Reborn in 1981: My Life as a Fisherman

"Seven catties, you're a lifesaver! Just in time, our boat is gone."

I'll go to the commune's shipyard to buy a boat in a bit.

Your two thousand yuan has been a huge help!

Shi Hailong spoke with a tone of gratitude, but also with a hint of helplessness and shock.

Refusing is impossible; refusing something like this would be putting Zheng Cuizhu in an awkward position in front of so many people.

I've failed to repay the kindness of this beauty!

Even if I don't need the two thousand yuan, I still have to accept it.

Furthermore, what does Zheng Cuizhu's ability to do this demonstrate?

Even if Shi Hailong has low emotional intelligence, he still knows what's going on.

However, Zheng Cuizhu was still puzzled when she heard that Shi Hailong's boat was gone. She turned her head and looked at Yang Guangtao and the other two.

And looking at the small boat belonging to the Shi family next to the three of them, she knew exactly what was going on.

She immediately frowned and said to Shi Hailong, "It seems that my brother Shanping just rented another boat from the brigade headquarters."

I'll go and call him over, and give the boat to your family first.

If you don't collect all those fish traps, they'll suffocate and you'll lose a lot of money..."

As Zheng Cuizhu spoke, she took out a handkerchief package with one hand and handed it directly to Shi Hailong.

Then, before Shi Hailong could say anything, she hurriedly left.

Many people who witnessed this scene reacted differently; some smiled knowingly, while others had complex expressions.

Meanwhile, the young men in the village who secretly loved Zheng Cuizhu were heartbroken.

Yang Guangtao, in particular, was heartbroken.

He was so regretful he wanted to beat himself up. If he had known that Shi Hailong would have directly expressed his feelings to the outside world, he would have won Zheng Cuizhu's favor.

He shouldn't have kept it all bottled up inside.

Yang Guangtao now believes that it was Shi Hailong who first publicly expressed his liking for Zheng Cuizhu before receiving a response from her.

What if he goes first?

It's easy to imagine how much Yang Guangtao regretted it. He had been thinking of waiting a year before having his family hire a matchmaker.

I never expected Shi Hailong to be so shameless. This guy has a really thick skin!

The three members of the Shi family did not leave. Since Zheng Cuizhu said she was going to find Zheng Shanping, they would wait no matter what the outcome was.

Both Shi's father and Shi Haifeng looked at Shi Hailong with strange smiles.

Especially Mr. Shi was genuinely overjoyed. He could tell that his second son and Zheng Cuizhu really had a chance.

He wasn't optimistic about it before, but now, looking at Qi Jin's appearance...

The thought that if his family married Zheng Cuizhu, the meager Shi family would instantly become different.

They have a lot of confidence now that they live in Lantau Village.

"Father, if Qi Jin finds a boat later, you and eldest brother can go and collect the fish traps."

I'll see if I can go with the supply and marketing cooperative's delivery ship to the commune's shipyard to take a look at the ship first.

"When you go to sell the goods, we can go together to confirm."

The supply and marketing cooperative received so much seafood this morning; it must be going to be delivered.

Therefore, Shi Hailong took the opportunity to separate from his father and elder brother and go ahead to finalize the booking of the boat.

He did this because he was worried that if he bought a larger ship, he would have to use his money.

It will be difficult to explain later.

Also, he wanted to ask Zheng Cuizhu if she wanted to come along.

If we go together, it will be a good opportunity to strengthen our relationship.

Shi Guangqian nodded, "That's good too. With so many fish traps, we'll definitely catch more fish today."

"The three of us couldn't really maneuver on the boat."

Just then, Zheng Cuizhu hurriedly returned, followed by Zheng Shanping.

When Zheng Shanping saw Shi Hailong, he immediately grinned, though it was fake, it was very bright.

He had no choice; he had to do as Qi Jin said.

Otherwise, if we offend this little devil, the whole family will make him suffer.

He didn't even want to think about the old lady calling him over and scolding him again.

Upon seeing Yang Guangtao and the others, Zheng Shanping merely offered an apologetic look before turning away from them.

"Brother Shanping, I'm so sorry."

Shi Hailong was already used to taking out cigarettes and offering them to Zheng Shanping, and even helped him light one.

Zheng Shanping was quite satisfied with Shi Hailong's attitude and nodded, saying:

"It's alright, I haven't finished making the fish traps yet anyway, you can use the boat first, it won't delay you."

Actually, I should thank you. Once the fish traps are finished and the harvest is plentiful, I'll treat you to drinks..."

Shi Hailong also exchanged a few polite words.

So, Shi Guangqian, along with Shi Haifeng, followed Zheng Shanping to his boat.

Seeing this scene, Yang Guangtao felt a tightness in his chest and an urge to vomit blood.

At this moment, Shi Hailong smiled at Zheng Cuizhu and said, "Seven catties, I'll go to the commune's shipyard with the supply and marketing cooperative boat in a while."

Why don't you come and take a look too?

Zheng Cuizhu became somewhat shy when facing Shi Hailong, and a slight blush appeared on her face.

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Go ahead, I need to go home and make a fish trap."

After we finish ours, we also need to help my uncle's contracted team; they need to make two hundred fish traps.

Shi Hailong felt a little regretful, but he also knew that these things couldn't be rushed.

It's good to get to know each other slowly like this.

It would be just right to get married in two years. At this point, the Zheng family would not allow Zheng Cuizhu to marry too early.

At least he has made progress, and quite a bit at that.

It's true that the first mover always wins!

"Alright, go ahead and get busy. I don't know how to thank you properly. I'll give you a little something when the ship is bought back..."

Zheng Cuizhu blushed slightly again, "Keep it for yourself, baby..."

Then Zheng Cuizhu turned and left, but with a happy expression on her face.

It seemed that she had helped Shi Hailong, which made her very happy.

Shi Hailong clutched the money wrapped in a handkerchief, watched Zheng Cuizhu walk away, and smiled slightly.

He raised his hand and took a sniff; sure enough, there was a faint scent of a young girl.

He then put the handkerchief bundle into his pocket and quickly went to the supply and marketing cooperative to inquire.

After speaking with Director Xu, he rushed home and briefly explained the situation to his mother and elder sister.

He went to the woods at the foot of the mountain, and soon came out again.

He went back to his room and soon came out carrying a red five-pointed star backpack.

Now that Zheng Cuizhu had pulled this stunt, Shi Hailong had become bolder.

He also decided to go directly onto the large ship, at least ten meters long.

It is equipped with an 18-horsepower diesel engine.

It's over ten thousand, so be it. Anyway, it's already like this, so I'm not afraid anymore.

If someone questions it, just ignore them.

With Zheng Cuizhu's actions, no one should be willing to report him for having unclear sources of funds.

This isn't just something he's overthinking; it actually happens. A couple of years ago, a family in the village ate braised pork for two days in a row and was reported for it.

……

At the commune shipyard, Shi Hailong arrived again and immediately began to look around.

Unlike the last time when I just glanced around, this time I was seriously choosing a boat, deciding on the size and type I wanted.

There is no uniform standard for the length-to-width ratio of wooden boats.

Depending on the requirements, the length is available in 5 meters, 7 meters, 10 meters, 13 meters, 15 meters, and 18 meters.

Moreover, most ships also have sails and masts.

The widths are 2 meters, 2.6 meters, 3 meters, 3.4 meters, and 4.1 meters.

The most common size is 2.6 meters.

Medium-sized ships include those with one-third sunshades, large ships are 15-meter and 18-meter in length, and some even have a bridge and crew cabin.

It was very simple, unlike the later steel ship cabins and crew quarters, which were much more elegant and beautiful.

In theory, ships between seven and fifteen meters are considered medium-sized, while those between fifteen and twenty-five meters are considered large.

A boat less than seven meters long is considered a small sampan, but actually a seven-meter boat also falls into the category of a small sampan.

Shi Hailong did not go to the person in charge of the shipyard immediately, but instead went to check it out by himself first.

He's a lifelong fisherman and knows all kinds of boats like the back of his hand.

I personally went aboard the ship to inspect the details, especially the size of the fish hold.

Now that ice plants already exist, there's no need for live water tanks; they can be used to store fresh water.

As for fuel tanks, they are impossible unless it's a steel ship.

At that time, fuel tanks were simply modified from existing sheet metal oil drums, making refueling very inconvenient.

A steel boat is 18 meters long, so the engine must be over 200 horsepower, otherwise it won't be able to run.

Therefore, for every meter the length of a boat increases, the engine horsepower increases exponentially.

Shi Hailong finally chose a ten-meter boat with an eighteen-horsepower diesel engine, which was just right.

The ship is three meters wide, which is just right.

There's no need to keep the broadband connection unchanged.

According to his plan, he wouldn't be using this boat for trawling.

If we start trawling in the future, we'll get a new boat, one that's at least 18 meters long.

It is equipped with a professional marine engine with over 220 horsepower.

A ten-meter boat with eighteen horsepower is hardly suitable for trawling.

But these days, we have to make do. After all, it's an economic reality; he can't exactly install a 100-horsepower engine right now.

The machine alone costs ten to twenty thousand yuan.

This ship also has sails and masts, which Shi Hailong specifically chose.

Because there are many advantages, such as if we run out of fuel at sea and the diesel engine breaks down.

Then there's no need to worry about not being able to come back.

Another option is to make slight modifications and use the mast to create a lifting pole device.

He can do that himself.

Hundreds of kilograms of fish will be easily hoisted onto the boat.

What is the most tiring thing for fishermen these days?

Yes, it's about pulling the net onto the boat, either from the sides of the boat.

A catch of one or two hundred pounds of fish, plus the weight of the fishing net itself, is too much for two or three people to handle.

Moreover, it's not like we only pull one net, nor is it that each net contains only one or two hundred kilograms.

Therefore, lifting equipment is needed to control the number of people boarding the ship.

Even without trawling, a good catch using tidal nets can yield several hundred kilograms of fish.