Chapter 134

Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 134

Once they were done catching lobsters, they waited a few minutes for the sun to rise. Even though the cold season had ended and summer had arrived, the morning breeze was still chilly. While they waited, Karlos and Brandon sipped hot coffee to ward off the cold. Brandon had brought a thermos filled with hot water. They also had bread to fill their stomachs, plain but filling. A simple breakfast warmed their bodies and steadied their minds.

“The sun is here,” Brandon said as he lifted his chin toward the horizon, where golden light slowly spread.

“Let’s wait a few more minutes so the sea snakes will be gone before we step on the island,” Karlos said while narrowing his eyes at the brightening water.

They were fortunate that they had never encountered any snakes during all the time they had been harvesting abalones. Sea snakes were venomous, and they didn’t want any accidents to happen, especially in such a remote place. One bite could cost a life or leave lasting damage.

Once the sun shone brighter, it was time for the two of them to step onto the island and harvest abalones.

They chipped the abalones off the reefs one by one until each spot was bald. The repetitive movements were tiring, but it was a fast way to earn money, so they never complained. They even wished this would continue for many years.

After hours of work, when the water reached their chests, it was a sign that they had to stop. The rising tide was not something they could take lightly.

They carried their harvest to the boat and left the island with tired arms. They had huge respect for the small island that continuously brought them blessings. Their livelihood was kept alive because of the lobsters and abalones from the island.

When they reached the fish port, buyers interested in lobsters and abalones eagerly approached them and bought their catch at a good price. Lobsters and abalones were always sold out quickly.

They sold their catch for 53,000 pesos that day. Karlos counted the money with satisfaction while Brandon smiled. Some fishermen stared at them, but Karlos and Brandon didn’t care. They exchanged a quick look and left the fish port.

They had been asked where they caught the abalones and lobsters, but Karlos and Brandon stayed quiet about it.

Catching lobsters and abalones once in a while wasn’t surprising. But doing it every day would naturally draw attention from many fishermen.

Especially abalones. They were usually found on underwater reefs and were hard to reach. To catch them, people had to dive and chip them off, a tiring job because abalones clung to the reefs like glue. Divers needed specialized equipment to stay underwater for long periods. Brandon and Karlos clearly had no such equipment, which raised suspicion. It was no surprise that many fishermen were curious about where they caught the abalones.

As for lobsters, as long as you had traps and found a good spot, catching one or two wasn’t unusual.

Karlos brought Brandon to the beach and bid him farewell. Karlos didn’t visit his house this time, as there was no reason to. The house was already built and only needed to be aired out. It also didn’t contain any expensive items yet, so Karlos had nothing to worry about.

“I might have to get a dog to guard the house.”

By the way, the two hens Karlos got from Jerry half a year ago had already been turned into chicken adobo before the family moved into the villa. It had been delicious.

Karlos left the beach and returned to the bay harbor. Before carrying his equipment, he paused and appreciated the view. The concrete docks and wooden docks, the luxurious yachts and simple bangkas, all coexisted side by side. The harbor held all kinds of ships.

In a week, Karlos’s family would return to their own house, so he wanted to take in the view. He would rarely visit the harbor after this. The harbor was beautiful, and Karlos was thankful to it for protecting his small bangka for half a year.

“I will definitely miss this place. The beach and the harbor each have their own beauty.”

He smiled and went back to the villa. As always, his loving family greeted him excitedly. They were the reason Karlos worked so hard, his driving force. His arms and shoulders ached, but he always had spare energy and strength to carry his children.

After putting away his belongings, he returned to the room. Maya was already counting his earnings for the day. She was clearly in a good mood as she hummed a lullaby. She calculated their savings and felt both happy and shocked by the result.

“Babe, look at this.” Maya’s hands trembled slightly as she called her husband. She had calculated it three times, and the result was still the same. There was no mistake.

Karlos approached her and kissed her forehead before looking at her calculations.

“We have 7.3 million pesos in our bank account, plus 120,000 pesos in cash,” Maya said.

Karlos was surprised, but he didn’t find it unexplainable. He knew they had been earning a good amount every day.

But suddenly, Karlos recalled something unpleasant, and his expression darkened.

“We earned a lot this year… but we also have to pay a lot in taxes,” Karlos sighed.

It was April, and the taxes had to be paid in two weeks.

“You’re such a killjoy. Why did you have to say that?” Maya glared at him when she heard his grumbling.

They were happy about their earnings, yet Karlos had chosen to say something negative.

“I couldn’t help it,” he shrugged.

“Tch, you’re no fun. You should be happy instead. Yes, our taxes this year are huge, but so are our earnings. Just think of paying taxes as helping the country. Our taxes will fund public infrastructure like roads and bridges,” Maya said, though she wasn’t fully confident.

It was a well-known secret that many people in government, politicians and public workers alike, were stealing money from public funds.

Just last month, the Secretary of Education was caught in a scandal after stealing money from school construction funds. The people hadn’t even voted for this bastard. He was personally chosen by the President instead. Yeah, think about it. The citizens didn’t truly have control over the government.

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[Thank you for reading this novel.]