As a Fisherman, My Fish Can Level Up-Chapter 81 - : Departure
Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Departure
The plump fishing buddy expressed his thanks repeatedly; he was someone who rather believed in metaphysics. Ah Cheng gave up his spot, making him feel like his luck had arrived in the second half of the night.
Ah Cheng then packed up his own gear and with his fish box in tow, returned to the cockpit to tally up the catch with He Zheng.
The twenty-plus pounds of yellow croaker were sold for about five thousand two hundred yuan, which was close to the price he had estimated.
Today’s income had just surpassed forty thousand, and together with the original seventy thousand, Ah Cheng’s savings had temporarily reached over one hundred and ten thousand.
However, when buying the boat, he would still borrow eight hundred thousand directly from his parents.
Next, he was planning to go to Qiongzhou; getting certified would require money.
...
After that, he intended to take a trip to Xisha after the certification, which would likely cost around eight thousand, plus he needed to buy a high-powered electric fishing rod, costing another ten to twenty thousand.
As for going to Nansha, he decided against it, since a trip to Nansha would take at least half a month.
There wasn’t much time left in the year, and he still had to go to Xia City to get a driver’s license.
Moreover, things like renting an apartment in Xia City would also require money; in short, the initial investment wasn’t small.
The Cod and a few yellow croakers that had escaped from the aquaculture cages were kept by him, along with four six-tael yellow croakers.
He saved two of them for dinner with Zhang Wei and Chen Yang in the evening, since they had agreed to eat together.
He had originally planned to catch a Stone Fish, but now yellow croaker would do just as well.
He brought the rest of the fish back for his parents, though they were unlikely to eat the farmed yellow croaker; coastal residents are very choosy about their seafood. It didn’t matter how expensive the fish was, but it had to be fresh and tender.
The farmed yellow croaker, in fact, had once been gifted by Ah Cheng’s grandmother; it was said that the taste of fish from her area was better due to water quality, hence it was priced higher than the usual farmed yellow croaker.
But it still couldn’t escape a certain fishiness, and after tasting it, his family refused to eat it, so those few fish were probably going to be used to feed Mimi.
He rested in the cockpit for a while, and in the blink of an eye, the sun had already risen.
A night of all-nighters left everyone on board feeling lethargic, and waking up made Ah Cheng’s eyes even sourer and his head heavier.
The aftermath of insufficient sleep was more uncomfortable than staying up all night, but with the conditions on the boat being what they were, he had to make do.
He took out a bottle of mineral water, rinsed his mouth, and washed his face, which made him feel somewhat better.
Just staying at sea for one night made him feel sticky and extremely uncomfortable all over.
Luckily, the fishing boat was now heading back, and he would soon be able to go home for a shower and catch up on sleep.
Having returned to the Wen City dock while it was bright out, he bade farewell to He Zheng and drove home to take a shower and get some sleep as soon as he arrived.
When he woke up again, it was already noon, and Ah Cheng was awakened by hunger.
As soon as he opened the bedroom door, the scent of meat wafted towards him.
As he headed downstairs, the meaty aroma grew stronger.
Once he reached the kitchen, he found his mother was cooking.
An Xiuwen saw her son at the kitchen doorway and said with a smile, “Son, you’re awake! Hurry and wash up, the food will be ready soon.”
“Mom, why are you here?”
“I knew you would be tired from fishing, so I came to cook for you. This afternoon, I’ll help you sort out your clothes too, so you don’t lose anything.”
“Thanks, Mom, I’m going to brush my teeth!”
Ah Cheng felt perfectly entitled to his mother’s care, because when they got older, he intended to look after them just the same.
He was very grateful to have such a harmonious and loving family.
After lunch in the afternoon, it was time to pack.
Considering the weather down south, Ah Cheng packed not only autumn and winter clothes but also some summer clothes.
The weather this year was a bit abnormal; it was already snowing in the north, while he was still wearing short sleeves.
He suspected that after the New Year, January would be very cold, and the magical attacks by then would catch people off guard.
Once packed, An Xiuwen left with the fish, not wanting to disturb the young ones’ dinner party in the evening.
It was past six in the evening when Chen Yang and Zhang Wei finally arrived.
As soon as Zhang Wei entered the door, he boisterously called out, “Ah Cheng, what’s for dinner today?”
“Corn stewed ribs, and some appetizers to go with the drinks.”
“That’s it?”
“What else?”
Zhang Wei decisively grabbed Chen Yang and started to leave, “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go. You promised a feast, and now you’re fobbing us off with ribs?”
“Do you know how expensive pork is these days!” Chu Mingcheng continued to joke with a laugh.
Chen Yang, speechless, pulled on Zhang Wei and pointed at the steaming pot still emitting heat in the kitchen, “You can tell at a glance that there’s something good in there. Haven’t you thought about checking it out on your own!”
“Hmph, I’m just kidding around with Ah Cheng!” Zhang Wei turned back, walked into the kitchen, and reached out to lift the lid.
Chu Mingcheng quickly held him back, “Wait another two minutes, it needs to steam a bit longer.”
“What kind of fish is it, Stone Fish?”
“Never mind what fish it is, we usually can’t afford it anyway.”
“Wow, now I’m interested.”
Zhang Wei stood by patiently waiting, turned off the stove after two minutes, and then opened the lid.
“Damn, yellow croaker! These can’t be wild-caught, can they?”
Chu Mingcheng was by his side heating up some oil, and at hearing his words couldn’t help but feel speechless, “Of course they’re wild-caught, I caught them last night. How could I have the nerve to serve you farmed ones?”
Now that he was fishing professionally, and considering this was the farewell dinner of the year, it would be rather shabby not to treat his friends to wild-caught fish.
“Damn, Ah Cheng, the best decision you’ve ever made in your life is to quit your job and become a Fishing Man!” The two yellow croaker wouldn’t normally excite Zhang Wei; after all, Chen Yang had treated them to something even more expensive the day before yesterday.
But having a friend who was a professional fisherman certainly had its perks, as Zhang Wei got to enjoy some of the expensive fish he had previously been reluctant to indulge in.
Chen Yang also nodded in agreement; many fresh and rare delicacies from the sea weren’t easy to come by, requiring both time and luck to purchase.
Since he loved seafood and had a brother in the trade, he at least wouldn’t have trouble getting his hands on fresh, high-quality goods in the future.
That night, the three brothers chatted a lot, mostly Chen Yang and Zhang Wei spoke. They reminisced about their childhood and wished Chu Mingcheng a prosperous future in Xia City.
…
The next day, at nine in the morning, Chu Mingcheng called his parents to say goodbye and then took Chen Yang’s car to the airport.
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The plane left at ten o’clock. After arriving at the airport, he didn’t need to wait long before quickly checking in and boarding.
Two hours and forty minutes later, he arrived at the southernmost tip of the country, the Triple As, also known as Lu City.
Liu Jianjun’s old comrade Lu Zheqiang had settled there, and the two shared a very close relationship, visiting each other during the New Year holidays each year.
This was why Liu Jianjun would make the introduction; he wouldn’t have suggested it if they hadn’t kept in touch.
Exiting the airport, Chu Mingcheng pulled his luggage along, called Lu Zheqiang to confirm the address, then flagged down a taxi to go straight there.
When he confirmed his intention to get certified, he had already added Lu Zheqiang as a contact and discussed certification details and tuition fees.
He was going directly for the AIDA two-star certification while also planning to get his spearfishing license. Due to Lu Zheqiang’s influence, he received some discounts on tuition, only needing to pay eight thousand yuan, which included accommodation.
The price for a basic free diving one-star certification is normally around 3,800 yuan, which is the standard fee across the clubs.
However, the one-star curriculum is more suited to beginners and consists mostly of theory and still water practice.
Those who are confident can go straight for the two-star certification. According to Lu Zheqiang, since his swimming skills were so good, he could go directly for the two-star.
The tuition for the two-star certification was roughly 4,600 yuan, and spearfishing was also over four thousand, so for him to take both courses only cost eight thousand, indeed saving him a thousand yuan.
The training was expected to last five days; two days for the two-star coursework, and three days for the spearfishing training.
The majority of the time spent on spearfishing training would be dedicated to learning how to use various types of spearguns, becoming proficient with spearguns requires a lot of practice.
