The Fisherman and the Tide

A long time ago, in a small fishing village called "Wangchao," there lived two fishermen, one named Aman and the other named Aque.

Aman's family was well-off. His wooden house was stacked with dried fish from previous seasons, and the cellar was filled with enough salted goods to last half a year. Every morning, he would get up leisurely, brew a pot of tea, check the weather, and only go to sea when the day was calm. He went out during the fishing season; when it wasn't the season, he would mend his nets, dry his fishing gear, or accompany his children collecting shells on the beach. He always chose his fishing spots very accurately—he had time to observe the tides, study the fish schools, and chat with the old fishermen for advice.

Aque was different. His family had long run out of food, with only half a bowl of cold rice left on the stove, and his children crying for food inside the house. So, every day before dawn, he would rush out, going to sea no matter how rough the waves were. He had no time to check the tide charts, no time to mend the net that already had several holes, and certainly no time to listen to the elders talk about which waters had the most fish that season. He could only think: I must catch fish today, I must catch fish today, I must catch fish today.

One day, a traveling scholar came to the village and saw Aque braving the storm to go to sea, returning with only a few small fish in the hold and a large tear in his net. The scholar asked him, "Why don't you wait for clear weather before going out? Why don't you mend the net first?"

Aque, with red eyes, said, "I can't afford to wait. My family will run out of food tonight. Mending the net would take a whole day—where would I find that day?"

The next day, Aque went out in the wind and waves and tore his net again. On the third day, he used an even more torn net and caught even fewer fish. On the fourth day, he had to trade the last bit of rice at home for a little new hemp thread, but it was far from enough to mend the entire net. The fifth day…

The scholar stood on the shore, watching Aman return leisurely with a full hold, then watching Aque stumble ashore dragging his torn net, having caught almost nothing. The scholar wrote in his diary:

"In Wangchao Village, I witnessed something strange. The wealthy seem to possess more time, clearer minds, and broader perspectives than others; while the poor seem to be gripped by an invisible hand around their necks, their eyes fixed only on the ground three feet ahead. At first, I thought it was because they were lazy, stupid, or short-sighted. Later, I understood—it's not that they are short-sighted, but that scarcity itself has stolen their ability to look into the distance. A person constantly worried about tonight's meal has no spare capacity to think about how to weave next year's net."