"Don't be too grateful to me. If it weren't for my sister's kindness, you would probably be dead today, along with several unborn children... no, you would be completely gone."
Fearing that the other person might not remember what her partner looked like, Gu Lingyu emphasized again before leaving: "You remember, right? She's the prettiest woman, wearing a light blue top and black pants."
"Oh, right, and this is the most important point: you are not allowed to repay this life-saving debt with your body, because I have already repaid it with my body."
Although the giant serpent was just an ordinary beast, all things have spirits. It flicked its tongue at her and hissed a few times.
Satisfied with its response, Gu Lingyu clapped her hands and left the forest.
When she returned to this side of the reservoir, the first net had already been cast in the deep water.
As the net yielded more and more, Mr. Shen's face grew increasingly grim, because the catch was less than a tenth of what he had hoped for.
After a whole morning of work, we only managed to catch less than two thousand catties of fish.
If we follow Mr. Shen's estimate and the harvest is good, this amount will only be enough for one net.
In front of everyone, Mr. Shen said nothing.
It wasn't until noon, when Li Chanchan brought them food, that Mr. Shen pulled them aside.
"What promises did you make to me when you released the fish fry?"
"Uncle, I really didn't expect this..." Shen Zhipeng looked even more anxious and agitated than him. "Look at the fish we caught, they're all quite big, so it's clear that the ones I raised are definitely fine."
Mr. Shen stared at him, his eyes deep. "If you weren't good at raising them, I wouldn't have entrusted such a large reservoir to you in the first place. Pengzi, you quoted me 98,800 yuan for fish fry, if I remember correctly?"
Shen Zhipeng nodded.
"With over 90,000 yuan worth of fish fry, even if we only bought bass, catfish, and grouper, let alone grass carp and crucian carp, there should be at least tens of thousands of them, right? After raising them for more than a year, with today's catch, there should be at least tens of thousands of kilograms, right?"
With his younger brother Shen Xianghua always helping him without complaint, and Shen Zhipeng managing the reservoir well in the past few years, when the other party suggested increasing investment in the reservoir, Shen's father didn't hesitate much and let Shen Zhipeng go ahead and do it.
In addition, it was near the end of the year, and he was busy collecting and reconciling accounts, as well as checking the wages of the people he had hired. He was so busy that he didn't even have time to go to the toilet. So he entrusted the selection and purchase of fish fry to others. It wasn't until the spring of the following year that he went to the reservoir for a couple of walks.
At that time, his nephew made many promises to him.
Who would have thought it would turn out like this?
Shen Zhipeng looked at him and said, "Uncle, it's not very meaningful to say it like that."
Mr. Shen shook his head. “Whether it’s meaningful or not, you should know in your heart. Back then, I released five thousand yuan worth of fish fry, and each catch was worth more than that.”
"Uncle, are you implying that the number of fish fry I bought doesn't match? You were the one who kept the receipt for the fish fry when we bought them. The amount should be adjusted accordingly, with refunds or additional payments as per the receipt. Besides, we've only been fishing in this reservoir this morning; there are still several other places..."
Mr. Chen interrupted him, "Go tell them to cancel the fishing plan this afternoon. Don't waste time."
"...Should we just replace the fish fry with a different batch?"
Mr. Shen didn't answer him directly. Recalling the joke Shen Wuqiu had made to someone that morning, he suddenly had a new perspective on his daughter:
"Now Qiuqiu is in charge of both the mountains and the reservoir. She also has new plans for the reservoir. Go ask Qiuqiu about her plans later."
What do you mean by that?
Mr. Shen glanced at him and said, "Let's go eat first."
Shen Zhipeng wouldn't have it, he insisted on making things clear: "We're all aware of the reservoir's situation. I've put in a lot of effort over the past two years, and I'm definitely more eager for a good harvest than you are. Besides, this reservoir is located above sparsely populated deep mountains, and you saw the snake today..."
The more anxious he was to explain, the more disappointed Mr. Shen became.
Over the years, he has experienced ups and downs, and his current wealth is unparalleled in the village. He is not someone who can't afford to lose.
Even if he doesn't catch a single fish today, all things considered, he'll only lose a couple hundred thousand yuan in the past year and a half, which is really nothing.
He was disappointed that his trust had been betrayed.
After all, they're family. Even for his cousin's sake, he didn't want to make things too ugly. "There's no such thing as a sure thing in this world. I don't mean to blame you. I'm just a little disappointed because my expectations were too high. Alright, let's go eat."
Shen Zhipeng opened his mouth but didn't say anything more, and followed his father to the makeshift shed to eat.
Such a large reservoir, and after a whole morning of work by about twenty people, all they got was this little bit of cargo. Everyone was quite disappointed. They gathered together for a meal and a rest, but they weren't as enthusiastic as they were in the morning.
In comparison, Shen Wuqiu, the true boss, was much calmer. Although the result was worse than she had expected, she was not too disappointed.
For her, the current harvest from this reservoir is not yet part of her business plan. Knowing the worst-case scenario early on will allow her to prepare a countermeasure, which is actually a good thing.
The afternoon fishing trip was cancelled. After lunch, everyone packed up and went home.
As for the two thousand catties of fish caught, the number was too small, and Shen Wuqiu was too lazy to process them herself. She left half to Shen Zhipeng to handle, and her father took the other half to give some to several restaurant owners he knew as a favor. Apart from that, there were about a hundred catties left, which she planned to keep at home.
Shen Wuqiu calculated that this fishing trip would probably be a complete waste of money, and the little money earned would only cover the labor costs.
Clearly, Mr. Shen had also considered this matter in his mind, and on the way back, he kept sighing:
"I originally thought we'd have at least 20,000 jin of fish today, and with the quality of our fish, we should be able to recoup at least 100,000 yuan. Who knew..."
"You don't need to worry about the funds. I've worked away from home for so many years and saved up some money, so I'm not under any pressure for now," Shen Wuqiu comforted her, then asked, "What did your brother tell you?"
“What else can I say?” Mr. Shen got a little angry when he talked about this. He wanted to complain, but then he held back because the driver was an outsider. He changed his words and said, “I am indeed getting old. You should take care of these things from now on. The contract fee for the dam reservoir is not a small amount of money. Although it is a loan guaranteed by the town and there is no rush to repay it, we can’t let it continue to be so unprofitable.”
“Hmm.” Speaking of this, Shen Wuqiu casually shared her thoughts, “Last time I came here, I wandered around and found that the Bashang Reservoir area has beautiful mountains and clear waters, which should attract a group of fishing enthusiasts. I’ll go back to town and ask if we can get a plot of land nearby to build a simple building and set up a fishing club.”
"That might be a bit difficult, as the government now has very strict control over these farmlands and forest lands."
"If it doesn't work out, that's okay. We can go check out the villages around the reservoir."
The daughter's idea was novel, and Mr. Shen was a little taken aback, but he didn't object. "Okay, you can do whatever you want. But right now, you still need to take good care of your health."
"I know that." Shen Wuqiu casually touched her belly. Just as she was about to share her thoughts with her father, Gu Lingyu, who was beside her, became restless and rubbed against her.
"..." Shen Wuqiu hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help frowning and asking, "What's wrong?"
Gu Lingyu glanced at her father, who was sitting on her other side, pursed her lips, and after a long while, finally managed to say, "I feel unwell..."
Shen Wuqiu didn't react immediately, "Motion sickness?"
Gu Lingyu nodded, then shook her head. After thinking for a moment, she leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Sister, give me a kiss."
Seeing their affectionate behavior, Mr. Shen felt a little uncomfortable. "What kind of whispers can't be said in front of me?"
Shen Wuqiu glanced at her father, then looked at Gu Lingyu, hesitated for a while, and then asked the driver to stop the car on the side of the road.
Mr. Chen: "Why are you parking?"
She couldn't very well tell her father that she was going to kiss someone, but she couldn't think of any other excuse. After racking her brains, Shen Wuqiu finally came up with one: "She needs to go to the toilet and wants me to go with her."
"How old are you...?"
He muttered to himself, but didn't stop it.
This is a mountain road, and there aren't many houses nearby.
As soon as Gu Lingyu got out of the car, she quickly pulled Shen Wuqiu toward the woods by the roadside. But before they even got into the woods, she suddenly turned into a white fur ball.
On the other side of the car, the driver hadn't originally intended to peek. He just took the opportunity to open the window, stick his head out, and smoke a cigarette. But what he saw was clearly two people walking, and then in the blink of an eye, he saw only one person.
He thought he was seeing things, so he rubbed his eyes. But when he looked again, he still only saw Shen Wuqiu. He couldn't help but wonder, "She ran way too fast."
Mr. Shen: "Hmm? What are you muttering about?"
"It's nothing. I just clearly saw the two of them walking, but in the blink of an eye I only saw Sister Wuqiu."
Mr. Shen wasn't surprised: "I guess that girl couldn't hold it in any longer. But... why are you staring at those two girls?"
Fearing that Mr. Shen might misunderstand, the driver quickly stuck his head inside, saying, "I was just glancing out casually; I didn't mean anything by it."
Mr. Shen snorted, "Alright, I don't mind you smoking, just don't go out."
Meanwhile, Shen Wuqiu's feelings were incredibly complicated as she looked at Gu Lingyu, who had suddenly turned into a fur ball.
She stared at Gu Lingyu, who was tilting her head back waiting for her kiss, for a long time before reluctantly touching her little kitten mouth.
In the end, the cat was still the same cat.
"..." If she weren't worried about how to explain it to her father, she really would have liked to leave the cat here.
Meow~
"Don't shout! Can't you see my kisses aren't working anymore?"
"Meow~" Gu Lingyu stretched out her paws to cup her face, then leaned in and kissed her.
Several seconds later, Shen Wuqiu finally saw that the cat in front of him finally looked like a human.
"Sister, this is how you kiss someone. You have to open your mouth when you kiss them."
"..."
A note from the author:
I got my period today, so there won't be any extra updates.
Love you all, muah!
Chapter 39 Eating Flowers
When the two returned to the car, one was beaming with excitement, while the other remained expressionless.
Although the expressionless one usually didn't seem to have many other emotions, Mr. Shen still casually asked the one with the animated expression, "Qiuqiu, are you feeling unwell? You don't look too good."
"Doesn't your complexion look good, sister?" Gu Lingyu tilted her head and looked at Shen Wuqiu's face for two seconds. "I think you're fine."
"..." The heartless thing, even Daddy Shen was too lazy to talk to her anymore.
Gu Lingyu blinked, and after a couple of seconds, as if she had thought of something, she added, "Look closely, my sister's complexion is a bit sour; she might be constipated."
My sister's face really looks just like the expression she has when she's constipated.
"..." Shen Wuqiu could no longer bear it. "If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."
Gu Lingyu pouted and said, "Oh."
After a few seconds of silence, Shen Wuqiu still couldn't swallow her anger, and slowly said with her eyes closed, "I was just disgusted by the stench."
Gu Lingyu sniffed hard but couldn't smell anything strange. "What smelled bad, sister? I can't smell anything."
Shen Wuqiu opened her eyes and looked at her. "What do you think?"
Gu Lingyu felt she understood, silently pulled her head back, then hid by the car window, secretly breathed on her palms a few times, and then sniffed them—her breath didn't smell bad, did it?
However, if my partner says it tastes good, then it must taste good. Does that mean we really can't eat meat every day? Should we learn to eat flowers like our mothers?
But flowers taste terrible.