Chu Mingcheng took a stroll around the reef area and found that there weren't any fish or green crabs around, but there were plenty of spicy snails and small oysters.
Some rocks also had barnacles on them, but there weren't many, and he didn't have the tools to prise them off.
So, today he planned to pick up more spicy snails and sell them at the dock around five in the afternoon.
As an island, Yanmen Island naturally had its fishermen.
Now, with the nearshore resources dwindling, the fishermen with means had pooled their money to buy boats and fish in the Far Sea. Those who couldn't afford it still sailed their rickety boats in the coastal waters to scavenge good stuff.
Ever since the cross-sea bridge was opened, a group of food aficionados from the city, eager to eat the freshest seafood, would often drive the distance to the docks here, waiting for the fishing boats to return so they could buy seafood directly from the fishermen.
This led to a steady increase in the price of some of the seafood at the docks, sometimes even double what it would cost at the market.
It also meant that the income of the local fishermen had significantly increased, with many making upwards of a hundred thousand yuan a year. However, fishing was too grueling, and most young people couldn't handle it.
But this was good news for Chu Mingcheng, at least he didn't have to worry about selling the aquatic products he caught.
Carrying a bucket, he searched and picked up snails, but it wasn't long before he felt a soreness in his waist.
Sitting in the office all year round had deteriorated his physical fitness significantly. The six pack he had when he graduated had now turned into a single pack.
Fortunately, he hadn't gained weight yet and was still maintaining his handsome appearance.
Chu Mingcheng straightened up and rubbed his waist, suddenly feeling that this kind of life was rather nice.
Fishing could become a hobby, and foraging the sea could improve his fitness.
After collecting spicy snails for half an hour, he estimated that he had gathered dozens of them and checked his data panel.
[Warted Litchi Snail, also known as spicy snail, bitter snail (Level 2)]
[Current Experience: 13/30]
[Size Increase +2%]
[Deliciousness +2%]
[Capture Rate +2%]
The capture rate and size data were quite interesting. Did this mean that with a higher rate, he could just walk along the beach and find larger spicy snails?
It was a pity that he didn't buy the tongs for foraging; otherwise, he could have pulled out many spicy snails that were wedged in the cracks. He would have to wait for the next chance.
The calm period after the tide went out lasted for about two hours, which meant that around three o'clock, the water would start to rise.
Chu Mingcheng had no choice but to move back towards the shore, and by three-thirty, he had to leave the beach.
While collecting, he didn't discriminate between small and big snails, picking them all up. However, when selling, he had to release those that were only the size of a thumbnail.
Looking at a handful of small spicy snails in his hand, Chu Mingcheng wondered if he released them and then caught them again, would he continue to gain experience, or could he exploit this bug?
So, he found an easily recognizable tide pool and let the snails go into it.
Then he picked one up again and placed it in his bucket; naturally, the experience on the data panel remained unchanged.
Chu Mingcheng shrugged. It was just a simple attempt, and it was normal not to be able to exploit a bug.
It seems that in the future, he shouldn't release the fish he caught in the reservoir casually; he would have to release them further away.
It was now close to four o'clock, and there were bound to be people waiting at the docks to buy seafood.
The level of the spicy snails had risen to level 6, which, according to the experience, meant he had caught more than two hundred.
But after releasing a small handful, he figured that he had about one hundred and sixty or seventy left, all of quite a large size – he estimated there were more than two taels, mostly because of the shells' weight.
He drove to the road above the dock where there were some parking spaces, parked the car, and then carried his bucket down to the dock below.
The dock here was small, with two available routes down.
One was a flight of stairs that one could only walk down, and the other was a ramp that allowed vehicles to drive down.
But with many people coming to buy seafood at this time, it was definitely congested below, so generally those who knew the situation would not drive down.
Chu Mingcheng took a shortcut and arrived at the dock after about ten minutes. The dock was bustling by then, with some boats already back.
Carrying a bucket, he went down and immediately, some people crowded around to see what was in his bucket.
"Hey, did you catch these spicy snails yourself? Are you selling them?"
"Just this little amount?"
Chu Mingcheng looked at the few people who had gathered around and then grabbed a handful of spicy snails, "I've just picked these from the seashore, they are all decent sized. I reckon there's more than two catties here. If any of you want them, take them for sixty."
"Sixty? Make it cheaper, I'll take them for fifty!" Hearing there was a bargain to be had, a middle-aged woman grabbed a handful to inspect and immediately started to haggle.
Seeing a purse slung around her waist, Chu Mingcheng immediately realized she must be a fish seller.
If she bought from him, she could turn around and sell them for thirty-five yuan a catty, and he had more than two catties in his bucket, reckoning he could earn an extra ten or twenty yuan.
A man nearby seemed to have specifically come to buy seafood and heard Chu Mingcheng would sell for sixty, he quickly said, "I'll take them for sixty, I can transfer the money to you with my phone."
With that, he pulled out his phone, ready to pay first.
"Sixty it is then, I'll take them."
Seeing someone beat her to it, the middle-aged woman became anxious. Forgetting to haggle, she hastily took out cash from her purse.
"Auntie, this brother looks like he came to try some fresh seafood. I've only got two catties of spicy snails here. You won't make much profit, so don't compete with him."
Chu Mingcheng said with a smile, as he pushed back the money offered by the middle-aged woman and took out his phone to receive the payment.
"Fine, fine!" The profit was only about ten yuan or so, the middle-aged woman seemed easy-going, smiled, and did not mind. Seeing that he wouldn't sell to her, she turned to wait for someone else's goods.
The man paid, found a bag in his car, and transferred all the spicy snails into it.
Chu Mingcheng then carried his empty bucket back and drove to the fishing gear store to buy luminous floats and a headlamp.
He had intended to buy insect repellent elsewhere, but the store owner had everything, including snake repellent.
It was not unusual for someone fishing at night to have snakes for company, and catching water snakes was common as well, so he shouldn't skimp on such small expenses.
He also bought an oxygen pump for a hundred yuan, to keep the fish he caught alive till the morning.
After purchasing his items, he went to a local seafood noodle shop nearby.
Entering, it seemed a bit early as the noodle shop wasn't very busy.
The signature dish here was probably the seafood noodles, which generally contained clams, shrimp, and Little Huang. A bowl was priced at eighteen yuan.
Just as Chu Mingcheng was about to order a bowl, he saw the sign for crab noodles with earthworm soup.
Crab here referred to green crabs, a local term and also an ancient designation for green crabs.
Earthworms were locally known as sea earthworms or black earthworms, and some places called them mud worms.
Scientifically named Delicious Ge Nang Star Worm, it is a sea creature that looks frightening but tastewise is quite exquisite.
"Boss, you still have crab noodles? How much does that cost?"
"For the crab, you have to choose it yourself. The earthworm soup noodles are eighty yuan a bowl now. Sea earthworms have become expensive; there's no helping it. If you had come two months earlier, it would have only cost sixty yuan a bowl."
This noodle shop was run by a couple, and upon hearing Chu Mingcheng asking about prices, the shop owner's wife hurried out of the kitchen.
"So, how much are you selling the crabs for?"
"Crabs are expensive now too, a hundred and fifty yuan a catty. They are raised by my husband's younger brother. We kill them fresh when ordered, ensuring every one of them is full of roe and fleshy. If you find any skinny ones, I'll compensate threefold."
As she spoke, the shop owner's wife pulled out a plastic basket full of green crabs tied with red strings.
Seeing the red strings indicating that the crabs weighed at least two to three taels each, Chu Mingcheng's eyelid twitched, and he instantly gave up on the idea of eating a bowl.
However, he was quite interested in the earthworm soup noodles. Although he thought about saving money, he still ended up ordering a bowl for the sake of tasting it.
Sea earthworms were definitely one of the marine products, and after a hard day's work, a lot could be caught. Perhaps when the level-up speed for the spicy snails slowed down, he could go to the tidal flats to shovel sea earthworms.