The Fish I Catch Can Level Up-Chapter 27: A New Family Member

This goby was a hefty one, probably a solid four
liang
(200
gm)
. Wild gobies rarely grew larger than half a
jin
(5
liang)
, with most weighing in at two or three
liang
or even less. But gobies tended to school together. Since he’d found one in this patch of seaweed, all he had to do was keep fishing here.
The sun began to dip toward the horizon, and the sea breeze picked up, a little stronger than it had been in the afternoon. Without realizing it, the peak feeding time for gobies had arrived. Better yet, this spot hadn't been ravaged by other anglers, so both Chu Mingcheng and Zhang Wei were having a blast.
Even without the capture bonus from his codex, Chu Mingcheng still managed to catch over twenty gobies weighing more than two
liang
during the peak period, and that was after releasing a ton of smaller ones.
Curious, he checked the changes in his Aquatic Codex.
[Aquatic Species Codex (Level 0)]
[Current Experience: (13/50)]
[Unlocked Capture Tools: Hands, Fishing Gear]
[Max Aquatic Species Level: 50]
[Unlocked Species: Mantis Shrimp, Crucian Carp, Moray Eel, Mud Crab, Sea Bass, Tiger Goby...]
[Special Abilities: None]
He had caught moray eels, mud crabs, sea bass, and gobies today, adding four more experience points for a new total of thirteen.
[Tiger Goby (
Bostrychus sinensis
) (Level 2)]
[Current Experience: 13/30]
[Size: +2%]
[Deliciousness: +2%]
[Capture Chance: +2%]
Chu Mingcheng counted the gobies in his bucket. There were 22, but he’d caught 43 in total. It wasn’t surprising; you just didn't find that many large ones in the wild. This wasn't a fish farm, after all.
"Ah-Cheng, it's getting dark. Let's call it a day!"
Zhang Wei, tired from fishing, came over with a grin, carrying his own bucket. His haul had been impressive, too—about twenty gobies, probably weighing four or five
jin
.
"Alright, let's go get some dinner." It was past seven, and Chu Mingcheng was starving. As for the gobies, they'd have to wait. Moray eels, mud crabs, and gobies were all hardy enough to survive the night as long as they were kept moist. The two sea bass were looking a little lethargic, but they weren't dead yet. He’d just put them in the fish box in the car with the aerator on, and they'd be fine.
Today's haul had been fantastic. They each had four or five
jin
of gobies, which would probably sell for over eight hundred yuan. Zhang Wei, feeling happy, declared that barbecue was on him. Considering they'd reek of barbecue smoke afterward, they decided to eat first and shower later.
Just as they were waiting for their food, Jiang Luoluo hit him with some major food envy. She sent a picture of herself next to a whole roasted lamb, with Zhou Jiayi flashing a peace sign beside her.
Looking at her bright smile, Chu Mingcheng couldn't help but grin back at his phone.
"Where'd you go for roasted lamb?" he texted.
"Lingshang Renjia, of course! It's the most famous place for it near Jiacheng, right?"
"Fair enough."
"Did you go beachcombing again today?"
"Yep!"
After replying, Chu Mingcheng thought for a moment, went to his car, and snapped a picture of his gobies to send back. Just as he expected, Jiang Luoluo immediately asked about them.
"What kind of fish is that? It looks a bit like a mudskipper, but way bigger."
"It's a Tiger Goby. They're super expensive—two hundred a
jin
."
Jiang Luoluo was surprised that such an unattractive fish could sell for two hundred yuan a
jin
. When she heard Chu Mingcheng had caught four or five
jin
, plus the moray eels and other things, she finally understood why he’d quit his office job to go fishing and beachcombing. He was making money way faster than he ever could at a desk.
Chu Mingcheng chatted with her for a bit until their skewers arrived, then he focused on dinner. Since they had to drive, they skipped the beer, which made the barbecue feel like it was missing something.
Full and satisfied, they returned home, where Zhang Wei announced he had to leave.
"Ah-Cheng, can you sell these fish for me tomorrow? Just transfer me the money. The holiday is almost over, and I should probably spend a few days at home."
"Sure. Let's go fishing again when you have time!"
"Haha, you know it!"
With that, Zhang Wei hopped into his Wuling Mini and drove off.
With his friend gone, the house suddenly felt a little empty. But then he remembered he still had the tabby cat for company. Realizing he hadn't fed it yet, he grabbed a flashlight and went to the front yard to check on it.
He found the cat curled up in its little den. It tensed at the sound of his approach, staring out warily, but when it saw it was him, it let out a soft "Meow~!" and relaxed. Chu Mingcheng glanced over at the well but saw no rat remains. He wasn't sure if it had eaten yet.
He went back inside and took out all the two-
liang
gobies from his bucket, six in total. Returning to the yard, he tossed one to the tabby. It deftly caught the fish by the head in one bite. Now that it was familiar with him, it didn't bother hiding to eat, simply starting to crunch on the fish right at his feet.
One small fish disappeared into its belly in no time. It looked up at him, not yet satisfied, and let out another "Meow~!" The sound was exceptionally delicate, as if it were sweetly asking him for more.
Chu Mingcheng continued to toss it fish. This time, while it was eating, he crouched down and slowly reached out a hand to pet it. The tabby flinched instinctively as his hand touched its back, but when it looked up and saw it was Chu Mingcheng, its wariness vanished.
Delighted, Chu Mingcheng tossed the rest of the fish. Seeing so much food, the cat didn't know what to do. It killed each fish one by one before finally starting to eat slowly, letting out a contented purr.
The tabby’s fur was incredibly smooth and looked very clean. Chu Mingcheng happily stroked its back, finding it hard to stop. Once they'd bonded a bit more, he would take it to the vet for a check-up, deworming, and vaccinations.
After the cat finished its meal, Chu Mingcheng picked it up for a look and discovered it was a female.
"Since you're a girl, I'll call you Mimi."
Mimi was a common name. When he was little, his grandmother had a tabby that looked just like this one, and her name was Mimi. Tragically, a group of rotten teenage brats had stoned her to death.
His grandfather had been diagnosed with intestinal cancer around that time, and the doctor had said that with quiet rest, he could live for several more years. But the cat's death enraged him. His condition worsened immediately, and in the end, he only managed to hang on for three more months.
After that, his grandmother, who had always loved small animals, never kept another pet. And when Chu Mingcheng was a child, his mother had always refused to let him get a cat or dog.
Naming this tabby Mimi was, in a way, a tribute to the cat from his past.
He stroked the docile cat as it curled up by his feet, then pulled out his phone to search for cat beds online. She was a member of the family now; he couldn't just let her sleep in a cardboard box outside every day. After a trip to the vet, he'd give her a bath and let her live inside. It was already October. By November, the temperature would drop, and it would be too cold to sleep outdoors.