Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 245 - 183 The Troubles of the Shipping Company

Chapter 245: Chapter 183 The Troubles of the Shipping Company

Han Yu was indeed very busy, working with Captain Wang, Zhu Baogen, Master Zhou, and Liang Xiaoyu to maintain and repair ship 001.

Since its refit and upgrade, 001 had been deployed for rescue, escort, emergency disaster response, combating water bandits, assisting Port Supervision and Customs enforcement, among other missions.

Such high-load operation was a major test for both the equipment and the mechanical engineers. Routine maintenance was not enough to ensure the normal operation of the machinery; it had to be docked, requiring a complete check and repair of the hull and all major equipment and systems on the ship.

Moreover, with a month left until 1990, and the imminent eel fishing battle after New Year’s Day, 001 had to be in its best condition.

Boss Wu’s Bailong Port Shipyard, now renamed Linghai Shipbuilding Factory, had moved to the riverside and built a dry dock that was currently unoccupied.

Han Yu and Captain Wang discussed and seized this valuable opportunity; they took 001, which had just assisted Customs in combatting smuggling, into the dock to begin urgent repairs.

"Salted Fish, the propeller has three cracks. Should we weld or replace them?"

"Is there a spare in the stock?"

"Yes."

"Replace it with a new one. This one is old; we don’t know how many years it’s been used or how many times it’s been welded."

"Let’s replace the rudder too; it’s been welded even more times."

"Okay."

Han Yu held the dock work order and recorded the parts to be replaced.

Theoretical knowledge is important, but practical experience is crucial.

For instance, many of the machine operators are illiterate, but after working with the machines, dismantling, and reassembling them for a while, they become capable of repairs and even understand some basic principles on their own.

Zhu Baogen is now a qualified mechanical engineer. While busily knocking rust off the ship’s bottom, he turned to Liang Xiaoyu, who was cleaning mud from the valve box under the ship, and asked, "Xiao Yu, how has your dad’s business been these days?"

"Pretty good, he made over thirty yuan yesterday, and seventy-six the day before because there were many ships on the river!"

"Did he manage to get the tobacco sales license?"

"It was difficult to get a business license before, as we didn’t have a shop onshore and tobacco companies wouldn’t issue us a certificate. Now that we have a shop onshore with a business license, the tobacco certificate has also been issued."

Director Xu’s work on poverty alleviation and caring for the elderly has been very successful.

Under his witness, Liang Xiaoyu’s mother became Old Qian’s goddaughter, and Liang Xiaoyu became Old Qian’s grandson.

Old Qian first helped Liang Xiaoyu’s family buy the agricultural machinery warehouse owned by Bailong Port’s second team, giving the Liang family a home onshore.

Then, he bought a two-stroke small engine and installed it on Liang Xiaoyu’s family’s small fishing boat.

Using his advantages from working so long at the Cooperative Society, he took Liang Youcai, Liang Xiaoyu’s father, to wholesale small goods, buy pork at the pig slaughterhouse, wholesale salt from the salt company, and sugar, liquor, and tobacco from sugar & tobacco companies...

Initially, Liang Youcai started by selling goods from his small fishing boat on the river. Considering that it was difficult to obtain a business license for the kiosk on the boat, they decided to also open a small shop near their new home not far from the ship lock.

Liang Xiaoyu’s mother considers Old Qian as her adoptive father, and Liang Xiaoyu’s father regards him as his real father-in-law, planning to take care of Old Qian in his later years.

It’s worth mentioning that boat owners and sailors value time above all else, as each additional trip means more money. If everyday necessities can be bought on the water without being too expensive, they are unlikely to go ashore.

Moreover, his family also opened a small shop near the ship lock; it’s not far for others to make purchases ashore.

His family sells a wide range of products, from rice, oil, and condiments to laundry powder, soap, toothpaste, clotheslines, plastic buckets, pork, eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, and alcoholic beverages, even fruits and vegetables. Their business is growing increasingly successful.

Upon Captain Wang’s suggestion, they planned to start selling diesel engine parts.

Earning several tens to hundreds a day, one can imagine that his family could soon afford to demolish and rebuild the warehouse.

During lunch, Old Qian even suggested that if they were to build, they should build a two-story western-style building all at once!

A family once rattling poor had thus turned their fortunes around, living better and better days, and Han Yu felt a bit envious.

Thinking about Old Qian having a daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, making him unneeded in a nursing home in his old age, Han Yu was quite relieved and jokingly said, "Xiao Yu, from now on you can’t call me Salted Fish anymore, you should call me Uncle Salted Fish."

"You’re just a few months older than me, why should I call you uncle?"

"I called you Uncle Qian and since I’m of a higher generation than you, it would be disrespectful to keep calling me Salted Fish."

Captain Wang laughed and said, "That’s right, Xiao Yu, according to seniority, you should call him Uncle Salted Fish."

Director Xu’s decision for Xiao Yu’s mother to become Old Qian’s goddaughter was well considered; firstly, Old Qian was old enough to be Xiao Yu’s grandfather, so it wasn’t suitable for Xiao Yu to make Old Qian his godson.

Second, Xiao Yu has a father, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to acknowledge another godfather.

Considering that Xiao Yu’s grandfather was still alive, it wouldn’t be proper for Xiao Yu’s father to consider Old Qian as a godfather either, as it would mean Xiao Yu had two grandfathers.

However, Xiao Yu’s maternal grandfather had passed away early, and his mother had long lost contact with her natal family, so it was suitable for her to acknowledge Old Qian as her godfather.

More importantly, Xiao Yu was still young, and Old Qian, at 63, was becoming frailer by the day. Having Xiao Yu as his godson would mean burdening him with the responsibility of caring for the elderly, which was unfair for his age.