Back To the Small Fishing Village In 1982

  Chapter 37 Panic Drifting in the Middle of the Sea.

After everyone had withdrawn their amazed gazes, he then went into the house, intending to take a shower and tidy up his tools.

"Ah Qing, please cook me a bowl of noodles. I need to go out early later."

“Oh."

Lin Xiuqing immediately put down her work and started cooking noodles for him. He had already informed her last night that he planned to visit the deserted island and search for seafood. Naturally, she supported and cooperated with his decision.

The other two sisters-in-law, unaware that he intended to go digging in the sea after finishing his meal, couldn't help but roll their eyes upon hearing his words. They thought he had finally made some progress by offering to help with the chores, but little did they know he immediately mentioned leaving right after finishing his meal.

Originally, Mother Ye had planned to scold him a bit. However, seeing that the couple was willingly accepting their roles and the rebellious child had already disappeared into the house, she could only give up and swallow her words. She muttered a few complaints under her breath.

Ye Yaodong finished his noodles and grabbed a bucket packed with tools. He also stuffed a sack into his pocket. In a hurry, he headed towards the pier.

The women of the Ye family began to thresh the rice and harvest vegetables. They wanted to have an early lunch today before heading out to dig by the sea. The construction of the house would commence tomorrow, and the daily consumption of food would increase significantly. They needed to dig more sand clams to reduce some expenses.

Everyone was busy with their respective tasks, and no one paid attention to Ye Yaodong. They had no idea that he had gone out with his tools to go digging in the sea.

When Ye Yaodong arrived at the pier with his bucket, Little Xiao and Ah Zheng were already there.

"Why are you both so fast?"

"How can you say we men are fast? We just arrived a little while ago, and Ah Guang went to start the boat."

"Alright, you guys wait here, I'll go buy diesel."

"You need to buy diesel? Ah Guang didn't mention it, and I didn't bring any money."

Ah Zheng also patted his pocket and said, "Ah, I didn't bring any either..."

Ye Yaodong smiled and said, "No worries, I brought some. I’ll leave the bucket here. Watch it for me while I go buy it."

Ah Guang is quite considerate. He didn't mention that he paid the rent for the boat himself, otherwise, they would have definitely brought some money.

There was a small shack near the pier that specialized in repairing boat machinery and also sold diesel. Since they didn't have to go far, Ye Yaodong only bought 1 yuan worth of diesel, just enough for their trip. If there was any left, they could consider it as a subsidy for others.

Just after purchasing the diesel, Little Xiao ran over and said, "Are you done? Ah Guang has brought the boat to the shore. Once you're ready, we can get on board."

"Okay, let's go."

Carrying a small jug of diesel, he followed behind them and boarded the boat. As soon as his feet stepped on the deck, he felt a slight rocking motion. But it was nothing to him, and his heart instantly settled a bit.

Handing the jug of diesel to Ah Guang, he said, "Pour the diesel in. It only takes about ten minutes to reach the island, so I only bought a small jug. It should be enough for several round trips."

"Alright, that’s enough. Let's go.”

After a while, the engine started making a clattering sound, and the boat slowly drifted away from the shore. Everyone sat calmly on their seats, chatting away. However, Ye Yaodong's expression grew paler as the boat got closer to the middle of the sea.

Surrounded by water on all sides, with only a small boat swaying in the middle of the vast sea, he couldn't help but think of his physical exhaustion, imagining himself being overwhelmed as seawater poured into his mouth and nostrils...

The suffocating sensation he tried to suppress by not thinking about it seemed to resurface as soon as they reached the middle of the sea. Now, it was difficult for him not to dwell on those thoughts.

Two days ago, while he was by the rocky shore collecting oysters, his focus was solely on the rocks. Even when his legs were submerged in the seawater, he remained calm. However, now, drifting on the sea, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping in.

While everyone else was chatting and laughing, Ah Zheng noticed that Ye Yaodong was sitting quietly, and his complexion didn't look too good. Surprised, he exclaimed, "Yaodong, what's wrong with you? Oh my god, don't tell me you're getting seasick?"

"Really? You're actually getting seasick?"

"It's only been a short while since we set off. Are you really getting seasick already? Isn't that a bit exaggerated?"

The other two were also extremely surprised. They couldn't believe that someone who lived by the sea would get seasick, especially so quickly after setting sail. It was such an amusing situation that it would surely become a good joke to share with others.

Ye Yaodong wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "I only rode my grandfather's boat when I was a child. It's been so many years since then. Don't laugh at me. When are we going to reach the shore?"

Ah Guang looked at him with a wry smile. No wonder he was hesitant to go out to sea with his father. "Let's first head to the nearby deserted island. It should take about ten minutes. Just hold on a little longer. It won't be too long."

He nodded, acknowledging that his anxiety was indeed quite severe.

The boat swiftly sailed across the sea, creating ripples that spread out in circles. He dared not look at the sea surface nor close his eyes. Instead, he directed his gaze towards the distant mountain peaks, but even that didn't help much as his complexion remained pale.

Ye Yaodong felt frustrated as well. Of all the ways to die, why did it have to be drowning in the sea? How could he, a person who relied on the sea for a living, continue to sustain himself?

Even as they approached the deserted island, his symptoms showed no signs of improvement. He gritted his teeth and made up his mind...

"Why are you undressing? What are you doing?" Ah Guang looked at him puzzled. "Swimming?"

"How many laps are you planning to swim?" Little Xiao's eyes lit up. It seemed like a good idea, especially on such a hot day. "I'll join you too. We can swim to the other side together."

Ah Zheng also exclaimed excitedly, "I want to jump in too! Let's have a race to see who can swim to the other side first!"

As they spoke, both of them started undressing, eager to jump into the water. Only Ah Guang, with a hint of regret, had to remain on the boat. "Once we reach the island, I'll join you and swim a few laps too.”

Ye Yaodong watched their actions and felt reassured. With them accompanying him in the waters, he was confident that they would keep him safe. It was a case of fighting fire with fire, an attempt to overcome his fear of the sea through immersion in it. This could be the turning point he needed.

"Don't swim too fast later, remember to wait for me. If my legs cramp and I drown, I'll come looking for you in the middle of the night!" 

Ah Zheng rolled his eyes and said, "You're just a pretty face, but not much use!"

"Being a pretty face is something you can only envy." After saying these words, Ye Yaodong, seeing that they were already close to the shore, took the lead and jumped into the sea.

As soon as he entered the water, that familiar feeling of suffocation instantly overwhelmed him. He suddenly forgot how to swim, his mind went blank, and his arms and legs struggled frantically, sinking straight to the bottom of the sea.

Still on the boat, Little Xiao and Ah Zheng were preparing to jump when they noticed his unusual movements and his sinking body. They were both surprised.

"Don’t Yaodong know how to swim? What's happening?"

"Go and pull him up to see what's happening!"

Both of them jumped into the water like dumplings, splashing into the sea. They quickly gathered around Ye Yaodong, who was still struggling with his eyes closed. Despite his struggle, there were no signs of him choking on water. They immediately lifted him out of the water.

The sudden rush of fresh air provided him with much-needed relief, being rescued brought an indescribably refreshing sensation.

He opened his eyes and with their help, he managed to stay afloat. After a short while, he regained his sense of movement and started paddling on his own. The panic in his heart also dissipated to some extent.

"What were you doing? How did you sink down? Are you planning to meet Sea Goddess Mazu?"

"I freaking got a cramp! The moment I jumped in, my leg cramped up!"

Everyone: What a coincidence? ? ?

Your leg knows what's going to happen? ? ?

Know in advance? ? ?

(end of this chapter)