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墨書 Inktalez
Shi Tian picked up the Western-style kitchen knife and assessed its usability. He wasn't particularly fond of using Western kitchen knives; although there was a complete set in the kitchen, they had never been used and were merely gathering dust. After replacing the kitchen knives, Shi Tian decided to craft a dozen small Western-style kitchen knives and Chinese slicing knives.
The small kitchen knife, despite its grand name, was essentially just a fruit knife. It was impossible for him to make a living selling knives, so he made these fruit knives as gifts for those who purchased the Fishing Rod. It was common practice to offer a fishing line setup as a complimentary item when someone bought a Fishing Rod worth several hundred dollars. Giving them a fruit knife and a kitchen knife was also practical; the fruit knife was an essential tool for fishermen, useful for cutting corn kernels and opening fish food packaging. As for the kitchen knife, it was meant to please his wife—if he didn't keep her happy, how could he enjoy his fishing trips?
At four in the morning, the alarm clock jolted him awake. He scratched his arms and legs, feeling itchy all over as red spots erupted on his skin—driven mad by the relentless mosquito bites! These mosquitoes were relentless! Mosquito repellent was ineffective! Even incense sticks didn’t deter them! He grumbled to himself, got up to take a shower, and applied Wind Oil Essence to each of the mosquito bites. Shi Tian wondered if it was time to invest in a mosquito net.
Arriving at the Fishing Tackle Shop, he found Shui Bi Zhang already at the Fishing Platform, staring out at the sea, preparing to set up his fishing spot. "So early? Have you set up yet?" Shi Tian asked after handing him a cigarette.
"Not yet! We have to wait until the tide recedes before setting up; otherwise, the spot will be washed away!" Shui Bi Zhang lit his cigarette and began preparing for Wo Liao.
Tides rise and fall twice a day with about ten hours in between. Tide calculations can be checked on mobile phones with precision down to the minute. However, those who live by the sea don't need to go through such trouble; they simply multiply the lunar date by Zero Point Eight to estimate high tide times. Even if it's not exact down to the minute, it’s usually close enough.
For example, on the fifth day of the lunar month, five multiplied by Zero Point Eight equals four—indicating that high tide occurs at four in the morning. Adding ten gives sixteen; then adding fourteen minutes means that low tide will happen at four fourteen in the afternoon. Why add fourteen? Because high tide times shift by forty-eight minutes each day; with two high tides daily, each shift is ten hours and fourteen minutes.
This is the tidal schedule for the Eastern Coastal region based on Beijing time; adjustments are needed when calculating for Sanya. How do you adjust? Beijing is about seven or eight degrees off from Hainan in longitude. Each fifteen degrees corresponds to one hour of time difference; thus, Beijing and Sanya have about half an hour of difference. Therefore, Sanya's tidal times are half an hour later than those on the Eastern Coast, allowing for accurate tidal calculations.
The calculated time indicates when the tide is at its highest; after this point, it begins to recede. Whether you push forward four hours or back two hours from this peak time provides excellent fishing opportunities. As the tide rises, it stirs up food from the ocean floor, attracting large fish that come to feed along with it. When the tide recedes, food particles are swept away with it as well, drawing plenty of fish eager to snatch up what remains—ensuring good catches!
Shui Bi Zhang had truly immersed himself in fishing; he had put considerable thought into making sure his boss would be comfortable while waiting in his spot—he seemed intent on burying Shui Laoban in this pit! Watching Shui Bi Zhang busy himself, Shi Tian handed him a kitchen knife and a fruit knife: "These are your gifts for buying the Fishing Rod. I arrived early today and left them here for you—don’t forget to take them!"
On Sunday, before eight o'clock, he had no chance of fishing. Fortunately, there was hope for the days ahead; hopefully, Su Xueyi would get the hang of it quickly, and maybe he could cast a couple of lines before noon!
Watching Shui Bi Zhang busy for a while, he became lost in thought until he heard a car horn behind him. Only then did he realize that a few early birds were back to buy live bait.
"Boss, give me two trays of main line and one tray of sub line! And two Abo! The sub line you gave me on the hook is too sturdy; it has already cut through two sets of my main line!"
Hearing this Bro's complaint, Shi Tian chuckled and handed out a circle of cigarettes to them. "It's not that my sub line is too strong; it's your main line that's weak. I advise you to change your hooks as well; otherwise, if a big fish bites and straightens out the hook, you'll be at a loss!"
After picking out the right lines for them, Shi Tian took out a pack of hooks and handed it to the man. "Here’s a pack of hooks for you. These hooks are sharp and sturdy; I guarantee they’re good!"
Upon hearing this, the man thought it made sense and immediately used the store's light to tie two sets of hooks.
While he was tying hooks, the others couldn't sit still. It's common to snag while fishing from the shore, and they had all used the hooks Shi Tian provided; the sub lines were indeed durable.
Changing to a new main line wasn't expensive—only about ten bucks. However, if they snagged and lost a set of hooks along with Abo and lead weights, that would mean losing four or five ten-dollar bills.
"Boss, give me some lines too! And throw in two Abo while you're at it! You can give me a pack of hooks as well!"
"No problem!"
Hearing someone express interest, Shi Tian immediately fetched some lines from the counter. The hooks were practically free; with one pound of iron, thousands or even tens of thousands of hooks could be made. When calculated this way, the cost of each fish hook was negligible.
Shi Tian had once tested this by making ten thousand size five Ise Nii hooks at once. When weighed, they came to five hundred grams, costing less than two bucks for the iron plus a bit for electricity!
As one person changed lines, the others watched. When two people were changing lines, they started getting restless. Before the first person had finished tying his line, another got hooked on the idea and came back for three trays of line and two floats.
Once three people had changed their lines, the remaining two felt embarrassed not to join in. By early morning's first sale, he had sold fifteen trays of line and ten Abo.
Such a big business made giving away just a few fish hooks seem stingy. He decided to throw in some Eight-shaped Rings, Space Beans, and Lead Weights to complete their orders!
As he watched this group leave, Shi Tian was about to check on Shui Bi Zhang's baiting technique across the street when there was a knock at the back door.
Without thinking, it had to be Old Zhang! He quickly opened the door to let him in before preparing to head over to take a look.
Last time Shui Bi Zhang had gone straight into the sea swimming to bait; this time his gear had upgraded significantly as he emerged from his car carrying a half-meter-long remote-controlled boat that made Shi Tian envious!
Ignoring Old Zhang, Shi Tian dashed across the street. At that moment, Shui Bi Zhang had already set down the boat and placed a bait brick behind it. He headed toward his float; once in position, he pressed a button on the remote control, causing the bait brick to flip into the water before hitting another button for it to return home.
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