On the shore, the earth house has a single light like a bean, the firelight dim.
Just after dinner, Ah Di Bai Ming starts working, busying himself with cleaning the stove and washing dishes.
Bai Qi, however, sits in the inner room doing the accounts, calculating expenses.
Recently, the fishing gains have been steady, bringing in about seven or eight hundred cents a day.
Adding to that the four hundred and twenty cents found on the bodies of the three hooligans they dealt with earlier.
Little by little, together it actually pushes the savings past the five thousand milestone!
If it wasn't for helping Uncle Changshun's family cover the money for the Physician's medicine.
Could have saved even more.
At least it could be around seven thousand cents.
"It's about five taels of silver, among these fishermen, high or low it counts as a 'middle-class fortune'!"
Bai Qi chuckles at himself, he now earns a lot, but there's also a lot of places to spend.
Buying rice, oil, salt for the family, eating meat dishes every day.
With winter coming, there's always the need to buy cotton clothes, thick bedding, and stock up on charcoal and dry wood.
Not to mention the herbs needed for refining power, and the tonic recipes to strengthen the body.
"Every day there's harvest from fishing, yet why am I still so poor?
Indeed, hard work making one rich is too naive.
Still need to set up a fish stall, being a boss is how to earn big money.
Tsk, these days a yard of cloth isn't cheap, average price is thirty-five cents.
A whole piece of clothing is about seven yards, the cloth money alone is nearly three hundred cents.
Cotton is even more expensive, roughly one tael and two pennies.
Poor families, where can they afford it!
No wonder the lowly fishermen dread the winter, saying cold kills people.
If you don't prepare for cold and warmth, truly you could freeze to death."
Bai Qi calculates all this, suddenly feeling the five thousand cents he has, doesn't seem like much.
"Not enough to spend, completely not enough to spend!"
His cotton clothes were bought when he was eleven or twelve years old, now his arms can't fit inside.
Ah Di Bai Ming is skinny and hasn't grown much, so he can wear them.
But it's so worn out, the cotton inside is almost gone.
Poor families wear cotton clothes filled with 'wadding'.
Which is scraps of flax, hemp, these rough and old remnants.
Not like wealthy families, theirs are filled with 'kuang', which is natural silk.
The effect of keeping warm, is what you would call the difference between the clouds and the mud.
"Speaking of which, indeed it's been a long time since we got new clothes."
Bai Qi puts away the purse, recently he's sent out two Silver Sand Carps.
Old Liang's impression points have been collected enough, can slow down a bit.
For now, the primary goal is set to being well-fed and warm, making money is key!
"If I catch that Golden Rainbow Trout, it would be great, selling it for a hundred taels shouldn't be a problem!
I'd directly escape poverty and head towards affluence!
Unfortunately, missed the opportunity that time.
And today with the weather turning cold, the Golden Rainbow Trout escaped one calamity, went to deep waters to feed."
Bai Qi rubs his hands, looking at the pitch-black sky outside:
"Big fish all come out at night, these days with herbal decoctions for soaking baths, external and internal application.
And combined with standing forging Qi, refining power rapidly.
Only the Golden Core Great Strength Skill's practice results are satisfying, but progress on the eight-stage skill is lagging.
Seizing this opportunity, might as well go down the river to guard good catches, and can hone water combat skills."
He lowers his eyelids and calls out the Ink Talisman.
[Skill: Eight-stage Skill (minor success)]
[Progress: (648/800)]
[Effect: River stealth, water combat like a dragon]
"Not much left, soon can step into 'proficient' level."
Bai Qi carries the two meat buns bought from the county, briefly instructs Ah Di Bai Ming, then steps out into the vast night.
He unties the rope, puts the sampan into the water, and heads straight for Black Water River.
...
...
"Places like Datian Bay, Niu Jiaotuo, Gaotan Rock are all shallow waters.
Shuangxiu Port, Mihun Bay are deep waters, easy to catch big fish."
Bai Qi paddles quickly through the reed marsh.
These days he uses herbal water to soak his feet and bathe, stands forging Qi tirelessly, nourishing his Qi Blood ever more abundantly.
Plus, with Golden Core Great Strength Skill breaking through minor success, his tendons and muscles have grown ever more solid, like tanned cowhide.
Virtually half a practitioner!
"In the past, never dared to come to Mihun Bay, fearing to withstand the waves.
Nowadays are different, can give it a try."
"Only with high skill can one be bold; this saying is indeed true."
It is precisely because of mastering the craft and the added utility that Bai Qi's confidence surged.
He thought of boarding the sampan and heading downriver to Mihun Bay to try his luck at catching some large fish and good haul.
Without skills, a fisherman wouldn't dare venture unless seeking death.
"The moisture here is heavier, and also colder.
At night, the fog is thick. If you can't see clearly and pass through dangerous shoals, hitting a sudden reef would indeed be dangerous."
Bai Qi's sharp gaze avoided several spots before finally finding an open water area.
He sank a heavy stone to stabilize the sampan, preventing it from drifting with the current.
Then he took off his short coat and jumped into the river alone.
"Hiss!"
Bai Qi couldn't help but inhale sharply, Mihun Bay was indeed bone-chillingly cold.
If an ordinary fisherman were to fall into the water, within half an hour, the hands and feet would freeze stiff and lead to drowning.
Fortunately, his fishing skills were proficient, and his swimming ability was outstanding.
With the reliance on the eight-stage skill, he could withstand the cold.
Treading water and facing waves, he slowly dove down.
With extraordinary perception, Bai Qi discovered several large fish and good hauls in shallow water areas he hadn't seen before.
There was even a half-pound Seven-star Spot, cunningly alert.
Before he could approach, it dashed into the thick water plants and disappeared.
"Humph, you escaped this time!
Steamed Seven-star Spot tastes delicious, one of Donglai Tower's famous dishes, it should be quite valuable!"
Bai Qi held his breath and continued searching, with the eight-stage skill illuminated by the Ink Talisman, its progress increased accordingly.
He dove deeper, his feet sinking into the mud, his body staggering forward.
The plentiful Qi Blood flowed rapidly in his body, resisting the encroaching cold.
"Training underwater seems to be more efficient.
This consumption is comparable to standing for half an hour."
Bai Qi estimated he could sustain for another incense stick's time, hurrying to search tonight's catch.
The riverbed was deep, pitch-black, and extremely tranquil.
Only the swirling currents and the fleeting movements of fish disrupted the silence.
It was as if it belonged to a completely different world compared to land.
"Found it!"
Finally, in the dense water plant clusters, Bai Qi caught a plump, robust golden carp.
Weighing about three to four pounds, its body was dotted like tiger stripes, quite striking.
"Tiger Head Barb, with white belly spines, also called 'Blow Belly Fish', prized for its liver.
Donglai Tower's whole fish feast includes a famous dish called 'Barbel Lung Soup'."
Bai Qi recalled the relevant records from "Records of Fish Characteristics".
The fish liver, commonly referred to as 'fish lung' by the populace, is often used in soup.
"It seems I'm destined to miss out on that dozen-pound Gold Rainbow Trout.
I can only use you to fill the gap lest I return empty-handed."
He held his breath and focused, slowing his movements, and with both hands forming a scoop.
With hardly any exertion, he easily captured the foolish Tiger Head Barb laying in the muddy water plants.
"Into the pot you go obediently!"
Bai Qi kicked the water with his feet, beginning to float upwards, breaking through the river surface heading towards the sampan.
He hooked his fingers into the fish's gills while retrieving the fishing net with one hand.
Carefully, he tucked the thrashing Tiger Head Barb into it, then climbed onto the boat at ease.
Tonight, clouds thickened, stars and moon dim, and it seemed like rain was imminent.
The drifting mist gradually thickened, covering the banks.
The waves surged, causing the sampan to wobble continuously.
"I'll take this back to stew in the hotpot!"
Bai Qi exhaled, flipped the fish basket and weighed it down with a stone.
After all, for a fisherman.
The most painful thing is a big fish escaping!
It's a regret that one might sit up, startled even at eighty years old!
"Going back down again, to catch some good haul for money to buy a winter coat."
After resting a while, Bai Qi ate two cooled meat pies.
Feeling it wasn't too late yet, he planned to catch some valuable fish besides treasures.
His gaze concentrated slightly, sweeping over the Profound Mystery Ink Talisman that had trembled several times previously.
[Catching fish in the river, great harvest, fishing skills further improved]
[Comprehended Sea-Driving Skill, Evil-Breaking Spirit Eye]
...
[Skill: Fishing (Proficient)]
[Progress: (3/800)]
[Utility: Cloaked and shielded, boarding the boat and entering the river, forming ripples that protect one's body]