Chapter 27: Adding a New Family Member

This Crab Tiger Fish was not small, it probably weighed about four taels, and the biggest Crab Tiger Fish weigh just over half a catty, while wild ones are generally between two to three taels or even smaller.

However, Crab Tiger Fish generally like to gather together, so as long as this patch of seaweed has Crab Tiger Fish, they just needed to continue fishing here.

The sun gradually set in the west, and the sea breeze was a bit stronger than in the afternoon, time unknowingly came to the most active period for Crab Tiger Fish.

Plus, this area hadn't been disturbed by other fishermen, Chu Mingcheng and Zhang Wei thoroughly enjoyed their fishing.

Even without the Golden Finger's enhanced catch rate, during the peak period he still caught more than twenty Crab Tiger Fish weighing over two taels each, and that was after releasing many smaller ones.

So Chu Mingcheng looked at the changes in his Marine Field Guide.

"Marine Field Guide (Level 0)"

"Current Experience: (13/50)"

"Unlock Capture Tools: Hand, Fishing Gear"

"Maximum Level for Marine Produce: 50"

"Unlocked Marine Produce: Mud shrimp, Crucian Carp, Whitebait, Carp..."

"Special Abilities: None"

Today, they caught sea eels, Green Crabs, sea bass, and Crab Tiger Fish, adding four experience points, bringing the total to thirteen.

"Black Pond Perch, also known as Crab Tiger Fish (Level 2)"

"Current Experience: 13/30"

"Size +2%"

"Taste +2%"

"Catch Rate +2%"

Chu Mingcheng counted the Crab Tiger Fish in the bucket, totaling 22, but he had actually caught 43.

This wasn't strange, wild Crab Tiger Fish aren't that big, and these weren't farmed.

"Ah Cheng, it's gotten dark, let's go!"

At this moment, tired from fishing, Zhang Wei also came over cheerfully carrying the bucket, his haul for the day was also pretty good. There were quite a few Crab Tiger Fish in the bucket as well, probably about twenty, weighing about four to five catties in total.

"Sure, let's go have dinner first." It was now past seven in the evening, and Chu Mingcheng was already quite hungry.

As for the Crab Tiger Fish, they could only be stored overnight. Whether it was the sea eels, Green Crabs, or Crab Tiger Fish, as long as they were kept moist, leaving them overnight was not an issue at all.

The two sea basses were a bit listless, but they hadn't died, and they would be fine once they put them back in the fish container in the car and supplied them with oxygen.

Today's catch was good, both of them had around four to five catties of Crab Tiger Fish each, which could probably sell for over eight hundred yuan.

So Zhang Wei grandly offered to treat them to barbecue.

Considering that the scent of barbecue would stick to them, they decided to eat first without showering.

While waiting, Jiang Luoluo playfully sent him a photo of herself with a whole roasted lamb, with Zhou Jiayi also in the picture giving a thumbs up.

Chu Mingcheng looked at the radiant her and unconsciously smiled.

"Where did you run off to eat roasted lamb?"

"Of course, it's at Ridge House, near Jia City, this place is famous for its roasted lamb, right?"

"That's right."

"Did you go sea fishing again today?"

"Yeah!"

After replying, Chu Mingcheng thought for a moment, then went to the car to take a picture of the Crab Tiger Fish and sent it over. As he expected, Jiang Luoluo indeed asked.

"What fish is this? It looks like flying fish but much bigger."

"This is called Black Pond Perch, also known as Crab Tiger Fish, very expensive, costing two hundred per half a kilogram. That's why Zhang Wei was willing to treat me to barbecue today, mainly because he made a fortune," Ah Cheng explained.

The selling price of two hundred per half a kilogram for such an unattractive-looking fish absolutely astonished Jiang Luoluo.

Later, she heard that Chu Mingcheng had caught four to five kilograms of it, along with sea eels and the like, and she finally understood why he preferred fishing over going to work—it made money much faster!

Chu Mingcheng chatted with her for a while but focused on the food as soon as the skewers arrived.

Because he had to drive, he didn't drink beer, which made the barbecue a bit less flavorful.

After a satisfying meal, when they returned home, Zhang Wei had to say goodbye.

"Ah Cheng, could you help me sell this fish tomorrow? Just transfer the money to me afterward. The vacation days are almost over, and I need to stay at home for a few days."

"Sure, let's go fishing together again when you're free!"

"Haha, definitely!"

Afterward, Zhang Wei drove away in his Wuling mini.

The departure of his friend left Chu Mingcheng feeling a bit hollow inside.

Fortunately, he still had a tabby cat to keep him company. Realizing he hadn't fed it today, he picked up a flashlight and went to the front yard to check on things.

First, he checked on the cat, which was curled up in its nest. It looked alert and kept staring outside, but relaxed and meowed softly when it saw him.

Chu Mingcheng checked around the well, saw no remnants of mice, and wondered if it had eaten at all.

He then returned to the house, took all six two-tael Crab Tiger Fish from his bucket, and went back outside.

When he threw the fish to the tabby cat, it skillfully bit into the fish head right away.

Now familiar with Chu Mingcheng, it no longer hid to eat but started gnawing at the fish right by his feet.

The small two-tael fish was quickly devoured, and the cat, looking unfulfilled, raised its head and meowed softly, the sound sweet and coaxing, as if pleading for more fish.

Chu Mingcheng continued throwing fish to it, but this time he squatted down and tried to pet it while it was eating.

Just as he touched its back, the tabby cat instinctively shrank, looked up at Chu Mingcheng, and relaxed once it saw it was him touching her, the alertness in its eyes disappearing.

Seeing this, Chu Mingcheng, happily, threw all the fish to it. The tabby cat, overwhelmed by the quantity, killed each fish before slowly starting to eat, making purring sounds.

The fur of this tabby cat was very smooth and looked clean, Chu Mingcheng enjoyed petting it so much that he found it hard to stop.

Once they had built a bit more of a relationship, he planned to take it to the vet for a check-up, deworming, and vaccinations.

After the tabby cat finished the fish, Chu Mingcheng picked it up and noticed it was a female.

Since it was a female, he decided to name it Mimi!

Mimi was a common name. When Chu Mingcheng was a child, his grandmother had a tabby cat similar to this one named Mimi.

Unfortunately, it was later killed by a group of teenagers with stones.

His grandfather was suffering from intestinal cancer at the time and was told by doctors he could live a few more years with rest.

But the incident agitated him so much that his condition worsened dramatically, and he only lasted another three months.

After that, his grandmother, who had always loved keeping small animals, never kept any again.

When Chu Mingcheng wanted to keep cats and dogs as a child, his mother rejected the idea outright.

Now, by naming this tabby cat Mimi, he was somehow commemorating that gentle big cat from his past.

He stroked the obedient Mimi sitting by his feet, then took out his phone to search online for a cat bed.

After all, it was part of the family and shouldn't have to sleep in an outdoor cardboard box every day.

Once they went to the vet, he would give it a bath and let it live inside the house.

Now it was October, and by November the temperature would drop—it would be too cold outside.