Song Jing rowed the boat out to sea, Lin Zhen practicing beside him, while Song Wei snapped photos with her camera.
After leaving the harbor for some distance, their boat diverged from those of the other fishermen.
Song Wei and her companions began casting nets and fishing, following almost the same steps as the day before.
But this time, there were no prized East Star groupers. Luck like that wasn’t something one could have every day. The fish they caught were common and not worth much.
“There seems to be a small island over there,” Lin Zhen said, pointing to a black dot in the distance.
The island looked far away, beyond the range of the nearshore waters.
“Can we go over there?” Song Wei stood on the boat, squinting into the distance. Her vision was sharp, and she could indeed make out an island.
“Yes,” Song Jing replied confidently.
A more cautious fisherman might not take the risk, but these three weren’t experienced fishermen—and each of them was bolder than the last.
Abandoning their fishing, they rowed toward the unnamed island.
When Song Jing grew tired, Lin Zhen took over, though they both refrained from letting Song Wei row. Despite her strength, her innocent appearance often made others forget she was actually a powerhouse capable of immense feats.
The sea was dotted with islands of various sizes, some visible only during low tide. This island looked small and steep, with no obvious place to dock the boat.
After circling the island, they finally found a relatively gentle spot to stop.
“Let’s go see if there’s anything worth picking up,” Song Wei exclaimed excitedly, leaping off the boat.
“Bring the sacks,” Song Jing reminded.
Each of them carried a bucket and a burlap sack as they climbed onto the island.
The island was mostly made of jagged and steep reefs. A single misstep could lead to a nasty fall, and a scrape from the sharp rocks could easily result in injury.
Fortunately, all three were agile and moved with care.
“What’s that over there? There’s so much of it,” Lin Zhen said, pointing to a spot ahead.
Song Wei, who had been looking around, followed his gaze and let out a delighted squeal.
“Abalone! So many abalones!”
Song Jing was equally amazed. “And they’re huge!”
The three rushed over, their eyes lighting up at the sight of abalones clinging densely to the rocks.
“This stuff is expensive—let’s start collecting!” Song Jing said.
Abandoning their buckets, they began stuffing the abalones directly into their sacks.
The island seemed untouched by others. The abalones were not only abundant but also large—some as big as Lin Zhen’s hand.
Song Jing couldn’t hide his grin. What luck to find such a resource-rich island on their first outing.
As Song Wei collected abalones, she climbed over a ridge of rocks. Standing atop the reef, she glanced to the other side and instinctively held her breath.
She quickly raised her camera and snapped several photos before turning to call out softly, “Brother, Lin Zhen, come quickly. Forget the abalones for a moment.”
Her voice was hushed, as if afraid to disturb what she had seen.
Hearing her, Song Jing and Lin Zhen didn’t delay. Moving nimbly, they climbed to her side and followed her gaze. Both of them gasped.
“There are so many,” Song Jing whispered.
“Shrimp. Those are shrimp,” Lin Zhen said, eyes widening. “And they’re enormous.”
The three of them crouched on the reef, speaking in hushed tones so as not to scare the massive shrimp below.
“Those are painted spiny lobsters, also called green lobsters. They’re rare,” Song Jing said.
“How do we catch them?” Song Wei asked.
“There should be a net on the boat,” Song Jing replied.
“I’ll get it,” Lin Zhen volunteered.
“I’ll go. Your leg’s only just healed,” Song Jing said, heading off.
Meanwhile, Song Wei began searching for small stones nearby.
“What are you doing?” Lin Zhen asked.
“I’m seeing if I can knock them out with a stone,” Song Wei replied.
Even if she accidentally killed one, it would still be edible. At most, it just wouldn’t be as fresh.
She selected a rock and aimed at a lone spiny lobster not far from them.
Whoosh! The stone flew swiftly and silently, striking the lobster’s head.
In the next instant, the lobster toppled over, its legs twitching weakly.
Song Wei’s eyes lit up. “It worked!”
Lin Zhen stared in disbelief. “Your aim is incredible!”
It was almost like she was a professional sniper.
Even with his training, Lin Zhen doubted he could hit such a small target with such precision.
“Go find me more stones,” Song Wei urged.
Obediently, Lin Zhen began collecting stones of the right size.
When Song Jing returned with the net and saw Lin Zhen carrying a pile of stones, he was puzzled.
“Why are you collecting rocks?”
“You’ll see,” Lin Zhen replied.
Moments later, Song Jing witnessed his sister’s impressive stone-throwing skills. Like Lin Zhen, he couldn’t help but think she was born to be a sniper.
“Sis, ever thought about joining the military?” Song Jing asked.
If both siblings enlisted, their family would be so proud.
“Nope,” Song Wei replied flatly.
It wasn’t that she thought poorly of the military, but she wanted a relaxed and simple life in this lifetime. After years of hardship in her past life, all she wanted now was peace and normalcy.
Fair enough, Song Jing thought, though he felt it was a pity.
Song Wei continued knocking out lone lobsters, while Song Jing and Lin Zhen prepared the net for the larger group.
The lobsters were quick, scattering into the sea the moment the net approached.
From her vantage point, Song Wei hurled stones with greater force. Some lobsters were even pierced by the rocks.
Together, the trio managed to catch quite a haul, though many still got away.
“Ha! We’ve got sixteen in the net!” Song Jing exclaimed.
The lobsters, large and feisty, filled the net almost to bursting.
Thanks to their quick reflexes and teamwork, they had secured an impressive catch.
On the ground, there were even more lobsters knocked out by Song Wei—twenty-three in total.
“Wow, this one’s massive—probably weighs five pounds!” Lin Zhen marveled.
It was one of the lobsters Song Wei had targeted, noticeably plumper than the rest.
“And it’s still alive, just unconscious,” she noted.
With such an incredible haul, Song Jing and Lin Zhen couldn’t stop grinning.
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