Chapter 481: Enviably Prosperous

Chapter 481: Chapter 481: Enviably Prosperous

After the lively first-birthday banquet, it wasn’t long before Jinshan Bay’s busiest season arrived.

Under the leadership of their captains, all the boatmen worshiped Mazu, praying for her blessing to ensure their safety and a bountiful return.

On the day the fishing season opened, they also prepared the three traditional offerings to worship the Dragon King.

Han Xiaorui encouraged everyone, "Let’s make this a good one. I hope we have a bountiful harvest."

The sea snakes, having rested for several months, had now grown larger and could herd even more fish.

Han Xiaorui was very confident about this.

Chen Yishui smiled and said, "Don’t worry, Boss. We’ll definitely come back with a full haul."

In the past, many of the boatmen had been resentful. On what grounds could a woman like Chen Yishui become the commander of the entire twelve-ship fleet?

But after every fishing trip, Chen Yishui’s boat always had the best catch and brought in the most money.

The boatmen’s commissions were high, and so were their bonuses.

You couldn’t argue with results.

Besides, the big boss of the entire marine fishing company, Han Xiaorui, was also a woman.

As a result, these quick-tempered boatmen all fell in line.

The boatmen followed the orders of their own captains, and all the captains followed Chen Yishui’s orders.

Of course, if Yang Zhigang or Han Xiaorui were present, the captains listened to them.

Here, men and women were truly equal.

Sometimes, when the men told dirty jokes, the female boatmen refused to be outdone and could retort until the men were red in the face.

However, Han Xiaorui forbade everyone from telling dirty jokes, though regular jokes were fine.

They were all brothers and sisters weathering the same storms, so there was no need for insults. They were to act with civility.

During this closed season, Han Xiaorui’s fishing company had added four more boats, bringing the total to sixteen.

Now, as they all set out to sea, leaving the docks together, it was a magnificent sight.

Not only did Uncle Liu, the old village secretary, come to watch, but even Grandma Chen San came, leaning on her cane, to see the fishing boats leave port.

"It’s been so many years. Our Jinshan Bay is starting to prosper again," Uncle Liu said with a smile. Seeing the village thrive made him happier than anyone.

Grandma Chen San chuckled. "That’s right. As soon as they heard our boats were heading out, the bosses from the seafood wholesale market all showed up."

Uncle Liu said proudly, "If they don’t come, they won’t get their hands on the good catch later."

Grandma Chen San nodded. "Yes, these good days are truly good! I used to think that at my age, I’d have no regrets if I died. But now that life is so good, I don’t want to die at all."

Uncle Liu nodded again and again. "Me too. I want to live another hundred years of these good days."

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui smiled and said, "In our village, the old are supported and the young are nurtured. It’s all because our elders have set such a good example. We young people will continue to learn from you."

Grandma Chen San gripped Han Xiaorui’s hand and didn’t let go. With the economic reforms, Shencheng was developing faster than other places.

It was supported by its geography, transportation, government policies, and other factors.

Jinshan Bay was also developing along with it, but without Han Xiaorui, it definitely wouldn’t have developed so quickly or so well.

Now in Jinshan Bay, not only had the fishing industry been saved from decline, but aquaculture was also booming. There was also a water park and an aquarium built in cooperation with the neighboring village.

There were commercial streets, scenic promenades, island development, and more.

The residents of Jinshan Bay felt that the changes in the past two years were greater than those of the previous twenty or thirty years.

They had originally expected the return trip to take a week, but unexpectedly, the Jinshan Bay fleet came back after just four days.

Yang Zhigang led the fleet, and they returned with a full haul.

Everyone was jubilant. They all felt that fishing was much easier now. It wasn’t like before, when they had their own boats and often came back empty or with only a small catch, losing money on the trip.

Now, not only were they not losing money, they were making a lot on every trip.

However, everyone believed this was due to the benefits of the closed season.

After all, the four-month and twenty-day moratorium gave marine life time to rest and recuperate, allowing small fish to grow up and big fish to grow even bigger.

Upon receiving the telegram, Han Xiaorui immediately had the fishing company’s support staff prepare hot water and food, ready for the crew to eat as soon as they arrived.

Not all the boats in the fleet had a cook, and even if they did, being at sea meant they mostly brought along non-perishable ingredients.

How could that compare to the variety available on shore?

Through small gestures like this, Han Xiaorui showed her care for the boatmen.

Once the seafood purchasers learned the fleet would be docking in two hours, they all rushed over to wait.

A chubby, round-faced wholesaler said while smoking, "My phone’s been ringing off the hook with people rushing me! I thought we’d have to wait another two days, but I didn’t expect them back so soon."

A thinner buyer next to him said with a sigh, "Two years ago, the fishing industry in Jinshan Bay was in decline. Our wholesale market almost went out of business."

"And now, in just two short years, Jinshan Bay has gone from having only Boss Yang’s single large ship to a fleet of sixteen. Every time they return with a harvest of several hundred tons, our seafood wholesale market has quality stock and is booming again!"

"And it’s not just the seafood wholesale market that’s booming! Look at those commercial streets, my god! They’re built so beautifully! The lights, the design—so stylish! I’ve traveled abroad, and the seaside in France might not even be as bustling as our commercial streets here!"

Another seafood buyer chimed in, "The shops on that commercial street are incredibly profitable, and the prices have already gone up! I tried to buy one, but they won’t sell! Only people with a Jinshan Bay household registration can buy one! And each household is only allowed to buy a single storefront!"

The person next to him gasped. "Buying one is a guaranteed profit! I tried to buy one too, even tried pulling some strings, but it was no use! This is a benefit President Han is giving to the people of Jinshan Bay. Just because of this, the people of Jinshan Bay will have better lives than people elsewhere!"

The chubby buyer said, "My wife’s younger brother is from Jinshan Bay. His family already bought one shop with money they borrowed from me. To try and buy another, my brother-in-law split his household registration from his parents. They weren’t the only ones to try it, but President Han announced that eligibility is based on the original household registrations."

Others agreed. "Of course she has to do that! Otherwise, if one family splits into several households, where would they find enough shops to sell to all of them? Besides, anyone can see how valuable these properties are. It would be more profitable for President Han to just rent them out instead of selling them!"

"Instead of trying to pull strings to buy a place here and failing, you’d be better off trying to buy something in the neighboring White Crane Village! That’s where the water park and aquarium are. If you could get a shop around there, it would be extremely profitable, whether you run a business yourself or just rent it out."

...

Amidst everyone’s excited discussion and sighs, the sixteen large ships sailed into the harbor one after another.

Uncle Liu, the old village secretary, really knew how to mark an occasion. He had specifically bought a 10,000-shot roll of firecrackers and set them off.

The chattering crowd immediately swarmed forward, looking for familiar faces to buy the seafood they wanted.

This was the first return to port since the fishing season opened. For this seafood, getting your hands on it was a guaranteed profit. There were no worries about finding buyers.