Chapter 1349: Return

Ye Yaodong turned his head to look at the stern, and indeed there were several large fish with their fins exposed chasing behind the fishing boat; he didn't know if they were attracted by the smell of blood.

Normally when a fishing boat is moving, large fish would chase behind to eat the smaller ones.

"They were already there, maybe the smell of blood drew a few more. It's fine—it's pouring rain, the boat is moving, the smell isn't strong, it'll wash away soon."

"Ah, damn… they're all sharks…"

Ye Yaodong had barely finished speaking when he realized he'd spoken too soon—the stern was full of sharks…

They really might have been drawn over by the smell of blood.

At that moment he saw a black shadow streaking past, the large flag fluttering in the wind standing out even in the dark night, and he immediately started cursing…

"…damn it… fuck…"

"You all stay hidden, don't come out for now. I'll quickly change direction and leave this area. There really are sailfish on the surface of this damn sea—my jinxed mouth called it right…"

It really was a schooling fish—seeing one probably meant there was a whole school in the sea.

Ye Yaodong glanced at the two fish still twitching and felt relieved; being careful and keeping his distance should be fine.

He took the gun into the wheelhouse, set it down on the control console, then slowly turned the bow around.

He'd let the boat move on its own earlier and had drifted a bit farther from the other two boats. Now he didn't bother with the colored dots on the display screen, heading over to rejoin the other two boats first.

He didn't speed up either, still moving at the working pace of 2–4 knots. It wasn't a crisis moment yet, and the catch in the net below still needed looking after.

Ye Yaodong was soaked through but didn't have time to change. He switched to the private channel to connect with the other two and told them about the sailfish, suggesting they keep a bit farther from this area.

He also gave a vivid description of how a sailfish's bill could pierce a steel boat's hull—his rest cabin had been punctured with a hole.

Luckily it was the rest cabin and not one of the storage holds, otherwise they'd probably have to head back right now.

In all that chaos, surely no one was lying down—they must have all crowded at the door to watch.

Later, once the fish was completely dead, they could go pull it down, then use some cloth strips to plug the hole for now, and take it in for repairs once they got back.

The other two boats heard this and cooperated by leaving the area together, also asking him a few concerned questions.

Ye Yaodong steered while keeping an eye on his surroundings, including the stern; the following fish were still there as usual, and he just hoped to stay away from dangerous ones like sailfish.

With that fish's speed and impact force, if it charged at the fishing boat it could leap aboard and stab someone—he'd seen it in the news. Plus this fish was widely distributed, so sometimes you really couldn't guard against it.

He worked with the other two boats to move away from the area. After sailing for over an hour, they discussed and decided to operate in the surrounding waters tonight and see in the morning whether to switch spots.

The workers had already come out of the rest cabin and onto the deck to look at the two big fish.

For fish this size, three to five meters, it took a while for their life force to fade.

They had waited a long time, only venturing out once they sensed things had quieted down, but they didn't dare get too close. Also, without Ye Yaodong's word, no one touched the two fish—they just squatted there and watched.

Ye Yaodong first changed out of his wet clothes, then put on a raincoat before heading out to the deck. It was still raining outside.

"Dong-ge… they're completely dead now…"

"What do we do now?"

He walked over and kicked the great white shark; blood water seeped back onto the deck that the rain had just washed clean. "They're really big enough. Drain the blood first, and there's still a sailfish too."

The bill was still stuck in the rest cabin. Ye Yaodong walked over to take a look, kicked it a few times, then had someone help him pull the fish off.

"Drain its blood too. It's been dead a little while, but it shouldn't be too late. Also plug the hole it made for now—we'll repair it once we're back in a few days."

Everyone chattered away, discussing it in the rain.

"These two fish are way too big…"

"Even hugging it, it's hard to pull—it's so slippery…"

"Earlier when Ah-dong was explaining, I didn't even dare stick my head out to look. What a shame—two fish this big dying together."

"I've never in my life seen fish this big…"

"These past few days have really broadened my horizons."

"Dong-ge, tell us later how they died."

Ye Yaodong said, "How else did they die? Stupidly, of course. They charged right onto the boat—who else were the bullets going to hit?"

"It's already night, and it's raining. Be quick about it. We'll have to haul in the net soon too—there's still plenty of work."

He watched the workers drain the blood on the spot, pacing back and forth to check, and reminded them again.

"Okay… are we safe now? There shouldn't be any more big fish jumping up, right?"

"Hard to say. Stay alert."

"Good thing there's a gun on board…"

"How much money can a fish this big sell for?"

"Probably quite a lot—it's rare. Not just any boat can catch fish this big…"

Seeing that both fish had been laid side by side to drain blood, Ye Yaodong headed up to the wheelhouse.

The rain showed no sign of stopping—he wondered if it would rain all night.

He'd already sneezed several times; he needed to drink more hot water.

Once both fish had been fully drained and dragged into the freezer hold, and the deck was washed clean by the rain, Ye Yaodong checked the time and told everyone to get ready to haul in the net.

If they hadn't run into these two fish today, today would have been a rare easy day for everyone—they'd spent the afternoon weighing catches, with breaks in between.

Unlike the past few days, when they were busy from dawn to dusk, and no one could rest until the catch was sorted.

They could only squeeze in some rest during the night and morning shift rotations, but how could anyone really rest well on a boat?

Ye Yaodong wasn't resting well either—he already had heavy dark circles and bags under his eyes. At night he didn't feel reassured, so he planned to stay up for the first half of the night himself.

But compared to the workers, he had it much better—at least he was inside the wheelhouse, out of the wind, sun, and rain, a bit more comfortable.

With the rain falling, the workers still had to keep hauling in the net and sorting nonstop.

When the net was halfway in, he went down again to check and grabbed some food while he was at it.

While watching them sort, he spotted a miniature sailfish on top of the fish hold cover. Curious, he picked it up and placed it in his palm, bringing it up with him.

Sailfish typically grow to 3–5 meters in length and weigh up to 100 kilograms, or even more. But who would have thought that the fierce sailfish, when newly born, is only the size of a grain of rice.

But it only takes a year to grow rapidly from an initial "mini fish" of a few centimeters to a large fish three to five meters long, its volume increasing nearly one hundred times at a breathtaking pace, transforming into a "top-tier ocean hunter."

Ye Yaodong placed the miniature version of the sailfish on the operating table, looking at it with curiosity, even measuring it with his hands; it was less than 5 centimeters.

Yet its snout was still long, accounting for one-third of its body.

He thought about putting it in an iron box with some ice cubes to keep it fresh, then taking it back to show the children at home something new.

Not until dawn did any trouble arise; only then did he feel relieved enough to hand the boat over to his cousin and return to the rest room to sleep.

He didn't know when the rain had stopped. By the time he woke up after sleeping his fill, the rain was gone, but the sky was still gray and hazy, making it impossible to tell whether it was morning or evening. The wind was still just as strong; without checking the time, one would never guess it was two or three in the afternoon.

He had someone bring out yesterday's great white shark and sailfish, place them side by side, and take a photo; this was his achievement.

Not only in this era, but even in the future, this would be worth boasting about.

After returning, he would develop the photos taken in the camera during this period and show them to the children at home.

Let them also know how amazing their Laozi is, how hard it is to earn money, and what risks they face at sea to enjoy the good life they have now.

His cousin also reported to him: how many nets they had cast while he was resting, how many jin of cargo they had, and which fish were most abundant.

"Adong's camera is being used to photograph fish... I haven't seen you take pictures of people..."

"Haha, because people aren't worth as much money as these fish."

Ye Yaodong said with a smile: "I'm not just taking photos; I'm recording life, you know? These are all my achievements. When I'm old and flip through the photo album, they will remind me of how awesome I was when I was young."

"You're thinking that far ahead already, even about when you're old."

"How far is that? I'm already thirty. If I'm not that lucky, I'll work until I retire at sixty, leaving only thirty years. Days pass quickly."

He had blinked and returned to 1982, forty years younger; considering matters forty years from now was perfectly normal.

In his past life, he was still working in his sixties; in this life, he didn't want to be working in his sixties.

Now he just wanted to wait until he reached the right age, then peacefully retire with Ah Qing, flip through memories, and prove that he had truly returned, that everything he experienced was real, and that evidence existed.

Rather than saying these photos were his achievements, it would be more accurate to say they were traces of his existence.

"Retiring at sixty means your life isn't good? Then what do we call our lives? A life of hard labor."

"Retiring at sixty doesn't mean your life is bad. People with good lives retire in their forties or fifties and stay home playing with their grandchildren. Truly unlucky people don't even have grandchildren by sixty; they might still be working to earn a dowry for their sons, worrying that their sons can't find wives."

"Hahaha, what are you saying? How could they not find wives?"

"Hard to say."

Ye Yaodong chatted casually with everyone, but no one believed what he said; they just treated it as a joke.

In an era without even mobile phones, life at sea was even more dull; with no village ahead and no shop behind, a lone boat drifted on the ocean. Besides working, everyone could only rely on chatting to pass the time.

Even Ye Yaodong, who wasn't particularly attached to mobile phones, found it hard to endure; he had to check the calendar several times a day to calculate the date.

After barely surviving another week, the two fishing boats agreed to contact a fresh-fish collection vessel, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

His cold storage and freezer were nearly full; he was just waiting for them to contact the fresh-fish collection vessel to sell off the stock, free up space, fish for a few more days to refill, and then return home.

The cold storage space was not as large as the freezer. When cargo wouldn't fit, he simply put it directly into the freezer; when selling, he would take it out of the freezer in advance.

When the fresh-fish collection vessel arrived for the second time, everyone clearly felt even more anticipation; it was already the second day of the second lunar month, the Dragon Raises Its Head.

They were also secretly calculating in their hearts that they should be able to return in a few days.

Ye Yaodong didn't let them wait too long. Just as dusk fell on the fourth day, a thunderclap roared, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the entire heavens before darkness returned. Immediately, thunder rumbled loudly, and the sea waves churned and raged, as if someone were undergoing a tribulation.

The workers, who had been eating, were all startled by the thunder striking from flat ground; they all looked up at the purple lightning on the horizon.

The thunder at sea felt closer to them; that rumbling sound seemed to strike everyone's hearts. Listening to the thunder, their hearts trembled along with it.

Ye Yaodong, who was eating his meal, also looked at the lightning on the horizon, then turned his head to check the calendar; there were three days left until the Jingzhe solar term.

When spring thunder sounds, all things grow.

If thunder strikes before Jingzhe, for forty-nine days the sky will not be seen.

If spring thunder sounds before Jingzhe, for forty-nine days the sun will not be seen.

If thunder strikes before Jingzhe has passed, for forty-nine days the clouds will not part.

This is an ironclad rule, indicating that once thunder strikes before Jingzhe, rain will fall continuously.

According to this saying, if the phenomenon of thunder occurs before the Jingzhe solar term, then for the next month or more, there may not be a single good sunny day; instead, dark clouds will cover the sky all day long, and spring rain will fall continuously.

"We're done for~"

He put down his bowl and chopsticks, picked up the calendar with a troubled expression, flipped through it, and cursed.

"Damn it! Thunder striking at this time means no good weather until Qingming! F***, how am I supposed to dry my squid strips?"

He had specifically saved up one hundred thousand jin; the recently caught fish had been stored in the cold storage, then sold all together two days ago, because he was worried there was too much cargo to handle.

With this single clap of thunder, it wasn't just a matter of being unable to handle it; it was simply impossible to handle, rendering all that storage useless.

Damn it... human calculations cannot match heaven's calculations...

He had no mood to eat his meal.

He flipped the wall calendar up and down; outside, lightning flashed again and again, and he cursed even louder.

His new plan for making money seemed to be temporarily ruined.

This wasn't something he had imagined or speculated on blindly; this proverb has existed since ancient times, regarded by farmers as an ironclad rule. Older people are very skilled at observing solar terms, and he had realized it immediately.

It rained without thunder for the past few days, which was fine, but suddenly striking such heavy thunder today meant they were in deep trouble.

Just as he was troubled, the pattering rain sound crashed down heavily, directly smearing the windshield.

"Damn it... what do we do..."

He sighed heavily, tossed the calendar aside, and decided to get through this stormy night first.

It wasn't yet time to haul in the nets. While working, he pondered whether he should simply return directly tonight.

With this level of wind and waves, his boat could still withstand it, but he had already planned to return in the next few days anyway. Since such heavy rain had already fallen, should he just take advantage of the situation and return directly?

He changed the direction of the fishing boat, planning to work slowly on the way back, check the weather again after hauling in this net, and also go find Zhao Zhao Chengzhou to talk.

The two old men were also talking about this thunderclap, both saying that the weather would not be good from now until Qingming.

"Uncle Zhao, Uncle Ding, there's thunder and heavy rain."

"Yes, suddenly there's thunder and such heavy rain. Weren't you planning to head back in the next few days anyway? Do you want to leave early now?"

"Seeing this sudden weather, I was also thinking of heading back early."

"Since you were planning to return in the next couple of days anyway, you might as well go now. We don't know how long this thunderstorm will last, but judging by what's coming, good weather will be hard to find until Qingming..."

These were experienced old hands; one look at the evening thunder allowed them to predict the weather for the coming period, far more reliably than a forecast.

"That's what I thought too. Knowing the weather won't be good for the coming days, I plan to head back now, work slowly, haul in this net, and then return immediately."

"Hmm, you're right. Knowing the weather is bad, it's better to head back early."

"I'm letting you know in advance so you don't worry when you can't see my boat later."

"Alright. When you come out next time, search the sea chart area where we started. We'll basically be in this surrounding area. Contact us once you're out and confirm the coordinates."

"Understood. Thank you."

Boom—boom—boom! Thunderclaps kept falling, and the workers began to worry.

After agreeing with the two old men, Ye Yaodong took the megaphone and went out to notify everyone, reassuring them as well.

The workers were on such a large ship for the first time. Being in the middle of the sea, they felt closer to the sky; the thunder roared right overhead, far more terrifying than at home.

Waves from the bow were splashing up, and the fishing boat rocked more violently than ever. Everyone was somewhat worried about whether the ship could withstand the wind and waves.

It wasn't that they lacked confidence, but this was their first trip so far out, with waves higher than a person.

Hearing Ye Yaodong's reassurance that they were already heading back and would return as soon as this net was hauled in, they felt somewhat relieved for the time being.

Back in the cabin, Ye Yaodong started pondering his giant red squids again. He had already kept them; he couldn't possibly let all his efforts come to nothing now, could he?

With such a huge quantity, selling them directly upon return wouldn't be a loss, but his plans would be ruined. He had planned everything out perfectly; if implemented, it would be a simple matter.

In the future, this could become a major path to wealth. Besides dried fish and fish sauce, he had expanded into new marine businesses.

Since the weather ahead would be bad, natural sun-drying wouldn't work. He didn't know if he could even get hold of a dryer.

He pondered deeply. Forget large ones; medium-sized ones would do, and domestic models were fine too.

It was already 1987; surely there were dryers available for agriculture and food?

Hadn't industry been developing in recent years, introducing advanced foreign equipment and technology? Surely some things had been manufactured by now?

He mused to himself.

But relying solely on his own musing wouldn't yield results; he really needed to ask his godfather for specifics.

After all, he was the director of the Fisheries Bureau. If there was any knowledge about drying seafood, he should know at least a little.

That was far better than him guessing blindly on his own.

Even if he managed to get one, time was an issue, and voltage was another.

Right, wasn't his eldest son working at the Power Bureau?

Ye Yaodong was just rambling in his head, not knowing if he could get it done in a few days. If nothing materialized in a day or two, he would have to sell the entire ship's cargo to Ah Cai.

Ah Cai would probably drop his jaw seeing a whole ship's cargo, too scared to take such a large order.

Just handling the fresh catch from his own family's receiving boats would probably keep him busy enough.

What a headache...

Now he could only hope the country had advanced significantly and already possessed such industrial equipment.

If such equipment existed, using his godfather's connections to get it shouldn't be particularly difficult.

All night, he mused blindly. He didn't even step out to check on the workers hauling the net; with wind and rain battering outside, he didn't want to go out.

Down below, the workers were occasionally thrown off balance by the rocking boat while hauling the net, increasing the difficulty of their work.

Waves from the bow splashed in from time to time. They didn't know if their bodies were wet from seawater or rain; even wearing straw raincoats, they were soaked from head to toe.

After being out for over half a month, tonight was the first time they truly experienced the ruthlessness of the sea waves.

The swordfish and shark battle a few days prior hadn't given them such a direct experience; after all, they hadn't witnessed it with their own eyes, only seeing the aftermath.

Ye Yaodong pushed the ship to full speed and returned only after 10 o'clock. Once all the fishing nets were hauled up, he notified everyone and set the course for the return journey.

The workers were all on deck helping to sort the catch; there were no more shifts.

Since they were returning, they had to finish sorting all the cargo before resting.

Nearing home, they all perked up.

The outbound journey took over ten hours, but only the first three or four hours were at full speed. After casting the nets, they moved slowly, working as they went to the designated sea chart area.

His ship was naturally faster than the other two; on the way out, he had slowed down to match their speed.

Now he was rushing back at full speed. It should have been faster, but his ship was fully loaded, returning with a full hold, plus the stormy weather. He estimated it would take at least six or seven hours to reach the port.

Too many factors affected navigation.

The exact time of docking would depend on the weather and waves along the way.

Lightning flashed and thunder rolled all the way, showing that the thunderstorm wasn't confined to just that sea area; the coverage was quite extensive.

Ye Yaodong had already decided on a plan for the squids. For now, he focused on the sea surface; the immediate priority was to dock first.

They would dock at the city pier. Part of the cargo would be sold to Ah Cai, while the remaining squids would be kept until he visited his godfather.

As for other large fish and big catches, once they returned and docked at the town later, he would first ask Hong Hong Wenle if he needed any.

He could also naturally ask about the progress of his loan and the matter of the fish cannery.

After all, he had been out for a month. The loan should have been approved by now. With him away for so long, he didn't know the progress or if they might change their minds.

If there was no need, he would make another trip to the city. Anyway, those squids certainly couldn't be processed in a day or two; he would have to run back and forth regardless.