Reborn in 1981: My Life as a Fisherman

Zheng Shangang didn't take Shi Hailong's words seriously.

He wanted to be a worker, which sounded appealing, and his father had also said that if he did well, he would be promoted to a permanent position.

Most importantly, it's easier to find a wife if you become a worker.

Chen Dabiao thought for a moment and asked, "Hailong, did your parents give you the capital?"

This statement once again drew everyone's attention, and everyone was curious about where Shi Hailong got his capital.

They didn't believe that Shi Hailong's parents would give him money to test some new fishing mechanism.

Let alone trying out new gadgets, even buying a bamboo roller from a bamboo weaver in Zhuxigou would probably be a long shot.

A rolling drum isn't cheap; the small one costs more than two yuan, and the large one costs more than five yuan.

Going into the sea can easily result in being swept away by the tide.

It's also prone to rotting, and its lifespan isn't long.

At the foot of the western wall of the production team's warehouse, there were piles of broken and tattered tin cans.

Shi Hailong gave a deliberately smug smile, then muttered in a low, mystical voice:

"I have my own money. I went to the county town this time and got some..."

This immediately piqued everyone's curiosity.

"Tell us quickly, how did you get it? We want one too..."

Chen Dabiao was the most anxious, genuinely anxious.

Shi Hailong glanced at everyone, observed their expressions, and then said in a low voice:

"Do you guys remember the coconut snail I found on the beach last year that weighed over two pounds?"

Upon hearing this question, Chen Dabiao, Zheng Shangang, Chen Shengqiang, and the others all nodded subconsciously.

However, their eyes looked somewhat blank.

Did you find it?

It looks like you found it, right?

Chen Dabiao looked slightly bewildered, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Hailong, you didn't actually find a bead, did you?"

This reminded everyone, and they all suddenly realized what was happening.

Shi Hailong neither admitted nor denied it, but simply smiled and remained silent.

It would be best if someone could fill in the blanks for him.

Although Shi Hailong did not admit it, everyone believed from his expression that he had sold the beads.

Only then did Shi Hailong have money.

Zheng Shangang asked curiously, "I heard those conch beads are very valuable. How much did you sell them for?"

This is also the question that Chen Dabiao and others wanted to ask.

But Shi Hailong couldn't say anything at this moment, he just laughed and took out a cigarette again.

"Come on, have a smoke..."

Then everyone was given another cigarette, and the cigarette pack was now flat.

Then, after everyone lit their cigarettes, he said, "It's enough for just a few of us to know this."

Don't tell anyone else, I only told you guys because I consider you my best buddies...

Even though Shi Hailong didn't mention how much money he made, Chen Dabiao and the others were all itching to get their hands on it.

But since Shi Hailong wouldn't say, they didn't feel comfortable asking any further.

But in his heart, he was wondering how much money Shi Hailong had.

Chen Shengqiang, however, had other thoughts in his mind.

I remember there was a pale yellow bead at home.

It's still in his mother's old kitchen cabinet drawer.

If I secretly take it to the county town and sell it, wouldn't I have enough money to buy a hunting rifle?

Even if you can't buy that shotgun, buying an air gun is a good alternative.

Chen Shengqiang desperately wanted a gun.

Shi Hailong never imagined that his fabricated story about a legitimate source of funds would lead to Chen Shengqiang being severely beaten.

Some of it came from society, and some from his father.

Shi Hailong really didn't have any conch shells, but Chen Shengqiang's family really did.

Conch pearls are extremely rare; you might collect coconut conches your whole life and still not find a single one.

Just as Shi Hailong was about to get up and go into the supply and marketing cooperative to inquire about the prices of materials.

Someone shouted, "Look, the fleet is returning..."

Immediately, everyone looked towards the dock.

From afar, you could see many sails on the sea.

Before long, many men, women, and children came out of the village, all smiling and heading to the dock.

Shi Hailong also saw his mother and eldest sister, both of them carrying bamboo baskets.

Many people are the same, jumping around in bamboo baskets and wicker baskets.

Judging from this, this catch is going to be dried.

The three contracted groups would usually sell their catch in town first.

Then, retrieve the receipt from the town's supply and marketing cooperative or the state-owned aquatic products company's purchasing point.

The receipt should be given to the brigade's accountant, who will then settle the accounts.

During this period, the production team also had various tasks and targets to complete.

Fresh and salted fish, dried goods, how much each year?

The model is basically the same as that of the production team era.

However, it's not so complicated for private individuals to sell at designated collection points, and they won't need to go through all that trouble or get any permits.

After all, private fishing operations can't possibly catch tens of thousands of kilograms at a time.

You can sell them directly at the village's supply and marketing cooperative.

In the evenings, the supply and marketing cooperative would send boats to deliver goods to the town.

"Shi Hailong, are you smoking...?"

The roar of the Stone Mother made Shi Hailong tremble, and he instantly dropped the cigarette in his hand.

"Just lit it, haven't smoked it yet, Da Biao gave me the cigarettes..."

Shi Hailong, with a grin, directly shifted the blame.

From a distance, Shi's mother glared at Shi Hailong and Chen Dabiao.

Chen Dabiao was extremely frustrated, but then he heard his mother's roar.

"Biaozi, you debt collector, have you stolen money from home again...?"

Chen Dabiao immediately shifted the blame, shouting, "Mom, the cigarettes weren't mine, they belonged to Qiangzi..."

Chen Shengqiang didn't care; he smoked anyway, and his family didn't object.

A group of women walked away, laughing and talking.

Shi Hailong and the others also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hailong, you're not being fair..." Chen Dabiao said with a smile.

Shi Hailong and the others burst into laughter, then Shi Hailong asked:

"Aren't you going to help out at the docks?"

"No, there are too many people..."

"I'm not going either..."

"It's going to be a huge pile of small fish again, and I don't know how long I'll be busy cleaning them..."

Upon hearing this, Shi Hailong glanced at the drying yard in front of the supply and marketing cooperative.

More than half of the area has already been exposed to the sun.

He stopped arguing with these people and turned to enter the supply and marketing cooperative.

Upon entering the supply and marketing cooperative, Shi Hailong did not see Director Xu, but only Director Xu's wife and two other employees from the purchasing points.

Shi Hailong started by inquiring about the price of machine-woven netting, then the price of iron wire, and the netting cord, etc.

After inquiring about the price, Shi Hailong did some mental calculations.

To make ten 10-meter-long fish cages, the materials will cost approximately 150 yuan.

That's really not cheap!

The main reason is that machine-woven netting is expensive. It is woven with high-quality plastic thread, and the mesh size is only a little over one centimeter.

Then there's galvanized iron wire, size 10.

If it's too thin, the resulting fish trap will be too soft. Size 8 is actually the most suitable, but it's much more expensive.

Shi Hailong plans to make ten first, each about ten meters long.

When it's time to release them, they can be placed separately on the beach, or in the sea.

They can be grouped into sets of five.

That is, two groups.

The width of machine-woven mesh is fixed.

It's four meters wide, cut right in the middle, and two meters wide to make a cage, with each side fifty centimeters wide.

The finished cage mesh is 50 by 50.

After making the calculations in his mind, Shi Hailong took out his money and started buying materials.

We can't delay any longer; the temperature is about to drop, and the water will be too cold then.

It would be more troublesome if he dived down to pry open the abalone.

Just as Shi Hailong finished buying the necessary materials, Chen Dabiao and the others came in.

Then everyone helped to take Shi Hailong home.

Everyone was also very curious about what kind of fishing cage Shi Hailong would make.

After being sent back to the Shi family, Chen Dabiao went to the supply and marketing cooperative on his way home.

I asked Shi Hailong how much he had just spent.