Yin Yang steered his small boat out to sea.
To tell the truth, this was the first time in his life he had ever piloted a boat.
In fact, it was only after arriving in Huanggang that he had seen the actual ocean for the first time!
If other sailors knew, they would definitely curse him for a madman.
Someone who had never steered a boat or even seen the sea actually dared to buy a ten-meter vessel and head out to fish.
Never mind whether he could catch anything; whether he could even return alive was the real question!
Yet, that was exactly what Yin Yang did.
He had even learned his fishing techniques by watching videos on his phone.
His philosophy was simple: direct action was better than armchair theorizing!
The ocean was very quiet, giving off a sense of solitude that Yin Yang had long grown used to.
After setting his traps and nets, he opened the sunshade, brought out a lounge chair, and lay down to enjoy the sea breeze.
He had even thoughtfully prepared a tiny lounge chair for Canned Food, who lay on it wearing sunglasses, looking equally comfortable.
“I wonder if we’ll catch any fish. If not, we’ll be eating instant noodles tonight.”
“Meow~”
“Oh right, you have your cat food.”
Yin Yang let out a long yawn and gave a deep stretch.
“A rare moment of peace in this floating life.”
“Meow~”
The sea breeze blew softly as the boat rocked gently.
Yin Yang watched the sun slowly sink below the horizon, rarely choosing not to use this time to improve himself.
Sometimes, people really needed time to just space out.
Once night fell, Yin Yang began to pull in the nets.
The bad news: the harvest wasn't much.
The good news: it was enough for him and the cat.
Yin Yang was quite talented when it came to cooking.
In fact, one could say he was extremely devout regarding food.
The kitchen was fully stocked with seasonings, and it wasn't long before Yin Yang had whipped up a seafood medley.
The presentation was average, but the taste was undeniably good.
Even Canned Food abandoned its cat food, meowing incessantly at Yin Yang.
After serving the cat a small bowl and watching it wolf down the food, Yin Yang reset the nets.
He planned to sleep here for the night and pull the nets one last time at dawn before heading back.
This was what the old captain had taught him; even this specific fishing spot had been recommended by him.
The captain had started fishing at thirteen to support his entire family. Now in his sixties, with a house full of children and grandchildren and a few occupational ailments, he had sold the boat to enjoy his retirement.
After setting the nets, Yin Yang returned to the cabin to sleep.
The massive form of the lantern-carrying ghost slowly emerged from the shadows. It glanced at the cabin, then at the nets, and slowly reached its hand underwater.
...
Early the next morning, Yin Yang stared at the overflowing nets and silently looked up at the lantern-carrying ghost.
“How did you do it?”
The lantern-carrying ghost made a scooping gesture.
“You just... gathered them?”
The lantern-carrying ghost nodded.
Yin Yang gave it a thumbs up.
“Impressive!”
The lantern-carrying ghost in the shadows revealed a faint smile. Though it looked somewhat gruesome, Yin Yang knew it was indeed smiling.
As the sun rose, the lantern-carrying ghost vanished into the shadows, and Yin Yang steered the boat back to port.
By the time he returned to the harbor, many fishing boats had already docked.
On the shore, fish mongers were haggling with familiar fishermen.
In Huanggang, almost every fisherman had their own exclusive monger.
They wouldn't sell their catch to casual tourists. While this meant earning a bit less, the benefit was that the mongers would take everything they caught, regardless of quality or marketability.
As soon as Yin Yang’s boat pulled in, two fish mongers approached.
At the same time, some idle gossip drifted over.
“Isn't that Old Boss Zhao’s boat?”
“Not anymore. Old Boss Zhao sold it a few days ago. I heard he sold it to an outsider.”
“An outsider?”
“Yeah, a real weirdo. Before he went out yesterday, he was jumping around wearing a wooden mask.”
Hearing this, one of the fish mongers turned and left immediately.
He had thought it was Old Boss Zhao on the boat; he hadn't expected the owner to have changed.
The other monger, however, continued to wait.
Business was tough these days. There were fewer and fewer fish in the sea. The two fishermen he usually worked with barely made enough to cover fuel and expenses. If he couldn't get any fish, his clients would buy from other mongers, and he’d eventually lose them all.
So, he didn't care much. If the boat changed owners, so be it—as long as there were fish.
As he was thinking, Yin Yang finished docking the boat.
The monger quickly waved his hand from the pier.
“Little brother! Little brother! I’m from the fish market. How was the haul?”
Yin Yang poked his head out from the boat, and Canned Food hopped up beside him, looking curiously at the monger.
“It was okay. Caught a few fish.”
The monger’s heart sank.
Yin Yang was too fair-skinned; he didn't look like a fisherman at all.
But since he had already asked, leaving now would be rude.
With that in mind, he squeezed out a smile.
“My name is Luo Yu. What’s your name, little brother?”
“Wang... Wang Yang.”
“Good name, good name. Would it be convenient for me to come aboard and take a look?”
“Of course.”
Yin Yang made a welcoming gesture. The other monger who had walked away earlier let out a sneer.
Rivals were always enemies, and he naturally couldn't stand Luo Yu.
If it were Old Boss Zhao’s boat, that would be one thing—he had been a captain for decades. But with a new owner on a ten-meter boat, how much could he possibly have caught?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, he heard Luo Yu let out a startled cry from the boat.
“Holy shit!”
Hmm?
The other monger was taken aback. Did this 'crazy' new owner actually catch something good?
Since Luo Yu was already on the boat, the rules of the trade dictated that only one monger could be there at a time unless he couldn't handle the volume and called others to help.
Luo Yu was stunned. He looked at the fish, which were already gasping for air due to the sheer density of the catch. One haul from this boat was nearly equal to seven or eight other boats combined. Was this really the result of just one day?
Wait, what was that glittering golden thing?
Luo Yu squinted to look closer and let out another “Holy shit!”
The moment the words left his mouth, he clamped his hand over his lips. He looked back and saw several colleagues peering toward the boat.
Luo Yu whispered urgently.
“Little brother, I’m taking everything on this boat!”
“This is our first time meeting, so I won't haggle. I’ll give you the full market price as a gesture of friendship.”
“Just remember old Luo first whenever you have a catch in the future, alright?”
He looked at Yin Yang with total sincerity. Seeing Yin Yang remain silent, he continued.
“Little brother, you might be new to Huanggang. I’m not bragging, but my reputation on this pier is solid. If you don't believe me, you can ask Old Boss Zhao.”
Yin Yang nodded after hearing this.
“No problem. I’ll sell these to you then. But if your price is too low, I’ll find someone else next time.”
Luo Yu laughed and patted his chest.
“Don't you worry about that! Brother Wang, you’ve got quite a haul here. This boatload could easily go for ten or twenty thousand. How did you get so lucky on your first trip?”
Yin Yang thought for a moment and then spoke seriously.
“Maybe it's because I was very serious about the sacrifice.”
Rate on N.U.
