Chapter 1213

"Then you really must go pay the leader a New Year's visit... He has helped us so much and has always been promoting you. It's just that New Year's is the day after tomorrow, so it's a bit late to be visiting now. Remember to explain tomorrow that you've only just had a break these past two days."

"Hmm, I'll go make a phone call in a bit. I don't know if he's on holiday yet. Tomorrow is already the 29th, and New Year's is the day after. It's possible he's already on holiday and back in the county town for the New Year."

Lin Xiuqing thought about it and agreed, "That's true, New Year's is the day after tomorrow. He might not be in the city; after all, his home is still in the county town, so he might have returned there for the New Year."

"You tidy up these things, I'm going to make the call first."

Ye Yaodong said he would do it, put down the newspaper in his hand, and walked outside.

"Dad, where are you going? Take me... take me..."

Ye Xiaoxi popped out from somewhere, and seeing him get on his bicycle, she immediately spread her arms and blocked his path.

Ye Yaodong was startled. Fortunately, he had just started riding from home, the roads were dirt, and he wasn't going fast, so he braked in an emergency.

"What are you doing? Move aside, go play with your brothers and sisters."

"No, they all have new banknotes, I don't."

Ye Yaodong felt his pocket, took out a few new banknotes, and pulled out two one-cent notes for her.

"Now you have some, go on."

Ye Xiaoxi happily trotted forward to take them, "I have some too, I'm going to find my brother..."

After getting the new money, she didn't even look at Ye Yaodong and immediately ran off again.

Ye Yaodong then got back on his bicycle and headed toward the village committee.

With New Year's the day after tomorrow, the village had an extra festive atmosphere these past few days, and the sound of children's firecrackers rang out from time to time.

Tables of all sizes were set up along the roads in the village, either for rolling dice, playing cards, or gambling. The women were also busy tidying up various foods, preparing to eat during the New Year.

The fishing gear that needed to be washed and dried had basically been finished in the last two days and was all laid out in front of their respective homes.

Walking along the way, one could smell either the fishy stench of the nets or the smell of gunpowder from firecrackers.

The hawkers' cries came one after another, and there was a constant stream of people carrying shoulder poles to sell things, more than at any other time.

As Ye Yaodong passed by and saw the barber giving someone a haircut on the side of the road, he called out to him, reminding him to remember to go to their beach in the afternoon, as the children at home also needed a haircut for the New Year.

The barber naturally recognized him; he had given him dozens of shaves a few months ago, so he was a big customer.

When he arrived at the village committee, his mother was happily carrying two large slabs of fatty meat and a basket of soybeans, and his father was coming out with a bag of flour and a bag of rice.

"Did the public sector issue benefits?"

"Yes, we're on break today, so they let us come and collect benefits to take home for the New Year. I'll bring them to your place in a bit. Are your sisters-in-law sitting at the door?"

"They're drying fishing nets at the door."

"Then I'll bring them over later."

"What are you afraid of? Taking some things is like being a thief."

"I'm afraid they'll gossip and say I'm biased. It's true that I eat and drink your stuff, so taking things to your place is only right, but seeing it face-to-face is different. I'll take them over later."

"Suit yourself."

Ye Yaodong couldn't be bothered to care about his mother's petty calculations. He parked his bicycle at the entrance, stepped past them, and went inside to make the call.

It just so happened that there was a call for him, so he answered his own call first, and then called Director Chen.

The call was from the military, wanting another batch of goods before the New Year, and Director Chen was not on holiday yet tomorrow; he would only start his holiday on New Year's Eve.

The call came just in time; he could go to the military to deliver a batch of goods, then give Director Chen a New Year's gift, and on the way back, he could even bring Director Chen back to the county town for the New Year.

On the phone, when he mentioned it, Director Chen only said to wait and see tomorrow, fearing it wouldn't be safe to travel at night. Originally, he had intended to return to his hometown in the county town on the morning of New Year's Eve for the New Year.

So he could only wait until tomorrow to see.

After the call, he went home and started counting the goods, letting the two boys guarding the workshop load the truck first and cover it with a waterproof tarp.

In the afternoon, he took Aqing to town again. Besides wanting to exchange some more new banknotes, he also wanted to buy some New Year's gifts to take with him tomorrow, so he wouldn't have to rack his brains in the city trying to figure out what to buy.

It's just that in the afternoon, there was a long queue at the post office. Judging by the looks of it, they were all from their village. They were even smiling and greeting them. Fortunately, the person at the counter kept their head down and was busy, so they didn't see them.

Otherwise, it would have been quite embarrassing...

The two of them took a look at the door, greeted an acquaintance, and gave up directly.

"It's all my fault for mentioning it. There are so many people in the afternoon. It was still quiet in the morning, and I didn't see many people come by, and those who did were just there to make phone calls."

"It doesn't matter, we exchanged some in the morning. Shall I take you to the bank in the city to exchange some tomorrow?"

"That's not very good. Taking so much money to the city, there must be a lot of people there."

"Are you stupid? I'm delivering a truckload of goods to the military tomorrow anyway. Why not just take the payment for the goods and exchange it for money directly?"

"Then you go exchange it, I won't go. New Year's is the day after tomorrow, and I have a lot to do tomorrow. I need to fry meatballs, render lard, and start making fish balls. Braised pig's trotters, drunken shrimp, and drunken crab also need to be prepared in advance. It's very busy."

"Let's start making fish balls when we get back in a bit. Let's make 10 jin first, and I'll take them to Director Chen tomorrow."

Aqing's mention of making fish balls reminded him.

"Then I'll ask Acai to save me some Spanish mackerel tonight. I don't want to make them too quickly, otherwise, they'll have to sit for many days. Fresh ones taste better..."

"It doesn't matter, there's a pier in town. Let's go around the pier in a bit. Don't worry about not having any, let's buy a few more to take back."

"Okay."

The couple kept running back and forth in town buying things, all prepared for Director Chen.

Cigarettes, alcohol, canned goods, and biscuits were all must-haves; they needed to have things that looked presentable, and also things made at home.

Lin Xiuqing had originally planned to wait until early tomorrow morning to start getting busy, but now she had to hurry back and start working in the afternoon.

After returning home, Ye Yaodong immediately called his parents over to help her.

With his parents called over to do the work, there was naturally no work left for him to do.

Ye Mu took advantage of the gap while her two daughters-in-law were in town exchanging banknotes to take the lard issued in the morning and put it directly on the stove to render.

The children at home were the happiest. They ran all over the village and had long smelled the fragrance of many families rendering lard, and had been hoping for their family to hurry up and render lard too.

Now they could finally eat fragrant pork cracklings, and they were all overjoyed.

Besides the three children each holding a small bowl, Ye Yaodong also got a bowl.

Just in time, A Guang took advantage of the twins' afternoon nap and brought Pei Yu over to play. They took the opportunity to organize a game, called Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua over, and the four of them started sitting at the door playing cards.

While playing cards, they could also crack melon seeds and eat pork cracklings, all of them with mouths full of oil.

Ye Fu, even while mincing fish paste, stretched his neck long to watch them play cards, shouting, "Wrong, wrong, you should have played a sequence, why did you play a pair..."

"Oh my, if you had played a pair you would have won... do you know how to play or not..."

"Dad, if you didn't shout, I would have won! If you didn't shout, how would Dongzi know I had a sequence in my hand?" Ye Yaopeng turned his head and glared at his old man, furious.

Ye Yaodong laughed, "Dad is my spy, pay up..."

"You old thing, I told you to mince the fish paste, where did you go to work, still here watching people play cards?"

"I'm not doing it right now? I just said two words."

"I think you just want to do it yourself so you can play."

"You know it."

Ye Fu immediately shoved the kitchen knife into Ye Mu's hand, "You've finished rendering the lard anyway, you're free, you do it."

Ye Mu raised the kitchen knife high, almost scaring Ye Fu to death, and he hurriedly stepped back two steps, "What are you doing?"

"Chopping you, you have no work in your eyes at all. I called you over to work, do you think it's to let you play cards?"

She also had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. After finishing her harsh words with the kitchen knife held high, she took the knife and went to mince the fish paste.

Ye Fu's heart also fell back into place, and he could stand to the side to watch them play cards.

Then, after a while, he pulled Ye Yaohua up and sat down himself.

Ye Yaohua was a bit unconvinced, "Dad, do you have any private money to lose?"

"What kind of unlucky talk is that? I sat down to win money."

"Then you have to stand up if you lose."

"Don't keep talking about losing. My luck is clearly good and I'm going to win money, but you've jinxed it. Shut up."

Ye Yaodong laughed, "Dad, if you lose, I'll pay."

"You said that? No, I'm here to win money, you stop talking unlucky things too."

Ye Fu was originally quite happy that someone was paying, but then he thought it wasn't right; this was another person talking about bad luck.

"Then if you lose, do I have to pay? You can't let Mom know you're hiding private money."

"When did I hide private money? You all shut up, watch how I win against you."

"Okay, then I don't need to pay, I'm shuffling the cards."

Ye Mu, while mincing the fish paste, also pricked up her ears to listen to them talking. Seeing them talking so lively, she also had a smile on her face.

Whether the old thing hides private money or not, how could she not know? She just turns a blind eye to it.

Ye Fu won money in the first few rounds, which made him beam with joy. Seeing his little grandsons gathering around, he generously gave them 5 cents each.

Before long, the other grandsons knew about it and hurriedly ran over to ask for money, and Ye Fu distributed it to each of them.

However, just after distributing the money, he started losing in the next round.

After all the money he won on the table was lost, he even took out the few dollars in his pocket and lost it all.

"Why did I win at the beginning, and keep losing later..."

After saying that, he realized it, patted his thigh, "Oh my, giving those children money jinxed it, I shouldn't have given them money..."

"Dad, if you have no money, get up, it's my turn."

Ye Fu looked at Ye Mu, then at Ye Yaodong, and couldn't bring himself to say it, so he could only stand up reluctantly.

But in his heart, he thought, usually Dongzi seems quite smart, but now he doesn't know how to pick up the conversation. He said it so nicely just now, that if he lost, he would pay...

"It's all you, you said I would lose before I even started playing, and you really jinxed it."

Everyone laughed.

"Dad, it was clearly you who lost by giving money, how can you blame me."

Ye Mu called out to Ye Fu, who was still resentful and wanted to talk.

"If you've lost everything, don't go there and join in the fun blindly. Hurry up and take the pig's trotters to scrape the hair off. If you can't scrape it off, light a candle and burn it clean."

"Oh, alright."

With empty pockets, he couldn't have any other ideas.

A miscalculation. Next time, he must not open the champagne halfway. He hadn't been happy for long before he lost it all.

The pig hair was very hard, and the kitchen knife at home wasn't sharp enough, so he lit a candle to burn it, then scraped it. After scraping it clean, he went to borrow a cleaver and chopped it into pieces.

Ye Mu saw that he was free and wanted to order him to do something else, but Ye Fu slipped away quickly, and before she could open her mouth, he had already left the house quickly.

As long as he wasn't under her nose, he was free.

He couldn't play here at the door, but there were plenty of people organizing games elsewhere. It was New Year's, what man stays at home?

Lin Xiuqing and Ye Mu worked all afternoon before they finally got everything Ye Yaodong needed to give away tomorrow.

And Ye Yaodong and the others played cards all afternoon, only disbanding at dusk.

Lin Xiuqing didn't let them go home empty-handed, giving each of them a large bowl of fish balls.

Ye Yaodong looked at the fish balls filling the basket, feeling that they were still warm, and casually stuffed one into his mouth.

"Delicious!"

"Of course it's delicious, it just came out of the pot."

"Let's make more ourselves tomorrow to eat during the New Year days. It's cold, so it won't go bad."

"Hmm."

Lin Xiuqing saw Ye Xiaoxi running in from the door, so she used chopsticks to stick two for her, letting her hold them and eat.

She reached out to pull the fish balls out and hold them in her hand, so Lin Xiuqing hurriedly patted the back of her hand.

"Look at your hands, are they dirty?"

"Dirty."

"Then do you want to hold them and eat like that, or go wash your hands?"

Ye Xiaoxi tilted her head, thought about it, and took the chopsticks, "Eat like this!"

"You're so lazy. Bring the chopsticks back when you're done, don't throw them outside, and don't run around with the chopsticks."

She nodded and went out happily while eating.

"She's been sticking to my side all afternoon. The old ones give her this to eat, that to eat. Look at how round she is, she doesn't need to eat dinner."

"When it's time to eat, even if others can't eat, she can still eat."

Lin Xiuqing shook her head with a smile.

"Hey? The barber is here," Ye Yaodong listened to the sound outside and stretched his neck to look, "I'm going out to call the two boys back to get a haircut. While it's not dark yet, let them wash their hair before eating."

The barber had already arrived at his door.

He carried a cloth bag full of haircutting tools and a small stool, holding a metal clamp about one Chinese foot (33.3 cm) long.

He slid a metal rod inside the clamp, making a special sound. This sound told people that a barber had arrived.

Ye Yaodong had given instructions in the morning, but he didn't expect him to come until the afternoon, which shows how many people in the village were taking advantage of the time before the New Year to get a haircut.

He dragged the children back to get haircuts, and other adults around also brought their own children over, letting them line up to get haircuts together.

With New Year's coming, business was good for every trade.

Ye Yaodong tugged at the two little pigtails tied on top of Ye Xiaoxi's head and teased her with a smile, "Do you want me to shave you bald?"

"No, no!" She hurriedly protected her head.

"You don't want it now? You were desperate to shave it before."

"Don't shave it, never shave it again."

Lin Xiuqing said with a smile, "She was very happy just after shaving it a few months ago, but the next day she ran back crying because everyone was laughing at her."

Ye Yaodong was also amused, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"You were gone for a month or two at a time, how could I tell you earlier? By the time you came back, you had long forgotten, and her hair had already grown out."

The old lady also said with a smile, "She cried bitterly for several days at the time and didn't dare to go out for several days, afraid of being laughed at. Then I knitted her a small straw hat, and she happily went out to play again."

Ye Yaodong squatted down and coaxed her earnestly, "Shave another one? You have a hat anyway?"

"No, no..." She shook her head like a rattle-drum, shouting as she ran into the house to hide.

She didn't come out even when it was time to eat. When she was dragged out, she still looked vigilantly at the door to see if the barber had left.

She didn't dare to go out all night, for fear that the barber was still outside.

Ye Yaodong drove the tractor to deliver goods at dawn the next day.

After delivering the goods, he rushed to the entrance to wait for Director Chen before the Ocean Bureau got off work.

After all, it was a New Year's gift, so he didn't dare to take it to the office openly.

After Director Chen came out and was stopped by him, he smiled and said, "I waited for you all morning, so you were waiting here."

"I thought it wasn't very good to send it directly to the office, so I waited for you to get off work at the door. Shall I help you put your bicycle on the tractor? Sit on the tractor and go back?"

"Okay."

Ye Yaodong drove the car and explained to him why he only came today, saying that he was miserable, and even after making money, he had to work until almost New Year's to have time to stop, spinning around everywhere like a top all day long.

The two of them talked while walking on the road. Having known each other for three years, they were very familiar with each other. Ye Yaodong spoke very casually, and his complaints were very direct.

Director Chen listened with a smile and praised him a few times by the way.

Director Chen didn't refuse the New Year's gift Ye Yaodong gave him. After all, they were very close, and he thought that giving him a gift was Ye Yaodong's heartfelt wish.

Anyway, he hadn't received fewer local specialties in the past, and Ye Yaodong had also brought him a lot of good luck, so he treated him like a younger generation of his own family.

He himself also intended to look after him more in the future.

Ye Yaodong knew that he would return to his hometown in the county town for the New Year after finishing work today, so he volunteered to wait for him to get off work and go back together.

For him, going back early or late was the same. The family was completely on break now, and there was no need for him to do any work.

After Director Chen went to work in the afternoon, he stayed at his house, helping Director Chen's wife, Jin Yuzhi, do work, lending a hand, moving and lifting luggage, and the festival gifts to be taken back to his hometown.

Jin Yuzhi was also very familiar with him. After all, they had interacted a lot, and she had often kept him for meals. She had a good impression of him and treated him like a younger generation of her own family.

After Ye Yaodong helped her finish the work at home, he also went around the market to take a look at the goods in the warehouse.

His two brothers-in-law hadn't taken a break for the New Year yet and intended to work until tomorrow, sell for half a day tomorrow morning, and then go home at noon.

Then they also said that they would continue to come and open for business on the third day of the New Year, working very hard to make money.

Ye Yaodong chatted with them for a while, asked them to look after the warehouse for him while they were in the city, and then returned to Director Chen's house.

Because they would be on holiday tomorrow, Director Chen also got off work early in the afternoon, and they could leave as soon as he came back.

During the chat, he also knew that Director Chen's children were all in various units and could only go home after getting off work today. If some were far away, they might not be able to go home until New Year's Eve, or even not be able to go home at all.

Jin Yuzhi also sighed and said, "Sometimes I'd rather my children be unsuccessful, as long as they can stay by my side and be seen. Once they are successful, they can't be seen."

The number of times they meet in a year can be counted on 10 fingers.

Ye Yaodong said, "If they were really unsuccessful, you might hate that they don't live up to expectations and not want to see them."

He himself wasn't very successful in his previous life, but he was always under his parents' noses, and they didn't like him very much.

"Yes, every parent wants their child to be successful, but once they are really successful, they feel that their child is not by their side, lonely and bored."

"Just let them send their grandchildren back for you to raise, so you won't be lonely and bored."

"Hehehe, you've touched my heart. Every time I call them, I tell them that, but as mothers, they can't bear to send their children back, sigh."

"Otherwise, let me be half a son to you. You don't need to raise me, and I can still be filial to you in a legitimate way."

Director Chen smiled and said, "Can your parents agree to give half of their son to someone else?"

"What's there to disagree about? On the contrary, I guess my dad would be happy to be stupid. It's not that I don't recognize them anymore, aren't I still born by them? Still under their noses."

Ye Yaodong didn't just say it casually; he had already had this thought for a long time.

It's just that he was embarrassed to say it, and the atmosphere hadn't reached that point.

Usually, if he said it like that, it would be too abrupt and seem too purposeful.

Now that they had taken the initiative to talk about it, his casual mention of it seemed very natural.

Originally, he didn't think about having to get any benefits from them. He really wasn't short of money now.

It's just that he felt that he had interacted with Director Chen a lot, and it was good for him, and he had nothing to repay him with. Recognizing a god-relative relationship would make their interactions more legitimate and closer.

Of course, the relationship would also be more solid.

The god-relative relationship now is solid, unlike later when it's so casual, and you can recognize god-fathers, god-mothers, god-brothers, and god-sisters blindly.

Director Chen and Jin Yuzhi looked at each other, actually a bit moved.

They had indeed interacted a lot in the past two years, and the benefits they received were mutual. Ye Yaodong's character was also seen in their eyes.

Although he had no education, he was down-to-earth and willing to work hard. Although he seemed a bit lively, he was also smart and hadn't gone astray.

They had also interacted with his family. His biological father was honest, his biological mother was enthusiastic, and his brothers at home were also very simple and honest. It wasn't a family of extreme people who would cause trouble.

"Wait until the children come back in the next two days, I'll discuss it with them. Recognizing a god-relative relationship is quite good. I really think highly of you, young man, and you are also filial to your father."

"You haven't come to visit us two old people less in the past two years, which has added a bit of liveliness to our lives. Occasionally, I really look forward to you coming to visit more often."

The smile on Ye Yaodong's face deepened.

"Oh, as long as you don't find me annoying. If you don't find me annoying, I'll come to visit every few days whenever I'm free. The food Auntie makes is also delicious, and I can occasionally change my taste. Although what my wife makes at home is delicious, I get tired of eating it every day, haha."

Jin Yuzhi said with a smile, "You really know how to talk. Even when your wife is not here, you don't forget to praise her. You've praised everyone."

"Everything I say is from the heart, I don't tell lies."

Jin Yuzhi said to Director Chen, "Wait until the children come back tomorrow, and mention it to them. If they have no objections, it's just right to take advantage of the break during the New Year to go to Adong's house. It's all in the same county, so it doesn't waste time to go back and forth."

"Okay, just take advantage of the liveliness of the New Year, happiness upon happiness."

Ye Yaodong was overjoyed in his heart. Fortunately, he was smart and deliberately waited for them to get off work and sent them back all the way.

With the New Year in the next two days, the atmosphere was right, and they were also lonely in their hearts. It just happened that the conversation led to this, and he caught the opportunity to bring it up.

With the two old people agreeing, this matter was almost more than half done.

When he gets home, he has to give the whole family a reminder.

Ye Yaodong listened to them talking with joy in his heart.

"That's great, I'll hurry up and buy some good tea in the next two days, waiting to kowtow, offer tea, and receive red envelopes in a couple of days."

Director Chen joked, "Hehehe, if the children at home don't agree, you won't be able to kowtow."

"That doesn't matter, I can still kowtow to pay a New Year's visit. After accompanying my wife back to her parents' home on the second day of the New Year, I will go to your house to kowtow and pay a New Year's visit on the third day, and still send you the tea I collected."

"Good, good, you really know how to talk. None of my children at home know how to talk as well as you."

"It's natural. I've been used to coaxing the old lady at home since I was a child, so I've practiced my glib tongue. Otherwise, how could the old lady at home love me the most?"

Jin Yuzhi also said, "You are very good at pleasing people."

Ye Yaodong drove the tractor, with Director Chen and Jin Yuzhi sitting on his left and right. Everyone talked lively along the way.

He also coaxed them to be happy, and they were all smiling.

By the way, he asked if the little whale was alive?

Director Chen only said he wasn't very clear, because after it was sent to the research institute in the province, it was sent to the research institute in the special economic zone.

After changing hands, he wasn't that clear, only knowing that it was still alive when it was sent away.

Ye Yaodong could only give up with regret.

"When I went to town yesterday, I heard people say that the Fisheries Association in the city seems to be decided?"

"Yes, all the plans were discussed and passed before the New Year, and the personnel were also decided, just waiting for the announcement after the New Year."

"Oh... then are the positions also based on what I said? Are they all from the city?"

Director Chen looked at him with a smile, "You'll know after the New Year, there will be good news."

"Good news?"

"Hmm, you did a great job reporting things to your superiors. The two whales have great research value. Our country is now short of everything, and as long as there are valuable things, we will give the masses some rewards."

"Oh, it's this. The commendation and reward last time already made everyone very satisfied, and everyone was very happy. It doesn't matter if there is no reward this time."

"Do things according to the regulations. We still have to do what we should do. This is also an encouragement to everyone."

"I'll thank you on behalf of everyone first."

"You're welcome, this is also what you deserve."

Ye Yaodong smiled, still pondering the good news in his heart. He wasn't a fool.

Director Chen asked him about the fishing boats again. He himself knew that he had many boats in his hands, but he hadn't inquired in detail.

Now that he has the heart to recognize a god-son, he still has to inquire more deeply.