Chapter 1336: After the New Year

Ye Fu shot her a look. "You settle down. What's there to say to Ye Huimei? She's a daughter-in-law—if she says it and people overhear, and that widow starts gossiping, saying the couple has their eyes on the old man's money before he's even dead, how do you think the old man would feel?"

"But we still have to bring it up, otherwise it'll just sit at home and end up benefiting that widow."

"What do you know? In a few days I'll call Old Zheng, and Old Lin too, we'll all have a drink, chat, mention which day we're heading out to sea. I'll bring it up casually then—can't make a point of saying it, that'd be too deliberate."

"That works too, that way is fine."

"Eat your food, stop worrying about nonsense. You can't even finish your own family's business, and you're worrying about someone else's."

"How is that someone else's family? I'm afraid our daughter and son-in-law will be taken advantage of. Just remember to remind him—don't drink so much beer you forget everything and only remember bragging."

"I know, so naggy."

Ye Yaodong said, "Alright, let's eat."

Ye Mu changed the subject again. "Why did your mother-in-law bring so much stuff again? The yard is piled up everywhere, all sorts of things. Every time Hui goes over she brings back this much..."

"We'll sort it out after we eat. They're all pickled or dried things, they keep well, we can eat them slowly..." Lin Lin Xiuqing replied.

Eating while chatting or discussing matters was an old tradition in their family.

Ye Fu and Ye Mu didn't live with them, but every day when they came over to eat they habitually brought up every big and small event that had happened in the village, going over it at the dinner table in case they didn't know.

Or even if they knew, family still had to hear it again—made the meal go down better.

Ye Fu and Ye Mu also asked, with concern, what time they were going to the county town tomorrow and what they were bringing. They gave a few reminders, telling them to be thorough.

When it came to going to the county town, the happiest ones were of course the two brothers. Ye Ye Xiaoxi was still clueless, didn't understand anything, happy to be taken anywhere.

The next day, the two boys were so happy they were about to fly, especially Ye Chenghu, who had been wandering around the door since early morning, telling everyone he met that he was going to the county town to wish his god-grandfather a Happy New Year.

He even asked people, do you have a god-grandfather? Have you ever been to the county town?

"Ye Chenghu, Third Uncle and Third Aunt left, they're not taking you." Ye Ye Chenghai shouted at him mischievously.

Ye Chenghu's face went blank with shock. "No."

After loudly protesting, he panicked and ran home at once, afraid they really wouldn't take him again.

He clearly hadn't heard the tractor's sound, and how could his dad not take him? No one had said he wasn't going.

But it had happened once before, so he was a little scared.

And why hadn't anyone come to call him home, to tell him they were leaving?

Where's Yangyang?

Where did he go?

He was clearly just here a moment ago...

The more he thought about it the more panicked he got, and he dashed straight home. Seeing Ye Yaodong and Lin Lin Xiuqing still there, he finally relaxed, the blood returning to his pale face.

"You scared me to death. I thought you had left and weren't taking me again." He was talking in a voice on the verge of tears, almost crying.

Ye Yaodong was polishing his leather shoes, glanced up at him. "That's exactly what I was just thinking—not taking you, the way you go around showing off all day."

"No..."

"You show off outside from morning till night, you don't even know to come back when we're leaving, why would we take you?"

"I won't show off next time..."

That moment just now had really scared him, he thought his parents had run off again.

"Where's Yangyang?"

"He went to take a shit."

"Lazy people have shit and piss coming out of them all day. I thought you were taking him and not me again."

No wonder he was just with him a moment ago and then suddenly disappeared.

Lin Lin Xiuqing was combing Ye Ye Xiaoxi's hair, glanced at him. "If you're not well-behaved and don't listen, next time we'll still only take Yangyang and not you."

"I'll listen, I've already finished all my homework."

"Without being pushed, you could finish it? Isn't finishing winter break homework what you're supposed to do? And you keep bragging about it—homework done, is that something to be proud of?"

"Of course, none of them have done theirs."

"You never compare with the good ones, always comparing with the bad ones."

"Brother Brother Ahai set a bad example at the start, he should be scolded, it's all his fault for not being a good role model. I even saw him secretly smoking, next time I'll tell Ye Dabo's wife!"

Ye Yaodong looked at his gleaming leather shoes, set his foot down satisfied.

"Shouldn't I extort him for a bit over this?"

Ye Chenghu's eyes lit up at once, and he immediately ran outside.

Lin Lin Xiuqing glanced at him. "You don't teach him the good things, only the bad. Brother Brother Ahai's habits definitely all come from learning from you."

"Bullshit, my big brother smokes too, how is that learning from me?"

"Big brother, like Dad, smokes a water pipe."

"Still can't say I taught him, he definitely picked it up when he went out to work, can't blame everything on me."

Ye Yaodong urged, "Are you done yet? If you're done, let's go."

"One hasn't finished his shit, another ran out to extort someone."

"Then we won't wait for them, so much fuss."

Ye Ye Chengyang shouted from the back door, "Don't, I'm almost done."

Ye Yaodong ignored him. "I'll go start the tractor first."

"I'll just pinch it off..."

The couple listened, black lines all over their heads—what kind of nonsense was that.

Ye Yaodong was heading to the workshop to get the tractor. Halfway there, he heard Ye Ye Chenghai shouting, "Your dad's gone, he's not taking you..."

He turned to look—Ye Chenghu was hesitating, then within two seconds he sprinted toward him. "Dad, don't leave me behind."

Ye Yaodong didn't even bother with him, and kept walking toward the workshop.

He followed along step for step, muttering nonstop: Don't leave me behind, don't take only Ye Chengyang and not me...

Watching the tractor start up, he scrambled onto it quickly.

As long as he moved fast, his dad couldn't shake him off.

Ye Yaodong drove the vehicle to the doorstep to pick up his wife and daughter, and Ye Ye Chengyang also scrambled up quickly.

"How did you finish pooping? If you hadn't finished, you wouldn't get to go — I wouldn't wait for you."

Ye Ye Chengyang lifted his bottom toward him, "I pinched it off and sucked it back in, brother. I'll poop when we get back."

"You're so disgusting, get away!"

"Hmph."

The two brothers bickered noisily the whole way, snapping at each other nonstop, and only shut up once they entered the county town.

Still, having seen the bustling sights of the city, the shabby county town couldn't get them excited at all. At most they'd mention it to make the village kids jealous — they went to the county town to wish a New Year visit too.

This year, on the third day of the New Year, Director Chen's family members hadn't all come back — out of five sons and daughters, only two had returned.

On the way home afterward, Ye Yaodong shared some thoughts with Lin Lin Xiuqing again.

During the New Year, when the family members don't all come home, it just feels like something's missing for no reason. The atmosphere isn't as lively — it's far worse than their own home.

"Good thing their family has lots of people, so there's still some life to it. Wait until fewer children are born in the future — New Year will be even more flavorless. Luckily your son doesn't look like he'll amount to much, so he'll definitely stay by your side."

Lin Lin Xiuqing shot him a look. "Listen to you — just hoping they won't amount to anything, stay by your side, and support you in your old age?"

"Who's supporting whom in old age really isn't certain. We might end up having to support them."

She went quiet. It was really possible — they had so much money on hand now, she felt she couldn't spend it all in this lifetime.

So their money and things would definitely all go to the three children in the future, and it was enough for the three kids to never worry about food and drink.

"Anyway, we'll definitely be living in the village for our old age then. They can come back if they want, and if they don't, forget it. We'll still have neighbors, so we won't be lonely."

"You're thinking way too far ahead."

"Not far at all — just twenty years."

In the blink of an eye, he had spanned several decades.

Although today was about visiting Director Chen for New Year, they didn't chat any less after the visit.

He also told Director Chen that when the village cadres went to the county to report work before the New Year, they would emphasize the village's development this year.

Then after the New Year, they would submit his name for evaluation as "Outstanding Youth" and the "May Fourth Youth Award." If he won, it would be an honorable record.

He also mentioned that he was currently actively attending the Party school, studying the Party's central ideology, preparing to join the Party.

Since they were going to participate in the selection, they definitely had to boost the odds of winning.

Director Chen was a local, so he definitely had connections. Just a casual mention in passing would raise his chances of winning.

He also mentioned in passing that he might partner with friends to set up a fish canning factory after the New Year.

If he successfully joined the Party and had honors to his name, things would go even more smoothly. It could also boost local employment and promote economic development — for the government unit, it would be a major achievement.

Director Chen only said his planning was good, and that he should align himself with the organization. He didn't say much else.

But they chatted from morning until afternoon, and it wasn't until one or two o'clock that Ye Yaodong and the others took their leave.

They also agreed that in a couple of days, when their holiday was over, he would come over with the tractor to take them to the city.

The proper courtesy had to be shown.

The happiest ones these past two days were the three children — every time they stepped outside, red envelopes came in by the armful. They were overjoyed.

In all their years, this year they received the most and the biggest red envelopes!

Yesterday, the red envelopes from grandparents, uncles, and aunts were all much bigger than previous years. Ye Ye Chengyang's memory wasn't that clear, but Ye Chenghu remembered every single one.

When they got home and counted the red envelopes, their mouths watered.

Actually, when they received the red envelopes, they had snuck off to a corner to peek inside, but opening them at home still made them overjoyed.

Today's red envelopes were just as big as the ones from grandparents — each one was several yuan, and they had received just as many.

They never imagined that their parents might have given out even more!

What they received was exactly what their parents had given out.

"We're rich..."

Ye Ye Chengyang, also money-grubbing, turned to ask Lin Lin Xiuqing, "Mom, are we going anywhere else to wish New Year tomorrow?"

"Ask your dad if there are any other rich relatives."

"Dad..."

"How about you go find a few more sets of parents?"

"Hehe, Dad should go find them..."

Ye Yaodong gave him a thump on the back of the head. "Can I go around claiming dads everywhere? You've collected quite a bit of New Year money this year — perfect, school's about to start, hand it over for registration."

Ye Chenghu quickly tightened his grip on his New Year money. "No."

Ye Ye Chengyang did the same.

The two brothers clutched their money tightly and ran upstairs to hide it.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi lay across Lin Lin Xiuqing's lap, and the red envelope in Lin Lin Xiuqing's hand was hers.

The moment she got it, it was confiscated.

At this moment, Lin Lin Xiuqing was taking all the money out, then stuffing a few one-cent coins back in before returning it to Ye Ye Xiaoxi.

"No..."

"Put it in the savings jar and it won't get lost."

She figured that made sense, immediately took it happily, then carried it back to the room and put it in the savings jar.

"Still too green..."

"Without the red envelopes we gave out, how could they have received so much? In a few days we'll have them hand it over for school registration — these past few days they've collected at least over twenty yuan."

"Well, the registration doesn't cost that much either."

"I'll talk to them about it, save it with me. From now on, don't go buying them this and that anymore. If they want something, tell them to take the money out of their piggy bank. What kid keeps that much money on hand?"

"They'd have to be fools to fall for your tricks. Wouldn't it be better if you just bought them a piggy bank that only takes deposits and doesn't let them take money out?"

"Then in a few days when we go to the market, I'll buy them a bigger one, deposit-only. Otherwise this little piggy bank of theirs probably can't fit more than a few bills."

Lin Lin Xiuqing was scheming how to coax the money out of the two brothers, but neither one bought her act.

They're not like that fool Ye Ye Xiaoxi, who knew nothing and got tricked every day—as long as he saved it with his mother, it was as good as gone.

When asked about it, the answer was always, "Didn't I spend it all on you?"

"Do you have any idea how much money it cost to raise you all these years?"

Lin Lin Xiuqing had no choice. She was still planning to swap their piggy banks for new ones at the next market day, guaranteed to work.

They're all the type who loves the new and tires of the old—seeing a new piggy bank, they'll definitely want to switch.

And so it turned out.

When Lin Lin Xiuqing bought each of them a little pig piggy bank in a different color and had them write their own names on them, both were over the moon.

The first thing they did was take all the money out of their old little piggy banks and stuff it into the new ones.

Looking at the amount, it was really quite a lot—saved up over two or three years, several dozen yuan, ranging from a few cents to a few yuan.

That old little piggy bank really was almost stuffed to the brim.

Lin Lin Xiuqing was dying to take all that money for herself, so the two kids wouldn't have so much cash on hand. But without the two kids' agreement, without their willing consent, she couldn't exactly force the issue.

She could only let them save it the hard way—deposits only, no withdrawals.

Only after seeing both of them transfer their money into the new piggy banks was she satisfied.

Once it becomes a fixed deposit, there's no fear of them spending recklessly. Unless they smash the piggy bank, they can't get the money out.

She was sure they wouldn't have the heart to do it.

After the two brothers finished storing their money, they happily picked up their piggy banks and shook them. It was only while shaking that they discovered—why was there no slot on the bottom?

They looked it over from top to bottom, left and right—only a way in, no way out. Only then did they realize they'd been tricked!

"Ah, I can't get it out…"

"We fell for it! Mom, you're so devious!"

"My money…"

"I really can't get it out…"

The two held the piggy bank up to their eyes, peering with one eye open and one shut for the longest time, crying without tears.

"Didn't you want to save it yourselves? This way you can actually save it up. Save for ten-odd years and you'll have a big sum—enough to marry yourselves a wife."

Ye Yaodong, listening on the side, kept rolling his eyes toward the ceiling.

He could testify that this line was pure deception.

Save for ten-odd years? That'd be at least the year 2000-something. After painstakingly saving for over a decade, by then it still wouldn't be enough for the two brothers to blow on a single KTV outing.

Want to marry a wife? Dream on.

Calling a hostess to play wife for a few hours might just barely cover it.

"So annoying, always going on about marrying a wife… Marrying one who's just like you, tricking people all day long—I don't want that."

"You little brat, if you don't want it, give the piggy bank back to me."

Ye Chenghu hugged it tight—his entire fortune was inside. No way he'd let his mother get the better of it. Not giving it back.

Ye Ye Chengyang hugged his own piggy bank too, saying triumphantly, "Good thing I didn't put all my money in. Brother Brother Ahai and Brother Chenghe both owe me money—I can go collect from them."

"Look at you, big shot now—they're actually borrowing money from you?"

Ye Ye Chengyang grinned so wide his teeth showed, "Borrow 5 mao, return 6 mao; borrow 1 yuan, return 1 yuan 2. I only lend to them for one week—when the time's up, they have to pay me back."

"Holy crap, a loan shark! That's a pretty steep interest rate, huh? 20% in just 7 days?" Ye Yaodong was utterly astonished.

Ye Chenghu's eyes went wide as saucers, "Aren't you afraid they won't pay you back? You can't beat them either. When they ask me to borrow, I don't lend—don't even think about it."

"If they dare not pay back, I'll tell Ye Dabo's wife. Brother Brother Ahai has a salary, so he'll definitely pay up."

Ye Yaodong gave his younger son a thumbs-up, "Badass! You've got the knack for making money—earning off your own brothers. Good job."

"Hehe, I wouldn't lend to just anyone else. They wouldn't dare not pay me back."

"Impressive. How much do they owe you in total?"

"Brother Brother Ahai borrowed 5 yuan. He said he'd pay me back 8 yuan when his salary comes in half a month, and told me to stop hounding him for it." After saying that, he even ran upstairs and brought down his account book to flip through.

On it was recorded in neat detail—month, day, circles and crosses? How much was due on which date, circles and crosses plus pinyin letters…

Ye Yaodong curiously craned his neck over to look—just five or six loan entries, started only at the beginning of the year, some already borrowed and repaid.

"This was after a trip to the city—they blew all their pocket money, so that's why they came to borrow from you?"

Ye Ye Chengyang nodded, "Yep. They paid me back when they got their New Year's money, but a few days ago they blew through their New Year's money again and came to borrow more. Their New Year's money is so little—not as much as mine and my brother's."

"You're something else, hahaha—actually making money off them."

"Hehe~ I'll go collect from Brother Chenghe later. He owes me 8 mao, said he'd pay me back 1 yuan. I'll have him pay me a little first."

"Your interest rates just keep climbing higher and higher."

"They agreed to it!"

Ye Chenghu suddenly said, "I can sell some of my marble cards to them, then I'll have money again, and I can win them back too!"

After saying that, he ran upstairs too and carried down his two jars of treasured glass marbles and a whole box of cards.

He grinned broadly—these treasures were his fortune.

Lin Lin Xiuqing said disdainfully, "Carrying these junk around all day long—think they're food?"

Ye Yaodong spoke up for Ye Chenghu, "Don't look down on his junk. Those kids eat this stuff up—they spend all their pocket money on this stuff."

"So I should praise him for being able to make money? All day long sprawled on the ground, the knees of his pants torn and patched, patched and patched again—his pants and sleeves are never clean."

"Anyway, it's for him to wear, not for you. He himself doesn't think it's shabby, so why do you care?"

Ye Chenghu answered loudly, "Right, I don't mind my pants being torn."

"Sooner or later I'll throw all these things of yours away. All day long you only know how to play, no wonder you always do so poorly on exams."

"No way!"

Ye Yaodong helped out: "Don't you dare throw them away. These are his lifeblood."

"You're just spoiling him."

"That's not spoiling, that's childhood fun. But you can't lose your ambition to playthings. You hear me, Ye Chenghu?"

"I hear you, Dad. You can't throw them away. I won all of these through my own hard work."

"Hurry up and sell them for money. You're broke anyway. Sell them, then win them back."

Ye Chenghu excitedly agreed, then took his piggy bank upstairs to hide it, and rushed out with his treasures.

Ye Ye Chengyang also said, "I have some too. I want to sell them for money too."

Lin Lin Xiuqing watched the two run out of sight, then glared at Ye Yaodong. "You didn't stop them, and you even egged them on to play with these things. Then there's no need to study at all."

"Once it's all turned into money, won't they quiet down?"

"Bullshit."

"Anyway, you can't stop them from playing with these things. If you really threw them away, they'd fight you to the death. Playing a little is fine. Which child doesn't play with these? It's not like not playing with them would make their grades any better."

"You always have a reason for everything."

"As long as they don't fall behind on homework every day, they won't do too badly on exams. Doing their best is enough. You know your own sons' dispositions, whether they're cut out for studying, don't you? You can't press them too hard. You can't force children to follow their parents' every wish."

"You say it so well. Then you teach them, you manage them."

"School starts in a few days. Let the teachers teach them. I don't have the time. When school starts, talk to the head teacher and ask him to keep an eye on the two boys. Just call on them more in class, and I guarantee their skins will be stretched tight, not daring to slack off for a moment."

Lin Lin Xiuqing laughed. "That's just how you are. On the surface, you're all kinds of good, all kinds of protective, buying this and that, and then I'm the one who has to be the bad guy."

"Loving father, strict mother. But how come I seem to remember seeing something about nine-year compulsory education in the newspaper?"

"What's nine-year compulsory education?"

"It means from first grade through middle school, there's no tuition. It's free. You only have to pay for textbooks."

"How could that be? You must have read it wrong."

"Seems like I did see it somewhere? I'll go ask the village cadres later."

"It doesn't matter either way. Tuition isn't much, just a few yuan. While you're at it, ask whether your 'Outstanding Youth' thing has been reported?"

"Mm."

There was no need to ask about this. Once it was submitted, they'd be notified if selected. No need to chase after it, and besides, the New Year had just passed.

He was recalling that his two sons had never had their tuition waived. They'd paid all the way through middle school graduation.

But last year in Zhoushi, he really had seen it in the local newspaper. He just wasn't home at the time, so he only made a mental note. If the kids weren't about to start school, he would have forgotten about it entirely.

He didn't know if each province issued different policies, rolling it out step by step, without a nationwide rollout all at once.

His impression from his previous life wasn't very deep. He didn't know what year they started the nine-year compulsory education, but he remembered paying tuition for the kids every year, and Lin Lin Xiuqing would sigh over it.

He didn't want to think about his previous life, because the more he thought about it, the more he felt he was useless, truly worthless.

"I'll go ask while I'm at it. In a few days I'm heading out to sea too. It's my first time, so I definitely won't stay too long. I'll stay about half a month first, then come back."

Lin Lin Xiuqing hesitated and said, "How about letting Dad take your ocean-going No. 1? You still have a pile of things at home to deal with. Don't you still have to partner with Hong Hong Wenle to open a factory?"

"That's not urgent. It's definitely not something that can be done in a day or two. His loan hasn't even been approved yet. I'll go for half a month anyway, try it out and see the harvest. It's my own boat, so I definitely need to familiarize myself with it first. I'll definitely come back by the end of the month."

"Dad said their boats go out for months, half a year at a time..."

"Then I have a pile of things to handle. I can't stay that long either. I'll let Dad take over halfway, or let the workers take over. I'll take turns going out to run the fresh-fish boat, so it's convenient to handle things at home."

He was also mulling over when he'd run into a layman coming to their area, so he could follow him to Zhoushi next time.

If he really couldn't find one or didn't have the time, he'd have to wait until the second half of the year. Once he went up, he'd make plans for that plot of land.

"As long as you have a plan, that's good."

"The pile of dried and pickled vegetables you brought back for New Year came in handy. You can take them out to sea. They won't spoil for a month or so."

She laughed. "There are plenty. They're not worth much. If you want more, just spend a little money and you can get a whole cartload back. There's so many it's ridiculous."

"That's enough. Just the ones given to us, we can't even finish eating them."

"When we go to Zhejiang Province in the second half of the year, bring more. Things brought from home don't cost anything. Otherwise, with our dozens of workers, every day the food and drink costs a big sum. Buying outside would definitely be expensive. Our rural stuff doesn't cost anything."

"We'll talk about it later."

Ye Yaodong waited until the village committee was on duty in the afternoon and people were there before going over.

He asked casually, and their area really didn't have nine-year compulsory education yet. They hadn't even heard of it.

He could only let it drop and instead brought up the situation with the kelp.

By now, a large dark patch could already be seen on the sea surface. To actually harvest it, they'd have to wait another two months.

But the villagers were already grinning from ear to ear. Since the New Year, they hadn't missed a chance to take their boats over to check, all hoping for a good harvest.

Its optimal growth temperature range is 0 to 13 degrees, with 1 to 7 degrees being especially ideal.

And this year's sunlight had been especially abundant. Everyone had long predicted that this would be another bumper year.

The village cadres thought so too. So when they saw him asking, the smiles on their faces couldn't be stopped.

"Ah Dong, this is all thanks to you. If we get a big harvest this year, next year we can let every household pick their own area of the sea to farm."

"Then our village will truly become a well-off village in name and reality. We'll have our own industry, and it's aquaculture too. Other places haven't really had it yet, it hasn't been popularized."

Ye Yaodong said with a smile, "Then that's solid political achievement."

"Right. When I reported before the New Year, I mentioned it to the county. The county took it very seriously. They're waiting for our harvest here so they can promote it well and then develop it on a large scale."

Secretary Chen said, "And when we harvest in April, it'll be just in time for the May Fourth Youth Award selection. When the time comes, you must get a share of the credit. Let the higher-ups give you a proper commendation."

"Then thank you very much. I'm also waiting for the village's big harvest, so that everyone in the whole village can live a good life."