Golden Fishing Village

At the end of July, there is a big low tide.

The natural phenomenon of low tide is very common. People living by the sea are familiar with it. To put it simply, it is a process of the sea level dropping, the sea water retreating into the ocean, and the seabed is exposed by the sea.

This phenomenon is related to the sun and the moon, and it happens every day. The villagers in Ao Muyang call it a half-day tide, which means that there is half a day of high tide and half a day of low tide every day.

Compared with ordinary low tides, the phenomenon of big low tides is relatively rare. It only occurs during special periods every year, such as the Qiantang River tide, and the big low tides in different years are not on the same day.

For fishermen, the annual big low tide is a big event, which is almost equivalent to the busy farming season for farmers. Every household has to go out to sea to grab the catch.

At that time, not only adults are busy, but children are also busy. Adults go out to sea, and children go to the mudflats after the tide recedes to pick up fish, shrimps, crabs, etc. The whole family goes out together.

However, this happened a long time ago. Offshore resources have been scarce again and again. Now there is no big harvest at low tide, and everyone is no longer particularly busy.

According to the rules of the fishermen, Lu Zhizi gave the children a day off in advance. After the low tide, there will be some fish, shrimp, crabs and shellfish left on the beach.

Ao Muyang was not very interested in the low tide. He did not plan to go out to sea that day. The rolling waves at low tide were very dangerous. In addition, this year, the marine surveillance department and the fishery management department issued regulations in advance, prohibiting boats from going out to sea to fish on the day of low tide.

Early in the morning, Ao Zhiyi repeated the regulations of the relevant departments through the village committee loudspeaker, so that someone on the street complained: "Why are you not allowed to go out to sea? I finally waited for a low tide to get some catch."

"You ask me, who should I ask?" Ao Zhiyi snorted in dissatisfaction. He was most active during the low tide every year because his boat was the largest and most stable.

Ao Qianyao, the village's informant, blew out a puff of smoke and said, "The management from above is getting stricter and stricter. This year, we are only not allowed to go out to sea during the low tide. I guess there will be a fishing ban starting next year."

Ninety percent of China's sea areas have a fishing ban, which is generally from June to September each year. During this period, fishing is not allowed to go out to sea, so that the life in the sea can rest and recuperate.

However, the southern sea area of ​​Hongyang is not bad. A few poor towns such as Qiantan Town have privileges. Since ancient times, they have relied on the ocean for food. There is no land in the village, no one to work, and they can only rely on fishing to support their families.

So the government humanely gave them approval documents, allowing fishing boats under 200 tons to go out to sea, leaving a way for fishermen to survive.

When they heard that there would be a total ban on fishing next year, someone immediately asked, "Is it true? Qianyao, who told you this?"

Ao Qianyao snorted, "Who told you that? The party told you that. Wenchang is preparing for the civil service exam at home, right? He pays close attention to these news..."

Ao Muyang was listening to the neighbors chatting when Lu Zhizi walked towards him with her hands behind her back and her head held high.

The general immediately ran over and wagged his tail at her, acting like a beggar and a servile person.

Lu Zhizi giggled, then took out a big bone from behind and threw it to it. The general was content to hold it in his mouth and walked around the village for a while, most likely showing off.

Seeing Ao Muyang, the female teacher asked, "It's a big low tide today. Are there any activities? Let's go and see it together?"

Ao Muyang thought for a while and said, "It's just that the sea water keeps receding. It's not interesting, but you haven't seen it. I can take you to see it."

He took Lu Zhizi and the general to the entrance of the village. The villagers got up very early. The sun had just come out and it was only dawn. Almost all the villagers gathered on this beach.

In addition to the villagers of Longtou Village, people from surrounding villages also came to this beach because they had a lot of harvests here. After all, it was the place where the legendary Dragon King climbed ashore when he ascended to heaven.

This cannot be explained by superstition alone. Longtou Village is a Feng Shui treasure land. The soil of their village is the most fertile. Their village is closest to the Ambergris Lake. The shallow sea area around their village used to have the most fish catches.

Ao Mufeng and his parents set up a shed at the entrance of the village to sell breakfast, including steamed buns, dumplings, wontons, fried dough sticks, fried cakes, etc., with a full range of categories.

The tide started to recede after sunrise. Ao Muyang was not in a hurry and pulled Lu Zhizi over to have breakfast: "Oh, there are Shengjian here? Not bad, not bad, what's the filling?"

Ao Mufeng laughed and said: "Of course, pork and green onion, leek and shrimp, brown sugar peanuts, herring meat, celery meat and three fresh fillings, very complete!"

Ao Mupeng stood with his hands behind his back in front of the breakfast stall: "Is this Shengjian? I thought it was a pan-fried bun."

"You country bumpkin." Ao Mufeng laughed.

Ao Qianlai, a simple man in the village, came over with a bucket, a rake, etc., and when he saw the steaming food on the breakfast stall, he couldn't walk anymore and said, "Dapeng, I'm hungry."

Ao Mupeng said unhappily, "What's the use of telling me? This stall belongs to Brother Feng."

Ao Qianlai looked at Ao Mufeng again, with a simple smile on his face, "Brother Feng, I'm hungry, hehe."

Ao Mufeng said helplessly, "Don't call me brother, I can't afford it. If you are hungry, you can buy it. Can I give you a discount?"

Ao Qianlai immediately covered his pocket and shook his head, "I have no money, I have to save my money. I know a capable man in the county. He asked me to save money and buy a Vietnamese wife in the future."

Because of his dull brain and his parents' early death, this man has not married until now. Although he is not smart, he is not completely stupid. He knows that he needs to marry a wife to be considered a family.

Seeing that his clothes were in tatters, Ao Muyang felt a little pity in his heart and said, "Come on, Uncle Lai, come and sit with us. You can take whatever you want to eat and I'll treat him."

Ao Qianlai suddenly laughed: "Okay."

A plate of fried cakes, four big steamed buns and a piece of fried rice. He brought a bunch of things over, and finally ordered a large bowl of tofu puffs: "Brother Feng, please give me more tofu puffs, add more savory seeds, give me more Order coriander and chili..."

"Then you can get two bowls."

Ao Qianlai shook his head like a rattle: "That won't work. I'll give you more money for two bowls. You can't let Yangzi spend money."

Ao Muyang smiled and said: "This is small money, it doesn't matter. Uncle Lai, what did you say about buying a wife just now? Don't let others deceive you!"

Ao Qianlai devoured the food after getting it: "Yeah, you can't fool me, yeah, it's so delicious."

After eating one portion of fresh meat and one portion of vegetarian food, Ao Muyang was full and took Lu Zhizi to the dock.

At this time, the pier was already crowded with people, and the bottom of the pier was even more busy. Everyone was fixing their boats to prevent the fishing boats from falling onto the sand and being damaged after the tide receded.

Ao Muyang felt that there was nothing interesting about the low tide. It was not like a high tide, with the aura of the earth falling apart and the vegetation changing color. It was just that the tide was slowly receding.

As the sun rises, the pale yellow seawater begins to recede, and the seabed covered with water vapor spots gradually emerges.

The tide swayed slowly, drifting and flashing, and gradually left the coast.

The waves are light and continuous, like strings of a piano. They tremble slowly, making a "swish" sound and taking away the sea water, as if the sea god is playing the piano.

The ebb tide is very rhythmic. One wave after another moves away from people, eventually revealing the seabed sand layer and the bottom of the sea.