sbdcsierra Chapter 1602 Home
Chapter 1602 Home
Chapter 1602 Going Home
The factory stopped working on the 20th of the lunar calendar. All the goods that needed to be shipped had been shipped the day before, and the entire factory had been tidied up, with everything locked up and people arranged to stay on duty.
They had planned to have a holiday early on, so their retreat was not rushed and was carried out in an orderly and well-organized manner.
However, on the morning before he left, he and his father checked the factory inside and out to make sure that everything that needed to be locked was locked before they felt at ease. He also made a phone call home.
It was almost noon when he finally set off with a large group of people.
Not all the ships at the dock were sailed back. Only three new ships were planned to be taken back, while the rest that needed maintenance were taken to the local shipyard in advance.
Since the boat isn't being used during the Lunar New Year holiday, it won't waste time. We can use it directly after the holiday.
Ye Yaodong led a large group of people onto the car, and they drove from the processing plant to the dormitory camp to pick up the others before heading to the dock.
The factory employs mostly veterans, so there weren't many people when they left the factory, only twenty or thirty.
But when they came out of the dormitory base camp, the four tractors and one truck were all packed with people.
Some of the boat captains couldn't wait and knew there were too many people and it would be difficult to get a ride. They weren't Ye Yaodong's workers, so they organized their own boat's workers to carry their luggage to their respective boats at the dock to wait.
Several vehicles followed closely behind, and the people in the vehicles were all wearing the same factory uniforms. Passersby would look up in surprise when they saw the people in the vehicles.
"Oh, look... all these people in these cars are wearing the same clothes, those are Dong Sheng Fishery uniforms..."
"It seems so. I've been seeing these clothes a lot lately coming and going at the dock. Dong Sheng Fisheries is quite famous for them."
"Wow, all these trucks are from Dong Sheng Fisheries?"
Where are these truckloads of people going? To the dock? Are they going out to sea?
"Is that Dongyu No. 1, the largest ship in Hong Kong, finally going to set sail?"
"That ship has been docked in the port for many days. I can see it every day, and I can see Dong Sheng Fisheries people coming and going to unload cargo, but I haven't seen the ship move. Is it finally going to move now?"
"With such a big ship, how much cargo can it catch on one voyage? It must be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars per ship!"
"Just look at all these people in those cars, you can tell this company is definitely no smaller than a fishing company. My goodness, can private enterprises now grow bigger than state-owned ones?"
"What's the point of comparing? Dong Sheng Fishery's ship is the biggest in the whole port right now. They also have military connections. I've even fought in wars. We can't underestimate them."
As they made their way to the dock, they attracted the attention of passersby. Cars and people were coming and going, so they could only drive slowly.
Some of the chatter on the street reached their ears by the wind, and everyone looked at their clothes with great pride.
Since the factory uniforms were issued, everyone has been wearing them conscientiously, wearing their own clothes underneath and the ones issued on top.
It saves money, and the quality is good, warm, and durable. It's much more windproof and warmer than the tattered cotton-padded coats they brought from home. Since it doesn't cost any money, and they can rotate between the two sets, everyone wears them without fail. They even wear them when they go home, and no one objects.
They were proud to wear these clothes. Recently, their fishing boat, Dongyu No. 1, had become quite famous at the dock, and as a result, they walked with their backs straighter on the dock.
After the car arrived at the designated parking spot near the pier, the people jumped out of the car one by one like dumplings being dropped into a pot, and a crowd of onlookers gathered around.
"Dongsheng Fisheries..."
"These people are from Dongsheng. There are several truckloads of them. How many people are there?"
"What's this Dongsheng? Why are so many people gathered here? Wait, who are these people? Are they from the same company?"
"You're new to the docks, you don't know, do you? The biggest ship in the whole port, the Dongyu No. 1, belongs to them..."
A passerby was explaining things to someone who didn't know.
After Ye Yaodong and his men got off the bus, he had the men who stayed behind drive the tractor back, while he led a large group of people toward the dock.
The people on the dock, seeing the large group of uniformed people, quickly dispersed and made way for them.
"Hey, is that guy leading the group their boss?"
"Really? It seems like he's the only one not wearing a uniform? Is he the boss? Everyone else is walking behind him?"
"Such a young boss?"
"Didn't they already say? His father is a high-ranking officer in the navy and a war hero, that's why his son is so awesome..."
"Wow, is that their boss walking in front? First time seeing him, finally meeting the real deal..."
Ye Yaodong noticed that everyone's eyes were on him, and touched the windproof mask on his face. Luckily, he was wearing it.
There was no sun today, and the wind at the dock was strong due to the overcast skies. The winter wind was so cold it felt like your head was going to float away.
He wore a woolen hat, a windproof mask, and a scarf, covering himself up completely so that even his mother wouldn't recognize him.
He straightened his back, accepting the gazes of those around him. Since they couldn't see his face, they could only see his upright figure and admire him.
Each boat was moored in a different location, and everyone walked around, dispersing to find their own boat.
Anyway, they're always in groups of three or five, so there's not much to worry about.
The largest group of people remained with him, following them all the way to the deep water docking point.
Some busybodies followed them all the way to the deep water area, wanting to see if they were going to get on the boat and sail it out.
The gangways were fixed to both sides of the ship's main deck. Ye Yaodong removed the pins that locked the gangways in the vertical position, lowered the gangways, and took the lead on boarding the Dongyu No. 1.
Ignoring the speculations of the busybodies on shore, he went to find the bridge as soon as he boarded the ship.
He had already arranged the personnel for this ship, although some of the men were veterans who had already returned to their hometowns. However, there were plenty of men available today.
He blew on the walkie-talkie a few times, "Calling, did you hear me? Roll call for each ship."
"receive."
After receiving several responses, Ye Yaodong finally put down the walkie-talkie.
On the three ships heading back, he distributed several walkie-talkies on deck so that they could communicate if needed, and then retrieve them when they got home.
He had the list of people to be chosen on each of the three boats prepared in advance, and then had the boat leaders call out the names themselves after they landed.
There are too many crew members for him, and they are on three ships. It is easy to miss some. It is better to prepare a list in advance so that it is easier to take attendance on the spot. If someone has something to do or gets lost in the crowd, we can know that they did not come and can wait for them.
Otherwise, if we leave people here, they'll be completely helpless and won't be able to go home for the New Year.
After putting down the walkie-talkie, he began the preparations.
He first checked the flight path, then inspected the radar screen echo and the synchronization of the rudder angle indicator, and then picked up the high-frequency radio microphone to test the sound.
"Calling, Dongyu No. 1 test run, please respond."
Only after hearing clear replies from other ships on the other side did he continue checking the other equipment.
After the personnel on deck had finished taking their places, they replied to him via walkie-talkie.
After confirming that all personnel had boarded the ship correctly, Ye Yaodong reiterated the departure operation responsibilities of each position.
He wasn't just speaking to the people on his own ship via walkie-talkie, but also to the people on the other two ships.
"...Port mooring team, after untying the moorings, are responsible for retrieving the gangway! Stern mooring team, ensure winch synchronization! Wheelhouse, keep communication channels clear! Engine room, main engine ready at all times!"
"receive."
"Check the equipment, attach the safety net to the gangway, and prepare to depart."
"receive."
After roll call, everyone went about their assigned tasks. Some put on cotton gloves and gathered around the bollards at the bow, stern, and sides of the ship.
After the walkie-talkie on deck announced that preparations were complete, Ye Yaodong gave the order: "Single bindings!"
The sailors quickly released most of the mooring lines, leaving only the crucial bow line, stern line, and back line.
The huge nylon cable was wrapped wetly on the bollard, smelling of seawater, and then made a "squeak" sound as it rubbed against the rollers.
Ye Yaodong then pressed the whistle button on the control panel.
The ship's horn emitted a short, loud blast, informing the dock and surrounding vessels that they were about to depart.
"Release the bow mooring!...Release the stern mooring!...Release the tow mooring!"
As Ye Yaodong clearly relayed the command to his father on deck via walkie-talkie, the sailors quickly untied the slipknots on the mooring lines, and the massive cable, like a living snake, was swiftly pulled back onto the ship by the electric winch.
The sailors quickly coiled the heavy ropes and secured them to the bollards.
Ye Yaodong worked together with his father on the deck.
The main engine roared, and the huge propeller churned the seawater in the harbor. The massive hull of the "Dongyu No. 1" left the dock very slowly and steadily, and a dark water trail gradually appeared between the stern and the dock.
The other small boats were not docked at the same location as them and had no means of communication. He couldn't care less about that; once he had finished his preparations, he planned to sail to the middle of the sea first.
After his ship sounded its horn, the other two new ships followed suit, sounding their horns one after another.
The preparations for his large ship to leave the port were quite complicated, and with so many people involved, including roll call, it was time-consuming and laborious. By the time it left the dock and entered the channel, other ships were already waiting in the middle of the sea.
They had already taken stock of whether all the fishing boats had arrived.
Through communication over shortwave radio, Ye Yaodong also learned that they were waiting for his three large ships.
As soon as he arrived, the other ships also started moving and continued to sail forward.
They've made countless trips back and forth, but they still have this tacit understanding: the big boat still circles the small boat, moving forward, backward, left, and right.
After the ship had sailed normally, Ye's father excitedly went up to the bridge to find him.
"Dongzi, I must say, this walkie-talkie you bought is really useful. Finally, I don't have to shout anymore. It's just like a telephone."
"A 2400."
Ye's father's smile instantly faded. "Only you would be so generous, buying several at once. Anyone who didn't know better would think you're a wholesaler or a middleman."
"It's convenient too; the necessary accessories should be provided."
"I wonder if I could still see this clearly from a distance."
"It should be fine for more than ten nautical miles, right? That's what they told me, but I'm not sure how it will actually work in practice."
"We'll test it out at sea these next couple of days."
Mr. Ye held the walkie-talkie with great care, wiping it over and over. He had been holding it for many days, and it was so shiny that there wasn't a speck of dust left. He even wanted to wipe it twice more.
"come here."
"what?"
"I'll teach you how to use this boat."
Mr. Ye waved his hand, "Don't teach me, I'm not learning."
The capable should be given more work. If he learns it, shouldn't we ask him to do it?
He's stopped studying and is thinking about retiring early.
He was still thinking about his little villa when he went back home; he was planning to stay home and supervise the construction until it was finished.
"Why don't you learn? What an awesome ship! The biggest ship in the whole port! You don't want to learn? It'll be so impressive to sail it out there! Come on, come on..."
Ye Yaodong tried to pull his father away, but his father nimbly stepped out of the cockpit and shouted, "I don't want to learn! Who would I be showing off to? Staying in the cockpit and sailing at sea, who would see me except the crew? I'm not learning!"
"Study hard, learn more..."
"No, knowing too much is not a good thing."
"Who said that? The more you know, the more you can brag when you get back. Such a big ship, nobody else has ever seen one before, it's the first of its kind in the whole town."
“The more you know, the more you can do. If I don’t learn, you can call someone else. Didn’t you already decide on someone to learn how to sail? I’ll go and call them over.”
Ye's father turned and ran away.
Yeah, he doesn't want to study it. If he does, he'll probably have to go to the sea for half a year or a year, which is really tough. Unless there are special circumstances, he won't be able to come back.
He also wants to retire to his hometown next year and live in a small villa.
Ye Yaodong couldn't be stopped no matter how much he called. He was thinking of giving his father a brief explanation so he could take over the night shift with him, but he ran off before he could hear him explain in detail.
The old man is getting lazier and lazier as he gets older. He thinks that since older people are old and need less sleep, it would be perfect to have his father come and take care of them.
Such a large ship has sophisticated and complicated instruments; it's not something you can learn in just a couple of days. His father happened to know how to sail ocean-going vessels and had some basic knowledge, so he only needed to explain the necessary details.
Anyway, their main goal on this trip was to get home. They weren't going to fish or do anything else. The sonar along the way was only used to detect reefs, not to detect schools of fish.
The instruments involved will be relatively few, so I'll just give a brief overview; it's quite simple.
After Ye's father brought the people over, Ye Yaodong sent them away again.
"Are you so afraid I'll call you out to the deep sea? Don't worry, I can't teach you how to use this in two days. Right now, we're just rushing back, so it's relatively simple. The things involved aren't much different from the other two ships, which is why I asked you to take turns with me."
Father Ye was relieved, but he could still sail back.
"You should have said so earlier."
"I didn't even have a chance to tell you, I just asked you to come and learn for a bit, and you ran off."
"How could I not be afraid? I'm so afraid I'd work for you until I'm 80."
"Don't worry, just work for me until I'm 80, or for my son until he's 80."
Just as Ye's father entered the cabin, he tried to back away, but Ye Yaodong quickly grabbed him.
"We'll build a small villa when we get back."
Ye's father glanced at him and obediently stayed.