News of their return quickly spread throughout the village and even the island.
This led to a constant stream of fishermen coming to inquire about catching small yellow croakers in the following days.
Although the Fisheries Association is already making preparations and will soon hold its first meeting, some people still can't wait and have come to inquire about the specific departure time.
Feng Ye could only explain again and again that the specific time had not yet been determined and that a decision would be made after the association meeting.
Furthermore, it also depends on the weather and sea conditions, as well as when the croaker season will arrive.
Even so, the fishermen's anxiety was still hard to calm down. Many people risked their lives to go out to sea and cast a net to see how many small yellow croakers they could catch, in order to determine whether the flood season had arrived.
Every day, Feng Ye receives feedback.
When these fishermen returned from their voyages, they would always come to his house first to tell him about their catch.
Finally, on the 13th, there were noticeably more small yellow croakers, probably because the flood season had arrived.
This excited the fishermen, who were all eager to get started and couldn't wait for the meeting to be held so they could set off and make a big splash as soon as possible.
After receiving the news, Feng Ye immediately met with Xiao Zhaojun and the others to tentatively set a departure date.
Taking into account weather and sea conditions, it has been tentatively decided that we will depart on the second day of the meeting, the 16th.
Of course, this decision still needs to be formally confirmed at the association meeting, and we'll have to see if fate will cooperate.
If the rain intensifies suddenly and the sea becomes rougher, then we will have to postpone it, as safety comes first.
After two days of anxious waiting, the fifteenth day finally arrived.
Feng Ye got up early in the morning, ate breakfast, and then went to the Tianhou Temple with his father, brother, A-Can and his son.
There will be a lot of people coming today, and only the space at the Tin Hau Temple can accommodate them all.
However, the rain continued to fall without any sign of stopping, which added some trouble to the meeting.
Inside the Tianhou Temple, incense smoke wafted through the air, and the fishermen's chatter rose and fell.
For now, only fishermen from within the island have arrived, but as time goes by, fishermen from outside the island are also arriving one after another, as are the owners of the fish-collecting boats that have been arranged to come.
In addition, the town also sent representatives to provide guidance and supervision.
Although fishery associations are non-governmental organizations, they must still be registered with the authorities; otherwise, they are illegal organizations and cannot carry out their activities normally.
Once most of the people had arrived, Feng Ye and Xiao Zhaojun began to count the number of people and arrange seating.
Everyone sat together, their eyes filled with anticipation and nervousness.
The meeting officially began.
The first item on the agenda was naturally the election of candidates for the positions of president, vice president, and directors of the association.
Without a doubt, Feng Ye was elected president by a unanimous vote, and Xiao Zhaojun and others were also elected as vice presidents and directors as they wished.
In addition, key positions such as secretary and finance were selected to ensure the orderly operation of the association.
The meeting then proceeded to the second agenda item, the third agenda item, and so on...
Finally, the specific departure time and fishing plan were discussed.
Everyone agreed that the croaker season had arrived and should not be delayed any longer.
Although the rain has not stopped, the sea conditions are acceptable and not to the extent that they will affect navigation. We have decided to depart at 2 pm tomorrow.
The departure point was set at Lujiacun Wharf, where all the boats would gather and act in unison.
When Feng Ye announced the decision, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers, their eyes sparkling with longing for a bountiful harvest.
The meeting then concluded in a peaceful atmosphere, and the fishermen dispersed to go home and prepare for their next day's voyage.
Feng Ye wasn't in a hurry to go back; their preparations were almost complete.
The family matters are almost settled. His father-in-law has arrived, and the newly hired helper is familiar with the procedures.
In addition, the boatmen needed for the ship have already been recruited, and they are just waiting to be notified.
Last year, due to insufficient preparation, we found that we didn't have enough manpower when we arrived there. We had to find temporary help, which not only wasted time but also affected the fishing efficiency.
This year, we learned from our mistakes and made thorough preparations in advance, recruiting nearly thirty temporary boatmen in one go.
Among them, the Donglai, Dongsheng and Ziqi ships will need to increase their manpower by six people each, while the rest will be placed on the Xuri ship and the small cargo ships.
...
The next day, at Lujia Village Wharf.
The weather cooperated; although the sky was still overcast and it could rain again at any moment, at least it stopped for the time being.
At this moment, the dock was bustling with activity. Ships were neatly arranged, and the crew members were busy checking the equipment to ensure that everything was in optimal condition.
The shore was also packed with people, bustling with activity, all of whom were family members and villagers who came to see them off.
Standing at the bow of the Donglai, Feng Ye's gaze swept over the fishing boats about to set sail, and a surge of pride welled up in his heart.
The operation to catch small yellow croakers has been in preparation for a long time, and now it is finally time to embark on the journey.
The clock hands gradually pointed to two o'clock.
He returned to the bridge, picked up the walkie-talkie connected to the maritime radio, and shouted, "Attention all ships, report after inspection, prepare to set sail!"
The sound echoed over the dock, as if sounding the bugle call to battle.
Soon after, news came from each ship that they were ready.
Feng Ye then waved his hand and shouted, "Sound the horn, let's go!"
(The End)
Author's Closing Remarks
This book ends here.
You could actually write more; you could write about deep-sea fishing, ocean fishing, the development of workshops, fleets, and so on.
However, no matter how much you write, you can't come up with anything new, and you'll inevitably fall into the trap of repetition.
Therefore, we have decided to put an end to this.
Perhaps it's also due to the limitations of my own writing ability.
Thank you all for being with me all the way. Your reading and support are my greatest motivation.
I hope to continue bringing you more wonderful stories in the future.
Anyway, that's all.
See you in the next book!
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