Chapter 1621 - 1582: Catching Crabs and Harvesting Chestnuts (Part 3)

"Marcus, these crabs are remarkable. In the provincial capital, one wild crab can fetch dozens of dollars." Elder Ong exclaimed with admiration, as if he were ready to invite all his friends and family to retire here!

"That’s right, Anfield Village is truly a treasure trove." Oliver Zolotov was the most enthusiastic catcher, since it’s often said that labor is the most glorious, especially when it yields results.

"These crabs can be found everywhere in the fields and rivers. The shells are hard and they smell fishy, so many people don’t know how to handle them, and few eat them. Villagers hardly consume them, and I’ve noticed that not many people in Green County eat crabs either." Water Bae chuckled, "The old man couldn’t eat crabs before, so he missed out on this delicacy over the years."

"Dad, people in Suton eat crabs frequently. When crab season arrives, every household enjoys them. If I’d known there were so many crabs here, I would have come to catch them ages ago." Irving Spencer, who loves crabs, laughed as he spoke.

"I always say, discovering value here is like finding gold in a field. Anfield Village has been poor for a reason." Elder Ong burst into laughter. Marcus Quinn had only been back for two months yet he had already led the village to prosperity, using local resources and turning waste into treasure, demonstrating the importance of vision.

Adan agreed profoundly, smiling warmly as she held Marcus’s hand. The man held her hand firmly, without letting go, and together, they descended the mountain hand in hand with a basket full of crabs, exiting the scenic area.

By this time, the scenic area’s staff had already started working, and since entering required a ticket, the group hummed ditties, chatted, and laughed while carrying crabs down the mountain, quickly attracting the attention of hikers.

"These crabs are plump and have green shells, and they’re quite large. Nice, nice."

"Hey, are you selling these crabs?"

"Yes, yes, yes. After you’re done hiking, turn right and head to the Holiday Village for lunch. We offer hairy crabs and wild autumn crabs, a local specialty." Elder Ong replied with a smile.

With Elder Ong’s suggestion, everyone expressed interest, planning to visit the Holiday Village for crabs after descending.

The group carried four baskets of crabs back to the Holiday Village, emptying them into a pool filled with water, where the crabs covered nearly half of the pool’s bottom. Water Bae also brought back some snails, tossing them into the pool to feed the crabs.

Adan was a bit tired from making two trips, so Marcus didn’t allow her to go up the mountain again. Instead, he stayed with her at the Holiday Village, while Water Bae took the eager group back out to catch more crabs. Meanwhile, Marcus hired someone to go to the orchard to collect chestnuts.

The chestnut trees in the mountain orchard weren’t numerous, but each tree produced quite a few. This season, chestnuts had fallen to the ground, with their hard, spiky shells cracking open, making it easy to extract the chestnuts inside.

Marcus hired two capable women from the village, leaving Water Aunty in charge. The four of them followed the repaired wooden walkway up the mountain to the orchard behind the village to collect chestnuts.

Adan had eaten chestnuts before, but it was her first time realizing they grew inside those spiky, fluffy balls.

Marcus brought her a pair of thick gloves, speaking in a low voice, "Be careful not to get pricked. It hurts if you do. The shells are tough, so we’ll gather the husks and chestnuts together and peel the chestnuts back in the village."

Adan nodded quickly, just having emerged from the excitement of crab catching, and now moving on to chestnut gathering. Each day felt fresh and intriguing to her. She said hurriedly, "This is so fun, Marcus, but aren’t there too many chestnuts for us to eat?"

"We’ll use them as ingredients for the Holiday Village. I estimate, apart from needing to purchase meat, we can be self-sufficient with everything else." Marcus said as he skillfully collected the spiky husks into the burlap sacks they brought.

"We should purchase chicken, duck, and pork from the village and neighboring villages. That way, we can also promote livestock breeding in nearby villages." Adan suggested thoughtfully.

With better lives, the people of Anfield Village noted how Marcus had made life flourish brilliantly, prompting them to broaden their perspectives. They no longer sought work elsewhere, instead contracting hills and land. Seeing the Holiday Village’s need to purchase meat products, they sold their chickens, ducks, and geese to Marcus, who might not have time to raise them in the future.

Marcus nodded in agreement. Water Bae had already discussed this with village chiefs from nearby villages. Wanting to eat farm-raised poultry, they hadn’t contacted any commercial farms. Additionally, he had purchased twenty cattle and sheep, constructing new barns and sheds. If a Holiday Village could foster the surrounding villages’ development, that would be ideal.