Chapter 362 - 238: The First Big Ship

Chapter 362: Chapter 238: The First Big Ship

As Old Zheng spoke, he was on the verge of tears. Zhao Wendong quickly waved his hand dismissively.

"Stop, stop, stop. Just go home for now. Think this over carefully, and we’ll talk again later."

"Yeah, okay. I don’t want to leave, regardless. At my age, I don’t have any interest in promotions. I just want to live peacefully for a few years."

Zhao Wendong nodded helplessly, utterly speechless at how stubbornly love-sick Old Zheng was. ’They say Liangzi is a simp, but compared to Old Zheng, he’s not even in the same league.’

Before Big Wang and Old Zheng could leave, a villager approached with two other men. The two men wore blue, padded worker’s jackets and had respectful expressions on their faces.

"Comrade Zhao Wendong, Happy New Year."

The older of the two men strode forward and grasped Zhao Wendong’s hand.

"The regional and factory leadership arranged this. We’re delivering a medium-sized motorized junk to the Dragon King Pond Production Team. It’s moored at the dock right now."

Zhao Wendong’s spirits lifted instantly.

"The boat’s here? Quick, let’s go take a look."

Zhao Wendong didn’t even have to call out; the crowd was already following him. Even Old Zheng and Big Wang were no longer in a hurry to leave, eagerly trailing behind to see the spectacle. Life was dull and monotonous back then, so any commotion was a must-see. The large group made its way toward the dock.

Dragon King Pond’s dock wasn’t large. It usually housed a few old wooden sailing boats and one with an engine. The production team had scrimped and saved for years to acquire the latter. Not only was it small, but it was also constantly breaking down, making every trip to sea a nerve-wracking affair.

Upon reaching the dock, Zhao Wendong immediately spotted the newly delivered boat.

"Damn!"

Moored at the dock’s edge, the boat was easily more than twice the size of their old one. Its hull was painted gray, and although it wasn’t new, it was a world away from their dilapidated old vessel.

Zhao Weiguo’s jaw dropped. "This... this is for us?"

The man nodded. "It’s support for the regional model worker, Comrade Zhao Wendong, and for the Dragon King Pond Production Team. The regional leadership gave special approval, and the factory leadership had workers put in overtime to get it repaired and delivered. Consider it a show of support for Comrade Zhao Wendong from our regional shipyard."

After speaking, he began his explanation: "This is a standard two-masted sailing vessel, a motorized junk that can be configured for 30-50 horsepower. It’s 8 to 12 meters long, with a standard carrying capacity of 10 tons. The factory has already installed a small Matoro diesel engine for you. However, one of the engine’s cylinders is leaking, the driveshaft is slightly misaligned, and there’s some damage to the hull that you’ll have to fix yourselves. You’ll also need to handle the retrofitting for gill nets, purse seines, and other related equipment. It wasn’t originally a fishing boat."

"Alright, Comrade Zhao Wendong, we’ve delivered the boat. We have a long journey back, so we’ll be on our way."

After speaking, the men unloaded two bicycles from the boat. They hopped on and quickly disappeared from sight. They had to rush back to the county seat for the night before returning to the region the next day. Zhao Wendong shouted after them several times, inviting them to stay for a meal and a rest, but they refused.

Third Master Zhao walked a full circle around the boat, his eyes shining.

"A fine prize, a fine prize indeed. With a boat like this, how big of a haul could we have gotten when Dongzi found that school of fish last time?"

"We’d have brought in more than twenty thousand jin, easy."

Zhao Weiguo’s face was also filled with excitement and longing. With this boat, Dragon King Pond Village could finally be said to have truly taken to the ocean.

"Sigh, but it’s a shame so many parts are broken. What are we supposed to do?"

"What do we do? We fix it! We’ll get it repaired even if we have to sell our pots and pans to do it. We’re counting on it for when the weather warms up enough to go to sea."

As Zhao Wendong listened to the conversation between Zhao Weiguo and Third Master Zhao, his brow furrowed slightly. Just then, a voice suddenly piped up beside him.

"Hell, Dongzi, leave this to me!"

Zhao Wendong turned to see it was Little Shanghai, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his padded jacket, head cocked as he stared at the boat.

"Can you really do it?"

"I can. And even if I couldn’t, I’d have to make it work. If I can’t do it, who else can?"

Zhao Wendong’s eyes lit up. "That’s true. If you guys from the Agricultural Technology Station can’t fix it, then nobody can."

"I’m going aboard to take a look."

Little Shanghai leaped onto the deck in a couple of steps and ducked into the engine room, falling silent. He emerged a good while later, his hands and face smudged with engine oil.

"Dongzi, let me tell you, this boat’s problems are nothing major. The cylinder is leaking because the gasket’s worn out; it just needs a replacement. The driveshaft is off because a mounting bolt is loose; tighten that, and it’s done. The most troublesome part is a clog in the fuel line, but even that’s not a big deal. Just needs to be cleared."

"You can really fix it?"

"I can! Give me three days, and I’ll have it running perfectly. I’ll take care of all these other minor issues at the same time. You’ll just have to figure out the fishing nets on your own."

Zhao Wendong beamed. "Great! I’m counting on you, brother. Your timing couldn’t be more perfect."

Little Shanghai laughed heartily. ’Man,’ he thought, ’if I hadn’t come back, I wouldn’t even recognize the world. I go home for New Year’s, and I return to find the sky has fallen. The former station chief and his dad messed with you and now the weeds on their graves are a meter tall. I’ve somehow ended up as the new station chief, and even Liangzi’s the director of the supply and marketing cooperative now.’

Zhao Weiguo and the other members of the production team committee, along with the villagers who had come to watch, all stood nearby with joyful expressions.

"Team Leader, if this boat gets repaired, going to sea will be so much easier for us. We’ll be able to carry more and go farther."

"That’s right. Dragon King Pond’s fishing hauls will at least double from now on."

"This is wonderful. It really feels like there’s more and more to look forward to."

Listening to the excited chatter of the people around him, Zhao Wendong thought about the severe hardships that might be coming this year and steeled himself to lead the village forward. ’The reforms allowing for an individual economy are still twenty years away,’ he thought. ’I can’t wait that long. But as for the collective economy, the famous Huaxi Village started taking its first steps this very year. As someone who’s been reborn, there’s no reason I should do any worse than they did. If private enterprise isn’t allowed, fine. I’ll just lead the whole village to prosperity together.’