Reborn in 1981: My Life as a Fisherman

With everything settled, Shi Hailong and Liu Zhenyuan began to drink tea and chat.

Liu Zhenyuan wanted to find out about Shi Hailong, and Shi Hailong also wanted to build a good relationship with Liu Zhenyuan.

Although it's unlikely that I'll buy another wooden boat in the future, maintenance will still be necessary.

Liu Zhenyuan later became the contractor of the shipyard.

They would have built a great shipyard, unlike now where it's just lying on the beach.

After Liu Zhenyuan took over the shipyard, he began producing steel ships.

However, that will be many years from now.

At that time, the small commune shipyards were not yet capable of producing steel ships.

One issue is the machinery and equipment, and the other is the current problem of raw materials.

Steel was still in short supply at that time, which was the fundamental reason why speculators were rampant for many years to come.

If Shi Hailong were to buy another large steel ship within the next year or two, he would only be able to go to large shipyards in a few nearby cities.

Fujian Province had four or five large shipyards starting in the 1950s.

The earliest steel shipyards can be traced back to the steamships of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China.

Of course, steel ships in the 1950s and 60s were mostly powered by steam turbines.

While chatting, Shi Hailong noticed a stack of newspapers on his desk.

"Master Liu, have you all read these newspapers?"

Liu Zhenyuan nodded and smiled, "What, you want to see it? You can take it away in a bit and look at it slowly when you get home."

If you want to read the newspaper in the future, you can come find me...

Shi Hailong also smiled and said, "Yes, now with reform and opening up and the household responsibility system, I'd like to learn more about it..."

Liu Zhenyuan agrees with this view; indeed, only by reading newspapers can one learn about many important national events.

Shi Guangqian and Shi Haifeng also rushed to the shipyard.

Shi Hailong introduced the newspapers to Liu Zhenyuan, then rolled them up and took them.

They didn't let Liu Zhenyuan talk much with his father, nor did they allow Liu Zhenyuan to continue accompanying him.

He then took his father and elder brother to see the ship they had ordered.

I also told my father and older brother about the situation, but they underestimated it by seven thousand yuan.

They only said that they paid a deposit of two thousand yuan, which was borrowed by Zheng Cuizhu.

They didn't even show them the sales agreement. At that moment, Shi Guangqian and Shi Haifeng were only happy.

He had never bought a boat before and knew nothing about the market, yet Shi Guangqian still felt the pinch.

This drained the family's finances and left them with a debt of 4,500 yuan.

Something I never dared to imagine before.

The amount of debt alone would have driven Shi Guangqian crazy a little over a month ago.

But not now, because today's catch from fish traps has completely overflowed the nets.

I sold it for over 1,300 yuan; it felt like a dream.

However, Shi Guangqian was also an experienced fisherman, and he knew that such a harvest could not last.

Such a harvest was only possible because the ground netting had just appeared. After a few times, the resources in the areas where the nets were set would be depleted.

From now on, it'll all depend on luck.

However, now that I've bought this big ship, a motor-driven sailboat, paying off the debt is no problem at all.

Even if the catch from the fish trap isn't good, there are other ways to catch fish.

The father and his two sons stayed on the boat for a long time. If Shi Hailong hadn't called for them to go home, Shi Guangqian and Shi Haifeng wouldn't have wanted to leave.

After leaving the shipyard, Shi Hailong suggested that the money his father had brought be deposited in the credit union.

He had deposited over a hundred yuan last time, so I deposited the money into his account.

Shi Guangqian naturally didn't object; he was also uneasy about carrying so much money on him.

Afterwards, payment is made upon delivery of the ship, and depositing the money with a credit union is both convenient and safe.

The three went to the credit union to deposit money. After they finished, Shi's father put away the deposit slip.

Shi Hailong originally intended to carry it himself so that his father wouldn't need to come along when setting sail.

He was also afraid that the truth would be exposed, even though his family wouldn't mind if he told them the truth.

But Shi Hailong still wanted to be cautious.

A secret is only a secret if it is known only to oneself; if more people know it, it is no longer a secret.

Even family members, even those who share a bed.

This is why he has never included information about his grandparents, uncles, brothers, maternal grandparents, maternal uncles, or aunts.

The reason for the leak.

It's really something I can't say, I can't explain it clearly, and it just gives me a headache for no reason.

It doesn't mean much yet. We can talk about it again in a few years when there are opportunities and conditions that are reasonable.

Even if I spoke up now, what good would it do?

Make money first, take care of your family, and then when you have money, your family's financial situation will improve.

Even if we bring our grandparents over, they'll have a place to live, and we'll have money to take care of them.

Otherwise, if the family is still in a mess, going through the trouble of searching for relatives will cost a lot of money.

On the boat home, Shi Haifeng rowed while his father smoked a cigarette in a good mood.

Shi Hailong, however, was wondering whether he should go to the county town again.

He was considering the possible crackdown on smuggling at the end of the year, and if he wanted to sell the silver dollars then, the methods would be uncertain and more dangerous.

He didn't want to be eaten alive by someone.

It would be better to release another batch now, then hide the money and use some of it for building houses.

Some were hidden away for unforeseen circumstances.

Having money in hand makes you feel less anxious and strengthens your ability to withstand risks.

He knew that even if he earned more money every day after the ship was bought back, he wouldn't get to keep the money.

This is the downside of not being married and not having separated from the family; he doesn't get to manage the finances yet.

"Hailong, we bought such a big boat, but none of us in the family know how to operate it..."

At this moment, Mr. Shi suddenly blurted out something, and the joy on his face disappeared.

Upon hearing this, Shi Haifeng was also taken aback for a moment, thinking, "Oh, that seems so!"

Shi Hailong laughed and said, "Sailing a boat is very simple. Father, you are familiar with the sea conditions, you can learn it in a day."

"Once you can control the sailboat, the machine's power system will be even simpler; you'll see when the time comes."

Shi Hailong wasn't exaggerating; these fishing boats are indeed very easy to operate.

His father was an old fisherman who used to be able to handle sailboats with ease, and he was very experienced in controlling the wind direction.

Now, with engine power, things will only get simpler, and veteran fishermen are very familiar with the sea conditions.

Knowing where the reefs are and where the currents are different.

What kind of storm, what kind of route to take.

It's not like driving on a road; it's no big deal if you veer a little off course at sea.

Even if Shi Haifeng were to drive, Shi Hailong wouldn't worry about anything.

It's not a 10,000-ton ship.

In fact, many things are the same: practice makes perfect.

Of course, you need to be careful at the beginning, especially when you're offshore and near the shore; everything else is fine.

Shi Hailong also knew that back in the production brigade days, both tractors and fishing boats were equipped with engines.

Anyone who wants to drive needs to undergo basic training.

Then you become a tractor driver, a boat captain, but you often find that whether you're a tractor driver or a boat captain...

In the production brigade, everyone had connections and was well-connected.

In reality, it's not difficult at all; anyone can learn and master it.

It's just not your turn yet.

After hearing what his second brother said, Shi Guangqian thought about it and gained confidence.

That seems to be the case, but why does this second son seem so confident?

He seems even more experienced than him.

"The ship will take another five or six days, and we can't keep occupying Zheng Shanping's ship forever."

This is inappropriate; it will cause gossip and put Qi Jin in a difficult position.

"We'll bring all the fish traps back when we collect them tomorrow; it's fine if we leave them idle for a few days."

As Shi Guangqian spoke, he looked at Shi Hailong, who agreed.

"Yes, that's what I think too. Taking a break for a few days is a good thing."

Just then, some people in the village would be selling fish traps for a lot of money, making our family less conspicuous.

"The fishnet is ready to be dried in the sun after it's been brought in..."

Shi Haifeng also said, "By the time our ship returns, Black Stone Island will probably have been occupied."

Shi Guangqian smiled faintly and said, "The sea doesn't belong to us, so how can it be a matter of who occupies it and who doesn't?"

Besides, we've already fished almost all the way to Black Rock Island, so we won't have many more fish to catch.

There will be fewer and fewer each day.

Our boat is big and a motorized sailboat, so we can go further and explore more reef areas at sea.

"It's never-ending..."