Chapter 9, The Fisherman

He spent half a day sifting through the sand pit, but only found sardines, cod, and bonito. The rest were either "inedible" fish or some mediocre fish with average taste and price. He shook his head in resignation, placing the three relatively valuable types of fish into three boxes lined with crushed ice, and discarded the remaining scattered catch, thus concluding this fishing trip

What he needs to do is to prevent dolphins from damaging the fishing nets or getting entangled in them. In the latter case, the panicked dolphins often struggle and drag the nets into the deep sea, never to be found again. Lin Tianyu had encountered this situation before and had no choice but to buy a new fishing net.

The former is further divided into two categories: those that are relatively valuable and those that are not very valuable. Although Lin Tianyu exerted considerable effort to distinguish the fish he caught, there were still many species whose names he could not identify. At such times, he would typically classify them as inedible, as life is more important than money; he certainly would not emulate Shennong by risking his life to test the fish.

Since then, Lin Tianyu has never had the opportunity to catch such a big one again

In addition, there are several valuable small fish species, but their numbers are quite scarce, and Lin Tianyu can only occasionally catch one or two.

Lin Tianyu stood steadily on the raft, gulping down a can of cold beer. Under the warm sunlight of the Mediterranean, he enjoyed the beer while gazing at the sea view, feeling utterly refreshed

It is essential to seek new sources of income, a notion he had already contemplated over a week ago. To this end, he invested a significant amount of money to purchase a set of diving equipment, which, if calculated, should be arriving in the next couple of days.

Although he has gained a lot from each fishing trip, the value of different types of fish varies greatly. Over the past month, he has caught various species of fish, most of which he cannot name. Therefore, he had to specifically purchase a book on marine fish to classify them by comparing with the images in the book. So far, he has identified sardines, cod, tilapia, bonito, flounder, barracuda, mudskipper, lumpfish, flying fish, and centrarchid among others. It is the first time he has discovered that such a small sea area can host so many different species of fish.

With such a large catch, it was certainly impossible for him to haul it onto the raft by himself. He skillfully tied up the opening of the fishing net, and then used another winch to wind the nylon rope, quickly pulling the boat ashore

The net he used was over 10 meters long and more than 3 meters wide. Originally intended for use in the river, he had to make do with it since he could not find a more suitable fishing net. On the surface of the sea, a foam float was tied to the net at intervals of just over 1 meter, and correspondingly below it was a screw sinker. When this nearly 20-meter net was cast onto the sea surface, it formed a horseshoe-shaped underwater enclosure with three sides. Fish swimming within 3 meters of the surface, upon colliding with the net, usually find it very difficult to escape.

Soon, they arrived at the Wanfeng Hotel. Manager Hu Bin, as usual, asked the kitchen staff to help bring the fish into the hotel, and then weighed it to calculate the cost. However, this time he seemed somewhat dissatisfied with the delivered goods

Not only has there been a change in his living environment, but more importantly, he now feels that life is filled with joy. Compared to sitting in an office dealing with stacks of documents while watching his superior's expressions and engaging in subtle rivalries with colleagues, he prefers this vast and open lifestyle. The freedom of exploring the world through books is both liberating and full of unknown pleasures. From initially fearing the sea to now enjoying it, his life has become increasingly fulfilling and full of surprises. This feeling is something he has never experienced before in his life.

There was nothing left for him to do, so he sat on the raft, drinking beer and watching the time. After about half an hour, he began to haul in the net. This action proved to be quite significant, as the net was often so heavy that it was almost impossible to drag. It seemed that the fish here had never encountered human capture, foolishly swimming into the net, making it very easy to catch them, and the quantity was also substantial. By the time Lin Tianyu finally managed to pull the net back with the winch, it was already packed full of catches, weighing at least several dozen to a hundred pounds.

Lin Tianyu carefully gauged the distance to the shore, which was approximately fifty to sixty meters, before coming to a stop. He secured the nylon rope to a wooden stake on the raft and then cast the net out towards the sea.

The fish species in the Mediterranean belong to dozens of families and genera, and distinguishing them carefully is not an easy task; the descriptions of these fish species could fill a book. However, that classification is from the perspective of marine biologists and zoologists. In Lin Tianyu's view, there are only two types of fish: those that are edible and those that are inedible.

Once he had rested enough, he casually tossed the jar into the storage box on the raft and then picked up the paddle beside him

He was wearing only a tank top on his upper body, and the skin exposed to the Mediterranean sun had turned a bronze color, making him look completely different from how he appeared a month ago. On his lower body, he wore shorts that revealed his calves, which were also bronzed from the sun. He was barefoot, standing on the deck of the raft, and the paddle in his hand moved rhythmically, indicating that he had become quite skilled at it.

It was only after watching the dolphins leave one by one, satisfied from their meal, that Lin Tianyu's net truly began to bring him its own rewards

Dig a sand pit nearby and dump all the fish that are struggling wildly in the net into the pit, and then proceed with sorting them.

Fortunately, by that time he had already learned how to swim, and no danger actually occurred. However, when he climbed onto the raft, the culprit had already escaped, leaving Lin Tianyu with a false sense of joy.

In the course of this month, he managed to save over 80,000 yuan by selling fish and crabs, which is nearly equivalent to his annual salary from before. However, Lin Tianyu still felt unsatisfied. After all, while 80,000 yuan may sound like a substantial amount, it is still insufficient for a down payment on a house in the city, let alone to realize Lin Tianyu's other life plans.

For those unfortunate fish caught in the nets, they approached without any psychological burden to feast heartily. The catch that Lin Tianyu had painstakingly lured turned into a delightful meal for these dolphins, leaving him in a state of both laughter and tears.

What is truly valuable are those large fish, in the ocean, where there are countless fish weighing hundreds of pounds or even more. The only issue is that, with Lin Tianyu's current tools, it is very difficult to catch such fish. Firstly, these large fish generally do not swim in the upper layers of the water. Even if one is occasionally caught in a net, it is often hard to secure it, as their immense strength can easily drag the fishing net away.

Among edible fish, sardines, cod, and bonito are the most common varieties. These three types of fish are generally of moderate size, making them suitable for capture, and they also have a pleasant taste. However, their market value is not particularly high, likely due to their abundance and commonality. Although they can sell for over ten or even several dozen yuan per kilogram, they hold little appeal in Lin Tianyu's eyes.

He has been intermittently working as a fisherman for over a month now. This month of life at sea has gradually stripped away the delicate and refined appearance typical of white-collar workers living in big cities. His body has become increasingly strong and robust through this moderately strenuous physical labor, with his bronzed skin serving as the best proof. He has also gradually adapted to this life that relies on physical strength for sustenance, becoming accustomed to the fresh air of the Mediterranean, tinged with a salty and fishy scent.

Move the six-box container to the door, which weighs nearly 200 pounds, with 100 pounds being crabs and the other 100 pounds being the catch of the day. He made a phone call, and shortly thereafter, a small truck with a half-cab arrived at his doorstep

Once, Lin Tianyu was fortunate enough to catch a mackerel measuring over 1.5 meters in length, which was the largest prey he had ever captured. He was overjoyed and frantically cranked the winch in an attempt to haul the fish onto the raft. However, at the very moment the fish was pulled out of the water, the powerful tail of the mackerel struck him, sending him directly into the water.

He is not completely helpless against these dolphins; however, on one hand, he fears that the blood from killing the dolphins will attract sharks, and on the other hand, he actually quite likes these mischievous creatures. Therefore, he simply lets them be, as there are countless fish in this area, and he is not worried about not having a catch.

Considering the client's needs, Lin Tianyu chose a large-mesh net, which poses little danger to small fish, while only larger fish may get caught. After casting the net and the fishing line, he did not remain idle on the raft, scattering some prepared bait in the middle of the net to attract fish to swim into the trap. Even after spreading the bait, he had to stay alert, as dolphins would occasionally steal fish from the net. During the initial days of his fishing career, he felt quite pleased whenever he caught a glimpse of dolphins gliding beneath his raft. These playful spirits of the water were mischievous yet benevolent, enjoying to circle around the raft and occasionally leaping out of the water to greet him. Lin Tianyu delighted in watching them frolic in the water, but he soon discovered the troublesome side of these creatures.

It is said that these crabs of yours are getting smaller and smaller, which is not a good phenomenon

The driver is named Luo Fei, and they have become quite familiar with each other. During this period, it has mostly been this person helping him transport seafood. Unlike most drivers who enjoy chatting, Luo Fei is very reserved and has never asked a single question about what is inside those boxes. Lin Tianyu appreciated this quality in him, so he simply signed a long-term transportation agreement with him, arranging for him to transport goods every Friday.

Lin Tianyu does not particularly enjoy catching these low-value fish, as their prices are significantly inferior compared to Mediterranean spiny crabs. Rather than exerting effort to catch them, he would prefer to collect more crabs along the shore. However, over the past month, the number of crabs on the beach has dwindled, and now it requires considerable effort to catch fifty kilograms of crabs, with their sizes also trending smaller. Therefore, in order to maximize his profits, he has no choice but to catch these relatively low-value fish species, while also honing his fishing skills in preparation for capturing larger specimens.