The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 216 A Bountiful Harvest on the Island, Delicious Flavors at Sea

It was already noon, and the mudflats surrounding Dragon Snake Island were steaming under the scorching sun.

The tide had just receded, and the exposed mudflats were dotted with puddles, like a shattered mirror.

More than 20 women from the Hongxing Liujia production team had been working here for most of the morning. Their straw hats gleamed yellowish-brown in the sunlight, and from a distance, they looked like lotus leaves floating on the mudflats.

"Third Aunt, there are lots of clams over here!" Eighteen-year-old Chunni straightened up and called out to the distance.

She was wearing a faded blue cotton shirt, with her trousers rolled up to her knees, and her two muddy calves looked like they had just been pulled out of a dye vat.

With a dig into the mud, he pulled out five or six clams with different patterns.

Auntie San, carrying a bamboo basket, trudged over, her rubber shoes sinking into the mud with a squelching sound.

"This Dragon Snake Island truly lives up to its reputation. Compared to our team's poor coastal area, this place is much richer. Just look at the clams, they're all so plump and juicy!" She squatted down, skillfully shoveling mud into the clams and tossing them into the basket.

"They're huge! I'll spit some sand out of them for the boss to take back with him. Don't think city people are rich; they can't even afford clams this big."

Further out in the shallow water, several women were lined up to tread on clams.

Liu Youyu shouted, "We must find more clams. This is a political task. Let's bring back a hundred or two hundred catties of clams for Boss Qian so that his men can see what's what."

"It'll let them know that we Liu family members aren't ungrateful bastards, and we won't take advantage of the benefits the leaders give us for nothing!"

The women laughed and agreed, holding hands and wading barefoot through the mud and water, bending down to touch anything hard their soles touched.

Suddenly, Xiugu cried out "Ouch!" and pulled her foot out of the mud, with a green-shelled crab stuck between her toes.

"You little rascal!" she laughed and cursed as she pulled the crab off the plate and tossed it into the basket. "This is good stuff too, let's add some dishes for the boss!"

The rocky area on the east side of the mudflats is a treasure trove for collecting sea snails.

Five or six women wearing headscarves were bent over on the rocks, using iron hooks to scoop into the crevices.

Yu Fen's hook suddenly hit a hard object. With a strong pull, she pulled out a conch shell the size of a fist, its tail still dripping seawater.

"How's this head?" She happily held her prize above her head; in the sunlight, the conch shell shimmered with iridescent colors.

Upon hearing the noise, Liu Youyu came over and shouted at the top of his lungs, "There's danger on this side of the reef! Watch your step! Be careful of the sea snakes, and don't step on their tails!"

Quick-tongued Aunt Li, squatting in the mud digging for king clams, continued without looking up, "Accountant, you're scarier than a sea snake! With your loud voice, one shout and the king clams wouldn't dare show their faces!"

"That's because you're not good enough." Liu Youyu ignored the teasing and bent down to inspect each bamboo basket.

Sweat dripped from his chin onto the muddy ground, leaving a water droplet on the damp soil.

The midday sun was getting increasingly intense.

Chunni's forehead was covered in sweat, and a few drops slid into her eyes, making her blink repeatedly.

She wiped her face with the back of her hand, only to find that she had covered her face in mud.

When Auntie saw this, she laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight: "Oh my girl, are you going to put on a big show?"

The sounds of women's laughter and the salty smell of the sea breeze drifted across the mudflats.

The bamboo basket gradually filled up, containing not only clams, crabs, and conches, but also octopus, sea anemones, and the occasional sea cucumber.

Aunt Li, who was quick-witted, had the fullest basket. She proudly showed it to everyone: "Look, who said I'm not good enough?"

The ship hasn't returned yet.

They were exhausted.

Liu Youyu said, "Forget it, let's all rest."

"Who brought any food? My stomach is growling with hunger." Aunt Li, who was quick to speak, rubbed her emaciated belly.

Liu Youyu waved his hand and said generously, "What do you need dry rations for? Go and gather some firewood. I have a windproof lighter here. Let's cook something to eat first."

Chunni said helplessly, "Without any cooking utensils, what are we going to cook with? Oh well, I brought steamed buns..."

"Why isn't there any equipment?" Liu Youyu laughed, pointing to the island at the end of the mudflats.

"There's a valley over there where Honghu and the others come to collect seafood from time to time. They've hidden an iron pot and a clay pot there. We can use the water from our kettles to have some fun, no problem."

Auntie San didn't believe it: "Iron pots are valuable items; you need industrial coupons to buy them. Are they really willing to leave them on this deserted island? Aren't they afraid someone will steal them?"

Liu Youyu said, "Don't ask me yet, take about ten people and go find firewood first."

"There's plenty of firewood on this island, but be careful not to get bitten by sea snakes, and don't just grab any firewood you see..."

"Alright, alright, I'm a decade older than you. Back in 1960 when I came to Dragon Snake Island to catch sea snakes, you hadn't even held a woman's hand yet. Do you really need to tell me this?" Auntie looked at him with disdain.

Liu Youyu chuckled awkwardly, "Isn't this just faithfully carrying out our captain's instructions?"

Some women went to collect firewood, while others stayed behind to gather what they had caught from the beach.

Clams need to purge themselves of sand, and mud snails need to be cleaned.

Many types of seafood cannot be cooked directly in a pot.

Liu Youyu went to a familiar cave and found the tools left behind by the members of the Xiamaqiao production team. After he brought them back, the women left behind saw them and suddenly realized what they were:

What kind of iron pot is this? It's a broken iron pot, only half of it remains. You have to adjust the angle to use it for cooking.

The pottery jar was also broken, with an uneven opening like canine teeth. You had to be careful when handling it, or you might get cut.

No wonder no one would steal these things; what would they do with them? They wouldn't make much money selling them as scrap metal.

The iron pot is rusty.

Liu Youyu was busy washing the pot.

The women who had been gathering firewood rushed back, and Auntie San said anxiously, "Does anyone know what to do? Chunni was bitten by a black-headed sea snake!"

Liu Youyu was shocked and jumped up, shouting, "What the hell did I say..."

"Who the hell are you talking to?!" Auntie glared at him.

He knew he'd been tricked the moment he saw Chunni's smiling face, and was speechless: "Third Aunt, really, you can joke about something like this?"

The women laughed and joked, not taking him seriously at all.

A large ship appeared in the distance.

The women immediately looked up expectantly.

After getting a clear look at the large ship, they bent down and continued working.

This is not their ship.

After a while, Liu Youyu shouted, "Our team's fishing boat is back!"

Without even looking up, Aunt Li, who was quick to speak, said, "Are you seeing things because of the sun? That's a double-canopied boat, how could it belong to our team?"

As a result, someone looked up and saw a single-awning boat cutting through the calm sea, its stern leaving a trail of white spray, heading towards the mudflats.

"It's our team's boat!" Chunni, with her sharp eyes, was the first to shout. "There's an iron device on the stern, but why isn't it being used? Why is it slowly paddling over?"

The women straightened up and shaded their eyes with their hands to look around.

When we arrived, it was a fast boat that was like a wild horse in the sea. How did it turn into that old wooden boat that we usually row?

They anxiously asked Liu Youyu, "Accountant, what happened?"

"Is that metal thing in the back broken?"

"Oh dear, how are we going to get home? I checked when we came, and we didn't bring a sail..."

The Red Guard No. 1 slowly docked. Liu Wangcai pointed to the island and said, "Captain Qian, look at this Dragon Snake Island. Although it's only the size of a palm, there are plenty of good places to go beachcombing."

"Just you wait and see, there will be more than enough for you."

Before the boat had even come to a complete stop, several anxious women waded through knee-deep water to ask:
"What happened to the captain? How did you manage to row here?"

"That's right, Zonghang, didn't you take good care of the machine?"

"Boss, is this machine broken? How do we get home?"

Liu Zonghang instinctively wanted to explain.

Liu Wangcai raised his arm to cover his face and said with a smile, "It's okay, don't worry, it won't delay our journey home."

"This machine was an old machine that the leader bought for our team through connections at the repair shop. An old machine is like an old person; it's bound to get uncomfortable here and there, and it will need to be repaired from time to time."

Aunt Li, who talks a lot, said incredulously, "Didn't we see it when we came? It was a brand new machine."

Qian Jin explained, "That's just a new protective paint coating; it only looks new, but the engine inside is old."

"It's alright, it's just a slight short circuit. I have a screwdriver in my bag, I can fix it in no time," Liu Zonghang added.

The women breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Qian Jin and Liu Wangcai were calm and smiling.

Chunni asked, "What's going on with you going out to sea to cast your nets? If you break the machine, it'll be a loss. You might as well stay on the island with us and go beachcombing."

"Who said that?" Liu Zonghang reported with good news: "We've had a bumper harvest this time! A huge harvest! One net is equivalent to three nets in the past!"

Liu Youyu quickly stepped forward: "Take your time, what's going on?"

"This iron machine is amazing!" Liu Zonghang exclaimed, patting the engine cover at the stern. "Trawlers need to be towed by motor vehicles. The net opens really wide, and the boat moves incredibly fast. One swipe and the net is in..."

He spread his arms wide and gestured exaggeratedly: "Mackerel, yellow croaker, sea bass, silver pomfret, golden pomfret, and even prawns! Anyway, the old captain said that one net is equivalent to the harvest of three nets in the past!"

"Including the propeller we still have at home, we now have two motorboats. Just you wait and see, our team will definitely have a bumper harvest this autumn and winter."

"Based on my estimate, the catch from these two seasons will be equivalent to that of the past two or even three years. When it's time to calculate work points at the end of the year, you can collect the money. Every household will definitely get an extra two or three hundred!"

These words shocked the women.

Because it involves dividing money.

The women swarmed around, bombarding him with questions.

Chunni squeezed to the front, her eyes wide open: "Captain, is this iron lump really that amazing?"

"You still don't believe me?" Liu Zonghang patted his chest excitedly. "Don't worry, Chunni, when you get married, your parents will definitely prepare a generous dowry for you, so you can have a grand wedding!"

Chunni felt embarrassed when she heard this, so she bent down, scooped up water, and splashed it on him: "Get out of here, you shameless bastard!"

Liu Wangcai was also happy at this moment, and said with a cheerful smile, "Zong Hang is right. I reckon our team will have a good year, better than ever before."

"Is it better than last year?" Auntie asked happily.

Thanks to Qian Jin's help, their team had a very prosperous year last year, which made everyone in the commune envious.

Liu Wangcai said, "It's definitely better than last year, much better!"

Liu Zonghang's words were actually somewhat dangerous. He had guaranteed the members' income in advance, raising their expectations for this year's harvest. If the income did not meet expectations by the end of the year, then the leaders would be in trouble.

But he did not stop Liu Zonghang from making his promise.

The reason is that what Liu Zonghang said was actually very polite. There was no need for the motorboat to be involved. The small collective enterprise in the team alone could increase the income of the members by two or three hundred this year.

With the addition of two motorboats, he estimated that with the increase in the catch, the production team could allow its members to receive an extra five or six hundred yuan this year!
Liu Youyu adjusted his straw hat and smiled, "Let's go! Let's get on the boat and take a look!"

The women helped each other wade into the water to board the boat, the seafood in their bamboo baskets and crates gurgling.

They were stunned as soon as they stepped onto the deck.

The cabin gleamed with silver light, and fish filled almost half of it.

A large Spanish mackerel, weighing over ten kilograms, stood with its mouth agape, while a yellow croaker thrashed about with its tail flapping. Several lobsters were baring their teeth and claws on the pile of fish...

"Good heavens!" Auntie San, who had just squeezed onto the boat, nearly fell into the sea because her legs went weak. "This...this is all the money you got after half a morning out? So much!"

Liu Zonghang said smugly, "Hehe, not half a morning, but half an hour!"

"Nonsense!" the women refuted him almost in unison.

Liu Zonghang got anxious and explained, "Strictly speaking, it really is half an hour."

"We cast two nets, each lasting about fifteen minutes, and each net yielded a great catch. If you only count the time spent casting and retrieval, it really took half an hour!"

Liu Youyu gasped in astonishment: "That powerful?"

Liu Zonghang proudly lifted the hatch, revealing another layer underneath: "This is nothing, the real treasure is down there!"

He picked up a large sea bass that must have weighed ten pounds, "Look at this big guy, enough for the whole family to eat for three days!"

Quick-talking Aunt Li slapped her thigh and laughed, "Oh my god, this is great! This machine is a real treasure, so you guys have to fix it!"

The women chattered as they looked at the pile of fish, one touching the back of a mackerel, another poking the claws of a lobster.

Chunni carefully picked up a shiny seashell from the pile of fish and looked at it in the sunlight: "It's so beautiful."

Liu Youyu squatted at the stern, carefully inspecting the propeller.

Water droplets still clung to the metal casing, shimmering in the sunlight.

He reached out and touched it, then quickly pulled his hand back: "Is this machine short-circuited? Why is it so hot? I hope it's not burnt out inside."

"It's hot because of the sun. Black sheet metal absorbs heat the most, and with such a sunny day, how could it not be hot?" Qian Jin chuckled.

Liu Wangcai winked at Liu Youyu: "They don't understand, and neither do you?"

Liu Youyu suddenly realized and winked at him, "Hehe, Captain, you have no idea what we've discovered this time!"

"Hey, we found a lot of bighead carp! Let's hurry back and get a net. Our team is going to make a fortune..." said Aunt Li, who was quick to speak.

"You!" Liu Youyu looked utterly dejected.

Quick-tongued Aunt Li glared at him: "What did I do? Did I talk nonsense?" Liu Youyu said sullenly: "No, it's just that your mouth is really fast."

"That's right, my parents have always said that about me since I was little." Aunt Li, who talks a lot, felt quite proud.

This time it was Liu Wangcai and Liu Zonghang's turn to be anxious: "What's going on? Where are the schools of turbot?"

"It's that time of year! Flounder migrate in September, but do they have a migration route on Dragon Snake Island? I've never heard of that before! This is great news!"

Liu Youyu grinned and said, "I really haven't heard of it before. Maybe someone found out but didn't tell anyone, so it's been kept secret."

"Come with us and go up there. There are definitely a lot of these fish in the shallow waters of the nearshore mudflats. If we catch them successfully, it will be a huge harvest!"

Qian Jin inquired about the condition of the turbot.

Someone explained to him that this is a type of fish that inhabits sandy mudflats, also known as toothfish or flatfish. The larger ones can grow to more than half a meter long. The fish meat is very delicious, and the catch is quite large.

Upon hearing that the fish was called a flounder, Qian Jin knew what it was all about.

This type of fish is also sold in the market at a reasonable price, making it a popular choice for many people to satisfy their cravings.

But he didn't expect that the Liu family was quite particular; instead of calling it by its proper name, they called it "toothed flounder."

Flounder is one of the fish that fishermen like the most.

In spring, they migrate back to shallow waters near the shore to spawn and reproduce. As the water temperature drops in autumn, they gradually move to deeper waters. Generally, they migrate to the open sea at depths of less than 50 meters in October, and from November to December, they move south to the deeper seabed to overwinter.

During the summer and autumn seasons, due to the high temperatures, some schools of turbot will come to live in shallow waters within one meter of the shore. Once the tide recedes, the water depth may become half a meter or even twenty or thirty centimeters.

At this point, fishermen can even catch this fish by stomping on it or by hand.

Of course, catching turbot is not easy. These fish are very good at hiding. Their skin coloration is very similar to the color of the sand, making them very difficult to find.

Liu Youyu jumped into the knee-deep seawater and led Liu Wangcai to find the school of turbot.

The old captain chased after him, his trouser legs soaking wet, his pipe swaying back and forth on his belt.

After circling a quarter of the island, Liu Youyu excitedly pointed to a stretch of shimmering mudflats in the distance: "Over there!"

"The shallow puddles that were exposed after the tide went out were full of turbot! I poked one with a stick, and it jumped out with a splash!"

Liu Wangcai's eyes lit up immediately.

The old captain yanked the towel off his shoulder and wiped the sweat from his face: "Really?"

"Absolutely true!" Liu Youyu pulled the old captain over there. "Chunni and the other women were the first to discover it, and they caught two in no time!"

"I saw there were no nets, and I was afraid they would scare the fish away, so I called them away."

"We deliberately avoided this mudflat. As long as we bring back the nets, we're sure to have a bumper harvest!"

The two waded into a shallow area of ​​water.

Liu Wangcai squatted down, a pipe dangling from his lips, the murky seawater barely reaching his ankles.

He reached into the mud and started feeling around. In just a few minutes, he suddenly exclaimed "Hey!"—and a palm-sized flounder slipped through his fingers, its grayish-brown dorsal fin leaving a thin ripple on the water's surface.

"Good heavens, I've only been working on this for two minutes, right? Just two minutes, right? And I've already made a whole pack," Liu Wangcai almost dropped his pipe into the water. "How many of these are there in this place!"

Liu Youyu repeated his previous statement: "Captain, let's call more people this afternoon and use beach nets to encircle and catch them. We're guaranteed a bumper harvest!"

Liu Wangcai waved his hand: "Go, everyone. Your arrangement is correct. We can't scare the fish."

"I was planning to cook lunch here and work all day before going back, but it looks like I'll have to go back this noon."

"By the way, why did you open fire?"

While he was still on the boat, he noticed a dozen or so members of the commune cooking over a fire on the rocks.

There were at least three campfires, and people were still busy at work. Some were turning over the food on the fire, while others were adding firewood. The aroma of seafood wafted through the smoke.

Qian Jin rubbed his stomach and chuckled awkwardly, "I am indeed a little hungry."

Liu Wangcai was in a great mood and laughed loudly upon hearing this: "Being hungry is easy, the fire is already lit, let's have a snack before we go!"

Not far away, a woman in her fifties was using a wooden stick to turn over clods of mud buried in the sand. Several crabs with bared claws were visible through the cracks in the mud.

The young women nearby were busy cleaning the giant razor clams.

The enormous razor clam is as big as Qian Jin's middle finger. Its yellowish-green shell is filled with tender meat. When you touch the clam's head, it trembles and squirts water out.

"Oh my, the captain and the leaders are here!" a woman shouted, holding a roasted oyster in her hand.

The women who hadn't gone on the boat turned around and, seeing Liu Wangcai and Qian Jin arrive, burst into good-natured laughter.

"Good boy's mother, you've started making grilled fish here now?" Liu Wangcai walked over and asked with a smile.

"It's freshly roasted and smells delicious! Captain, Chief Qian, would you like a bite?" The woman, known as Good Girl's Mother, enthusiastically handed over a branch.

Above is a flounder about the size of a human face. It's not very big, but flounders are very fat in autumn. The brownish-yellow skin is roasted until it cracks, and the snow-white flesh inside is roasted until it's golden brown.

Liu Wangcai waved his hand: "I won't eat. You guys eat first. Give some to Chief Qian, he's hungry."

Good Boy's mother laughed heartily: "Chief Qian, you should have a bite right away. Don't be fooled by the fact that our grilled fish is just a little salty and not oily; the taste is absolutely amazing."

"Why? Because our commune members are good cooks! When we're tired from going out to the beach, we just use the seafood we have on hand to cook. We roast crabs and clams in mud, or grill two fish over a fire. It's just as good as a big meat feast in the city!"

Some people gently pried open the crabs that were roasting on the mud, revealing the golden crab roe and snow-white crab meat inside: "Look how good they are! This crab roe is so plump!"

The aroma was so enticing that Qian Jin couldn't help but swallow hard.

"Come on, boss, have a taste. This is a specialty of Dragon Snake Island," Liu Youyu said warmly, inviting him to try it.

Qian Jin chuckled awkwardly, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

He took half a crab; the crab meat was still steaming and exuded a salty, fresh seafood flavor.

He blew on it, took a small bite of crab meat, and his eyes immediately lit up: "Mmm, really good!"

These are absolutely fresh wild crabs, and they're not swimming crabs. Locals call them "big blue crabs," but their scientific name is *Scylla serrata*, a type of crab that's fatter than swimming crabs, and of course, more expensive.

Seeing Qian Jin enjoying his meal, the other members of the commune laughed.

Chunni also handed him a steamed bun: "Boss, try my family's seaweed bun, it has clam meat inside!"

Qian Jin took the steamed bun.

These buns were steamed in a pot, and even though they were made of sweet potato flour, they were still soft.

He took a big bite, and the delicious broth immediately gushed out, making him nod in agreement: "So delicious!"

Seeing this, Liu Wangcai laughed loudly, "Chief Qian, don't be shy, eat whatever you like. Those who are hungry should fill their stomachs first, but don't eat too much, there will be a proper meal when we get back."

The quick-witted Aunt Li said bluntly, "That has nothing to do with us. We women still have to go home and cook."

Liu Wangcai pointed at her and smiled at the others: "She's saying something in a veiled way; she's pointing at me."

"I wouldn't dare," Aunt Li, who was quick to speak, chuckled.

Liu Wangcai said casually, "You've done a great job today, and the team will reward you."

"Our team will provide lunch for you guys today. Yeah, you'll get to eat meat and chicken, and plenty of steamed buns..."

"Oh, this is wonderful!" the women exclaimed joyfully.

"Thank you Captain."

"The captain is such a good person."

These days, eating a meal of white flour steamed buns with meat and vegetables is considered a holiday.

Liu Wangcai said, "Don't thank me, thank our leader. You're all benefiting from his success."

After saying that, he turned to the commune members behind him and shouted, "Accountant, add a few more bonfires, roast more crabs and shrimp, go to the boat and bring over the shrimp and crabs so that Chief Qian and everyone can have a good meal!"

The members cheered and sprang into action.

Soon, several new fires were lit, and more seafood was grilled over them.

Qian Jin was seated on a relatively dry rock, with a variety of seafood laid out in front of him.

There were sizzling, oily crabs, stir-fried clams in an iron pot, boiling razor clams, and of course, large prawns.

The members sat around the table, enjoying their meal and chatting happily.

"How's it going, boss? How's the seafood from Longshe Island?" Liu Wangcai picked up a large crab, skillfully removed the crab meat, and handed it to Qian Jin. "Our commune members often say that seafood from the sea is much more delicious than seafood grown in the fields!"

Qian Jin nodded in approval: "Indeed, I've eaten some good food in the city, but none of it is as delicious as this authentic seafood."

“That’s right,” Chunni said proudly. “We have the Golden Beach of Huanghai Bay here, and the crabs and clams are freshest in spring and autumn every year.”

The old team leader, puffing on his cigarette, said, "Hey, what hasn't that leader seen in the city? He eats at state-run restaurants, why would he be short of a few seafood items?"

"Ni'er, don't let people laugh at you, don't be arrogant for no reason."

That being said, he had a smile on his face, and he was quite happy about Qian Jin's praise.

Qian Jin continued to praise the seafood they were eating and also the environment of Longshe Island.

In this day and age, putting aside everything else, the environment is beyond reproach.

However, ordinary people are not fond of this familiar environment. They still hope to have enough to eat, to buy their wives new clothes, and to get some new stationery for their children.

A sea breeze blows by, carrying a faint salty smell and the aroma of seafood, which makes people feel refreshed.

Laughter and conversation echoed across the island along with the sound of waves crashing against the shore as the tide rose.

As noon approached, the sunlight shone even brighter, casting a shimmering glow on the sea, creating a golden ripple effect – it was beautiful.

After eating shrimp, crab, shellfish, and grilled fish, the members' stomachs were full, so they leaned against the rocks to rest.

Qian Jin leaned against a rock, a crab leg dangling from his mouth, gazing thoughtfully at the horizon where the sea met the sky.

Liu Wangcai stood up: "Chief Qian, it's getting late, we should go back."

Upon hearing this, the commune members began packing their things.

Some people packed up the leftover food, some extinguished the fire, and others washed the iron pots and earthenware jars and hid them back in the cave.

Qian Jin stood up and patted the sand off his body: "I've really learned something new today. I never imagined that making a living at sea could be so fun."

Liu Wangcai laughed and said, "This is called living off the land where you live by the mountains, and living off the sea where you live by the sea. Our life by the sea means dealing with the ocean."

The villagers, carrying their beachcombing tools and bamboo baskets full of seafood, followed Liu Wangcai and Qian Jin toward the boat.

Quick-tongued Aunt Li asked with concern, "Zonghang, is the machine fixed?"

Liu Zonghang huffed and puffed, "It's fixed, there's no problem at all."

He was very satisfied with the thruster.

The thruster can not only move forward but also backward, which is a very important function. Currently, many thrusters can only rotate in one direction, so they can only move forward.

It's fine to leave it in the port, but it would be very inconvenient for them in a seaside environment without a dock.

They usually leave their fishing boats stranded on the beach, and when they go out to sea, they take advantage of the rising tide to push the boats into the water and then climb back onto them.

If a propeller is installed, since the propeller must operate in the water, the fishing boat must be pushed into deeper waters and the propeller must be activated before boarding can proceed.

Having a back function makes all the difference.

The fishing boat turned upside down, with its bow stranded on the beach as everyone boarded, while its stern faced the sea and the propeller was submerged in the water.

This causes the propeller to reverse, automatically pulling the fishing boat into the water.

Even if the beach environment is not good, someone can be arranged to push the bow of the boat to push it into the sea, and then it will be much more convenient to get back on the boat from the bow.

At this point, Liu Youyu took on the responsibility of pushing the bow of the boat.

As the fishing boat receded with the waves, Liu Zonghang started the engine and shouted, and Liu Youyu immediately climbed onto the boat.

Liu Wangcai called out to the women, "Come on, ladies, our accountant did a great job, let's all give him a round of applause!"

Everyone laughed and applauded.

Liu Youyu's figure was reflected on the golden sand, and then moved to the azure sea.

Hongwei-1 braved the wind and waves, speeding towards the coast.

Someone started it, and the women began singing fishermen's chants.

The resounding singing, mixed with the roar of diesel engines, drifted across the sea in 1978.

The spray at the stern resembled a white road, stretching straight towards the future, towards the good days the women longed for.

This modified motorboat sparked many imaginations in them, giving them a better vision of the future.

Auntie San sighed, "A trip to Dragon Snake Island usually takes most of the day, and on windy days it can take a whole day. Who would want to come? Who would dare to come?"

"Now it's great! No need to row or hoist the sails, the engine roars and we're home in half an hour!"

Chunni laughed and said, "Who says otherwise? Usually when we come to Dragon Snake Island, we have to prepare a whole day's worth of food."

"Now we can come to the beach in the morning and still have time to go back for lunch, it's so convenient!"

When Hongwei-1 docked, the sun was directly overhead.

Many commune members came after finishing their work and waited under the shade of trees on the muddy beach by the sea to see the return of one of the team's motorboats.

So when Hongwei-1 appeared on the sea, the coast began to erupt in excitement:
"We're back! We're back! Our motorboat is back..."

(End of this chapter)