Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad

Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 4

Karlos grunted as he pushed a cart loaded with baskets of fish, weighing around 200 kilograms. It was full-body labor that left his arms and back aching. He wasn't doing it alone. His friend, whom he had met two years ago, was helping him.

Karlos and Andres slowly hauled the cart to the back of a truck. Sweat soaked their bodies from head to toe as they finally stopped to catch their breath.

"Good job, guys."

Joseph patted their backs firmly and nodded in approval before opening the truck to make space for the delivery.

Both Joseph and Andres had red hair, a shared trait that ran in their family. To make things easier to explain, Joseph and Maya were siblings, and Andres was their cousin.

Their family had strong red hair genes, though Andres' shade was lighter than Maya and Joseph's.

"You load the baskets at the door. I'll place them inside," Andres said, stretching his back.

Karlos nodded and began stacking the baskets at the truck's door with practiced efficiency, while Andres carried them into the inner compartment, where iceboxes were already in place.

As for Joseph, he simply stood there with arms crossed, watching them work. He was the truck's owner and had hired the two to load the fish he had purchased. Simple transaction, work done, payment made.

Joseph and Maya's family wasn't rich, but they weren't poor either. They were stable, comfortable, though not extravagant. Their parents had died five years ago when Maya was still just seventeen. After that, the siblings inherited a few properties.

Joseph got the truck and the family house, while Maya received a piece of land, where she and Karlos currently lived, and two commercial spaces in town. One was being rented out while the other was too damaged to use, its roof torn off like paper during a typhoon years ago.

Karlos planned to repair that shop once he had saved enough money, turning it into a steady source of income.

Speaking of savings, Karlos had managed to earn quite a bit since he transmigrated to this world. Thanks to his persistence and willingness to take any honest job, he had made decent progress. But almost all of his earnings had been spent on the twins: diapers, formula, food, clothes, and hospital bills. He hadn't expected to get two kids at once, which had doubled both his joy and his expenses.

For now, he worked as a porter at the fish port to keep their family afloat.

Once the job was done, Joseph inspected the truck, checking the baskets, the ice, and the covers. He gave a satisfied nod after confirming everything was properly secured for transport.

"Here's your pay."

He handed them 100 pesos each, slightly crumpled bills. It wasn't much, 100 pesos was equivalent of about two U.S. dollars, but it was enough to buy some rice or a bit of seafood. They had worked almost three hours in the scorching midday sun for that money.

"Thanks, Joseph."

"Yeah, thanks, cousin. You even gave us an extra 20 pesos."

"No need to thank me," Joseph replied with a dismissive wave, then turned to Karlos.

"You've been in this town for two years now, right?"

"Yeah. My parents dropped me here in the province back in 1998," Karlos answered casually.

The original Karlos had been sent to the neighboring town by his parents, who forced him to stop college. That decision sent him into a spiral of depression, leading him to make reckless choices, and that was when Earth Karlos was transmigrated into his body.

Coincidentally, both Thera Karlos and Earth Karlos had the same name.

Karlos Alejandro, a surname that sounded noble but was actually common in the country. Even their physical appearances were nearly identical, except for eye color.

Thera Karlos had black hair, blue eyes, and white skin, eerily similar to his Earth counterpart.

"You married my sister... So I'm allowed to ask you some things. What are your plans from here on out? You've got kids now. You can't act like you're still single."

Joseph stared at Karlos seriously, his expression a mix of concern and protectiveness. Truth be told, he didn't support Karlos and Maya's relationship in the beginning. From his perspective, aside from being good-looking and somewhat charming, Karlos had little to offer.

In his opinion, Maya should've ended things before the relationship began and focused on her dreams. But she chose to start a family with Karlos without anyone's approval and Joseph had no choice but to respect that decision, even if he had his doubts.

Still, he gave them an old fishing boat he no longer used, ever since he started delivering fish inland, where the money was better and less dangerous.

"For now, I'll go to Mr. Kanor's shop and ask about the motor parts. Once I get them, I'll fix the boat and start earning better. One step at a time," Karlos replied calmly, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Alright. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

Joseph gave a final nod and climbed into the truck. He had to deliver the fish to inland markets where they'd sell at nearly double the price, mostly to wholesalers, restaurants, and wet market vendors.

The job was profitable but tiring. Traffic, unpredictable weather, and long hours on the road made it exhausting. Sometimes, he had to sleep in his truck, especially when it broke down in the middle of nowhere with no help in sight.

He wasn't rich, but he was surviving, stable enough to keep moving.

The truck rumbled away, kicking up dust as it disappeared down the road, leaving Karlos and Andres sweating under the afternoon sun.

"Are you going to look for another hauling job? It's only 2 p.m.," Andres asked, stretching his arms and back.

"I'll head home first. Maya said she made lunch and asked me to come around noon."

"…You're lucky. My wife doesn't even care if I starve to death. Well, I'll go hunt for more work," Andres said with a shrug.

"Yeah. See you."

Karlos wiped his face with his already drenched shirt, which clung tightly to his skin. The fish port in town was alive from sunrise to sundown. Many fishing boats docked here daily to unload their catch, helping the town's economy thrive thanks to its booming seafood trade.

Every other hour, trucks arrived from distant towns to buy fish, negotiating prices with sellers before hauling the catch into baskets or large styrofoam boxes.

But since trucks couldn't access the narrow docks or navigate the constantly wet floors, porters like Karlos were hired to carry the goods to a parking lot several hundred meters away.

It wasn't easy work, but Karlos made the most of it while his boat remained out of commission.

After walking past barking dogs and busy vendors, Karlos finally arrived home and found Maya folding clothes on the bamboo floor.

"Ga! Ga!"

"Gu! Gu! Gu!"

The twins babbled from their crib, crawling around with noisy excitement. When they spotted their father, their voices grew even louder, like a cheerful welcome.

"You're back. Go change your clothes, you're drenched. I'll get lunch ready," Maya said without looking up.

Karlos groaned in relief as he sat down, smiling at the twins who were stretching their tiny arms through the crib bars. The space between the bars was wide enough for the babies to stick their hands out and wave, trying to grab the air.

"You guys are so cute~~"

Karlos said in a playful baby voice while tickling their fingers. The twins giggled with toothless grins and bubbly laughter, lighting up the whole house with joy.