Chapter 29

Now it's time for the tug-of-war. Unlike freshwater fishing, where you can enjoy the thrill of reeling in the fish, most sea fish have hard, bony mouths. Even with modern hooks, there's no guarantee they won't slip off. Moreover, the conditions at the bottom of the sea are unknown; the line might get tangled on something, or other predatory fish might intercept your catch mid-way, so it's best to pull the fish up quickly.

Pulling the rough hemp rope by hand, especially with seawater, would soon become painful. So, Hong Tao came up with a trick. He coiled the rope around a short bamboo tube and used it as a roller, winding the rope up circle by circle. It was a bit slow at first, but as the rope coiled around the bamboo, it became thicker and the process sped up. Eventually, he managed to pull the fish up. It was a sea bass, pink all over with blue spots, about half a meter long, and at least 17 or 18 pounds.

"Starfish! Starfish! Grandpa, Uncle caught a starfish, this big!" Bojiao, whose rope had been taken by Hong Tao, could only pout and watch. He was quite disdainful of Hong Tao's unconventional fishing method. However, the fish was indeed large and relatively rare, making it a valuable catch.

"Put it in the hold to keep it alive. This one can be exchanged for a bushel of rice!" Bosan looked up and immediately calculated the value of the fish in terms of rice. That's the attitude of a worker.

"How about that, kid? Your uncle is better than your grandpa, right?" Hong Tao was quite pleased, but he didn't continue fishing. Just pulling up that one fish had made his arms sore. It seemed he was still under-prepared. Next time, he would bring a simple reel. Catching a few deep-sea fish when there was nothing else to do would be a nice little bonus.

"My grandpa has caught fish this big!" Bojiao clearly didn't want to admit that his father was inferior to Hong Tao. He stretched out his arms to demonstrate, indicating a length of over a meter.

"Down there is all coral. If we could dive down and collect some, we could sell it for a lot of money!" Hong Tao didn't argue with the 10-year-old. Instead, he pointed to the water below and explained to Bojiao.

"How do you know there's coral down there?" Bojiao was still a bit不服气 (unconvinced).

"Shame on you for being a child of the Tanka people. The starfish lives around coral reefs; it can't survive without them. After a while, when I've rested, I'll catch another fish for you. I think there's a reef down there, and the fish are in large groups. If we could catch a hundred-pound grouper, do you know how much it would sell for?" Hong Tao lay on the deck, daydreaming again.

"I don't know... I've never seen a grouper that big." Bojiao didn't have Hong Tao's habit of boasting and answered honestly.

"In my hometown, I have a boat that can dive underwater. If we sit in that boat... Hey! Second Brother, where's our float?" Hong Tao planned to indulge in some more storytelling, but when he shifted to a more comfortable position, he noticed that one of the two tall bamboo poles was missing. He sat up and looked around, and indeed, only one float was still visible on the sea surface.

"Huh? A fish has bitten the hook?" Bosan, hearing Hong Tao's shout, shaded his eyes and looked around, puzzled. They had only been fishing for less than an hour; it was too soon for a fish to bite. If it was a fish, it must be a big one, capable of pulling down seven or eight bamboo floats. How much strength would that require?

"Second Brother, don't move the boat. I'll go check..." While Bosan was still looking around, Hong Tao had already raised the sail halfway and steered the small wooden boat toward the float. He also reminded Bosan not to move, as it would be nearly impossible to find a small bamboo pole in the vast sea if they drifted too far away.

"Hey! Be careful..." Bosan didn't expect Hong Tao to act so quickly. He should have been the one to chase the fish, while Hong Tao and his son Bojiao stayed behind to watch the floats.

"Uncle, this way! This way!" A few minutes later, Bojiao suddenly stretched out his left hand from the bow and shouted loudly. He had spotted the missing float.

"Which way is this? Didn't I teach you?" Hong Tao followed the direction of Bojiao's finger and saw something faintly moving on the surface before disappearing again. Since the float was still nearby, there was no need to rush. The fish could be allowed to run for a while. Hong Tao took the opportunity to test Bojiao's knowledge.

"Left... left!" Bojiao was momentarily stumped but had a trick. He stood up straight, looked at his feet, and finally remembered left and right. When Hong Tao taught them, he used the example of standing at attention and at ease, so Bojiao was more accustomed to looking at his feet rather than his hands.

"Remember, when you're at sea, don't say 'this way' or 'that way.' Use 'left,' 'right,' 'front,' and 'back.' These directions refer to the boat, not you. Got it? Is this the left or right side of the boat?" Hong Tao wasn't satisfied. These children were his first batch of sailors, and if they couldn't distinguish left from right, they couldn't go on long voyages. They needed more training!

"It's... it's left..." Bojiao and Hong Tao were facing each other, and the change in perspective confused him. He looked at his feet again.

"Left your head! Get down on the bow. When I say 'left,' extend your left arm; when I say 'right,' extend your right arm. Don't look at your feet!" Hong Tao continued to instruct Bojiao while keeping his eyes on the sea to the left front. The float had already risen several times, and the frequency was increasing, indicating that the fish was losing strength. He was a bit anxious; this was his first chance to showcase his skills in this era. Compared to traps and crab cages, catching big fish with a rolling hook was a true talent, at least in his opinion.

"Alright, come over and row. Let's see what big fish we've caught, hehehe..." After less than ten minutes, the big fish was exhausted, and the float stood straight up. Hong Tao lowered the sail, switched places with Bojiao, and walked to the bow to start fishing. This wasn't to bully Bojiao; he had only learned to row for a few days, and it was all about feel, with no real tricks. Bojiao was better at it.

"Bojiao, remember, when using Uncle's rolling hook, don't touch the rope with your hands, whether the fish is moving or not. Always use this long hook. Got it?" Hong Tao picked up a gaff, ready to extend it into the water, but then remembered something and turned to continue instructing Bojiao.