Chapter 75 Going to the Island
Three o'clock in the morning.
Zhao Dahai woke up and walked into the kitchen. He saw his grandma Zhong Cuihua frying salted fish. She was preparing lunch for herself. Gouluo would not come back until three or four o'clock in the afternoon. You have to bring your own food.
“Grandma!”
“You don’t have to get up early! I can just prepare it myself.”
Zhao Dahai took the shovel and fried the salted fish.
"Wouldn't it be better for you to get married early? I don't need to get up early, your own wife will do these things for you."
Zhong Cuihua smiled.
Zhao Dahai thought to himself that Ding Xiaoxiang, whom he fell in love with, was only fifteen or sixteen years old now, and was just a child. He didn't know a word about this matter.
After breakfast, Zhao Dahai took a lunch box and packed rice, pork belly and two pieces of salted fish. He picked up a plastic bucket with mesh bags, lunch boxes and other things on a pole. He then brought a flashlight and wore it. Straw Hat walked out of the courtyard gate and walked to the small pier in front of the village. After waiting for less than five minutes, a boat happened to take people out to the island.
"How is the boat being repaired?"
"When are you going to go fishing?"
...
"Yo!"
"The sea. You go to the island to hook up with snails?”
...
"This is a job for old ladies like us. Are you here for the first time?"
...
Some of the people on the boat are from Langtou Village and some from other surrounding villages. Zhao Dahai was young and the only male, so he immediately became the center of fire. At first, he asked about repairing fishing boats, but then the topic quickly went off the rails. Everyone said that hooking up with snails was done by women, and men had to do it. Find something else to do.
Zhao Dahai responded to every word he said. The unmarried girls in the village, especially the married ones, were very talkative and should not be taken seriously. When they got anxious, they became even more energetic. Is hooking up a snail something that women do? No such thing. It’s just that it’s mostly done by women. A job that makes money is a good job. There is no shame in making money.
The diesel engine made a "chug, chug" sound, and the fishing boat moved forward, cutting through the water and turning up white waves. The wind blew in the face, and the nose was filled with the smell of sea water.
The dark sky slowly became brighter.
The sky is white enough to see clearly, and several large islands appear.
The fishing boat slowed down and moved closer.
"Slow down! Don't be in a hurry!"
……
“Get your things!”
……
“Four o’clock in the afternoon.”
“Remember the time. Didn’t wait for anyone. Didn’t answer. Just spend the night on the island and wait for tomorrow!”
...
The boat boss shouted loudly. Zhao Dahai held a pole in one hand and a bucket filled with mesh bags and lunch boxes in the other. He stood on the bow of the boat, looked at the location, and stepped forward to the island without stopping.
Some places on the island have more snails and some places have fewer snails. To pick up more, you have to occupy a favorable position. From the moment you step on the island, you have to work hard. , you have to pick a good direction and grab a good place.
Zhao Dahai walked forward. He came here with his father and mother a few times when he was young, but he was always playing. Today is the first time he has visited Gouluo Island. He is not familiar with the people here. I don’t know where there are many snails.
Chen Fang looked back at Zhao Dahai, who was walking a few meters behind her, and wondered whether she should take Zhao Dahai with her. Choosing the right place to go to the island was very important. People who were inexperienced and unfamiliar would not be able to do much at the end of the day.
"Dahai!"
"How about you follow me?"
Chen Fang hesitated for a while and decided to take Zhao Dahai with him. This is not the same as before. It didn't take long for the bastard to scrape together enough money for repairs. The fishing village is not an easy place to make money. This is a person who has the ability. It doesn't matter whether there are more snails or less snails. It's very cost-effective depending on personal circumstances.
“Auntie.”
"You are busy with your business!"
"I will go to a remote place in a while. It is my first time to go to the island. I will visit some places to get familiar with the situation. It doesn't matter whether I gain something or not."
Zhao Dahai shook his head. Chen Fang married Liu Qishan from Langtou Village. Going out to the island at three or four in the morning is not just for a picnic, but to make money. If you have one more person, you will lose an income. Don't look at the snails that only cost a hundred or dozens of yuan, but it is not easy to make money in a fishing village. One hundred and tens of dollars is not a small amount of money. It is often the income of a whole day of hard work. As long as what others earn is money to support their families, no matter how much it is, it is a big deal. Chen Fang is willing to take it, but he can't do it without any discernment. Not to mention that everyone who often goes to the island to catch snails has his own nest and his own route. I followed it and found out that it was very troublesome. Chen Fang is not his father and mother, he is just from the same village. He still has to pay attention to what should be paid attention to and cannot be careless.
Chen Fang knew at first glance that Zhao Dahai was not willing to follow, so without saying anything more, he reminded him to pay attention to safety, turned around and walked towards a place he was familiar with.
Zhao Dahai waited for the people on the island to disperse, and picked a direction and location where no one was around before speeding up and not climbing to higher places. The higher the island, the drier it is, and the snails will only be there. The water line is a little higher, so that the place is relatively humid, and the snails will crawl up, especially if the tide is right, one nest after another.
Zhao Dahai used both his hands and feet. He looked at his position before taking each step before moving his legs. The island, especially near the waterline, has been soaked in sea water for many years and is very wet and slippery. If you accidentally slip and fall, it is not a big deal. Just kidding, it can range from a bloody head to a broken arm or leg, and if you fall into the sea, your life will almost be lost.
Some people think that it’s okay to fall into the sea, as long as you can swim, you can climb up. Let’s not talk about whether the rocks on the island are climbable, or whether the oyster shells growing on these rocks will cut your hands. Just that The waves that hit the rocks one after another and look harmless to humans and animals are so beautiful that they can kill people without being seen. If you fall on the open sea, you may not be able to survive if someone comes to ask for you.
If you fall off the island and there are waves, the chance of death is very high. When these waves hit, they will roll people into the rocks, and when they retreat, they will suck people and pull them into the sea. After several back and forth, their strength will be exhausted. All he could do was watch himself sink into the water and die.
Zhao Dahai was sweating profusely. Not only were the rocks on the island difficult to climb, but more importantly, he had to be highly concentrated and his physical strength was exhausted very quickly.
Zhao Dahai continued to climb forward without any hurry. He stopped to take a glass of water and drank a few sips of water. While resting, he looked around. There were no other hookers around. He could only see the direction he came from from a distance. There were a few black spots, so I decided to look for them in this place.
Zhao Dahai searched carefully, focusing on the location of the reef half a meter above the waterline where the waves were beating. Within a few minutes, he saw five or six snails of considerable size on a partially exposed part of the reef. Yes, it’s about the size of a child’s fist, and it’s instantly recognizable as an oyster snail.
Oyster snails are a type of conch. They are relatively common. They usually grow on reefs near the sea. They can grow quite large and have solid meat. The price is not high but the taste is very good. Restaurants include food stalls. All very welcome.
Zhao Dahai took the fire tongs and put it into the mesh bag. This was the first harvest of the day.
Zhao Dahai did not leave immediately. No matter what kind of conches they were, they usually appeared in groups. If you found five or six on a stone, there must be more nearby stones.
Zhao Dahai quickly found a dozen oysters of almost the same size on several other rocks less than two or three meters away, and pocketed them all.
"Thirty yuan is here!"
Zhao Dahai was in a very good mood. The fishing boats have to dry out for several days before tung oil can be applied. Isn't it great to be idle at home and go out to sea to catch snails on the islands? If you work harder, you can make money. Where did the money come from? That’s how I saved it bit by bit.
Zhao Dahai continued to walk forward, looking for snails with wide eyes.
Please read and vote. Thanks.
(End of this chapter)