Chapter 1: Tianya Island

Close silently and without a trace

Tianya Island has a dock connecting to the sea, where fishing boats approach this swaying dock. Wang Yi, with a camping backpack on his back and two large suitcases in hand, is heading to the dock

The local government is preparing to attract investment for the development of vacant offshore islands. In order to avoid property disputes, it has requested that the residents who have relocated from the islands return to complete the handover.

The great door collapsed, held together by an ancient iron lock. Wang Yi looked at the iron lock and then at the jade key in his hand, and he attempted to insert it.

Wang Yi shook her head

As the sun rose higher and the sea mist gradually dissipated, the son of Bo Shu, who was steering the boat, shouted "Tianya Island." Wang Yi was startled by the shout and quickly looked up.

Wang Yi awkwardly shook her head

Wang Yi was unsure whether he had high blood pressure, so he quickly handed him a bottle of mineral water to help him calm down.

The sting made him unable to keep his eyes open.

Uncle Bo laughed and said: "Alone in a foreign land as a stranger, I miss my family even more during festive seasons. Which wanderer away from home does not have feelings for their hometown?"

This scared him so much that he immediately shrank back: it was a bit eerie, he had to hurry and escape, he could not stay on this island, he needed to quickly return to the mainland

At that time, our commune had to chant slogans, and the slogan was "Transforming the off-season into the peak season! Catching all kinds of fish, big and small, including fish parents, fish ancestors, and fish offspring in one net!"

Between the sea and the sky lies only a vast expanse of white

Uncle Bo, who was just about to show off, was taken aback: "Huh? Didn't you leave us before you even turned one year old? How do you still know about these things?"

He opened the old family genealogy and found an ancient-style green key inside it

On the azure sea lies a verdant island

The sky above cannot be seen

Uncle Bo's face revealed a look of nostalgia: "It's too lively; you will never see that scene again in your lifetime."

Uncle Bo lowered his head and said: "Yes, but at that time I did not understand this principle, thinking that the sea was inexhaustible."

There is an old soldier in your village, who is said to have made great contributions in fighting against the American imperialists in North Korea. It was only in the past two years that the government discovered this through archival research. At that time, none of us knew about it. I met him when I was young

My grandson is fifteen years old this year. If you put the juvenile yellow croaker and the small yellow croaker together, as long as their sizes are similar, he might not even be able to tell them apart

Wang Yi took out the prepared cigarette and lit one for him

He was intently observing the sea, contemplating the matters of this journey, while the ironclad ship swayed. The captain responsible for taking him to the island, Uncle Bo, approached with a cheerful smile

The sky and the sea are connected by mist

As a result, Wang Xiaoer celebrated the New Year, but each year was worse than the last. Resources dwindled, and the situation became increasingly dire—truly unbearable!

Yet he still habitually twisted it

The hardware store and the supply and marketing cooperative have both been emptied! The gas station—at that time it was not called a gas station, but rather an industrial oil service agency—has run out of stock!

Seeing that the old man had only a cigarette butt left, he took out another one and handed it over

It does not match, the keyhole of the iron lock is larger, and the jade key can be directly inserted

The door panel opened smoothly, and he immediately walked out

He took another puff of his cigarette and said, "When the fishing season begins, several hundred fishing command centers of various sizes will emerge on each of our islands, and at least tens of thousands of people will come. This is called the great fishing season campaign"

Uncle Bo laughed heartily and pretended to speak in a pretentious manner, saying: "Xiao Zhou, your words are not exaggerated. As for me, I may not dare to claim much, but I have indeed seen a great deal of the world"

Uncle Bo casually pinched the other ear, took out a pack of Li Qun cigarettes, and lit one up

He only becomes spirited when this topic is brought up

Occasionally, a ship in the distance sounds its whistle

He must walk very carefully, otherwise he could easily slip and fall

What is meant by "family fish"? It refers to the fish that every household can catch and have, yet now, apart from ribbonfish, wild yellow croaker and squid are nowhere to be found.

Who could have imagined this in the 1970s or 1980s

Wang Yi set down his luggage and took out the village information statistics book and the old family genealogy. However, upon handling the two books, he felt something was amiss; there was an extra item in the old family genealogy.

The sunlight outside the door is brilliant

He did not expect that the old boatman, with his dark skin and a smile that always revealed two yellowed front teeth, could utter such a literary verse

In principle, the Wengzhou government should not have contacted him in this situation

Then

Uncle Bo gave him a knowing look that said, 'You are very understanding'

The sediments on the seabed provide food for marine organisms, while the mixed tides offer them a habitat, which has led to the formation of the Fuhai Fishing Ground

The sound of the fishing boat rumbled and gradually faded away

Uncle Bo exhaled a satisfied smoke ring and said, "So today I will explain to you in detail why I need to talk about this"

Although our outer island may currently be experiencing a decline in population and a state of disarray, it was once prosperous

In spring, all things revive, and birds and insects are frequently seen, with occasional sounds of 'chirping and buzzing' heard.

The hospital doctor is going to the dock to keep watch, while the militia works tirelessly day and night to protect the catch and prevent reactionaries from causing destruction. Slogans are displayed everywhere—everything is for the victory of the fishing season campaign!

At that time, our overseas island was quite lively. Normally, the population was less than 50,000, but when the winter fishing season began, let me tell you, you wouldn't believe it—at that time, tens of thousands of people and several tens of thousands of boats would suddenly come from all over the country's coastline!

The lock is open

"To protect vision for the revolution, to prevent myopia, the eye exercises will now begin"

Wang Yi handed him another cigarette

The large door then opened, revealing an old warehouse with an area of approximately 100 square meters.

At that time, there were indeed many people and many boats. I remember in 1973, yes, in 1973, there were over 80,000 people working at our Fuhai fishing grounds, with 5,800 boats. By 1983, the number of fishermen working here had reached 250,000, with 10,000 boats

There is only a door and no windows, empty and desolate

As the door opened, a loud and high-pitched shout entered his ears

However, this answer is also reasonable, after all, hundreds of thousands of fishermen have gathered in one place

Wang Yi hurried to pull the door

Now many of the outer islands have become desolate like this," he spoke in a low voice, "it was not like this in the past, during the years '77 and '88, it was very lively here

Wang Yi withdrew her gaze and cautiously made her way ashore

Uncle Bo pushed it open and said, "I am not thirsty. Listen to me, this is not the liveliest place yet. Do you know where the liveliest place is?"

Suddenly, gray smoke swirled in the air

Wang Yi sighed along with him

Wang Yi instinctively said: "This is overfishing"

The old man did not take a direct puff this time; instead, he first glanced at the brand on the cigarette roll, and upon discovering it was Huazi, he pinched it between his ear.

At this moment, far from the shore, the sea is no longer the murky grayish-yellow, but rather a clear azure blue

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, his body trembling.

Wangjia Village is a village located on an island called Tianya Island. The island is dilapidated and abandoned, and there are no residents living there anymore

How can there be so many people and so many command centers all of a sudden? Where are the houses? What should we do?

He returned to the topic, regrouping and starting to show off: "In our hometown's fishing grounds, there are four major fishing seasons: the spring season for small yellow croaker, the summer season for cuttlefish and large yellow croaker, and the winter season for ribbonfish. Has your father ever told you about these fishing seasons?"

The sea water crashes against the shore, producing a sound like 'splashing'.

"Good tobacco," he said. "Young man, I heard from Xiao Zhou that when you were still a little child, your parents took you away from Tianya Island to Hudu. Therefore, you must not be familiar with the history of our outer islands."

After the government conducted an investigation, it was found that there were very few villagers from Wangjia Village who could be contacted, and almost all of them were elderly individuals with limited mobility. They then reached out to Wang Yi, asking him to represent the village in overseeing the inventory of the village's assets.

The turbid sea water surged endlessly, with waves crashing against the weathered fishing boats, sending water droplets flying in all directions

Can this society still improve? What should we, as predecessors, do to show off?

What surprised him even more was that Uncle Bo was very perceptive; upon seeing him smile, he could guess his intentions

A sound of "ka ba" was heard

Wang Yi said: "My father told me during his lifetime that he had deep feelings for his hometown, but he was a teacher and was later transferred to teach in the inland, which forced him to leave his hometown"

Noticing this gaze, Wang Yi's words, which were on the tip of his tongue, took a turn as he said: "My father never mentioned this."

Wang Yi does not have a deep impression of his hometown. He was taken to live in the inland region by his father when he was less than one year old. Subsequently, he lost his father in his youth, and his understanding of his hometown, Tianya Island, is limited to his father's memories and some old photographs

At that moment, the door behind him closed automatically

The great leader teaches us that our educational policy should enable learners to develop in moral, intellectual, and physical aspects, becoming cultured workers with a socialist consciousness

Uncle Bo enthusiastically lent him a hand, as the two suitcases were large and heavy

He picked up the booklet, slung his bag over his shoulder, and walked to the nearest red brick house with gray tiles.

The houses in Tianya Village are primarily scattered in the northeast, southeast, and western areas, with the dock connecting to the southeastern corner of the island

Wang Yi was about to speak, but Uncle Bo fixed him with a piercing gaze

Wang Yixiao said, "Alright, Uncle, thank you."

Wang Yi let out a sigh at the appropriate moment

The turbidity of the seawater off the coast of Wengzhou is not related to pollution; rather, it is due to the warm current from the Daba Bay flowing northward along the southern coastline, while the cold currents from the Guizi and the Yellow Sea flow southward along the northern coastline. The convergence of these two currents stirs up the mud and sediments from the seabed

The sea mist has become pungent

A few days ago, a government official from Wengzhou suddenly contacted him, asking him to return to his hometown, Wangjia Village.

Uncle Bo expressed some regret: "Wangjia Village at the ends of the earth used to be very lively; it was a large village, and the village secretary, Wang Xianghong, was a capable person"

The granary gate is open, and all the rice and flour are out! The supply of staple food stores is always insufficient!

Therefore, comrades have arrived, and we, the islanders, will never fall short. The members themselves have proposed a slogan called "Two Conditions Are Sufficient"

Wang Yi said, "It must have been very lively at that time"

Wang Yi was astonished: "Related to chickens? At that time, the social atmosphere was so upright, how could it be here..."

Now, many of the wild species here have become extinct, including the large yellow croaker, small yellow croaker, ribbonfish, and squid. These are the four major fish that we take great pride in.

In the context of the fishing seasons of the 1970s and 1980s, particularly the winter ribbonfish season, this is the one with the highest yield and the largest scale among the four major fishing seasons. It begins with the start of winter, followed by the minor snow and major snow periods, and the peak fishing occurs during the winter solstice, continuing until the major cold period.

Uncle Bo gave him a slap and laughed, saying: "What are you thinking? It's the motor shop by the dock! They only repair three machines. Do you know what the three machines are?"

Through the smoke, Uncle Bo's murky gaze surprisingly took on a certain depth

This is an old house, with mottled walls, desolate and dilapidated

An old house in a desolate village automatically closes its door, this is a standard plot for a horror film

The green vines climb, covering the mountain from the foot to the summit

As he spoke, he shook his head again, seemingly recalling something, and his face displayed a deeper sense of regret

Wang Yi stood at the bow of the ship, gazing ahead, surrounded by an overwhelming expanse of sea mist

The key is a translucent emerald green, resembling a carving of jade, with the thickness of a little finger and the length of a middle finger

However, this is not a good thing

At the foot of the mountain stands a house devoid of doors and windows, similarly overrun by green vines, empty and desolate.

Uncle Bo chuckled and said, "Just a reminder, it's related to the machine!"

What is the young villager thinking? The closer one gets to home, the more timid one becomes, and one does not dare to ask the traveler

The island features undulating mountains, which are adorned with relatively lush trees. The greenery is particularly pronounced due to the abundance of vines growing on the mountains.

Suddenly, everything before his eyes turned pitch black

But there is simply no human voice

Although the heavy fog has dissipated, the humidity at sea remains high, and the stone path on the island is covered with moss

He felt completely lost in his heart

Returning to the ship, he said: "We are staying on Cam Ranh Island, not far from here. Xiao Zhou entrusted me with taking care of you, so if you need anything, give me a call. However, the signal here is poor, so be careful when making calls."

In fact, eating and sleeping are not the main issues; the primary concern is that the command center has no space to set up. The living room, side rooms, and bedrooms all have to be utilized, and some are even placed in the kitchens of the common people. Thus, when it comes time to cook, the command center has to disband

Going further back to the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the top scholar Zhang Jian initiated the movement to save the nation through industry by establishing the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Fisheries Company. At that time, fishing boats began operations in the Fuhai area, and from then on, Haifuxian became an important fishing port

Our islanders are passionate, all fighting for the country and the collective. Therefore, every household welcomes comrades from all corners of the world to participate in the great battle. With not enough beds, everyone sleeps on the ground and shares meals from a large pot

Wang Yi laughed heartily

Uncle Bo recounted to him the events of the great fishing season battle from years ago

At this point, he began to sigh, a look of sorrow appearing on his face

It is already morning, yet the fog over the sea remains quite thick

Looking at this key, he wondered when this thing appeared in the family tree

Additionally, three major rivers flow into the sea, bringing with them a substantial amount of silt, and the mingling of freshwater and seawater creates a unique mixed tide along the coast

What is it? Do you think that because I look like a rough old man, I can only speak in coarse language and do rough work?

Wang Yi cautiously walked in, and then he felt something was amiss: behind the main door was the courtyard, so how could a storeroom appear directly?

He truly does not know this

To this end, the local government also handed him an old genealogy that was sourced from an unknown origin, along with a village information statistics booklet.

I am indeed familiar with this," Wang Yi said, "In 1934, Haifu on the outer islands began to establish a town, which led to the creation of Fuhai Town, and gradually, Haifu County was formed.

At this point, he became agitated and solemnly declared while vigorously waving his fist: "As long as there is a place to lie down at home, it is not called comrades sleeping on the street! As long as there is something to eat in the pot, it is not called comrades going hungry!"

Close your eyes

All units are required to work overtime!

He vaguely feels that he has been abandoned by human society

This remark amused Wang Yi

Wang Yi hurriedly waved his hand, saying: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I heard from Director Zhou, who received me, that Uncle Bo is an old sea wolf, a well-informed person in Fuhai, and someone who has seen the world.

Uncle Bo said: "It is a walkie-talkie, a fish finder, and a radio"

The waters near Tianya Island are clear, and in such clarity, there are often no fish; under these conditions, the catch yield is usually poor

The distant sea is also not visible

Let me say something that you young people may not understand: back then, no matter where you were from, as long as you heard someone from our island call out "Comrade," you were considered our kin. At that time, people were simple and earnest, everyone rallied together with the leader, united in spirit and effort, and all our work was aimed at building a strong socialist new China