212: Enthusiastic Aunt

“Oh dear! My apologies, ladies. It’s my fault. Let me ask my sister if she has any left. If she does, I’ll go get it for you.”

Mother Yang, Zheng Jin, said, a little embarrassed.

Just then, Yang Qi walked behind his mother and said, “Mom, I’ll call Bai Xue and ask.”

Yang Qi called Bai Xue and learned that she still had about forty catties of Manta Ray. He then told his mother.

Zheng Jin asked the two Women; one wanted ten catties, and the other wanted eight catties.

“Alright, two Northeast Aunties, please wait here for a bit. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

Yang Qi smiled and nodded at the Northeast Auntie, then drove off towards Bai Xue’s place.

The Northeast Auntie watched Yang Qi’s retreating figure and said to Zheng Jin, “Little sister, is that your fisherman son?”

“Yes, that’s him. He just got back from sea this afternoon. He was supposed to be sleeping at home, but I didn’t expect him to come here,” Zheng Jin replied.

“Are fishermen so rich these days? That car isn’t cheap! Your son is really impressive,” the Auntie said, a little surprised.

“Hmm, he’s alright! My son is lucky; he even has two boats,” Zheng Jin said proudly, hearing someone praise her son.

In a flash, Yang Qi arrived at Bai Xue’s side.

“Bai Xue, I’m here to get the Manta Ray meat.”

“Here, I’ve already portioned it out for you—one bag of ten catties and one bag of eight catties,” Bai Xue said, pointing to two plastic bags beside her.

“How’s the selling going?” Yang Qi greeted Chen Lanying and Bai Lang, then asked.

“It’s going pretty well. There’s still about seventy or eighty catties left. The peak time for buying vegetables hasn’t arrived yet, so there’s no rush,” Bai Xue replied with a smile.

On their side, Bai Xue and her mother were responsible for selling fish and collecting money, while Bai Lang butchered the fish.

It seemed both sides were selling at a similar pace. Yang Qi was worried the two Aunties at his mother’s stall might wait too long.

So, he didn’t dare to linger. After greeting everyone, he immediately grabbed the bags and rushed off.

Bai Xue and the others were confident they could sell the remaining twenty catties of Manta Ray, so he didn’t take any more to his mother’s stall.

When he returned to his mother’s side, he found seven or eight more people gathered at the stall buying fish, all seemingly from the neighborhood.

Because of the enthusiastic Northeast Auntie, she had been busy greeting all the neighbors, constantly introducing the fish as purely wild, fresh, and not expensive.

“What an enthusiastic Auntie!”

Yang Qi handed the Manta Ray meat to his mother, who weighed it in front of him and gave it to the two Women.

It was evident that Chen Lanxin was very skilled at butchering fish; she could process a fish in just a few movements.

Because most customers would ask for the fish to be cleaned before taking it home, even with her speed, there was always a queue for fish cleaning, leaving her with virtually no free time.

Several more waves of people came and went, and the catch was almost entirely sold out, with only one Mahi-Mahi and about three catties of Balang Fish remaining.

Checking the time, it was almost 5 PM. The Northeast Auntie bid farewell to his mother, saying she needed to go home to make dinner.

His mother put the remaining fish in a plastic bag and chased after the Auntie, insisting she take it home.

Yang Qi saw the two middle-aged Women on the other side of the road, pushing and shoving like they were fighting. In the end, his mother had the upper hand and ran back to the stall.

The three of them packed up the stall and drove towards Bai Xue’s location.

Upon arriving, they saw there was less than ten catties of fish left. Just then, someone came to buy fish, and they sold it all to her for twenty yuan a catty.

Six people, two cars, packed up their things and drove towards Qingshan Town.

On the way, Mother Yang told Yang Qi about the recent happenings at home.

Yang Qi sighed, feeling that Uncle had hit the jackpot by finding a melo pearl, and was also happy for him finding love.

One could say that by bringing Uncle here, he had changed Uncle’s life.

“Mom, so Bai Xue’s Little Aunt will be my Uncle’s wife now, right?” Yang Qi asked with a smile.

“That’s right. The date has been chosen; it’s the same day as your engagement. Sigh! Now your grandparents won’t have to worry about him anymore,” his mother, Zheng Jin, sighed. The whole family had truly worried themselves sick over her younger brother’s marriage.

“Oh! Son, now that your Uncle’s wife is helping us sell fish, don’t you think we should include her in the earnings?”

“You all can discuss that and decide; I won’t interfere,” Yang Qi replied.

“Hmm, I do need to discuss it with your mother-in-law. I expect she’ll agree. After all, they’re cousins, aren’t they? And now she’s my sister-in-law; they’re all family now.”

“Besides, Lan Xin always drives to the The City and helps butcher fish. She doesn’t do any less work. I think she absolutely must get a share so she can earn some money for baby formula, ha ha ha.”

Yang Qi also felt his mother’s words made sense. After all, they were all family, so it didn’t matter.

Back in Qingshan Town, everyone gathered for dinner.

At the dinner table, Zheng Jin brought up the idea of giving Chen Lanxin a share of the fish selling income.

Bai Xue’s mother immediately nodded in agreement: “She should. Lan Xin has been busy, so she should have a share.”

Chen Lanxin was a little embarrassed: “Big sister, there’s no need for that. We’re all family; I’m just lending a hand.”

Zheng Jin took her hand: “Lan Xin, don’t be polite with me. You’ve put in a lot of effort, so you must get a share.”

Everyone chimed in, and eventually, the matter was settled.

After dinner, Yang Qi and Bai Xue took a stroll to the large rooftop balcony of their new home. Yang Qi looked at Bai Xue and said with a smile, “As the saying goes, a harmonious family prospers. Now, everything at home is going smoother and smoother. In the future, the harvests from our two boats will only get better and better.”

Bai Xue leaned on his shoulder and said softly, “Hmm, with everyone working together, there will definitely be no problems.”

The two looked at each other and smiled, full of anticipation for the future. And this small family, in these ordinary days, continued to write their own story of happiness.

Yang Qi told Bai Xue about his experience of catching Bluefin Tuna these past few days, which made Bai Xue incredibly envious.

Bai Xue also told Yang Qi about all the recent events at home, in great detail.

When she spoke of Uncle and Chen Lanxin’s story, it made Yang Qi burst into laughter, “Hahahaha.”

Bai Xue even whispered to Yang Qi that she saw Uncle and Little Aunt kissing one night.

“So, did you see them kiss as well as we do?” Yang Qi whispered into Bai Xue’s ear.

Bai Xue’s fair face instantly turned red, overcome with shyness: “I’m not talking to you anymore. I don’t know; I forgot.”

“Oh! You forgot? Then let me help you remember!”

Yang Qi tightened the hand he had around Bai Xue’s shoulder, gently pulling her into his embrace.

Their eyes met, slowly drawing closer. With only each other in their gaze, their lips met, and love surged like a tide, irresistible.

In that moment, it was as if time itself had stopped.

In the darkness, only their heartbeats and breaths intertwined into a moving melody, telling the story of their love.