1983 Small Island, Starting From a Large Farmer

Chapter 36 Fishing Boats Go to Sea

 The third day after National Day.

Li Duoyu was carrying a military green cloth bag, which contained two sets of changes of clothes and some odds and ends.

 Toothbrush, tooth cup, toothpaste and towel... There are also a few packs of cigarettes and good wine. In his hand, he is carrying a quilt and pillow tied with hemp rope.

 He went to the pier.

In addition to these, he also wore a pair of double-money brand high-bucket rain boots that Zhou Xiaoying bought for him at a large price. Li Duoyu remembered that these shoes sold for five yuan a pair in the cooperative.

 Zhou Xiaoying had class today and did not come. The only people to see him off were his father and his mother.

Before leaving, Chen Huiying looked worried and kept chattering to Lao Li beside her:

"There are many fishes. He has never gone out to sea to catch fish since he was a child. Can he do such a dangerous job as going out to sea to catch fish?"

 Lao Li, who was smoking a cigarette, snorted:

“Who is born with this skill? He has to learn it. It’s because you doted on him too much. When I was his age, I didn’t even know how many fish I helped the fishing team catch.”

 “Can you still speak well?”

Lao Li said impatiently: "You are just worrying. This guy is good at selling goods. He can get the boat to the horse crew in the middle of the night without turning on the lights. Even some old fishermen may not be able to do it with him." ”

“That one is different. He came back on the same day. This one has to go to the open sea for many days.”

“That’s just because you don’t understand. It’s the same after going out to sea.”

Seeing that it was almost time, Li Duoyu said a brief farewell: "Well, daddy and mommy, I'm getting on the boat. Remember to keep an eye on those kelp farming rafts for me."

 Lao Li urged: "Hurry up, your third uncle is waiting for you."

Chen Huiying looked at Lao Li with disgust. Yesterday, she knew that Duoyu was going to go to sea. She was so worried that she couldn't sleep, so she pretended again.

“Don’t worry about the kelp matter. Your father is like this. He has a sharp tongue and a soft heart. He helps you guard those kelp ropes every day. He doesn’t even want to come back for dinner.”

 “Nonsense, how can I guard it every day?”

 Old Li coughed twice after being exposed.

Li Duoyu grinned. In fact, he had seen it all these days.

Lao Li was even more attentive than him. Every time he finished cracking oysters, he would sit on the shore for a while and look at the kelp ropes.

Although his family never had any enmity with anyone, the neighborhood relationship was very harmonious, and there were enough brothers in the family, he still had to be on guard against others.

 After all, so much money and effort went into it.

 Li Duoyu turned around and stepped on a small wooden board to board the wooden motor-driven sailboat owned by his third uncle. The fishing boat was not very big, about twenty meters long and more than five meters wide.

After getting on the boat, several fishermen smoking cigarettes were already sitting there waiting, and most of these people were relatives and elders of Li Duoyu.

The one wearing the hat is the third uncle, the younger one is the cousin, the one smoking cigarettes is the second uncle, and there are many Li Duoyu who don’t even know how to address each other, so they can only smile at each other.

 After seeing Li Duoyu, this group of people greeted him one after another.

“You didn’t just appear in the newspaper and said you wanted to raise kelp, why did you come to go out to sea with us?”

Li Duoyu grinned:

“It’s not yet time for the seedlings to grow. I have nothing to do, so I go out and run around in the sea.”

“Lao Li said the other day that you had become good, but I didn’t believe it. Without thinking, you actually went to sea with us. Unlike those **** in my family who eat and sleep all day long.”

The second uncle who smoked dry cigarettes knocked on his pipe: "I think there are many fish this time, and we will definitely have smooth sailing this time. On the day he was born, our fishing team caught the most fish in history."

“Yes, if you didn’t tell me, I almost forgot. The pier was almost full of fish that day, and Li Zhengtian was too lazy, so he just named the baby Duoyu.”

 After a group of people chatted for a while.

Third uncle Li Zhengfa carried a basket of food onto the boat. Among the baskets was a pig's head wrapped in red paper, and the rest was some rice, noodles, sweet potatoes, corn and the like. Seeing the food on the boat, everyone became serious and stood behind Li Zhengfa, the boss of the boat.

 Because the prayers are about to begin.

Li Zhengfa spread out a piece of red cloth, neatly arranged the contents of the basket on the bow of the boat, then lit a handful of incense with matches, and gave three incense sticks to each fishermen on the boat.

 A long time ago on Dandan Island, there was a saying of "three gods and four ghosts". Three are used to worship gods, and four are used to worship ghosts.

 Fishermen believe that "three" is the most auspicious number. Even 40 years later, many people must bring "three" as a wedding gift, and the best red envelope is "three". Even the license plate number is also like "three".

After Li Zhengfa distributed the incense, he aimed at the Mazu Temple on the island and recited some strange words that Li Duoyu couldn't understand. After he finished reciting, he shouted:

 “Mother Mazu, please bless us with safety and success.”

After the boatman finished shouting, the fishermen behind him also shouted.

“Mother Mazu, please bless us with good weather when we go to sea.”

“Mother Mazu, please bless us to catch big fish and make big money.”

 After shouting, everyone worshiped sincerely three times.

Li Zhengfa collected everyone’s incense and inserted it into a gap in the rope at the bow of the boat.

Li Duoyu helped light the firecrackers hanging at the stern of the boat. As the firecrackers sounded, a relatively simple sailing ceremony ended.

The fishermen on Dandan Island believe in Mazu very much. Every time they go fishing in the open sea, they must first pay homage and bless her before going out to sea.

 As the diesel engine sounded, billowing black smoke emerged from the engine room, and the motor-sailboat slowly sailed away from the safe harbor.

 After the fishing boat went out to sea, Li Duoyu also started to look for a place to sleep, which was actually two very small cabins.

Before anyone got close, various smells wafted out. Each room was only five or six square meters, but there were about ten people packed into it.

The bed has two levels, seventy centimeters wide, and is nailed together with ordinary wooden boards. Half of it is sealed, leaving only a half-meter-long opening. If you want to sleep in, you have to get in feet first.

If I have to describe it, it is actually not much different from a doghouse. Once a person lies down in it, it is a bit difficult to turn over.

But there is also an advantage, that is, when the waves are big, you will not be shaken out of bed.

Since we are all relatives, everyone takes good care of him as a newcomer. The second uncle pointed to the bed below:

“This position was your father’s favorite sleeping position in the past. Now it’s your turn.”

Li Duoyu knew that this was what his elders had asked him to do. After all, everyone knew that the higher the fishing boat went, the more it wobbled.

 After putting away the cloth bags and bedding.

Li Duoyu came to the deck. As the fishing boat sailed out to sea, Dandan Island gradually became blurred in sight, and the color of the water changed from light green to dark green. The wind and waves became stronger and stronger, and the fishing boat began to bump violently.

 In this era, motorboats like theirs did not have satellite communication systems or radar fish detectors.

 Fishing depends entirely on the experience and luck of the boat boss, and the stupidest way is to follow other people’s fishing boats.

However, the people on the boat were all former members of the island’s fishing team. Most of them had participated in the large yellow croaker fishing in the 1960s and 1970s, and they were all experienced veterans.

 The ship was at sea for four hours.

Li Duoyu on the deck finally saw other ships in the vast sea. Looking from a distance, they should be trawlers just like them.

 At this time, Uncle San slowed down the fishing boat.

The fishermen who were resting in the cabin immediately knew that work was coming, and they all ran out and stood at their respective posts.

 Preparing to start offline.

Requesting various votes and the most important follow-up reading.

 (End of this chapter)