"Brothers, proceed according to the original plan!" Luke shouted at the top of his lungs, and the shore immediately became lively.
Ten fishing boats spread out in formation, their oars churning the water's surface.
Then the fishermen lowered large seine nets into the river.
These carefully improved nets tightened as soon as they sank into the water.
"Hold the formation! Don't let the fish escape!" The boat captain Reg's veins bulged on his arms as the rope in his hands pulled tight like a bowstring.
Black shadows darted beneath the water, surging forward like a tide.
"They're in the net! They're in the net!"
Someone shouted first, and suddenly the entire river seemed to explode.
Fat, large-eared river fish crashed against the nets, but how could the iron bucket formation of ten boats leave them any escape route?
The fishermen deftly tightened the ropes, firmly locking them in.
The water surface instantly erupted with countless splashes as fish leaped out of the water. In the sunlight, their silver scales tumbled, a very pleasing sight.
"Pull quickly! Don't let the nets loosen!"
"Haha, this is the most fish I've seen in my life!"
The fishermen's arms tensed as they pulled together with all their might.
The seine nets continuously contracted, with such heavy weight that even the boats tilted slightly.
When the last net was completely raised, the boats were filled with lively, jumping fish.
Each fish was much larger than ordinary river fish, gleaming with an enticing luster, their plump bodies constantly turning.
This harvest exceeded everyone's imagination!
Over two thousand fish, enough to feed the entire Crimson Tide Domain for several days!
On the other side of the river, the net-casting fishermen were also giving their all.
"The casting angle must be precise, or you'll miss the school of fish!" An experienced old fisherman instructed a young apprentice beside him.
The inexperienced young man took a deep breath, steadily gripped the fishing net, and then threw it forcefully.
The net traced a perfect arc in the air, enveloping a group of fish that hadn't yet escaped.
"Got them!"
He excitedly tightened the rope, and the water surface immediately churned with splashes as foot-long fat fish were caught, struggling desperately.
"This one is so big!" He excitedly held up a fish as long as his arm, while his companions cast envious glances.
"If we made soup with this one, I can't imagine how delicious it would be!"
Everyone was grinning from ear to ear, their movements becoming even faster.
Although their catch couldn't compare to the seine net group, they still successfully caught hundreds of fresh fish, with each person's wooden bucket filled to the brim.
On another side of the riverbank, the traditional fishing group composed of natives was unfolding another form of hunting.
Each person gripped a polished harpoon, their eyes nearly bulging into the river.
"Here they come!"
An experienced fisherman suddenly swung his arm, the harpoon piercing the water.
"Splish!"
Blood foam rose to the surface as a fish weighing about three pounds was firmly speared, struggling desperately but ultimately unable to escape its fate.
In just this short time, the wooden buckets at their feet had already piled up seven or eight large fish, their tails still flapping outside the bucket rims.
In the shallows further away, some fishermen quietly placed fish traps in previously set locations, waiting silently for fish to enter by mistake.
"Wait a bit more... wait..."
Suddenly, a fisherman's eyes lit up as he quickly lifted the fish trap.
"Caught them! About a dozen!"
They all cheered excitedly. Though these fish weren't large, their meat was delicate—a perfect delicacy.
The entire fishing operation continued for several hours before the fishermen slowly gathered their nets.
Every boat was piled high with fresh fish.
They slapped their scales, their tails making "slap slap" sounds, splashing water.
"Over three thousand fish! Three thousand!"
When the final count came in, the entire dock erupted.
"The lord truly has divine foresight. He said there would be fish today, and there really were!"
"We've never seen such fishing methods before, catching so many at once!"
"The lord not only knows how to govern the territory but is also amazing at fishing!"
The fishermen excitedly clapped and patted each other's shoulders, their faces full of joy, praising Vaerik.
Those who had originally doubted today's fishing were now completely convinced by the facts.
Luke stood nearby, watching this scene, feeling indescribable shock.
His earlier anxiety had been replaced by surprise.
He never imagined Vaerik's prediction would be so precise, even miraculous.
He couldn't help looking up at the lord standing high on the dock.
Vaerik wore a faint smile.
Seeing the satisfied smiles on the fishermen's faces, his mood also brightened.
He knew he had just taken the first step in leading the Crimson Tide Domain out of its predicament.
The food crisis in the Crimson Tide Domain could finally ease a bit.
And today's catch was just the beginning; this was a long-term industry.
As a transmigrator, Vaerik naturally knew the importance of sustainability, so he had early on formulated a detailed fishing strategy:
First, to ensure the continuous reproduction of fish, Vaerik required all fishing nets to have enlarged mesh sizes.
This allowed immature small fish to easily escape, continue growing, and wait for the next breeding season.
Moreover, fishing was only permitted at fixed times each day, with at least one day of fishing break per week, giving the river and fish time to breathe.
Only in this way would future catches be continuous rather than suddenly depleted one day.
And not just wild fishing—Vaerik also planned to establish dedicated breeding areas.
Selected quality fish would be used as breeding stock, cultivated in specific waters.
This would make the fishing industry more stable rather than completely dependent on nature's gifts.
Vaerik looked at the mountain of fish piled on the dock, thinking about how to handle them.
No matter how abundant food was, if not properly managed, it would become waste.
Let's hold a celebration feast, Vaerik thought.
In just a few more days, it would mark exactly one month since his arrival at the Crimson Tide Domain.
This was a day worth commemorating.
In this month, the Crimson Tide Domain had transformed from a barren land with scarce resources and low morale.
Order had been gradually restored, fishing and farming had been established, and the residents' lives had gradually gained hope.
Vaerik knew this wasn't entirely his own merit.
So this feast wasn't just to celebrate the bountiful fishing harvest, but also to commend those fishermen, craftsmen, and soldiers who had contributed to the Crimson Tide Domain.
However, the feast could only consume a portion of the catch; a large amount of fish still needed proper handling.
Although this was only enough to feed over a thousand people for a few days, fishing was a long-term industry.
The caught fish couldn't be wasted and needed long-term preservation for preparation during winter food shortages.
Vaerik suddenly thought of a method for long-term fish preservation and wanted to try it out.