Chapter 007: The Difficulty of the Journey

As he walked, he handed the food bag in his hand to Ma Feng

The boat is moving very slowly, estimated to cover less than 20 kilometers in an hour. The sound of the diesel engine is quite loud, which truly refreshed Gu Ao's perspective. The journey of over 100 kilometers took a full night to complete.

On that evening, Gu Ao and Ma Feng, two adolescents in their rebellious phase, took turns riding their bicycles to the Gongchenqiao Wharf

Is it really that difficult? Leaving at over 4 o'clock, isn't that too much effort? Gu Ao couldn't help but exclaim

The best way to enjoy hairy crabs is undoubtedly by steaming them, but Gu Ao knows that the captain will not dock for long and there is no time for that, so he opted to have them boiled instead

Gu Chao quietly said: "My father’s factory is currently working on a technical breakthrough project that requires coordination of various research materials. He is the head of the technical department, so I asked him to request a letter of introduction from the unit. I believe that when we arrive at Hujiang later, having this 'Shangfang Sword' will definitely make it much more convenient to purchase those rare books, and it will also compel them to cooperate with us."

The gap in values is too wide

Ma Feng seems to understand the hardships of the people better than he does, and explained: "This is all speculation and profiteering; it is actually more inconvenient during the day, as one fears being seen"

Unfortunately, Gu Ao has already fallen into a deep sleep and can no longer discern the difference in scents

Thus, he ignored Ma Feng's advice and directly approached a crab farmer who was queuing with a carrying pole: "Uncle, how much are you selling these crabs for?"

It was inconvenient to meticulously dismantle the crab legs in the car, so he simply chewed a few times and spat out the legs. He focused solely on eating the crab meat, which was plump and rich, with the yellow roe overflowing from the crab shell

Gu Chao's ticket costs 0.5 yuan, allowing him to sleep above the deck; while Ma Feng only bought a ticket for 0.3 yuan, which means he has to sleep in a stuffy cabin below the waterline without windows or ventilation

People in this era generally believe that fatty pork is the primary meat, while other aquatic products are considered insignificant. Especially freshwater fish that are farmed according to plans, which must also be purchased with tickets, are the least cost-effective.

Upon hearing that borrowing a stove to cook the crabs for a few minutes would cost only 20 cents, the crab farmer quickly pocketed the money and went. In less than five minutes, he returned with a basket of bright red hairy crabs that had been boiled over a fierce fire, pouring them into the luggage bag that Gu Ao used for carrying provisions, with vinegar drizzled over the crabs.

In fact, there is nothing much to see; the Grand Canal of the 1970s was plagued by a lack of environmental awareness among the people, resulting in various forms of industrial pollution. The water quality was extremely foul, no better than the cramped quarters of lower-tier cargo ships.

His father has such an important task with Director Qin; isn't it easy for him to ask the factory for some substantial letters of introduction?

Ma Feng, feeling envious, also felt somewhat disheartened: "In that case, I have done a good deed that turned out badly. If it weren't for my own decision to change from a long-distance bus ticket to a boat ticket because I couldn't buy the former, you could have comfortably taken the car tomorrow..."

Could it be that the wealthy overseas Chinese from Hujiang do not consider money as money

The benefits of shrimp and crabs are that they are not classified, and many are caught by fishermen privately, allowing them to be purchased without a ticket

In later generations, he had only seen the structure of painted pleasure boats on the Grand Canal, specifically the sightseeing boats from Wulin Gate to Gongchen Bridge, which could be accessed with a city bus card costing 3 yuan per ride

If luck is on one's side, one might be discovered before starving to death and then be repatriated

When Ma Feng helped Gu Ao carry the bicycle onto the boat, the boat captain tried to stop him, saying that the bicycle took up space and insisted that he pay an additional 20 cents for the fare

The distance from Qiantang to Hujiang is a full 180 kilometers if one were to ride a bicycle the entire way, which would undoubtedly be exhausting.

At this dock, the price of crabs is relatively low, after all, they are not valued locally

One yuan was exchanged for one and a half jin of hairy crabs, which made Ma Feng feel that it was simply not worth it

Gu Chao took out two yuan: "Here, this is two yuan. Give me three jin of the largest ones. The extra twenty cents, you can borrow a stove from the boat captain. Hurry up and cook them well."

Gu Chao originally did not care about these two cents and was about to take them out

These individuals prefer to keep a low profile, as they are engaged in speculative and opportunistic trades, which would not reflect well on them if exposed

"Come to Wujiang Wharf to buy crabs? Hey, what a strange person."

Ma Feng was astonished at that moment, feeling that Gu Ao was simply extraordinary: "Is this the introduction letter? How did you manage to get it, Brother Gu?"

Moreover, in today's market, in cities that are not so coastal, the only fish and meat that can be purchased without a ticket is the stinking hairtail—hairtail cannot be farmed and is caught in the wild. Furthermore, it dies once out of water, making long-term storage difficult. Therefore, the authorities allow the public to sell what they catch without requiring a ticket.

Just consider it an experience of hard times

Ma Feng, however, was unwilling to back down and began to haggle with the boat captain: "Don't bully us! Who goes on a long journey without bringing some luggage? Our luggage is already minimal, and how much heavier can this cart be? Look at how much that old man just carried! His shoulder pole is bent under the weight, and it is definitely much heavier than our cart, yet you didn't charge him extra! Are you taking advantage of our youth? And what about that other person? I want to see what he is carrying; is it heavier than my bicycle? ... His shoulder pole is bent under the weight, and it is definitely much heavier than our cart, yet you didn't charge him extra! Are you taking advantage of our youth? And what about that other person? I want to see what he is carrying; is it heavier than my bicycle? ...

Enduring the bad breath from not having a toothbrush, Gu Ao walked down the deck and saw a long line of old farmers at the dock, all carrying heavy loads of crabs, presumably preparing to take a boat to sell them in other places

Ma Feng, upon hearing this, first showed a look of joy, which was soon replaced by regret: "Gu Ge, if you had said this earlier, it would have been better to buy half as much and just give me the money directly"

In any case, I bought three pounds in one go, and I have to finish it all in a day; even if I throw my legs away, it would not be a pity

After chatting for a while, the two individuals returned to their respective cabins to endure the unpleasant smell and sleep.

When traveling on the road, one does not pay much attention to details

In this day and age, it is inherently difficult to go out, so it is quite normal for luggage to be overweight

However, if one can take a boat from the Grand Canal to Suzhou first, and then ride a bicycle from Suzhou, a distance of 60 kilometers would suffice, and riding quickly would only take about 3 hours. Today's youth need to engage in some physical labor, so riding several dozen kilometers is completely normal. (Farmers in the mountains can walk dozens of kilometers)

The ship is divided into two levels of cabins, and it is not fully occupied.

Gu Chao patted his belly, got down from the backpack rack, and swaggered towards the Xinhua Bookstore indicated on the address.

Thus, they all spoke on behalf of Ma Feng with a mindset of seeking to avoid conflict: "Captain, look at those children who are just in their teens; it's not easy for them to go out, it's just a small matter."

However, regarding Gu Ao's suggestion, Ma Feng was dismissive: "What is so good about hairy crabs? They are so expensive, mostly shells, not much meat at all"

Ma Feng's keen eyes, as he spoke, began to launch verbal attacks, pointing out one by one the guests who resembled old farmers, each carrying a heavy shoulder pole.

Gu Ao understood his concerns, so he asked, "Don't worry, I will only buy two or three jin, you can calculate the price based on the rate to Qiantang for me, but I need the boat captain to lend me some fire to help cook it."

At around 4 a.m., the boat docked in Wujiang. The captain rang the bell to wake everyone up, and the group disembarked in a dazed and sleepy state.

While he took advantage of the time when Ma Feng was pedaling the bicycle in front, he sat on the cushion of the rear rack, using only one hand to hold onto the handlebars, while the other hand opened the crab trap and began to munch on the crabs all the way.

After all, pork is only a little over 0.6 yuan per jin now, and very few locals in Suzhou are willing to pay such a high price to buy hairy crabs.

At this moment, Gu Ao's heart was filled with frustration towards his father for not knowing how to live: "Sigh, all he knows is to focus on the meat! There are so many good things that can be bought with money instead of meat tickets, yet he chooses to ignore them! It's made me eat pure vegetarian for so long!"

It seems he is quite aware of his role as a subordinate, knowing that he will endure a night of polluted air to save his elder brother two dimes

Otherwise, even if you have money, you will have to wait to starve on the streets

However, Qiantang is at least 200 kilometers away from the sea, and nowadays there are no refrigerated trucks, so in Gu Ao's memory, all the hairtail fish have a bit of a foul smell, at least those that have been dead for three days

Nowadays, when people travel for business to other places, it is not only necessary to have a letter of introduction to purchase train tickets and stay in guesthouses. One must also have the national food and meat coupons issued by the organization in order to buy meals at restaurants

Gu Chao observed from the sidelines, reflecting that his emotional intelligence still needed improvement

However, Gu Ao is ultimately a soul from a later generation, and his impression of the hairy crab is evidently better than that of pork

Gu Chao felt a stir in his heart: "How about we buy a few pounds, have them cook it for us, and save it for lunch? After all, we don't have national food coupons, so we can't go to a restaurant for lunch anyway"

"Brother Gu, what you say makes so much sense, far surpassing Teacher Yang." Ma Feng savored Gu Ao's words and suddenly felt a sense of being appreciated.

On the provincial road from Gusu to Hujiang, dozens of crab legs were scattered along the way

Even a child like Ma Feng can learn to incite the masses for his own purposes without any guidance, what a disparity this is

"Do not think like that," Gu Ao quickly stopped Ma Feng from getting aggressive. "The reason I am only telling you now is that I do not want you to overthink it and dampen your enthusiasm. It is a good thing that you are willing to go to any lengths to achieve your goals; it is worth nurturing. I have never taken a boat to another place, so experiencing it once is quite nice. Moreover, if you hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have thought of getting a letter of introduction—so, in the future, when you encounter situations, just boldly go for it. It doesn't matter if you make a mistake the first time, as long as you don't make the same mistake a second time"

The few individuals pointed out by the horse wind appear to be bold crab farmers, perhaps having brought a load of hairy crabs from Suzhou to sell privately in Qiantang. When they return, they are unwilling to make the trip empty-handed, so they sell some local agricultural and sideline products from Qiantang to earn a bit of money for their efforts

I never imagined that the ancient Grand Canal was still being used for transporting people as late as the end of the 1970s

Having barely finished half, Ma Feng had also pedaled a bicycle for a full three hours, nearly exhausted to the point of collapse, and finally arrived in the urban area of Hujiang City

Well, if you ride with me the whole way today, it would save me 3 yuan on the ticket fare, and I wouldn't have to exert myself extra. From the money saved, I will give you one-third. Here is a crab worth 1 yuan, take it and enjoy. Remember, this is called performance evaluation. In the future, anyone who exceeds my expectations in their work will receive a reward.

If accompanied by the background music of Plants vs. Zombies, it would be even more vivid.

... ...

Upon hearing Gu Ao's offer based on the destination price, the crab farmer immediately agreed: "Ordinary ones are 0.4 yuan per jin, and the largest ones are 0.6 yuan."

Gu Chao chose a cleaner spot to sit beside and then spoke some honest words to Ma Feng: "Actually, you didn't have to insist on buying a boat ticket today. All you needed to do was tell me that a letter of introduction is required for purchasing a long-distance bus ticket, and I would have arranged for the letter of introduction."

The crab farmer looked up and down, thinking that Gu Ao was joking.

Gu Chao and Ma Feng only went out for one day, so they brought a few steamed buns as provisions for the journey and had no intention of buying food in Hujiang

Gu Chao said, pulling out an envelope from his pocket and waving it in front of Ma Feng

After boarding the ship, Ma Feng did not want to go below deck immediately to smell the foul odor and sleep, and there was no place for him in the upper cabin, so he sat on the open deck to enjoy the scenery

Around half past midnight, the ship departed from the Grand Canal and entered Taihu Lake. Due to the clear waters of Taihu Lake, the environment improved somewhat. The advantages of Gu Ao's first-class cabin were also evident.

Gu Chao felt quite curious about this ancient mode of transportation, the canal

As they watched Gu Ao leave with a satisfied demeanor, a group of crab farmers continued to whisper among themselves.

Seeing that the other side was numerous and powerful, and that they had all been incited by Ma Feng, the captain decided to give up.