Back to 1980: Farming the Sea and Expanding the Island

"Wow, you've really got quite a haul." Lin Chuan shook out the water monkey's clothes and his eyes lit up when he saw the five motionless moorhens.

The meat of the water chestnut is tender and delicate, making it a rare delicacy among locals and a prized mountain delicacy on their tables.

Decades later, most rails were listed in the national "Three-Protected" list, prohibiting indiscriminate hunting, so it's not so easy to eat them anymore.

"Good stuff," Lin Chuan praised.

"Brother Chuanzi, there's more." Li Jiaye smiled smugly.

Shaking off the clothes, two fat fish immediately slid out, each as long as an arm and weighing about three or four pounds.

Compared to the two men, the loach that Lin Chuan dug up seemed insignificant.

"These are... perch?" Lin Chuan's eyes widened suddenly as he looked at the two fat fish.

A sudden thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately stood up, slapped his thigh, and looked full of regret.

This action startled Shui Houzi and Li Jiaye. "Brother Chuan..." "Brother Chuanzi, what's wrong?...Can't we eat this sea bass?"

Lin Chuan snapped out of his reverie upon hearing this and explained to the two of them, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I just suddenly thought of something."

He patted Jia Ye on the shoulder and laughed, "You're pretty good, kid, you managed to catch such a big sea bass."

Seeing that Lin Chuan was alright, Shui Houzi and Li Jiaye exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hehe! Brother Chuanzi, it's all thanks to the sharp eyes of the water monkeys that we were able to catch them. But right now, the spotted bass are indeed easier to catch than at other times." Li Jiaye smiled shyly.

Lin Chuan nodded and continued cleaning with a shovel.

Li Jiaye is right. It is October now, the season when perch migrate.

Although everyone knows that shallow grassy areas are better for catching sea bass around October.

However, it wasn't until 90 years later that the living habits and migratory characteristics of the spotted sea bass were studied.

In later generations, fishing boats used seine nets to catch tons and tons of sea bass along their migration route.

Lin Chuan suddenly thought of this. If he could find the migration route of the island perch and cast a few nets, he might be able to pay off the work points his family owed by the end of this year.

The sooner he remembered, the sooner he could cast his net. He still had some recollection of where everyone fished for sea bass in his previous life.

After cleaning themselves up, the group gathered around the crackling campfire.

Lin Chuan naturally took on the role of cook, holding loach and crucian carp skewered on reeds.

There were also prepared water pheasants and sea bass, which he skillfully flipped over, with oil dripping onto the fire from time to time, making a "sizzling" sound.

It instantly releases an enticing fragrance that permeates the air.

"Brother Chuanzi, this flavor is absolutely amazing!" Li Jiaye sniffed hard.

Their eyes were fixed on the grilled food, their eagerness making it seem as if they were about to pounce on it at any moment.

"Don't rush, bake it a little longer, it'll taste better when it's fully cooked." Lin Chuan replied with a smile, his hands never stopping as he flipped the food.

Although there are no rich seasonings to enhance the flavor, the aroma of the food itself is enough to whet one's appetite.

The group first shared a few loaches with each person to fill their stomachs; the loaches were freshly grilled and still steaming hot.

Li Jiaye didn't care that it was hot. After a series of "slurping" sounds, only the bones were left in Li Jiaye's hand.

Then they stared longingly at the sizzling, oily water pheasant, their mouths watering.

You know, small fish and shrimp are common, but real meat is a rare treat.

In this time when everyone is short of meat, let alone a rare delicacy like waterhen.

"Alright, Grandpa, here you go, one for each of us." Lin Chuan smiled as he distributed the roasted moorhens to everyone.

"Thank you, Brother Chuan." Water Monkey swallowed hard and quickly thanked him.

On the other side, Li Jiaye couldn't wait to stuff the food into his mouth, mumbling words like "delicious, thank you" through his mouth.

Seeing that everyone had started eating, the old man smiled and then slowly began to eat as well.

Lin Chuan savored the water pheasant, appreciating its tender flavor. He watched as everyone ate every last bit of meat, especially the water monkey, who practically chewed up the bones and swallowed them whole.

Although the old man ate slowly, he finished his meal completely. Lin Chuan watched this scene and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

"There's one left, you guys share it. The spotted bass is done too. Monkey, take two big leaves, I'll divide them up."

The water monkey licked its hands with lingering relish and replied, "Okay, Brother Chuan." With that, it quickly handed the washed leaves to Lin Chuan.

Seeing this, Lin Chuan shook his head helplessly, but a smile remained on his lips. He took the leaves and began to distribute the perch to everyone.

After the meal, everyone rested for a while. Several hours had passed in the blink of an eye after all that work.

During this time, the old man tried drinking the spring water many times, each time with a hint of anticipation on his face, and he always came back smiling.

As the sun gradually set in the west, the horizon was dyed orange-red.

Lin Chuan walked to the water source, slowly squatted down, scooped up a handful of water and smiled, "If this water is still sweet, then we can go back. The water source is right here."

After saying that, he brought the water to his lips and tasted it. As he tasted it, Lin Chuan's brows gradually furrowed.

The water quality is much worse than before. The water holes we dug before had a distinctly sweet taste. Although they are no longer salty now, the water quality has clearly changed.

Seeing this, Shui Houzi and Li Jiaye also took a careful taste, and then looked disappointed. "It's changed again, it's not as sweet as it was at the beginning..."

Li Jiaye muttered, his tone full of frustration.

The old man watched this scene, sighed silently, and subconsciously tapped the pipe in his hand.

Although no one spoke, a sense of disappointment permeated the air.

"The water has changed, but the position is right, which means we're actually closer to the 'bottom of the bowl' now," Lin Chuan said with a smile after silently calculating for a moment.

"The water isn't sweet anymore, but it's not salty either. I guess it's related to the rain the day before yesterday, which caused it to seep in."

Upon hearing this, the water monkey perked up and quickly asked, "Then, Brother Chuan, is this the water's eye?"

"No, since there's still infiltration, it means it's not the ideal location yet, but it should be around here," Lin Chuan said, shaking his head slightly.

Lin Chuan knew in his heart that although he had failed to find the ideal location for the sweet water well again this time.

But through the first two attempts, he became more accurate in judging the position of the lens.

Lin Chuan got up and carefully observed the surrounding terrain again. He looked at the slightly sunken area in front of him, and the more he compared the two, the clearer his mind became.

"Then, Brother Chuanzi, if this isn't the place, should we still dig?" Li Jiaye looked at the sky with some hesitation.

By this time, the sun was gradually setting in the west, the sky was getting darker and darker, and it was almost time for the team to finish work.

"I'm not digging anymore, I've found the right spot," Lin Chuan said calmly and confidently.

Then, he looked at the old man with a smile on his face: "Grandpa, the sweet water well is right under our feet."

It's getting late, let's head back now. We'll come back to the island with our tools later to properly build a well.

The old man stared intently at Lin Chuan, his eyes brightening slightly. He smiled and nodded, "Alright, everyone's tired today. Go back and get some rest."