Reborn in 1981: My Life as a Fisherman

In one morning, Shi Hailong had learned almost everything about this smuggling distribution center.

He also casually inquired about the exchange rate of silver dollars.

It's around eighteen yuan.

Of course, Shi Hailong only asked casually and did not continue, so the price was still negotiable.

For lunch, I had oyster omelet, oyster pancakes, and pot-side rice noodles. I bought a little of each to try.

These snacks left him with fond memories.

I have plenty of oysters at home, but I just can't recreate the taste of the old shops on the street.

Instead of staying here in the afternoon, I went to the county's agricultural machinery bureau.

Then I went to the supply and marketing cooperative building.

The supply and marketing cooperative building truly has everything, not just food, drinks, and clothing.

Most importantly, there are also various kinds of fishing gear.

This is what Shi Hailong cares about most.

He wanted to see the price of waders and also whether supply and marketing cooperatives nowadays sell underwater goggles.

Believe it or not, they really do exist. Not only masks, but also snorkels and fins are available.

The snorkeling kit is complete.

Shi Hailong could tell at a glance that they were all imported.

He also saw several sea fishing rods, and from the Japanese writing on them, he knew they were also imported.

And some imported fishing gear products.

Most of the things he saw on the street selling smuggled goods could also be found at the supply and marketing cooperative.

Shi Hailong was in a good mood; these were all things he needed.

Especially the imported diving suits and the expensive diving lights.

It's a headband-style device, so it's convenient to use even without diving.

The price is just too high.

All the items he had his eye on would cost a little over a thousand.

It's absolutely terrifying.

A snorkeling three-piece set that cost a few dozen yuan in later years now costs nearly three hundred yuan.

That's enough to buy two bicycles.

But Shi Hailong was surprised to see that people were actually buying them.

Judging from the man's clothing, age, skin color, and his rough, calloused hands.

Shi Hailong knew that this was an old fisherman.

It's probably also part of the household responsibility system, where they contracted out motorboats and sailboats.

These days, it's not that there aren't people who can come up with several thousand at once; they all have deep financial resources.

Just like the three major surnames in Lantau Village, it shouldn't be difficult for one of the major surnames to raise several thousand or tens of thousands of dollars.

Shi Hailong didn't buy anything; he was just looking around the market.

What equipment is available?

Be fully aware of the situation.

At this time in his past life, he was young and knew nothing, completely clueless.

After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative building, Shi Hailong returned to the construction site.

After spending three days in the county town, Shi Hailong returned to Haichao Town by car on the fourth day.

His ten silver dollars were exchanged for RMB, which came to 22.1 yuan.

He now has 220 yuan.

This is his initial capital; he needs to manage it well.

He didn't buy anything; if he needed anything, he would go back to the town or the village's supply and marketing cooperative.

Going to buy it is the same.

The supply and marketing cooperative system is great; as long as there's a supply and marketing cooperative in the county, you can go to the supply and marketing cooperative in the village.

It is also possible to order the goods.

Upon arriving in town, Shi Hailong decided to visit the dock.

One reason was to see if there were any ferries back to Lantau Village.

Also, take a look at the shipyard.

The shipyard was state-owned, and the boats were all old-fashioned wooden boats, ranging from small sampans of five or six meters.

Motorboats ranging from ten to twenty meters in length can be found here.

Steel ships have to be built at shipyards in the city.

At that time, steel ships were not something that cost only a few thousand dollars.

Small-scale households don't build them; steel ships are all large vessels.

Shi Hailong remembers that in his previous life, around this time, there was a steel ship with a forward-mounted bridge that was over 20 meters long.

The price should be around 50,000.

However, the rear-mounted network setup is indeed very convenient.

It's much easier than the 15-meter wooden motorboats currently used by the production team, which have a rear-mounted bridge and allow for access to the internet from both sides of the boat.

In a few years, there will be 15-meter and 18-meter steel ships, but they will be more expensive than the current 20-meter steel ships.

Because the price of ships has been rising rapidly every year since then.

By the early 1990s, even a 15-meter steel ship cost around 120,000 to 150,000 yuan.

Therefore, Shi Hailong thought he couldn't fall behind and had to get started as soon as possible.

Because falling behind even once means falling behind at every step, and the gap between you and the wealthy will only widen.

Of course, the soaring price of fishing boats is also because boat owners and captains are really making money.

Earning several thousand dollars per voyage on a large ship is effortless.

If you're lucky, you can easily break even within a year.

The shipyard in Haichao Town is located on a beach near the sea.

The people working inside were all slow and unhurried.

That's how state-owned enterprises are; shipbuilding is a craft, and everyone there is a master craftsman.

Shi Hailong walked in without anyone stopping him.

It was originally open to the elements, so there couldn't possibly be any gates or walls.

I looked around but didn't ask the price. There was no need; I couldn't afford it at this point.

After standing and watching the old ash-making master sifting ash for a while, I took another look at the existing boats in the factory.

Not only are there semi-finished products, but there are also several finished ships, which look like nobody wants them.

That's true. The production teams have all contracted production to individual households. If no production team buys it, it can only sit there.

It's not that no one can afford to buy a boat now, but rather that those who are capable are all thinking of taking over the production team's boat.

His main purpose this time was to take a look and select a boat size that suited him.

He doesn't want to use trawling nets for the time being; he'll just use fish traps, longline fishing, and the like.

If possible, we should also make some sticky netting.

Then we go to nearby islands and reefs to go beachcombing or snorkeling to search for seafood.

At most, prepare one more hand-thrown net.

Why didn't Shi Hailong want to use trawling nets for fishing?

Because it was an eight- or nine-meter-long wooden boat with an eight-horsepower diesel engine.

Trawls are strenuous, the boat is small, and it's difficult for one person to operate.

Most importantly, we need to ask someone to come aboard and help.

He didn't want to hire anyone else until his father and elder brother left the contracting group.

It's not that we're unwilling to pay wages, but rather that human nature is a very complex thing.

He spent most of his past life sailing, so he understands human nature all too well.

There are three great hardships in life: running a boat, blacksmithing, and grinding tofu.

The situation was better with the contracted fleet; there were many people, so it wasn't a big deal.

But if you ask someone for help and gain too much from a small boat, people will become unbalanced.

The more tired and miserable you are, the more unbalanced you become.

He couldn't possibly distribute the harvest according to the yield; that would be even more disastrous.

Human nature is insatiable; once you start distributing rewards based on what you get, you're really just asking for trouble.

Even the best of friends and relatives can eventually turn against each other.

Besides one's own family.

Even family members, what if the eldest brother marries an unreasonable sister-in-law?

That will eventually lead to unpleasantness.

Therefore, don't hire people for small boats unless you buy a large boat.

Even a large ship must be wary of people's hearts.

It's alright if you're near the coast, but if you're out at sea for a few days, you could easily get into serious trouble.

Shi Hailong, with his advanced age, had long since seen through it all.

There are too many examples from past lives; they were all terrified of poverty and couldn't stand seeing others making money off the sea every day...

So, he initially planned to do it alone, but if his father had time, he could ask him to come and help.

His plan for the next few years was to start with a small motorized wooden boat.

Then I'll figure out how to marry a good wife.

Build a house made of blue bricks, enclose a large courtyard, and ideally include that ancient banyan tree as well.

We will build large fishing boats when the market is fully liberalized in 1984 or 1985.

Back then, it was possible to sell silver dollars and gold bars discreetly, without making others envious.

With large fishing boats, you can go deep into the ocean to fish, and that's where you can really make big money.

Now all we need is a small wooden boat, that's enough.

Even so, it still needs to be made reasonable and somewhat lucky.

Otherwise, you'll incur jealousy and be vulnerable to sabotage.

Those who have made a name for themselves in recent years have rarely had a good ending, let alone someone like Shi, whose family background is too weak.

He's planning to rent a boat now and go dig for some abalone from the reef.

All of these may involve uncertain risks.

The risk doesn't come from the sea, but from the hearts of the people in the village.

It's okay if everyone is poor, we're all doing just fine, but why are you so lucky to get rich?

Like last time, during the fishing season, everyone had something to catch, so nothing happened.

But such a good thing only happens once every few years.

Shi Hailong knew all too well how dark reality was and how terrifying people's hearts could be.

The better ones are falsely accused and imprisoned for two years, just like those who have emerged in recent years.

They almost disappeared at sea...

In a past life, there was a member of the Chen family who bought a boat a few years later and made a fortune fishing. He was too high-profile and boastful.

He was then targeted by the town's thugs, who kidnapped his child...

This was the wild 1980s!

It was also an era of repeated crackdowns!

It was also an era of dramatic changes in people's thinking...

After leaving the shipyard, we returned to the bay dock area, which was bustling with activity and crowds of people.

Shi Hailong, with his sharp eyes, seemed to spot a familiar face in the distance and ran over.

When Shi Hailong learned that it was Director Xu from the Dayu Village Supply and Marketing Cooperative, he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

There's a boat to take us back.

The supply and marketing cooperative has its own cargo ships, which are powered by diesel engines.

However, it costs one cent to take a ride.

Don't even think about it if you don't pay.

Shi Hailong, naturally not caring about a penny, immediately stepped forward to greet him.

He also took out the cigarettes that Yang Guangming had bought for him; it was a pack of Shanghai Daqianmen cigarettes, which were considered mid-range.

The price is 35 cents a pack.

At that time, Zhonghua cigarettes were a rare find.

Shanghai Peony: 49 cents.

The fare in Lujiang, within this province, is 26 cents, and in Gutian, it's 18 cents.

"Director Xu, when are you going back? I'd like to catch a boat... and have a smoke..."

When Xu Changxin heard the voice, he turned around and saw that it was the second son of the Shi family.

He wasn't in a good mood at first, but when a cigarette was offered to him, he immediately hummed in agreement and took it.

Shi Hailong struck a match and helped Director Xu light it, after which Director Xu said:

"We'll have to wait a bit longer, until the goods are loaded and then we'll leave..."