Chapter 12

"Since the sea breeze is strong, don't catch a cold. Go change into this dry clothes I have." Seeing Bozhu's passionate gaze, Hongtao could only comply. Taking off his wet clothes and giving them to her, letting her go to the stern to change, was the most appropriate way to show his gratitude. Without this straightforward and bold girl, he probably wouldn't have been able to establish himself so quickly among the Tanka people. As for whether he would marry her in the future, Hongtao no longer planned to resist. Resistance would be futile. To develop, he needed support, and these Tanka families were his only support. In the future, many people would marry old ladies to gain status, so marrying a young and beautiful girl like Bozhu wouldn't be a loss!

"Good boy, with this cage, you'll soon be able to get a wife!" Huang Hai, though he had just met Hongtao, was a warm-hearted person. He had always supported Hongtao's innovative actions, and the over a hundred pounds of fish, shrimp, and crabs now proved his judgment. So he smiled happily.

"This isn't just mine; the net is everyone's, and the fish and shrimp are everyone's. Let's go back and share them. Bozhu, let's set sail!" Hongtao wasn't being modest, but he wasn't being arrogant either. He had practiced how to bind others to himself with benefits for two lifetimes and had a lot of experience. Giving others hope at the right time would earn their trust. Trust seemed useless in daily life, but it was more valuable than gold in critical moments, something that money couldn't buy. It had to be accumulated intentionally over time.

"Grandpa, Big Brother, let's set sail!" Bozhu happily hid behind the tattered sail, changed out of her wet clothes, and, wearing Hongtao's loose men's shirt, pulled the oar with extra enthusiasm. The power of the spirit is boundless, and this small boat took the lead, even outpacing her brother. Of course, Hongtao's sail handling was also excellent, and in favorable winds, he could make the tattered sail work to its full potential.

On the second day of his穿越 to the Song Dynasty, Hongtao found his place and gained the recognition of the people of this era. This result made him very pleased. Regardless of how many people recognized him, it at least showed that his life skills and social skills had improved. He hadn't wasted his three trips through time, each one bringing more progress. Dividing over a hundred pounds of fish among three families didn't leave much for each, but everyone was very happy. In a more primitive society, a fair distribution system was highly valued, and even a single fish could warm hearts.

The fish were caught by Hongtao, and this was a consensus among the three families. No matter how modest Hongtao was, even Bozhu, who had helped make the cage, didn't claim the credit. In their eyes, Hongtao was an educated person, so it was natural that he had come up with this good idea. No one could take that away from him. Since the fish were considered his, Hongtao had the right to handle them. Thus, he began to distribute the benefits, making it clear that these fish were not given but earned!

What does "earned" mean? Shares! Providing the fishing net counted for two shares; helping to make the cage counted for one share; coming up with the idea counted for three shares, forming a small cooperative. The Bo family held 25% of the shares, one for the net and one for helping to make the cage; the Huang family held 25% of the shares, one for the net and one for helping to make the cage; the Chen family held 50% of the shares, one for the net and one for Hongtao's technology.

No one knew what shares were, nor did they understand cooperatives or joint-stock companies, but they all gave Hongtao a thumbs up for his distribution method, saying it was fair! Everyone who contributed materials, labor, or ideas benefited, and no one felt cheated or exploited. This was a good method!

As the major shareholder, Hongtao took a portion of the fish and had Bozhu and the other women and children prepare them. They would have rice and seafood for dinner. There wasn't much rice left, but tomorrow Chen Ming'en would row a small boat up the Ningyuan River to the town of Yacheng to exchange for more rice. Everyone could see that Hongtao had a sweet tooth and didn't like yams. Since they had the fish, it wasn't excessive to have rice and seafood every day.

Of course, Bo Fu remained the dissenter. He wasn't against Hongtao but against his style and extravagance. This old man was conservative and disliked change, so he disapproved of Hongtao. This wasn't opposition to Hongtao; rather, he felt he was concerned for him. Eating less rice and seafood, not using the seafood to trade for new cloth from the Li people, and saving up to buy his own boat would allow him to marry Bozhu sooner. In the Tanka community, a man without his own boat was still considered a child, dependent on his parents and not respected.

The Tanka people liked to drink. Living on the water year-round, they often suffered from arthritis and other joint diseases in old age. To combat the dampness, they drank alcohol, especially their own medicinal wine, which contained several types of seafood. They believed that drinking a little every day could remove dampness and even enhance virility.

On this issue, Hongtao was very cautious. He didn't want to end up with swollen joints as big as steamed buns, hurting even when he didn't move, and having to commit suicide because he couldn't bear it. He couldn't solve the living problem yet, and even if he had his own boat in the future, it wouldn't solve it. He had asked Chen Ming'en and Bo Fu if they could live on land, and their answer surprised him. They said it was possible!

The Tanka people lived on the water year-round, but they also had their own houses, which they rarely used. These houses were built on the edge of the beach, similar to the stilt houses of the Dai people. They were supported by bamboo poles below and covered with wooden planks above, with bamboo and leaves used to shield the sides and roof. During high tide, the seawater was about a meter below the wooden planks, and during low tide, the house was on the beach, requiring a ladder to go up and down.

The Tanka people fished in different seas each season, living on their boats during this time. They only returned to their houses during the season when fish and shrimp were scarce. This was somewhat like the nomadic tribes of the north, such as the Mongols. The Mongols followed the water and grass, driving their flocks to where the grass was lush and setting up tents to live. The Tanka people followed the fish, going wherever there were fish, fishing during the day, and sleeping on their boats at night.

Relatively speaking, the Tanka people had a larger range of movement than the Mongols, extending from the South China Sea to various countries in Southeast Asia. In this sense, they were more like the Gypsies of Europe, driving a large caravan, going wherever they could, and having no fixed home. The social status of the Gypsies and the Tanka people was also similar; they were not favored in Europe, and no country wanted them to settle or allowed them to engage in many professions, leaving them to struggle at the bottom of society. The only difference was that the Gypsies wandered on land, while the Tanka people wandered on the sea.