N-M Chapter 6 Settling Accounts
Chapter 6 Settling Accounts
A few days after the autumn floods ended, business at the ship repair shop suddenly slowed down.
After the fishermen finished their catch and had money in their pockets, they were reluctant to repair their boats. They made do with what they could, and refused to spend money on anything they could do themselves. Old Fang's tin shed, however, was bustling with activity for several days, filled with people borrowing tools. One day someone borrowed a wrench, the next a hammer, and the day after that someone asked if they could borrow a gas cutter.
Old Fang refuses to lend any money.
"Can I borrow an oxy-fuel cutter? If I cut myself and hurt my leg, who's responsible?"
Unable to borrow any tools, the fisherman squatted at the entrance of the shed, smoked a cigarette, and left. As he went, he muttered "stingy." Old Fang pretended not to hear.
Jiang Haiping asked him why he didn't lend the money. Old Fang said, "Lending once is a favor, lending twice is a friendship, lending three times is an enemy. If you lend to him ten times and don't lend to him the eleventh time, he'll hold a grudge for life. It's better not to lend to him in the first place."
Jiang Haiping thought about it and realized that it made sense.
That morning, a new face arrived at the ship repair shop.
He was in his fifties, wearing a faded blue cotton Zhongshan suit, with a fountain pen clipped to his pocket. His face was roughened by the sea wind, but his hands didn't have the thick calluses typical of fishermen. He clearly wasn't a fisherman.
"Is this the Moon Island ship repair station?" The visitor stood at the gate and looked up at the wooden sign.
"Yes." Jiang Haiping came out of the stone house.
"Who is in charge?"
"I."
The newcomer glanced at him, probably thinking he was too young.
"My surname is Wang, Wang Cunzhi. I work for a fishing company."
Jiang Haiping invited him to sit in the courtyard. To say "sit" was a bit of an exaggeration; it was just a plank placed on a rock. Wang Cunzhi didn't sit. He walked around the courtyard, looking at the boat rafts, the stone troughs, and the three fishing boats waiting to be repaired on the rafts.
"How long has your ship repair shop been open?"
"More than a month."
"How many boats were repaired?"
"Six articles."
Wang Cunzhi nodded. He walked over to the side of the boat raft and squatted down to watch the boat that Lao Fang was dismantling. The boat was upside down, and Lao Fang was using a hammer to tap the hull. When he hit a plank, the sound was dull.
"This board is rusted through," Old Fang said without looking up. "It needs to be replaced."
Wang Cunzhi didn't speak, but watched for a while.
"What's your relationship with the shipyard?"
Jiang Haiping said, "It doesn't matter. The venue is rented, the equipment is self-purchased, and I'm retired."
"Retired," Wang Cunzhi repeated. He stood up and brushed the rust dust off his knees. "Retired shipyard foremen are skilled. But your price is more than half the factory's. Doesn't the factory have any objections?"
"The shipyard in the factory is half empty most of the time. The factory doesn't usually take on the ship repair jobs we do," Jiang Haiping said. "Fishermen can't afford the factory's repair prices."
Wang Cunzhi remained silent for a while.
"You're right. Fishermen can't afford to repair it."
He took out a cigarette from his pocket and offered one to Jiang Haiping. Jiang Haiping took it and tucked it behind his ear.
"I've visited over a dozen fishing villages, and in every village, someone mentioned your boat repair shop to me," Wang Cunzhi said, lighting a cigarette. "They said the repairs are good and the prices are fair. I've always wanted to come and see for myself."
"I saw it today, and it's really good."
He took a drag of his cigarette.
"But there's a problem."
Jiang Haiping is equal.
"If you keep doing this, the private boats on the other side will have no food to eat."
Jiang Haiping had heard Lin's father mention the private boats on the other side of the river.
Just three miles east of Moon Island, in a bay called Baishakou, lived a boat repairman named Ding Fugui. He used to be a fisherman. After he stopped fishing, he pooled his money to lay two steel rails on the mudflats, bought a hand-operated hoist, and started repairing boats. It was cheaper than working in a factory, but more expensive than on Moon Island. As for his skills, Cai Datou bought his secondhand boat from him.
"Ding Fugui isn't very skilled, but he's resourceful," Wang Cunzhi said. "His rafting boats were built on public mudflats, the electricity was supplied by lines from the town, and the equipment was scavenged from secondhand markets. He made a lot of money in two years."
"His business has decreased since you came."
Jiang Haiping understood.
"Director Wang, you didn't make this special trip just to speak up for Ding Fugui, did you?"
Wang Cunzhi smiled. The man, in his forties, had wrinkles around his eyes when he smiled.
"Me, speak up for him? He owes the fishing company 80,000 yuan in loans, and it's been overdue for two years without a single penny paid. What am I supposed to say for him?"
He stomped out the cigarette butt.
"I came here to see if your ship repair shop can take on jobs from fishing companies."
The fishing company owns twelve steel-hulled fishing boats, which operate year-round in the open sea. All the boats are over ten years old, and their main engines, gearboxes, and rudder systems all have some degree of malfunction. Previously, they were all repaired at the shipyard, which was expensive and time-consuming. Wang Cunzhi had long wanted to find a cheaper place to repair them, but hadn't found a suitable one yet.
"If you can handle it, I'll bring over two to try. If they're repaired well, there are ten more to come."
Old Fang then crawled out from under the boat, his face covered in oil stains.
"A fishing company's boat? How big is it?"
"Two hundred and seventy horsepower, the same as the fishermen's. Just a bit bigger, forty or fifty tons."
Old Fang wiped his hands.
"Our raft has a rated load capacity of 30 tons. We can't pull up boats that are 40 or 50 tons."
Wang Cunzhi frowned.
"Can't we think of a solution?"
Old Fang thought about it.
"The ship's rails are anchored to the reefs and can't support 50 tons. But if it's just temporary maintenance and we don't need to pull it all the way ashore, we can do the maintenance in the rock trough. We can lift the main engine out, remove the gearbox, and disassemble the rudder in the water. It's just a bit of a hassle."
"Can it be repaired?"
"It can be repaired. But it will take a lot of time."
Wang Cunzhi did the math.
"If the working hours are increased and the price is higher than that of the factory, then it's pointless."
Old Fang didn't respond. The price wasn't his concern.
Jiang Haiping said, "Director Wang, tell me about the problems with those two boats. I'll give you an estimate first."
Wang Cunzhi took out a notebook from his pocket and opened it. It was filled with detailed notes on the working conditions of twelve ships.
"One problem is that the engine burns oil, producing a lot of blue smoke above 2000 RPM. The other is that the gearbox grinds when shifting gears, making a rattling noise when reversing. The factory quoted 3,000 for a major overhaul of the first problem and 4,000 for replacing the gearbox of the second."
After listening, Lao Fang squatted down and used chalk to calculate.
"The oil-burning issue is probably due to worn piston rings; the cylinder liner needs to be checked. If the cylinder liner isn't scored, just replacing the piston rings will cost 800 in material handling. If the cylinder liner is scored, boring the cylinder and adding a new piston will cost 1500."
"Regarding the gearbox, worn teeth don't necessarily mean the gears are broken. It could be due to worn clutch discs or a deformed shift fork. Take it apart and check. If it's just the clutch discs, the material cost is 500. If the gears are truly damaged, replace them; the cost is 1200."
Adding the two together, the worst-case scenario is 2,700.
Wang Cunzhi closed the notebook.
When can we see the boats?
"at any time."
After Wang Cunzhi left, Lao Fang squatted on the reef and smoked a cigarette.
"Working for a fishing company is tough."
Why?
"Publicly owned boats are a hassle to repair. One leader comes to inspect today, another technician comes to check tomorrow. After the repairs are finished, there's an acceptance inspection, and after that, there's a process to settle the bill. The money is easy to earn, but it's a huge hassle."
He threw the cigarette butt into the sea.
"However, on the other hand, if the fishing company's boat is repaired, it's more convincing than a hundred fishermen's boats. This job is worth taking."
Jiang Haiping nodded.
As they were talking, a person entered through the courtyard gate.
It is Ding Fugui.
Ding Fugui was in his early forties, short and stout, wearing a floral shirt and a thick gold chain around his neck. In this island full of shirtless fishermen, his attire stood out conspicuously.
He stood at the gate of the courtyard, not coming in. He first looked up at the wooden sign, and then looked at Jiang Haiping and Lao Fang in the courtyard.
"Who's in charge?"
"Me," Jiang Haiping said.
Ding Fugui walked in. Behind him were two other people, one young and one middle-aged, both dressed as fishermen, but their eyes didn't look as honest as those of fishermen.
"Director Jiang's son?" Ding Fugui looked him up and down. "Young and promising."
His tone was barbed.
Jiang Haiping did not respond.
Ding Fugui walked around the courtyard, looking at the boat rafts, the stone troughs, and the tools displayed in the stone house.
"Nice place. Better than mine." He stopped and turned around. "But I have something to say to you."
"The food for ship repair is too much for one person to finish. You eat yours, I'll eat mine, no problem. But you can't take my food away."
Old Fang stood up.
"Your livelihood? The ships you repaired—the main engines seized, the gearboxes broke, the rudder broke—weren't they all shoddy work? You call that your livelihood? You're just ripping people off."
Ding Fugui's face darkened.
"Old man, who are you calling a swindler?"
"I'm talking to you." Old Fang took a step forward. "You sold Cai Datou's boat, didn't you? Twenty-eight thousand for a tiny, roofed boat. Aren't you greedy?"
The two people behind Ding Fugui moved forward.
Jiang Haiping reached out to stop Lao Fang.
"Boss Ding, just tell me, what do you want?"
Ding Fugui looked at him.
"Don't take on any more boats from Moon Island. The fishermen on the island used to have their boats repaired by me."
"What if I don't agree?"
Ding Fugui smiled.
"It's okay if you don't agree. But let me make this clear first. Your dad is the factory manager, I can't touch you. But your ship repair shop, those old masters, and that girl who brings you food every day. They're all from the island."
His smile remained unchanged, as did his tone.
"The people on the island must live their lives on the island."
After saying that, he turned and left. The two men behind him glanced at Jiang Haiping and followed him away.
Old Fang was so angry that his hands were shaking.
"That bastard. He's not satisfied with swindling people in Baishakou, now he comes here to cause trouble."
Jiang Haiping didn't speak. He walked to the courtyard gate and watched Ding Fugui and the other two disappear into the alley.
Lin Xiu'e walked over from the other end of the alley, carrying a basket. Today she was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with blue flowers, and her hair was tied in a braid that hung down in front of her chest. Seeing Jiang Haiping standing at the courtyard gate, she quickened her pace.
"Ping-ge, those three people who just passed by, were they from Baishakou?"
"Do you know him?"
"Everyone on the island knows him. Ding Fugui, he runs a private boat company. He came to see my dad's boat last year. He said it would cost three thousand to repair. My dad didn't get it fixed." She put down her basket. "What was he doing here?"
"Visiting someone's place."
Lin Xiu'e looked at him, then at Old Fang, whose face was grim in the courtyard. She didn't ask any more questions. She brought out the food from the basket: sweet potato porridge, steamed egg with salted fish, and stir-fried vegetables with garlic. The three of them squatted on the rocks to eat. Old Fang ate a few bites and put his bowl down.
"No. I have to go to Baishakou."
"What are you doing?"
"Look at that boat raft, how exactly does he work?"
Old Fang stood up and dusted off his pants. He glanced at Jiang Haiping. "Don't worry, I won't cause trouble. I'm just going to take a look." With that, he pushed his bicycle away.
Lin Xiu'e watched Lao Fang's retreating figure.
"What's wrong with Master Fang?"
"It's nothing." Jiang Haiping lowered his head and ate his food. "Is your dad's leg fully recovered?"
"It's all done. I was even working in the fields yesterday."
"What about the loan from the credit union?"
"Half has been paid back. My dad said the rest will be paid off before next spring."
Jiang Haiping nodded.
Lin Xiu'e looked at him.
"Ping-ge, has something happened?"
Jiang Haiping put the bowl down.
"It's nothing serious. Ding Fugui just felt we were taking away his business, so he came over to say hello."
Lin Xiu'e remained silent for a while.
"My dad said that Ding Fugui is not someone to mess with. His brother-in-law works at the town's industrial and commercial bureau, and his brother-in-law works at the police station. His boat raft has been occupying public land, and nobody has done anything about it because of this."
After listening, Jiang Haiping stood up and walked to the entrance of the courtyard wall. The sea was hazy, and it was about to rain.
Are you scared?
Lin Xiu'e was taken aback. "What are you afraid of?"
"I'm afraid he'll cause trouble for your family."
Lin Xiu'e lowered her head. After a while, she raised her head.
"Don't worry. You're the one who fixed the Ping An. My dad said you gave our family a second life. We've already been saved, what trouble are we afraid of?"
After she finished speaking, she put the bowls and chopsticks into the basket. When she stood up, her braid swung down to her chest.
"I'm going back now. I'll bring you fish soup tonight."
After taking a few steps, she turned back.
"Brother Ping, everyone on the island is on your side. Ding Fugui won't dare to do anything."
Old Fang returned in the evening.
A dirty snakeskin bag was strapped to the back of the bicycle. He dumped the bag into the yard; inside were several pieces of scrap metal: fragments of gears, bearing balls, and half a rusted rudder post.
"I found it in the rubble heap at Baishakou Shipyard." Old Fang squatted down and picked up the broken piece of the rudder. "Take a look at this break."
At the break point of the rudder stock, half was fresh and half was old rust.
"This rudder stock was already half cracked. Ding Fugui repaired boats for people, and instead of replacing it, he just piled on a layer of welding rods, ground it smooth, and painted it. It looked brand new. After a few fishing trips, the rudder stock broke. What happens to a boat without a rudder at sea?"
He threw the steering wheel on the ground.
"Does someone like that even deserve to work as a ship repairman?"
Jiang Haiping looked at the scrap metal on the ground.
"Master Fang, keep these things."
"What are you doing?"
"Just in case it works."
Old Fang was stunned for a moment. Then he understood. He didn't say anything more, picked up the scrap metal, put it back into the snakeskin bag, and carried it into the stone house.
It rained all night.
The next morning, Wang Cunzhi came again. This time he wasn't alone. Behind him were two boats, the very same two he'd mentioned the day before. The one with the engine burning oil was called "Fisheries Administration 001," and the one with the worn-out gearbox was called "Fisheries Administration 002." Despite their grand names, they were actually the two oldest boats in the fishing company.
Old Fang went aboard and inspected the engine. The one burning oil had no cylinder liner damage, just needed piston ring replacement, 800. The gearbox one, upon disassembly, had worn-out clutch plates and a deformed shift fork, but the gears were fine, 500.
Wang Cunzhi made the decision on the spot.
"build."
Two boats were moored in the stone trough, with Lao Fang and Qiu Changhai each responsible for one. Ahai also arrived, squatting down beside them to hand over tools. When Lin Xiu'e brought food, she brought two extra portions. One for Ahai, and one for Wang Cunzhi. Wang Cunzhi squatted on the reef, holding his bowl, watching the two boats being repaired in the stone trough.
"Xiao Jiang, your ship repair shop needs a proper name."
"Yes. There's a ship repair shop on Moon Island."
"I mean the name registered with the business administration department. Only after registration can invoices be issued and accounts settled with the government."
Jiang Haiping thought for a moment.
"Then let's call it Moon Island Ship Repair Department."
Wang Cunzhi nodded.
"Hello, maintenance department. Once you're registered, all twelve boats from the fishing company will be brought over for repair."
He shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth.
"By the way, I heard Ding Fugui came looking for you?"
Jiang Haiping said yes.
Wang Cunzhi put the bowl down.
"You don't need to concern yourself with Ding Fugui's matter. His boat raft has been involved in illegal activities such as occupying mudflats, stealing electricity, and evading taxes. No one did anything about him before because nobody cared. But things are different now. The fishing company is going to support legitimate maintenance stations, and it's time to settle all his dirty laundry."
Jiang Haiping looked at him.
"Director Wang, are you helping me or the fishing company?"
Wang Cunzhi smiled.
"Help myself. I manage twelve boats, and the annual repair cost is tens of thousands of yuan. If they're repaired well, it saves me money. If they're not repaired well, it delays my business. People like Ding Fugui, they ruin every boat they repair, I've long since stopped tolerating them."
He picked up his bowl and continued eating.
The sea was exceptionally clean after the rain. Two fishing boats awaiting repair floated side-by-side in a rocky trough. Old Fang was squatting in the engine room of Fishery Administration 001, disassembling pistons, while Qiu Changhai was removing gearboxes from Fishery Administration 002. Ah Hai squatted on a rock between the two boats, running towards whichever boat called him.
Lin Xiu'e finished tidying up the dishes and chopsticks, picked up her basket, and walked back. Reaching the courtyard gate, she looked back one last time.
Jiang Haiping stood on the edge of the courtyard wall, a notebook in his hand, writing something down. The sea breeze blew, making his shirt stick to his body.
She remembered what she had said after Ding Fugui came yesterday.
The people on the island are all on your side.
What she didn't say was: I'm on your side too.
I've been standing here ever since I squatted at the shipyard gate all morning on the first day.