Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 182
A day later.
"So how was it? Is the shrimp farm nice-looking? Brandon didn't get scammed, right?" Carmine asked her husband immediately as Gomez sat down on his bed and lightly stretched his shoulders. He had just returned from the shrimp farm, where he had helped clean the pond.
"Wife, we don't have to worry about our son anymore." Gomez smiled lightly at Carmine.
"Don't show me that fulfilled smile. I need more context. So, how was it?" Carmine asked curiously. She had been dying to know the status of the shrimp farm.
Carmine had seen a fish pond before, there was a small one near the river owned by the village/district captain's family. Aside from that, she didn't know anything about aquaculture or how that kind of business operated.
Yesterday, Brandon had invited his father to check out the shrimp farm. Gomez naturally agreed, wanting to see it for himself.
"It's amazing." Gomez smiled and explained what he had witnessed, recalling the events of earlier that day.
The shrimp farm was huge, spanning three hectares, and it had five large ponds. He saw workers cleaning one of the ponds. Karlos and Brandon were helping them, so Gomez naturally pitched in too. He was confused at first as to why the pond had a rubber floor, finding it strange to step on. They cleaned away the waste, ensuring the pond was completely spotless for the next batch of shrimp.
While cleaning, he heard the other workers talking. They mentioned that the shrimp harvest had been incredible and that the owners had earned more than a million pesos!
Gomez listened carefully, since Brandon hadn't explained much regarding the money. He also saw the manager of the shrimp farm showing immense respect toward Karlos and Brandon... Gomez was left speechless, he hadn't expected Brandon's status at the farm to be that high. He was incredibly proud of his son.
When lunchtime arrived, they shared a nice meal, and Karlos decided to explain everything to Gomez. He felt that Gomez should know the details so Brandon would have someone to turn to for advice if any problems arose, particularly from Brandon's siblings.
"Brandon's share is 5%. Every month, he will receive 5% of the farm's profit," Karlos explained.
"Am I allowed to know about this?" Gomez turned to his son, and Brandon nodded.
"This month, he earned 90,000 pesos," Karlos added.
Gomez almost choked when he heard that. He looked at his son, and Brandon shyly scratched his head. Now that everything was out in the open, Brandon felt completely at ease.
"Mr. Gomez—"
"Just call me Uncle."
"Uncle, we actually have a favor to ask you."
"I'm all ears."
"We hope that you can visit this farm at least once a week. Brandon and I want to continue fishing, and I'm going to buy a bigger bangka. We won't be able to supervise the farm as much, so we hope you can take on this role. Don't worry, I'll pay you. Is 10,000 per month enough?"
This time, Gomez actually did choke. Brandon handed him a bottle of water, and Gomez drank it down to clear his throat.
"C- Can you repeat what you just said? 10,000 pesos? Just for me to supervise the farm?"
"Yes. You don't have to visit every day or stay the whole day, just check on it once in a while to see the shrimp's progress."
"And you're going to pay me 10,000 pesos!?" Gomez still couldn't believe it. Was money really this easy to earn? Absolutely not, but Karlos was simply being generous.
Naturally, Gomez accepted the job. For someone like him who had done heavy labor his entire life, checking a shrimp farm didn't even feel like a chore. He could use his bicycle or hire a tricycle, this was easy money.
"I will check this farm every day." He was determined. For an old man like him, finding a steady source of income was a blessing, especially something as simple as visiting a shrimp farm. Heck, he would have done it for 3,000 pesos if he had to.
"Thanks, Uncle."
Karlos had already thought out this plan and discussed it with Brandon, who readily agreed. He appreciated that Karlos was being so helpful. To keep an older man thriving, you had to give him a sense of purpose.
Karlos had already thought about hiring a supervisor, but he needed someone he could trust completely. Gomez was the perfect choice because he wouldn't gossip about the farm, especially with Brandon being a co-owner. He would keep it a secret at all costs. Karlos had also discussed the matter with Zaldy, and the manager had no problem with it. It was completely normal for a shrimp farm of their scale to have a supervisor.
After lunch, Gomez became even more vigorous, cleaning the bottom of the pond with renewed energy. Brandon reminded his father to take it easy, but Gomez just shrugged. Cleaning wasn't difficult at all. Karlos and Brandon joined in as well, despite being the owners, they weren't afraid to get their hands dirty.
"... What? You're going to earn 10,000 just by visiting the shrimp farm!?" Carmine was so shocked that her jaw dropped.
"Yes, but we must keep it a secret. Karlos and Brandon don't want anyone to find out because it will cause a hassle."
"I'll keep it a secret." Carmine made a sweeping gesture and zipped her mouth shut. "Just lie down and take a rest. I'll let you have the room to yourself," she said, standing up.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to gather more eggs."
Gomez chuckled and let his wife do her thing.
'I actually wanted to talk to Brandon and convince him to stop being a fisherman so he could focus entirely on the shrimp farm. But after thinking it over, I feel like that's not the right decision. Brandon should stick with Karlos and work for him, that way, more blessings will come our way.'
Gomez believed that Karlos was blessed by the sea, everything he had witnessed today was enough to convince him. For their lives to truly get better, Brandon needed to stay by Karlos's side. Gomez even intended to encourage Brandon to help out more with Karlos's boat.
For people like them, who hadn't received a higher education and had seen their potential go to waste, someone like Karlos was their ticket to a better life. Gomez's way of thinking was a bit unorthodox, but it didn't change the reality of the situation.
From then on, Gomez visited the shrimp farm every day to check on its progress. Since he was now officially part of the payroll, Alfred decided to shoulder his supervisor's salary for the next half-year as well.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]