The fishing boats came back in the evening loaded to the brim.
Tips
history
Attested in Li Zhi's Ming-dynasty 《焚书·又焦弱侯》: a Magistrate Lin served three terms at Runing, and '往必满载而归' - 'each visit, he came back with the carts full'. Originally (and here) a sharp jab at corrupt officials; the modern sense is neutral or positive.
memory
载 here means 'to load (onto a vehicle)'. 满载 = 'fully loaded', 而归 = 'and return'. Picture a cart piled so high the axle groans, heading home.
