Back to the small fishing village in 1982

Chapter 1853 White Bracelet
The crew members were all discussing the return of Hong Kong Island to China, and their attention was no longer on the fish.

Ye Yaodong stood to the side watching the workers bleed the fish with knives, and he would occasionally reach out and touch the fish, itching to join in.

It's rare now, but it will be specially bred in the future.

Anything with value will have a market, and naturally people will seek profit from it. Fish will naturally be raised by people, unless it's something like ribbonfish or pomfret that can't be farmed, in which case they can only wait to be caught.

However, since it is an economically important fish species, it is unlikely to become extinct after the fishing moratorium policy allows it to recover and thrive.

He'd eaten plenty of good food, so he wasn't particularly interested in this. Whether it was tender or tasty, it was all the same—just fish.

Many exaggerated advertisements are actually just capital trying to reap profits in the market. Most people are concerned about face and prestige, so it's normal for the advertisements to be unrealistic.

After Ye Yaodong got into the cockpit, A-Zheng refused to cooperate.

"I'll take this seat, I quit!"

After saying that, he immediately ran up to the deck to look at the fish.

Being a captain isn't easy; you have to keep an eye on all these things, which takes up too much time and prevents you from watching the fish and the excitement.

Ye Yaodong picked up the thermos on the table, took a sip, spat three times, and then calmly sat down again, looking at the images fed back by the detector.

He needs to quickly probe for another wave of fish so that once the fishing nets are ready, he can find the right spot to drop them as soon as possible.

After receiving that letter from home yesterday, he felt like he had been given a second chance at life. It was a comfort to his soul, and the hardships of going to sea didn't seem so bad anymore.

After detecting another large school of fish, Ye Yaodong chased after them and only notified the crew to lower the nets once everything was ready on the deck.

Ah Zheng walked around the deck, then went to the freezer compartment to help check it out. He inspected all the areas before returning to the cockpit.

"I'm so bored. I wish I had a game console to play with."

Ye Yaodong thought to himself that it was enough to have a mobile phone to play with; why bother with a game console?

"You're so annoying, nagging me all the time. If you're really bored, go downstairs and kill some fish."

Ah Zheng shut up.

Ye Yaodong also felt that it was too quiet and boring without him, and he felt no company when he was around. But when he was around, he felt that he was too noisy.

"Take the binoculars and keep a close watch on the sea."

"We haven't seen a single soul in half a month, and you call that supervision?"

"That's hard to say. Just because we haven't seen a ghost for half a month doesn't mean there won't be any more. We can still encounter one or two occasionally."

"Those who know what's good for them will leave as soon as they detect our fleet. As for the blind ones, it would be great if we could just bombard them with cannons."

Ah Zheng complained, but he still obediently hung the binoculars around his neck and went to stand on the ship's wheelhouse.

The net wasn't pulled up until dark, just as it was time for their shift to change.

After handing over their shifts, the two of them, like buddies, went out to eat together and gave their opinions on the dinner.

"Nothing tastes as good as Fatty's cooking. Dongzi, you shouldn't have let Fatty open a restaurant. You should have let Fatty work for you."

"Thank you so much, you're so considerate of me."

"That's right. He went to open a restaurant and stopped being a chef. What a pity, what a waste of his good skills."

“Go back and tell him to close all his restaurants and quit. Come work for me on my ship as a cook. I’ll pay him a high salary of 1000 yuan a month.” Ye Yaodong couldn’t help but laugh as he said this.

Ah Zheng chuckled, "Wouldn't I be asking for a beating? I wouldn't have enough lives for him to kill. If I'm dead, why would I care about my stomach?"

"He's made a fortune now, he's so lucky. He can sit at home and be a boss, while we two are just lazing around at sea enjoying the sea breeze."

"That's right, he's the luckiest one. He doesn't have to go to sea and has been chubby since he was a child. Now he has a big gold necklace and a gold ring, and he's even learning to drive. In the future, he'll be a big boss driving a car."

After saying that, he glanced at Ye Yaodong's bald neck and said, "Why don't you wear your big gold necklace?"

"Have you ever seen anyone go to sea covered in gold? Am I wearing it for the birds or for the fish?"

"No, I mean, why don't you usually wear it?"

"I'm afraid it will be stolen, so I save it for holidays or special occasions. Wearing something on my body feels really cumbersome and inconvenient."

"Gold prices have risen a lot in the last two years, by tens of dollars per gram. I'm even thinking of selling them!"

"Short-sighted!" Ye Yaodong criticized him bluntly. "You're using this for retirement. When you get old, you'll still want to wear gold. An old man's dignity depends on gold."

Ah Zheng stroked his chin and agreed, "You're right, my dad's demeanor is definitely different when he wears a gold necklace versus when he doesn't. Rich old men shine wherever they go."

"Yes."

"Boss, boss! Big discovery!" some crew members shouted as they ran into the restaurant.

Ye Yaodong looked over in confusion, "What?"

The crew member excitedly showed him a white bracelet, saying, "Boss, look, I just dug this out of a fish's belly. Could this bracelet be some kind of treasure? It looks quite pretty."

The two looked over in surprise.

"Done from inside a fish's belly?"

"What kind of bracelet is this? Did you dig it out of a fish's belly? Let me see."

Ah Zheng was nearby, so he took it first and played with it in his hand.

"What kind of bracelet is this? It looks really pretty!"

As he spoke, he handed it to Ye Yaodong.

Ye Yaodong curiously took it and examined it in his hand, asking, "How did you discover that?"

"When the net of fish was just pulled up, there were quite a few toadfish. When I was sorting them, I saw one that was belly up, and it was bulging and hard. I touched it out of curiosity and squeezed it. I felt a lot of beads. I was talking to the person next to me. Then I took a pair of scissors and cut it open. That's when I saw this bracelet."

The crew member explained the process of obtaining it with great excitement.

"Boss, look at this. Is it useful? Could it be some kind of treasure? If it's not a treasure, could I keep it as a souvenir?"

People eating nearby also perked up their ears and gathered around to watch.

"You're lucky, kid. You managed to find this bracelet inside a fish's belly?"

"Could this be some kind of antique? I've heard there are a lot of treasures in the sea."

"What if we miss it by accident? We can even find it inside the fish's belly. We handle hundreds of tons of fish every day."

"Yeah, you're pretty lucky. You managed to find a bracelet among hundreds of tons of fish. You're incredibly lucky!"

"This bracelet is all pure white. Could it be made of some kind of white jade from before? It looks very valuable."

"If this is some kind of big treasure, the boss should give you a red envelope, hahaha..."

The crew member grinned foolishly at everyone, "We still don't know what it is."

Ye Yaodong's expression shifted from initial curiosity to a furrowed brow and a look of uncertainty as he stared at the bracelet in his hand.

Seeing that his expression was off, Ah Zheng asked in their dialect, "Dongzi, what's wrong? Is this some kind of big treasure?"

"If this is some great treasure, then it's yours. The whole ship is yours, and whatever we catch is naturally yours too."

"Do you have any concerns? Don't worry about it. Just say a few sweet words to them and give them a red envelope. That's enough for them. It's free money anyway."

Everyone quieted down a bit as they listened to Ah Zheng speaking in a language they couldn't understand, preparing to listen carefully.

But seeing that Ye Yaodong didn't say anything, everyone suddenly felt uneasy, wondering if they had said something wrong.

The crew member who noticed the bracelet was rather young. Seeing him still examining it closely, he asked somewhat nervously, "What's wrong, boss? Is there something wrong with this bracelet? If it's valuable, it should naturally be handed over to you."

"That's not the problem."

Ye Yaodong frowned and said uncertainly, "This thing looks a bit special, a bit strange, a bit like a giant clam."

Those who knew about the product were instantly shocked, while those who didn't were completely bewildered.

"Tridacna shell!"

"Tridacna shell?"

What is giant clam shell?

"what?"

"Tridacna! Won't that make you rich? I've heard that this thing is really valuable. I heard that the beads that officials in the Qing Dynasty wore on their hats were called tridacna."

"Ah! This thing is a treasure!"

"Wow, what luck! I've found a treasure..."

Everyone relaxed instantly upon hearing that it was a treasure and started joking around.

Ye Yaodong looked at the people surrounding him as if they were idiots. "What are you all so happy about? This should be a giant clam shell, but it's white and it's a bracelet. You're getting excited too soon."

Everyone looked puzzled.

Ah Zheng, too, quickly asked, "Isn't it a good thing that this bracelet is made of giant clam shells? Isn't it a treasure? What do you mean by that? What do you mean by 'too happy to be happy'? Is there any explanation behind it?"

"I'll tell you in one sentence and you'll understand: Tridacna shell bracelets are known as 'bracelets for the dead'."

The expressions on everyone's faces froze.

Ah Zheng's expression instantly cracked. Looking at the hand he had just touched, he quickly wiped it on his body. After wiping it, he felt something was wrong and rubbed it on the table a few more times.

"No...you're kidding, right? These things from the sea...you should say antiques instead."

Thinking about it that way, he relaxed again.

Which antique wasn't made by a dead person?

Even if it's a bracelet made by a dead person, it's okay for him to touch it. It's been soaking in the sea for so long, it should have been disinfected by the seawater.

His expression relaxed again, and he was even able to calmly crack a couple of jokes.

"Saying this so late at night is terrifying, it's enough to scare someone to death."

The others agreed that it made sense and relaxed.

Ye Yaodong put down the bracelet with some hesitation, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and said, "Antiques are antiques, but this one is a little different. I heard that hundreds of years ago, there was a custom of using giant clam shells as burial goods, and some fishermen believed that this deep-sea creature could guide the souls of the dead back to the sea."

"Some ancient tombs have also yielded funerary objects made of giant clam shells. Funerary objects! Do you understand? They are different from burial goods and antiques."

"I've also heard that some fishing villages in Taiwan still retain the funeral rite of using giant clam powder to 'suppress the soul'..."

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing this, and goosebumps rose on their skin.

(I scared myself. It's the middle of the night, so I don't dare to read it aloud. I can only type it by hand, and I buried my head in the blanket, covering myself up tightly, otherwise I feel cold... Ahhh...)
"If this were a wild, unprocessed giant clam harvested from the sea, it would definitely be a treasure. But this finished bracelet, harvested from the sea, is still white..."

"You know that giant clam shell is one of the seven treasures of Buddhism, right? It sounds quite auspicious, but do you know why it's one of the seven treasures of Buddhism?"

"Because giant clam shells are believed to connect with the underworld, giant clam shell prayer beads are often used in rituals for the deceased."

Everyone took a step back, looking at the tridacna shell bracelet on the handkerchief on the table. Whether it was psychological or not, they suddenly felt a bit eerie.

Someone rubbed their arms and said, "What the boss said was really scary..."

"This late at night..."

Ye Yaodong added, "I'm not trying to scare you. Although these are all hearsay, we who go to sea prefer to believe them rather than dismiss them."

"Even if it's a giant clam that's been fished out of the sea, we have to sell it as soon as possible."

"Tridacna shells are considered yin in nature, and pregnant women should not wear them, as they may affect the health of the fetus or bring bad luck."

"It's not suitable for the elderly or children who are weak, because there's a saying that they bring bad luck."

"There are also some important occasions, such as weddings, sacrifices, and important ceremonies, where wearing tridacna shells may be considered disrespectful or unlucky."

"You also shouldn't wear it on your left hand, as the left hand is considered the 'yang hand,' and wearing tridacna shells may affect your fortune or bring bad luck. You also shouldn't place it in the bedroom or bathroom, as these places have heavy yin energy."

As everyone listened to this series of taboos, they began to swallow hard.

This sounds incredibly ominous...

Ah Zheng's expression was worse than crying. "Dongzi, what should I do if I just touched it?"

He placed his hand on the table and rubbed it hard twice, feeling that his hand was beyond saving.

The crew member who found the giant clam also stretched out his hand, "I touched it too, what should I do?"

"It's okay, just go wash your hands."

They breathed a sigh of relief instantly.

"That's good."

"Dongzi, what should we do with this thing? Are you going to keep it?"

"Do you want it?"

Ah Zheng shook his head vigorously, "No, I'd rather die than do that."

"Weren't you talking about antiques just now?"

"No, no, no, I didn't mean to."

"Return it to where it came from, throw it back into the sea."

"Boss, could you please take this to the Mazu temple and offer it to ward off evil spirits? It's a treasure after all..."

"No, this thing cannot be placed with divine objects."

The young crew member nodded repeatedly and apologized, "I was wrong, I was wrong."

Ye Yaodong picked up the giant clam wrapped in a handkerchief and walked out. "Let's go, let's deal with this thing first and put it back in the sea, otherwise I don't think you'll feel at ease."

He was also a little uneasy; just thinking about it made him uneasy, but he had to stay calm.

But holding it in my hand already felt like a hot potato, and I just wanted to put it back in the sea as soon as possible, then quickly wash my hands and go to pray to Mazu.

Everyone followed behind him, crowding around him as he headed toward the deck.

The workers on deck continued working with their heads down, preoccupied with their own tasks, completely oblivious to them.

Ye Yaodong threw the handkerchief and bracelet back into the sea with a thud, and he breathed a sigh of relief, then clasped his hands together and bowed twice.

"Alright, go do what you're supposed to do. If you encounter anything or any situation next time, come and tell me immediately."

Everyone agreed, saying they had all learned something.

My knowledge of strange and unusual things has increased again.

As they discussed it, they dispersed, and soon the workers who had been focused on their work also found out, and everyone began a lively discussion.

Ye Yaodong immediately went to wash his hands, washing them three times in a row.

Ah Zheng followed his example, and even doubled it, washing his hands six times, as if he wanted to scrub off a layer of skin.

When he saw Ye Yaodong offering incense to Mazu, he quickly followed suit and offered incense to pray for blessings.

Seeing Ye Yaodong holding yellow paper and circling it three times around his head and three times around his arms to ward off evil spirits, he followed suit.

"Go and call that Xiao Lin over here, and have him come and offer a prayer to get rid of the bad luck."

"Ok."

Ye Yaodong muttered prayers for blessings in front of the small statue of Mazu, while waiting for someone to come over.

"Dongzi, is this alright? Has the bad luck been dispelled?"

"How would I know? I don't have the eyes to see it. Anyway, I'll just pray and seek some peace of mind. It can't hurt to pray to Mazu more often, whether there's something to do or not."

"That's right, praying to Mazu more often makes me feel more at ease."

"Boss, thank you. I'll go get back to work now."

"Go on," Ye Yaodong said, then asked A-Zheng, "Do you want to eat again?"

"How could I possibly eat anything? Don't tell me you can still eat anything."

"Forget it, I'm not eating. Time to work overtime!"

"what?"

"You can't sleep at night, do you?"

Ah Zheng quickly shook his head, "I can't sleep."

"That's settled then. Let's go, let's work overtime, we can go to sleep tomorrow morning."

He quickly followed.

He made up his mind; he would stick close to Dongzi, cling to Dongzi's coattails, and do whatever Dongzi did.

The captain was unaware of the incident that had just occurred to them. He was somewhat surprised when Ye Yaodong came over and said that he would be working overtime and that they could rest instead.

However, he insisted, so they naturally gave up their overtime opportunities to the boss and went to sleep.

"Dongzi, how do you know so much about giant clam shells?"

"I saw it in some random miscellaneous books, it seems to be some kind of local chronicle, some strange tales, and it also mentions this kind of thing."

"Where is it? What book is it? Can I borrow it next time?"

"I saw it in my godfather's study. What books could I possibly have? At most, a few old newspapers."

"Ok."

Before Ah Zheng could even have a minute of peace, he pressed on, "Dongzi, when are we going back? It feels a bit ominous, isn't it better to go back sooner?"

"You're scared already?"

"No, it's just that I really feel it's a bit unlucky. I think it's better to go back as soon as possible. What do you think?"

“That works too. If we go back now, it will be the middle or late part of the month by the time we get home. We can go back and rest for a few days, take care of our health, and then come out again next month.”

"Yes, that would be best. At least we can go home and relax. We've all been in international waters for months, and we're still under a lot of stress. It's more tiring than before."

"It was a bit too last-minute; the fish-collecting boats weren't notified in advance."

Ye Yaodong thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow I'll have the cargo ship return first, and try to contact the other cargo ship on the public channel every day along the way. We'll stay a few more days so that if we can't get in touch, the other ship won't come and find our ship."

"Okay, then how about staying a few more days?"

"I estimate it will take about four days, that should be about right."

(End of this chapter)