Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 480 Masts Collapsed and Oars Destroyed

The four of them carried two umbrellas, but they still got soaked when they reached the lakeside because of the strong wind.

The boss's boat is a small diesel boat that can carry about ten people at a time. It belongs to the hotel and he can use it.

The group of people ran to the lakeside and jumped onto the boat, laughing and joking. The boat had a canopy, so at least the rain wouldn't get directly on their heads. The plastic chairs were soaked with rainwater, so the three of them had to stand and hold onto the pillars of the canopy.

The boss was behind, untied the mooring rope, and then got on the boat to start it. Starting a diesel boat is quite simple; he pulled the rope three or four times, and the engine roared to life. The boss gave the boat a push and then jumped on.

Slowly propelled by the thrust, the boat swayed towards the lake. After drifting about ten meters, the owner put on the oars, took the rudder, and the boat headed towards the lake.

Although the water surface is only five or six hundred meters wide, the feeling changes after you get a certain distance from the shore. It was raining, and the mountains in all directions were shrouded in rain and mist. The sky and the water blended into one, and you couldn't see very far. Suddenly, the wind and waves seemed to pick up, and the boat rocked violently.

The boss was used to it and said with a smile, "Sit tight and hold on, don't fall."

The water surface looks calm from a distance, but you only realize it's not flat when you get closer. Although it's just a small lake, the waves in the wind and rain are still nearly a meter high. As you get further and further away from the shore, standing on the boat, you feel that the waves are higher than the gunwale, as if they are about to rush in at any moment. Moreover, the boat rocks even more violently, as if it will capsize at any second.

Chen Hui gripped the pillar tightly and said, "Damn, it feels like it's about to capsize. I didn't feel this bad at sea last time."

Xiao Wei said, "It's windy here. I was thinking, the waves are so big on such a narrow stretch of water. Imagine how big the waves are on places like Taihu Lake and Dongting Lake! I used to think that the description of howling winds and collapsing masts and oars in the Yueyang Tower Inscription was an exaggeration. Now I think it's a true description. It must be even scarier than what he wrote."

Looking at the sky, water, rain, and surging waves outside, Chen Hui said, "The wind howls, the turbid waves surge, the sun and stars are hidden, and the mountains are shrouded in mist. Merchants cannot travel, and masts and oars will be broken." At least we can feel the turbid waves surging and the mountains shrouded in mist now. If the waves were any bigger, the masts and oars would be broken. In those days, all boats were rowed wooden boats. He shook his head and said, "Nature is too terrifying."

The hotel owner said, "It will be almost finished when the Guanyin Pavilion is built. You can come and visit then. Once the lake is finished, it will be several thousand meters long and tens of kilometers wide. It will be really exciting to float on the lake for a while on a windy or rainy day. I estimate the waves will be at least two or three meters high."

Xiao Wei asked, "Why are the waves bigger the wider the river?"

The boss said, "Waves are created by surging force. They surge to the edge and then rebound. When the two forces collide, waves are formed. The wider the lake, the stronger the surging force. Look at the ocean; there are hardly any waves near the shore. Go a few kilometers inland and try it, right?"

Chen Hui said, "How many kilometers? Last time in Bayuquan, I couldn't stand it after only a few hundred meters. It felt like the boat was diving into the water, and the water was getting darker and darker and surging upwards. It was terrifying."

The boss laughed and said, "You definitely can't swim. You should learn; it's always good to have more skills, you never know when you might need them."

Chen Hui glanced at the boss silently. Xia Maosheng laughed. Of the three, he was the only one who could swim. The Daling River was right next to Longcheng. He had been swimming in the river since he was a child. Chen Hui was in Fengtian City. The biggest river near Xiao Wei's old home was one meter deep and three meters wide.

The boatman turned the steering wheel a few times, slowing it down. It circled a section of the lake, revealing a few bamboo poles sticking out of the water, but nothing else was clearly visible. After circling twice, the boat started heading back. Xiao Wei asked, "Is that all? Just came here for a quick look?"

The boss laughed and said, "What else do you want? Do you expect me to jump down and fix it? It's just that the waves are a bit high today, and I'm worried the pole might fall over. If the pole falls, the net will slip away. It's quite a hassle to set this net next time, and I'll have to pay someone to do it."

Xia Maosheng asked, "Boss, why don't you use a casting net? It would be much better to catch them as needed. One net can last for many days, and there should be quite a few fish in this lake."

The boss laughed and said, "I'm not a professional fisherman, where would I get a casting net? Besides, would they let you fish however you want? We'd be fighting every day. This is just a small area they've fenced off for me. The area inside is mine, the area outside is none of my business. Whatever comes in is what nature provides. I'll use whatever comes in. If I don't come in, I'll have to go out and buy it."

Chen Hui asked, "What do you mean by not coming in? Do you ever run out of fish?"

The boss said, "That's just what I said. How could that be? There are always some fish in the lake, wherever there's water. My net is facing the shore, so no big fish can get in. The water is shallow here, so it's all worthless fish. Otherwise, the reservoir contractor wouldn't be able to do this. He gets over 100,000 yuan a year for the contract."

Xiao Wei asked, "Did you breed these fish yourself?"

The boss said, "There's a bit of that. We'll supplement the crop, but most of them are naturally grown. If we just plant seedlings in such a big reservoir, it'll be a disaster. No matter how much money he has, he can't afford to mess it up. Managing a reservoir is all about relying on the weather; it's basically just sitting around waiting for money to fall from the sky."

Xiao Wei said, "Then why don't you cover it up? Can't you find connections too?"

The boss said, "They've already taken the lead. As soon as the reservoir was built, they figured out the connections. Besides, now they think 100,000 isn't much. Who could have come up with that amount a few years ago? They've really gone all in. You can't do things like prying someone out of business. Whether you can even pry them out is another matter. It's bound to result in someone's death."

Chen Hui said, "Boss, why don't you add some other projects? You're just sitting here at the hotel selling food. You need to find a way to attract people. Like this reservoir, you should add some boats and water activities. Honestly, what are people coming here for as it is? Just to see the water and the scenery?"

The boss chuckled and said, "Of course it's just about the scenery. The scenery here is amazing! In autumn, the mountains are ablaze with red leaves. We make a living from those few days when the leaves turn red. I've thought about what you're saying, and I've even gone out to investigate. Who would go? If I went, who would benefit in the end? They wouldn't agree to let me work on the reservoir. Besides, even if I did work on the reservoir, would it make me any money?"

Xiao Wei said, "Boss, you're thinking wrong. You run a hotel and restaurant. No matter who invests in this project or whether you can make money from it, the more people there are, the more your hotel and restaurant will thrive, right? You have to think from this perspective. Even if you don't make a penny from other people's investment in the project, you'll still make a profit in the end."

(End of this chapter)