Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 139
"I will not buy beer," she said sternly.
"Babe, please."
Karlos hugged her and showed his pitiful face. Maya laughed and lightly smacked his shoulder, unable to stay serious.
"How about I treat you to something nice later?" His voice lowered.
"Oh? What is it?" Maya raised her brow.
"We can..." Karlos whispered right beside her ear, and Maya's heart beat fast. Her face reddened when she heard what he whispered.
"What are you talking about? T-That's, you brute!" She covered her mouth.
"Come on. The mattress and bed frame are brand new, and they can withstand what's about to happen. We also bought a bigger baby crib for the twins. They don't have to sleep with us anymore. We can..." Karlos further whispered as his hands slowly moved down to her...
"Staph~" Maya slapped his hand, not too hard.
Unfortunately, no matter how much Maya tried to deflect Karlos, she was too "weak" to say no. After some kisses here and there, she agreed to buy a case of beer, a compromise she accepted. Karlos was satisfied with that.
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The next day, Brandon and Karlos finished their job at 11 a.m. and returned to the beach, the sun already high. They earned 48,000 pesos today.
However, a shocking event occurred that day.
"This..."
Karlos and Brandon looked at the fishing vessel a few hundred meters away from the shore, its silhouette imposing. It was a commercial trawler boat, about 25 meters long, far larger than bangkas, a common type of fishing vessel in their region.
Being a big boat, it couldn't dock on land, or else it would be stranded as the hull was too deep. Hence, a big boat like this needed to anchor farther from the shore where the water was deeper.
"This boat is new. I've never seen it on our shore," Brandon muttered.
Having big fishing vessels at their shore was not a new thing, although they could only be counted on one hand. The boat captains living on the beachside preferred to anchor their fishing vessels at the shore instead of the bay harbor because it was closer and less hassle in transportation.
But the boat they were seeing right now looked new, its fresh paint visible. The two quickly caught on. Another fisherman bought a commercial trawler boat, a bold move.
It was a medium-sized commercial trawler boat that could travel farther into deeper waters. It had bigger storage with a freezer hold and refrigeration, and the fish would last longer. This was storage that bangkas usually didn't have. It also had a wheelhouse where the captain operated the boat, unlike a bangka, which didn't even have a separate room because of space issues. Well, it was big for a reason. It also had radio communication.
Aside from long-lasting fish storage, the fishing vessel also had a trawl winch, a powerful machine that pulled nets, unlike bangkas that needed manpower to pull them.
Yeah, it was a better boat, no denying it. Its major upgrades were the stronger engine, a trawl winch, refrigeration, radio communication, and bigger space.
The two men looked at the boat before leaving the beach. On their way home, they saw that a lot of people were standing in front of Antonio's house.
"Antonio, is it true the new boat at the shore is yours?" they asked. Antonio, the fisherman, was grinning and didn't deny it.
"Yes, it's mine. Haha, I decided to buy a bigger boat and try my luck catching tuna," he laughed loudly.
"So it's true," someone whispered.
The neighbors murmured. Karlos and Brandon listened since they were present and standing nearby.
"How much was the boat?"
"20 million pesos."
"Sheesh."
They hissed when they heard the price. It was too expensive.
"How did you afford it?"
The curious onlookers always wanted to know, they couldn't help it.
"I saved some money and also earned a lot during last year's salmon and tuna season. My boat caught a lot of Bluefin and Yellowfin tuna last year."
The neighbors had also heard about that. Some fishermen stared at Antonio with envy. They also wanted to buy a bigger boat and fish in deeper waters. The fish near the shore were small and few after decades of endless fishing. But the farther out to sea, the better and more abundant the catch.
However, they knew it would take years or even decades to save enough money to buy a medium-sized fishing vessel. And by that time, would it even be worth it? The price of a boat would only increase as the years went by.
Antonio was happy, but he was also nervous. All of his savings were spent on the fishing boat, a big gamble. He was not sure if his decision was right or wrong, as he knew the ocean was unpredictable. He had been a fisherman for many years. He first ordered a 10-meter bangka from the shipyard but decided to upgrade to a commercial fishing boat instead.
He hoped that his new boat would perform well in December and catch a lot of salmon and tuna. That way, he could feel at ease.
"So what about your bangka? Are you going to sell it?" It seemed that some people were interested in buying Antonio's bangka for a second-hand price.
His bangka was mid-sized and three to four people could operate it. Besides, it was a bangka that caught a lot of salmon and tuna last year with proven luck. It might be blessed by the sea.
"No, I won't sell it." Antonio shook his head. He had no intention of selling the bangka as it was still in good condition.
"Why not?" someone asked quickly.
"My second son doesn't want to pursue college, and he wants to be a fisherman. I'll give him the bangka instead," Antonio announced.
"Tonight, my family will celebrate. Please come by later," Antonio added. He said he wanted to take a rest, he was tired. Being the center of attention was fulfilling, but it was time to rest, and he excused himself.
Karlos and Brandon carried the fishing equipment to Karlos's house. Once done, Brandon bid farewell and headed home.
Karlos was thinking about what he heard from Antonio. A 25-meter commercial trawler boat costs 20 million pesos... Sheesh, Karlos also hissed at that price.
'Seems like I need to take it slow,' he sighed.
Karlos already had a plan for this year. First, he wanted to buy a sidecar since they needed transportation whenever they bought groceries and visited other places.
As for buying a mid-size bangka, that was also on his mind. He just wanted to buy a sidecar first since it was cheaper and more realistic.
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[Author's Note:]
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