Taking a half step to the west Old Captain Gs held the walking stick in both hands and poked it towards the west. As he shouted he leaned on the walking stick and inched laboriously to the west.

During this time everyone remained completely silent as they watched the old captain. None of them could understand what it was that he was shouting or what he was signaling. They just watched him fearfully and respectfully.

The boat moved towards the west, angling over the waves as it shifted forward with great difficulty.

People turned their backs on the old captain and walked to the west also.

When the boat got to the mouth of the Luqing River it stopped. At the mouth of the river the waves which rolled towards the shore didn't encounter the resistance of the shallows, and those "hard chime breakers" became much smaller! All of a sudden everyone understood everything.

Old Uncle Seven motioned to his sons and they rowed the boat with difficulty towards the shore. The boat was headed for the point at which the river and the ocean converged. Just as they approached a little closer, several strong men dashed in and helped them push the boat up onto the beach ...

Seeing that, Old Captain Ge let go of the black pepper walking stick and fell onto the bank of the river. Carrying the bloodied Cao Mang, Old Uncle Seven sank down beside the old man and called to him loudly. Everyone shouted: 'Captain" and "Uncle Ge"...The old man lay face up and kept his eyes tightly closed. When everyone crowded around him they could see all the scars, large and small, of all different colours.

The surf was roaring. Cao Mang opened his eyes. When he saw the old captain lying there, he climbed out of Old Uncle Seven's arms ... Eventually the old captain also opened his eyes. He placed his hand on Cao Mang's blood-drenched leg and murmured something in a very faint voice. Two crystalline tears flowed from the corners of Cao Mang's eyes. When Old Uncle Seven told the old captain about how Cao Mang had been injured the old man seemed to smile just slightly. He nodded at Cao Mang, then nodded again. Old Uncle Seven turned and said to Cao Mang;

"in the eyes of the Old Captain ... You are a man of iron..."

Cao Mang wiped away the tears. A light came on in his mind. It was suddenly as if he understood the old captain, and understood what he had said before.

He turned and looked for a long time at the Black Shark Sea ... He looked at the boat on the shore, that brand spanking new boat. No doubt it would be smashed to pieces by the ocean waves one day. No doubt --- Cao Mang thought --- there would be a second and a third boat!"

Old Uncle Seven carried Old Captain Ge on his back. He had his younger son carry Cao Mang and told his older son to take the old man's walking stick. Everyone else followed them as they walked on forwards.

January 1984, in Tan City