Chapter 1: Heihe County, Baishui Lang
less well-off than farmers who cultivate the land.Bai Qi curled his lips.After all, land is the foundation of industry, and farming is what sustains the population.Fishing and going to sea, drifting...The Land of the Crimson Provinces.
Tianshui Prefecture, Yihe County.
The Black River stretches for eighty miles, its waves surging and crashing. A gentle breeze ripples the water's surface, causing the reeds to sway and rustle.
At this time, it was just autumn. The sun hung high in the sky, but there wasn't much heat.
The damp, cold mist gathered into clumps, and in no time at all, it soaked through Bai Qi's rough homespun clothes.
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He was standing on a small sampan, raising the bamboo fish trap he had lowered yesterday.
Gazing around, he felt disappointed.
“How come it’s empty again My luck is so bad these two days!”
There were only three or four knife fish in the fish trap, about half an inch long.
And a big bowl could hold all the little river prawns.
There's no legitimate catch at all.
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This should be placed in the past life.
Bai Qi was even embarrassed to show this to the other anglers.
Otherwise, he would surely be labeled a "fry killer" and disgraced.
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"Cast the net again! Beg heaven for mercy, to give us food!"
As if unable to bear the stifling humidity, Bai Qi wiped his sweat.
He took off his coarse hemp clothes, revealing a pair of arms that were still strong and sturdy.
He planted his feet firmly, his body twisting suddenly, and he flung out the woven hemp net.
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With a shout of “Hu,” the large net was cast out like an overturned sea bowl and sank rapidly into the water.
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Bai Qi was very experienced and his movements were very swift.
If not for the teen boy's eyes and brows, which still retained a hint of youth.
He looked just like an old fisherman.
The remaining length of rope was held firmly in his hand, and he secured the other end to the stern of the small boat, dragging it behind him as a long trail of water churned in its wake.
Fishing takes a lot of energy and skill.
A net weighing dozens of pounds, simply lifting and throwing it is not easy.
Let alone, it would be difficult to spread out a tangled fishing net into a circle and position it properly without hundreds of practices.
After working hard, Bai Qi was exhausted and panting. He sat down, took out two dry biscuits, and chewed them with water from a pottery jar.
“What ancient people called ‘dry rations’ actually means this! It is indeed dry and hard, difficult to swallow!”
Even though Bai Qi has been in this world for a while, he still hasn't fully adapted to this endless hardship.
“The scallion pancakes I ate in my past life were filled with savory goodness. They had pickled mustard greens, shredded daikon radish, minced meat... brushed with oil on both sides, each bite was fragrant and soft!”
Bai Qi strained his memory, his cheeks puffed out as he bit down hard.
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The barley flatbread, cooked from coarsely ground grains and pressed out, was little better than the worst baguette.
It should be swallowed with water. Otherwise, it's sure to get stuck in your throat.
These days, even wealthy households can't afford to eat fine rice and noodles every meal.
As for milling the wheat into flour, kneading it, letting it rise, and baking it carefully.
To make such things called "snacks" is simply too extravagant.
With the shallow knowledge of Bai Qi, a fisherman from Yujiazi in Heihe County.
Only the wealthy gentry in the city could afford such luxury.
“No wonder people from Heihe County all want to move to the city.”
Once you shed your lowly status, you'll have an easier time finding a way to make a living and securing food.
Otherwise, you can only look to Heaven for mercy.
Bai Qi gulped down two wheat cakes, filling his growling stomach and easing the burning sensation.
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It's fortunate that this body is still in good shape and has some strength.
He could go through wind and rain, making a living by fishing.
Over these years of hardship, Bai Qi has managed to get a preliminary understanding of his surroundings.
This place is called "Heihe County".
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In total, it covers five hundred miles of mountain roads and eight hundred miles of waterways.
As the saying goes, one should make a living from their surroundings.
That's because it was able to open up a hundred businesses and support more than ten thousand households.
It all depends on the fish market, the firewood market, and the kilns. These are the best places in the county.
Because it provided a way to make a living and earn a livelihood.
Also known as "the rice team".
It means relying on the support of three major patrons for a living.
Only then can everyone make a living.
There's a ridiculous sense of gratitude from an overworked employee towards their boss.
Before his reincarnation, he had been scraping by in the fish market, barely making ends meet.
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But a life barely scraping by is ultimately not secure.
It seemed as if the small sampan under Bai Qi's feet was being tossed about by even the slightest swell.
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Both people and boats will sink.
A lowly wretch like him can only do menial work. He will never leave Black River County, let alone enter the city.
"Without relying on fish ponds, firewood markets, and kilns, it would be difficult to even make ends meet."
Bai shook his head, very aware of the current situation.
The fish tank is not a kindhearted charity. If you don't have big shipments coming in for a long time, you can't afford the commission fees.
Having his stall taken away, he became a vagrant with no way to make a living.
This is also very common.
Since Bai Qi arrived here, he has become a fisherman to make a living.
I've heard that Heihe County has two ironclad rules.
First, we need to avoid raising idle people.
Secondly, don't just talk nonsense.
He heard the old man by the fish pond say that in the Central Dragon Court, ten million eight thousand miles away from here, all billions of commoners were divided into three, six, and nine ranks.
The top section includes records of immortals, officials, and nobles.
...are absolutely beyond Bai Qi's reach.
Next are the six households from below.
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Craftsman, merchant, farmer, low-born person, slave, laborer.
Three registers and six households, collectively known as the nine ranks.
Like fishermen such as Bai Qi.
...They have no land and mostly live in boats, dwelling along the river.
This is a simple response.
dubbed "White Water Lang" or "Yacht Child".
It is said that there are some places.
They were not even allowed to come ashore, let alone marry.
Fishermen can be said to be at the bottom of the social hierarchy among all professions.
It's a bit better than being a "slave household" who sold themselves as servants, or an "obligatory labor household" who did unpaid hard labor.
Fishermen who live by the water are, of course, far less well-off than farmers who cultivate the land.
Bai Qi curled his lips.
After all, land is the foundation of industry, and farming is what sustains the population.
Fishing and going to sea, drifting without a home, how could one possibly be welcomed
"To earn enough to get by, to escape poverty, and to buy a house...That's all I desire in this life."
It seems that, no matter where you are, the common aspirations of people at the bottom are quite similar.
Just having enough to eat and drink, maintaining a decent reputation, and buying a house!
The most important thing right now is to catch some good fish and get through the deadly autumn and winter!
For fishermen, every winter is a major challenge to their survival.
Besides the need for thick cotton-padded jackets to keep warm, if one can't afford firewood, charcoal, or rice, there is a real danger of freezing to death.
Not to mention that after the river freezes, it becomes difficult to fish and rely on food supplies.
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Like Bai Qi, a destitute wretch who ekes out a living on a mere sampan.
To want to rest peacefully for a few months without working is a pipe dream.
When the sun began to set, the sky grew dim.
Bai Qi reeled in the large net he had cast, it didn't feel particularly heavy. As he pulled it up, there was indeed nothing caught.
It was still a pile of unsalable river shrimp and a few plump carp.
"It's a shame that heaven doesn't provide! I'll make sure to draw water if I don't catch any fish once I have the skills!"
"I have to drain this 800-li Black River clean!"
Bai Qi mumbled as he took back the tattered fishing net with one hand.
It is made of hemp, very tough and prone to rotting if soaked in water for too long.
Even if a big fish came, it may not be able to be caught.
...that kind of finely woven fishing net made of silk, used to catch large quantities of fish.
Only the fish tanks in the county have them!
It's not even Bai Qi's turn to make a move!
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