Chapter 35: Deep-Rooted Prejudice

"What nonsense are you spouting! Don't go scaring them!" Han Dongcai scolded, giving Zheng Guoxing a light swat. "Go on, go on, get me something to eat. I'm starving!"

Zheng Guoxing immediately went to stir-fry some dishes. With him out of the room, Han Dongcai let out a long breath and asked, "Which deserted island in Nanxi are you eyeing? If I recall correctly, there are at least a dozen islands of various sizes there."

"Yes, you're right. There are about a dozen. We want to buy the one next to Qingyun Temple," Chen Wenjun said, licking his lips and clenching his fists nervously.

Han Dongcai fell into deep thought. "I've been to Qingyun Temple with my mother a few times. I remember that island is mostly rock and doesn't look like much. Are you sure you can reclaim it for farming?"

Chen Wenjun nodded. "It is indeed surrounded by rocky hills, and there aren't any decent trees. But there is a relatively flat patch of wasteland in the center, maybe a few dozen mu, and some slopes on the sides. Together, it adds up to a few dozen mu, though certainly not a full hundred."

Han Dongcai frowned. "That’s not very big then! How much are you planning to buy?"

Chen Wenjun and Lin Qin exchanged a look. Hesitantly, Chen said, "We’d like to know the price. We want to buy as much as we can afford; if we could buy all the wasteland and slopes, that would be ideal."

"Ambitious! Tell you what, I’ll go back and ask for you. Once I have news, I’ll let Guoxing know, and we can discuss the details then." Han Dongcai looked at Chen Wenjun with newfound respect. Initially, when Zheng Guoxing mentioned Chen was a Tanka boat dweller, he had instinctively assumed his brother-in-law had befriended some disreputable character. Despite Zheng’s claims of a business relationship, Han had remained prejudiced, but Chen’s words had changed his perspective significantly.

Just then, Zheng Guoxing returned with the food. Chen Wenjun immediately pulled Lin Qin up. "We should be going. We'll be in touch."

"Stay and eat!" Zheng Guoxing pointed to the dishes. "I've got everything ready."

Chen Wenjun and Lin Qin shook their heads repeatedly. "We didn't tell our family we were coming out, and they've already prepared dinner at home. We need to head back," Lin Qin explained.

Zheng Guoxing didn't press them further but hurried to the kitchen to pack a bag of shrimp cakes, insisting they take them. After seeing them off, he ran back to Han Dongcai. "How did it go? Can it be sold?"

"It can! Why wouldn't it be? I’ll go ask about the price and how it would be sold. That island probably doesn't belong to any village collective. If it's sold, it'll need a name and a house number—there’s a lot of paperwork! It would be fine if they bought the whole island, but if not, all that trouble might not be worth it," Han Dongcai muttered while eating.

Zheng Guoxing quickly urged, "Brother-in-law, please do what you can! The couple isn't having an easy time. Don't look down on them just because they're boat dwellers; they are hardworking, honest, and very serious about their business."

"If they were just 'honest boat dwellers,' would they have the money to buy an island? You’re usually sharp—how did you get hoodwinked so easily?" Han Dongcai shook his head, speechless at his brother-in-law.

Zheng Guoxing grew anxious. "I'm telling the truth! You... you're underestimating them! So what if they're boat dwellers? They focus entirely on fishing and making money. Every day they bring me fifteen or twenty catties of river shrimp—the shrimp alone sell for over thirty yuan. Then there’s the gudgeon; the fish soup you’re drinking is made from the ones they provide, about twenty a day. Plus the occasional bighead carp, silver carp, eels, and soft-shelled turtles. I won't even mention the common carp. They make sixty or seventy yuan from me alone each day, and they still have a stall at the market. How could they not have savings?"

Han Dongcai was truly stunned. "Is fishing that profitable? That’s more than my monthly salary in a single day!"

"Why would I lie to you? Don't judge people through a crack in the door! I don't know about other boat dwellers, but Chen Wenjun is no ordinary man. At the very least, the goods he sells aren't ordinary! So, help if you can. It won't hurt, right?" Zheng Guoxing urged, then rushed off to the kitchen as new orders came in.

On the fishing boat, Lin Yi was eager to hear the news. Lin Qin explained, "We've asked. We'll wait for word, probably in the next couple of days. Wenjun told them we want to buy as much as we can afford. Dad, is there food? I'm starving!"

Lin Yi hurriedly served them, then noticed the bag. "What did you buy? Wasting money again!"

"We didn't! We were waiting at Guoxing's Restaurant, and since we had nothing to do, we helped the owner for a couple of hours. He insisted we eat, but we refused, so he gave us these shrimp cakes." Chen Wenjun emptied the bag onto a plate. The shrimp cakes were packed with ingredients—each thin, crispy cake was topped with seven or eight river shrimp, shredded carrots, and scallions. The two children were drooling.

Lin Yi gave them each a cake, saved two for the couple, and put the rest away, not daring to eat one himself. Lin Qin frowned. "Dad! What are you doing? Saving one won't make us rich, and eating it won't make us poor. Just eat!" Chen Wenjun immediately took one out for him. Though Lin Yi protested, he felt deeply warmed. The family ate the cakes, savoring every bite.

Liu Yaya whispered to Chen Ping'an, "I wish we could eat shrimp cakes every day."

Lin Yi shook his head. "That takes so much oil! How could we be so extravagant? Having it once in a while is enough!"

Lin Qin, however, had an idea. "Dad, once we buy the island, we can clear the land and grow vegetables—maybe some peanuts to press for oil."

Lin Yi immediately retorted, "Why press oil? If we grow peanuts, we sell them for cash!"

"What about beans then?"

"What beans? That would be a waste of land! If we plant anything, it should be sweet potatoes or grain!"

Lin Qin fell silent. Driven by the goal of buying the island, the whole family was energized. Even the children stopped playing and focused on their fishing rods. Lin Yi was doing much better than before and had no trouble helping the children reel in their catch. The trio worked in increasing harmony, calling for Lin Qin only when they hooked something big. Lin Qin fished separately to maximize their harvest.

Two days later, when the couple went to deliver goods to the restaurant, Zheng Guoxing slapped his thigh in excitement the moment he saw them. "I've been waiting for you! My brother-in-law came by last night after work—he said there's progress on what you asked about."

"What did he say?"

"What's the price?"

Chen Wenjun and Lin Qin asked in unison.