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"Where are the fish?"

Lu Ao raised his head and gestured toward the water pit beside him.

The pit was not deep, and the fish inside could be seen just by standing at the edge.

Lin Dawu had been surprised when he saw the photos earlier, but it was nowhere near as shocking as seeing them in person.

In that small water pit, seven Large Red Snappers over half a meter long swam crowded together, somehow putting on a display that filled one with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

Lin Dawu had lived half his life, yet this was the first time he had seen a young man spear over a hundred jin of large fish in a single morning. The cigarette nearly fell from his mouth as he gaped. "Th-this was all speared by you this morning?"

"Yeah."

Lin Dawu moved closer to inspect them. The fish were still alive, flicking their tails and struggling, sending water splashing everywhere and soaking half his pants.

Lu Ao asked, "Can these fish be sold in town?"

"Probably not. They're too big and there are too many of them. The fishmongers in town can't take this much." Lin Dawu crouched down to observe the fish for a while before turning to him. "You'll probably have to take them to Long Township Wharf to get a good price."

Long Township Wharf was quite far from here, near the county seat. It would take over two hours to drive there.

Lin Dawu felt somewhat regretful. "If you sent them to town, they'd probably still be alive when you sold them."

Live fish and dead fish did not sell for the same price. Live fish cost over ten yuan more.

Lu Ao looked at the fish. "It's fine. They should stay alive for a while in water tanks."

Lin Dawu said, "That depends on how lively they are. Wild fish should be tougher. How are you getting to Long Township Wharf? I can take you."

Lu Ao looked at the fish and said, "No need. I don't want your car reeking of fish. I'll hire a three-wheeler from the village."

Not many people in their village fished, so hiring a farm tricycle for a trip would not be difficult.

As Lin Dawu watched him make the call, he suddenly had an idea. "Hey, how about I call Lin Manzhang and the others over? They might be going to sell fish too, and they have oxygenating equipment. The fish might still be alive by the time they reach Long Township Wharf."

Lin Manzhang was from the same clan as Lin Dawu. Lin Dawu naturally had a selfish motive—Lu Ao was so skilled that if Lin Manzhang and the others got on good terms with him, perhaps they could benefit from it and learn a few fishing tricks.

Lu Ao thought about it briefly, then nodded without much concern. "Sure."

Lin Dawu happily went to call Lin Manzhang.

Before long, Lin Manzhang and several others came rumbling over in two three-wheelers.

The tricycles could not get across the rocks, so they parked by the roadside and walked over.

Before they even arrived, they called from afar, "We brought the water tanks and oxygenating equipment. How many fish are there?"

"Eight. Seven of them are Large Red Snappers." Lin Dawu stood and led them over. "Lu Ao doesn't have a three-wheeler, so he may need your help transporting them to Long Township Wharf."

"No problem! Let's see the fish first."

Lin Manzhang and the others walked to the edge of the water pit, and Lu Ao greeted them.

Lin Manzhang returned the greeting. "Morning."

Before he had even finished speaking, Lin Gongshang behind him could not help crying out, "Damn, you speared all these fish this morning?!"

Lin Manzhang's attention was drawn by the shout, and he instinctively looked over.

The moment he did, he was stunned. "So many?!"

Lin Guixiao and Tan Junhao hurriedly squeezed forward to take a look.

The water pit was indeed packed full with seven Giant Red Groupers, each one so huge that anyone who caught one would want to take a photo to commemorate it.

Lin Manzhang crouched down and reached for one of them.

Red Snappers were incredibly strong and slippery all over. Lin Manzhang failed to get a firm grip, and the fish broke free. He nearly fell flat on his backside and plunged headfirst into the water pit, but Lin Gongshang quickly grabbed him.

When Lin Manzhang reached out again, the muscles in his arms bulged and his face turned red. He finally managed to lift it. "This fish weighs at least twenty jin."

Lin Dawu took the fish and weighed it in his hands, nodding in agreement. "Looks like it."

Lin Guixiao stood nearby, looking at the fish in the pit and then at the sea in the distance. He could not help doubting, "Are there really that many fish in this stretch of sea?"

The sea near Lu Family Village was not particularly suitable for fishing. There were many reefs here, the currents were swift, and the water became murky easily.

Lin Manzhang and the others usually rotated among several familiar fishing spots. Sometimes they fished in this area, sometimes in another, and occasionally went offshore to fish in the open sea, but they rarely came here.

Looking at the lively, plump wild Giant Red Groupers in the water pit at their feet, the group fell into deep thought, considering whether they should add this stretch of sea back to their fishing grounds.

After watching for a while, Lin Manzhang said, "Let's go sell the fish early. If we're late, the fishmongers might all be gone."

Lu Ao had no objection. "Sorry to trouble you."

"It's nothing. We're all from the same village; we help each other out." Lin Manzhang said, "Besides, we're done fishing this morning too. We were about to go sell our catch."

The men immediately got to work together, bringing several large plastic water tanks over from the three-wheelers, filling them with water, and starting the oxygenation.

Once the oxygenating equipment was turned on, they caught the fish together.

The Giant Red Groupers not only looked enormous, but were also extremely heavy in the hand, each weighing over ten or twenty jin.

That weight normally should not have felt too heavy to fishermen who worked year-round, but with the fish struggling desperately, wet and slippery, they became hard to hold.

Lin Gongshang could not help saying, "A beginner's luck is way too good, isn't it? Lu Ao, did you poke straight into a fish nest this morning?"

Lu Ao nodded. "Luck definitely played a part."

Lin Manzhang disagreed from the side. "You need both luck and skill."

Lin Dawu laughed as well. "And the right tools. My fish spear works well, doesn't it?"

Lu Ao humored him. "It works well."

Lu Ao's diving suit and conchs were still on the rocks, so Lin Manzhang and the others took him home first to put his things away.

He kept all the conchs and the White Wax Fish, then changed clothes before heading to Long Township Wharf with Lin Manzhang and the others.

After everyone got in the vehicles, Lin Dawu returned to town instead of going with them.

Lin Guixiao and Tan Junhao also had things to do. The only ones going to Long Township Wharf to sell fish were Lu Ao, Lin Manzhang, and Lin Gongshang.