The fishing boat was quite inferior to the Xingchen, given the price difference. Especially its stability, it was quite bumpy at high speed; for a first-time sailor, it would surely cause seasickness.
Li Haochen couldn't help with anything. More accurately, Dai Changrun wouldn't let him. Unable to refuse, he sat aside for a short rest.
After an unknown period, he felt the bumping had stopped. Li Haochen slowly opened his eyes, and to his surprise, the deck above the cabin was empty.
He walked out and saw that they were baiting the longlines. One person handed the hook, another baited it, and another coiled the rope, all working together with remarkable默契 (mòqì - tacit understanding) and skill.
"Uncle Dai, is there anything I can help with?"
"Benefactor, you go back and sit. This bait is very fishy."
"Uncle Dai, have you forgotten I'm also a fisherman? Heh heh!"
Li Haochen couldn't help much with the longlines. Forcing himself in would only disrupt their rhythm. He wondered how long the large coil was.
Li Haochen picked up a nearby bait box and was about to put bait into it when he was attracted by the bait with its unique scent.
He picked up a piece and sniffed it. It didn't smell bad; instead, it had a fresh, fragrant aroma. If it weren't for its unappetizing appearance, Li Haochen would have been tempted to take a bite.
"Uncle Dai, this bait is quite special. What is it?"
"This," Dai Changrun said with pride, "is the culmination of my decades of experience! I'll teach you how to make it when we get back, heh heh!"
"No, this is your valuable skill, and I have my own way, heh heh."
Indeed, Li Haochen had the mussel divine bait from his space. Any useful bait would pale in comparison. He was merely curious about the bait Dai Changrun made.
After the preparation was complete, Dai Zirui went to start the anchor and sail the boat. The speed was not fast, only about three to four knots.
Li Haochen and Dai Changrun evenly deployed the traps into the sea. However, they did not tie them with a long rope as Li Haochen would have. Instead, they used a buoy made of a bamboo pole, a foam board, and red cloth.
The long bamboo poles stood like roly-poly toys in the sea. The simple buoys were a testament to the wisdom of the working people.
There were many traps, and it took both of them quite a while to throw them all. When it came to the longlines, Li Haochen retreated to the side. His unfamiliarity with the process would only hinder their progress.
Dai Ruhao handed the rope, and Dai Changrun cast the hook. Their actions, one handing and one casting, were perfectly coordinated, creating a visually pleasing scene.
When the longline was coiled in the large basin, it didn't seem very long. But as the buoys gradually grew smaller, Li Haochen realized how far it had already gone.
"Uncle Dai, how long is this longline? Why is it taking so long to finish deploying?"
"Fifteen hundred meters with seven hundred and fifty hooks. I originally wanted to buy three kilometers, but I couldn't find any here in Binhai. I'll get two when I go home next time, heh heh!"
"Three kilometers? And two of them...? Alright, I admit I'm not a qualified fisherman."
Seeing that there was nothing he could help with outside, Li Haochen walked into the cabin. At this moment, Dai Changrun signaled to Dai Zirui inside.
Understanding the signal, Dai Zirui turned the helm slightly to the left, while Dai Changrun began setting the gillnets. Li Haochen, looking at the sparse red dots on the fish finder, furrowed his brow. He wanted to speak but felt it might be inappropriate.
However, it was too bothersome, so he braced himself and asked, "Zi Rui, the fish finder shows that the resources here are not very good. Setting gillnets here...!"
"Brother Li, this high-tech equipment is good, but our ancestors' experience in finding fish isn't too bad either. My dad is a master, though this experience isn't very useful for the nearshore. If there are no fish, even the best experience is useless. It's different in the far sea; the resources are abundant."
Indeed, it was the same principle as the Matthew effect: the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Those with money could buy larger boats and go to the far sea, reaping substantial rewards. Those without money could only sail small boats in the nearshore, barely making a living.
The gillnets had very large mesh sizes, not the type used by desperate fishermen. Li Haochen was very pleased with this.
A few minutes later, two gillnets, each 300 meters long, were also deployed. Dai Changrun and his wife tidied up the deck and then went inside.
"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Dai and Aunt Dai. Please rest for a while."
"No need, it's not that tiring." Saying this, Dai Ruhao went below to prepare dinner. Li Haochen wanted to help, but as expected, he was driven out again.
Having no choice, he stayed in the cabin and chatted with Dai Changrun and his son.
Although Li Haochen was born by the sea and had some exposure to fishing, he only knew the most basic methods.
With such a good mentor present, he naturally had to seize the opportunity to learn. After all, having more skills is never a burden.
Dai Changrun did not hold back and answered every question, patiently imparting his experience to Li Haochen.
Li Haochen was like a dried sponge, continuously absorbing the knowledge Dai Changrun imparted. However, there was simply too much of it, so he had to digest it slowly in his spare time.
"Dinner's ready."
Li Haochen and the others went down. Two dishes were on the table: one was salted chicken, the offering from that morning, and the other was stir-fried choi sum with garlic.
Although not lavish, there was both meat and vegetables. Li Haochen was not a picky eater; as long as he was full, it was fine.
After dinner, having rested for about an hour, Dai Zirui went to raise the anchor and set sail. Dai Changrun and his wife, dressed in waterproof clothing, went out to the deck.
The fishing boat moved very slowly. Dai Changrun, holding a long gaff, stood ready. As they approached a buoy, he swiftly extended and pulled it up.
At this moment, Dai Zirui had stopped the engine and come out. He took the tow rope and attached it to the winch, pressing the start button. The winch began to rotate slowly and evenly, and the fishing net started to be pulled out of the water.
Sensing a slight disturbance in the water, Li Haochen guessed they had a catch. As expected, about a meter of the fishing net had been pulled up when a Jin Gu fish, weighing seven to eight liang (about 350-400 grams), was caught at the bottom, still struggling.
Dai Changrun, with eyes as sharp as a falcon's, quickly unhooked the fish and threw it into the livewell. It was indeed crucial to be fast; otherwise, the fish would halve in price or even worse.
Dai Ruhao smoothed out the fishing net. In about ten minutes, the first gillnet was completely pulled out. The catch was not very impressive, but it was acceptable: three Jin Gu fish, four sea bass weighing about two catties (about 1 kg) each, and a palm-sized blue crab. This catch was considered good.
The second gillnet also began to be pulled out. Judging by the tension of the rope, it was evident that this net's catch would be better than the previous one.
"Red Grouper!"
As soon as the gillnet was pulled out a bit, a pleasant surprise appeared: a sea red grouper weighing about three catties was caught at the very bottom.
The appearance of the sea red grouper seemed to be a good omen, and good luck continued to arrive: a green grouper weighing three to four catties, a sea bass weighing six to seven catties, black sea bream, yellow sea bream, and so on...