Food Intelligence King

Chapter 34 Beachcombing and Sending Crabs
After lowering the crab traps and securing the ropes, Chen Zhou walked towards his wife and children.

The mudflats were noticeably more lively.

Chen Taotao changed into her rain boots, rolled up her trousers high, and excitedly waded around in the puddles, her little bottom sticking out. Water splashed all over her face.

The laughter, chuckling and giggling, was carried far away by the sea breeze.

Seeing Chen Zhou approach, Tao Tao raised her muddy little hand, showing off the cat's eye snail the size of a fingernail.

"I just stepped on it!"

Chen Zhou gave her a thumbs up, "Our Tao Tao is awesome!"

Ms. Lin, who was standing nearby, reminded the child, "Don't run around," and "Don't fall."

He reached into the crevice of the reef, gently pried it open with a flathead screwdriver, and broke off a thick oyster.

She also showed it to Chen Zhou.

Chen Zhou laughed and said, "My wife is great too."

His gaze followed the oysters Lin Yifan threw out, then shifted to the small bucket the mother and daughter were using to collect their catch.

When I got closer,
I must say, we gained quite a bit.

The bottom of the bucket was already covered with a layer of shells, and there were a few seashells that Chen Taotao had picked up in the middle.

Before long, the little girl probably had enough fun.

He found a spot on the beach and started digging with a small shovel.

Lin Yifan called her back and had her wash her hands with clean water.

Chen Zhou opened the parasol, and he laid a camping mat on the ground.

The family of three lay down on the embankment.

Chen Taotao squeezed in the middle, taking a bite of the snack her mother handed her on the left and a sip of the remaining milk on the right.

Before long, my eyes were drowsy.

Time, like that pink slipper that's been soaking in the sea for a long time, has become heavy and damp, flowing very slowly.
The sun was gradually rising higher, and my back was getting a little hot.

Chen Zhou stood up, returned to the bridge, and prepared to put away the last few crab traps.

The guy next to him was originally fishing, but thanks to Chen Zhou's bait, he also caught quite a few crabs. So he came over to help Chen Zhou.

The two men untied the knot and pulled the crab trap up.

You can tell from the weight in your hands that it's definitely a bumper harvest.

The fishing buddy had no information, which made him even more excited than Chen Zhou:
"Holy crap, they're all crawling on them!"

Chen Zhou chuckled and reminded him, "You're about to drop your cigarette!"

"Ouch."

After the green-shelled crabs were scooped up, they frantically waved their claws, bumping into each other and making a "clunking" sound, like chestnuts being stir-fried in a pan.

The fisherman's gaze couldn't help but drift towards Chen Zhou's crab trap.

"The crabs are really good today, plump and delicious! I'm benefiting from their goodness too."

Chen Zhou generously shared his bait recipe with him, saying, "Pig liver, milk, you should try it next time."

The older brother was quite interesting; he had a cigarette dangling from his mouth and kept nodding in praise.

When he saw Chen Zhou's gaze fixed on the slippers he had fished up, he began to explain to Chen Zhou:
“I was thinking of catching the other one too, so we could have a pair.”

noon,

As the sun grew scorching, the family of three returned home laden with their catch.

There was a fishy smell in the car, the smell of the sea, you know.

On the drive home, Chen Zhou suggested to his wife, "Let's send some crabs to your parents. We caught so many, we can't possibly eat them all."

Ms. Lin turned her head to the side, "What about Grandpa and Grandma?"

My grandparents also live on the coast, so it's very convenient for them to eat seafood. But Lin Yifan's hometown is inland in Guanzhong, where seafood is very expensive.

So Chen Zhou still thought of sending them some to try first.

Ms. Lin didn't say much, but looked at her schedule and calculated when she could take her child to visit her parents.

Then I brought up a more practical issue with Chen Zhou—

Courier companies will not ship live animals sent by individuals.

"Let me think about it." Chen Zhou still thought of Old Zhang at the vegetable market; his fresh produce store would definitely have a solution.

So when I got home, I stuffed a few large blocks of ice into the styrofoam box that held the crabs, and then went to the market.

Xingfu Farmers Market, Yongjia Fresh Produce.

Zhang Jinsheng saw Chen Zhou approaching from afar, carrying a bag and dragging a cart. He immediately recognized the eight legs inside the bag.

He recalled the words Chen Zhou had left him before leaving earlier that day, and couldn't help but sigh:

"Hey, Brother Chen actually brought me crabs! They look like you caught them yourself!"

Because Chen Zhou's bag was a semi-transparent shopping bag with "Yongjia Fresh Produce" written on it.

Zhang Jinsheng doesn't sell crabs here.

But what Chen Zhou said next made Lao Zhang feel inexplicably disappointed.

"Brother, could you help me send some crabs? I want to send some to my mother-in-law's house."

"Send crabs? Oh, yes, that's possible."

"What a disappointment. It wasn't meant for me after all." Zhang Jinsheng comforted himself. "It's alright. It's a favor if someone gives it to me, and it's their right not to."

You shouldn't ask anything of others.

He suddenly realized why his daughter had been so angry with him yesterday.

He had personally promised to pick up his daughter, but he was twenty minutes late, making his daughter wait for nothing. How could his daughter not be angry?

The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

However, Brother Chen's matter is a different story. He just mentioned it casually this morning, so I don't need to take it seriously.

Besides, this is a client with whom I have business dealings. It's just a small favor, so I should help out.

Old Zhang then forced a smile and asked:
"Brother Chen, where do you want to send it?"

Seeing that Lao Zhang had taken the bag, Chen Zhou couldn't help but laugh and teased, "You're quite conscientious!"

"What do you mean, little brother?"

Upon hearing Chen Zhou's words, Old Zhang immediately wiped the smile off his face.

I helped you, shouldn't I have said thank you first?

However, because Zhang Jinsheng usually spoke in a very harsh tone, Chen Zhou didn't understand what Zhang meant by "What do you mean?".

"I told you this morning to wait for my crabs."

Old Zhang took a moment to react, blinking repeatedly.

"Huh? This is for me?"

“Yes.” Chen Zhou nodded, then pointed to the styrofoam boxes on the cart; those were the ones he was going to mail.

After hearing this, Zhang Jinsheng couldn't help but smile.

Look, he's grinning from ear to ear.

Chen Zhou was still explaining to himself:

"Don't think it's too little. My mother-in-law and her family live in Guanzhong. It's not convenient to get seafood there."

But I picked out a few big ones for you. Didn't you say your daughter loves seafood? Take them home and steam them. Hey, you guys can definitely make it yourselves.”

Zhang Jinsheng thought to himself,
"Forget about helping me send it; even if the courier service were to shut down, I'd drive myself and deliver the crabs to the old lady."

Chen Zhou left his contact information and address, and then chatted with Lao Zhang for a few more minutes.

Tips on raising daughters, crab bait, hog futures.

Etc., etc.

But Chen Zhou wasn't used to Lao Zhang's way of speaking, so he made an excuse and hurried home.

As he walked along the road, he couldn't help but ponder:

Old Zhang is acting strange today. He got angry and argued with the kids, and his personality seems to have become distorted.

What a doting father!

This person is beyond saving.

(End of this chapter)