〈DOLPHIN BOY〉2
Episode One
S-1 Day Scene
Time: Daytime
Location: Guishan Island
Characters: Chen Dongping, Uncle
▲ During a typhoon, the fishing boat driven by the young boy Chen Dongping and his uncle was battered by strong winds and huge waves and blown onto Guishan Island, running aground among the reefs.
Uncle: “The wind and waves are too strong. The boat may break apart at any moment. I will send you ashore first.”
▲ The uncle let Dongping sit on a small skiff while he himself jumped into the seawater, risking his life to push Dongping onto shore. However, his calf was cut deeply by sharp rocks, bleeding profusely. Exhausted of strength, he was swept into the sea by a huge wave and disappeared without a trace.
Dongping: “Uncle, come back quickly! Uncle! Uncle!”
▲ Sitting on the reef, Dongping cried out hoarsely with all his strength.
S-2 Day Scene
Time: Daytime
Location: Cave under the cliff of Guishan Island, seaside, underwater hot spring, freshwater spring, coconut trees
Character: Chen Dongping
▲ Dongping, now an orphan, was stranded on the deserted island. On this island, there were sea turtles, seabirds, and several kinds of snakes, as well as steaming underwater hot springs.
▲ Dongping found a rocky cave under a nearby cliff and took shelter there.
Dongping (to himself): “There is a cave here. I wonder if there are poisonous snakes or wild beasts inside? I will go back to the shore to find something to start a fire.”
▲ Dongping returned to the shore and found a small barrel of kerosene, some wood, and torn sailcloth from the wreckage of the fishing boat.
▲ He lit a torch, held it in one hand, and grasped a long fish-cutting knife in the other, gathering his courage to enter the cave for exploration. The cave was about two zhang deep, but it turned in the middle, so the rear section was darker, yet it did not seem damp. He discovered that after the sea breeze blew in, it exited through cracks at the top of the cave, so although the inside was dim, it was quite dry.
▲ He carefully examined the cave and confirmed that there were no poisonous snakes or wild beasts. However, he found a stone bed, a set of stone table and chairs, and a fire pit in the corner, with some partially burned wood remaining inside, and a layer of dust accumulated on the ground.
Dongping (to himself): “This cave must have been lived in before, right? I will stay here first. At least it can temporarily shelter me from wind and rain.”
▲ Dongping went outside the cave and gathered dry wood from the nearby hillside, cut reeds, and returned to spread them on the stone bed. The dry wood was placed in a corner for making fire to keep warm and cook food.
Dongping (to himself): “There should still be some things in the fishing boat that I can use.”
▲ Dongping returned to the shore again and dug out some items from the wreckage: a bundle of fishing line, several knocked-out rivets, and a relatively intact pot. He brought them back to the cave.
▲ Dongping collected and dug shellfish and sea snails from the rocky shore, soaked them in hot spring water to cook them, cracked open the shells, and picked out the meat to fill his stomach. When thirsty, he climbed coconut trees to pick coconuts.
▲ In the evening, Dongping bathed in a nearby underwater hot spring, then went to a freshwater spring to wash off the salt on his body, and used coconut shells to scoop water, tying them to a wooden pole and bringing them back to the cave.
S-3 Night Scene
Time: Night
Location: Entrance of the cave under the cliff of Guishan Island
Character: Chen Dongping
▲ Dongping sat at the entrance of the cave, taking out a rivet under the moonlight and carefully grinding it with a piece of stone.
Dongping (to himself): “As long as I have patience, I should be able to grind out a fishhook, right? Tomorrow I can go to the seaside to fish for some fish and shrimp.”
▲ The sound of waves crashing echoed in the sea breeze.
Dongping (to himself): “I wonder how long I will be trapped here? Tomorrow I will explore all parts of the island and first figure out what this island is like.”
▲ Late at night, Dongping lay on the stone bed, resting his head on reeds, staring blankly.
Dongping (to himself): “Uncle has disappeared. Mother and grandmother must be very anxious if they do not see me return to Gulangyu, right? Unless a fishing boat passes by, I am afraid I cannot go home… Tomorrow evening, I will gather more firewood. In the future, if a ship passes by, I will light a fire so that people on the ship can see the smoke on the island…”
S-4 Day Scene
Time: Clear daytime
Location: High platform on Guishan Island, seaside of Jinbaoli Village
Characters: Chen Dongping, Guangnan, Yunying, children
▲ After only a few days, Dongping grew tired of the adventure on the isolated island. The island was actually not very large. The surrounding sea had many hidden reefs and currents, so very few fishing or merchant ships passed by. Dongping waited for several days but saw no ships.
Dongping (to himself): “There seems to be land in the distance. Maybe I should climb to the highest place to see clearly.”
▲ Climbing to the top of a large rock platform, Dongping looked down from above and indeed saw forests on the opposite shore and faint rising smoke in the distance.
Dongping (to himself): “There is cooking smoke there, so there must be a settlement. I will light a fire here and hope they see the smoke and come.”
▲ In clear weather, Dongping lit a fire on the top of the rock platform. Thick white smoke was blown by the sea wind into a slanted column.
▲ A brother and sister collecting seaweed on the shore first noticed the smoke, and the other children also saw it.
Guangnan: “There is a long column of smoke on the island. Could someone be trapped there?”
Child A: “My father said pirates often appear on that island. Maybe the pirates are cooking and trying to lure us over.”
Yunying: “The smoke is rising from the highest place. Why would pirates climb so high just to cook? That would deliberately attract attention. That is completely contrary to how pirates usually act. So I think it is very likely that a nearby fishing boat was blown ashore and someone is trapped on the island.”
Guangnan: “My sister’s reasoning is more reasonable. I think we should go back and tell the elders first.”
▲ The group of children left the shore, passed through the mixed forest, and headed toward the inland village.
S-5 Day Scene
Time: Clear daytime
Location: Assembly hall of Jinbaoli Village
Characters: Guangnan, Yunying, Yalati (chief’s husband), Melissa (chief), Geya (elder), Wula (warrior), children
▲ Guangnan and the children returned to the assembly hall and reported to Chief Melissa, who was holding a meeting.
Guangnan: “Mother, we went to the shore to collect seaweed and saw smoke rising from Guishan Island. We suspect someone is trapped there.”
Yalati: “Pirates often appear on that island. Our people have never dared to approach it when fishing. Even if someone is trapped there, we cannot help.”
Geya: “Young Master Guangnan, your father is right. There is no need to risk going to Guishan Island. If it is a trick by pirates, we may be captured as soon as we land. We should not interfere.”
Wula: “I heard elders say that pirates sell captured people overseas to be slaves for life.”
Melissa: “Guangnan, listen to the elders. That island may be a pirate den. There is no need for us to take such risks.”
▲ Guangnan and Yunying felt disappointed at the elders’ passive response and looked at each other helplessly.
S-6 Day Scene
Time: Clear daytime
Location: Valley and cave on Guishan Island
Character: Chen Dongping
▲ Dongping sat on the rocky shore fishing and soon caught enough.
Dongping (to himself): “Although I can catch fish and shrimp, staying here forever is not a solution. Yesterday I lit a fire to attract attention, but there was no response. It seems I must build a sturdy skiff and row to the opposite shore. Maybe people there will give me a boat or take me back to Gulangyu…”
▲ He began searching for usable wood and coarse fiber on the island.
▲ Dongping entered a valley where there were large deciduous trees about half the thickness of a person’s waist. He selected several straight and sturdy trees and marked them with his knife.
Dongping (to himself): “I will come here every day and cut down one tree.”
▲ As he was about to leave, he passed a hidden hollow and noticed a faint metallic reflection behind the grass.
Dongping (to himself): “Why is there a metallic reflection here? There might be something inside. I will go take a look.”
▲ He pushed aside the grass and found a hidden cave. Inside, there were piles of weapons—swords, crossbows, hundreds of long spears, and boxes of gunpowder and bullets, all covered in dust.
Dongping (to himself): “So it was these weapons reflecting the sunlight.”
▲ At the back was a wooden door with a corroded bronze lock. Dongping easily removed it and opened the door. Inside were several large chests. He lit a torch and saw ten large wooden chests. Opening one, he exclaimed, “Wow!” Inside were rows of gold bars, each heavy and shining.
Dongping (to himself): “It seems these weapons and gold have been hidden here for a long time. Who hid them here? Pirates?”
Dongping (to himself): “I will not touch them. For now, they are useless to me on this island.”
▲ Dongping covered the cave entrance with grass and left.
S-7 Day Scene
Time: Typhoon day
Location: Guishan Island, cave
Character: Chen Dongping
▲ A few days later, one evening, strong winds rose again over the sea, whipping up towering waves. The scene was still vivid in Dongping’s memory.
Dongping (to himself): “Is another typhoon coming?”
▲ Dongping secured the small skiff to the rocky shore with coarse rope, moved the dried fish and collected coconuts into the stone cave, and blocked the cave entrance with coconut tree trunks, branches, and stone slabs.
▲ After nightfall, a fierce storm indeed arrived. Wind and rain poured into the cave, but fortunately, the cave was deep enough that the impact was not severe. However, he spent the entire night listening to the terrifying howling wind and could not find peace. Only when faint daylight seeped into the cave entrance and the storm gradually subsided did he drift into a hazy sleep.
S-8 Day Scene
Time: Noon on a clear day
Location: Seashore of Guishan Island, cave
Characters: Chen Dongping, Lele (dolphin)
▲ After more than half a day, the typhoon seemed to have passed. He walked out of the cave. Outside, the sun was shining brightly, and the sea was calm. Judging from the shadows of the trees, it was about noon. He then noticed a dark gray shape, like a large fish, on a narrow shallow bay beach on the northern shore.
Dongping (to himself): “Could it be a big fish washed ashore by the waves? I will go take a look.”
▲ He moved swiftly, leaping across rocks, and soon arrived at the beach. It was indeed a stranded small bottlenose dolphin, commonly called a “sea pig.” There were several scratches on its body, with traces of blood seeping out. Seeing its disappointed eyes, Dongping could not bear to ignore it.
▲ Dongping felt troubled. Even though it was young, the dolphin weighed over a hundred jin. How could he possibly have the strength to help it?
Dongping (to himself): “Little dolphin, I really want to save you, but you are too heavy. I cannot move you!”
▲ At that moment, the little dolphin suddenly spoke.
Lele: “Big brother, please help me! I am Lele, a young bottlenose dolphin. I got separated from my group and lost my way, swam close to the shore, and was washed up by the huge waves of the typhoon.”
Dongping (astonished, inner voice): “How can this dolphin talk?”
Lele (smiling bitterly): “I know what you are thinking. You do not need to be surprised. You were born with the ability to communicate with our dolphin tribe.”
Dongping (slightly calmer, troubled): “I really want to help you, but you are too heavy. I truly cannot move you.”
Lele: “When the tide rises in the evening, you only need to turn me around and give me a push from behind, and I can free myself. But now the sun is so strong. If my body is exposed to the scorching sunlight for too long, I may not last until evening. I will become severely dehydrated and be baked to death.”
Dongping: “Then how should I help you?”
Lele: “Find me a large towel or quilt, soak it with seawater, and cover my body. Then every so often, pour seawater over me to cool me down. That will do.”
Dongping (scratching his head): “Where can I find a large towel or quilt? Look at me, I only have these clothes, and they are all torn.”
▲ Dongping pulled at his ragged sleeves, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Lele: “Think carefully again. Maybe you can find something.”
Dongping (suddenly inspired): “Got it! The sail from my uncle’s boat. Maybe that can be used?”
Lele: “That sail will work.”
▲ Dongping took off his shirt, soaked it in seawater, and covered the dolphin’s back.
Dongping: “Lele, hold on for a while. I will go remove the sail and come back quickly.”
▲ Dongping turned and ran toward the reef area where the fishing boat had run aground.
▲ In less than a short while, Dongping returned with the sail, soaked it in seawater, covered the dolphin’s entire body, then picked up a coconut shell, split it in half to use as a ladle, and continuously poured seawater over the dolphin.
Dongping (concerned): “Lele, do your wounds hurt?”
Lele (closing its eyes comfortably): “These minor injuries are nothing.”
▲ By dusk, the tide began to rise. Dongping lifted the sail, used all his strength to turn Lele’s body, and pushed it into the sea.
Lele (raising its fins gratefully): “Young benefactor, I will come back to the shore every day to accompany you.”
Dongping (laughing happily): “My name is Chen Dongping. You are welcome to come back often. I live alone on this island, and it is very lonely without anyone to talk to.”
Lele: “Let Lele become your most loyal friend. I will catch fish and shrimp for you.”
Dongping: “That is not necessary. I can fish myself. I do not worry about food.”
Lele: “Then starting tomorrow, I will take you out to sea, travel and dive, and explore the scenery of these waters.”
Dongping: “I want to go to the opposite shore. There seems to be a settlement there. Lele, can you take me there tomorrow morning?”
▲ Dongping’s eyes showed a strong desire to explore.
Lele (worried): “Young Master Dongping, do you really want to go to the opposite shore? Actually…”
▲ Lele hesitated. Dongping could sense its concern.
Dongping: “Hmm! Lele, you seem unwilling for me to go?”
Lele: “Yes. There are natives living on the opposite shore. They are not friendly to our fish tribe. They often set nets in shallow bays to trap us. I have also heard from elders that different tribes fight each other with weapons. Dongping, although you are their kind, I am worried about your safety.”
Dongping: “I will be careful.”
Lele (helplessly): “Alright. Since you are determined, I will wait for you tomorrow morning at the southern reef. Carry a conch shell with you. If you are in danger, blow it while running to the shore. I will follow the sound and come to pick you up.”
Dongping (nodding happily): “It is a deal. See you tomorrow.”
S-9 Day Scene
Time: Morning on a clear day
Location: Guishan Island shore, Jinshan shore
Characters: Chen Dongping, Lele, Guangnan, Yunying
▲ At dawn, after breakfast, Dongping carried his long-handled fish knife and a conch shell and went to the southern reef as agreed. Lele was already waiting.
Lele: “Get on. Sit on my back and hold my fins. Be careful with your knife.”
▲ Lele stayed close to the reef so Dongping could climb on.
Lele: “You will get used to it quickly. Hold tight, we are departing.”
▲ Lele carried Dongping smoothly toward the opposite shore and soon reached it.
Lele: “I will stay nearby. Blow the conch if there is danger.”
Dongping: “I will be careful.”
▲ Dongping entered the coastal forest and later arrived near a Ketagalan Basay village.
▲ He met a boy and a girl dressed neatly.
Guangnan: “Where are you from?”
▲ Dongping pointed toward Guishan Island.
Dongping: “I am from that island. My name is Chen Dongping.”
Guangnan: “The smoke was yours?”
Dongping: “Yes.”
Yunying: “We told the elders, but they were afraid of pirates.”
Dongping: “Pirates? There are none now.”
Yunying: “You are Han Chinese?”
Dongping: “Yes, from Gulangyu.”
Guangnan: “You rowed here?”
Dongping (inner thought): “I cannot tell them about the dolphin.”
Dongping: “Yes, I rowed.”
Yunying: “How did you end up there?”
Dongping: “A typhoon stranded us. My uncle was swept away.”
Yunying: “So you are an orphan… how pitiful.”
Yunying: “Brother, let’s take him home.”
Dongping: “Thank you, but I do not wish to trouble you.”
Yunying: “It is no trouble.”
Guangnan: “Let’s be friends.”
S-10 Day Scene
Time: Clear day
Location: Jinbaoli Village
Characters: Chen Dongping, Guangnan, Yunying, Yalati, Melissa
▲ Dongping followed them into the village.
Guangnan: “This is the council house.”
▲ He observed the stilt houses and village life.
Guangnan: “Father, this is Dongping…”
▲ Yalati embraced him warmly.
Yalati: “Welcome.”
▲ Dongping felt stiff.
Guangnan: “I will get clothes.”
Yalati: “Yunying, take him to bathe.”
▲ Guangnan returned.
Yalati (serious): “Son, danger is coming. We cannot protect him.”
Guangnan: “What danger?”
Yalati: “Pirates have occupied Keelung Islet…”
Yalati: “…We must fight. Convince him to leave for his safety.”
Guangnan (solemn): “I understand…”
