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Qing Mengzhu: "No problem, we'll be there on time."
After Mi Yao left, Qing Mengzhu took Ming Chunxi to dig for earthworms.
They brought a lot of earthworms from Vine City, and now the earthworms are hiding under the ryegrass, so they can be dug up easily.
The two of them worked together and dug up half a bucket in just over ten minutes—after the rain, earthworms liked to be active on the surface, making them easier to dig up than usual.
Qing Mengzhu glanced at the earthworms in the bucket and felt they were ready.
Mi Yao and the others said they would mainly use commercial bait, and that no one would use their earthworms, which would be enough for the two beginners.
Fearing that it would waste time and make others wait, Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi drove directly to the pier.
When they arrived at the pier, Mi Yao hadn't arrived yet; only two or three friends were there.
Everyone knew Qing Mengzhu, and when they saw him and Ming Chunxi, they came over to greet them warmly.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, someone looked at the earthworms they had brought and said with admiration, "These earthworms are really good; they're so red and lively."
Qing Mengzhu: "We love using this kind of bait when fishing, but I wonder how effective it is for catching sea fish?"
The man replied, "It must be very good too. I used to use bloodworms, and they worked very well for fishing. Bloodworms aren't as good as your earthworms."
Qing Mengzhu and said, "Then we'll use them together later."
Soon, everyone arrived, and they set sail.
After the typhoon passed, the sea indeed calmed down, even calmer than usual.
The sky was also beautiful. Although it was a bit hazy, it had a strange texture of gray satin and was brighter than usual.
Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi stood on the ship's railing, looking at the sea view. The two were very close, their hands, both wearing the same ring, were placed side by side. Everyone saw it, but no one showed any strange expression.
This is partly due to the more tolerant nature of the times, but also because they are highly capable, and no one wants to offend them.
The boat captain steered the boat directly to the fishing spot, and someone shouted for everyone to start fishing along both sides of the boat.
Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi each received a fishing rod and found a spot to start fishing.
Mi Yao stood on one side of them, while You Jinsong, who had praised them, stood on the other side. Both of them politely used earthworms from their own farm to fish.
Qing Mengzhu had only cast his fishing hook into the sea a few minutes before he caught a fish.
He was a beat too slow and didn't react immediately. You Jinsong, who was next to him, got anxious. "Hey, there's a fish on the hook! Reel it in!"
Qing Mengzhu: "Okay."
Qing Mengzhu reeled in the line and successfully pulled a red snapper to the side of the boat.
You Jinsong excitedly scooped up his fish with the net. "Red snapper, about two pounds! Mengzhu, you caught a big one this time!"
Everyone come and see. "Is this the power of the newbie protection period?"
Qing Mengzhu: "I've never fished for sea fish before, but I have fished for river fish before."
You Jinsong: "That's a newbie too."
Before You Jinsong could finish speaking, his own fishing rod twitched, clearly indicating that he had taken a fish.
He immediately forgot about chatting and hurriedly put away his fishing rod.
You Jinsong quickly caught a sea bass, and then Mi Yao caught a small rockfish.
Seeing that they were catching fish one after another, everyone quickly returned to their own fishing rods and patiently waited for the fish to bite.
The first grouper caught today was Ming Chunxi. The fish he caught wasn't big, only a little over a pound.
However, catching a grouper is considered extremely lucky, and everyone comes to watch.
Everyone noticed it very quickly.
"Is the reason you're catching fish one after another because of the bait?"
"Give me some too. Your earthworms look good, so red and lively, and they seem to have a strong smell."
"I'll have some too. I don't know what's wrong with today's bait; it might not be to the liking of deep-sea fish."
"If you want it, then I've changed it too."
So everyone switched to earthworms from Qing Mengzhu's house and went to their respective fishing spots.
I don't know if it was just luck, or if the earthworms at Qing Mengzhu's house were really that good.
After changing the bait, everyone's fishing speed increased significantly.
The group of experienced anglers were astonished. "We've used earthworms before, but this is the first time we've used earthworms that work so well! What did you soak your earthworms in? Or where did you dig them up from?"
Qing Mengzhu: "We didn't soak anything; the place we dug was just under the grass in the orchard. If there's anything special about it, it's that our earthworms are a new variety, only named last year."
Everyone suddenly realized:
"I knew your earthworms were different! Turns out they really are a new species."
"The size is just right, and it looks perfect for fishing."
"Mengzhu, can I go to your house to dig up some earthworms when I go back later?"
"I want some too. I won't dig up too many; I'll just raise a few for fishing."
Qing Mengzhu agreed, "Sure, I'll dig some for you when we get back. Actually, you don't have to go to my orchard; we sell earthworms in our online store."
Even Mi Yao, let alone those who weren't very familiar with Qing Mengzhu, didn't know that his family sold earthworms. "Does everyone buy earthworms to use for fishing?"
Qing Mengzhu: "They're used for all sorts of things: fishing, experiments, soil conditioning, composting—it all depends on the individual."
Mi Yao: "Then I'll go take a look later."
Others echoed this sentiment, saying they would check out his online store.
Maybe it's because earthworms were used, or maybe it's because there were new people today who brought good luck.
By noon, most people had caught seven or eight fish.
We weren't going back so soon in the afternoon; we ate lunch on the boat.
We happened to have caught some fresh fish, so we killed and cooked them right there on the boat.
Steamed, braised, and cooked in soy sauce— Qing Mengzhu has eaten quite a lot of fish, but this is the first time she has eaten so many kinds of naturally grown fish.
Fresh wild sea fish is extremely sweet and tender. With a flick of the chopsticks, the snow-white flesh melts on the tongue, bringing an ultimate taste experience.
It was delicious and fun; Qing Mengzhu ate with her eyes squinted, visibly happy.
Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi sat down to eat, and Qing Mengzhu said softly, "I want to come again next time."
Ming Chunxi: "Next time we can rent a boat and come out alone."
Qing Mengzhu: "Let's pick a nice day when the weather isn't too hot, go out to see the sea, enjoy the breeze, and fish. If we get tired of it, we can just let the boat drift on the sea for a while."
Ming Chunxi: "I'll make a note of it. I can try it next time Qiongwei City."
Today's sea fishing trip was mainly recreational. After lunch, they rested for a while before continuing to fish.
Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi were both beginners, but they were very lucky and caught a lot of fish.
However, the most successful angler was one of Mi Yao's friends, a skilled fisherman who, with his excellent technique and very lively earthworms, kept catching fish from the afternoon onwards. In the end, his fish basket was too full to hold all the fish, so he had to borrow one.
When they returned, Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi wanted to split the boat fare with everyone, but the fishing expert refused to take their money, saying that they were welcome to go fishing together next time they Qiongwei.
Qing Mengzhu couldn't refuse the other party, so she had no choice but to agree.
With such a good harvest today, Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi had no intention of selling the fish. Instead, they took all the fish back to the orchard and cooked and ate them with everyone.
The termite mushrooms from this morning are still there; we steamed them in chicken broth and will eat them together tonight.
Tonight's dinner was truly a feast of delicacies; even someone as low-key as Qing Mengzhu couldn't resist taking photos and posting them on her WeChat Moments.
The moment Zhao Hexi saw their post on WeChat Moments, she let out a groundhog scream.
Zhao Hexi called Qing Mengzhu directly, "You guys went fishing today, and caught so many fish?!"