Chapter 220: Golden Thread Cod

"We’ve got a bite!"

Lying around and chatting hadn’t been boring at all, but when someone’s fishing rod suddenly twitched, everyone instantly grew excited, scrambling to their feet to get a look.

"Whose rod is it?"

"Mine, mine!"

The birthday girl, Yun Jiao, raised her hand high.

"Hurry, reel it in! Let’s see what it is!"

It seemed the sea itself was favoring her today. Yun Jiao’s first catch was a sizable large yellow croaker.

The moment it was pulled out of the water, the large yellow croaker’s scales glittered under the sun, looking like a suit of golden armor. It was absolutely beautiful.

Not only was the fish a sight to behold, but it was also delicious and expensive.

"A large yellow croaker!"

"Our rod’s getting a bite now."

Yun Jiao’s first catch was like a signal. In quick succession, the others’ fishing rods began to twitch.

What’s more, every fish they reeled in was a large yellow croaker.

The moment Yun Linhai and the others saw what was happening, they knew a school of large yellow croakers had to be passing below!

"Do you have a net? Is there a fishing net!?"

A school of large yellow croakers! This was a rare, can’t-miss opportunity.

Everyone on the yacht was instantly buzzing with excitement.

Sun Yaotong quickly said, "We have one, but it’s not very big."

They quickly retrieved the fishing nets—two of them, in fact. Everyone on the yacht raced to the edge of the deck.

"Jiaojiao, where’s the school?"

Yun Jiao pointed to a spot not far from the yacht. "Over there!"

Instantly, the two experienced fishermen, Yun Linhai and Yun Linhe, cast the nets into the water.

The two fishing nets were brand new.

Sun Yaotong had brought the nets along just to experience the fun of fishing; he never expected to actually run into a school of large yellow croakers.

Even though they weren’t fishermen, Sun Yaotong and his friends were thrilled and eager to join in as they watched.

It wasn’t that they were desperate for the fish; they simply wanted the experience.

They didn’t have to wait long after casting the nets. The heavy, weighted feeling as they began to haul them in was deeply satisfying.

Everyone pulled the net up together.

Without Yun Jiao even needing to help, the adults enthusiastically hauled the fish aboard.

The brilliant golden color of the fish was a dazzling sight.

"They’re all large yellow croakers! Our luck today is incredible."

"Quick, cast the nets again and see if there are more!"

While the others kept casting the nets, Yun Jiao and her group were still getting continuous bites on their lines.

After reeling in several large yellow croakers, Yun Jiao also caught a triggerfish.

Triggerfish look a bit similar to tuna, but they aren’t as expensive, and the meat isn’t as good.

This triggerfish weighed around fifty-five pounds. Luckily, the rod was sturdy enough to haul it in.

"Is this a tuna?!"

Yun Xiaowu’s eyes lit up. That last tuna they caught had sold for a fortune.

"No."

Yun Jiao shook her head after checking it over.

Yun Jiao looked around. Everyone was busy netting the large yellow croakers and no one was looking their way.

Yun Jiao could only put the triggerfish aside for now.

Then she cast her line again, this time using bait she’d made from one of her catches.

’Her luck is exceptionally good today. She wondered what she would catch next.’

After a few minutes, Yun Jiao saw that the triggerfish was about to die and quickly called out for her grandpa.

"Grandpa Yun, Grandpa Yun, come quick!"

Hearing her call, Grandpa Yun moved aside to let Old Man Mu get in on the excitement.

"What is it?"

"Grandpa Yun, it’s about to die! Quick, bleed it."

If it wasn’t bled, the meat wouldn’t be as tasty or as valuable.

Grandpa Yun was stunned when he saw it. "This... you all caught this?!"

"Jiaojiao caught it," Yun Xiaowu said.

Yun Jiao puffed out her chest proudly. "Grandpa Yun, my luck is super, super good today."

"Hahaha... That’s the truth. Running into a school of large yellow croakers on this trip—if that isn’t good luck, I don’t know what is."

The wrinkles on Grandpa Yun’s face deepened as he beamed.

He took a knife and bled the triggerfish.

Just then, Yun Jiao’s rod started twitching again.

Instantly, all eyes snapped toward her.

In a flash, Yun Jiao’s rod bent sharply downward.

Yun Jiao didn’t even have time to play the fish. The rod, already stressed from the triggerfish’s pull, couldn’t take any more. It snapped.

Yun Jiao’s eyes widened. Her body reacted faster than her mind could process. As the broken section of the rod fell toward the sea, she dove right after it, plunging into the water in one incredibly fluid motion.

She caught the broken half of the rod at the last possible second.

"Jiaojiao!"

"Sister!"

Yun Jiao had moved so fast that by the time anyone could react, she was already in the water.

"Pfft... I’m fine, don’t worry about me."

Yun Jiao answered the people on the yacht without looking back, all while wrestling with the fish on the line.

The fish was huge, and its struggles were even more powerful in the water.

But Yun Jiao was remarkably strong herself.

She was still in her blue dress, which bloomed in the water like a flower petal, or like the large, elegant tail of a fish.

Hearing the commotion, the others abandoned their nets and rushed over, leaning against the railing to look down.

The water was crystal clear, allowing everyone to see Yun Jiao’s agile form. Despite having no firm footing, she was still locked in a tense tug-of-war with the mysterious fish.

And most importantly, Yun Jiao, in her little blue dress, was a truly beautiful sight in the water.

Sun Yaoqin murmured, "So beautiful, just gorgeous. How can my little sister be so pretty?"

"She’s *our* sister," Yun Xiaowu said.

"Oh, what does it matter? She can be my sister, too!" Sun Yaoqin replied.

Yun Chenbei, though worried, couldn’t resist snapping photos.

The adults were more worried about whether she would be cold in the sea.

After all, while the air wasn’t cold, the seawater was bound to be freezing.

This was especially true for Mr. Mu and the others, who were unaware of Yun Jiao’s unique constitution.

Yun Jiao didn’t play the fish for long. She followed the line, darted up to it, and gave it a few hard smacks, stunning it into unconsciousness.

Yun Jiao triumphantly grabbed the large fish by its mouth and swam back.

When she noticed everyone on the yacht watching her, she looked up, flashed a brilliant smile, and waved.

"I caught a huge fish!"

Yun Linhai and the others could only roll their eyes in exasperation.

She’d risked her own safety just for a fish.

If they hadn’t known about her unique abilities, a jump like that would have scared them half to death.

Working together, the group hauled Yun Jiao back onto the yacht, along with the fish she was clutching.

"Whoa... it really is huge. No wonder the rod snapped."

"Jiaojiao, you’re incredible!" Sun Yaoqin shrieked. Her little sister, so tiny, had jumped into the ocean and caught a fish that was much bigger than she was.

"Holy shit! This fish... this fish..."

Once Yun Linhe got a clear look at the fish, he couldn’t contain his excitement and burst out cursing.

He really couldn’t help himself.

"This is a Golden Thread Cod!"

Croakers, also called Yellowlip Fish—and the most precious variety of them all is the Golden Thread Cod.

And this fish’s greatest value isn’t its meat, but its swim bladder—also known as fish maw.