The two brothers-in-law widened their eyes and shouted at the same time, "Fuck, is this true?"
"Such a long kiss, is this really a Chinese sturgeon?"
Ye Yaodong's face was full of joy. "That should be it, right? Let's pull it up and have a look first."
Between September and November every year, the Chinese sturgeon migrates up the Yangtze River from Haikou to the area between the Yangtze River and Pingshan to reproduce.
Every autumn, when the Chinese sturgeons migrate to the Shuojiang River for reproduction, large numbers of them can be caught in all sections of the river.
Ye Yaodong felt that it was no different from the Chinese sturgeon he remembered seeing in the news on his mobile phone, and it was also extremely large in size, so he decided to just assume that it was a Chinese sturgeon for now.
The two brothers-in-law were very surprised. No matter whether it was a Chinese sturgeon or not, it was something to be happy about being able to catch such a big fish.
What if it's true? It should be able to sell for a good price!
After Ye Yaodong dragged the net ashore, he smiled and kicked the still-trembling fish. "It looks like it's about one meter long and quite heavy. There are quite a few river shrimps in it, and they're pretty big."
"Yes, there are a lot of shrimps in this river. We come here every few days to catch some to improve our food supply. We sell the ones we can't finish in town and make some money." Lin Xianghui rubbed his palms excitedly. "Adong, we've caught this fish. Take a closer look and see if it's a Chinese sturgeon?"
Lin Xiangrong also looked at him expectantly.
Ye Yaodong coughed twice and said a little embarrassedly: "Well... Actually, I haven't seen this fish either. I just heard about it. It looks very similar!"
"ah?"
"You were so sure just now, I thought you knew him!"
The two brothers were speechless. They thought he really knew her, but it turned out to be just a guess!
"I think so. You guys quickly get a bucket of river water and put it in the bucket while it's still alive. If it's too big to fit in, at least it can give it a chance to breathe. It's dark now, so it's hard to sell it. You have to keep it until tomorrow morning."
It is better to believe it exists than not to believe it exists. What if it is really a Chinese sturgeon? If it dies and is left overnight, it will no longer be fresh, and that would be a big loss.
Lin Xianghui went to fetch a bucket of river water with great expectations, and put the still struggling big fish into the bucket alone, comforting himself: "Even if this is not a Chinese sturgeon, it can still be sold for some money. It is really too big and very rare here."
"Let's keep it overnight and then take it to the farmer's market in town tomorrow to see if anyone can recognize it?" Lin Xiangrong suggested.
Ye Yaodong pointed at the shrimp cage in his hand and said, "Do you want to put more in? I think there are more than 10 kilograms of river shrimp in the bucket, and there are also many other small fish. You have caught more than half of the bucket just now."
Lin Xianghui shook his head. "No, let's go back quickly. This fish is too big and the bucket is too small. If we delay any longer, it might die easily. Let's take it home and keep it in a water tank."
"Then put on your clothes and let's go back early."
Ye Yaodong said as he put away the shrimp net. The two buckets he brought out were full. If he continued to put out shrimp cages, the catch would have to be put into the cages and taken back. There was enough to eat anyway, so it would be better to go back early to avoid killing the fish due to the small space in the buckets.
After the three of them finished packing, they walked away discussing how much the fish could be sold for.
"I'll get up early tomorrow and go to the farmers' market. It's almost Mid-Autumn Festival and the market is very busy. This fish will definitely sell well."
Ye Yaodong said with a grin, "No matter whether it is true or not, you just insist that this is the Chinese sturgeon. Those who know the goods will naturally bid for it. Don't be silly and say that you don't know what kind of fish it is. You will be easily led by the nose."
Lin Xianghui and Lin Xiangrong were stunned.
"But we're not sure, are we?"
"Then you just insist that it is true! You haven't seen the others, so you may not have seen them."
"That...that's not a lie?"
Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes. "How is this called lying? Maybe this fish is actually a Chinese sturgeon, but you don't recognize it. I'm not sure, but that doesn't mean it's not a Chinese sturgeon, right? If you say it is, then it is?"
The two were confused by what he said, but they also felt it made sense.
Lin Xiangrong smiled awkwardly and said, "Well... we're not very good at talking and selling things. Why don't you go with us tomorrow morning?"
Lin Xianghui also nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, yes, you caught this fish, so you have a share, let's go together. Don't let us sell you cheaply, we can't speak as well as you, and we're really afraid that we'll sell you easily after just a few words."
It's not like I haven't bought things at such a low price before. There are many aunties and grandmas in the farmer's market who are good at bargaining.
Many times when they go to sell fish and shrimp, they are always haggled over by the middle-aged women. They clearly sell fish and shrimp for 50 cents a pound, but it turns out to be 80 cents when people buy two pounds. They just give you 80 cents and leave. You can't just ignore the stall and chase them, otherwise you will lose 20 cents for nothing! 20 cents is a lot!
"After you sell it, you'll give me one third of the money, right? That's no problem. I'll go with you guys at a certain time tomorrow morning." If he was confirmed to have a share, then of course he would contribute.
If they were greedy and wanted to sell it for a share of the money without including him, he wouldn't be able to say anything, after all, it was he who asked to go along, and the two were his brothers-in-law.
"As it should be, this is because your shrimp cage is in a good position, so we were able to catch it. If it were us, we definitely wouldn't put it here, and of course we wouldn't catch it."
"Yeah, if this fish is valuable, it must be shared among three people. My eldest brother and I usually put the shrimp cage together and share the money after selling it."
"It's okay, we are all family, you can do whatever you want..."
Even brothers have to settle accounts clearly, but the words still need to be spoken in a nice way.
The big fish in the water moved, and a splash of water splashed onto Lin Xianghui. He asked excitedly, "Ah Dong, if this is a Chinese sturgeon, how much do you think it would sell for?"
"About a few dozen dollars?"
He didn't really know the prices of Danshui fish, he only knew the common ones, not to mention it was 1982.
If you want to find someone who knows what you are doing, either you are a boss or an official. Maybe you can take it directly to the town government building tomorrow morning? So as not to waste time at the entrance of the farmers' market.
"So many?" the two brothers-in-law asked in unison in surprise.
"Not many. If it's the Chinese sturgeon, it's very rare. Otherwise, why is it called the king of Yangtze River fish? It's very big and its whole body is full of treasures."
Its liver can be used to treat scabies, and the fish meat can be used to replenish deficiency and invigorate qi.
Its bone marrow contains anti-cancer factors, and it is said that "shark fins and sturgeon bones can prolong life and nourish yin and strengthen yang if eaten."
Its swim bladder is called "sturgeon belly", which is rich in gelatin, can be used to prepare high-quality paint and can be used as medicine.
The most valuable thing is the roe of the Chinese sturgeon. The "caviar" made from sturgeon roe has a very high fat content and is regarded as one of the three greatest delicacies in the world.