Yang Meng took over the operation, and the extremely simple sailboat approached.

However, the people on the ship did not board the ship, but asked to exchange some food with Xiao Peng and them.

They were afraid of being sent back when they boarded the ship, and they gave up all their efforts.

They have been floating at sea for two days, and at this rate, it will take at least two days to get to the Cayman Islands------ provided that they do not capsize and do not get lost。。。。。。

This is also the disadvantage of going to the Cayman Islands from Isla de Zeudud, which is a little farther. From the island of Cuba to the country of Stars and Stripes, that is, about 100 miles, some people even dare to swim there with a car tire tied to their bodies!) (It's not an exaggeration, the guts of Cuban smugglers are not blown, two tires tied together and a plank are put on a plank and left.) ）

Xiao Peng also opened his eyes, these people are really ruthless! They don't bring any food or water with them when they go to sea, and drinking water is rainwater. The food was some roasted cassava and other food, and there was no fishing or something, and the limited space on the boat was all Cuba's 'three specialties': rum, coffee and cigars. This is to be exchanged for money after taking it out.

Xiao Peng didn't bother to ask for their things, so he asked Xiaoqiu to bake a bag of potatoes in the oven, and gave them some bread and canned luncheon meat.

It's not that Xiao Peng is stingy, I really don't know how long they have to float, it's not easy to store anything else for them, and they can't heat food at sea, and they can't eat meat or anything if they give them meat. And it's hungry. This so-called 'stowaway' has no power other than two oars and two small sails, and God knows how long it will float at sea and where it will go.

Watching the boat go away, Xiao Peng turned his head to go back to the cockpit, and saw that those who were filming the documentary were still drenched in rain on the deck. Xiao Peng beckoned to Xiaoqiu: "Forget it, let's get them something to eat, it's not easy to live!"

He returned to the cockpit, where Yang Meng was still teaching Sun Pengcheng how to drive a boat.

"Mengzi, go on!" Xiao Peng threw the things in his hand to Yang Meng, and after Yang Meng took it, it was a large bundle of cigars tied together with plastic tape, about thirty cigars.

Yang Meng sniffed: "Oh, I'll go, this is a good thing." A bag of potatoes for a bundle of handmade cigars? ”

Such Cuban handmade cigars are bought outside, and according to the quality, the cheap one is more than one dollar, and the more expensive one is more than a dozen dollars. A bag of baked potatoes with a little bread in exchange for such a cigar is sure to make money.

Xiao Peng shook his head: "What I don't want, they have to give it to me." ”

Sun Pengcheng said with a smile: "This thing is not worth much in Cuba, and the locals may not need a dollar to buy such a bundle of cigars." The Stars and Stripes have such a strong blockade against Cuba that is why Cuban cigars are expensive. But good things are good things. The day before Kennedy signed the decree imposing comprehensive economic sanctions on Cuba, his secretary bought him 1,200 Cuban cigars------ smoking Cuban cigars even with the sanctions. A lot of smugglers will take a little cigar with them, and when they go abroad, that's money, isn't it?"

Yang Meng shook his head on the side and said, "What are these people trying to do when they leave their hometowns?"

"It's not because of desire?" replied Sun Pengcheng.

"Desire?" Yang Meng didn't understand.

Sun Pengcheng nodded and said, "Actually, to put it bluntly, it's still a habitual problem. In fact, Cuba is not as bad as we think, because of the perennial material blockade there, they are indeed short of materials here, but no matter how scarce, people can still have enough to eat, and they can also enjoy free medical care, education and free housing for all. The basic needs of people can be met, but what else?"

Yang Meng was even more confused now: "Then why do they still want to go out?"

Sun Pengcheng explained: "I just said, it's not because of desire. For example, if everyone eats bread, milk and eggs every day at home, some people will think: I don't want to eat bread like everyone else, I want to eat beef. But there is no beef here, so if you want to eat beef, you have to go outside. Brother Peng, I have been to Havana twice, and the people there are really much easier than the people in our country. Anyway, the basic needs are met, so why live so tired?"

Yang Meng shrugged: "I hear the media all day long that Cuba is short of materials, food is scarce, poor to death, and people's wages are very small. Is that really the case?"

Sun Pengcheng laughed: "Anyone who says this either doesn't understand the situation, or they have ulterior motives." A few decades ago, Cuba and our country were also rationed, and they bought things with tickets, such as food stamps, oil stamps, meat stamps, and so on, and according to their rations, everyone could eat their stomachs and not go hungry at all! Their wages were very small, and ordinary jobs were 500 pesos a month, and police officers were about 800, and the gap between the rich and the poor was very low. The ratio of the blue peso to the renminbi is about 3:1. ”

Yang Meng frowned and counted with his fingers on the side, Xiao Peng smiled angrily: "What are you so special? That is, ordinary people are about 150 yuan a month." ”

Yang Meng's eyes widened: "What is enough for such a salary?"

Sun Pengcheng pointed out his middle finger at Yang Meng: "Have you considered the price of goods and purchasing power? 300 blue pesos here is more comfortable than the monthly salary of 3,000 in ours! In terms of renminbi, you can buy 10 eggs in Cuba for 3 cents and 10 eggs in China for 5 yuan." Is there a big difference in purchasing power?"

Yang Meng's eyes glared: "Dare to compare the middle finger to me? Believe it or not, I broke it for you?"

Sun Pengcheng hurriedly raised his hand to surrender: "Of course, they have less places to spend money, after all, there is more lack of materials than ours." ”

Yang Meng was still curious and asked, "According to what you said, wouldn't it be too cost-effective for us to go there?" Our month's salary is enough for their year's salary. I've become a rich man here!"

Sun Pengcheng laughed: "Mengzi, you really think too much." Do you think the Cuban people are stupid? Brother Peng, do you know why I said that?"

Xiao Peng thought about it for a while and said, "Is it true that Cuba also has a currency similar to the 'foreign exchange coupons' that our country used to have, and adopts a dual currency system?"

When China first reformed, it adopted a form of currency called 'foreign exchange coupons'. For 15 years from 1980 to 1995, this dual-currency system was adopted------ and the renminbi and foreign exchange bills circulated in the market at the same time. At that time, foreigners who wanted to shop in China had to buy this kind of 'foreign exchange coupon' and then go to a specific place to shop.

Sun Pengcheng snapped his fingers: "Brother Peng reacted quickly, that's right, this Cuba also has 'foreign exchange coupons', they are called red pesos, which are the same price as the US dollar, but because the US dollar is prohibited from circulating in Cuba, you foreigners will have to spend this red peso when you come to Cuba." In other words, tourists spend dollars in Cuba, but how high are the prices? A taxi costs $30 an hour, and a three-star hotel stays a few hundred dollars a night. It's not cheap to get here. ”

Yang Meng's eyes widened: ", is this really dark enough?"

Sun Pengcheng said with a smile: "Otherwise, how can you let these people get mixed up? Why do so many Cubans run away? No matter how hard it is to mix outside, if they can give their family $100 a month, it is equivalent to giving their family 2,400 blue pesos! And their monthly salary is only 300 blue pesos, so isn't that a earth-shaking change in their lives? Okay. Actually, nothing has changed, because there is nothing to buy at all. The basic salary of living materials is sufficient, and you can't afford to buy anything else. ”

"Can't afford it?" Yang Meng asked.

Sun Pengcheng explained: "Most of the industrial products here in Cuba rely on imports, and to buy those things, you have to exchange them for red pesos and go to foreign exchange stores to buy them, which is very expensive. When I went there, the most popular TV they had was the 'Panda brand' jointly produced by Huaxia and Cuba, a 21-inch remote-controlled color TV, which cost nearly 3,000 yuan there, and if they only relied on their own salaries, they would have saved more than two years without eating or drinking, and an electric bicycle jointly owned by Cuba and China was nearly 6,000 yuan. But they are very peaceful, after all, the welfare here is too good. Brother Peng, if your children want to study medicine, it is definitely a good choice to send them to Cuba to attend a medical university, not to mention that the medical level here is very high, and even the foreign students here enjoy free medical treatment! If there is a sickness or disaster when you are studying here, no matter if you are hospitalized for surgery, you really don't need a penny! When you are hospitalized, they are in charge of the sick meal and everything. Absolute welfare! What is this, what is this, why is this light on?"

Yang Meng walked up to him and picked up the walkie-talkie: "This is the Huaxia fishing boat 'Vladimir', who asked for a call?"

A man on the intercom said, "This is the 'Sea Aid No. 1' of the Georgetown Sea Rescue Center, we received your rescue signal, I don't know what happened?"

Yang Meng pouted at Xiao Peng: "The call for help sent four hours ago, only contact us now." After speaking, he picked up the walkie-talkie: "'Haiyuan No. 1', just now a small cruise ship carrying a documentary shooting team from the Stars and Stripes Discovery Channel encountered an accident, and all the passengers have been rescued, no one was injured, and the ship has sunk." We're going to Cuba now, and you'd better take the drowning man away. ”

"Accept the request, 'Vladimir', please let me know where you are now. ”

"Panama to Cuba N423 waterway, coordinate point 4491. ”

"It was nice that we arrived quickly. ”

Yang Meng put down the walkie-talkie: "Damn, what kind of person, I saw that it was our rescue signal that took four hours to contact, but when I heard that it was a person from the Stars and Stripes who fell into the water, it was directly 'coming soon'。。。。。。 ”

Xiao Peng smiled and patted Yang Meng's shoulder: "Don't mind this, Mengzi, I will give you a glorious and arduous task." ”

"What?" Yang Meng looked puzzled.

Xiao Peng pointed in the direction of the deck: "Educate those people, let them come to the rescue, don't talk nonsense!"

"Leave it to me!"