The voyage was not as fun as most people imagined.
The sailors on Wang Cheng’s ship told Yang Ge that the only fun parts of the voyage were the days they embarked and disembarked; the rest was sheer agony.
After appreciating the unchanging deep blue sea for three days... Yang Ge agreed deeply.
However, among the seventy-two companions, perhaps he was the only one with this "annoyance."
The others, even the famed Xiang Wudi from the hero leaderboard, were astounded by Yang Ge’s straightforward and brutal "battle plan," spending all their days holed up in their cabins practicing Qi Cultivation, as the saying goes, sharpening the axe won’t delay the work of cutting firewood!
Even a peak grandmaster like Xiang Wudi felt such a great sense of crisis, let alone others.
Thus, the seventy-two braves hadn’t even started competing with foreigners before they began outdoing each other...
Yang Ge was the only one idly roaming around the ship all day, sometimes learning to recognize the jumbled rigging that looked like wiring in Indian movies with the sailors, other times learning to read nautical maps and determine positions by looking at constellations with the navigator... He finally concluded: It’s a world unto its own; life at sea is no easy task!
After that, he decisively gave up these unfruitful pursuits, got a fishing rod from the crew, and contentedly became a good-for-nothing fisherman.
"Swoosh."
On the seventh day at sea, Yang Ge sat at the stern expertly jerking the rod, and with a skillful force both gentle and firm, he plucked a foot-long fiery red snapper from the water. The moment the fish leaped out of the water, its scales reflecting the sunlight beautifully, it was simply too enchanting.
"Lao Zhang, I got a fish, I got a fish..."
Yang Ge shouted for Chef Zhang, who was cooling off in the ship’s tower, while skilfully unhooking the snapper and tossing it into a freshwater bucket nearby, then rebaiting the hook with a piece of clam and casting it back into the sea.
"Coming, coming!"
Chef Zhang came over beaming, bent down to pick up the snapper from the bucket, placed it on a clean board, and with a few swift slices of his small sharp knife, prepared the fish and cut a plate of sashimi thin as cicada wings, served with a bit of soy sauce and a splash of rice wine, handing it to Yang Ge: "Try this, Er Ye."
Yang Ge steadied the fishing rod with one hand while skewering a piece of sashimi with the knife and popping it into his mouth, he sighed in bliss: "Ah, that’s the taste of the ocean... have some too!"
"Ah."
Chef Zhang complied, his face all smiles as he picked up a piece of sashimi, dipped it in soy sauce, tasted it, and with an imitation of Yang Ge’s tone, he exclaimed: "Ah, so fresh, it’s damn fresh!"
"Hehehe..."
The two of them laughed heartily, their grinning faces all teeth.
Yang Ge: "What’s for dinner? Have the bean sprouts I set aside the night before last come up yet?"
Chef Zhang: "I checked them out this morning; it seems like they are sprouting..."
Yang Ge: "Then let’s have stir-fried bean sprouts tonight, I’ve been eating so much salty food these past days, I’ve been dreaming of sitting in a pile of salt!"
Chef Zhang chuckled and chattered: "You’re just picky, that’s barely anything. There used to be times when we didn’t dock for three months, having a piece of salted goods was like celebrating New Year back then..."
Yang Ge slapped his thigh: "Well, I’m a man who doesn’t pine for high positions, fancy houses, fine clothes, or a heap of wives. I just enjoy satisfying my palate. If I didn’t have the means, fair enough, but if I do, why should I make myself suffer?"
Chef Zhang grinned and said: "I can’t figure you out. If I had your skills, why would I suffer at sea? I’d be back in my hometown building a three-room tiled house, owning a couple dozen acres of paddy fields, perhaps finding a few robust wives for healthy children... Ah, even if the emperor offered to swap places with me, I wouldn’t agree!"
The old man licked his lips, his malnourished eyes gleaming with longing.
"Hahaha..."
Yang Ge laughed heartily: "Look at how modest your desires are! Even with skills like mine, you’re only thinking about a wife, kids, and a warm bed, huh?"
Chef Zhang: "What else then?"
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Yang Ge thought it over seriously and laughed even louder: "Yes, yes, you’re right, no matter how skilled one is or how ambitious, in the end, it all comes down to family warmth!"
Chef Zhang also laughed along heartily.
Yang Ge glanced at him: "You mentioned before that you are from Wendeng County of Shandong, right? Did you drift to sea to escape the law, with blood on your hands?"
Chef Zhang shook his head vigorously: "I was born timid and can’t stand the sight of blood. Back in Niu Xian Mountain, when the boss wanted me to slaughter a sheep, I couldn’t do it, which is why I drifted to the sea..."
Yang Ge: "Alright, once we return, I’ll have someone check on your situation back home. If the problem isn’t too serious, perhaps we can settle it with a fine... You go back home and lead a peaceful life!"
Chef Zhang was stunned, his lips trembling, unable to speak for a moment.
Yang Ge patted his shoulder, smiling: "It’s fate that we brothers have journeyed together this far; consider it a younger brother’s gift to help you return home..."
Chef Zhang grasped his hand tightly: "Er Ye, Er Ye, I, I..."
Just then, Yang Tiansheng casually strolled out from the cabin, spotted the sashimi platter, picked up a piece, and popped it into his mouth: "Not a bad catch, Lao Er."
Seeing him, Chef Zhang, knowing what was appropriate, bowed slightly: "Er Ye, please have a seat, I’ll go check on your sprouts; we’ll have stir-fried bean sprouts tonight."
Yang Ge waved his hand.
Yang Tiansheng pulled up a small stool next to Yang Ge, watching as he brought up the fishing rod, changed the bait, and cast it back into the sea.