sbdcsierra Chapter 1903 The Zhang Family Goes to Sea
Chapter 1903 The Zhang Family Goes to Sea
Chapter 1903 Returning Home and Setting Sail
Ye Yaodong was also busy and didn't have time to stay until the start of the semester. After resting for a day in Shanghai and taking his father to visit various factories, they went directly to Zhoushan.
He made a phone call in advance to arrange a boat, and after arriving in Zhoushan, he stayed overnight before arranging for Mr. and Mrs. Ye to board the boat.
Both elderly people are over 60 years old and can't run around at a high intensity anymore. They need to rest when they go somewhere.
Both were excited as they boarded the ship home. After being away for so long, they naturally missed home and were eager to return.
Ye Yaodong also developed the photos for them to take with them, enough for them to talk to their fellow villagers about during the New Year.
After seeing his parents off on the ship, he then began to busy himself with matters at the factory.
He couldn't get away to go back himself. Apart from the 11 Dong Sheng fishing boats, all the other fishing boats were still stuck in the port and hadn't gone out to sea. He also had to start arranging for these boats.
However, he couldn't arrange for them all to be sent out immediately. He needed to check the weather again to see if any typhoons were forming in the sea area in the near future.
To avoid ending up like Ah Zheng did, where he went out and cast the net, only to have to pull it up again within two hours and frantically run back.
However, the preliminary preparations still need to be started. He doesn't need to do these things personally now; he just needs to give instructions, and the captains of each ship will take care of the arrangements.
As soon as A-Zheng received the message from him that the fishing boats were preparing to go out to sea, he immediately came to find him.
Seeing the open office door, he knocked a few times to give a heads-up before swaggering inside.
"Dongzi, when are we going to sea?"
Ye Yaodong put down his pen. "Has your ship been repaired?"
"It's been fine for a while now. They said it wasn't an engine problem, but improper operation. The ship has been docked for many days now, just waiting for you to come back and help me make money."
"Then you should also make preparations. If the wind and waves are not too strong recently, then set off. I'll be done with my work in a few days anyway."
"Alright, then I'll get ready too." Ah Zheng was eager to make a big splash and wash away the previous humiliation.
“Ah Guang said that after arranging for his fishing boat to go to DYD, he would board your partner’s boat and go to the high seas with you.”
“I know, he told me yesterday, this is the best thing that could happen.”
"Then you all get ready. Tomorrow, the Ocean Cruiser will depart for the DYD fishing grounds, and the day after tomorrow, the East Fishing Cruiser will head out to the high seas fishing grounds."
"Okay, then I'll go prepare now and won't disturb you while you're working."
Ye Yaodong nodded, picked up his pen, and continued to look through the documents.
The weather in September was still very hot. The office fan was whirring and blowing hot air.
He rarely stays in the office, so there is no air conditioning in the office. He feels more comfortable with natural wind than air conditioning.
After reviewing the documents in his hand, Ye Yaodong turned on the radio and listened to the weather forecast.
The sea conditions have been relatively stable these past few days, and the meteorological observatory has not issued any typhoon warnings, making it a good time to go out to sea.
He closed the document, got up, and walked to the nautical chart hanging on the wall.
He knew the routes of the DYD fishing grounds and the high seas fishing grounds by heart, but he still habitually traced them on the map with his finger.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
The captain of the Ocean 1 entered, holding a stack of forms: "Boss, the supplies for several Ocean ships have been loaded, the ice oil has been filled, the bills have been submitted to the finance department, and the crew has been arranged."
"Ah."
Ye Yaodong took the form and glanced at it. "Tell the others that we're leaving at four o'clock tomorrow morning, taking advantage of the tide. Once we get there, don't rush to cast the nets; check on the other boats first."
"Understood. I'll go and inform them. After two months of rest, they've all become lazy. We need to get them back on track. They can't go out at night."
"Ah."
After everyone left, Ye Yaodong processed several more forms that had just been delivered, all of which were forms for fuel applications and fishing net replacements from various ships.
He signed each one, calculating in his mind the costs of this trip—fuel, ice, labor, and losses—which added up to a considerable sum.
But we still have to go out. If the ship is stuck in the harbor, only going out and not coming in, even the biggest fortune can't withstand such a drain.
After finishing all that, he glanced at his watch and saw it was already 3 p.m. He lay down on the recliner next to him, intending to take a nap, since he had just finished his work.
Before the fishing boats set off in the early morning, he also got up early to go and see. The lights on the dock were already on, and the crew of the Yuanyang were still doing the final checks. There were shadows moving on the deck.
The night breeze carried the salty smell of the sea. If the weather doesn't change and nothing unexpected happens, the boats will all be out the day after tomorrow, and fishing can resume.
Only after all the fishing boats had set off did he return to the factory to catch up on some sleep.
I called Lin Xiuqing after daybreak to tell him that he was going out to sea the day after tomorrow and that I should write to him if I couldn't reach him.
"Have your parents arrived home yet?" Lin Xiuqing asked with concern.
"Probably not yet. They'll call me to let me know they've arrived safely. I guess they'll be home tonight."
"Now I'll have something to brag about when I get back to the village. All the neighbors will be so envious."
"They have always been the envy of the villagers, even though none of their children went to school."
“He started school yesterday. He registered on the 1st and started school on Monday the 2nd. You should also tell Chenghu and his girlfriend to come back early. Don’t let them stay until the last day. They need to rest for a few days.”
"Well, I'll mention it again when we run into each other."
After hanging up the phone, Ye Yaodong dozed off for a while on the recliner; he had gotten up too early that morning.
He finished up all the remaining tasks at the factory and arranged everything for the Canton Fair, instructing them to buy four more group tickets.
If he doesn't explain this, Ye Xiaoxi will be furious every time she sees him again.
The sea conditions in international waters will be relatively calm for the next week, with a gentle southeasterly wind of force 3 or 4. However, the forecast for the next two weeks is inaccurate and cannot be predicted.
He departed as planned and notified all ships two days in advance.
Knowing that he was going out to sea the next day, Ye Chenghu took the initiative to come and find him.
"You've come at the perfect time. I was just about to tell you that I'm going out to sea tomorrow and might not be back until the Lunar New Year. Your mother said on the phone that school starts soon and you should go home early and be careful on your journey."
Ye Chenghu nodded: "I know, we've discussed it too. We're leaving the day after tomorrow, and the tickets are already bought."
"That's good. Study for another year and you'll graduate. Don't fail any courses, and don't just focus on dating. Put more effort into your major courses."
"I know. University is supposed to be free. As long as I complete my major coursework on time, the school doesn't care about dating."
"I don't care if you're in a relationship, just don't cause anyone to get pregnant."
"What murder? That sounds so alarming... a human life?"
Ye Chenghu didn't react at first, but after he realized what was happening, he was stunned and felt very uncomfortable.
"Dad, don't talk nonsense. You're meddling too much. I'm leaving."
He fled in panic.
That evening, Ye Yaodong also received a call from his parents. They had arrived home safely, and he could even hear his father panting heavily. He guessed that his father had made the call as soon as he put down his luggage.
"You and my mother are the only ones carrying the luggage? Can't you ask someone else for help?"
"It's just a few steps from the village entrance, it's fine."
"I'm going out to sea early tomorrow morning. If nothing goes wrong, I probably won't be back on shore until before the New Year. I'll write back then."
"Okay, whatever you do. I know you're waiting for us to call and let you know we're safe, so you'll call as soon as you get back. But let's not talk about that now, we need to help your mother pack her luggage and greet the neighbors. There are a lot of people at home, and they'll all come over when they see us."
"No wonder it sounded so noisy and the laughter was so loud."
"Knowing we were coming back from the capital, everyone saw us at the door and naturally came home with us. The house is very lively right now. Your mother is talking to them about taking the plane. I'll talk to you later; I need to greet these relatives and neighbors first."
Mr. Ye hung up after saying only a few words, probably because there were quite a few people around and he was in a hurry.
Ye Yaodong chuckled as he listened to the sound of the phone hanging up.
The two old folks will be the envy of the villagers when they come back from their trip to Beijing.
The next morning, as the sun rose and the sea shimmered with golden light, several fishing boats and the fish-collecting vessel completed their final inspection and reporting.
Learning from Ah Zheng's experience, everyone did a second check, and only after confirming that there were no problems did they decide to set off.
At 6 a.m., the fleet lined up in order and departed the port on time.
The lights of the dock gradually faded into the distance, and the houses, boats, and people on the shore shrank into blurry shadows, finally disappearing into the night.
Ye Yaodong stood outside the cockpit, looking at the sea ahead. The night breeze carried a salty, fishy smell and felt cool. He took a deep breath and felt more refreshed.
The captain poked his head out of the cockpit: "Boss, go to the rest cabin and take a nap. The ship has just set sail, nothing will happen. We still have a few days before we reach our destination."
"Okay, I know. I'll go rest in a bit."
Even if the fishing boat has just set sail, and even if it reaches its destination, it will only be a mascot. There will be no accidents, and it won't need to do anything else.
It's a bit boring. Ah Zheng and Ah Guang are on their own boat right now, and there's no one to talk to beside him. He can only chat with them through the walkie-talkie on the public channel.
I felt a little embarrassed for occupying the public channel to chat, so I just said a few words and went to rest.
Before leaving, he went to the cockpit to check the instrument panel and other equipment, and then scanned the sea with binoculars. Everything was normal.
The voyage is boring, and now, apart from those on watch, most of the crew members are watching videotapes in the restaurant.
He wasn't very interested; it would be crowded and the restaurant was already stuffy.
Around noon, the fleet sailed out of the nearshore waters and into the deep waters. The color of the seawater deepened, changing from light blue to dark blue, stretching as far as the eye could see. Occasionally, a few seagulls would fly by, cry out a few times, and then fly away again.
After finishing his meal, he looked at the nautical chart and calculated the arrival time.
In the afternoon, some waves rose on the sea, and the boat began to rise and fall rhythmically, but not much, and all within a safe range.
The crew members rested or took night watch, but Ye Yaodong was not sleepy and leaned against the ship's railing, looking at the sea.
As the sun set, the entire western sky turned orange-red, the sea was dyed a golden-red, and the shadows of the fleet stretched long.
(End of this chapter)