Chapter 20

Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 20

Karlos reached the docking station for smaller boats. However, several boats were already docked and lined up along the pier, so he had to wait for one of them to finish unloading or leave. He may have arrived earlier today than usual, but he still had to wait like everyone else who came before him.

He used this time to sort the squids by size, carefully and quickly, while making sure not to waste a single moment.

When he was done sorting, one of the boats finally finished offloading its crates and left. Karlos took that moment to dock at the vacant spot.

Andres wasn’t present today. Perhaps his friend was currently working as a porter, helping unload catches and pushing carts filled with fish baskets from the fish port to the parking lot.

The docking station was near the fish port, just a few meters away. However, Karlos had a problem that needed to be addressed. His crabs and tiger prawns were stored in their respective containers, but the squids were scattered across the boat, completely exposed. About a quarter of the boat was filled with the slimy creatures. Their ink-stained bodies glistening under the light.

The sun, now shining brightly, didn’t help as it slowly raised the temperature and threatened to spoil the catch. Karlos had to find a buyer before the squids became unsellable. Fortunately, it was still early in the morning, and the temperature wasn’t yet unbearable. The sun was warm but not punishing, for now.

With determination, Karlos gathered his strength and carried the two containers, holding them steady with both hands despite the weight. He looked around for potential buyers, but Joseph wasn’t around this time either.

"Hey Karlos, you got something nice there? My clients are looking for fresh crabs and prawns. I'll buy what you have there."

A fat man in his mid-30s called out to him in a loud, friendly voice.

"Mr. Tenor, good to see you today." Karlos smiled respectfully and placed the containers beside the man for easier inspection.

"Let's see." The middle-aged man opened both the styrofoam box and the smaller container without delay. He saw the crabs were still alive and moving, a very good sign. The tiger prawns were mostly dead, but as long as they were fresh, it didn’t matter. People still bought prawns as long as they retained their quality.

Mr. Tenor inspected the prawns with a keen eye. The crabs, being lively and energetic, didn’t need further checking. Movement alone was proof of freshness. But the prawns were different. After a few seconds of scrutiny, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, I'll buy them. The price for crabs today is 202 pesos per kilogram. Tiger prawns are going for 304 pesos per kilogram."

The price had increased by a few pesos since yesterday, likely due to higher demand. That was a good sign for business.

Karlos nodded in agreement.

"Let's weigh them."

He had no problem selling to Mr. Tenor. The man was one of his regular buyers, someone he trusted completely. Mr. Tenor had a solid reputation, and fishermen didn’t hesitate to sell their catch to him because he was honest and fair.

"Alright."

Karlos carried the containers over to Mr. Tenor’s designated spot. Using a weighing scale, he first placed the crabs in a plastic basket to drain the water before weighing.

The crabs weighed 7.9 kilograms.

"Let's round it to 8 kilograms."

"Thanks."

Karlos grinned with appreciation. That kind of small favor was part of why Mr. Tenor was well-liked. He didn’t mind rounding up when it slightly benefited the seller.

Once Mr. Tenor finished jotting down the weight in his small notebook, they moved on to the prawns.

The tiger prawns weighed 5.4 kilograms.

"By the way, Mr. Tenor, are you interested in buying squids? I caught a lot earlier, and they’re still fresh. I ran into a school of them."

"Squids? How big?"

"Around 5 inches on average."

"You sorted them?"

"I sorted them big and small separately to avoid confusion."

Karlos had sorted the squids earlier and was pleased to find that most were uniform in size, around 5 inches long, which made them easier to sell.

"Sell me the big squids. Let’s see... A kilogram of squid costs 109 pesos today."

"Alright."

"Take the cart and the baskets. I'll wait for you at the entrance so we can weigh and finalize everything."

The docking station was within walking distance from the fish port, and Karlos could see his boat clearly thanks to the open view.

Smaller transactions usually happened near the entrance of the port. The fish port had four entrances, each bustling with activity. Despite the crowd, each entrance was wide enough to accommodate hundreds of people negotiating without blocking each other.

Karlos pushed the cart toward his boat, which slightly rocked under the weight of the squids. He knew doing this alone was exhausting and not ideal, but he had no choice. He had to push through for the sake of income. Money was the priority, especially after all his hard work at sea. Being tired didn’t matter if it meant feeding his family. Especially when he could earn thousands in a single morning.

He scooped the squids one handful at a time. Most of them were covered in ink, making the task messy. Still, he filled one basket, then another, until both were full to the brim. After finishing, he estimated that the smaller squids left on the boat weighed about 4 to 5 kilograms.

Karlos returned to the entrance with the squeaky cart. By then, more people had arrived. He glanced inside the fish port and saw hundreds of yellowfin tuna neatly arranged on the ground for viewing. Buyers were inspecting their sizes and quality, some jotting down notes. A few foreigners were also visible, speaking in different languages. They were likely negotiating business deals.

"I didn’t expect you’d fill two baskets. This is probably more than 20 kilograms and they’re good quality too."

Mr. Tenor was surprised but pleased. Squids were in demand, especially in inland markets, so he would have no problem reselling them to his clients.

They weighed the squids. It was 31 kilograms. Much more than either of them had expected.

After a quick calculation using his calculator, the receipt was finalized:

Crabs, 8 kilograms, 1,616 pesos at 202 per kilo.

Prawns, 5.4 kilograms, 1,641.60 pesos at 304 per kilo.

Squids (about 5 inches), 31 kilograms, 3,379 pesos at 109 per kilo.

Karlos earned a total of 6,636 pesos and 60 centavos. He read the receipt and satisfied, having mentally verified the numbers himself.

Mr. Tenor paid him, and Karlos thanked him sincerely after counting the money to make sure it was accurate. He also helped pack the prawns and squids in crushed ice to preserve their freshness until delivery. Mr. Tenor smiled and bid farewell, raising his voice to call for a porter to help carry the load to his truck.

Karlos carefully tucked the money into his inner pocket, ensuring it was safe from pickpockets or accidental loss. Then, he resumed searching for buyers for his remaining catch.

A few minutes later, he sold the 5 kilograms of smaller squids to a local vendor at 90 pesos per kilogram, earning an additional 450 pesos.

With that, Karlos earned a total of 7,086 pesos and 60 centavos for the morning. He didn’t linger in the fish port. The sun was rising higher, and he decided it was best to leave and get home quickly with his earnings. After a successful morning, all he wanted was to bring the money home safely and get some well-deserved rest.