Chapter 32: Want to borrow a boat

The sun was still very hot at two or three in the afternoon. Ye Yaodong tried to walk in the shade. Fortunately, A Guang’s house was in the back mountain. There were trees around his house, so it was quite cool.

When he passed by, they were still playing cards under the tree at the door. Only A Guang was lying on the recliner to enjoy the cool.

“Why are you lying alone? Why don’t you play with others?”

“I have such bad luck today. Why don’t I play? I won’t play to save some money. What happened to you these two days? Why don’t you play?”

“I don’t have money. It’s embarrassing to ask my wife for money all day long.”

“That’s true, but doesn’t your family have a boat now? You can go out to sea with your father and share some money. This way, it won’t be considered asking your wife for money.”

He also wanted to, but when he thought about being drowned in the middle of the sea due to exhaustion, he couldn’t help but feel a little panic in his heart. His heartbeat quickened, and he thought about going slowly first.

He made up a story: “I’ve never been out to sea, so I’m afraid of seasickness. If I get seasick, my dad will have to take me back. Wouldn’t that be asking for a beating? If there’s a small boat that can take us to the surrounding isolated islands, we can give it a try.”

“It’s easy. My uncle-in-law broke his hand a few days ago and hasn’t been able to drive a boat recently. I’ll ask him to borrow a boat tomorrow. We’ll buy diesel ourselves, and I’ll take you out to sea and take a tour of the nearby waters.”

Ye Yaodong’s eyes lit up, “That’s possible. We can go to the isolated islands and fish in the sea!”

“Heh~ You seem to be a little keen on fishing in the sea recently!” A Guang smiled at him.

“Of course, I’ve been so lucky these two days. I caught two blue crabs yesterday, and today I found a tiger grouper and a nest of snow clams. I’ve tasted the sweetness, so I have to strike while the iron is hot.”

“That’s right. If I had your good luck, I would go there every day. It’s better than working odd jobs at Yujing Wharf. Working at the wharf only makes more than 1 yuan a day, not even 2 yuan.”

Yujing Wharf is a large wharf near the sea in their Shanhai Town. Large ships are docked at Yujing Wharf. Many people in their village go to Yujing Wharf to work odd jobs moving goods.

The location of their town is relatively close to the Wanwan Strait. In addition to fishing boats, there are also many transport cargo ships. Therefore, there are many Taiwanese goods stores in their town.

In this era, their town is more famous and lively than the county town. Many outsiders only know their town, but not their county.

When their friends go out to play every day, they go to the town to play, but they don’t go to the county town very often.

He put his hands in his pockets, leaned one foot against the tree trunk, and said, “It’s a matter of luck to go fishing in the sea. You can’t go every day. Why don’t you ask if you can borrow a boat?”

“Go ask tomorrow morning. If you get the answer, go buy diesel and start the boat. It’s so hot now. I’m too lazy to walk. I have to drink tonight.”

“Okay, then let me know when you can borrow a boat. It’s a big tide tomorrow. If there’s no wind or waves tomorrow morning, it’s a good time to go to the isolated island.”

“Okay, I’ll follow you and see if I can change my luck?”

Ye Yaodong smiled, “Maybe it’s more effective if you change your name. When will your father come back?”

“I don’t know. He’s been gone for just a month. I’m not sure how many months it will take for him to come back.”

Although the “Regulations on the Protection of Aquatic Resources” promulgated in February 1979 stipulates a fishing ban period, it is about the fishing ban period for various fish and different customized fishing gear, and does not restrict the ships in their waters at all.

There is no daily fishery inspection, so they go out to sea as usual.

It was not until 1995 that the summer fishing moratorium was fully implemented, and they stopped fishing as required.

Their regulations are that the fishing moratorium is from May 1st to July 31st every year, and the sea ban is lifted on August 1st!

However, there are policies from above and countermeasures from below. Their small boats go out to sea to fish secretly. Even if they are caught by the fishery administration, they just dump the seafood back into the sea. They can afford the loss. After all, the fishery administration does not patrol the sea every day.

In this era, they can still fish freely in their waters. Once a large ship goes out to sea, it will not come back for several months.

“Then wait until your father comes back.”

“Hey, let’s have a good time for two more days. I have to go to Yujing Wharf to find some work in a few days. If I don’t go to work, I will be out of money. You are lucky to have a hardworking wife. I can’t even get married.”

“Are you worried about not being able to get married even if you have money? Just gamble less and work harder to make money. Even if you have a wife, you can’t rely on her to support you for the rest of your life. That’s so pathetic.”

A Guang put his hands behind his head and looked at him with a chuckle, “Why do you feel like you have been hardworking these two days?”

“My wife can’t even make a dollar a day, so she has a guilty conscience. Besides, my family will separate after the house is built, and I have to start supporting my family. I used to enjoy the shade under the big tree, but I won’t have that treatment anymore.”

“That’s right. Now that we’re separated, if we don’t work harder, life won’t be that easy. Do you want to go to the dock together to find work?”

I don’t know where he got a straw from, and put it in his mouth to chew, “I’m afraid of scaring my family, and they’ll go and ask the Taoist priest to take me in.”

This is the truth!

“That’s right. We all have odd jobs, and you’ve always been the ‘third young master of the Ye family’!”

“Don’t laugh at me. Do you have any cigarettes? Give me one. I haven’t smoked for two days, and my mouth is itchy!”

“Have you gotten to this point? Didn’t you make more than ten dollars these two days?”

“I’ll give it to my wife. I’m a good man!”

A Guang rolled his eyes. Who doesn’t know who?

Ye Yaodong felt better after taking a puff of cigarette. Actually, he wanted to quit smoking these two days, but found it a bit difficult. He had been addicted to smoking for decades. He thought he should not embarrass himself. Anyway, being a good man has nothing to do with smoking.

“Hey, tomorrow A Guang said he would borrow a boat to take us out to sea. Do you want to go?”

The four people who were playing cards turned around and looked at them.

“What’s getting better? Haven’t seen enough of the sea since childhood?”

“Haven’t you sunbathed enough today? Do you still want to go out on a boat to sunbathe?”

“It’s fine, why do you want to borrow a boat to go out?”

The fat man still didn’t go, “Don’t ask me to do things like sunbathing, I can drink and play cards!”

Ye Yaodong said unhappily: “Fat you, you’re even lazier than me. There will be a tide tomorrow on the first day of the lunar new year. Let’s go to the isolated islands to see if we can find some good things. Those uninhabited islands have been uninvolved all year round. Not to mention seafood, the shellfish on the reefs must be large and numerous.”

Awei said curiously: “You haven’t been there, how do you know?”

“Just say whether you want to go or not!”

This is his experience, how can it be false? I’m not sure about seafood, but there must be a lot of snails and shellfish.

“Whether we can borrow a boat is still a question. I’ll see tomorrow. If we can borrow one, let’s go together. Everyone will have a companion, otherwise I won’t be free in a few days.” A Guang said seriously.

“Okay, let’s go together.”

Except for the fat guy, Xiao Xiao and A Zheng, the four people who played cards all agreed. A Wei said he didn’t want to go. He didn’t gain much yesterday and he didn’t want to join in the fun.

(End)