Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 28
"Babe~ I'm home~"
Karlos hiccupped as he opened the wooden gate with a creaky sound. He almost stumbled to the ground, but his balance was surprisingly good for someone who reeked of alcohol.
Maya looked through the window and sighed, a mixture of concern and resignation on her face as she saw the state of her husband. She opened the door without a word to help him.
Karlos grinned goofily when he saw his lovely, sexy, adorable wife standing at the door. He went in for a hug, which caught Maya off guard.
"I love you," Karlos muttered with the sincerity only a drunk man could muster as he embraced his wife.
Fortunately, it was already nighttime and most people were inside their homes. Maya gave a slight smile, but it didn't last long.
She frowned as she caught the strong scent of alcohol on him.
"You smell like alcohol."
"Me? No, I'm not," Karlos replied childishly, rubbing his nose against Maya's neck and inhaling her scent through his drunken haze.
"Whenever you're drunk, you always act like this."
The couple had been together for about two years now, years that taught them how to read each other's moods and quirks. Maya had come to understand that her husband was the clingy type. Whenever there was an opportunity for a hug or a kiss, Karlos would seize it without regard for time or place. Still, Maya didn't hate it.
She liked how openly and freely her husband expressed his love.
But now that Karlos was drunk, his behavior was getting out of hand. His hands slowly moved down until they reached Maya's ass.
The woman jolted and pushed him away, her cheeks flushing with surprise and embarrassment.
"How can you do that?"
"What? Hehe, I love you..." Karlos grinned stupidly.
"I can't talk to you when you're drunk." Maya sighed again and helped Karlos get into the house, supporting him carefully as they walked.
"Let's go inside. I'll fetch some water for you."
Once inside, Karlos drank a cup of water that Maya handed him, irritation still faintly visible on her face. The water helped counter the alcohol in his system.
Perhaps because he was still young and fit from his daily work, Karlos slowly regained clarity and asked for dinner. Maya was relieved that her husband could fight off intoxication quickly.
He was still groggy as he ate, but once his stomach was full, he sobered up much faster.
'Sometimes I feel like my body is really healthy,' Karlos thought as he let out a small burp.
"It's good that you didn't puke this time. Last time, you drank so much you had to vomit just to get sober."
Maya stared at him coldly with her arms crossed. She never liked it when Karlos drank because it often led to troublesome behavior.
Karlos just chuckled awkwardly and went outside to wash his plate and utensils under the dim moonlight.
When he returned, Maya had already set up the bedding and was nursing Iñigo to sleep. Arabella was already sound asleep.
"Babe, I talked to Jerry. He said he knows someone who can sell hens to us."
"Is he sure the hens are young and can lay eggs? What if they're already old?"
"Don't worry, he said the guy can be trusted. His family also bought hens from him, and they've been laying eggs regularly ever since."
"Alright," Maya nodded and gently placed Iñigo in the crib. The twins were now sleeping peacefully, so cute and serene.
"How much per hen? Did Jerry mention the price?"
"The last time they bought hens, it was 70 pesos per hen."
"Okay. Build the chicken coop first, then buy three from his contact."
The bamboo Karlos had dried was already brown and ready to use, with no risk of rotting. He had already set aside the pieces for the floor, while the remaining ones were reserved for his crab traps, and now, the chicken coop.
Karlos was still a little tipsy but noticeably better than earlier. His steps were steadier, and his words no longer slurred. The couple lay down and enjoyed some intimate time together.
...
...
...
Karlos woke up with a headache pounding like a drum inside his skull. Even though he had a hangover, that didn't stop him from preparing for his job as a fisherman.
He kissed his wife softly on the forehead before getting out of bed. Catching the scent of his t-shirt, he grimaced. The smell of alcohol still clung to the fabric. He decided to change into a fresh one.
While preparing his things, he noticed that only a small amount of diesel remained in the plastic container. He decided to buy more on his way to the beach.
His boat consumed about 3 liters of diesel per hour at top speed. Fortunately, his fishing location wasn't that far, and Karlos rarely ran his boat at full throttle. Per fishing trip, he usually spent around 4 liters of diesel. At 15 pesos per liter, the cost was manageable. Especially compared to other fishermen who traveled farther.
As he walked, he noticed a bird glowing in the dark like a lantern floating in midair.
"A glowing bird..." Karlos muttered in fascination.
While most animals on this planet resembled those on Earth, there were still unique creatures. The glowing bird was one of Thera's wonders.
It chirped as it flew past above his head, lighting up the street for a few seconds.
Karlos didn't linger and continued on to the house that sold diesel, run by an old man. He bought 5 liters to be safe.
"Hey, Karlos, I heard you're trapping crabs these days. How's that going?"
A big boat owner named Miguel saw Karlos setting up his boat and decided to strike up a conversation. Miguel owned a 10-meter bangka and employed two workers to help with fishing.
"Just so-so, average at best. I earned around 3,000 pesos per trip," Karlos replied, deliberately downplaying his catch. He didn't want to come off as arrogant and preferred keeping a low profile to avoid drawing envy.
"That's not bad. Most of the fishermen I know earn around 2,000 pesos. And here I am, trying to ask if you're interested in fishing with us. One of my workers resigned to move to the capital. You're from Maynila, right? How's life there?"
"If you ask me, Maynila might offer a lot of opportunities, but there's no guarantee of success. I prefer living here in the province. At least here, I rarely go hungry, and there's always fresh air."
"Is that so? Well then, we're heading out. Have a safe trip." Miguel excused himself as his worker called to say their preparations were complete.
"You too."
Karlos carefully poured the diesel into his engine, making sure not to spill a single drop.