The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Chapter 131 A thief broke into the house!

The first nets Leo used came from Rosalia's house.

The second batch came from the shipyard.

After that, Aurelio sent a batch, along with some from Bianchi and others borrowed from the villagers.

These nets are all woven by the fishermen themselves, and they vary in size and shape depending on their origin.

Some are larger, holding a hundred or so, while others are smaller, holding only thirty before they can't hold any more, making the calculations a bit complicated.

But Leo can use this calculation process to check the condition of these sea urchins.

The method of using nets or cages to hang food on the reefs for preservation was something Leo learned from his own observations. He saw fishermen in Marzamemi using it, but he wasn't sure how effective it was.

With the netting protecting it, very few thieves can succeed.

However, some sea urchins showed signs of spine softening, which immediately diminished their freshness.

It's nighttime now, and by the time we hand it in tomorrow morning, there will probably be even more wilted sea urchins.

These losses are unavoidable; the fishermen of Marzamemi, who make their living from sea urchins, all have to bear this burden. But this reminded Leo of the situation in Messina.

No matter when the fishing boats return to port, merchants enthusiastically surround them to buy their catch. From the time the catch lands to when it's served, it never takes more than two days.

Hours.

The catch in Marzamemi is too small, and the merchants only make one trip a day.

"That doesn't seem right... Sandro's fleet has more than 20 people, it must be quite large. How much do they sell their catch?"

Leo recalled that he had not seen Sandro's ship selling anything at the fish market.

He secretly noted down the question and planned to inquire about it the next day.

This minor issue did not affect Leo's mood, and he was still able to have a good quality of rest!

A rough calculation suggests that there are 720-750 sea urchins hanging on the rocks nearby. Their diameter and quality are all relatively normal, and the average price should be around 300 lira each. The exact price will depend on what Aesop says tomorrow morning.

Based on a 15% loss rate, this batch of sea urchins could be sold for...

"It should be around 20 lira."

Leo happily did somersaults in the sea!

This was only half a day's harvest. He had spent a lot of time traveling because his nets were running low. It wasn't peak season yet, and he wasn't familiar with everything on the first day. Besides, Leo hadn't even used his full strength yet...

If we solve the above problems one by one!

Leo happily hopped back to the shipyard, exclaiming, "I've struck it rich! This time it's really big!!"

I was so busy looking for sea urchins in the afternoon that I didn't have time to eat anything. My last meal was the pizza I had in Syracuse that morning.

Once ashore, hunger struck, and it was quite intense.

Passing by the outdoor kitchen, Leo went in to see if there was anything he could eat right away to have a quick bite before going out to buy food or eating out.

However, as soon as he entered the kitchen, he exclaimed in surprise.

A thief broke into the house!

On the morning of his departure, after finishing breakfast, he soaked the pots and pans in a basin of water, rinsed them briefly, and left.

Today they were washed and put away neatly.

The thief even sorted the pots and pans according to their size and function.

All the miscellaneous kitchen utensils that were visible were put away in cabinets and drawers, replaced by a few discarded basins.

Green plants that have been discarded as jars and used as vases.

The traces of seasoning accidentally spilled on the stove disappeared without a trace, leaving it so clean it could be used as a mirror!

Even more frightening is...

Two bags suddenly appeared in the kitchen!

The bag was full of food!!

Leo stood at the kitchen door for a long time, not daring to go in... This place was too unfamiliar.

After a few seconds, he cautiously entered the clean and orderly kitchen, took a sausage from the food bag, bit into it, and wolfed it down: "Which kind 'thief' came to drop by? Not only did they bring food, but they also did so much work!"

Early the next morning.

Leo called Rosalia to help transport the sea urchins.

Rosalia saw the nets and cages hanging from the rocks but didn't ask a single question, and her expression didn't even change.

I'm used to it...

She wouldn't be surprised if Leo brought back a whale from the sea.

But Aesop had a lot to say when he saw so many sea urchins: "Why did you go collecting sea urchins again?"

He only heard about the Rio swordfish being in the newspaper this morning from the local villagers, and didn't even have a chance to praise it.

So you changed careers?

Leo's answer was simple: "I do whatever makes money."

Leo is absolutely right.

Aesop quoted him 203,000 lira for this batch of sea urchins, which was equivalent to his earnings from a whole day of fishing.

But the quoted price is a quoted price, and the acquisition price is the acquisition price.

"I don't accept sea urchins before. I didn't prepare insulated boxes or foam boxes on the truck. Even a makeshift solution for a short trip can't guarantee safety. Some might die on the way, and the quality would also drop. Go ask other merchants. I can only give you 17 lira for this batch of sea urchins."

Aesop, who never haggles and sometimes even gives extra, had to lower the price of Leo's sea urchin due to unforeseen circumstances.

However, he did not force Leo to buy or sell, and suggested that Leo ask other merchants.

"If you buy it for 17, can you still make a profit?" Leo asked Aesop.

Aesop easily lifted the whole box of sea bream: "Of course I can make money, I'm not here to do charity."

"How come Aesop is so strong? He's almost as strong as Enzo..." Leo thought to himself, and replied, "Then you can take it, but remember to bring an insulated box or a styrofoam box tomorrow. I'll be collecting sea urchins for a while."

Aesop loaded the fish onto the truck, then turned back and asked Leo, puzzled, "Isn't thirty thousand money?"

Are you out of your mind?

Leo placed several bags of sea urchins on his truck: "You've definitely 'lost' more than 30,000 from me. As long as you make a profit, I won't give it to anyone else."

Without Aesop's help, Leo would have starved to death a month earlier.

Aesop glanced at Leo a few times, then continued moving the goods: "I'll make it up to you later."

While arranging the sea urchin, Leo asked, "Aesop, can you only come to Marzamemi in the morning? Is it possible to come back in the afternoon?"

Leo is willing to suffer losses to repay favors, but he doesn't want to pay for the losses.

It's unrealistic to expect merchants to be stationed on the shore at any time in Marzamemi; it's not a bustling metropolis like Messina.

However, if more merchants can collect the seafood during the day, it can reach diners in Syracuse smoothly by dinner time.

Merchants can make money, and fishermen no longer have to wait anxiously all night.

Aesop explained, "My supplier only trades in the morning. If I come in the afternoon, I need to find a new supplier who picks up goods in the afternoon."

He turned to Leo and asked, "How many sea urchins do you have?"

Leo mustered his courage and uttered a number: "2000!"

Summer is not the peak season for sea urchins.

For a novice fisherman like Rosalia, bringing back 200 sea urchins a day is enough to make her go to church and thank God.

The average daily catch of ordinary fishermen is between 300 and 500, and fishermen who go out to sea alone in Marzamemi fall into this range.

Experienced fishermen who have been fishing for decades can harvest 700-1000 shells a day.

Top-tier sea urchin harvesters can harvest over 1500 sea urchins per day.

These figures were heard from Enzo and Bianchi, so they should be accurate.

So it's quite astonishing that Leo blew up 2000 cowhides during a non-harvest season.

To everyone's surprise, Aesop turned around and said, "It's not enough to cover the gas costs."

Leo:

'

""

After selling the sea urchins, Leo went to a coffee shop to ask Andre a few questions.

But the sequel to "Son of the Sea" was so captivating that the old men listened with great interest, so Leo didn't want to interrupt. He ordered a coffee and chatted with Marco for a bit.

The conversation naturally revolved around sea urchins.

If even Aesop, the merchant Leo knew best, was unwilling to make an extra trip, then other merchants were even less likely to come.

After listening to Leo's complaints, Marco took a cigarette and went outside to smoke: "Don't listen to his nonsense. How could he not make enough to cover the cost of gas? But that's all he can make."

Leo chased after Marco outside: "Is the profit margin really that low?"

Marco sat down and lit a cigarette: "Fishmongers earn their money through hard work; the profit margins are very thin. They can't make much unless they fill a whole truck with fish."

Leo continued, "Do you know who Sandro sells his catch to?"

"Sell it to whom?" Marco chuckled. "Why would he need to sell it... Wait, why are you asking about the Sandro family again?"

Leo downed his coffee in one gulp and handed the cup to Marco: "Don't bother, I'll ask Bianchi myself."

You're... boring.

Leo had only taken two steps when a man rushed out of the tobacco shop.

"What do you want to ask? I'll tell you!" Salvi came out carrying a large bundle of nets.

Leo didn't know where to find Bianchi at this time, so since Salvi was so enthusiastic, he asked the same question again.

Salvi answered very frankly, revealing everything he knew: "Sandro's ships sell their seafood before they even leave the shore. There are pre-arranged partners on standby 24/7. They come to inspect and collect the goods at the exact time the ship arrives. The goods are taken directly from the ship. Both parties sign long-term exclusive sales contracts, the prices are higher than with ordinary merchants, and a 30% deposit is paid in advance."

He turned to Marco and asked, "Is it 30% this year? I can't quite remember, it changes every year."

Marco, still furious, yelled back at the coffee shop, "How should I know? Go ask him yourself!"

Salvi muttered, "He's having another episode," and then said to Leo, "Anyway, that's roughly the gist of it. Sandro no longer belongs to the fishermen; they're a large family now."

I'm so envious... When will the Godfather's family be able to be formed?

Leo thanked Salvi a few words, then, noticing the net in his hand, asked, "What are you doing with that?"

Salvi was so focused on currying favor with Rio that he almost forgot about the important matter!

"These are net bags I made. I saw you had all sorts of bags yesterday. If you need any, I can make custom-made ones. I can make a whole batch of the same size, as many as you need."

Salvi pulled out a sample: "If you're not satisfied with the size, we can change it. I'll make whatever you want."

Salvi arrived just in time.

Most of the nets and cages used yesterday were borrowed. Although there's no rush to return them, the sizes are different, making it difficult to calculate the daily catch.

Leo asked about the price, and it wasn't expensive at all, 400 lira each, with discounts available for bulk purchases.

Leo picked it up and gestured, while Salvi explained, "One can hold sixty or seventy. I didn't make it too big, because the giant urchins would crowd each other and fight for oxygen, which would cause a lot of losses... You caught a lot, so the larger the base, the more losses you would incur. I feel sorry for you."

"You're so thoughtful," Leo praised.

They've considered everything for me?

Leo ordered 30 net bags from Salvi, who only asked for 1 lira, saying that the whole family would work together and it would take about a week to finish. He told Leo to make do with them for the next few days, and that he would deliver them to him every day.

Leo offered to pay or a deposit, but Salvi refused, saying there was no rush and he would pay after everything was finished.

In just a few words, Leo had an exceptional shopping experience.

"If you need anything in the future, just tell me. I don't have many strengths, but I'm very meticulous." Salvi helped Leo tidy up the net bag so it would be easier for him to take it. "If you want to do something in the future, you can also tell me. I don't know as much as you, and I don't have much education, but it's good to have another person to give you advice."

Leo suddenly squatted down, looked at Salvi, and said, "If that's the case... I actually have something I'd like you to help me with."