I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 161 Winter Fishing and the Air Force

……

……

Winter fishing, also known as fishing, is an activity that involves drilling holes in the ice of lakes or rivers during the deep winter months and then setting nets to catch fish.

In the northern wilderness, winter fishing is one of the most important activities during the winter.

Before Rhodes came along, it was the main source of fresh food for the people of Frostleaf during the deep winter.

This activity does not require Rhodes' command.

The people of the Northern Wastes are the most professional.

It is worth mentioning that the population of Frostleaf Town did not grow naturally; most of them came from slaves and captives, and were all young and strong men.

Almost all of these people have participated in winter fishing and know how to do it.

The process is simple: choose a location, break the ice, set the net, and retrieve the fish.

In fact, fishing activities have always existed in Frostleaf Town during the winter, but they are all small-scale operations carried out in the small bay.

For a proper winter fishing trip, dozens of people can only work together on the ice once the ice is thick enough.

The first place to set the net was on the wide ice surface of the dam.

The slaves used wooden shovels and brooms made of pine branches to clear the snow from the ice, and then used chisels and drills to make holes in the ice.

This step is the most time-consuming and laborious.

The method for setting nets during winter fishing is "threading a needle".

Tie a wooden pole to one end of the fishing net, then insert the pole into the water, and then walk under the ice with the net.

The fish are then pulled onto the ice through the main net opening by pulling the net under the ice.

In this era, there were no automated devices, so the wooden pole naturally needed to be pulled forward by people.

This task is handled by a skilled specialist who uses a hooked branch to hook the wooden pole and then swings it back and forth to guide the pole forward.

Therefore, an ice hole had to be chiseled out every so often in order to pull the pole forward.

The poles used are usually six or seven meters long, so a hole needs to be made every six or seven meters.

The horseshoe-shaped netting route, from the inlet to the outlet, requires the excavation of seven or eight ice holes.

After passing through all the ice gaps, the wooden pole is pulled out from the net outlet and then inserted directly into the outlet.

Once the net sinks to the bottom, a pocket net is completely set up under the ice.

Working in groups of five or six, the slaves started from the dam and continued to lower nets under the ice upstream along the river bend.

This was a very long process; the slaves were already busy before the sun had even risen in the early morning.

Rhodes did not witness the slaves digging the ice hole; he only came to the riverbank when they were setting the net.

"Thank you for coming. I apologize for taking up your time."

Otto bowed respectfully.

Lawrence was merely relaying the message; Otto was the one in charge of this agricultural activity.

Rod's prestige in town is now self-evident. Being able to participate in the work makes the workers both excited and nervous, and Otto feels honored.

"It's alright, I just want to see what winter fishing is like."

Rhodes said calmly.

He has always been curious about winter fishing, and today he was able to fulfill a wish.

"With your intelligence, these things are very simple for you."

Otto praised with a smile.

It has a flattering tone, but it's mostly from the heart.

Rhodes smiled but didn't say anything, watching the slaves busy themselves.

Generally, nets need to be left underwater for a period of time, and if the fish population is sparse, they may even need to be left overnight.

However, the bay is so big that there are plenty of fish, and the first catch was made on the same day.

Dozens of slaves took hammers and ran to the ice around the fishing nets to start hammering, driving the fish into the nets.

This process was rather lengthy, but Otto had made preparations in advance, providing a hole for ice fishing for Rhodes.

Of course, there are more than just fishing spots.

Fishing gear, including fishing rods and bait, was all prepared, and even a tent made of animal hides was provided for Rhodes.

Rhodes only needed to have someone sit down, and the slave would bait the hook; Rhodes only needed to cast the line.

Even so, the experience of this process was not very good.

— Rhodes had been sitting by the ice cave for more than half an hour, and there was nothing there.

I've tried different baits several times—various grains of wheat, dough, chopped offal, etc.—but nothing works.

The feather floated quietly on the water's surface, as if frozen to death, not even daring to tremble.

"...Is this the fishing spot you carefully selected for me?"

Rod turned and looked at Otto, who was standing to one side.

Otto looked embarrassed and quickly said with a forced smile, "Sir, please try again a little longer, there are definitely fish here!"

"I believe you for now."

Rod patiently changed the bait.

He came by himself this time.

Rod felt that fishing was no fun if you relied entirely on others for your services.

More importantly, they took away all the good fortune.

With new bait, Rod cast his line again.

This time, the reed stalks with feathers tied to them finally reacted.

Rod saw that the fishing line was taut and the other end was unusually heavy, so he quickly lifted the rod!

"It's definitely a big fish!"

Otto shouted excitedly from the side, but his expression froze the moment the catch was taken out of the water.

It's a large river clam.

Rod shook his head helplessly.

If Millie were here, she definitely wouldn't have caught such junk.

Today is not a good day for fishing.

Rod then tossed the fishing rod to Otto.

"My lord, you..."

Otto was stunned for a moment, but then he saw Rod wave his hand.

"You may all leave now; I'm going to rest for a while."

After catching a river clam in half a day, Rod lost interest.

Of course, Rhodes also had other things to deal with.

Of the four extraordinary gems obtained from the Abyss Wizard Tower, three were spirit gems and only one was a stamina gem.

Including the gems taken from the pool, Rhodes obtained a total of seven stamina gems from the Abyss Wizard Tower, all of which he has absorbed.

All things considered, Rhodes's natural lifespan has now increased by one hundred years.

Rhodes felt like he was getting old and dying.

But in reality, Rhodes' lifespan is nothing compared to that of a superhuman.

The basic information Linda provided stated that the natural lifespan of a mid-level wizard apprentice could reach two hundred years.

Legend has it that a qualified wizard can live to be at least five hundred years old, and with the help of various potions and extraordinary items, they can live to be over a thousand years old.

Rhodes is still a long way off.

He hasn't even crossed the threshold of becoming a mid-level wizard apprentice yet.

Rhodes' progress on the Transcendental Lord stat has reached 12%, while he has only just begun absorbing the other three Spirit Gems.

The main problem was the stinging sensation, which was really unpleasant, so Rod left it for last, gradually increasing the intensity.

Taking advantage of the time he had, Rhodes took out a pill and slowly absorbed it.

……

……

"Lord Auto is ready and can turn on the internet at any time."

Love ran over to report.

Because of Us, Love also changed jobs and became Otto's assistant, also doing some supervisory work.

"hold on."

"Oto said in a low voice."

He glanced at the tent. "The lord is still resting."

The first haul of the winter fishing must begin in the presence of the lord.

This used to belong to the mayor, but now it naturally belongs to Lord Rhodes.

"Ok."

Lov sighed, "Then I'll have everyone continue herding the fish."

As soon as Love finished speaking, Rod came out of the tent.

"No need to wait, let's begin."

"Yes, my lord."

Otto immediately responded respectfully and greeted him warmly.

"Please come this way."

Otto led the way, taking Rod to the ice exit.

Upon seeing Rhodes approach, the slaves beside him immediately bowed in respect.

"Get ready to pull the net."

At Otto's command, the slaves quickly picked up hammers and smashed the ice at the net outlet.

The deep winter is bitterly cold, and the ice forms faster than expected.

"Wait a moment."

Rod suddenly spoke, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, and asked,
How many kilograms of fish will this net yield?

"That's hard to say, my lord."

Otto scratched the back of his head and replied somewhat awkwardly, "It usually depends on luck; sometimes there might be none at all."
At our peak, we weighed over 300 jin (150 kg).

It mainly depends on the number of fish in there.

"Three hundred catties in one net? That's quite a lot."

Rhodes nodded, pondered for a moment, and then a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He raised his voice so that everyone around him could hear him clearly.

"Alright, if this net catches more than 200 catties of fish today, I'll treat everyone to drinks, and I'll also reward the person who chose the location with 30 catties of grain."

As soon as Rod finished speaking, a cheer erupted.

"Thank you, my lord!"

Everyone couldn't help but grin and shout, their voices creating a chaotic mess.

Frosty Leaf Town can provide enough food and clothing, but wine is still relatively scarce.

Slaves, in particular, were only allowed to drink a couple of cups of wine during festivals.

Looking at everyone's reactions, Rod sat at the bottom with satisfaction.

Rewards are essential to creating a lively atmosphere for an event.

Of course, it's missing a bit of fun.

"But where there are rewards, there must be punishments."

Rod changed the subject, "If there's not a single fish in this net, I'm going to spank him." "No problem!"

"Please feel free to call!"

"Lord Auto is going to be in trouble..."

……

Everyone started to cheer and all eyes were on Otto.

Rod snapped out of his daze and looked at Otto. "You chose this place?"

"Yes, yes, sir," Otto replied somewhat awkwardly.

"That's it, you're done for now, you'll get a beating."

Rhodes teased.

Otto chose an ice hole with no fish, and given his luck, this catch probably won't be very good.

"That can't be."

Otto waved his hands repeatedly, "I saw fish under the ice, at least some silver mandarin fish."

"Good luck to you then."

Rod said calmly, "Open an internet cafe."

"Turn on the internet!"

Otto shouted, and Lof personally picked up the fishing net and slowly pulled it up.

This process cannot be rushed, otherwise a big fish might get away.

One meter, two meters, three meters...

The icy lake water flowed through the mesh of the net, wetting Love's gloves, but there was no sign of a single fish.

"Otto, your butt's probably going to get a bruise!"

Rod gave a nonchalant comment, which elicited another burst of laughter.

Otto's cheeks were slightly flushed, and beads of sweat slid down his forehead.

He wasn't afraid of the pain, but being spanked in public was still a humiliating thing.

Especially given his current status, it's particularly embarrassing.

As soon as Rod finished speaking, a white shadow appeared on the internet.

"Yes! Yes!"

"It's a snakehead fish!"

Love, who was pulling the net, immediately held his breath and slowly pulled the net up.

"I'll catch it!"

Otto leaned down and grabbed the fish just as it was about to come out of the water!
However, the fish was bigger than expected, and when Otto's hand slipped, the fish darted away!
"Don't run!"

Otto exclaimed in surprise and leaned forward to hug the mandarin fish!
He managed to grab the fish, but he lost his balance and plunged straight into the ice hole!

To die!

Otto was greatly alarmed!

In this kind of weather, if you fall into an ice hole, you'll die as soon as you sink!
Regardless of whether he can swim or not, Bing Leng will teach him a lesson!

Just as Otto felt despair and his face touched the icy water, he suddenly felt a tremendous force behind him, pulling him up!

When Otto looked up, he saw that it was Lord Rod who had pulled him.

"It's so cold outside, I want to take a shower when I get home."

Rod said calmly.

Love quickly covered his mouth, afraid that he would burst out laughing.

Otto smiled somewhat awkwardly and quickly bowed in greeting.
"Thank you for saving me."

Ou Tuo was still holding the mandarin fish in his arms.

Rod shook his hand and looked at Otto.

You should eat less.

He is less than 1.7 meters tall but weighs over 200 pounds.

If Rhodes hadn't been strong enough, he wouldn't have been able to pull him up at all.

"Okay, okay, I'll diet tonight!"

Otto quickly echoed.

"Alright, put the fish down now." Rhodes waved his hand.

Otto realized what was happening, put down the fish, and exclaimed with delight, "This fish is huge, sir, it's at least a meter long!"

"Yes, it can be considered a lucky omen."

Rod looked at the giant mandarin fish and smiled, "At least you won't get beaten up."

Otto quickly echoed with a smile, "You're so kind, your demands are quite low."

"Continue pulling the net."

At Rod's command, Love continued his work.

Perhaps it was the good luck brought by the mandarin fish, but then a dozen or so mandarin fish, whitefish, and crucian carp were caught one after another.

However, it's still a long way from 200 jin.

"About twenty meters left, keep it up, Love!"

Rod patted him on the shoulder encouragingly.

"Yes, my lord. Now that you've spoken, there must be more big guys coming."

"Love said easily."

Thanks to Us, he had no shortage of wine.

As he spoke, Love saw the shadow in front of the net and slowed down his movements.

"A mandarin fish, a big mandarin fish!"

Upon seeing this, Otto quickly stepped forward again, removed the mandarin fish, and offered it to Rod with both hands.

"My lord, it's a rare mandarin fish!"

Otto shouted happily.

Mandarin fish has a delicious flavor, especially those produced in cold water during winter, which have no muddy taste and are particularly suitable for slicing and eating raw.

They are extremely rare even in river bends and command high prices.

"The first catch of the year has yielded such plump mandarin fish! Frosty Leaf Town is sure to have another bumper harvest and prosperity next year!"

Otto became more and more excited as he spoke.
"Under your leadership, Frostleaf Town will surely become better and better, as radiant as summer flowers and as dazzling as autumn wheat fields!"

Rod looked at Otto with some surprise, not expecting that this guy who couldn't even read could suddenly spout such a bunch of words.

It seems they memorized it beforehand.

However, he couldn't have predicted that he would catch such a fresh mandarin fish.

Mandarin fish do indeed represent good luck during winter fishing.

"Please enjoy this first catch of mandarin fish!"

"it is good."

Rhodes nodded. "Then I'll try it."

"Somebody come!"

At Otto's command, the slaves behind him had already brought out the prepared hot pot.

Ou Tuo personally cut the fish into slices and placed them on a plate, his movements skillful, clearly indicating he had practiced many times.

Vivian stepped forward and picked up a piece of fish to cook in the pot.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Vivian sprinkled on the sauce and fed the first piece of fish to Rhodes.

"The taste is indeed fresh and tender."

Rod praised with satisfaction.

Actually, the first bite of this mandarin fish is sliced ​​and eaten raw, which makes it even more delicious.

During this winter, cold-water fish don't have many parasites and are very clean.

Previously, the town mayor would slice the food and eat it raw.

But now Rhodes is in charge here.

Just to be on the safe side, Rod did indeed prefer this way of cooking hot pot.

After all, it's Rhodes' territory, and Rhodes is in charge; he can eat however he wants.

Therefore, Otto prepared hot pot in advance.

"Everyone should taste this delicious food. So I've decided to save the first catch of fish for everyone to enjoy today!"

Rod announced loudly, "And regardless of whether this net contains two hundred pounds or not, I'm treating everyone to drinks at the tavern tonight!"

"Thank you, my lord!"

"Long live the lord!"

The shouts echoed across the entire lake, and the high spirits made even the deep winter feel less cold.

Rod took Vivian's chopsticks, picked up a piece of food, dipped it in the pot, and stuffed it directly into Vivian's mouth.
"It's a pity your sister can't taste it, so you can try it for her."

……

……

"Ah!"

Inside the Abyss Wizard Tower, Avril sneezed twice while sitting next to the bookshelf.

"What's wrong with my sister? Is she sick?"

Millie asked with concern.

"No."

Avril shook her head slightly. "It might be some dust."

The temperature inside the Wizard's Tower is pleasant, far less cold than outside, making it unlikely to get sick.

She quickly regained her composure and continued to focus on searching for the books she needed.

"Sister, what are you looking for?" Millie asked curiously.

"Rhodes asked me to look for any forging methods for sea-grind iron ore here."

Avril answered without looking up, her fingers sliding quickly across the bookshelf.

As soon as she finished speaking, Millie pulled a heavy book from the lower bookshelf and held it up to Avril with both hands.
"this one?"

"Ok?"

Avril snapped out of her reverie, picked up the book, and carefully examined the crooked, illegible writing:
Detailed Explanation of Deep-Sea Minerals

Avril's eyes lit up.

"that's it!"

Avril snapped out of her daze and frowned slightly.

She said softly to Millie, "Millie, don't use your power carelessly in the future; it can harm you."

"It's okay, wolves are cute."

Millie reached out and squeezed it. "It's so soft, I like squeezing it..."

Avril paused for a moment, then asked, "Aren't you scared anymore?"

"Uh-huh."

Millie nodded, a smile spreading across her face.

"Wolves are good friends."

(End of this chapter)