Tommy Warren and the others, after letting the net sink to the bottom, began to carefully pull in the rope. Once the net was gathered close to the riverbed, they slowly lifted it upward bit by bit. Finally, with a sudden yank, he pulled the entire fishing net onto the boat in one swift motion.

Got one!

The net had caught a large fish with a mottled dorsal fin. Tommy Warren untangled the fish from the net, grabbed it, and came over gleefully to claim credit: “Dave, it’s a nine-star perch, must weigh five pounds.”

“You did well, kid. Toss it into the live well.” David Warren patted him on the shoulder in praise, then turned to explain to Charles Warren, “Although the nine-star perch isn’t a spirit fish, its flesh is tender and delicious, making it a top-quality fish. Even if we sold this one to a fishmonger, it’d fetch a big copper coin. But our family has a fish shop in Changning City, so we sell what we catch ourselves, which lets us earn a few extra jiao.”

Charles Warren nodded in approval. The currency in the Great Qian Kingdom is calculated in jiao, big copper, and Qian gold. Usually, a pound of rice costs only five to ten jiao, and it takes a hundred jiao to exchange for one big copper, so this fish being worth a big copper is quite valuable.

Tommy Warren placed the catch into the live well in the center of the fishing boat. This compartment is connected to the outside water, allowing the catch to stay alive as long as possible.

However, according to David Warren, only the more valuable catches get this treatment. The live well is also divided into several sections, each for storing different types of fish.

With Tommy Warren showing off his skills, the other fishermen also began to demonstrate their own tricks. Each one was very experienced, casting large, round nets, though the actual catch was unpredictable.

Most of the nets pulled up were empty, with only the occasional pleasant surprise.

After more than an hour, the variety of catches gradually increased. There were now three nine-star perch, and even a more expensive surging leopard-spotted mandarin fish. Although it weighed just over two pounds, David Warren said this fish was worth at least 1 big copper and 60 jiao. The best catches were always saved for the clan leader.

Charles Warren kept a smiling face, but inwardly he was constantly calculating. This thirty-li fishing ground was the Wang clan’s exclusive fishing area, and the family valued this property highly—it should be one of the clan’s main sources of income.

As time passed, Charles Warren gradually grew impatient and said directly, “Sixth Uncle, we’ve shown off our skills enough. All the fishermen here are very skilled at casting nets. Can we get to the main point and demonstrate real fishing operations?”

David Warren’s previously glowing expression froze instantly, and he looked a bit confused: “Charles, aren’t we already demonstrating real fishing? Or… do you want to see us catch spirit fish? Some of the smaller spirit fish are caught by luck, but the larger ones are fierce and require fishing arrows to handle.”

So this is professional fishing?

Charles Warren’s face darkened. In his previous life, out of curiosity, he’d tagged along on a professional fishing boat owned by a colleague’s relative. That one haul brought in over forty thousand pounds, and it was still considered a poor catch…

As for casting nets, on Earth that was purely a recreational fishing tool, just a bit more effective than angling—people did it for fun and relaxation. If anyone tried to make a living by casting nets professionally, their whole family would starve.

……

Chapter Six: Let’s Learn About Prohibited Fishing Gear

……

“Well… Charles, do you have some dissatisfaction with our fishing team?” David Warren asked, a bit uncertain.

Dissatisfaction? There was plenty to be dissatisfied about. Charles Warren muttered to himself, then said gravely, “Sixth Uncle, what are our fishing team’s annual yields? What are the expenses and profits?”

At this, David Warren looked at him in astonishment—how was he supposed to answer that?

“Charlie, let me answer that.” Evelyn Grant interjected at this moment. “In recent years, I’ve been managing the family’s accounts. The fishing team has a total of nine small fishing boats and one medium-sized boat. Over the past five years, the average annual ordinary catch has been about 6,700 dan, with a revenue of 486 Qian gold. The average annual spirit fish catch is 400 pounds, with a revenue of 120 Qian gold. The average total annual revenue is 606 Qian gold.”

Now it was Charles Warren’s turn to look at Evelyn Grant in surprise. He knew his aunt managed the accounts, but he hadn’t expected her to be so familiar with the numbers, able to recite them off the top of her head.

But the catch was really too little. With ten fishing boats, that averaged out to just twenty dan a day, or about two thousand pounds of fish!

“Charlie, why are you looking at me like that?” Evelyn Grant said calmly. “My Xuanwu talent isn’t strong, but as the legitimate daughter of the Gongsun clan of Shanyang, the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art is a required subject. Since your father is the clan leader, it’s only natural that I help him manage the accounts.”

At this point, Evelyn Grant’s eyes showed a hint of disappointment. Over the years, she had kept the accounts meticulously, knowing every figure by heart, but her husband Henry Warren had never really valued her efforts.

Hearing this, Charles Warren recalled a common fact about the Xuanwu world: marriages among Xuanwu clans were always between legitimate lines, or between direct lines. As the legitimate daughter, Evelyn Grant was destined to marry the young clan leader of another family.

Just as he, Charles Warren, would one day have to marry the legitimate daughter of another clan.