Chapter 3

3. My Fish Farm, My Fish

As the Boeing 777, with its cloud-patterned, light blue exterior, took off from Kyoto to Toronto, its streamlined body, nearly seventy meters long and with a wingspan of over sixty meters, looked incredibly beautiful. The colorful livery shimmered in the night, filling Seagull Qin with excitement.

When boarding, a flight attendant guided him. The Air Canada flight attendants, naturally, were all blonde and blue-eyed, and Qin Shilou watched them with great interest. When he found his seat, he noticed it was by the window.

Initially, this made him very happy, as he could look out at the lights of the city below after takeoff. However, once the plane lifted off, Qin Shilou's expression changed dramatically. As the plane accelerated, his heart began to race, and a strong feeling of suffocation filled his chest, making him breathe rapidly and his vision go dark. A distorted aerial view appeared in his mind, and the food in his stomach surged up his throat. He had to use all his willpower to suppress the urge to vomit.

The plane roared as it began its second ascent, and Albach, startled, took a deep breath. At this moment, Qin Shilou was no longer the spirited man who had boarded the plane; his face was pale, and he was drenched in cold sweat, his hands tightly gripping the armrests, looking like he was on the verge of organ failure.

Albach calmly held his wrist and pressed the call button. A flight attendant in a sky-blue uniform and black high heels quickly approached.

"Please take a look at my friend; he seems to be airsick," Albach said with a wry smile.

After examining Qin Shilou, the flight attendant quickly left and returned shortly. Qin Shilou felt a gentle, slightly cool hand on his forehead.

"It's nothing, sir. He just has a fear of heights, which is quite common," a soft, pleasant voice said.

Then, the hand on his forehead moved to his palm. "Relax, sir. Take deep breaths. Follow my rhythm. Imagine you are sitting at your dining table at home, or in your yard, or in the fields, with your parents by your side... Do you see them? They are smiling at you. Is there anything you want to say? Speak to your parents slowly..."

"Mom, I feel sick!" Qin Shilou tried to imagine himself in the fields of his hometown, but when the soothing voice prompted him to speak, he couldn't help but blurt out this.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he heard Albach's laughter.

The flight attendant continued to whisper in his ear, gently comforting him. A faint, sweet scent wafted into his nose, reminding him of the locust flowers in his hometown during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The same elegance, the same sweetness.

The dizziness and nausea finally began to subside, and Qin Shilou swallowed and slowly opened his eyes. When he turned his head, he suddenly felt a surge of clarity, and all the negative feelings were replaced by a sense of amazement.

Sitting in Albach's seat was a woman with black hair. Her features were as delicate as porcelain, her small, cherry lips naturally red, and her light blue eyes like a clear sky after rain. Unlike the rough skin of most white women, her skin was smooth and warm, like jade, glowing softly under the orange light.

A well-fitted, sapphire-blue flight attendant uniform accentuated her slender figure. She smiled sweetly at Qin Shilou, making him feel as if a fairy had descended from a painting.

"Are you feeling better?" the flight attendant asked with a smile, then gently helped Qin Shilou to Albach's seat. "Would you mind switching seats? He's not comfortable near the window."

Albach smiled. "Of course not."

After Qin Shilou sat down, the flight attendant nodded gently, adjusted her skirt, and stood up. Her long, shapely legs, encased in flesh-colored crystal stockings, glowed like ivory.

She nodded again, and Qin Shilou hurriedly thanked her. "Thank you for your help. I feel much better now. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"It's my pleasure, sir. Have a pleasant journey. Goodbye." The flight attendant smiled, closed the call button above Qin Shilou's head, and he caught a whiff of the sweet, locust flower-like scent once more.

The flight was long, lasting over twelve hours. During this time, flight attendants moved about, but the one who had comforted Qin Shilou did not reappear. When Albach asked another flight attendant during the meal service, he learned that she was the chief flight attendant.

"What's her name?" Qin Shilou asked.

The blonde flight attendant smiled politely. "It would be better if you asked her directly."

Unfortunately, Qin Shilou did not encounter the kind-hearted flight attendant again until they disembarked.

They transferred at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Due to the time difference, Toronto, in the Eastern Time Zone, was over twelve hours behind Kyoto, in the Japan Standard Time Zone, and it was still night.

When they disembarked, Qin Shilou was stunned by the sight of the brilliant Milky Way, like gems scattered on a black velvet sky. The stars, varying in size, shimmered with a bright and gentle light.

The vast darkness and the stars everywhere formed the main theme of the boundless sky. Standing on the ground, Qin Shilou felt a strange sense of emotion.

This was the starry sky, familiar yet unfamiliar. Looking up, Qin Shilou felt a sense of standing alone in the vast world. He wondered if the ancestors of the Chinese people, five thousand years ago, had been equally amazed when they first saw the clear night sky.

In fact, when he was a child, Qin Shilou could still see such a starry sky in his hometown. In those summers, without fans or air conditioners, the family would sit on small stools and chairs in the village threshing ground with their neighbors to cool off.

After playing with his friends, Qin Shilou would lie on the warm, flat threshing ground and gaze up at the stars.

For many years, he thought he had forgotten those times. But now, seeing the brilliant starry sky in distant Canada, he realized that the innocent years of his childhood, filled with his most beautiful memories, had never left him; they were just hidden deep in his heart.

Qin Shilou took deep breaths and said, "The air here is nice."

Toronto is the largest city in Ontario, and the name "Ontario" comes from the indigenous language, meaning "sparkling water." True to its name, the region is home to Hudson Bay to the north and the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River to the south, known for its humid air.

However, Albach disagreed. "The air in Toronto is not that great. Trust me, young man, when you get to Farewell, you'll find the air is sweet!"

They boarded another plane, with the next destination being St. John's.

On the plane, Albach took the opportunity to give him a brief lesson. St. John's is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the nearby waters are famous for the cod fishing grounds. The Great Qin Fish Farm, which he was to inherit, was part of these cod fishing grounds.

Canadian cod is world-renowned. Qin Shilou remembered from his middle school geography class that the Newfoundland fishing grounds were described as a place where one could walk ashore on the backs of cod. He had never tasted cod before, but he was eager to try some once he reached the fish farm.

The plane landed at dawn. As it descended, Qin Shilou could just about tolerate the height and looked out the window. The first thing he saw was the vast, deep blue sea.

In the bay, rows of colorful wooden houses were scattered, giving a lazy, relaxed feel.

St. John's Airport is about ten kilometers from the city center. Taxis were scarce, unlike the bustling domestic airports. During the flight, Qin Shilou had noticed that this provincial capital was quite small and not very prosperous. The streets in the city were wide and clean, with only a few pedestrians.

However, the city's scenery was beautiful. As soon as he stepped out, a fresh sea breeze, slightly salty but refreshing, greeted him. Everything seemed new and exciting to Qin Shilou. At the dock, he even saw chunks of ice floating in the water.

"Your fish farm is to the southeast. It's a great location where the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream meet," Albach said, smiling on the deck.

Qin Shilou was extremely excited. As they approached the fish farm, he felt a mix of anticipation and nervousness. Standing on the deck, the sea breeze blew, but he barely felt the cold.

At that moment, the sun was just rising, casting a gentle, orange-red glow from the east, like a shy girl's smile. Then, the brilliant sun leaped out, and the sky was filled with golden rays, dispelling the last remnants of darkness.

The vast sea seemed to turn into the orange soda water Qin Shilou loved as a child. The sunlight penetrated the rippling waves, transforming the sea into a dreamlike ocean.

"Chirp! Chirp!" A few clear bird calls echoed, and four or five white seagulls glided down, riding the sea breeze.

Qin Shilou felt a deep sense of satisfaction as he watched this scene.

His name contained the character for "gull," and he had always been fascinated by seagulls. Unfortunately, in his hometown, the nearshore environment was severely damaged, and seagulls had long disappeared. Now, on the other side of the ocean, he finally saw these seabirds.

The appearance of the seagulls indicated that land was not far away. Soon, a small island came into view.

Though called a small island, it was not small at all. Qin Shilou estimated it to be about 400 square kilometers. Seeing this island, he was filled with excitement, as it meant he had arrived at his fish farm.

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