After Ye Chenghu was saved by his mother, Ye Yaodong also went back to his room to sleep, as he had to go out to sea during the night.
He had barely fallen into a light sleep when a sudden knocking on the door jolted him awake.
He had been restless with thoughts, so when he heard the noise, he sat up and got out of bed right away.
Lin Xiuqing also heard the knocking and turned to look.
Her husband was already up opening the door.
As she sat up, she heard voices coming from the entrance.
"Good, you're up. Wash up quickly; we’re leaving soon," said a voice.
"Got it," replied Ye Yaodong as he turned to change clothes.
He was startled to see her out of bed.
"Why are you up?"
"I got up after hearing the noise. Be careful out at sea, and listen to your father."
"I know, I’m not a child anymore. You should go back to sleep; it’s only two o'clock."
"Okay."
Ye Yaodong hurriedly put on his clothes and rain boots, then rushed out to eat breakfast before heading to sea.
Ye Mu had prepared two servings of food in lunch boxes and even boiled two eggs to give to Ye Yaodong.
"Today is your first day out at sea, so these eggs are for you. Your elder and second brother got some too on their first trip with your father."
He nodded and took everything he needed.
With a headlamp in hand, he hurried to follow his father.
Outside it was pitch dark, and only the light from his headlamp guided his way.
The village was eerily quiet, where even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.
But as they reached the dock, it became lively, with headlamps flashing everywhere and the sounds of chatter filling the air.
"Wait here for a moment; I’ll go start the boat," his father said.
"Did you buy the diesel?" Ye Yaodong asked.
"I bought it when I came back this afternoon."
After the typhoon, the villagers were going out to sea for the first time tonight.
The dock was filled with all kinds of boats.
Several vessels were already sailing away from the shore or bobbing on the waves.
Compared to the small wooden boats, their metal boat was considered quite large.
Amidst the clattering sound of the engine, the boat sailed towards the vast ocean.
Due to the darkness, Ye Fu was uneasy about letting Ye Yaodong steer the boat; he worried he might not be able to tell the direction.
Ye Yaodong understood that mere words would not convince his father, so he lay back comfortably on the deck, ready to catch some rest.
It wasn’t until they reached their commonly fished area that Ye Fu called him up.
"We’re here; it’s time to cast the net. Pay attention."
They used a single boat for trawling, mainly working with a bottom gill net in a trailing manner.
This kind of netting required attaching two water-guarding boards to the sides of the net, allowing the water flow to push the boards outward and open the mouth of the fishing net.
After waking Ye Yaodong and slowing down the boat, Ye Fu prepared to release the nets, connecting them to the towing line and detaching them from the boards.
Then the fishing boat moved forward rapidly while gradually letting out the two towing lines.
Once the lines reached the desired length, the boat would proceed at a designated direction and speed for trawling.
The speed was usually about 3 to 5 nautical miles per hour.
Ye Yaodong had done this in his previous life, but he still listened attentively while his father explained the principles.
"How long until we pull the net back up?" Ye Yaodong asked.
"Depends on the situation. Usually, we pull the net every two to three hours."
Working at sea was quite tedious, especially without a phone to watch videos.
He could do nothing but prop his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the sea.
It was far less interesting than being with friends; if they were together, they could chat, joke around, or play cards.
Seeing him idle, Ye Fu couldn’t stand it and shouted, "Come over and take the wheel for a bit!"
"Are you sure?" Ye Yaodong asked, slightly surprised.
"Didn’t you say last week that Ah Guang taught you; you can handle it? Here’s your chance to try."
"Sure! I’ll take care of this net; you can rest for a while!"
As long as his father trusted him, he felt he could do anything.
Since his rebirth, he had always sensed their doubts about his abilities.
Ye Fu looked at him disdainfully.
"Just remember, keep the boat straight and don’t crash into the reefs."
He really undermined him!
Ye Yaodong didn’t argue, instead focusing on steering the boat properly.
Seeing him handle it well, Ye Fu felt a bit more at ease.
As dawn approached, Ye Fu glanced at the time and decided it was time to pull the first net.
Slowly, the fishing boat moved forward to gather the towing lines.
When the nets reached the board, Ye Fu secured the board in place and detached it from the line, continuing to gather the gear and pulling it onto the deck.
Ye Yaodong rushed to help, "This is heavy! Did we catch something good? Wow, it's rays! So many! They might be cheap, but there are really a lot—this pile must weigh close to a hundred pounds! And look, some real hawks too..."
Rays might fetch less than two coins a pound, but with nearly a hundred pounds alongside other fish, it would still be worth twenty coins or more, plus some shrimp and crabs.
It was quite a haul, especially since most villagers caught only about ten or twenty coins a day.
Ye Fu nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad! We hit a ray school; it seems the typhoon brought in more fish."
Rays had a unique, elegant shape, their bodies flattened and resembling diamonds.
Their pectoral fins looked like large wings, and swimming through the water made them appear to be flying.
While they resembled manta rays, rays had tails or dorsal fins, unlike manta rays which only had cephalic lobes.
Their sizes also differed; manta rays were the largest species, exceeding seven meters, while rays typically maxed out at around 2.5 meters.
Manta rays were known for their aggressiveness, often endangering those who caught them, thus earning their fearsome name, while rays were much less threatening.
As Ye Yaodong sorted through the catch, he remarked, "Isn’t this due to my luck?"
Ye Fu glanced at him sideways.
"On the next net, you'll toss it and steer. You can take us wherever you like."
"Alright! With me at the helm, we’re bound to have a bumper harvest today."
He was boasting, but he had better back it up! The first haul had already covered their costs, so Ye Fu didn’t mind giving him another chance.
After sorting the rays, he handed the rest to his father before rushing to take the wheel again.
Time passed slowly, and the sky grew brighter.
The ocean gradually shimmered with a soft orange glow, intensifying, while the clouds on the horizon glowed brightly, catching the fishermen's attention.
Ye Yaodong turned his gaze towards the horizon—was the sun rising?
In the distance, the colorful sunrise lit the sky, the sun peeking from the eastern waters, breaking through the haze of sea and sky, revealing golden edges.
In less than two minutes, it burst forth, radiating brilliant light.
The vast sea was illuminated by the sun’s rays, bursting forth in vibrant colors.
The golden dawn gradually tinted the eastern sky, and countless golden reflections danced upon the water's surface.
What a magnificent sunrise at sea! Truly breathtaking!
If only communication was better and he had a phone, he could record it and share it with his wife.
She had surely never seen a sunrise over the sea.
Perhaps, one day, he could bring her out to witness it.
While soaking in the scenery, Ye Yaodong managed to keep the boat steady, maintaining control as they dragged the net behind them.
(End of Chapter)