Chapter 281: Seasick

Zhou Yimin gazed out at the vast, boundless ocean, feeling instantly refreshed and invigorated.

Luckily, he wasn’t one of those who got seasick.

The same couldn’t be said for the Canteen Director and Shang Jianguo. At first, things were fine, but once the wooden boat left the harbor, the symptoms of seasickness began to show.

Shang Jianguo was doing slightly better—just a bit dizzy and not actually vomiting.

But the Canteen Director was having a much rougher time. Even though he was a local from Jinmen, he had rarely ever gone out to sea, so he never realized he was prone to seasickness.

Had he known in advance, he wouldn’t have come along even if someone beat him.

This was a classic case of motion sickness—a series of physiological responses triggered by the body’s incorrect perception of movement due to various factors.

It occurs when the vestibular system, visual input, and sensory feedback from the body are in conflict. It’s common during travel by boat, car, plane, or other means of transport.

You really shouldn’t brush off motion or seasickness.

As everyone knows, typical symptoms include dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, discomfort in the upper abdomen, pale complexion, and cold sweats. These usually ease or disappear once the travel ends and don’t pose a life-threatening danger.

However, in severe cases, it can cause chest tightness, cold limbs, dehydration, difficulty breathing, sluggish response, a sense of impending death, or even unconsciousness.

Zhou Yimin was surprised—this was his first time on a boat, yet he wasn’t seasick at all.

Actually, he had prepared motion sickness medicine in advance.

It turned out he didn’t need the seasickness pills he brought, but he also couldn’t just hand them to the Canteen Director—he had no way to explain where the medicine came from.

So he could only apologize silently in his heart. To avoid exposing himself, he had to find another solution.

When Shang Jianguo saw the situation, he almost lost it too. He quickly turned his head away, avoiding looking at the Canteen Director. If he kept watching, he might not be able to resist vomiting either.

People who know about this stuff understand—vomiting can be contagious.

Even if you’re not seasick, just seeing someone vomit can trigger the symptoms in you too.

“Director, try closing your eyes and resting for a bit. Also, do we have any hot water? Drinking hot water might help relieve the symptoms of seasickness,” Zhou Yimin suggested.

In China, hot water is a universal cure. No matter what the problem is, the answer is always: drink more hot water.

Chen Changhui also nodded. “Cousin, Expert Zhou is right. This method actually works.”

In their line of work, some people did get seasick at first, but with enough practice, the symptoms could be lessened over time.

The Canteen Director replied weakly, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

He obediently accepted the hot water Chen Changhui handed over and slowly began to sip it.

Due to limited space on the wooden boat, there wasn’t a proper resting area. So after drinking the hot water, he found a relatively clean section of the deck and lay down right there.

Whether it was just psychological or not, his symptoms really did ease up a little after lying down. Probably because of the seasickness, he unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

Zhou Yimin asked, “Brother Jianguo, do you want to rest too?”

Seeing how pale Shang Jianguo looked, he couldn’t help but ask.

Shang Jianguo had been trying to tough it out, but after feeling another wave of nausea, he gave in. “Yeah, I think I’ll rest a bit too.”

He leaned against the side of the boat and closed his eyes to rest.

Zhou Yimin felt a little regretful that he hadn’t brought a fishing rod. Otherwise, he could have gone fishing on the way to the fishing grounds, which sounded like a lot of fun—especially since they hadn’t even started the fishing operation yet.

He quickly asked, “Captain, do we have any fishing rods?”

Chen Changhui answered without hesitation, “Yes, Expert Zhou. I’ll go get one for you right now.”

He headed to the gear storage area, which held not just fishing rods but nets and a bunch of other miscellaneous equipment.

Aside from the fishing boat itself, this gear was the most valuable, especially the fishing nets, which were prone to wear and tear. They were always repaired whenever holes appeared, and only replaced when they truly couldn’t be patched anymore.

Normally, there wouldn’t be fishing rods on the boat. But after hearing from his cousin that Expert Zhou was here to experience things, Chen Changhui had, on a whim, packed one or two. Who knew they’d actually come in handy?

Soon, Chen Changhui came back with a rod and some bait. The bait was mostly shellfish caught from the sea and had been left out for two days—the smell was indescribable.

You can’t go fishing without bait.

After all, not everyone is like Jiang Taigong, who fished with a straight hook and waited for fish to bite willingly.

No bait, no fish.

What many don’t realize is that fishing in China has a long-standing history and cultural tradition.

Even before the Shang Dynasty, humans were already widely engaged in fishing. Back then, they used ropes or vines to tie hooks with bait and cast them into the water. By the end of the Shang Dynasty, bone hooks and hemp lines came into use.

By the Song Dynasty, fishing tools had evolved to include rods, lines, floats, sinkers, hooks, and various kinds of bait.

Fishing as a sport not only has deep roots in China, but also has global influence.

In ancient Egypt, fishing was a recreational activity. In ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, it was a major commercial endeavor.

During medieval times in Europe, fishing became a popular leisure activity for nobles and royalty.

In modern times, with technological advancements, fishing gear has improved greatly in both quality and efficiency, and fishing has become a significant sport and competitive event.

Zhou Yimin had never actually gone fishing in his previous life. But even if he hadn’t eaten pork, he’d certainly seen pigs run.

He skillfully hooked the bait onto the line, adjusted the float, and cast it into the sea.

This rod was a very basic one—just a bamboo stick with a fishing line tied on and a hook attached. Unlike modern fishing gear, where as long as you have the money, you can buy top-notch equipment.

There weren’t any carbon fiber rods here either. So for now, this would have to do.

He did have some in the system’s store in his mind—he’d even gifted one to someone last time. But now wasn’t the right time to take it out.

Whether it was beginner’s luck or just that the waters were teeming with fish, less than a minute after casting, he felt a tug on the line.

Zhou Yimin gently lowered his wrist and swiftly flicked upward with his wrist and forearm—sure enough, the fish was hooked.

Zhou Yimin thought to himself, guess you really can learn useful stuff online. This move was one he picked up online—apparently it’s called “setting the hook.”

Sometimes, the internet really does deliver—years of experience from seasoned anglers can’t lie.

However, judging by the tension, Zhou Yimin was a bit worried this rod might not be able to handle it!

(End of Chapter)