pjbooks Chapter 8: Waiting
Chapter 8: Waiting
Although Jason already knew the total amount of gold, he couldn't help but feel excited.
As the gold poured out of the bottle like sand, the numbers on the scale jumped rapidly.
When the value in a gold pan reached 200, Ada stopped what she was doing, carefully placed it aside, put another gold pan on top, and started again after resetting it to zero.
After emptying the pan and bottle of gold, the total weight came to 137.9 ounces.
The total is 337.9 ounces!
The result was higher than the detection result, which clearly indicates that there are still quite a few impurities inside.
Although I don't know how the gold value of my detection ability is calculated, even if the gold value obtained from the detection ability is enough for me to upgrade.
Jason found a glass bottle, placed it on the scale and zeroed it out, then carefully scooped it out with a spoon from the gold pan next to him.
"Brent, this is three and a half ounces of gold." After the reading stopped, Jason screwed the cap back on and tossed the bottle to Brent, who had been staring intently at it.
"Jason, it's on me, let's go!" Brent looked at it again and again, carefully put it in his inner pocket, and then said excitedly.
"No, no, no, Brent, the first thing you need to do is keep the gold safe. I won't be responsible if it gets lost."
"As a friend, I still want to remind you that it's best to keep a low profile and not tell others about your situation."
"Also, I need to rest for a bit now; I have to keep panning for gold tomorrow!"
Holding the already packed gold, Jason walked out of the warehouse without looking back.
Albert and Lillian exchanged a glance, both looking surprised.
They were genuinely surprised that Jason, who was only eighteen, could say such things, given that it's an age for showing off.
"Jason has really grown up," Lillian couldn't help but exclaim.
"Yeah, if I had this achievement when I was eighteen, I would have told everyone in town by now," Albert said, biting his cigar and putting his arm around Lillian.
"Back in the day, I..." Albert recalled his past.
Jason didn't think too much about it. He had said what he needed to say, and whether Brent listened or not was up to him.
It's best not to talk about it; make money discreetly.
It's okay to tell him; Jason isn't afraid of these things.
Just kidding. In a family that has been panning for gold for generations, especially in the Bering Sea, you would have been wiped out long ago if you didn't have any skills.
Of course, one should still be wary of others.
"Mom, you should keep this gold for me," Jason said, placing the bottle filled with gold on the table.
"Okay, Mom will put it away for you first."
Without hesitation, Lillian picked him up and locked him inside the refrigerator.
Outside, the wind howled, and inside the house, the wood in the fireplace crackled and popped intermittently.
"Judging from the situation, we probably won't be able to go out to sea tomorrow."
Albert looked worried, his mind filled with many thoughts.
He was somewhat skeptical of Brent's description, but with the gold right in front of him, even the most absurd claim became fact.
For Brent, a seasoned veteran of the Bering Sea, to be outdone by his own son, especially a complete novice, was unbearable.
"Jason, it looks like you're going to make a lot of money this gold rush season," Ada remarked.
I thought he was a bronze-level player, but he turned out to be a king. Of course, even if Jason quits now, his legend will still spread throughout the Bering Sea.
"It's still early, the gold rush season is far from over," Jason said excitedly, but he remained calm.
In less than a day, Jason finally understood why the gold rush industry was so appealing.
The gleaming gold was indeed dazzling.
"Jason, why don't you settle this year's bill for me first?" Albert joked, thinking that Jason was just putting on an act.
"No, we'll settle the accounts after the gold rush season officially ends this year," Jason shook his head, still hoping for an upgrade to his gold mining abilities.
Still worried, Jason couldn't help but tell his mother, Lillian, "Mom, you must prepare the bills properly so we can settle the accounts all at once later."
"Don't worry," Lillian replied crisply.
"You brat, you don't trust me?" Albert wasn't angry. It's better to be clear about the accounts for everyone, to avoid disputes later.
A yawn came over him, and sleepiness washed over him. After telling his family, Jason went straight upstairs, intending to get some rest.
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The next morning, Jason, who had woken up naturally, got out of bed.
The sudden high-intensity work, especially in the frigid Bering Sea, left Jason, despite his strong physique, feeling some soreness all over.
Good morning, Jason.
Good morning, Mom.
The table was full of people; clearly, the gold panning work at home had to be put on hold due to the storm.
Sitting across from Jason, Ellie crunched her fork on her plate, pouting as she stared at him. "Jason, you must have struck gold yesterday! Can you buy me some snacks?"
Eat well!
Lillian's words made Ellie's already pouting lips curve upwards even more.
Under Ellie's expectant gaze, Jason shrugged, indicating his helplessness, which earned him a crisp 'humph' in return.
Lillian warned Jason and the others, "Ignore her, she has cavities and she's still eating snacks."
Ellie, who didn't want to sleep in today, got up early, especially after hearing that Jason had found the gold yesterday. She decided not to disturb Jason's wake-up today.
He was hoping Jason, who had found gold, would buy him some snacks, but he still failed.
After a hearty breakfast, seeing that the wind outside showed no signs of abating, Jason decided to go out and check on the ships in the harbor, and then take a good rest to relax.
As for Ada and Albert, they went out after breakfast, and they're probably at a bar.
Nestled on the sofa, Jason ate snacks and watched TV under Ellie's expectant gaze.
Although the picture quality is poor and the plot is terrible, it's still good enough to pass the time.
"Jason, can I have some?" Ellie couldn't help but ask, seeing that the snacks were almost gone.
Reality is cruel; Ellie's expectations were ultimately suppressed by her mother Lillian's authority.
"Hey, Brent. Yeah, we're taking a break today. It's too windy to go out to sea."
"Okay, see you at the port later."
Clearly, Brent is only just starting to rise.
Stepping outside, despite being dressed warmly, I still shivered from the cold wind.
There were quite a few people in the town, and the shops selling all kinds of mechanical parts were wide open, with some people haggling over prices.
Especially in the town's only bar, you can see a large crowd inside through the windows.
There were even more people on the dock, some repairing equipment, others reinforcing anchors and mooring lines.
Waves crashed against the shore, and with the help of the sea breeze, the turbulent waters prevented everyone from going out to sea.
"Jason" Brent arrived at the ship's side earlier and greeted Jason.
"Brent, you didn't get enough rest yesterday," Jason couldn't help but laugh when he saw Brent's dark circles under his eyes.
"Don't worry, there won't be any problems going out to sea!"
Brent was still somewhat excited, but his emotions had calmed down considerably compared to yesterday.
"Jason, how much did you catch yesterday?"
Corinna, who had arrived at some unknown time, asked Jason a question, while Eric, standing to the side, also turned his gaze to Jason.
"Not much, not much," Jason smiled but didn't answer.
Although he knew this was perfectly normal in the Bering Sea, and that many people even used it as a bet, Jason still preferred to keep a low profile and make his fortune quietly.
Eric, standing to the side, had his own guesses. Although he didn't know how much Jason and his team had gained, Brent's excited appearance last night was enough to explain everything.
Corinna didn't dwell on the answer. In the Bering Sea, keeping secrets was difficult, and news would eventually leak out.
They inspected the equipment, reinforced the waterproof sheet, and tied the cables tightly.
In gold panning at sea, if any piece of equipment breaks down, it means returning to port, wasting precious time on repairs.
Therefore, routine equipment maintenance is also very important.
"Hey Jason, how was yesterday?!" Little Hart on the gold-digging boat greeted Jason.
Jason shouted back, "Not bad!"
Little Hart smiled and gave Jason a thumbs up, to which Jason responded in kind.
This storm came suddenly, and for those who have long been navigating the Bering Sea, it is nothing new.
Although I'm a little annoyed, all I can do now is wait.