The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Sorbetto told Leo that there was no need to reply now.

A lot can change in three months; no one can predict the future.

But whatever decision Leo makes, Solberto will return to Malzamemi in three months, so the promise to Leo will remain.

After hanging up the phone, Leo politely thanked Marco and was about to leave when the other man took the initiative to start a new conversation with him.

However, this seems more like Marco's own "complaint," regardless of who the other person is.

"That idiot Solbert could make money fishing, but he insists on clinging to that damned trade. He'd rather go to the city to repair furniture than give up his 'wooden' tools. Meanwhile, the real idiots who used to repair furniture in the city have come back to fishing—" He wrung out the towel forcefully. "There are more and more 'stinky fish and shrimp' in Marzamemi."

Marco's complaint was clearly directed at Salvatore, who had nearly injured his son, but one of the gentlemen present seemed quite uncomfortable listening to it.

"Is that fisherman... also from another village?" Leo asked cautiously, clinging to a sliver of hope.

If the answer is yes... then does he also have the opportunity to go to sea?

Marco poured himself a cup of coffee and said slowly:

"Salvatore is a local. His family moved to Palermo more than ten years ago. Last year, they couldn't make a living in Palermo, so they brought a few other out-of-towners who were also struggling to make a living back to Marzamemi to fish, and they've completely messed up the rules."

"What rules?" Leo pressed.

Marco took a sip of coffee and wiped his beard.

"The rules set by Sandro."

"Who is Sandro?" Leo sat up straight, adopting a posture as if he wanted to hear a story.

"Who Sandro is isn't important. What's important is—not everyone can make money fishing, because they don't have the skill!" Marco, as if waking from a dream, instantly changed his expression, coldly asking Leo, "Would you like some more coffee, sir?"

Leo wisely left.

He knew he couldn't drink any more coffee; his allowance for the day was already gone. He grumbled inwardly.

You were the one who started the conversation, so why are you turning your back on me?

And he flips over faster than a woman!

Almost simultaneously...

[You have received the mission: Lamb to the Slaughter]

[Mission Objective: Make those who disrespect you lose the chance to speak forever]

[Mission Description: In conflict-ridden Sicily, people seem to have forgotten the meaning of 'respect.' Your goodwill must carry immense weight, making everyone understand that offending you is more foolish than angering the sea!]

[Quest Reward: Reputation +1]

Rio also returned to Marco's performance.

He acted like he was possessed by Old Nino—shaking as he pushed open the door and left.

We're not buddies, it's not that serious, it really isn't!

......

Leo is a very adaptable person.

He quickly drove the old Nino off his body.

Having enjoyed coffee, contacted Uncle Solberto, gained a basic understanding of Marzamemi, and participated in an early morning fish market... now it's time to take care of another task for this trip—purchasing ingredients.

The grocery store and coffee shop are on the same street.

In small towns, grocery stores often function as food shops, bakeries, and hardware stores, selling everything imaginable.

But in Leo's view, his most important responsibility must be selling vegetables, because the baskets displaying the vegetables are placed from indoors to outdoors, colorful and tempting, making people want to take some of each one.

Leo bought some food that didn't require cooking and tomatoes.

Tomatoes are an important crop in Sicily. July is the peak harvest season for tomatoes, and the price is at its lowest point of the year. These bright red delicacies occupy the largest area in grocery stores.

However, the cheapest vegetable is the round eggplant, which sells for only 600 lira per kilogram.

While I was shopping in Rio, two villagers were also shopping at the same time. They didn't necessarily buy tomatoes, but they bought all eggplants, which shows the important role this vegetable plays in the lives of Sicilians.

Surprisingly, the grocery store, which sells a little bit of everything, still doesn't have pork, chicken, beef, or lamb.

Leo didn't want to buy it; his cooking skills were mediocre, and buying it would be a waste. He was just curious... Don't the Marzamemi people eat meat?

He didn't see any meat shops on his way here in the morning.

After finishing my shopping, I carried my things back home. Passing by an ice cream shop, I saw the retired history teacher named Andrei and two old men eating ice cream around a table.

Andrei's mouth was never idle while eating ice cream; he was giving a "lecture" on the origins of vanilla ice cream.

"Retirement is bliss... You can do whatever you want, you have money and free time, you drink coffee in the morning, and now you're eating ice cream." Leo, who still has decades before retirement, ran enviously toward his temporary place of residence.

......

Solberto told Rio that there were many vacant properties in Marzamemi, which were not expensive but not easy to sell. The shipyard had been listed for several months but no one had come to see it. If he didn't mind that it was on the edge of the village, he could settle down there without worry.

He added that the former factory workers still lived inside, and when they left, they only took their underwear with them, leaving behind many personal items, which Leo could use freely.

If there's any request, it's that Leo keep an eye on the shipyard gate to prevent any accidents that could affect the sale of the shipyard.

Leo, of course, didn't mind and even thanked him three times.

Is there even a need to consider this?

First, there's no rent; second, the so-called "village edge" is actually only three or four hundred meters away from the coffee shop and grocery store.

In the past, this distance might not have even reached the taxi stand outside the residential area.

So who else but me can take on the job of "gatekeeper"?

We arrived late the night before, so we didn't get a good look at the environment of Marzamemi, nor did we get a good look at the scale and environment of the shipyard.

Today, I took a walk around the area and found the work environment to be fantastic!

The shipyard is located at the southernmost tip of Marzamemi, built along the coast.

The side facing the sea is completely open-air, with two ski slopes, a slipway, and several dilapidated wooden boats, as well as a kitchen and dining area.

The kitchen has simple cooking utensils and tableware; you can start cooking as soon as you buy some seasonings.

Although the tables and chairs in the dining area are old, they are good for enjoying the view while you eat.

Sicily has a mild Mediterranean climate, with nighttime temperatures mostly above 10 degrees Celsius even in the coldest winter. It doesn't rain much throughout the year, so there's no problem eating outdoors all year round.

Having discussed the outdoor area, let's move on to the indoor area.

The most central part is, of course, the hull workshop, which has a ceiling height of 6 or 7 meters. It occupies almost half of the shipyard's area. On both sides of the hull workshop, there are also several small rooms such as equipment rooms, warehouses, offices, and employee dormitories.

To be honest, this shipyard is not small, and the fishing industry in Sicily is more optimistic than Rio expected. Uncle Solberto, who owns such a large business, must at least be a "township entrepreneur".

Unexpectedly, he's now going to the city to repair furniture.

While packing up, Leo noticed that the scattered parts and ship models were all made of wood, whereas several of the fishing boats moored on the shore that morning were made of the more advanced fiberglass.

Combined with Marco's assessment of Solberto—"unwilling to give up his timbers"—Leo probably figured out why the shipyard went bankrupt.

"Times are progressing, but some people refuse to look forward." Leo carefully tidied up the model ship that had been discarded like trash.

.......

It was already 3 p.m. when Leo finished cleaning up the outdoor area and the shipyard. During that time, he only ate a few bites of bread and drank a few sips of water.

But after finishing all that, he had no intention of stopping to rest.

He couldn't wait to start cleaning the 'bedroom' next area.