On the sea, a huge fleet of hundreds of large and small fishing boats, escorted by navy warships and speedboats, slowly approached the pier.
On the deck of every fishing boat, there are mountains of kelp piled up.
In order to haul more, the cabins of many fishing boats are filled with kelp, and fishermen live in the gaps between the kelp hills.
"A great harvest! This is a great harvest!"
Jin Feng's tone was trembling with excitement.
Zheng Chiyuan came back first by speedboat and saw Jin Feng on the trestle. Before the speedboat stopped, he jumped on and saluted Jin Feng: "I've met you, sir!"
"Thank you for your hard work, General Zheng!"
Jin Feng happily returned the gift to Zheng Chiyuan.
"It's not hard, this is my job!"
Zheng Chiyuan quickly waved his hand modestly.
"How much kelp is left on Maolang Island?" Jin Feng asked: "According to this scale, how many times can we pick it?"
"Do you still remember the corner where we parked the boat at Maolang Island?" Zheng Chiyuan replied excitedly: "This time the picking is not even 10% of that corner. In the words of the teacher, it is just a drop in the bucket!"
"Is it the corner where the warships are parked?" Jin Feng asked.
"Yes!" Zheng Chiyuan nodded.
"So much kelp, not even 10% of that corner?" Jin Feng asked in surprise.
When we went to Maolang Island, the warship did not enter the bay because it was too large, but stopped at the edge of the kelp area.
The place where the boat stops is a triangular area, which is also where the kelp is first picked.
"Sir, you don't know something. The kelp grows too thick underwater. After you remove the top layer, there is still another layer below!"
Zheng Chiyuan said excitedly: "And the kelp on the lower layer is longer and thicker than the upper layer! I arranged for others to try to salvage it in other places, and found that the same is true in many places!"
"Great! Great! Great!"
Jin Feng said three words in succession that were great.
According to Zheng Chiyuan, the overall reserves of kelp are more than he expected!
"Did the picking process go smoothly?" Jin Feng asked.
"Smooth, very smooth!" Zheng Chiyuan said: "In fact, picking kelp is very simple. It is a two-hand job. Fishermen can get started. Even those who have never been to the sea before can learn it quickly."
"Then can we recruit more fishing boats and fishermen to participate in picking?" Jin Feng asked.
There may be a food shortage in Jiangnan and the Central Plains at any time. No matter how much kelp there is in the sea, Jin Feng still feels uneasy.
Only by picking the kelp, drying it, and transporting it to Jiangnan and Sichuan can Jin Feng feel at ease.
"I think it's okay!" Zheng Chiyuan nodded and said: "With more fishermen participating, the picking speed will be faster, and more people will be free from the worry of hunger!"
Regardless of the coast of the East China Sea or the south of the Yangtze River, there are many fishermen who rely on the Yangtze River and the sea for their meals. Due to bandits and pirates, these fishermen are basically idle at home now.
If more fishermen can be arranged to go to sea, it will not only solve their livelihood problems, but also increase the speed of picking.
"I think so too," Jin Feng nodded slightly to express his approval of Zheng Chiyuan's words.
Finding that the first fishing boat was approaching the trestle, Jin Feng led everyone back to avoid disturbing the workers.
Two heavy-duty cranes were set up at the end of the trestle, one for the left side and the other for the right side.
The fishing boat furled its sails early, was dragged by the rope of the crane, approached slowly, and finally docked steadily on the left side of the trestle.
Before the fishing boats piled up the kelp, they put a few wooden sticks underneath as required. Zuo Feifei directed the workers to insert the steel pipe as thick as an egg into the bottom of the kelp mountain along the edge of the wooden stick according to the previous drill.
Lifting holes have been prepared at both ends of the steel pipe in advance. Pass the rope through the lifting holes, and then use a crane to lift it to the carriage prepared on the trestle.
It took three horse-drawn carriages to haul the kelp from the first fishing boat.
The kelp had been cleaned during the salvage. After the carriage pulled the kelp ashore, the workers waiting on the shore immediately unfolded the kelp and put it on a drying line like a bed sheet.
Jin Feng walked among the dried kelp, just like an old farmer whose granary was full, his eyes filled with the joy of a good harvest.
Although Zuo Feifei was mentally prepared, she still underestimated the amount of kelp brought back by the fishermen.
The fleet has only unloaded one-third of the kelp, and the ropes on the drying ground are almost half used.
Zuo Feifei quickly discovered this problem and asked her assistant to direct the unloading of the cargo. She rushed back to the shore and personally mobilized the workers to work overtime, plant poles on the ground and pull ropes.
Fortunately, she has recently recruited enough workers, prepared enough poles and ropes, and can plant poles and pull ropes quickly. Otherwise, there would be no place to dry.
The unloading and drying lasted until late at night and finally ended. Many workers in the drying yard were so tired that they almost collapsed.
Jin Feng didn't rest either. He and Run Niang took the escort's cooking company together, cooked porridge and steamed buns, and brought them over to express condolences to the workers.
Many workers used to work as tenants and longbows for the landlords. They often worked for the landlords. After working hard all day long, it was good to have a sip of gruel.
As a result, when I work here, I not only get wages, but also have kelp and fish fillet porridge to drink, and even steamed buns to eat.
For a moment, the workers felt that the fatigue they endured today was worth it!
"Sir, it seems that the drying yard needs to be expanded!"
Zuo Feifei took advantage of the time when the workers were eating porridge to find Jin Feng to discuss: "How about I take people to tidy up the beach at Qujiawan tomorrow?"
She knew that many pirate ships had been captured on Maolang Island, and this time the drying ground was used up just by the kelp brought back by the fishing boats. If the pirate ships came back with the fishing boats next time, the drying ground would not be enough.
Not to mention that Jin Feng had discussed expanding the scale with Zheng Chiyuan before.
It is no longer sufficient now, and it is conceivable that the scale will be expanded in the future.
"It's okay to clean up the Qujiawan site, but there's no need to be in such a hurry."
Jin Feng said: "It is not difficult to build a drying ground in Qujiawan, but there is no warehouse. The kelp has to be dried and taken to the warehouse area. It is a waste of time. Currently, this drying ground is the main one."
"I understand," Zuo Feifei said, "I'm afraid that this drying yard is not enough and will delay my husband's important event."
"Actually, even if we expand the scale of picking, it won't be that fast. After all, recruiting, screening, and training all take time. This drying yard is enough for the time being." Jin Feng said.
"Sir, the drying area is completely occupied by the kelp brought back by fishing boats. The captured pirate ship has not been used yet. If it is used, how can this drying area be used?" Zuo Feifei smiled bitterly.
"Feifei, there is a problem with this model now. We will readjust it next time we go to sea. The space will be enough by then." Jin Feng said.
"Is there something wrong with the current model?" Zuo Feifei was stunned: "What's the problem?"