In the end, Old Uncle Seven's boat got its Cao Mang.

That early autumn would remain for a very long time in the memories of the people on the coast. A dozen or more years ago they had bid farewell to boats and sails, but now a new boat had stirred into motion the desires and melancholy that still lingered in their hearts. Old Uncle Seven had joined forces with Cao Mang, strong as an ox, to work a boat. That boat washed a disturbing air of vitality into the lives of the people. For so many years now the people had been trained like some shy young bride, so they felt now small amount of shock when confronted with resolute, stern courage, and a valiant masculine will to press forward undaunted. When Old Uncle Seven's two sons saw Cao Mang aboard the boat they were even happier than Uncle Seven himself. Cao Mang was stern faced and didn't talk much, but simply for them to see that ruggedness, and the dark, ruddy complexion of his face gave them strength. They were all certain that Cao Mang could never fear the ocean surf.

To begin with, they continued as before to set the drift net in the swallow waters close to shore. Each catch was about the same. The fish weren't too big, or too numerous. There were hardly any long hairtail fish. They once caught two finless eels. A couple of days later they pulled them out of the hold and they were still lashing their tails around. They were fish with a tremendously strong will to live. The bighead fish had a perennial smiles on their faces and even when they were hauled onto the deck they still gaily flung their great heads around. But there were no beguiling sea perch, or Spanish mackerel with their grey stripes which, once out of the water, looked like a steel knife. Every time Old Uncle Seven hauled up the nets he shook his head with regret.

They also tried using the fine meshed net. The result was that they came up with so many small catfish, sardines and clump after clump of seaweed. Almost all of those had to be given back to the sea. Old Uncle Seven said; "I want to go over there and let out the seine net-- -That net cost me a few thousand bucks. When a big fish gets into it, its just like they ran into a maze! But the thing is, that thing can't stand a heavy wind. If you get a force six or seven wind you have to take it up, its a damn nuisance.

Cao Mang gazed out at that stretch of black ocean without saying a word.

Old Uncle Seven lowered his voice: "if you want to catch big fish you have to go over there."

Cao Mang nodded his head: "Tomorrow let's load up the seine net!"

The next day they put a sail on the boat and, as planned, made for that stretch of black ocean.

Such a mysterious stretch of ocean! A stretch of ocean that held within it endless fearful tales! At that moment it was a pure greenish blue; smooth, without a ripple. It was transparent, like a liquid, yet densely concentrated green crystal. There were no fragments of whitecaps, and the boat slid along on a substance as soft and sleek as velvet. The atmosphere there didn't have the same fetid smell as that near the coast, in fact it had a strangely clear fragrance seeming to have become very approachable. ,. Not far away, the sun smiled at them, There, its hands would never be scalding hot, nor would it ever tear the skin from the backs of all those swarthy, sunburned fishermen. There, it was the true ocean breeze of September which stirred. The boat was not tossed, and people need not blink.

Since Cao Mang hadn't said anything the whole way Old Uncle Seven remained silent. His two sons looked at each other trying hard to suppress the excitement they felt deep in their hearts. Very quickly they were able to make out the strange rock which looked like a shark. The wind started to freshen a little. The seabirds which landed on the shoals cried sharply. at The hull of the boat, for some unknown reason, always trembled slightly and those on board finally felt the swift flowing of the ocean currents.

They very soon began to lower the anchors. These huge iron anchors were the roots of the seine net. If a strong wind came and they took up the seine net, they would still leave behind its roots. After the wind passed they could very quickly secure the net back to the same roots ... As Old Uncle Seven worked he chewed on his empty pipe, so that when he wanted to say something he just made a nasal grunting sound. He pointed out to sea with his pipe. The three young men all saw a small shark shyly swimming around the floats of the newly set seine net...

Cao Mang worked without uttering a word. With the skin on his face drawn tightly he hauled on the ropes or let down the anchors all day, biting his lips and letting out stifled grunts. He stood with his foot on the gunwale of the boat and it trembled under his step. The four of them worked all day without rest and as the sun was setting in the west the seine net was finally set!

......

As Old Uncle Seven's boat plunged into the Black Shark Sea the people in the village all looked at each other, but very soon they were all exclaiming in amazement.

A brand new boat with its billowing white sail charged off, time and again, to the northeast. There they took the fish which had entered the "labyrinth" and put them in the hold of the boat! This was nothing short of miraculous. The great mackerel with their black backs, yellow croakers, black-skinned knife fish... all were meekly transported to the shore. The people in the village all clicked their tongues.

They didn't know how much the four of them had to struggle.