Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 85
Maya was smiling as she finished counting the money, it was 175,000 pesos. Most of the fish they caught were salmon. Fishermen and buyers preferred handling cash instead of cheques in their fish port because it made transactions faster and easier. Unless the amount exceeded 300,000 pesos, buyers were expected to give cash, an old unwritten rule.
In fact, most fishermen could only earn huge amounts of money during this season when the sea was particularly generous. Once the salmon season ended, earning 100,000 pesos per day would be tough and almost impossible for ordinary fishermen.
"You're back, I reheated the fried chicken for you. There's also the breakfast Mrs. Wanda prepared," Maya said warmly.
Karlos washed his hands.
At first, Maya had no idea how to use the microwave and found the buttons confusing. Most average-class families didn't even own microwaves because this stuff was expensive and, in their opinion, hardly usable, making it a luxury item. They preferred to use the stove out of habit and practicality.
Karlos chuckled when Maya asked him how to operate the microwave. She thought Karlos knew how to do it because he was from the capital, where modern appliances were more common. But actually, Karlos had never touched a microwave in this lifetime at all.
But his past life was different. Earth Karlos knew how to operate a microwave thanks to convenience stores.
Karlos taught Maya how to use it. Since then, whenever they had leftover food, they put it in the refrigerator and reheated it the next day. As for why there was a microwave in their room, the couple had no idea, but they didn't question it.
Karlos grinned and sat down at the table. He drank the soup Mrs. Wanda brought, then feasted on the fried chicken, taking large hungry bites.
The twins watched their father eat while sitting in their walkers. To be precise, they were looking at the food he was eating, Arabella even drooled slightly.
"Kids, you're still hungry? Your cheeks are stained with chocolate frosting," Karlos teased.
The twins eagerly nodded their heads.
Karlos chuckled. This had become routine at this point. He found it adorable. Left with no choice, he gave each of them a small piece of fried chicken. Now their faces were smeared with chocolate frosting and grease.
Maya weakly sighed... She shouldn't have bathed them first.
After eating, Karlos took a shower while Maya cleaned the twins and put them in proper clothing, choosing matching outfits. She chose blue pajamas with animal doodles printed on them.
Once the whole family was ready, the couple prepared their gifts for Joseph and his family, carefully packing everything.
Foster was already in the car, waiting for them. Karlos had talked to him yesterday about this short trip. The gardener had no problem driving the family, especially since he was being paid.
At first, Foster hesitated to accept the money out of politeness, but Karlos assured him. Foster accepted it anyway because it was a substantial amount.
Being a gardener, his salary was 450 pesos per day. It was good since it was steady work and he had free meals. However, if Foster could earn more, why not? He needed to support his family too.
Yesterday, Foster received 1,000 pesos for driving the couple to Evitac City, a rare bonus. Today, he would receive 400 pesos since the trip was short, he just had to drive them to the northwest part of town, which wouldn't take 20 minutes. The couple said they could hire a tricycle on the return trip, so Foster didn't need to wait.
Obviously, Foster found this deal attractive and accepted the job. If he acted like a hypocrite and refused the money, Karlos would force him to accept it anyway. Furthermore, he was happy when Karlos invited him to drink, a gesture of friendship. He didn't want to sour their relationship over money.
"Kids, are you ready to see your Auntie?" Maya asked in a cheerful voice.
When Maya married and lived in the south of town, she rarely had time to visit her brother and sister-in-law due to the distance and the babies being young. Their houses were on opposite ends of town and it would take at least four hours of walking to get there. Even hiring a tricycle would take an hour and cost money. Hence, only Joseph, who owned a delivery truck, could visit Maya and the twins, not the other way around.
Furthermore, Maya had to take care of the twins, and she didn't have the time to visit her sister-in-law often. She could only visit once or twice a month when Karlos was available to help.
The twins just looked at Maya, they didn't know what to say. In the first place, they didn't have a strong recollection of their auntie or even their uncle. Their innocent gazes made Maya squeal, unable to resist their charm. Her two children were absolutely adorable and she treasured every moment. She kissed their cheeks, which made Arabella giggle while Iñigo slightly frowned.
"Aww, my little boy is already old? You don't want Mama to kiss you anymore? Too bad, you're too young to fight back. Even your Papa can't deny my kisses." She teased him playfully.
Maya lifted Iñigo to face her and showered him with kisses. The little boy frowned at first until he burst into laughter.
"I checked the house earlier, most of the walls are already built," Karlos reported.
The structure of the house would take a month or two before it was done. Honestly, they could have chosen a smaller house with cheaper expenses, but since their land was huge and they wanted to maximize the space, they went with a bigger and better one. Based on the architectural design, the L-shaped house looked amazing and practical.
"That's great," Maya answered.
Karlos helped Foster with the directions because this was the first time he was driving to Joseph's house.
Not even twenty minutes later, they reached the two-storey house. The family stepped out of the car with Karlos carrying the boxes.
Maya looked at the house with a knowing smile, nostalgia washing over her. She had lived in this house for almost her entire life until marriage. This was the house her parents built, which Joseph inherited.
In front of the house was a small store that her sister-in-law Penelope owned. Just like Maya, Penelope was also busy most of the time, running a household and a store. Hence, she rarely had time to visit them at the beach.
"You've come, Maya! Welcome!" Penelope called with excitement.
Penelope saw Maya and her family stepping out of the car. She was a bit shocked as to why they rented a car, not knowing the full story.
"Penelope!" Maya replied joyfully.
The two hugged each other excitedly, their bond still strong. Then Penelope looked at the twins, who were sucking their thumbs. They were in their respective strollers, looking adorably shy.