Feng Ye had barely arrived home when Xiao Guowen followed, and the other four boatmen he had hired arrived one after another.
As he had predicted, three of the four boatmen were his mother, sister-in-law, and Aunt Ling's family members.
And there was another relative, just a slightly more distant one.
However, unlike the last time they went to the Sea Island, this time all four of them were older, over forty.
Moreover, they all had worked in the fleet when they were part of a group before, and had experience in fishing at sea.
The Dong Sheng is different from the Xu Ri; it has a lot of mechanical equipment and requires some experienced veterans to operate it.
This also saves a lot of trouble, as you don't have to teach them one by one.
Moreover, in Feng Jiaqing and Feng Jialing's eyes, he and A-Can were just mediocre, and they needed some experienced people to help them out.
With more people, the living room became noisy and filled with laughter.
Before long, the food was served.
There were too many people, so one table wasn't enough and they set up two tables.
The men sat at one table, while the women sat at another table with their children.
Everyone sat together, drinking and eating, talking about interesting or unusual things at sea, and dreaming about the future.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and the party ended, it was already past ten o'clock at night.
Feng Ye had drunk a bit too much. After taking a shower, he lay in bed, intending to wait for Ye Qingling to finish her work before exercising.
But my head was a little dizzy, and before I knew it, my eyes closed, and I fell asleep.
...
The next morning, we first went to the county shipyard to bring back the Dongsheng, and then parked it in the deep water outside the dock.
Then, the purchased supplies, personal belongings, and fishing gear such as trawl nets and baskets were loaded onto the boat.
After lunch, the hired boatmen arrived one after another.
When it was almost time, we took the offerings and went to the Tianhou Temple to worship Mazu, and brought back a small statue of Mazu.
The reason we hadn't brought the Mazu statue back before was because the Tianhou Temple had only recently been expanded.
These statues of Mazu were not worshipped for very long.
They weren't in a hurry, thinking they'd wait until the offerings had been made for a while before inviting it onto the ship.
Nowadays, when a large ship sets sail for the first time, it is essential to bring a statue of Mazu aboard to ensure a smooth voyage and a bountiful return.
After paying respects to the statue of Mazu, the group left the Tianhou Temple.
Feng Ye carried the statue of Mazu and walked ahead. After arriving at the dock, they boarded a small delivery boat and boarded the Dong Sheng, which was moored in the deep water.
After placing the statue of Mazu on the shrine in the rear cabin, Feng Ye lit three incense sticks and respectfully knelt and kowtowed three times.
The others also lit three incense sticks and bowed.
After the prayers were finished, everyone placed the incense sticks in the burner, then turned and left the aft cabin, returning to the deck to begin a series of elaborate sea-worship ceremonies for the first voyage.
The Rising Sun set sail for the first time without any ceremony; they simply set off some firecrackers.
However, this big ship is different. Although it is a second-hand ship, it has changed owners after all, so we can't just do a shoddy job.
Moreover, even if Feng Ye himself doesn't like these ritualistic things and doesn't want to have any ceremonies, his parents and A-Can's parents don't think so, and they insist on having them.
He had no choice but to agree.
First, a ritual must be performed on the ship to worship the gods, burn petitions, and kneel in worship, a custom known as "passing the petitions."
Then the boat captain throws the wine in the cup and the meat on the plate into the sea, a ritual called "paying homage to the wandering souls," in order to ensure a safe and peaceful fishing trip.
Originally, a "Taipingfang" (coffin board) was also placed during the sacrificial ceremony and taken out to sea.
The coffin boards are named "Taipingfang" because fishermen are likely to be swallowed by giant waves while working at sea.
Being buried at sea is a major taboo for fishermen, which is completely contrary to the custom of "burial for peace".
Therefore, a coffin board was placed there in the hope of peace and tranquility.
If one dies, one must die at home so that one can be "laid to rest in peace".
However, Feng Ye firmly rejected the so-called "Taipingfang".
There were coffin planks on the boat. It was alright during the day, but it got really creepy at night.
Offerings were placed on the bow of the boat, and incense and candles were lit.
Under Feng Jialing's guidance, Feng Ye completed the sea-worshiping ceremony one by one.
But the ceremony was not over yet.
Feng Jialing then lit a handful of early rice stalks and used the smoke to fumigate the boat.
Then he lit the yellow paper and walked around the fishing boat.
After returning to the bow of the boat, they threw the still-burning yellow paper into the sea.
Finally, it's time to set off firecrackers.
The crackling sound of firecrackers rang out simultaneously on the Dong Sheng ship and at the dock.
Feng Ye waved his hand and shouted, "Let's go!"
"Let's go! Let's go!"
Everyone cheered happily.
The Dong Sheng officially weighed anchor and set sail, slowly beginning to move.
At this moment, the sun hangs high in the sky, and there is not a cloud in the sky.
The brilliant rays of light shone on the sea, making it sparkle like countless golden dragons dancing gracefully on the surface.
A gentle sea breeze, carrying a slightly salty and damp scent, dissipated some of the afternoon heat.
The Dong Sheng sailed against the wind and waves, heading towards the distant sea.
Everyone on the ship was in high spirits and full of anticipation.
Feng Ye could hardly contain his excitement.
Finally, we have a big ship. We no longer have to fish in the coastal waters. We can set sail and go to more distant waters to fish.
He stood at the bow of the ship, his gaze firm and profound, as if looking out at an unknown yet hopeful distance.
Apart from Ah-chan and his son who were steering the boat in the wheelhouse, the other five people, including Ye Chenliang, were on the deck.
This was Ye Chenliang's first time at sea, and he was very excited.
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