Fu Wan was examining the catch from the net when she suddenly heard Boss Fu calling her.
She responded loudly, then took off her gloves, washed her hands, and strode towards the wheelhouse.
"Father, what's wrong?"
Boss Fu was steering the boat when he heard this and pointed to the southeast with a serious expression.
"Look over there, isn't there a ship we've never seen before?"
The sun was shining brightly, there was no fog at sea, and visibility was excellent.
Fu Wan squinted and looked over, and sure enough, she saw a ship.
She picked up the binoculars and examined it carefully again, then nodded and said, "It's alright, Dad, it should be a cargo ship."
Upon hearing this, Boss Fu remained vigilant. There was no way around it; ever since he went to sea these past two years, something always seemed to happen whenever he encountered an unfamiliar ship.
Boss Fu glanced at the control panel. They were quite far from the border, and given that it was broad daylight, it was unlikely to be an enemy agent's ship.
Fu Wan noticed Fu Laoda's worry. "Dad, don't be nervous. They're probably just passing through on a delivery route. They might even be from our town."
"That's definitely not the case; our town doesn't have a boat that big."
It's not just women who gossip; men also like to chat when they get together. Boss Fu spends all his time fishing, and he can count on one hand how many families in the whole town own a big boat.
This large ship looked unfamiliar, and I'd never seen the flag flying on it before, so it must be a ship from out of town.
As they spoke, the ship drew closer and closer. When they were about 500 or 600 meters away, Fu Wan could see the shape of the entire ship clearly.
The hull is about the same length as the "Sailing Against the Wind" ship, but the deck is not as long, probably because it is a cargo ship and the cargo hold is larger.
Strangely, there was no conspicuous name on the hull of the ship.
As she was looking around, Fu Wan suddenly heard a long, drawn-out whistle.
"Dad, the enemy is waving their flag!"
Fu Wan had been watching the ship the whole time, so when a figure suddenly appeared on the other ship and started waving a flag, she noticed it immediately.
"What did he say?"
Boss Fu frowned. He thought the two ships would just pass each other by, but the other side was sounding its horn and signaling with flags, so something must have happened.
"I don't understand, it should be asking for help."
Having not seen anyone use flag signals for so long, Fu Wan had long forgotten about them.
Upon hearing this, Boss Fu took the binoculars and glanced at them. The other side's flag signals were a bit strange, and he couldn't quite understand them either.
"Never mind, we'll know when the ship gets close."
Fu Wan didn't care at all. After experiencing so many times at sea, she was now fearless.
When soldiers come, we will block them; when water comes, we will dam it. Moreover, since the maritime police and the camp cooperated, Fu Wan has not heard of pirates seizing ships for a long time.
As for enemy agents, Matsui Eine, who was recently arrested for smuggling, is currently picking at the walls of his cell. If any more enemy agents dare to come, Fu Wan wouldn't mind sending them to keep Matsui Eine company.
Despite all the speculation, Fu Wan was still caught off guard by what the other party said when the ship got closer.
"Hey, she's a Northern girl!"
The man's face showed a hint of disdain, and then he said in a condescending tone:
“Hey, we’re a cargo ship passing through. We’ve run out of fresh water. Could you please give us some of your fresh water quickly?”
What did you call me?
Fu Wan put away her faint smile and asked in return. This was the first time she had heard the term "Northern Girl" since her rebirth.
The term "Northern Girl" sounds ordinary and seems unremarkable on the surface, but Fu Wan knew it was actually a derogatory term.
Or rather, it's a very impolite nickname.
After the resumption of the National College Entrance Examination in 1977, the economy of mainland China also gradually recovered.
However, economic development takes time. In the early 1980s, the economic level of mainland China and Hong Kong was vastly different.
In this environment, many mainlanders went to Hong Kong to make a living. At that time, Hong Kong had not yet returned to China, and many locals were not friendly to mainlanders who came to look for work. They gave mainlanders nicknames in a malicious way. Men were usually called "Ah Chan" and women were called "Northern Girl".
As soon as the name "Beigu" came out, Fu Wan knew the origin of the ship.
Boats belonging to people from the port city are truly a rarity.
What's even rarer is their condescending and self-righteous attitude; they're clearly seeking help, yet they act as if it's their right.
Those who knew him thought he was asking for a favor, but those who didn't might have thought Fu Wan owed him money.
The person who had just spoken had slicked-back hair and wore a gold watch while constantly waving a paper fan.
Two stylishly dressed women with exquisite makeup stood nearby, looking at Fu Wan and her group with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.
In comparison, Fu Wan and her companions' fishermen's attire looked particularly rustic.
"Oh my god, are you kidding me? This Northern girl is not only unsophisticated, she's also deaf!"
The man with the slicked-back hair shook his head and laughed, and the woman next to him laughed along.
Their voices were loud enough that not only Fu Wan, but also Fu Ming and Ye Lin could hear them clearly.
Although she didn't understand what "Bei Gu" meant, judging from Fu Wan's cold face, she knew it wasn't a nice term.
"Your dad's the one who's deaf. Where did this idiot come from, spewing filth right off the bat? Did you eat shit for lunch and not brush your teeth?"
Fu Wan retorted without holding back, and before the other person could reply, Fu Ming, fearing that the other party couldn't hear him, hurriedly spoke up loudly in support.
"That's right, who came from, you dog barking like that? Even a glance at someone like you is an eyesore for me. And you dare to have such a foul mouth at sea? Be careful, or I'll run you over with my boat!"
"Yeah, I'll run you over, and you still want water? Damn it, why don't you just die of thirst!"
Fu Mancang also started cursing. The man with the slicked-back hair opposite him was stunned by the barrage of curses and it took him a long time to react.
What's going on? Why are these mainlanders so tough? You know, in Hong Kong, ordinary mainlanders don't even have the chance to see him, let alone get his help.
He's always the one who insults mainlanders; no mainlander has ever dared to point his finger at him and insult him like that.
"you!"
"What do you mean 'you'? If you can't speak properly, then get out of the way! We'd rather pour our water into the sea than give it to you!"
Fu Wan rolled her eyes at him. Just then, the middle-aged man who had been signaling with flags ran up quickly from behind.
Seeing the tense scene, the middle-aged man's face darkened, and he thought to himself, "This is bad."
"Comrade, comrade. My boss is not good at talking, please don't take it to heart. We are a cargo ship returning from the port city, we are not bad people."
The man took a breath and smiled apologetically at Fu Wan and the others. At the same time, he cursed inwardly, thinking that he must have been incredibly unlucky to have such a boss who not only didn't help but also caused trouble.
Imagine, they had sailed all morning to finally encounter this big ship. If they offended it and failed to get fresh water, the entire crew would be starving.
"Comrade, it's like this. My surname is Chen. You all saw the strong winds and heavy rain last night, right? Oh, what bad luck! Our boat was right next to the eye of the storm, and we barely escaped with our lives."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com