Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 76
Brandon's steps were fast and light as he wanted to reach his house as soon as possible, his heart beating with excitement. After many years of working as a fisherman, this was the first time he had experienced earning 8,500 pesos in just one day. He had to work at least 12 days to earn this amount back when he was working with Davis.
"You're back? That fast?" Gomez was surprised to see his son returning around 10 a.m. He was sitting on a bamboo chair, smoking a cigarette.
"We finished fishing an hour ago," Brandon said as he dropped the longline on the floor.
"Pa, can you help me untangle the line later?"
"I have nothing to do anyway," Gomez replied, his voice steady but curious.
"So, how was it? Did you catch a lot of fish using the longline?"
"Around 50 fish."
"I see, not that bad. How long did you have to wait? Perhaps the location you chose has a lot of fish then." For him, catching 50 fish using a 100-hook longline proved that the location was promising. Back then, he would be happy to catch 30 fish. He scratched his chin thoughtfully, impressed but still doubtful.
"We waited for 3 hours before pulling the line." Brandon drank a glass of water before answering, the cool liquid soothing his throat as a satisfied sigh escaped his lips.
"I see, I see... What?"
Gomez stared at Brandon like he was lying. His eyes widened, his mouth slightly open in disbelief.
"3 hours!?"
"I'm not lying. That's what it took us to catch 50 fish."
"I'd believe you if you used net trawling, but longline fishing is different."
"I'm being honest."
"That can only mean one thing then, the location you chose is abundant in fish. It's a perfect place to catch them."
Gomez thought about it and realized that was the only explanation he could think of, trying to make sense of the luck his son stumbled upon.
'Considering that the island has a lot of lobsters, I guess the waters close to it will also be abundant with fish.' Brandon nodded, recalling his experience.
"That place has been Karlos's go-to fishing spot."
"I guess your friend is really lucky. Don't tell this to others, they might take his fishing spot."
"Of course. Do I look like the type to tell secrets?"
"You're quite talkative when you're drunk."
"But I never told a secret."
"Alright, alright." Gomez shrugged.
A few minutes later, Brandon's mother showed up, wiping her hands after washing dishes. Just like Gomez, she was surprised that Brandon returned home quite early. She thought he would come back in the afternoon at best.
"You're back this early?"
"Our job ended."
"Then I assume you finished your quota? So, how much did you earn?" she asked, her tone filled with curiosity.
"Here's 1,000 pesos for our expenses." He handed the folded bills to her.
Since Brandon was the only person in the family who worked, he had to provide money for their living. He took responsibility for taking care of his parents.
"1,000 pesos? Are you drunk or something? Just give me 300 pesos. Do I look like a bad parent who will suck her children dry?" Her tone was sharp, but her lips were twitching.
"Ma, it's fine. You've been nagging us that you rarely have the chance to eat meat. Just think of this as a small treat from me."
"Ahem, if you insist." The woman grinned and pocketed the money, happy despite her attempt to act modest.
"For you to give me 1,000 pesos, I assume you've earned quite a lot. Don't spend it on alcohol, and make sure to thank your friend for hiring you."
"I won't spend it, okay... Just a little bit on alcohol and cigarettes."
"You..." She clicked her tongue and shook her head in disappointment. Why do men love alcohol?
Brandon didn't tell them his exact earnings, and his parents were not the type to invade his privacy. As long as Brandon became a proper adult, they weren't expecting too much from him. Since Brandon's childhood, his parents had felt sad that he had a certain condition that made people laugh at him. As long as Brandon grew up healthy and became a proper adult, they would be at ease. As for finding a wife... Perhaps if he won the lottery?
...
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...
Karlos checked the construction site and nodded as he saw the changes, the sound of hammers and saws, the scent of wet cement, things were getting built. The foundation had been laid, and he could see a small portion of concrete walls rising. He talked to the contractor for a bit before bidding his farewell, giving instructions while scanning the progress with approving eyes.
He returned to the beach once he was done inspecting the house. He thanked the young men before stepping onto the boat and leaving.
He arrived at the villa three hours earlier than usual. Maya was happy about that fact and greeted him with a hug and a peck on the lips, her eyes bright and full of affection. An earlier arrival meant more time to spend together. Naturally, the twins were also happy to see their father, they squealed and clung to his legs.
"The longline fishing works?" Maya asked, curiosity in her eyes.
"It was faster than I imagined. Furthermore, it caught more than I could when using a fishing rod. I'll tell you about it once we're in the room."
Karlos carried the twins as they giggled, their laughter filling the air. Maya followed them. A maid greeted Karlos with a smile, and the man nodded. Maya also greeted the maid, but the maid just glared at her, the atmosphere suddenly didn't feel great...
When they were in the room, Karlos gave the receipt and money to Maya.
"We earned 161,000 pesos today. I gave Brandon 8,500 pesos."
"161,000 pesos? That's more than twice your usual earnings!" Maya was delighted as she read the receipt, her eyes widening in excitement as she reread the numbers.
Karlos's daily earnings were usually around 60,000 pesos. Maya thought that amount was already a blessing, but it seemed that longline fishing could bring even more. She felt her heart race at the realization that their lives were slowly changing for the better.
"I'm also surprised. I should have done this earlier if I had known. The boat was even sinking deeper because we caught too much." He chuckled softly, recalling the weight of the fish.
"This is amazing." Maya put the money in the cabinet after she was done counting and confirming the amount.
"If you earn the same amount continuously, then it won't take long for you to reach 1 million pesos."
So far, the balance in their bank account was 1.7 million pesos. They had paid 1 million pesos as a down payment for their house.
"If the weather plays good."
"Don't jinx it." Maya glared playfully, narrowing her eyes as she crossed her arms.
"My bad." Karlos realized his mistake. "But I can only earn this amount for about a month. Once the salmon season ends, it'll be hard for me to earn 160,000 pesos per day."
"We have to accept it. At least we earned a lot this salmon season." Maya reached out and squeezed his hand gently.