All the fish hauled up in the nets were piled on the deck, most of them still flopping about.
The sailors adjusted the fishing boat's course, gave the nets a quick cleaning, and prepared to cast them again.
The others were not idle either. Everyone quickly sorted through the first haul.
The trawler's fish holds were divided into several sections: one for ordinary small and medium-sized fish, one for large fish, one for crustaceans such as sea turtles, crabs, and lobsters, and one for mollusks such as squid and octopuses.
The remaining coral and giant clams were sorted as well. Some could be used as decorations and sold for a good price after being taken home. Anything truly worthless was simply thrown back into the sea.
The fishing boat soon turned around and made another pass along the route it had just traveled. The first haul had already been cleared from the deck, with everything placed in the hold it belonged in.
As the two sails rose, the boat quickly picked up speed again, dragging the net behind it as it swept across the seabed once more.
Everyone aboard worked back and forth throughout the morning. At last, all the holds were full, and the captain ordered the boat to change course and head straight for Yashan Commandery on Qiongzhou Island.
At noon, everyone gathered on the deck to roast seafood, simmer seafood Hot Pot, eat rice, and drink mild Rice Wine. Gu Ji and Tian Hong, who were seeing the sea for the first time, ate to their hearts' content. This was also their first taste of the carefree life of fishermen at sea.
They could haul up endless amounts of meat with ease, and every kind of seafood was delicious. Although fishing and sorting the catch were hard