BXBX NOVEL Chapter 252: 249 Purchasing Goods
This was the third clump of Horsetail Kelp Bi Fang had come across in the last two days, and it was their only source of vegetable intake; squinting, he looked up at the sky.
The sea surface was scattered with sunlight, and seagulls converged, swooping low. All they waited for was for the playful waves to leap forth with small fish, as the ocean, on a sunny morning, was a sumptuous feast for the gulls.
Their targets locked onto the small fish, in anticipation of a Hairfin Anchovy or a European Eel occasionally surfacing.
This time it wasn’t just a single seagull, but flocks of them!
Bi Fang was emotionally stirred and couldn’t help shouting through cupped hands. His shout startled a diving seagull, who, unable to capture its fish in time, hurriedly flew away, flapping its wings in panic.
Continuous calling of the birds was a gospel, signifying that land was no longer far away!
“We are close to land now!”
The increasing presence of Horsetail Kelp hinted at the same thing.
Bi Fang took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze, the cold air filling his lungs all the way down his trachea. He looked up at the sky as if all the sunshine in the world was showering down on him. He felt neither cold nor tired, only the sounds of the seagulls crying and the tide resonating in his ears.
[Sixteen days! Have we finally come across land?]
[Damn, I’ve waited for so long, is it going to end now?]
[Should be another two or three days, right? Didn’t Master Fang say that a flock of sea birds could fly around a hundred kilometers?]
“Yes, at most a hundred kilometers, given our current speed, we may reach the mainland within two or three days. If we directly find a port, my survival mission will be completely accomplished.”
Bi Fang’s face was brimming with smiles. The more than two weeks at sea had darkened his complexion and grown a stubble on his face, making him look rugged, resembling an experienced old fisherman. Yet his eyes were astonishingly bright, shimmering under the sunlight—youthful and vibrant.
The perfect fusion of two distinct qualities gave a strong sense of safety, like a long-honed sword, sharp yet resilient.
The mission was to survive for twenty-one days, yet Bi Fang might find land in less than twenty, definitely an overachievement!
Bi Fang picked up a piece of the newly retrieved Horsetail Kelp, washed a section of it, and chewed on it in his mouth. The unique crispness of the plant cells spread in his mouth, diluting the fishy taste from days of eating fish.
“A great abundance of driftwood, coconuts, and other floating plants all suggest that land is not far now. Of course, coconuts are only found in the tropics, plus with the flocks of seagulls appearing, I estimate that I will reach the mainland before the 20th. By then, I wonder if it will be a desolate wasteland or a port; if it is a port, then our mission is accomplished.”
Bi Fang put the few pieces of wood remaining into the charcoal, waiting for the heat to build up, then he pulled open the tent, revealing a life raft heaped with a string of fish.
There were three European Eels, one North Atlantic Salmon, seven or eight small Hairfin Anchovies, a skeleton of a Shark, some Shark meat, along with two Herrings and one Mackerel.
The life raft was nearly full; if it weren’t wrapped in a piece of torn cloth, Bi Fang would be sleeping with the fish every night.
The torn cloth was one of the gains on the fourteenth day, just floating on the sea, and Bi Fang had to exert some effort to retrieve it.
[Damn, the goods have arrived?]
[Stop surviving, become a fisherman]
[All damn good stuff, ah, my Salmon!]
Bi Fang grabbed a European Eel, cut off a piece of Salmon meat, sat cross-legged on the raft, and started to roast slices of Salmon meat on a shell.
Rich in oils, the Salmon quickly started to sizzle.
When most of the fat had rendered, Bi Fang placed the cut pieces of Eel meat on top, allowing it to absorb the Salmon’s oil; soon, a unique aroma began to waft through the air.
He sandwiched the Eel between two slices of Salmon, adding Horsetail Kelp on the outside. Bi Fang took a bite, the richness oozing with fragrance, complemented by the fresh taste of the seaweed and its juices—an absolute delight!
[Damn, that looks delicious]
[Is that a seafood burger?]
[What an extravagant waste of food!]
[Using salmon for grilling, such a reckless squandering!]
Bi Fang chuckled, “Although Atlantic salmon can be eaten raw, after all I’m running out of wood, I should try to have more cooked meals.”
“Wild North Atlantic salmon are now rare, and the taste of the ‘supreme among fish’ is indeed very fresh and delicious. If you grill it, you might find it a bit oily, but living in the wild for a long time, I find it incredibly succulent, especially when paired with European eel. It’s really a pity if you haven’t tasted it.”
Bi Fang, while eating the salmon and looking at the remaining fish bones, couldn’t help but think of something else and began to share his thoughts with the audience.
As a migratory species, the vitality of salmon has always been something he greatly admired. Unlike the survival instinct of Tiktaalik, which avoided crisis after crisis through evolution, salmon possess a pure life force.
Every autumn, they swim upstream to return to their birthplace, migrating to the lakes high in the mountains.
However, the journey is far from easy. Bears wait along the riversides, cormorants roam above the water surface, and groups of catfish lie at the bottom with their mouths open, revealing sharp teeth, waiting for the most bountiful feast of the year: these tender and flavorful salmon.
Yet the salmon do not fear or hesitate. Regardless of the bear’s sharp claws, or how eagles and schools of catfish snatch and tear their companions away, they struggle forward. With each inch they advance, they draw closer to the clouds above.
Because atop the mountains lies a warm lake, full of aquatic plants. The surviving salmon lay thousands of eggs to replace their perished brethren. In the spring of the next year, these eggs hatch, and the young fish will live like their parents, as well as those salmon that couldn’t escape from the hunters.
Year after year, life continues to flourish.
“And the bodies of those salmon don’t go to waste either, they become nutrients for nature, providing sustenance for their offspring and other aquatic life forms.”
[Ah man, this makes me feel guilty about eating salmon in the future]
[Homeland!]
“This is the cruel law of survival in nature,” Bi Fang said.
Bi Fang lowered his head and took another bite, then paused and added,
“However, the salmon you all eat now are farmed. If they were still to migrate naturally, the fishermen would be the first to disapprove, as the loss would be too great.”
[???]
[I’m moved!]
[Way to ruin the mood]
After devouring the entire ‘burger’ in just a few bites, Bi Fang looked out at the water. The appearance of the salmon and European eel had reminded him of something.
“Whether it’s salmon or European eel, both require high water quality, which is also why wild salmon are scarce. So, I suspect that once I reach the shore, I might not find a harbor but a wilderness instead.”
Bi Fang’s speculation was not without reason; places with ports are often developed areas that have various factories and ships, which makes it hard to maintain high water quality.
Only near the wilderness is it possible for salmon and European eel to breed here.
It seems like immediate rescue is unlikely, Bi Fang sighed and was about to set sail to continue forward, when suddenly, a violent shaking came from beneath the raft.
Bi Fang felt himself briefly lift into the air, then the raft tilted steeply, and seconds later, it crashed back down.
The raft groaned under the strain. Bi Fang immediately looked up, but all he saw was,
A tail, immensely huge!