or six snails of considerable size on a partially exposed part of the reef.
Yes, it’s the size of a child’s fist, so you can recognize it as an oyster snail at a glance.
Oyster snails are a type of conch and are relatively common. They usually grow on reefs near the sea. They can grow quite large and have firm meat. The price is not high but the taste is very good. They are very popular in restaurants, including food stalls.<
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Zhao Dahai picked up the fire tongs and put it into the mesh bag. This was the first harvest of the day.
Zhao Dahai did not leave immediately. No matter what kind of conches they were, they usually appeared in groups. If you found five or six on a stone, there must be more nearby stones.
Zhao Dahai quickly found a dozen oysters of almost the same size on several other rocks less than two or three meters away, and pocketed them all.
"Thirty dollars in hand!"
Zhao Dahai was in a very good mood. The fishing boats had to be dried for several days before tung oil could be applied. He was idle at home and went out to sea to catch snails on the islands. If he worked harder, he could make money. Isn't that great? Where does the money come from? That's it.
It was saved bit by bit like this.
Zhao Dahai continued to walk forward, looking for snails with wide eyes.