The harvest was quite good, but Li Haochen had no intention of letting the Space Sea go.
After his parents' accident, Li Zijian had helped him a lot. Now that he was home, he would feel guilty if he didn't share his earnings with Li Zijian.
He didn't keep the mud snails for himself, though. It was only a few catties of product, barely enough to share as a meal. They only cost a few yuan a catty, so selling them to him would be embarrassing. It was better to throw them into the Space Sea.
These creatures reproduced incredibly fast. A few catties thrown in could multiply several times, even more than ten times, within a year.
Generally, snails the size of eggs were the most delicious. The larger they got, the less palatable they became, their meat tough. They were most flavorful in autumn and winter, their meat red, sweet, and perfect for baking.
"The tidal flats in the Space Sea are so vast. It's a waste not to cultivate more things there. I should find a day to put some mud snails in," he mused.
Indeed, the tidal flats within the Space Sea were practically boundless, and they grew every day. Even if it was only a few tens of centimeters a day, that was over a hundred meters a year. It was unimaginable.
The ten bamboo poles he had planted last time, over ten meters in length, only looked like a small dot from afar. Without eighteen thousand of them, you wouldn't notice anything. It was hard to fathom.
Besides mussels, Li Haochen was also keen on farming oysters. Known as the "gas station for men and beauty salon for women," their price was steadily increasing, and demand was enormous, especially among barbecue restaurants. Even medium-sized oysters, with shells, were bought for three to four yuan each.
A dozen grilled medium oysters would cost at least 68 yuan. The profit margin was very large. Many unscrupulous vendors, in pursuit of higher profits, would buy dead oyster meat at low prices and pass it off as fresh grilled oysters. They would even reuse oyster shells, which was extremely unsafe.
However, it wasn't difficult to identify them. Oysters grilled fresh with their shells would have their adductor muscles firmly attached to the shell, not detaching easily even after cooking.
While oysters could be found in the sea, they didn't grow in large clusters like mussels. At most, only a few would grow together. But he couldn't buy them to bring them in, and it was too difficult to acquire enough to establish a base by himself. So, he would let fate decide. If he encountered them, he'd bring some in. Anyway, there were too many profitable varieties in the space now, so it didn't matter if he had one more or one less.
After cleaning the deck, Li Haochen weighed anchor and set sail. It was the highest tide, perfect for heading back. If it weren't for little Aimma, Li Haochen wouldn't have bothered to start the boat. The sea was calm, and wasn't it more enjoyable to sail a kayak, saving dozens of yuan on fuel?
As he set sail, Li Haochen called Li Dehai and Li Zijian. The journey was only a few nautical miles, and before the engine had even warmed up, they were back at the beach.
Li Dehai was already waiting on the beach, pacing back and forth, his footprints everywhere, muttering to himself.
When he saw a gradually enlarging dot in the distance, Li Dehai revealed a long-lost smile.
In less than two minutes, the "Starry Night" docked steadily by the beach. Li Dehai, a bit impatient, called out, "Haochen, Haochen!"
Li Haochen heard the shout and, without tidying anything, ran out immediately, jumped from the deck, and hugged Li Dehai, "Uncle, I've missed you so much."
"This kid, you must be hungry. Hurry home, I'll make you something delicious. Yesterday, I caught two crabs with roe in the traps. I'll steam them and have a drink with you, hahaha!"
"Uncle, you're just craving a drink and using me as an excuse."
"Can't help it, your aunt keeps a close eye on me, hehe!"
"Hai Ge, Haochen, don't forget about me," Li Zijian also arrived, hearing the conversation, and joked.
"Uncle Jian, wait a moment, I'll go up and get them for you."
Li Haochen climbed back onto the boat, picked out two large green crabs, and handed the rest to Li Zijian and Li Dehai, who were helping below.
"Haochen, I really suspect you're the third prince of the Dragon King. How come you always bring back so many good things?"
"That's thanks to the blessings of Mazu, hehe!"
"Yes, thank Mazu!"
Speaking of Mazu, Li Dehai and the others looked at the sea with awe and reverence.
"Then I'll be going. I'll weigh them and transfer the money to you. I'm leaving now."
"Ah Jian, deliver them quickly. Come over for a drink later."
"Alright, see you later."
As they were all brothers, Li Zijian didn't stand on ceremony. He agreed and dragged a small cart towards the roadside.
"Uncle, you go back first. I'll pack up and be right back."
Li Haochen wanted to go back immediately, but his luggage and gifts were still in the space. Returning home empty-handed and then suddenly producing a large pile of gifts would arouse suspicion from anyone. So, he decided to delay his return.
As soon as Li Dehai left, Li Haochen slipped into the space and brought out his luggage and the small pile of gifts.
Just as he was about to get off the boat, he slapped his forehead and looked at the little Aimma at the bow with a wry smile, "What to do with this?"
Unable to figure anything out, Li Haochen first brought the other items ashore.
He opened the kayak, placed the luggage, gifts, and the battery in it, then used a rope to pull the kayak from the stern to the edge of the beach. He then jumped down, dragged the kayak ashore, unloaded the items, and returned to the boat.
Li Haochen hoisted the body of the little Aimma to the stern of the boat, attempting to place it steadily on the kayak, but failed several times.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Li Haochen became a bit annoyed. He kicked it with his foot and angrily exclaimed, "Damn it, I really want to throw you down..."
"Wait... throw it down?"
Li Haochen ran to the bow of the boat, looking at the beach about a meter away, and thought, "The sand is so soft, it should... be okay, right?"
Li Haochen quickly dismissed the idea. Although the sand was soft, the sand in this area was all wet. Grabbing a handful would reveal a pool of water underneath. Given the weight of the car, throwing it down would definitely create a large pit, no different from taking a bath.
If that were the case, it would be better to throw it into the sea and push it back. At least he wouldn't have to worry about parts coming loose or deforming.
"Haochen... Haochen?"
While he was struggling, a shout came from below the boat. Seeing that it was Li Linfeng, Li Haochen's eyes lit up, and he smiled at him, "Fengzi, you've come at the perfect time. Come and help, hehe!"
"Uh... with that smile of yours, I think I've fallen into a trap."
"Hahaha, I can't help it, you walked right into it yourself. Hurry up and lend a hand."
With that said, Li Haochen turned and went to the stern of the boat, carrying the little Aimma forward and placing it down very carefully, "Fengzi, be careful not to scratch your hand."
Mainly because it was difficult to get a good grip, it took them some effort to successfully get the car body onto the beach.
After locking the cabin, Li Haochen jumped down and patted Li Linfeng on the shoulder, smiling, "Thanks!"
"What are you thanking me for? I just lent a hand."
Li Linfeng frowned, as if he had something to say but hesitated. After a while, he mustered up the courage and said, "Haochen... I heard you're going to set up a bamboo products factory, is that right?"
"Yes, I came back this time for that too. Is that what you're asking about?"
"You know Liang Shen's family and a few other households who are the five-guarantee households, right? Their lives are very difficult. Although we help them a bit, it's not enough in the long run. If your factory is set up, can you give them some work..."
Li Haochen looked at Li Linfeng very seriously and gave a relieved smile, "Don't worry, I'll help as much as I can."
"Thank you. Then I'll be going. Don't forget about drinking tonight."
Watching Li Linfeng leave with a smile, Li Haochen sighed, "A prodigal son returning is worth more than gold!"