Chapter 0005: Going Abroad

There are no landmarks at sea, but for those who navigate the waters, determining a direction is not difficult; they have honed the skill of measuring distances with their eyes since childhood

Ao Fugui was informed in detail by the villagers about the changes in the village over the past few years, including which family's daughter got married, which family's son took a wife, which family's elder passed away, and which family welcomed a new child

Some trawlers are capable of bottom trawling, and these nets have heavy, sharp iron claws that can tear apart seaweed and rip through seabed rocks, causing particularly severe damage to the ocean

Ao Fugui wiped his mouth and said: "What use is a sampan? Just use iron sheets."

He stripped off his clothes and jumped into the water

While drinking wine and enjoying dishes, the two conversed for an entire afternoon, continuing their discussion until the sky was filled with red clouds.

In Yucun, every household possesses a sampan, which is also known as a three-board boat. The original meaning refers to a boat made from three wooden planks, a small wooden structure that represents the simplest type of small boat commonly found in lakes and wetlands.

The gentle sea breeze sweeps through the courtyard, causing the branches and leaves of the osmanthus tree to sway and rustle, continuously producing a soft "shasha" sound

The large yellow dog blinked its eyes, lying down at the bow of the boat. After Ao Mu Yang went diving, it began to paw at the boat's deck, peering down, occasionally barking anxiously.

The woman said with a hint of displeasure: "It's nothing, your dog can't fight and only knows how to run away, it often gets bullied. I'm afraid that the dog from Erliang's family will bite your dog."

Aomu Yang said: "When I left, didn't I give him to my uncle? I even let him farm the land at home for free, as long as he takes good care of the general"

Aomu Yang responded politely, while the general raised his head and puffed out his chest, following behind him as if he were not trailing an ordinary young man, but rather a triumphant commander.

Ao Fugui disdainfully said: "Bah, don't you know what your uncle is? They didn't slaughter you like a dog because you ran away quickly. In fact, after you left, it came back, unable to enter the door, always howling outside."

In the afternoon, the wind rises and the tide surges

Yesterday, Ao Mu Yang glanced at the distant coastline and had a rough idea, knowing the location where someone had fallen into the water

The general excitedly wagged its tail, quickly sweeping the dust off the ground clean.

Strolling around, the night falls

The large dog suffered a loss, howling as it fled, while the general proudly shook its fur and barked: "Woof woof!"

People continuously recognized Ao Mu Yang and greeted him

The general jumped down and dove into the water, while Ao Mu Yang pulled it back and said to He Tu Shu, "Keep an eye on it, make sure to watch the boat, do you understand?"

Ao Mu Yang peeled a salted peanut and ate one himself, then gave the larger one to the general. The general tilted his head, extended his tongue, and deftly licked it into his mouth, then joyfully jumped up.

The general does not understand these things, continuing to happily wag its tail, waiting for Ao Mu Yang to continue feeding it

The gluttonous Ao Fugui mumbled, "I am afraid of being hungry"

The conversation abruptly halted, and the general swiftly leaped up, turning around to take a bite. With a gust of wind at his feet and great strength in his front paws, he pounced on the large dog, pinning it to the ground and biting it twice.

Ao Mu Yang looked up at the brilliant starry sky and took a deep breath; the night scenery of his hometown is still beautiful. In Kyoto, the neon lights may be dazzling, but one can never see such a splendid Milky Way!

The fishermen disembarked from the small boat at the dock. He went over to take a look and found that the catch was very poor. The fishermen wore worried expressions, and someone exhaled smoke while lamenting: "Malagobi, I didn't even earn back the cost of fuel"

At this point, he looked at the general and wondered: "That's not right, it has grown very well; now it has changed significantly compared to before. Perhaps it is because you have returned, and it is happy, which has lifted its spirits."

Aomu Yang smiled and said: "It should be this way, the heavens have three treasures: the sun, the moon, and the stars; the earth has three treasures: water, fire, and wind; humans have three treasures: essence, energy, and spirit; dogs must be the same, right"

The street becomes lively, the weather is cool, elderly people take small stools outside to enjoy the breeze, while children chase and play. Fishermen returning from the sea take advantage of the remaining daylight, and boats come and go at the small dock

He went to find Ao Fugui, and after sharing a bowl of plain congee, he said: "Let me use your sampan, I am going out to sea to take a look."

This is the evolutionary characteristic of all water hounds; they all possess a strong, large tail, which acts as a rudder when they enter the water, assisting them in changing direction while swimming

However, the pollution near the coast is severe, and the sea breeze carries a foul odor, which is quite uncomfortable

After a pause, he continued, "I just removed the threshold, and it has been living in your house ever since. However, no one feeds it, so it either eats garbage or the leftovers from my house, which is why it hasn't grown well"

Upon arriving at the small dock, a dog ran by, and upon seeing the general, it blinked in confusion. It approached and sniffed the general's rear end.

Aomu Yang asked with a smile, "What’s wrong, Second Aunt?"

Hearing this, he smiled and said, "Thank you, uncle, I have a plan"

Ao Fugui was anxious; he protected the stir-fried mudfish with preserved mustard greens and said, "Why are you feeding such fragrant mudfish to the dogs? Give it to me, give it to me. Damn, Yangzi, your cooking is really delicious"

As usual, he quickly found the lobster group from yesterday

In the evening, Ao Fugui returned home in a drunken stupor. His parents, having just returned from the sea, heard that Ao Mu Yang was back home and hurried over to visit him, even bringing bedding for temporary use

Borrowing a boat, he paddled out to sea, and the general immediately jumped on board, staying with him at all times

Aomu Yang looked down at the seabed in search of rocky shores, where there were scratches on the underwater rocks, resembling the marks left by Wolverine's claws. However, he knew that this was not the work of mysterious forces, but rather the traces left by human activities

The surface of the sea occasionally has waves, while beneath the water, it is calm and undisturbed

After Aomu Yang finished washing up and went out, a villager saw him and said: "Yangzi, what are your plans now that you are back? Have you made any money in the capital? Even if you have made money, you still need to work; you cannot just sit idly and eat away at your savings"

Having expressed his gratitude to Ao Fugui's parents, he took the general out onto the street

Aomu Yang knew that the general had suffered over the years. He had left in a hurry at that time, and his arrangements were indeed inadequate. Therefore, later on, he offered the general a pair of chopsticks with a dish after taking a sip of wine

Upon seeing this, Ao Mu Yang smiled and said: "Foodie."

The sun rises in the morning, marking another sunny day

Aomu Yang shook his head and said: "No need, I will just take a stroll on the sea, without going into the water"

Aomu Yang's goal for going out to sea is the few exquisite lobsters he discovered yesterday, which are valuable catches that could sustain him for a year in the village

He returned home to sleep, while the general lay at his feet, snoring loudly and sweetly.

The general's fur has changed somewhat, making it difficult for the large dog to recognize it; however, its scent remains the same. Once the large dog identifies it, it suddenly bares its fangs to bite it

The eel, fried to a crisp outside and tender inside, is completely infused with the salty aroma of preserved mustard greens. Paired with a refreshing beer and enjoyed with a gentle sea breeze, it is truly something one would not trade for anything, even if offered by a deity

At this moment, he turned his attention inward to the golden elixir and discovered that as the moisture flowed into his body from various parts of his skin, the speed at which the fine streams within the golden elixir were generated accelerated, allowing it to complete a full cycle in approximately four to five minutes

Aomu Yang patted the general's head and said, "It is not that it cannot fight, but rather that it does not dare to fight without me by its side"

Upon seeing this, someone shouted: "Yangzi, quickly protect your dog, your dog..."

Ao Fugui chuckled and said: "What is it? A dog has three treasures: dog treasure, dog whip, and dog kidney"

Rowing the boat out to sea was particularly strenuous, and it took him over an hour to reach his destination

Dogs have scent glands located at their rear, which they rely on to identify each other’s identity, gender, health status, and other information