Chapter 9: Valuable
When Lu Ao turned back into a lizard, a small portion of the line attached to the fish arrow was still wrapped around him.
The giant grouper was still struggling.
However, his wetsuit, fins, and everything else had all fallen off and been lost.
His mask, snorkel, and the rest were gone too.
Right now, he was nothing but a smooth, naked lizard, his body tangled in messy fishing line, being dragged forward by a huge giant grouper.
In all his life, Lu Ao had rarely ever been this miserable.
A bit of anger rose in his heart. With a wave of his claw, he forcefully yanked the giant grouper toward himself.
He had originally thought he would not be able to move it, but to his surprise, the giant grouper was directly dragged into a tumble by him!
In his lizard form, dragging the giant grouper actually did not take much effort.
Lu Ao was a little surprised, but he quickly calmed down again and dragged the giant grouper as he swam forward.
His lizard form seemed to have grown a little larger than before. Even his claws had grown somewhat longer.
The giant grouper, which had originally possessed enormous strength, now only felt moderately strong to him.
Lu Ao gritted his teeth and directly pulled the giant grouper toward the shore.
The giant grouper struggled wildly, but it could not break free at all.
Lu Ao simply moved closer to the giant grouper, grabbed its lower jaw with his claws, and dragged it forward as he swam.
The giant grouper was much larger than Lu Ao, and its body was longer as well, yet it still could not break free.
After more than ten minutes, Lu Ao finally succeeded in dragging the giant grouper to the shore.
He lay on the shore, panting hard for a while. Then, recalling the feeling from last time, he changed back into human form.
A moment later, he stood up in human form and staggered over to the large giant grouper stranded by the shore, removing the fish arrow stuck in its body.
The giant grouper weakly flicked its tail. Lu Ao stretched out both hands and directly dragged the large giant grouper into his arms.
This giant grouper was extremely heavy, at least around eighty jin. Not only was it heavy, it was still struggling constantly.
Lu Ao’s hands and feet were weak. Holding the giant grouper, he walked with great difficulty. After much effort, half-dragging and half-carrying it, he threw the giant grouper into the tide pool where he stored fish.
With a splash, the giant grouper fell into the water. It flicked its tail, stirred up a spray of water, and then lay low at the bottom.
The tide pool that could usually hold more than ten fish was filled almost completely by this single giant grouper.
Seeing the giant grouper stay quietly in the tide pool, Lu Ao let out a breath and finally relaxed completely.
Lu Ao’s wetsuit had already come off and fallen into the sea when he transformed into a lizard just now. Right now, he was naked. Under the morning light, he could not care about feeling embarrassed and directly collapsed beside the tide pool.
The reef was a little hard against his backside. He only sat beside it, panting lightly, narrowing his eyes as he gazed at the brilliant fiery-red dawn clouds on the horizon. He felt that life was infinitely beautiful.
After resting for quite a while, he jumped into the tide pool and removed the steel arrow from the giant grouper.
After tidying everything up, he placed the steel arrow together with the clothes and shoes he had taken off before entering the water. Then he dove back into the sea to look for his wetsuit.
The wetsuit he had bought was not expensive. Even if he could not find it, it would not be a huge loss. But if he did not retrieve it, leaving it in the sea would make it marine trash, which was extremely unfriendly to the marine environment.
Lu Ao entered the water. More than twenty minutes later, he found his wetsuit and fins, but his mask and snorkel were gone.
He swam several circles around the area but truly could not find them, so he could only give up.
He went ashore and rested again.
Lu Ao found the phone he had hidden away, turned it on with sore, weak hands, and checked the time.
He had come to fish a little after five this morning. It was now just past eight.
Lu Ao let out a breath, slowly put on his clothes, slipped on his shoes, and sent Lin Manzhang a WeChat message: Brother Zhang, have you finished fishing? I caught a large giant grouper. Can I borrow two oxygen machines?
—How big is the giant grouper?
Lu Ao looked at the words on his phone, glanced at the giant grouper in the tide pool beside him, and replied: Probably seventy or eighty jin.
—How big?!
Lin Manzhang’s disbelief practically overflowed from the screen. Before Lu Ao could reply, he directly called. “Hello, Lu Ao? You really caught a giant grouper weighing seventy or eighty jin?”
“Should be around that. Come take a look and you’ll know.”
Lin Manzhang immediately answered, “All right. Wait there. I’ll come with Gongshang and the others right away!”
“Mm.” Lu Ao paused. “Brother Man, if it’s convenient, could you bring me some food too?”
“No problem. Wait there. I’ll be right over.”
After hanging up, Lin Manzhang turned to his wife, who was watching TV, and said, “Lu Ao caught a large giant grouper. He’s probably exhausted. I’m going to bring him some food.”
Lin Manzhang’s wife had met Lu Ao a few days earlier. Hearing that it was Lu Ao, she immediately said, “Don’t take instant noodles. There’s still half a roast duck in the fridge. Heat it in the microwave and take it to him.”
Lin Manzhang put the instant noodles back and said, “I’m going to notify Gongshang and the others. Help me heat it up.”
“Fine, fine. Go.”
Lin Manzhang’s wife paused the TV and went to heat rice and dishes.
Afraid that Lu Ao would not have enough to eat, she specially opened five packs of braised eggs and one pack of pickled mustard greens, heated them together, and finally packed them into a large lunchbox filled to the brim. It weighed at least four or five jin.
Lin Manzhang took the lunchbox, weighed it in his hands, and looked at his wife, feeling a little gloomy. “You really are my dear wife.”
“He has low blood sugar, doesn’t he? He should eat more.” His wife made no attempt to hide her fondness for Lu Ao and instructed him further, “Old Zhang, bring a bottle of coconut milk too. Take the big one. Lu Ao is probably thirsty too.”
Ordered around by his wife, Lin Manzhang took a large 1.5-liter bottle of coconut milk, put it together into a bag, tossed it into the vehicle bed where the water tanks and oxygen equipment were, and drove off to pick up Lin Gongshang and the others.
Before long, Lin Manzhang and the other three arrived at the reef area.
While waiting for them, Lu Ao had gone back into the sea and gathered quite a few snails and sea urchins, placing them all together on the shore.
“Lu Ao—” Lin Manzhang and the others came over carrying the water tanks and oxygen equipment. “We’re here.”
Lu Ao truly had no strength left at all. Too lazy to speak, he simply waved his hand.
The others came over and joined him.
Lin Gongshang asked, “Where’s the giant grouper you caught?”
Lu Ao casually pointed at the tide pool beside him, took the bag from Lin Manzhang, thanked him in a low voice, and directly opened the lunchbox, eating in large mouthfuls. He also twisted open the coconut milk and took a big drink.
Lin Gongshang lowered his head to look at the tide pool beside him. After seeing it clearly, he was badly startled. “Holy shit! Has this giant grouper become a spirit?! Why is it so huge?!”
The others were drawn by his voice and instinctively looked toward the tide pool. The large giant grouper was startled by their movement and flicked, splashing them all over with water.
The group gathered around the tide pool and examined it carefully for quite a while, as if looking at a treasure.
Lin Gongshang could not help turning to look at Lu Ao. “How did you pull up such a huge giant grouper? You’re way too badass!”
Lu Ao swallowed the food in his mouth and said, “It took a lot of effort. It panicked and swam toward the shore by mistake, then finally rushed onto the shore and stranded itself. That was how I caught it.”
“I knew it. Who could catch a giant grouper this big?” Lin Gongshang crouched beside the tide pool, so envious his eyes were almost red. “Your luck is really damn good. With just this one fish, that’s over ten thousand yuan in hand.”
Lin Manzhang disagreed. “A giant grouper this big is too dangerous.”
Lu Ao nodded. “I originally wanted to let go. It rushed toward the shore on its own, so I took a gamble.”
Lin Manzhang sighed. “Be more careful next time.”
“Mm. I won’t take risks next time.”
Lin Manzhang filled the water tank with seawater. “Let’s carry the fish to the vehicle first?”
Lu Ao put down the lunch he had only eaten halfway. “Mm. Sorry to trouble you.”
Seeing that he wanted to help, Lin Gongshang chased him away. “Eat your food. We’ll do it. We haven’t seen such a big giant grouper before, so this is a good chance to enjoy handling it.”
Lu Ao did not stand on ceremony with them either. He sat back down and continued eating.
Before long, everyone finished moving the fish, and Lu Ao had almost finished eating too. He stuffed the last mouthful of rice and dishes into his mouth, dumped the bones into the sea, and said, “I also gathered some sea urchins and snails. I’ll treat you all to drinks tonight.”
Lin Gongshang happily responded, “Sure. Tonight, you can also share with us exactly how you caught this fish.”
The group finished packing up. Lin Manzhang drove toward Lu Ao’s house, while the others walked.
Lu Ao was only half full, and he had lost strength several times just now. At this moment, even his walking was lazy.
Even though he was slowly strolling forward, his bearing still looked extremely good.
The people beside him all looked at him. Lin Gongshang said enviously, “Even if you eat a bit too much, with looks like yours, you won’t have to worry about finding a wife.”
Lu Ao lifted his eyelids. “Even without these looks, I wouldn’t have to worry.”
“That’s true. After all, you can make money.”
What Lu Ao had meant was that he did not need to marry a wife at all. As a gay man, maybe someone else would marry him instead. But in front of these grown men, it was not easy to say so directly.
He simply shut his mouth and did not mention it.
The group returned to Lu Ao’s house and carried the giant grouper into the courtyard.
Lin Manzhang called out, “Where’s the scale? Quick, quick, quick, bring out the scale and weigh this giant grouper!”
Not only was he curious, everyone who had come along was curious too. The moment they heard him call out, they hurried into Lu Ao’s living room, carried out the scale, and placed it in the courtyard.
The giant grouper was being kept in the water tank and had not died yet.
Lin Gongshang and the others all went to grab it in a flurry. The giant grouper was wet and slippery, and it struggled with great strength. Even with Lin Manzhang and the other three using all eight hands together to pull at this huge giant grouper, they nearly could not hold it down and were splashed all over.
After much difficulty, they finally hauled the giant grouper out and placed it on the scale.
The scale’s electronic display immediately showed the exact weight: 83.8 jin.
“Damn, it really is over eighty jin.” Lin Gongshang wiped the water from his face hard. His eyes were almost popping out, and his face was full of both envy and jealousy.
Lin Manzhang patted his shoulder from the side.
Lu Ao was collapsed on the chair beside them and did not want to move.
Seeing that even his face had turned pale, Lin Manzhang helped put the giant grouper back into the water tank and said, “Rest for a while first. We’ll go to the pier to sell the fish later.”
Lu Ao slumped in the chair and asked, “What about your fish?”
“We didn’t catch much this morning. We already sold everything in town.”
“Then are you going fishing again this afternoon?”
Lin Manzhang waved his hand. “No. We’ll go with you to join the excitement.”
After Lu Ao had rested, they did not delay any further. They directly drove the small agricultural tricycle toward Longxiang Pier.
Lin Manzhang had been worried the whole time that this large giant grouper would die, but unexpectedly, the giant grouper had very strong vitality. Since they kept the oxygen running the whole way, by the time they reached Longxiang Pier, the giant grouper was still lively and kicking.
Lin Manzhang parked the vehicle directly outside Deyu Fish Shop.
For fishermen who went out to sea early, some set off at night, and from a little past three in the morning, many fishmongers would already be waiting here at the pier.
When they arrived, there were many people at the pier, and quite a few people were in Deyu Fish Shop as well.
Lin Gongshang pushed open the vehicle door, jumped down, and shouted excitedly inside, “Brother Niu, we brought a giant grouper!”
Niu Deyu was weighing fish with some fishermen. Hearing him, he quickly poked his head out. “Wait a moment, I’ll be right there.”
Lin Gongshang shouted again, “A super-large giant grouper, still alive! Come quick!”
Niu Deyu could not help feeling itchy with curiosity. He handed the bill in his hand to the worker under him, walked out, and asked, “How large is super-large?”
Lin Manzhang happened to open the back of the vehicle. He, Lu Ao, and Lin Guixiao carried out the water tank holding the giant grouper together.
The giant grouper was shaken and began struggling, sending countless splashes of water smacking everywhere.
When the passersby nearby heard the movement, they all came over to watch the fun. Countless pairs of eyes instantly fixed eagerly on the dark brown fish with yellowish-brown patterns.
“This really is a giant grouper?!”
“Look at those patterns. If it’s not a giant grouper, what else could it be?”
“I’ve been fishing for over thirty years, and this is the first time I’ve seen such a large wild giant grouper. It is wild, right?”
“It is. Look at its tail.”
Niu Deyu hurried over, waving his hand as he craned his neck to look through the crowd. “Hey, make way, let me have a look?”
Once he saw the giant grouper in the water tank clearly, he was badly startled. “Ho! This giant grouper really is big!”
Niu Deyu had originally thought it would only be thirty or forty jin. He had not expected that, at first glance, this giant grouper would be as sturdy as a little pig. If someone said it weighed over a hundred jin, people would believe it.
He widened his eyes in disbelief and looked at Lin Manzhang. “Manzhang, did you guys catch it?”
“Not us. Lu Ao caught it by himself.” Lin Manzhang pointed at Lu Ao and said with a laughing sigh, “How could we have that kind of ability?”
Everyone’s gaze focused on Lu Ao.
Lu Ao explained, “It was luck too. At the time, the giant grouper was injured and rushed straight toward the shore. It got stranded in shallow water, and I pulled it up.”
Everyone looked at the giant grouper and sure enough, saw dragging marks beneath its belly.
Niu Deyu rubbed his hands and hurriedly greeted them. “Luck is also part of skill. Hurry, come in and sit. I’ll call the people from Jiacheng Grand Hotel first.”
Lu Ao nodded and went with Lin Manzhang and the others to carry the large giant grouper into the fish shop.
The fishermen around them did not disperse and could not help asking around.
“Where did you catch such a big giant grouper?”
“How much will this giant grouper sell for to Jiacheng Grand Hotel?”
“I heard it’s 188 yuan per jin.”
“Isn’t that the price for dead ones? This giant grouper is so big, and it’s still alive. No matter what, the price should go up a little, right?”
“Exactly.” Someone nearby even took advantage of the chaos to poach the deal. “Handsome, I’ll take this large giant grouper for 190 yuan per jin. Sell it to me.”
Niu Deyu was making the call. One ear was listening to the person on the phone, while the other was listening to someone poaching his deal. He hurried out, covered the receiver, and shouted with wide eyes, “Hey, we reserved it first! Don’t cut in!”
“When selling fish, what’s this about reserved or not reserved? Highest price gets it. You bought other people’s giant groupers for 188, and this giant grouper has such good quality and is still alive, yet you’re offering 188 too. Then this handsome guy is definitely losing out.”
“We didn’t say that was the final price. We’ll definitely raise it a bit. We’ll talk after the hotel people see it.”
Lin Manzhang and the others had worked with Niu Deyu for a long time, and Lu Ao actually had no intention of changing partners.
But Niu Deyu was still uneasy. After finishing the call in a few words, he hurried over and pulled them inside to drink tea. “You haven’t eaten lunch yet, right? I’ll order lunch for you. Same as last time, more food?”
Lin Manzhang laughed. “Lu Ao can eat quite a lot, so the more, the better.”
“It’s good to be able to eat. People who can eat have great strength.” Niu Deyu quickly told a young worker in the shop to go next door and buy lunch, then took out good tea leaves to brew tea for them.
Before long, lunch was delivered, and Niu Deyu ate and chatted with them.
Very soon, the people from Jiacheng Grand Hotel also arrived. Niu Deyu breathed a sigh of relief. Lu Ao and the others had just about finished eating, so Niu Deyu hurriedly greeted both sides. “Manager Shen, you’re here? Have you eaten lunch?”
Manager Shen’s mind was entirely on the large giant grouper, and he quickly waved his hand. “I have.”
Niu Deyu introduced them. Manager Shen hurriedly shook hands with them, then asked impatiently, “Where’s the giant grouper? I want to see the fish first.”
“It’s inside. Come, come, come. Follow me.”
Selling the fish was the important thing. Lin Manzhang quickly followed them over. Seeing that Lu Ao was still elegantly yet swiftly finishing the last pancake, he hurriedly tugged him, signaling for him to hurry over.
Niu Deyu led Manager Shen to the fish tank.
Manager Shen had been mentally prepared, but when he saw this large giant grouper, he was still greatly startled. “This big? And it’s still alive?”
Niu Deyu looked proud, as if sharing in the honor, and smiled. “Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have called you over in such a hurry. I’ve run this fish shop here for over thirty years, and this is the largest wild giant grouper I’ve ever seen. It’s even rarer that it’s still alive.”
Surrounded by so many people, the giant grouper flicked its tail and splashed up a spray of water.
Manager Shen quickly stepped back, the amazement in his eyes deepening. “This giant grouper is very lively.”
“Yes, very lively. If it’s kept properly, keeping it until your giant grouper banquet won’t be a problem.”
Manager Shen looked the giant grouper over several times and did not hesitate. He turned to Lu Ao and asked, “Mr. Lu, are you selling this giant grouper?”
“Yes.”
Lin Manzhang quickly added, “That still depends on your price. Just now, someone outside was willing to offer 190 per jin.”
Manager Shen pondered for a moment, then said, “How about this? We’ll buy it at 200 per jin. This is the highest price I personally can offer. For a giant grouper this big, despite how loudly that man shouted, it actually isn’t easy to sell.”
Ordinary wild giant grouper usually sold for only around 130 or 140. For such a large giant grouper to sell at this price was already very good.
Everyone’s gaze turned to Lu Ao’s face.
Lu Ao lowered his head and thought briefly, then agreed. “All right.”
“Hahahaha, good. Let’s weigh it first.”
Lin Manzhang and the others called out and put in their strength, carrying the water tank, water included, onto the floor scale.
After deducting the tare weight, they then lifted the giant grouper over to weigh it.
The electronic screen on the floor scale clearly displayed the weight: 42.2 kilograms.
Calculated, that was 84.4 jin.
It was a few hundred grams heavier than when Lu Ao and the others weighed it at home, possibly because of the water.
Manager Shen wiped the sweat from his forehead, then tapped rapidly on the calculator, muttering, “84.4 jin, 200 per jin. That comes to 16,880 yuan. Check if that’s right?”
Lu Ao nodded. “That’s right. That’s the price.”
One of the onlookers nearby could not help sighing softly, “Damn—one fish worth more than sixteen thousand yuan.”
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