Chapter 1329: Handling Things Before the New Year

Ye Ye Chengyang felt that today was too happy, really too happy.

His dad taught him to steer the boat, something his big brother didn't have.

He kept patting his head, patiently chatting with him the whole way, and after getting off the boat he kept carrying him, unless he himself asked to walk on the ground.

When walking on the ground, both his parents held his hands, and he ran and skipped in the middle—so happy.

The city was so lively too, lanterns and decorations everywhere, red lanterns hung up, colorful flags strung out, people coming and going everywhere, everyone with smiles on their faces, dressed in bright clothes.

It was so lively his eyes weren't enough to take it all in. His dad, afraid he was short and couldn't see clearly and might get squeezed, lifted him up and sat him on his shoulders so he could see everything clearly.

All day his mouth never stopped either—sitting on his dad's shoulders, candied hawthorn in his left hand, the right hand busy too, and the pockets of his cotton-padded jacket had long been stuffed full of all kinds of candies and nuts.

He also bought lots of food and toys, all in his mother's basket. Today was his happiest day.

There was just one unhappy thing—his dad bought a lot of copybooks again, for them to practice writing. So sad.

But luckily, his big brother should be even sadder—no playing and still having to practice writing.

The family of three had long since gotten separated from the others, but they had agreed in advance to gather around 3 p. m. at the entrance of the department store, and have the workshop's tractor come take them to the dock. The rest of the time everyone could wander about on their own.

From setting out before dawn to the afternoon, Ye Ye Chengyang was in an excited state the whole day, not sleepy at all, full of energy.

On the way back, he exchanged with the other cousins what each had bought, everyone extremely happy, taking out their purchases to show off.

Only after returning to the boat did these children's spirits relax, and one after another they started yawning.

As usual, Ye Ye Chengyang was brought by Ye Yaodong to stay in the wheelhouse, excitedly fiddling with the little toys he had bought, and showing them off like treasures.

Ye Yaodong only told him that if he was sleepy, he could lie down and nap for a while.

But how could he bear to sleep? Today was too happy.

"I'm not sleepy, I'm not sleepy at all… haa～" he said he wasn't sleepy while yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"Lie down and nap for a while, otherwise the boat ride will take several hours, and by the time you get home you'll have no energy to share with your brother."

Ye Ye Chengyang thought that made sense too—once home he still had to share and introduce his toys to his brother and friends, so once home he definitely couldn't sleep.

"Then I'll nap for a while. Dad, you have to wake me when we arrive."

"Mm."

Ye Ye Chengyang neatly arranged his toys on the control panel, then lay down, but his hands weren't empty either—one in his left hand, one in his right, gripping them tightly, playing as he fell asleep.

In no time at all there was no more movement, and the toys drooped down onto the control panel.

Ye Yaodong put his toys away properly, then covered him with the small blanket in the wheelhouse, and only then set his mind at ease to steer the boat.

When they set out from the city, the sun hadn't set yet, and the adults on board also took the chance to watch the sunset.

But after the sun set, the temperature dropped even lower, and they were still on the sea, so the people on the boat one after another returned to the cabin to rest. By the time they got home it would be dark.

When Ye Chenghu woke up this morning, he was still groggy. When he saw the big sun outside the window, he gave a start, immediately sat up, and let out a wail.

The sky had fallen in!

"Daddy～"

"Mommy～"

"Yangyang, you traitor…"

"555～ I'm really a picked-up child…"

He sat on the bed and couldn't help crying sadly out loud, regretting it to death—how could he have fallen asleep?

The old lady, supporting herself on the wall, slowly climbed the stairs.

"What's wrong? Don't cry, get up once you're awake."

"Wuwuwu… my dad didn't take me, they snuck off, I'm the only one watching the house, I'm a picked-up child…"

"Nothing of the sort, get up quickly and eat."

"Great-grandma, why didn't you wake me…"

"Me? I hadn't gotten up either, I don't know when your dad and the others left. Hurry up and eat, early in the morning and already lots of kids have come looking for you to play."

"No, I want to go to the city, they all went, only I was left at home to watch the house, it's not fair…"

"It's not like that, your little sister's still home too, not everyone went, you're not the only one watching the house."

Ye Chenghu immediately stopped crying. "Not just me watching the house? Little sister's home too? Didn't take little sister?"

"Didn't take little sister, get up and see for yourself."

Ye Chenghu was still pouting, tears still hanging on his eyes, immediately hurried to get up, eager to see for himself and prove he wasn't alone, that there was someone else just like him.

"Slow down, slow down on the stairs, don't run and skip like that, you'll fall…"

The old lady slowly shuffled along behind, descending the stairs at a snail's pace.

Ye Chenghu had already run out to confirm whether Ye Ye Xiaoxi was home.

When he saw her playing ball with Pei Yu and a group of kids on the open ground at the door, he was relieved—good, he wasn't the only one left behind.

As long as he wasn't the only one left at home to watch the house, it wasn't unacceptable.

"Huh? Why are you home?" Aguang looked in surprise at the kid darting out from the house. "Why didn't you go? Didn't everyone go to the city? Why are you home?"

Ye Chenghu felt like crying again. "Not everyone went, I watched the house with little sister."

"Huh? Why didn't they take you, only took Yangyang? Several from next door went."

Ye Chenghu didn't want to speak, head hanging low, in a bad mood, wanting to go brush his teeth and eat first.

Aguang looked curious, stepped forward and draped an arm over his shoulder, asking as they walked: "Tell me, how come they left you behind? Were you naughty and disobedient, so they left you behind alone to watch the house?"

"It's not just me, little sister didn't go either. I didn't finish my homework, dad wouldn't let me go."

"Yangyang finished?"

"No."

"Then why could he go?"

Stop asking, angry!

If only he had kept his mouth shut and not bragged about going so many times — now he was regretting it bitterly!

"Well? Go on."

He dodged the real issue. "My handwriting was messy. Dad told me to erase it and rewrite it. I erased it but didn't rewrite it, so I didn't finish."

"Yangyang finished?"

"Little Uncle, you're so annoying, I'm not talking to you anymore."

Ye Chenghu, embarrassed into anger, dodged the hand on his shoulder and hurried into the house.

The old lady had already come downstairs this time, leaning on her cane with a broad smile as she served him his meal.

She also said to Ah Guang, "Stop picking at his wound, he's already dying of regret."

"Hehe, I'm just curious — why was he the only one left behind while everyone else went?" Ah Guang deliberately asked again.

Ye Chenghu was so angry he jumped. "I told you already, I wasn't the only one left behind — there was also my little sister."

"She's still young, it's perfectly normal not to bring her."

The old lady swatted Ah Guang. "Say a few words less, he's about to be angered to death."

"It's perfect — no one to fight you for the ball, no one to fight you for the toys. Today, all the balls at home are yours."

Ye Chenghu ate while tears fell, swallowing porridge mixed with tears into his stomach. He didn't care for it at all — he just wanted to go.

After finishing his meal, the old lady came in and said some children had come to find him to play, but he hid himself away at once.

He simply couldn't muster the energy — too sad, felt too humiliated — so he just wouldn't go out.

As long as no one saw him, everyone might assume he had gone too.

Ye Chenghu spent the whole morning listlessly at home, playing with his toys all by himself.

When mealtime came, Ye Ye Xiaoxi ran back and saw him, then once again stabbed him right in the heart several times.

"Brother? You're back?"

"Where's Dad? Where's Mom? Where's Ye Ye Erge?"

"Brother, what did you buy? Let me see…"

"Brother, is the city fun?"

"Brother, why did you come back alone?"

"Brother…"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi circled around Ye Chenghu — running to his left to ask, then to his right to ask, then in front of him again, calling "brother" this and "brother" that, asking nonstop.

Ye Chenghu was furious — no matter which side he dodged to, he couldn't escape her.

"Go away, stop bothering me."

"Brother?" Ye Ye Xiaoxi was completely baffled.

The old lady beckoned to her, called her over, then said softly, "Stop chasing your brother with questions. He didn't go to the city — he stayed home with you to watch the house for Great-Grandma."

"Oh, then why get angry! So fierce!"

Ye Chenghu turned his head and glared at her.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi refused to back down either, widening her eyes and glaring right back.

"Eat, eat — no fighting…"

"I'm not playing with you anymore."

"Who wants to play with you anyway…"

Both of them turned their heads away, ignoring each other.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi was perfectly happy, not caring about him at all — there were little friends at the door, and the moment she finished eating she ran outside again, leaving only Ye Chenghu at home.

He didn't want to go out at all and be seen by everyone, then be pressed with questions about why he was the only one who hadn't gone.

But playing with toys alone was so boring — before, there was always Yangyang, the two brothers playing together every day, but today there was only him alone…

He stared at a pile of toys, feeling listless, propped his chin on both hands, and sat at the table spacing out for quite a while.

Then, unbelievably, he actually dug out his homework and started writing?

The old lady, hearing the house so quiet, turned her head to peek inside — just one glance and she was astonished.

She thought she must be seeing things — was the sun rising in the west?

Without anyone telling him, without anyone urging him, without anyone forcing him — and he was writing on his own?

In the past, he'd vanish without a trace, and even when dragged back he'd just go through the motions, staring blankly at the textbook while his ears perked up listening to the outside.

How rare…

She wanted to confirm but was afraid of startling him, so she tiptoed over, and only stole a glance as she passed by him.

Neat and orderly.

Although she couldn't recognize the characters, she could still tell whether the writing was proper or crooked and messy.

The old lady smiled and walked out again on tiptoe, not daring to make a sound, afraid of disturbing him, and just sat at the door sunbathing.

Once Ye Chenghu sat down, he sat the whole afternoon. When the old lady went in to cook as mealtime approached, he was still obediently writing.

He didn't put down his pen until they called him to eat.

"Great-Grandma, when are Dad and the others coming back? It's already dark."

"Soon, soon. When your dad goes to the city normally, he only comes back when it's dark. You eat first."

"Oh."

After the meal, when he picked up his pen again, he wasn't as focused.

Instead, after writing a while, he'd look up at the window — but he still firmly refused to go outside.

It was just unclear whether it was because he was afraid of being asked, or because he wanted to put on a good show for my lord when he returned.

This wait stretched on until the sky was completely dark, and he could no longer sit still at all. The characters on the notebook didn't increase any further, and he kept muttering, "Why aren't they back yet?"

Only when he heard voices from outside calling his name did he excitedly run out.

"Chenghu… Chenghu… we're back…"

A large group of children who had been playing at the door all crowded around when they saw the Ye family's kids, chattering away, all sorts of envious words spilling out.

Ye Chenghu had just stepped out past the courtyard gate when he stopped in his tracks, no longer going forward, sulking by himself.

With so many people swarming around, he certainly wasn't going to go over and watch them show off.

He craned his neck, looking at the few adults behind them slowly walking over with flashlights, and his heart began to fill with anticipation again.

They're finally back!

Ye Yaodong's hands were laden with parcels big and small, and the basket in Lin Lin Xiuqing's arms was also stuffed full — the couple had bought plenty, food and drink and daily use, anything fresh and novel they wanted to bring back.

Ye Chenghu waited until they walked right up to him before calling out in a pitiful little voice, "Dad, Mom…"

"Were you good today, staying home?"

He gave a little hum, then followed along behind their backs as they went in.

The old lady quickly chimed in from the side, "Good, he was very good at home. He only cried a little when he found out this morning that you had left, but after that he was very good, didn't go out, and even took the initiative to do his homework at home."

Ye Yaodong raised an eyebrow, looking at the person tagging along obediently behind them.

"Took the initiative to do homework? Has the sun risen in the west?"

Ye Chenghu's mouth puckered up so high he could hang an oil bottle on it, silent and sullen.

"Where were you earlier? If you'd honestly done your homework a few days ago and finished your schoolwork, I wouldn't have left you to watch the house."

Ye Chenghu's grievance was so great his tears were about to fall.

"Stop crying, I brought you a gift."

He wiped his tears and scooted over.

Ye Yaodong sorted through the things spread all over the table, picked out two tracing copybooks and handed them to him.

"Here, your gift."

Ye Chenghu took one look and burst out crying at once, "Waaah…"

Lin Lin Xiuqing said with a smile, "Stop teasing him. Being left at home for a whole day, he's already miserable enough."

"If I don't teach him a lesson, he won't remember. Beating doesn't scare him, scolding doesn't scare him. Have you remembered now? If you don't behave, if you don't do your homework properly, when other people have things, you'll have nothing."

Ye Chenghu kept on crying wholeheartedly, not responding.

"Did you hear me?"

He reluctantly paused for a moment, opened his eyes, and answered in a tear-choked voice, "I got it."

"If you haven't finished your homework by New Year's Eve, there's no New Year's money either, and whatever others give you will be confiscated. Have you remembered?"

"Remembered."

The old lady quickly smoothed things over, "Alright, alright, he's remembered. He did his homework today — look, it's still on the table, written so neatly. Don't scold him anymore."

"Go out and play. Let Yangyang share some with you — it's all with him."

"Don't want it."

The old lady added, "Don't tell him to go out. He didn't go out at all today. No matter who came to call him, he wouldn't go."

"Why?"

"Heh, they all got taken along, just not him. None of the kids at home were here — how could he bring himself to walk out?"

"No wonder he's suddenly so serious, staying home doing homework. Quite the face-saver, aren't you?"

Ye Chenghu continued to stay silent.

"Then keep on writing."

He felt like crying again.

Lin Lin Xiuqing laughed as she sorted through the things they'd bought, and Ye Yaodong helped her too.

Ye Chenghu just watched them tidy up, paying him no more attention, and felt miserable all over again. There really was no gift for him — only that thick stack of tracing copybooks. He really wanted to cry.

Tears flowing into his belly, he picked up his brush and sat back down to keep writing, wiping his tears as he wrote.

Until Ye Ye Chengyang came running in carrying a basket, "Brother…"

Ye Chenghu tossed his brush aside, jumped up excitedly, and even knocked over his stool.

He had originally not wanted to bother, but as if possessed he glanced at his father and mother, then quickly picked the stool back up.

"Yangyang, you all got to buy… you traitor!"

"Ah! Then I won't share with you, you scolded me!"

"You're not loyal! We agreed you'd call me, and you didn't call me!"

"I fell asleep too, I didn't know either. Dad carried me out, I didn't even bring my piggy bank, they all brought theirs."

Ye Chenghu got even angrier. He had been thinking Yangyang must have spent all his money, while he still had money — he was the richest among the siblings.

"Ye Erge, big brother doesn't want it, give it to me, give it to me… I like you the most, Ye Erge~"

"Hehe, then I'll share with you, not with big brother…"

Ye Ye Chengyang grabbed his basket and ran off with Ye Ye Xiaoxi to the master bedroom, the two of them simply ignoring Ye Chenghu altogether.

Ye Chenghu was so angry his soul was about to leave his body, but he was also terribly curious about what had been bought.

He agonized for a while, listening to the excited shouting inside the room, his heart clawed by a cat, and in the end he ran in after them too, wanting to get in on it.

Lin Lin Xiuqing chatted with Ye Yaodong as well, "This year we've bought everything that needed buying, so we don't need to go to the market anymore. The things we bought today — we'll send a portion to the village cadres later, as New Year gifts it's presentable enough, and they're all bought from the city."

"Mm, last time when we came back from Zhejiang province we only sent them local specialties. The New Year gifts should be a bit thicker. We still have quite a lot of imported cigarettes at home — when we send the New Year gifts, add two packs of imported cigarettes too, and for the domestic ones add another carton."

"That thick…"

"I'm not home, it's all thanks to the village cadres looking after things, so we have to give a bit more."

"Alright then, tomorrow you go buy them and deliver them yourself, and chat with them while you're at it. Tomorrow is already the twenty-first of the twelfth month — just right, not too early and not too late."

"Mm."

While the couple talked and tidied up, the three children in the house had already divided up the things they bought.

It was called dividing, but when they actually played, everything would be shared anyway.

After the couple returned to their room, they shooed the children out. They had woken up before dawn that morning and only gotten back after dark now, walking the whole day, utterly exhausted, and just wanted to lie in bed and rest right away.

Ye Yaodong was even more tired, having carried a child on his back the whole way. Once back in the room, he collapsed straight onto the bed and didn't want to move.

Ye Ye Chengyang was excitedly shouting and cheering outside. After sleeping on the boat, he was now full of energy, itching to tell everyone he had gone to the city.

Lin Lin Xiuqing only rested briefly before getting up again. Having been away the whole day, she didn't know how things were at the workshop, and she couldn't just let go and lie down.

She had to go check on the situation, and while she was at it, ask Dongqing about today's weighed quantities, collect the slips, so she could settle accounts with A-Cai later.

The New Year was approaching, all accounts that needed settling had to be cleared.

Ye Yaodong, on the other hand, was comfortable. Having not managed things for most of the year, and not really managing them after returning either, he could lie down with a clear conscience.

Still, even though he hadn't managed the workshop, he had been plenty busy with outside matters.

Early the next morning, he went to town again to buy cigarettes and liquor, then prepared them portion by portion, packed them into baskets, and covered them with red cloth.

After lunch, he delivered them in turn to the village cadres' homes, chatting along the way.

This kept him busy for another two days.

Then he found time to call Fang Jingfu, arranging to go to Wen City on the twenty-fifth of the lunar calendar to reconcile accounts.

He also took the opportunity to sort out the local specialties on his end, and brought along the gifts bought in the city. When the time was almost up, he set off a day early.

On this trip he didn't bring his father—his father was still busy showing off around the village and probably couldn't be bothered to make the trip. He only brought the original boat workers and set off under the cover of night.

Once they arrived, there would still be time to tidy up the house, get a good night's sleep, and go find Fang Jingfu the next day.

Fang Jingfu, seeing him arrive on time with another pile of New Year gifts, took them in without surprise—he had prepared a return gift of his own anyway.

Their factory's accounts were checked by specially hired accountants. Now that the factory's profits had grown, the accounts were large and complicated to verify. Ye Yaodong's own education level had only just barely risen above illiteracy.

If the accounts were really laid out in front of him to look at, he wouldn't know where to begin.

So he just casually flipped through a few pages, then started talking a blue streak.

"You know I don't have much education. These accounts are this thick—I probably couldn't make sense of them in a year. So just tell me how much money I get, that's all I need."

"Since I'm partnering with you, I definitely trust you completely. I've already gotten the better end of the deal anyway."

Fang Jingfu said with a smile, "You really do trust me. At least pretend to look at it carefully."

"Whether I pretend or not doesn't mean much. Better to be open and honest about it."

"Fine, then I'll be straightforward. We did make quite a bit this year, but this was the initial stage—more than a small portion of the profits went out, plus expenses for maintaining all kinds of dinner engagements. Next year, once things stabilize, it won't be as much. Also, because the factory is still producing, a lot of payments can only be collected after the New Year, and we need to keep cash on hand for material costs. In a few days we also have to pay out a large sum in workers' wages. So I'm only planning to take out 100,000 to split."

Ye Yaodong nodded without a single objection—as long as he got money, that was fine. It was basically picked up for free, pure profit.

"Alright, then I'll take 20,000."

"Decisive, refreshing!"

"It should be—the factory all depends on you."

"Not entirely. You also helped introduce business, and there's a commission in there too, which will be calculated and given to you separately."

"That's even better, a little more on top."

"Mm, when my brother gets here later, we'll take the dividends together, have dinner in the evening, you should stay a few more days…"

"At most two days. The New Year is coming, things at home are busy too—a pile of matters, a pile of business, and leadership relationships to maintain."

"In the evening, why don't you invite the leaders from the Coast Guard Bureau over too? Everyone can get to know each other, get familiar. There'll be quite a few people tonight, I've already booked the tables in advance."

"So polite? Then when I go deliver New Year gifts to Director Zeng later, I'll mention it to him on the way. Telling him on short notice, I don't know if he's free, I don't dare promise on your behalf."

"Mm, try your best."

Ye Yaodong chatted with him some more, and only when his brother arrived did they have the finance department record the dividends together.

After collecting the dividends, they exchanged a few more pleasantries, and the three of them had lunch together, before he went back.

Then, without stopping, he delivered the separately prepared New Year gifts to Zeng Zhao Weimin, invited him to dinner that evening, and conveyed Fang Jingfu's intention.

Zeng Zhao Weimin agreed readily in one breath.

Ye Yaodong also breathed a sigh of relief—best if he could agree. It was a good chance to introduce him to Fang Jingfu. He'd always known he knew a leader, but Fang Jingfu had never met him.

Tonight was a good opportunity to let them get to know each other.

For two days running, Ye Yaodong was pulled by Fang Jingfu to attend all sorts of dinner engagements.

Originally planning to head back on the third day, the twenty-seventh of the lunar calendar, he was held back again and squeezed in one more dinner.

In the end, when he said he really had to go back, that the factory at home needed tending to and the workers needed to be given time off, only then did Fang Jingfu let him leave.

During his few days in Wen City, he hadn't forgotten in his spare time to check in at the Fisheries Bureau, and gave everyone there a portion of local specialties too.

Not as good as the New Year gifts for Fang Jingfu and Zeng Zhao Weimin, but it was a small token of regard.

Once Ye Yaodong could get away, he set off by boat early on the twenty-eighth.

If he hadn't gotten so drunk the night before, unable to move, and the workers wouldn't have dared to act on their own, he would have sailed back overnight rather than waiting until the next morning.

By the time he got home, it was already evening. The workshop was pitch black everywhere—at a glance, he could tell the workers had already been given time off.

Lin Lin Xiuqing, seeing him return, complained that he'd been gone so many days, and hadn't even called back to let her know.

"You said you'd only go for two days, settle accounts and come back, yet you stayed so many days. New Year's Eve is the day after tomorrow, there's a pile of things to do, and you didn't bother to come back and help."

"Didn't I leave my dad at home to help? I didn't know I'd stay that long either. I originally planned to come back early, but Fang Jingfu kept holding me back and wouldn't let me leave. Otherwise I should have been home by yesterday at the latest."

"You reek of smoke and alcohol. How much did you drink over there? It's been so many days and it still hasn't faded."

"Don't even mention it. Not a single night over there was I sober—they made me scared of drinking. I need to hurry up and take a shower. Haven't washed in so many days, the smoke smell is awful. Help me get a basin of hot water, I'll go to the room and take my clothes off first, you can sort the things later."

"You washed today, and you'll wash on New Year's Eve too, don't slack off…" Lin Lin Xiuqing muttered.

Because she knew Ye Yaodong only showered on a calculated schedule. If he'd come back the day before yesterday or yesterday, the interval would have been about three days, just right for showering on New Year's Eve.

Now the gap was only two days, he might just get lazy—she had to remind him.

Ye Yaodong first took out the money he had brought back and set it aside on the bed before undressing to wait for the hot water.

When Lin Lin Xiuqing came in carrying the hot water, he told her about the money split and casually asked how things had been at the workshop these past two days.

"The workers' wages have all been settled, and everyone who stuck it out until today also got a red envelope and a bundle of sugarcane."

"Don't forget to pay the workers on the boat tomorrow too—they're the only ones left. Have all the ones from the city been brought back?"

"Yes, I had Father go pick them up today, and asked him to check over the factory in the city and tidy things up while he was at it. Honestly, you knew the workers were set to have today off, yet you still dragged it out until today to come back…"