The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Chapter 113 Can't even figure out the back door?

Bianchi had told Leo about the Cumanso family.

Despite being hailed as "maritime nobles" and wielding considerable influence in the Sicilian Sea, they lead a rather difficult life, far from comparable to the great captains.

This family's business is neither profitable nor safe, yet it has been passed down from father to son for centuries, insisting on preserving the ancient craft of hunting swordfish.

That's why he earned the respect of the fishermen.

There are many ways to express respect; it doesn't necessarily have to involve sending someone to help.

The custom arose because the Cumanso family had never been very large.

The current head of the Cúmenso family is under forty years old and his name is Peglerini Cúmenso.

His two sons, though still young, had already gone to sea with their father.

If Leo is not mistaken, the boy who led the way was one of Peglerini's sons.

But this crew member is way too young...

"What's your name?" Leo asked the boy.

The young man navigated the old alleyway with practiced ease, turning left and right: "Gati Cumanso."

"What are we going to the docks for?" Leo asked again.

Since we can no longer go out to sea, why bother going to the dock?

Gatti wiped his nose and then wiped it on his pants before quickly turning into a narrow alley: "Someone recommended you to us, saying you're pretty good. Dad wants to see what you're capable of."

Although the little boy speaks with a mature air, he is still young and will glance at every food stall he passes by.

As a foodie, Leo keenly observed this detail and proactively asked, "Have you eaten? Would you like me to treat you to something?"

Gatti turned to Leo and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Before Leo could reply, the kid continued, "Hopefully you haven't eaten anything, or we're in trouble."

"Why?" Leo pressed him for an answer.

Gatti stopped at a narrow intersection and pointed to the right: "You'll see in a minute, we're here."

Leo turned his head and found that they had emerged from the old town, and their view suddenly opened up.

Among the many fishing boats on the dock, one stood out conspicuously, taller than any building on the street. A small lookout towered atop its thick mast that reached for the sky, with a faded flag hanging at the top. Thick hemp ropes crisscrossed and pulled together, firmly securing the mast to the hull.

The hull was a dark, old brown, and the planks were shiny from being soaked in seawater, indicating that it had been around for many years. The bow was upright as if it had been cleaved by a knife, with a long gangplank extending forward. The gangplank was placed above the water, about two or three meters above the surface, with ropes as thick as an arm wrapped around it. Many rolled-up canvases were piled on the deck, looking mottled and worn.

Leo was so engrossed in observing the wooden boat up close that he forgot to take a step.

Gatti turned around and said like a little adult, "Were you scared? Everyone who comes to help sees our ship for the first time looking like you, thinking the mast and runway are longer than they imagined. But we won't arrange for you to do anything so dangerous, so don't worry."

Leo, carrying the black suitcase, followed Gatti: "I'm not scared, I think it's quite interesting."

"Son of the Sea" suddenly became excited!

At the dock, Rio met Peglerini, the patriarch of the Cúmenso family in this generation, who was Gatti's father.

Peglerini's image has absolutely nothing to do with "maritime aristocracy".

He had a head of messy hair, like a bird's nest that had never been combed, and was so thin that he looked like a dried fish skeleton. He wore a pair of cheap plastic sandals, making him look particularly down-to-earth.

When talking to people, his eyes are half-open and half-closed, as if he hasn't woken up yet.

"You're from Malzamemi—"

—

"Leo Volpe." Leo extended his hand, introducing himself.

Peglerini and Leo shook hands: "Antonino called to introduce you. Come on, let me see where we'll arrange for you to go tomorrow."

After saying that, he led the way onto the boat, but after taking two steps he suddenly stopped and reminded Leo, "Change your clothes before you go on board, but hold on tight."

Leo had brought a set of light clothes with him, but he was there to help. Pegrelini told him not to waste time, so he quickly took off his coat, hat and other odds and ends, and followed after him in his shirt.

"Aren't you going to change your clothes?" Gatti asked from behind.

Leo looked at himself: "Is this outfit not good enough?"

He usually wears a shirt while working in Marzamemi, so why would he go shirtless?

Gatti shrugged: "It's a shame to get those expensive clothes dirty."

"Spit out water?" Leo shook his head. "I don't get seasick."

The child pointed to the antenna soaring into the sky: "Nine out of ten people will throw up if they go up there. Don't believe me? Try it!"

Leo was shocked.

He wasn't afraid of heights, but the mast was covered in grime, and climbing it would definitely get his clothes dirty.

This is Bianchi's shirt... If it gets dirty, he'll have to pay for a new one; Leo doesn't have a rich father.

No, didn't Bianchi say we should start from the very beginning as rowers...? Why are we going to start with something this big right away?

However, a slight tremor came from beneath my feet.

Then he heard a deafening noise like that of a tractor.

The Messina pier in front of us was quietly receding, and the ship actually started moving!

Before Leo could even think about what they were doing at this point, Pegrelini called out Leo's name from the bow: "Hey you, come here, let's hurry."

The Cumanso family's high-spear wooden boats are now equipped with motors, and while the craftsmanship can retain its ancient methods, the boats themselves still need to be improved.

However, the sound of the motor can disturb the fish. When searching for swordfish, the motor will be turned off and the sails will be lowered to make the whole process quiet, so a rower is needed on board.

Swordfishing is a dangerous activity, and the Cumanso family is well aware of this. Those who come to help are mostly there to express respect or to regard it as an honor.

They have no passion for hunting swordfish, so they are usually assigned jobs that are far from dangerous, such as rowing.

It doesn't require much technical skill; all you need is to be able to understand human speech and have some energy.

But Antonino called specifically to recommend Rio, and Peglerini decided to let Rio skip the rowers and move on to the next position.

Although a preliminary positioning has been established, several necessary ability tests still need to be conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of the personnel, so that in case of emergencies, they can be quickly assigned to suitable locations to help.

"As you can see, the entire hull, including the mast and the foreboard, is covered with ropes. These ropes are not just tools for connecting the hull; they also play a crucial role in stabilizing, balancing, and cushioning the high gun rig, the foreboard, and the fish control system. Therefore, the crew must be proficient in tying knots and have the ability to quickly repair broken strands of hemp rope."

Peglelini handed the rope to Leo: "Tie a few knots and let me see."

"This is actually a blatant backdoor deal." Mastering rigging and knots is the most basic skill for fishermen.

Peglerini deliberately gave Leo a bonus so he could conveniently move him out of the rowers' group.

Leo took the rope but didn't rush to use it. Instead, he lowered his head and fell into deep thought.

Peglerini wisely went to the bow of the ship, leaving Leo some time alone.

Many fishermen along the coast tie knots exceptionally well, and they have special knot-tying methods that they don't want others to learn.

Ten minutes later, he went back to find Leo and discovered that the knot was tied... indeed, it was both beautiful and unique!

But that style might be more suitable for sneakers!

Did this kid use a rope as a shoelace?!

Leo explained sheepishly, "I don't know how to tie knots..."

""

Peglelini paused for a second to calm down: "How about we repair the broken strand of the rope?"

Leo shook his head: "No way..."

""

Peglelini wiped his face with his hand, trying to calm himself down.

"It's alright, let's try something else." Peglerini led Leo to the stern.

A huge "demotion" stamp was slapped on Leo's face. Go be a rower!