From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 572: Chapter 574: Returning Fully Loaded

Wang Li and a few of the boatmen, who came from fishing families, stood by, explaining everything with great care.

They sorted the catch into what was edible and what wasn’t, which was a real eye-opener for everyone. It turned out the sea held so many different kinds of treasures, each with its own quirks.

Seeing the several full barrels of fish, Ancient Wen Heng and the others grew excited. Since it was still early, they had Wang Li pick another spot to cast the nets again.

They didn’t have to worry about whether they could get rid of the catch.

If all else failed, they could send it to the military barracks, where they would still complain it wasn’t enough to go around.

They cast the nets four times in a row. It was only when Jin Qianqian noticed the sky growing dark that she told the boatmen to stop and head back to the harbor at full speed.

Standing on the deck, He Gaofei and the others were exhausted but thrilled. "Today was a real eye-opener! I never knew you could fish like this."

Lu Shenggen, however, was silently doing the math. ’A single day’s catch is worth our entire year’s salary. Even if Mrs. Gu doesn’t end up doing sea trade, she can’t lose money with a fishing business like this.’

He Gaofei said, "That’s not the right way to think about it. Do you think fishermen get a haul this good every time they cast their nets? We definitely just got lucky today.

"There’s a reason they say you’re at the mercy of the elements. It holds a lot of truth."

"Regardless, it was an eye-opening experience for all of us today," Wu Yichen said, his eyes still glued to the fish jumping in the barrels. "I think that while we’re here, we should go out to sea a few more times when we’re free. When we’re eventually transferred away from Lu City, our next post probably won’t be on the coast."

Jin Qianqian stood on the deck, gazing into the distance. "Don’t you think this scene is missing something?"

Ancient Wen Heng turned to look at her. "..."

Jin Qianqian pointed to the darkening sky, then slowly moved her finger toward the harbor they had come from. "It’s missing a bit of light."

Ancient Wen Heng said, "...A lighthouse?"

Jin Qianqian nodded. "The number of ships will certainly increase in the future. A lighthouse should be taken into consideration."

That way, even fishing boats that are only operating near the coast will have a beacon to guide them if they miss their time to return.

Ancient Wen Heng smiled. "It seems I’ve gained something from this trip out. This was my oversight!"

Thinking of their two children, who had played until they were exhausted and were now sleeping in the cabin, Jin Qianqian also smiled. "You and your two sons were having a wild time. I bet you’re still savoring the memory."

Ancient Wen Heng didn’t deny it. "I haven’t been this relaxed in a long time, so I might have let loose a little."

"We can come out more often in the future. Fishing with nets is quite a stress reliever."

"I have no problem with that. I’m just afraid certain people won’t be able to find the time.

"If it hadn’t been for Luo Luo wanting to go sea fishing today, we probably would have just toured the ship and headed right back."

Ancient Wen Heng said, "Don’t worry. Even if I get busy in the future, the others won’t be able to resist.

"Someone will find a way to free up my schedule. Believe me."

Jin Qianqian glanced back at the men, who were still chatting excitedly, and immediately understood what he meant.

"That’s not a bad idea. With a carrot dangling in front of them, your work will probably get a lot easier..."

* * *

A full catch of fish was unloaded at the small port, where Housekeeper Fu and his men were already waiting to take over immediately.

Jin Qianqian also had rewards for all the boatmen on board today. She had already instructed Lichun to distribute them according to each person’s contribution.

He Gaofei and the others were still picking out the seafood they wanted when Ancient Wen Heng summoned them back to the government office.

"It’s already dark! We had such a great catch today, and we were hoping to have a taste of some fresh seafood. Mr. Gu, what is the meaning of this?" He Gaofei was a little displeased; his chosen seafood was still waiting for him.

Wu Yichen kept looking back as well. "Exactly! My long-term follower is a bit of a blockhead. He might not be able to pick out what I like. Why don’t we wait? Whatever it is, we can discuss it at the government office tomorrow."

"Relax, you won’t miss out. If you’re really worried, I’ll have a restaurant deliver a full spread to the government office later. I guarantee you’ll get to taste fresh seafood tonight." If Ancient Wen Heng weren’t concerned about his image, he would have rolled his eyes. These guys had eaten plenty of seafood lately, so why were they acting so greedy?

"Now that, I can get behind," Wu Yichen said, no longer looking back. "We can have a few drinks after we’re done with work. Now that’s the good life."

Ancient Wen Heng said, "That can be arranged."

"I remember Mr. Gu has a treasured collection of white spirits," Wu Yichen said tentatively. "That stuff has a real kick. How about we have some of that?"

"..." Ancient Wen Heng paused for a moment. "You sure don’t forget, do you."

He’d gotten a craving once and was drinking some of that decades-old brew at home when this guy happened to stop by. He never thought Wu Yichen would still be thinking about it.

To be honest, even in Jin Qianqian’s space, there wasn’t much of that good stuff left. He was reluctant to waste it on these guys.

"It’s just so fragrant, isn’t it? Come on! We’re sacrificing our rest time to work with you at the government office. This small request isn’t too much to ask." Wu Yichen put on a grin. He didn’t mind being a little shameless if it meant he could get a taste of that fine vintage.

Ancient Wen Heng replied, "I don’t have that liquor, but I can have the restaurant send over a few jugs of top-shelf Huadiao wine."

Although Wu Yichen was a bit disappointed, since the man said he didn’t have any, he naturally wouldn’t push it. "Then you’ll have to send a few extra jugs. Tonight, we don’t go home until we’re drunk!"

"Mr. Gu, why did you summon us to the government office in such a hurry? Is there something important?" He Gaofei tried to recall if anyone had approached Ancient Wen Heng earlier. ’Was it some official business he had forgotten about?’

Ancient Wen Heng said, "I just had a few ideas I wanted to discuss and get your opinions on."

Hearing this, the men knew it was serious business. They stopped asking questions out in the open, boarded their respective carriages, and headed straight for the government office.

Once they arrived at the government office and heard Ancient Wen Heng’s proposal, He Gaofei and the others felt the gap between them widen even more.

They had all gone out to relax and have fun together, but he was already thinking much further ahead, even planning to build a lighthouse.

"This is a good thing, but our small dock will also need to be standardized and expanded. Otherwise, so many fishing boats won’t be able to dock."

Knowing that the sea could bring endless benefits to Lu City, He Gaofei and the others were naturally willing to put more effort into it. After all, this would be part of their list of accomplishments in the future.

"I’m sure you all know that Lu City originally didn’t have a proper dock or harbor. We only built this simple one because it was inconvenient to dock the few ships we confiscated from the bandits." When someone brought this up, Ancient Wen Heng naturally followed the thread of the conversation.

"Then we really need to plan for the long term. The roads here aren’t even finished yet, and now we have to prepare for the dock’s construction. Things are a bit tight." Wu Yichen wasn’t opposed, but he wondered, ’Aren’t we taking too big of a step?’