Reborn in 1984, fishing and hunting in Jiangnan

Chapter 31

If the moon has long hair, it means either wind or rain.

Chen Zheng stared at the halo of light on the horizon for a long time, pondering tomorrow's weather.

He had explored that area of ​​water in Nanwan dozens of times, and he knew its depth well, but the undercurrents were a variable.

On a sunny midday, the sun shines directly into the water, making visibility barely about ten feet deep.

If the weather changes and the clouds cover the water, it's like a black cloth is covering the bottom of the water. You can't even see your own finger, let alone find a sunken ship.

He looked away and mentally reviewed the things he would need for tomorrow.

Long rope, iron hook, net bag, measuring tape.

The iron hook was the one his father used when he was young. It had a curved tip and a ring on the shank so that he could tie a rope to it and use it for pulling.

The hook had developed some rust, so he spent an afternoon sanding it until it shone brightly. The hook tip was so sharp that you could pick out a splinter from under your fingernail.

The rope was borrowed from Liu the Bald; it was a new hemp rope, never been in water, and smelled strongly of tung oil.

He tugged at it, but it didn't budge.

The net was made by Zhang Cuihua from an old fishing net; it had a wide opening and a deep bottom, and could hold quite a lot of things.

One more thing is missing.

Chen Zheng stood up and went into the kitchen.

Zhang Cuihua was squatting in front of the stove adding firewood.

"Mom, do we have any pig liver left?"

Zhang Cuihua turned around: "Pig liver? Didn't we just buy two jin the day before yesterday? Did you take it to fish for soft-shelled turtles?"

"It's not about fishing for soft-shelled turtles."

Chen Zheng squatted down and said, "Tomorrow we're going into the water. It's dark at the bottom, so I want to get some pig's blood and put it in a bottle."

"If the water is too murky and I break the bottle, the pig's blood will spread and turn the water red, making it visible to the people on the boat."

This method was learned from Teacher Zhao's book, "Freshwater Fish Farming Techniques".

The book says that fish farmers work in deep water with a long rope tied to their bodies.

He was clutching a glass bottle filled with red ink.

In an emergency, the bottle is crushed, the red ink spreads, and the people on the ship know which way to pull the rope.

He replaced the red ink with pig's blood, but it meant the same thing.

Zhang Cuihua paused for a moment while holding the firewood.

He stuffed the firewood into the stove, stood up, patted the dust off his knees, walked to the cupboard, opened the drawer, and took out a glass bottle—leftover from canning—which he washed and left to dry.

Palm-sized, wide-mouthed, with a rubber stopper.

"I'll go to Butcher Wang's place tomorrow morning to get you some pig's blood."

She handed the bottle to Chen Zheng, saying, "You...you should be careful when you go into the water."

"Okay, Mother."

Chen Zheng took the bottle and looked at it.

The glass bottle is clear and has no cracks, and the rubber stopper is tight.

He put the bottle in his pocket and left the kitchen.

In the courtyard, Chen Rong was squatting by the water vat, sharpening a thin bamboo pole by the moonlight.

He cut the bamboo pole from the edge of Nanwan Bay, choosing the straightest one with evenly spaced nodes, about the thickness of a thumb, and about ten feet long.

He sharpened the bamboo pole to a point and then sanded it until it was smooth and glossy.

"Rongzi, what are you dawdling about?"

Chen Rong didn't even look up: "For probing the bottom. Bamboo poles are lighter than iron hooks, making them easier to maneuver underwater."

If you encounter wood, the end of a bamboo pole can pierce it. Pull it out and check if there are any wood chips on the bamboo splinter; that will tell you if it's a sunken ship.

Chen Zheng squatted down, took the bamboo pole, and examined it.

The bamboo poles were shaved to a point like chopsticks, with sharp bamboo thorns standing upright, making them prickly to the touch.

"Who taught you this method?"

"It was my own idea. I figured that when an iron hook hits wood, it can only feel the hardness."

If you stick a bamboo pole in, it can pull something out.

If it brings out sawdust, it's wood; if it brings out rust, it's iron.

Chen Zheng glanced at him.

This kid doesn't talk much, but his mind is always working.

He handed the bamboo pole back: "Okay. Tomorrow you take the bamboo pole, and I'll take the iron hook."

Chen Rong took the bamboo pole, a slight smile playing on his lips, and continued grinding.

At that moment, the courtyard gate was pushed open.

Zhang Jianguo walked in, carrying two bottles filled with something yellowish.

"Ah Zheng, here's the pine resin you wanted."

He slammed the bottle down on the stone platform.

"I went to three different places to collect these two bottles. Old Wang's family had one bottle; they used it to repair their boat last year, and they had half a bottle left. Baldy Liu's family also had one bottle; it was left by his father and had been sitting for several years. It had hardened, so I added some tung oil to dissolve it."

Chen Zheng took the bottle, uncorked it, and smelled it.

The smell of pine resin was pungent, mixed with the smell of tung oil, so strong it was cloying.

Pine resin is used for grouting wooden boats.

The old fishermen on Baiyang Lake used pine resin mixed with hemp fibers to build and repair boats, stuffing it into the gaps in the planks. Once dry, it became hard and water couldn't seep in.

Chen Zheng needed the pine resin, not for repairing the ship, but for something else.

"Jianguo, do you know how to use this pine resin?"

Zhang Jianguo scratched his head: "It's just sizing. Which boat in our village isn't sizing with pine resin?"

"Not just sewing." Chen Zheng held up the bottle; the moonlight shone on it, making it look like honey.

"Pine resin has a property that it can burn in water."

Zhang Jianguo was taken aback: "Boil it in water?"

"Hmm. If you smear pine resin on a strip of cloth, light it, and throw it into water, it will still burn, and the water won't put it out."

Because pine resin contains oil, and oil is lighter than water, it floats on the surface of the water and continues to burn.

This is something he heard from an old ship repairman when he was working in the city in his previous life.

The old fisherman was a veteran who, in his youth, rowed a boat on Baiyang Lake and had seen people use pine resin torches to light their way on the water.

Pine resin torches are resistant to wind and water, making them excellent for water-based operations.

"Tomorrow we'll go into the water; it'll be dark at the bottom."

I plan to make a few torches out of pine resin, just in case we can't see anything underwater, we can light them and throw them in to provide some light.

Zhang Jianguo's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! Ah Zheng, how do you know everything?"

"I read it in a book." Chen Zheng put the bottle away. "Jianguo, you go tomorrow too."

You hold the rope on the boat. Rongzi uses a bamboo pole to probe the bottom, and I go into the water.

The rope is tied around my waist, and you hold the other end. I pull it a little, and you loosen it a foot.

I'll pull twice, and you pull back. I'll pull three times, which means something's happened, and you pull upwards with all your might.

"How many times?" Zhang Jianguo counted on his fingers. "One pull to loosen, two pulls to tug, three pulls to save your life. Got it."

"The rope can't be loosened too quickly, or I'll lose my footing."

We can't pull too hard, or I'll crash into the bottom of the boat.

The force should be even, like pulling a net.

"Okay. I know how to pull the net. My dad says my net-pulling skills are among the best in the whole village."

Chen Zheng nodded.

Zhang Jianguo is usually a carefree person, but he is very accurate when he is working.

In his past life, Zhang Jianguo was the fastest bricklayer on construction sites, and the foreman always assigned him to mentor newcomers.

In this life, he will always be that reliable, headstrong young man.

"Where's Jiawang? Tell him to come along," Chen Zheng said.

"Him?" Zhang Jianguo curled his lip. "With those crossed eyes, he'd be lucky to even stand on the boat."

"Jiawang's eyesight isn't good, but his hearing is. He can hear any movement underwater better than we can."

Let him sit at the bow of the boat and listen to the water.

Zhang Jianguo thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, I'll go get him."

He turned and walked out, but stopped after a couple of steps. "Ah Zheng," he said, "you think there really is gold in that sunken ship?"

"It's hard to say."

"If there really is one, and we manage to retrieve it, who's responsible?"

Chen Zheng glanced at him: "The four of us."

You, me, Rongzi, Jiawang.

I was the one who went into the water, you were the one holding the rope, Rongzi was the one probing the bottom, and Jiawang was the one listening to the water.

If even one person is missing, the job can't be done.

Zhang Jianguo grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

He rubbed his hands together, turned around, and ran out of the yard.

It was late at night. The moon was high overhead, and the moonlight in the courtyard was like water, cool and clear.

The black cat jumped down from the edge of the jar at some point and squatted at the base of the wall, licking its paws.

Chen Zheng organized the things he would need for tomorrow, arranging them neatly on the stone platform.

A long rope, an iron hook, a bamboo pole, two bottles of pine resin, a roll of tape measure, and a net.

And that glass bottle, I'll go to Butcher Wang's tomorrow morning to fill it with pig's blood.

He squatted down beside the stone platform and picked up the tape measure.

The measuring tape is made of cowhide, and over the years, the leather has hardened and the edges have become shiny from wear.

He pulled out the measuring tape, and a musty smell of stale leather wafted out. It was left to him by his grandfather.

His grandfather used this measuring tape to measure the depth of the South Bay and found the sunken ship.

He also carved a cross on a rock at the bottom of the water.

Fifty years have passed, Grandpa is gone, but the measuring tape remains.

He rolled up the measuring tape and put it in his pocket.

The next day, before dawn, Chen Zheng woke up.

Crackling sounds!

The sound of raindrops hitting the window paper was like popping beans.

His heart sank, and he rolled over, got up, and pushed open the door.

The courtyard was damp, with rainwater running down the eaves and forming small streams on the ground.

The distant Baiyang Lake was hidden in the rain, and nothing could be seen clearly.

Old Chen had already gotten up and was squatting on the doorstep smoking a pipe.

He looked at the rain in the courtyard, taking puffs of his cigarette, the smoke mingling with the rain vapor, floating in front of his face.

"Father, this rain..."

"It's just passing through. It'll stop by daybreak."

Old Chen tapped his pipe on the threshold.

"The water in Nanwan gets even muddier on rainy days. Let's stop the rain today and wait until tomorrow."

Chen Zheng squatted on the other side of the threshold, watching the rain in the yard.

Raindrops hit the stone platform, splashing up water droplets.

The things stacked on the stone platform were soaked by the rain; the hemp ropes were wet and their color had darkened.

Water droplets clung to the iron hook, glistening.

About fifteen minutes later, the rain lessened. A little while later, the rain stopped.

A sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon, and a crack appeared in the clouds, revealing a small patch of pale blue sky.

"I told you, it was just passing rain." Old Chen stood up, tucked his pipe into his waistband, and...

"I'm going to the lake to check the water level. You stay home and wait for me to come back, then we'll talk."

He put on a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, and went out the door.

Chen Zheng stood in the courtyard, looking at the sky. The clouds were still there, but much thinner.

The sky in the east was getting brighter, and the sun peeked out from the gaps in the clouds.

Chen Rong came out of the house. He was carrying a pair of liberation shoes in his hand.

Squat down by the stone platform, put on your shoes, and tighten the shoelaces.

After tying it, I checked it again, tugged at it, but it didn't budge.

"Brother, can we download it today?"

"We'll talk about it when Dad gets back."

Chen Rong nodded.

He walked to the stone platform, picked up the bamboo pole, and started sharpening it again.

The sound of sandpaper scraping against bamboo poles echoed in the courtyard in the early morning.

After a while, Zhang Jianguo and Liu Jiawang arrived.

Zhang Jianguo was wearing an old raincoat with several holes, revealing the cloth shirt underneath.

Liu Jiawang was holding an oil-paper umbrella with several plum blossoms painted on its surface.

The flowers have faded, and their original colors are no longer visible.

"Ah Zheng, are you able to go down today?" Zhang Jianguo called out as soon as he entered the courtyard.

"Wait for Uncle San to come back."

Zhang Jianguo said "Oh," squatted down beside the stone platform, picked up the bundle of hemp rope, and began to examine it.

He spun the rope from one end to the other, stopping at any knots, untying them, and then tying them again.

He tied the knot very skillfully, his fingers flying across the paper, and in a few strokes he tied a sturdy sailor's knot.

Liu Jiawang closed his umbrella and leaned against the wall. He took out a small notebook from his pocket, opened it, and found it filled with densely written notes.

He squatted down, spread the notebook on his lap, and started drawing something on the notebook with a pencil stub.

"Jiawang, what are you drawing?" Chen Zheng walked over.

Liu Jiawang turned the notebook around to show him. There was a drawing in the notebook, a map of the waters of Nanwan.

The reed marshes, the deep water area, the crooked willows on the bank, and the tallest reed were all clearly marked.

The map also shows several lines that intersect at a point, with the caption "Suspected shipwreck location" next to them.

"This is based on the location Rongzi explored yesterday."

Liu Jiawang pushed up his glasses, and half of the adhesive tape on the temples had come off.

He pressed it with his finger, but couldn't hold it down.

The Commentary on the Waterways Classic states that anything submerged in water will inevitably be moved by the current.

The shipwreck has been submerged for fifty years and its location may have shifted from its original position due to the erosion caused by the water flow.

I've drawn three possible offset directions for your reference.

Chen Zheng took the notebook and looked at it carefully.

Liu Jiawang drew three diagrams, marking the possible locations of the shipwrecks corresponding to three different water flow directions.

Each drawing was meticulously done, with straight lines and clear annotations.

"Jiawang, you drew this well." Chen Zheng handed the notebook back to him.

"Today you're at the bow of the boat, listening to the water. You have sharp ears; you can hear any sounds coming from underwater."

Liu Jiawang puffed out his chest: "As Mencius said, nothing is better than the eyes."

Although my eyesight is failing, my hearing is still quite good.

I can distinguish the sounds of fish swimming in the water, the rustling of wood, and the clattering of stones.

Zhang Jianguo chuckled beside him: "You can tell the difference? Last time you mistook a toad's croaking for a fish leaping, and I cast my net for nothing."

"That's a frog croaking by the water. The sound is distorted as it travels through the water."

Liu Jiawang argued earnestly, "The physics book says that sound travels at a different speed in water than in air, and the wavelength also changes..."

"Alright, alright." Zhang Jianguo waved his hand. "Don't try to be clever with me, I don't understand. Anyway, you do what you say, I'll pull my rope."

Just then, Chen Laosan returned. He walked into the courtyard, took off his straw hat, and shook off the water droplets.

"How's the water situation?" Chen Zheng stood up.

"It's alright. The rain has stopped, and the water in Nanwan isn't too murky; the visibility is barely enough."

Chen Laosan hung his straw hat on a wooden wedge on the wall, then turned around.

However, the underwater currents are faster than usual.

Last night's rain washed the aquatic plants down from upstream, and a lot of silt has formed at the Nanwan inlet.

When you go into the water, stay away from the water inlet.

"Understood, Father."

Chen Laosan glanced at him, took something out of his pocket, and handed it over.

Chen Zheng took it and saw that it was a bronze whistle.

The whistle is slightly larger than a thumb, covered in rust, and has been worn smooth and shiny over the years.

A red rope was tied to the mouthpiece of the whistle; the rope had faded and turned dark red.

"It was left to you by your grandfather. If you encounter trouble underwater, blow this. The sound travels farther underwater than in the air."

After Chen Laosan finished speaking, he turned and went into the kitchen.

Chen Zheng gripped the bronze whistle tightly in his hand.

He put the red rope around his neck and pressed the whistle against his chest, where it felt cool.

"Walk."

The four people went out the door.

Zhang Jianguo carried a hemp rope, Chen Rong carried a bamboo basket, and Liu Jiawang held a notebook and a bamboo pole.

Chen Zheng walked at the front, carrying a tape measure, an iron hook, pine resin, and the glass bottle in his arms.

The bottle was filled with pig's blood, which Zhang Cuihua had filled at Butcher Wang's place that morning, and it was sealed tightly with a rubber stopper.

By the time we arrived at Nanwan, the sun had already peeked out from between the clouds.

A thin layer of water vapor covered the lake surface; yesterday's rain had washed the reeds a vibrant green.

Water droplets clung to the reeds, and when the wind blew, the droplets fell off.

Four people boarded the boat.

Chen Zheng rowed, Zhang Jianguo squatted at the stern and steered, and Chen Rong sat at the bow, holding a thin bamboo pole in his hand.

Liu Jiawang sat in the middle of the cabin, his hands bracing against the gunwale, his ears facing the water, completely still.

The boat reached the spot marked yesterday. Chen Zheng put away the oars, stood up, and looked around.

The tallest reed is still there, its white plumes swaying in the wind.

The crooked willow tree on the bank was also there, its trunk leaning towards the water, its branches drooping into the water, swaying back and forth as it was swept by the current.

"This is it," Chen Rong said, pointing to the water.

Chen Zheng picked up the measuring tape and threw the end with the lead weight into the water.

The lead weight sank down, and the measuring tape was lowered section by section. After about 23 feet, the lead weight touched the bottom.

He picked up the measuring tape, moved it to a different position, and measured again. It was 23.5 feet.

Then change positions, two zhang and three chi.

The water depth in this area is about 23 feet, which is similar to what was measured yesterday.

"Rongzi, use a bamboo pole to probe around and see the area where the hard object is underneath."

Chen Rong nodded and inserted the thin bamboo pole into the water.

He submerged the bamboo pole section by section into the water. After the tip of the pole touched the bottom, he rotated the pole to feel the texture of the bottom.

He tried more than ten times in different positions.

Every time I touched a hard object, I would look up at the landmark on the shore and memorize its location.

"Brother, the hard object below is about two zhang long and one zhang wide. It is irregularly shaped, with the east end higher and the west end lower."

The part that rises above the silt, at its highest point, is about a foot or more.

Chen Zheng understood. It was over two zhang long, over one zhang wide, and more than one chi high above the mud.

This size is exactly the size of a cargo ship.

Fifty years of siltation have buried most of the ship's hull, with only the highest section visible.

"Jianguo, prepare the rope."

Zhang Jianguo took the bundle of hemp rope, tied one end around Chen Zheng's waist, made a sailor's knot, and tugged at it, but it didn't budge.

He then wrapped the other end of the rope three times around the wooden stake at the bow of the boat, leaving a section hanging out, and held it in his hand.

"Ah Zheng, pull once to loosen, pull twice to tug, pull three times to save your life. Got it?"

Chen Zheng nodded, took off his clothes, and was only wearing a pair of underwear.

He took the bamboo basket from Chen Rong and carried it on his back.

The bamboo basket contained an iron hook, a net, a pine resin torch, and a glass bottle containing pig's blood.

He put the brass whistle in his mouth and tried it out. The whistle sounded sharp and carried far across the water.