Chapter 60: It's not a big deal

Crossroads.

Gu Anran watched as several vendors approached, her expression instantly tightening.

"Miss, sorry."

"We were wrong before."

"From now on, you can set up your stall anytime; this spot is yours."

"Yeah, we'll watch over it; no one will dare take your spot."

Gu Anran looked astonished.

"If you'd told us you were Boss Gao's sister, we wouldn't dare mess with you, even with a hundred guts."

"Sorry."

"Please forgive us…"

Gu Anran suddenly understood.

Gao Qiangqi was someone she'd never met before; she was Wu An's friend.

She didn't press the issue either, saying a few polite words, and everyone went their separate ways.

The vendors' trouble had bothered her for a long time, something she couldn't resolve, but Wu An settled it offhandedly.

"You helped me with such a big favor, and he didn't even say a word."

Gu Anran muttered softly, perhaps for Wu An it was just a sentence, but for her it was a huge favor owed.

……

Wu An rode the motorcycle, with A Qing sitting behind, looking at the tackle box.

The tackle box belonged to Lao Mai, containing five groupers.

Arriving at the gate, there were many people chatting outside.

At that moment the sky cleared.

After a rain, it was very cool; villagers stood in twos and threes at their doors chatting to pass the time, and seeing the two return on the motorcycle, they gathered curiously.

"Heard you two went fishing?"

"Wow, you caught fish?"

"Wow, they're groupers—one, two, three… five in total."

"You two rascals have good luck—these few groupers could sell for several hundred."

Everyone shouted in surprise, their words full of envy.

Duan Dajie also stood on tiptoe to look, muttering, "They really managed to catch them—what sheer luck."

Mei Yueqin quickly said, "Your clothes are still wet—hurry inside and change."

Wu An answered.

He found a basin, poured out four of the groupers from the tackle box, left one inside, and handed it to A Qing, saying, "Take this back."

"Brother, you've already given me so much money—I don't want the fish." A Qing quickly waved his hands, took the fishing gear from the cargo bed, set it aside, and turned to leave.

"Take it." Wu An paused, then said, "If you keep being polite, don't follow me anymore."

"... Okay." A Qing then took the tackle box, but almost dropped it—his hands were shaking badly; he'd held on this long only by sheer will.

Seeing this, Wu An said, "Get on."

"I'll ride and take you home."

A Qing gave a bitter smile: "Thanks for the trouble, brother."

"What are you talking about." Wu An pushed the bike out again, greeted everyone, and rode off with A Qing.

"This kid really learned well."

"Indeed, one grouper could easily sell for one or two hundred, and giving it to A Qing like that is pretty righteous."

"No matter how good the luck, it's still not a proper job."

"He didn't finish college, and now he's out gathering seafood and fishing—just because luck's good for a moment, can he live off it forever?"

"That's true."

"We still need to find a legitimate livelihood."

Most of the onlooking villagers were simply envious, while a few spoke maliciously; Mei Yueqin pretended not to hear.

"Don't think just because you two are friendly now that you won't fall out eventually."

"I heard that this morning, Lin Bin and Lin Hu started fighting while fishing."

"Yeah, it was brutal—Lin Bin even went to the hospital for stitches."

"What happened?"

"I saw it myself—let me tell you…"

Everyone was instantly drawn in, and they began gossiping.

Mei Yueqin also leaned in to listen.

……

"You made another 1,200 in just half a day?" Li Juan, who'd received the money, quickly counted it, then turned to Wu An and asked, "A An, you and A Qing really just went fishing?"

It wasn't that she was worrying for no reason.

Mainly because the two had changed so much, their luck was too good, and with their priors, she couldn't help but think more.

A Qing opened the tackle box: "Mom, what are you asking?"

"Me and my brother definitely went fishing."

"Look, this is the grouper we kept back and didn't sell."

Li Juan saw the grouper and exclaimed, "This fish could sell for two hundred bucks—you can't keep it to eat!"

Wu An said, "Auntie, keep it."

"We're making money now; we don't lack this one or two hundred."

"I kept four, and I'm giving your family just one—don't take offense."

Li Juan glared: "What are you saying?"

"If we still feel it's unfair, we'd be ungrateful."

"If you're willing to take A Qing, I'd be delighted—no time to lose."

Wu An smiled, got on his bike and left.

A Qing asked, "Mom, how should we cook this fish?"

"Half steamed, half braised." Li Juan looked at the grouper in the catch box, overjoyed: "Such an expensive fish—we haven't had it in years."

A Qing said, "What's this? Brother also caught a Jinxiu lobster."

"Brother also said, when we're better off later and catch something good, we should keep it for us to try first."

Li Juan quickly said, "Then you ought to persuade him a bit."

"Such pricey seafood—better sell it for money."

"If we eat it ourselves, it'll be too hot to handle."

A Qing scratched his head: "I won't persuade him; I think Brother's right."

"Mom, you're my birth mother, but I have to listen to Brother."

"……" Li Juan looked at the money in her hand, shook her head and said nothing more; seeing A Qing yawning, she said, "You've been busy most of the day—go wash up and get some sleep."

A Qing shook his head: "No rush, no rush—I'm just light-headed from eating too much; let me finish your work first."

Li Juan laughed: "This kid……"

……

Wu An rode his bike back home; the villagers who had come to chat had already dispersed. Old Meng sat at the doorstep smoking, greeted him, then rode the bike straight into the courtyard, saying, "Uncle Meng, come over tonight for a drink."

"Sure." Old Meng responded, asking, "Heard you caught several groupers?"

Wu An smiled and nodded: "Just good luck."

After saying that, he went home.

Mei Yueqin saw him return and asked, "You really aren't planning to sell these?"

Wu An said, "No sale."

"These few I deliberately kept."

Mei Yueqin hesitated: "But these fish could fetch a thousand or eight hundred."

Wu An chuckled: "Sister-in-law, I made over ten thousand today—I really don't need that thousand or eight hundred. Besides, groupers are nutritious; eating them is good for the body."

"Good heavens, you weren't just fishing—how could you earn that much?" Mei Yueqin stared in shock: "You've only been out how long? At most half a day."

Wu An nodded.

That's how it is—mainly because we caught a lot of groupers; this fish is extremely valuable, each one worth one or two hundred, and you can pull one up in just a few minutes.

With this money, how could it not be easy to earn?

So he and A Qing can't linger in one spot; they have to move after a shot, otherwise they'd be too conspicuous and invite envy.

So first they need to buy a boat, then a motorcycle; with the boat they can go out to sea, then ride the motorcycle to town to sell the seafood.

Only then can they possibly make a fortune quietly.