World-class luxury yachts, much like Rolls-Royces, possess countless sensory systems capable of automatically adjusting balance to subtle road surface undulations, ensuring a ride as smooth as on level ground.
However, the ordinary vessel piloted by the Dapeng brothers, despite its smooth water and gentle currents, still evoked the discomfort of being on a boat.
Hu Lanfang, feeling seasick shortly after boarding, announced she needed to lie down in the cabin.
Upon entering the cabin, she frowned again, remarking on the less-than-pleasant smell and the fact that the bedding was previously used.
Gu Qingcheng suddenly realized her oversight; she hadn't tidied up, and the ship was still equipped with others' belongings.
So, she hurried to organize things.
Fortunately, her Mountain Cat Supermarket had new beds and furniture ready to go, eliminating the need for outside help. She quickly cleaned and scrubbed the cabin before letting Hu Lanfang rest to alleviate her dizziness.
After Hu Lanfang settled down, Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo began to tackle their own cabin. The two of them, having taken strength pills, felt relatively energetic despite climbing around, not particularly fatigued.
Dapeng and Xiaopeng also delegated some of their men to clean the cabins.
The cabin furnishings were quite simple. They swept out the unwanted trash, piled it in a corner outside the window, and soon a clean cabin was ready.
Gu Qingcheng also provided them with a set of IKEA-style black, blue, and white checkered bedding. At first glance, it bore some resemblance to the existing printed patterns, so the style didn't seem out of place.
Xiaopeng, touching the sheets and duvet cover, found them inexplicably comfortable.
Mi Guo hadn't expected them to abandon their own luxury yacht.
When they first boarded, Mi Guo had assumed it was a disguise, a magical illusion cast by his sister. However, after looking around the ordinary fishing boat, he found no signs of the luxurious amenities he had become accustomed to.
Yet, Mi Guo wasn't disappointed. He understood the concept of closeness and distance between family and outsiders. His sister's family not hiding anything from him indicated that they had accepted him as part of the family.
Once Mi Guo understood this, he no longer dwelled on the fact that the ship was just an ordinary boat. Instead, he happily went to help Dapeng and Xiaopeng brothers navigate.
The previous luxury yachts were fully automated, requiring no manual operation. One could simply sit on the boat, without even entering the cockpit, and it would automatically reach its destination.
In comparison, Mi Guo found this ordinary cargo ship much more interesting. Without seeing anyone rowing, how could it travel so fast?
Mi Guo, with great curiosity, asked Xiaopeng.
Dapeng was steering from the cabin, while Xiaopeng observed the sails and the wind direction on the deck.
Seeing Mi Guo's interest, Xiaopeng readily explained the ingenious mechanism.
It turned out that their current ship primarily operated by wind power, and the secret to harnessing the wind lay entirely in the sails.
The ship was propelled forward by the sails.
"This is a following wind. What about a headwind?" Mi Guo was indeed a clever young observer.
"Haha, it's true that sailboats are pushed by the wind. But our ancestors were clever too. They knew that ships wouldn't always encounter following winds, so the ability to adjust the sails freely played a crucial role, allowing the ship to advance even against the wind.
When sailing against the wind, we simply tighten the sails, turn the bow to an angle of about 45° into the wind, and the sails catch enough wind to propel the ship forward."
"I still don't understand," Mi Guo said, looking a bit confused.
Gu Qingcheng also happened to come onto the deck and, hearing this, smiled and said,
"When the bow of the ship is at an angle of 45°-90° to the wind's direction, the air flows at different speeds on either side of the sail, creating a pressure difference. The high pressure on the concave side flows towards the low pressure on the convex side, generating forward thrust. Therefore, the ship can sail against the wind. When we encounter a headwind later, I'll have Xiaopeng demonstrate it for you, and you'll understand."
Gu Qingcheng's explanation was theoretical, as she had some knowledge from playing with sailboat models, but operating it required the experienced hand of Xiaopeng.
Indeed, when the wind direction changed, and Xiaopeng performed the maneuvers, the ship sailed against the wind as desired, and its speed did not decrease.
Mi Guo watched with wide, gleaming eyes. It was so interesting.
From that day on, he attached himself to Dapeng and Xiaopeng, learning how to operate the cargo ship with them.
How to raise the sails? How to adjust the sails' direction according to the wind? How to steer.
Dapeng and Xiaopeng brothers had grown up on fishing boats, so they were like fish in water on board. Mi Guo learned a lot from them.
Watching Mi Guo, who was having so much fun, Gu Qingcheng couldn't help but recall her geography lessons.
Before the Industrial Revolution, before humans invented engines, maritime transport was constant. Crossing vast oceans, humans relied on the energy of ocean currents and wind.
In fact, the ultimate source of this energy was solar radiation. Uneven distribution of solar radiation across the Earth's surface created temperature differences between high and low latitudes, leading to global atmospheric circulation and the formation of pressure belts and wind belts.
The sustained blowing of wind belts caused large-scale, stable movement of surface seawater in one direction, thus forming "ocean currents."
In ancient maritime travel, ships primarily relied on wind power and ocean currents for propulsion. During ocean voyages, if there was a "following wind and current," the speed could be increased. For example, when sailing eastward across the Pacific from Japan to Mexico in North America, one could utilize the prevailing westerlies and the North Atlantic Current in the latitudes of 40°-60° North to travel eastward. Conversely, when returning from Mexico, one could use the Northeast Trade Winds and the North Equatorial Current to travel westward.
During the Ming Dynasty, the navigator Zheng He's voyages to the "South Seas" always departed in winter. This was because in winter, he could use the northwest and northeast monsoons to sail south. Upon reaching the North Indian Ocean, he could use the eastward-flowing currents for navigation. In summer, when the North Indian Ocean currents flowed westward, and the southwest and southeast monsoons prevailed, he would return to China.
Recalling these common knowledge facts, Gu Qingcheng suddenly had a bold idea. After life stabilized here, could she also embark on a voyage to the "South Seas"? To travel and see the world?
This was a good idea. Gu Qingcheng felt that since she had come here, she should see this world properly, otherwise, it would be a waste of such a life.
Of course, for now, she had to deal with this world overrun by zombies. Without a stable rear, they were merely refugees.
Not long after Hu Lanfang went to lie down in the cabin, Gu Chaobei also went to lie down. It wasn't because he, as an old married couple, still liked to be clingy with his wife, but because he too was seasick.