A pitch-black night.
Howling winds and torrential rains.
The surging waves of the ocean frantically crashed against the reefs, as though the entire continent would be overturned at any moment. The orange-red balloon that was more than ten meters above the ground had been blown askew by the wind, which meant that the typhoon was close at hand. Even the sturdy pole that was tied to the wind-blocking rope began to creak, as if it would break in the next second.
To a remote port like Siqiao town, this sort of terrible weather was rare, but it would still occur 3-5 times a year. Therefore, the residents here were used to it. They retreated back to their huts, lit dim candles, and drank Red Star Erguotou with dried salted fish. Of course, they also placed basins, tarpaulins, and other things that could filter the moisture under the leaks on the roof. Even so, the blankets would always be in a moist state, as though a layer of dampness could be felt from touching it.
Under such an atmosphere, in a dilapidated hut at the west of Siqiao town, a raging fire was burning. Inside was a messy pile of discarded rubber tyres. To the poor boatmen, this was a cheap but effective material to repair the hull of the boat. Surrounding it were a dozen tanned boatmen, but their expressions were exceedingly excited. Most of them were in their twenties or thirties. Only the middle-aged man sitting in the middle had deep wrinkles on his face, as if they had been cut by a knife or an axe. The stubble on his chin was also a little white. His facial features looked sad but kind. At first glance, one could tell that he was the kind of person who resigned himself to life and fate.
"Aiya aiya, if you ask me, today's matter, Sanzi has some merit, but Sheyan was the one who aimed right! “
The one who spoke was a young man with a scar on his face, called Gao Qiang. He gestured exaggeratedly, his saliva flying everywhere. His words received the approval of his surrounding companions, many of them nodded their heads repeatedly, casting their admiring gazes towards the young man sitting on the right.
This young man had thick black brows, his muscles bulging out, his physique was sturdy. Although his brows were slightly arrogant, he didn't lose his steadiness. At present, he was casually sitting on an old wooden stool, holding onto a chipped porcelain bowl. It was probably because the water in the bowl was boiling hot, so he had to drink it while blowing on it. The youngster named 'Sheyan' smiled faintly when he heard his name being mentioned, but didn't say anything. He only smiled and nodded to his companion, before continuing to drink.
"There's nothing to say about Sheyan's strike, but I stabbed nine times, nine times in total!" A robust man with a big nose stood out and shouted. He kept gesturing excitedly with his hands.
"Damn it, that big bastard actually dragged us for at least thirty li! If we drag it another five kilometers, we'll be in deep trouble. "
A dark and thin middle-aged man in the corner suddenly interrupted with a smile.
"Brother Dasi, this time you scraped out at least 20kg of ointment! Even if you can produce it, it would at least be 10 kilograms. This time, you've really profited big time, didn't you always want to overhaul Fu Yuan? With this money, we'll have more than enough for ten major repairs! "
Brother Da Si was obviously the middle-aged man. Hearing this, he gave a simple and honest laugh, but his eyebrows were brimming with joy. He was born by the sea since young, the saltiness of the sea had seeped into his bones. His entire life, he treated the boat as his home. Because he adopted two orphans at a young age, he had never found a wife, and didn't intend to find one in the future. A few years ago, he used his life savings to purchase this old boat, Fu Yuan. He didn't expect that he would be cheated by others, and had to undergo major repairs the moment he bought the boat. Until now, he still hadn't paid off his debt.
If one were to say that being kind and honest would definitely gain the favour of fate, then Brother Dasi would already be rich. But the truth was, no matter how hard Brother Dasi worked, he couldn't escape the fate of being homeless and destitute. But no matter how harsh the heavens were, they would occasionally open their eyes. Two days ago when Fu Yuan was out at sea, they encountered a fat head monster!
Fat head monster was a common name for fishermen in Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. Its scientific name was the famous sperm whale. Its body was thick and short, and its movements were slow and clumsy. Its appearance was very strange, it had a heavy head and light tail. If one were to describe it, then a thousand times larger tadpole could barely be described. The sperm whale's enormous head could account for a quarter to a third of its body length, its entire head was like a large box. Its nose was very peculiar, only the left nostril was unobstructed, and it was located at the top left, while the right nostril was blocked. Therefore, the mist it breathed out was at a 45 ° angle towards the front left. For experienced fishermen, they would be able to find traces of these whales from a distance by looking at the water jets they sprayed out. But after decades of hunting, the sperm whale population had dwindled to a few hundred in the world. In the last five years, there were only three reports of fat head monsters being hunted in the South China Sea. One could imagine how rare it was.
At that time, the one who discovered this fat head monster was Ah Fa, the black skinny man who was of the same generation as Brother Dasi. The rest of the younger generation had to address Brother Dasi as' Uncle Dasi '. Truthfully speaking, according to the configuration of this old fishing boat, it was impossible to lay a hand on this enormous creature. Fortunately, Uncle Dasi's adopted orphan, Sanzi, was nimble with his hands. A few days ago, he spotted a discarded spear in an abandoned building by the docks. After tinkering with it for a while, he was actually able to make do with it. However, his original intention was to shoot at the sharks that roamed the South China Sea. Who would have thought that he would encounter the nearly extinct fat head monster?
What followed was a persevering chase.
Fu Yuan was determined to grasp the opportunity bestowed by the heavens. Ignoring the typhoon warning, it tenaciously chased after this 10 metre long sperm whale! But on this ship, apart from Uncle Dasi, no one else had experience in hunting whales. Furthermore, the fixed fishing spear installed on the ship was in a half-scrapped state. Amidst the turbulent waves, it failed to hit its target after four consecutive shots. Instead, it caused this enormous creature to become vigilant, and was about to dive into the sea.
At this moment, Uncle Dasi's other adopted orphan, Sheyan, stepped forward. His body swayed like a falling leaf amidst the turbulent waves, but his hands remained firm as though they were welded onto the spear gun. After aiming for a full 10 seconds, just when everyone was in despair, he released a shot!
This shot pierced through the vital point of the sperm whale!
Under the pain of dying, the enormous beast dragged Fu Yuan for 30 nautical miles. Along the way, the seawater was dyed red. But ultimately, it helplessly became the spoils of war of the humans. Old Fu Yuan returned with a full load. Miraculously, it managed to return to Si Qiao harbour before the typhoon hit. To the sperm whale, although its flesh and bones were priceless, the most valuable part was still the 'balm' in its intestines. This was the common name of the local fishermen. After being dried, it became the famous' Ambergris'.
The main food of the sperm whale was squid and octopus. After eating it, it was unable to digest its sharp mouth shell and internal round bones. At this moment, the sperm whale's large intestine or rectum would be stimulated and mutated, producing a grey or slightly black secretion. This secretion would gradually form a viscous dark substance in the small intestine, before being stored in the colon and rectum. When taken out, the stench would be unbearable, but after storing for a period of time, it would gradually emit a fragrant aroma. This was the so called Ambergris.
Ambergris contained 25% ambergris, a precious perfume ingredient. It was the best ingredient to maintain the fragrance of perfume, and was used as a perfume stabilizer. At the same time, it was an expensive Chinese medicine. Uncle Dasi's sperm whale was only 10 metres long, and was considered below average in size. Even so, the Ambergris he harvested could be sold for a huge sum of money!
This boat of people chatted and laughed together. Unknowingly, it was already deep into the night. They had been on the sea fishing trip for half a month. Moreover, they had rushed into Si Qiao port before the typhoon arrived. It was truly exhausting, and after the excitement of hunting down a big guy, exhaustion struck them. The rain was pouring outside, and the typhoon would at least stop by tomorrow afternoon. Uncle Dasi naturally arranged for people to stay in his hut and sleep on the floor. These boatmen were used to the hardships of the boat and didn't feel much. Instead, Sanzi and Sheyan had already split up. The two of them built a hut at the north end of Si Qiao town by the side of Ma Zu Temple Street. It could be considered as having their own private space. Although the wind and rain were heavy, with an oilcloth draped over their shoulders, walking from one end of the town to the other didn't require much time.
The two of them pushed open an old wooden door that was nailed with several wooden planks. A gust of cold wind carried in large patches of rainwater, causing them to shiver. Even the boatmen lying down around the fire grumbled in dissatisfaction. Sheyan and Sanzi covered their heads with the oilcloth draped over the door. Uncle Dasi hurried over and stuffed an umbrella over them. The two of them used the dim light from the door to determine their direction, as they trudged back home.
Si Qiao was a small town, one that wasn't even marked on the map.
Its specific location was a small bay south of Guangxi Fangcheng port. Even when the weather was clear, one could see Vietnam's territory to the west with the naked eye. In terms of administrative division, it coincidentally belonged to the three unregulated areas. Thus, it formed a deformed port that combined smuggling, trade and illegal immigration. Most of the people here were engaged in grey industries that wandered the edge of the law.
As for the honest Uncle Dasi, the reason why he chose to settle down here was because this old ship, the Fuyuan, was stolen, and Uncle Dasi couldn't afford the heavy taxes. Sheyan had seen the long list of fees before, it involved various departments, including finance, taxation, industry and commerce, public security, health, township government, fishing committee or village committee, fishing boat management company etc. Yet here, one only had to pay a sum of protection fees to the local 'big boss' Huashan Fei.
Because they didn't know when they would be 'raided' by the higher-ups, most of the buildings in Si Qiao were constructed with cheap plywood, tyres, glass tiles etc. They were the kind of illegal buildings that were a thorn in the eyes of the city enforcement officers. Sheyan was close to 19 years old this year, a few months older than Sanzi. Since he was 14 years old, Uncle Dasi had asked an acquaintance to work on the ship. Because he was steady and dependable in his work, he was highly praised by his employer and was entrusted with their trust. At a young age, he had been to various ports around the world. Whether it was knowledge or character, he could be considered second to none.
***
Urgent notice,
Urgent notice,
Urgent notice,
Important matters must be repeated thrice!
This book was fancied by River Crab God, and after strict modifications, it was released. Therefore, if you encounter any difficulties while reading, it would be a blocked keyword. If there is any inconvenience, please understand!
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