Chapter 91: Night Fishing for Squid

Seeing Chen Jianhai and the others curiously looking at his cherry tree, Lao Yan laughed:

"You came at the wrong time. The papayas I had earlier were especially delicious, but they're all picked now. Otherwise, you could have had a few, and they would have been fantastic."

As Lao Yan spoke, his face lit up with a smile, and the corners of his eyes crinkled with joy.

The bright sunlight shone on the lush green leaves, making them appear vibrant. The sounds of birds and insects filled the air along the roadside, and colorful flowers bloomed at their feet, making everything look lively and full of life.

While they talked, the three of them walked into Lao Yan's small courtyard. As soon as they entered, Chen Jianhai caught a whiff of the fragrant smell of seafood porridge. Lao Yan's courtyard was small but very clean.

Lao Yan enthusiastically moved chairs to the table and invited everyone to wash their hands and eat.

On the fishing island, there weren't many vegetables, but seafood was as common as vegetables on the mainland.

For fishermen like Lao Yan, cooking seafood mainly involved frying, boiling, and steaming. Although it wasn't as refined as dishes in hotels and restaurants and the variety was limited, this way of cooking preserved the natural flavor of the fish and crabs.

At this moment, the table was already filled with fragrant dishes, including fish, snail meat, and big crabs.

Perhaps Chen Jianhai and the others were thirsty; as soon as they sat down, they all focused on the bowl of eel meatball soup on the table.

Lao Yan's wife, a woman in her forties with a plump, kind face and smiling eyes, served each person. She added some ginger, green onions, vinegar, and pepper to their bowls before ladling in the eel soup. The flavor of the fish soup was instantly enhanced by the vinegar.

Then, Lao Yan's wife placed four cooked eel meatballs into each bowl. These homemade fish balls, though irregular in shape, were exceptionally tender, fragrant, and flavorful, without any fishy taste. They had a rich fish meat texture and a very fresh taste.

Looking at the delicate eel meatballs sitting in the fresh soup, Chen Jianhai couldn't resist. He immediately picked one up and popped it into his mouth.

"Mmm...!"

The meaty texture rolled between his teeth, releasing a burst of savory juice.

The meatballs had very little flour, so they didn't have the chewy texture one might expect. However, they weren't as soft as regular fish balls either. Eating them brought a deep sense of satisfaction.

"I've never had such delicious fish balls!" Xu Bo exclaimed, holding his soup bowl without even lifting his head, putting another fish ball into his mouth with his chopsticks.

Xiao Lang, sweating profusely from eating, finished his bowl of soup and meatballs in no time.

Seeing the three of them eating so happily, Lao Yan's wife smiled kindly, as if she were watching hungry little brothers devouring their food.

"This soup is made from eel bones, very fresh. Try the fish skin next."

...

Soon, the entire table of dishes was almost completely devoured by the three of them.

After downing the last mouthful of soup, Chen Jianhai leaned back lazily in his chair.

*Burp~*

A loud belch escaped.

"That was delicious," Chen Jianhai said, patting his belly and looking at the leftover snail meat on the table with a sigh.

"Blame my uncooperative stomach... I really can't fit another bite."

...

The island inherently had a slow pace of life. 

After a hearty meal, feeling sleepy, the three of them didn't feel like going out. They lay under a tree, taking a nap in the shade. On a small table beside them were freshly washed cherries and other fruits. 

Three coconuts with straws were stacked together like toasting glasses, ready for anyone who felt thirsty to take a sip without even having to move.

It looked every bit like a leisurely retirement life.

"Finally, a break..."

"At this time, I used to be in the kitchen, frantically preparing afternoon tea with my team. Every day felt like a battle," Xu Bo said with a yawn, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"When I used to make noodles for fun, it was enjoyable every day. But once it became work, it was truly exhausting..."

"Tell me about it... I used to be at the store, threading skewers," Xiao Lang said, sounding aggrieved.

Ever since Lang's father made enough money and left the barbecue business to Xiao Lang, he'd been traveling the world with Lang's mother. If his parents were still in Nanjing, he wouldn't be getting up early to go to the morning market just to buy cheap vegetables, not having any time to drive his sports car and meet new girls.

Listening to his friends' sighs, Chen Jianhai couldn't help but sigh himself.

"Who says it's not like that..."

"At this time, I used to be in the hotel lobby, enjoying the air conditioning and afternoon tea while watching the pretty girls on the beach. Now, looking at this green island, it feels pretty nice too."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cherry accurately hit Chen Jianhai on the head.

"Shut up!"

...

In the pleasant afternoon, the three of them dozed in the reclining chairs. Finally, it was around 10 PM.

The heat in the air had gradually dissipated, and a cool breeze blew in from the sea.

After dinner, Lao Yan's wife went to the beach to join other fishermen for a dance, while Chen Jianhai and his friends followed Lao Yan onto a fishing boat to go night fishing!

The waters around Xiaomajia Island were crystal clear and very rich in resources.

Just as people have their schedules, so do the fish in the ocean. With hooks and bait in hand, they sat in Lao Yan's fishing boat and soon arrived at a relatively calm stretch of water.

The sea at night didn't have the beauty and grandeur it showed during the day. 

Apart from the boat's lights, the surrounding sea was pitch black, looking a bit eerie.

Under the calm waves, a lot of fish attracted by the light gathered. During the day, seeing these schools of fish was a pleasure. At night, these fish became prey. 

The dark sea around them gave a thrilling sense of night-time hunting.

"This area has the calmest waters, and it's where the small squid are most abundant," said Lao Yan, experienced and knowledgeable, as he anchored the boat. 

"We usually start by catching small squid. Once we have enough, we use them as bait to catch bigger fish."

"One squid for one big fish."

Lao Yan spoke while baiting his hook and casting it into the sea. 

Immediately, the line quickly unwound, sinking deeper into the water. 

"When fishing for small squid, remember to let the line sink to a certain depth," Lao Yan explained. "Small octopuses only attack live bait, so you have to tease the line, slowly pulling and teasing it repeatedly... Otherwise, the octopus will just leave."

As Lao Yan explained the techniques of squid fishing to Chen Jianhai and the others, he demonstrated it himself. 

Before long, a small squid, squirting ink, was pulled from the sea.