Chapter 1337: Fifteen

Now the village cadres look at him even more affectionately than their own sons.

During the chat, they also told him not to stay out all year round, and to help look after the village more—especially since the kelp will be ready for harvest in a couple of months. He mustn't vanish without a trace.

Ye Yaodong thumped his chest and promised that harvesting the kelp was top priority, that he'd definitely keep it close to his heart, and told the village cadres to rest easy.

After whiling away half the day at the village committee, he went to find A-Cai again to discuss the harvest, telling A-Cai to get ready and head to the city after the fifteenth.

The villagers had all earned money this year, so none were in a rush to go out to sea. They all planned to wait until after the fifteenth, because on the fifteenth, the Lantern Festival, the town would have a dragon dance to celebrate.

Last year there was one too—this folk custom had only just been restored last year.

However, last year they had gone out to sea in the eleventh or twelfth lunar month, and the Lantern Festival had caught them right out on the water, so he hadn't taken the family to go watch. Last year Ye Chenghu had gone on about it for a long time.

These past few days he'd started nagging again, saying the Lantern Festival was almost here, saying that last year Ye Yaodong had promised to take them this year.

Ye Yaodong only said he'd see how they behaved these next few days, then decide whether to take them.

Actually, he would take them—he just couldn't let their expectations be too high. Keep their hearts hanging in suspense, their skin taut first, and they'd behave for a few days.

And his father and Uncle Lin Jingye's friend had already discussed it—they were also waiting until the seventeenth or eighteenth to go out to sea.

That friend was called Zhao Zhao Chengzhou, living in a village near the town. He said he also planned to wait until after watching the fifteenth's lantern display before going out to sea.

This timing was friendly for everyone; after the festival A-Cai could head over early to prepare.

Ye Yaodong also gave the workers advance notice of when they'd be going out to sea, telling them to get ready. He took advantage of these few free days to arrange all the sea-faring matters.

Everything they needed was actually already there. When they came back last year, he'd already mended the fishing nets, washed them clean and put them away. The baskets and tools had all been cleaned too.

He was only checking now, and took the chance to have Lin Lin Xiuqing take advantage of the good weather to air out the bedding and get everything prepared.

The couple busied themselves for two whole days before arranging things more or less completely, just waiting for the day after tomorrow—the fifteenth of the first month—to take the family out to see the excitement.

Entertainment these days was really far too scarce. Even Lin Lin Xiuqing was especially looking forward to going to see the fun. Last year, dragging three kids along, she hadn't dared go at all.

And Ye Chenghu and Ye Ye Chengyang grew increasingly restless. Every morning they'd get up and ask the old lady what date it was, how many days until the Lantern Festival, counting down on their fingers.

This morning, hearing it was already the thirteenth of the lunar month, they instantly panicked, wanting to take a look at the wall calendar themselves to confirm.

Neither of them was tall enough, so they deliberately dragged over a stool, planning to take turns climbing up and leaning close to look.

"Brother, is it the day after tomorrow? Is today the thirteenth?"

"Stop pulling me, don't tug my clothes. I'll let you look after I'm done."

"You've been looking forever, let me see…"

"Stop being noisy, I'm finding the date…"

The previous days they'd just asked casually, confirmed it wasn't time yet, and felt relieved.

Now hearing it was already the thirteenth, they felt urgency again. Their parents still hadn't given a definite promise to take them.

They were worried they'd miss it, and worried their parents would deliberately not tell them when the time came.

They're perfectly capable of sneaking off to the city while he's sleeping, leaving him behind alone to watch the house—what wouldn't they do!

The two brothers tugged and pulled at each other on the stool, ending with one of them tumbling to the ground and the stool clattering down with a bang.

"Ow, what are you doing…"

The old lady was a beat late in coming to stop them. "What are you two doing? Don't fight…"

"We're not fighting, brother fell down by himself."

Ye Ye Chengyang, heedless of his fate, righted the stool again and climbed up to look himself.

Ye Chenghu kicked out, toppling the stool—tit for tat.

"Ah… that hurts… Ye Chenghu, you did it on purpose…"

"Who told you to make me fall, it's all your fault…"

"You fell by yourself."

"You made me fall…"

"Shh, keep it down, your dad and little sister are still sleeping…"

Ye Yaodong was woken by the two brothers arguing outside. He could only get up, throw on a jacket, and come out to scold them. "What are you doing? What are you arguing about so early in the morning? Starting a rebellion?"

"No, Dad, we fell by ourselves."

"Right, we accidentally fell down…"

The two brothers, who had just been fighting like two black-eyed roosters, had been kicking the stool and kicking at each other the second before.

The next second, hearing they'd disturbed their father, they instantly made up, and even stood up arm-in-arm, looking at him ingratiatingly.

The old lady was stunned.

"Settle down early in the morning. It's so cold and you're up this early—I've never seen you get up this early for school…"

"We definitely won't make noise again…"

"Dad, you go back to sleep…"

Ye Yaodong glared at them once, then closed the door and lay back in the covers.

Lin Lin Xiuqing had also been woken and was getting dressed.

"What are the two of them doing? Arguing first thing in the morning—did they break something again? I just kept hearing the sound of a stool falling over."

"Who knows what they're up to. Anyway, when I looked they were both sitting on the ground, the stool had fallen, and the moment they saw me come out they were brothers again. Why don't you sleep a bit more."

"I'm already awake. You lie down again, I'll go out and check."

Ye Yaodong obediently lay back in the covers. Anyway, there was nothing else to do; the rest of the preparations could wait until they needed to go out to sea in two days.

The moment the bedroom door closed, the two brothers each jumped to one side, ignoring each other, neither willing to pick up the fallen stool.

The old lady picked up the stool and set it by the table. "I told you—today's the thirteenth, the day after tomorrow is the fifteenth, the Lantern Festival. Once tomorrow passes, the day after is here. What's the rush?"

"Great-grandma, talk to Dad for us, get him to take us."

"Yeah, Great-grandma, talk to Dad and Mom for us."

"They don't listen to me anyway. You two better not go—so many people, what if you get lost in the crowd? There'd be nowhere to look for you."

Ye Chenghu said aggrievedly, "But I want to go. Last year Dad promised. Before the new year he wouldn't take me into the city, and now there's a festival and he still won't take me. Just don't let Ye Chengyang go—I'll go by myself, that way no one will get lost."

"Why should you!"

"That's only fair."

"No, you can't go. I'll go…"

The two were about to start arguing again as they talked, but when Lin Lin Xiuqing opened the door and came out, they went quiet as quickly as quails.

"Great-grandma, I'll help you feed the chickens…"

"Great-grandma, I'll help you water the vegetable plot…"

The two brothers hurried outside, one after the other.

The old lady stared in bewilderment. "These two… I've already fed the chickens and watered the plot…"

Lin Lin Xiuqing came out and said, "Ah Dong said don't go water the vegetable plot. Leave it for when I wake up, I'll do it."

"It's fine, it hasn't rained, the ground won't be slippery… he's just overthinking it. Just because some other old lady took a fall, now he won't let me do anything…"

"What are you two arguing about so early in the morning?"

"He dragged over a stool, insisting on checking for himself what today's date is. We told him the thirteenth, but he still had to climb up and look himself. And then, while pulling and tugging, he fell. The next moment he was as good as gold, afraid you wouldn't take them…"

Lin Lin Xiuqing understood.

"Just beat them within an inch of their lives, then neither of them will need to go."

"We weren't fighting…" Ye Chenghu emphasized again from the courtyard.

Lin Lin Xiuqing paid them no mind and went to wash up first. The workshop had started up again these past two days, and she was busy every day too.

Originally they had planned to wait until after the fifteenth before resuming work, but the village women kept asking every day. She discussed it with Ye Yaodong, and they simply started up on the tenth.

It hadn't rained much during this period—at most a day or two—and the cold weather had just cleared up again, so they could dry a bit more.

Once the weather warmed and the spring rains came in a steady drizzle, nothing would dry well then.

Although they had dried a lot last year, and the boatload Ye Yaodong brought back could last a long time, the shop had been open for a while now, and sales grew every year—more and more sold each year. Stocking a bit more certainly couldn't hurt.

The two children had made up again in the courtyard, heads pressed together, scheming about how to get their parents to agree to take them the day after tomorrow.

Both unanimously agreed: they had to go beg their father.

After all, Dad was easier to talk to than Mom, and it was Dad who had promised last year.

If they didn't settle it in advance now, and tried to sneak off at the last minute, there'd be nowhere to cry.

Besides, the two had also agreed: just take the two of them, Ye Ye Xiaoxi doesn't go!

So, as soon as Ye Yaodong got up, the two brothers crowded around him, playing up to him—one fetched hot water, the other squeezed out toothpaste.

They even wrung out the towel properly for his face wash, waiting on him hand and foot.

Once at the table, they proactively served him porridge, handed him his chopsticks properly, pushed the dishes on the table closer to him—attentive in every way.

Ye Yaodong watched them bustle about the whole time without a word, simply enjoying it.

The moment those two stuck their backsides up, he knew what they were up to—how could he not know their little plan?

They had argued in the morning and immediately made up again—obviously worried about making a bad impression.

He took the chopsticks and began eating on his own, paying no attention at all to the two watching him with eager faces.

The two said nothing either, simply propping themselves on the table with both hands, upper bodies hunched forward, watching him eat.

Only after he finished did they ask, "Dad, are you full? Shall I get you another bowl?"

"No need, I'm full."

"Dad, do you want to put on some lip balm? I'll get it for you…"

"Mm."

When Ye Yaodong looked in the mirror, the two stood behind him, nudging each other's shoulder—one nudge from you, one nudge from me—murmuring in low voices.

"You say…"

"You say…"

After Ye Yaodong finished applying the lip balm, he didn't even glance at the two of them and went out for a stroll again.

The two children watched his back from behind, gazing after him longingly, and started blaming each other.

"Look, he's already gone. It's all your fault."

"It's all your fault. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why should I be the one to say it? Why didn't you say anything?"

"You're the older brother, of course you say it."

"I'm the older brother, but you didn't give way to me either—you even fought me for the stool."

"Let's say it together in a bit."

"Then it's settled, we say it together. Anyway, take the two of us, don't take little sister."

Ye Ye Chengyang nodded. "Then let's go find Dad now, while little sister's still asleep."

"Let's go…"

The two ran off again to chase after Ye Yaodong, then grabbed him, one on each side.

Ye Yaodong watched them exchange glances, then speak in unison.

"Dad, take us to see the festival on the day after tomorrow for the Lantern Festival."

"You spent the whole morning playing up to me, and you've finally agreed on what to say?"

Ye Chenghu said, "Dad, Ye Chengyang and I will go with you all. Little sister's still young, she'd get lost, leave her at home."

Ye Ye Chengyang chimed in, "Right, she's still little, she definitely wouldn't understand. We're all grown up now."

"Shouldn't big brothers yield to little sister?"

"Wait till she's bigger, then take her to see it. Let's go first this time."

"That's right, Dad, you promised last year, you can't go back on your word, a man's word is his bond. We've been good too, no fighting, no brawling, and all our homework is done."

Ye Yaodong looked left, then right, both of them with their heads tilted up, looking at him expectantly.

"Go ask your mother, I have no objections."

"Haha, as long as you agree, that's fine."

"Dad, you're the head of the household! What you say goes!"

Ye Yaodong laughed and rubbed their heads, feeling for them both having to put on an act and behave for so many days.

"Little flatterers! Be good now, school starts soon, study hard, make progress every day, if you want something reasonable I'll try my best to grant it. If you're not good, don't even think about anything."

"Got it."

The two of them bounced and skipped happily toward home.

They were going to tell the others that the day after tomorrow they were going to see the flower lanterns!

The two brothers split up—one to Ye Ye Dabo's house, one to Ye Ye Erbo's house—to make sure the word got to each.

Ye Yaodong waited until he had made a round of the workshop, and when he got home and passed by the neighbor's door, the place was in an uproar inside.

"What, you want to go too? Want to go eat shit?"

"They finished their homework, have you finished yours?"

"You're always a step behind everyone else, and you have the nerve to want to go here, go there?"

"Don't even think about going anywhere, just stay home and behave. If your homework isn't done, dare to take one step out today and I'll chop your legs off."

When Ye Chenghu sneaked out from inside, he was still hunching his shoulders, looking like a thief with a guilty conscience.

Ye Yaodong picked him up directly, "Went over there to show off again, got them scolded?"

"Hehe, I just went to tell them, called them to go watch the fun together the day after tomorrow. Ye Chengyang also went to tell Ajiang and Ye Xiuxiu and the others, but they didn't dare say it, Chenghe went to tell Mother."

Iron Head River…

"Mother even told Chenghe to learn more from me." Ye Chenghu puffed out his chest, saying this with immense pride.

"Mm, not bad, that's some progress. Go back and write two pages of big characters, your reward."

"Ah… reward…" His face instantly turned into a bitter gourd.

"Do you want to write or not?"

"I'll write, I'll write right now, I'm going home to write right now, I'll tell Ye Chengyang to write two pages too."

"Mm."

Writing characters can temper the mind, both of them are a bit restless, practicing writing more can somewhat make them rein in their temperaments, improve their concentration, and make them a little more steady in the future.

When Ye Ye Chengyang was told he'd been awarded two pages of big characters, his face also soured, and he kept asking Ye Chenghu why Dad would suddenly tell them to write two pages of big characters.

Ye Chenghu certainly couldn't tell the truth, so he made something up off the cuff, "He told us to write two more pages, or he won't take us to see the flower lanterns."

"Fine."

Lin Lin Xiuqing only found out after she finished her work that Ye Yaodong had already promised the two boys to take them to see the fun the day after tomorrow, and she didn't say anything.

They had discussed it themselves originally, take the two older ones, not the younger one, otherwise two people can't keep an eye on three children.

In any case, Ye Ye Xiaoxi was used to being left behind, and it wasn't just this once.

But she also instructed the two of them not to mention it in front of their little sister, in case she refused and insisted on going, then one of them would have to stay behind as a replacement.

This scared them so much they didn't dare say a word, and didn't dare run outside yelling about it, afraid Ye Ye Xiaoxi would find out.

This time the two brothers were also uncharacteristically low-key.

Only they couldn't talk about going to see the flower lanterns, but they could go show off in front of Ye Chenghe, who hadn't finished his winter vacation homework.

This year it wasn't just the two brothers showing off, Ye Ye Chenghai was also showing off in front of Ye Chenghe.

Not a shred of brotherly affection, making Ye Chenghe so angry his teeth itched.

"Ah, graduating is great, no more homework…"

"And no more classes, go wherever you want, wherever you want…"

"The day after tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, I can go watch the fun with my friends then, no need for Mom and Dad to take me…"

"Growing up is great~ and I get a salary~"

Ye Chenghe shouted at them angrily: "You're so annoying, can you get out? I need to do my homework."

"No, it's too cold outside, there's no sun today, you do your writing, I'll do my talking."

Ye Chenghe's fists weren't as big as his brother's, so he dared to be angry but not to speak up.

Ye Ye Chengyang spoke up: "Brother Brother Ahai, you still owe me 8 yuan…"

Ye Ye Chenghai's eyes went wide, "Where did 8 yuan come from! Don't make up accounts!"

"You borrowed 5 from me, and said you'd pay me back 8 in half a month."

Ye Ye Chenghai frowned and agonized for a long time, then finally squeezed out a sentence, "It hasn't been that long yet, wait, I haven't gotten paid yet."

"I'm just reminding you, if you don't have the money to pay back, in a couple days you can pay 3 yuan interest first, then after another half month, give me another 3 yuan…"

"Damn, even a profiteer isn't as crooked as you, 6 yuan interest in one month, and I only borrowed 5 from you, even loan sharks aren't as ruthless as you, you just doubled it outright."

Ye Ye Chengyang was a little guilty, his reasoning not straight, his spirit not strong, and said weakly: "Didn't you agree to it…"

"When I borrowed it I didn't think that much, the more I think about it now the more wrong it seems, Ye Ye Chengyang, you've gone too far! Too crooked!"

The thought of having to fork out so much money made Ye Ye Chenghai's flesh ache, his monthly apprentice stipend was only 10 yuan, so by this calculation, more than half of it would be swallowed up by Ye Ye Chengyang.

"Then… then how about you pay back 3 yuan first, then after another half month, you give me another 2 yuan, saves you 1 yuan, and the 5 yuan you owe keeps being owed?"

"You're trying to suck me dry!"

"Then… then you just pay me back directly, no need to pay interest, otherwise… otherwise I'll tell Mother… I won't lend to you anymore in the future."

Ye Ye Chengyang was still quite scared looking at his angry appearance, after all Brother Brother Ahai was so much older than him, and so much taller, he couldn't beat him at all.

So he brought out his aunt!

Ye Ye Chenghai glared at him, but couldn't frighten him off. Instead, Ye Ye Chengyang had him by the throat, so he could only grumble, "Fine, I know. I'll pay you back in a few days."

Ye Ye Chengyang was satisfied, then also reminded Ye Chenghe about the money he owed.

After that, the two brothers drove him away together.

He was a little uneasy, so he ran off to Ye Yaodong to tattle.

If the money weren't already in hand and he couldn't tell Ye Ye Dabo's wife yet, he definitely would have gone and told her.

Ye Yaodong listened to his account, both annoyed and amused.

This kid is something else — daring to go remind them, wanting to keep the principal and suck interest on top of interest, not even afraid of getting a beating from Ye Ye Chenghai.

"Dad, they won't actually refuse to pay, right? They won't gang up and beat me, will they?"

"Can't you just go tattle on them?"

"If I say anything, they'll definitely refuse to pay, and then I'll really get beaten."

"You've already done your market research — what's there to be afraid of? Besides, you've got the ledger, they can't weasel out of it."

He nodded, his confidence restored.

"Dad, if they won't pay, help me collect, and I'll split the interest with you — half and half."

Ye Yaodong couldn't help laughing, and then laughed louder and louder.

"You're something else!"

He patted Ye Ye Chengyang's head. "Stop overthinking this stuff. You're still young. Studying hard is the proper thing to do — don't be scheming about all this nonsense. When you grow up, there'll be plenty of chances for you to scheme."

"I'm not scheming! They're the ones who came to borrow money from me. When Mom lends money out, she charges interest, so of course I have to charge them interest."

"You've learned all this — if only you were this smart when it came to studying."

"I will be."

"So confident? Then go practice another page of big characters."

"Ah… I just wrote some at noon."

"Go write again. It's almost evening now, about time for dinner — no conflict."

"Then I'll go call my brother to write together…"

Ye Yaodong sighed inwardly — true brothers, each one thinking of the other.

Ever since Ye Yaodong had agreed to take them to the town on the fifteenth night to see the lantern festival, the two brothers had been thinking about it nonstop, feeling every day was a year long.

From morning on, they counted on their fingers waiting for dark, then longed for the next day to hurry past.

On the morning of the fifteenth, the old lady had just gotten up to cook when the two also got dressed and ran downstairs, so excited it was as if they were heading out right then.

The old lady got a fright from them — up so early, the sky wasn't even light yet, only the rooster had crowed.

"What are you up so early for? Go back to sleep. Kids who don't sleep don't grow tall."

"We're awake. We don't want to sleep."

"Great-grandma, today's the fifteenth, right? When does the lantern festival start?"

The old lady found Ye Ye Chengyang's question funny. "Go back to sleep. You can only see the lanterns once it's dark. It's not even light yet — can you really stay up that long?"

Ye Chenghu said excitedly, "We can stay up…"

"Go back to sleep. Being up this early is useless. If you're tired later, you won't be able to go. Sleep plenty now, and you won't be tired then."

Ye Chenghu asked, a little uneasy, "Dad and Mom won't sneak off, will they?"

He already had a trauma — whatever he did, he had to wonder if his parents would sneak off.

"Sneak off where? It's just in town, no long trip. Besides, you have to wait until dark. Just finish dinner and go with them."

Only then did Ye Chenghu feel relieved, and obediently went back upstairs with Ye Ye Chengyang to keep sleeping.

After the couple woke up, the old lady told them how the two kids had crawled out of bed before dawn that morning.

"Chenghu's scared now…"

"He needs to be scared once, or would he be this well-behaved now? It wasn't like I deliberately didn't take him — he hadn't finished his homework, and he knew it himself. Otherwise, would he have sat down so obediently and finished his homework before the new year? Now he practices his characters obediently every day — before, I had to force him, nag him to write."

Seeing Ye Yaodong say so much, the old lady said nothing more.

When the two brothers woke again, the sun was already shining on their backsides. Panicking, they rushed downstairs to first check if their parents were there.

They didn't see them, and Ye Ye Xiaoxi wasn't in her room either — they panicked.

Luckily the old lady calmed them down, saying their parents had gone to the workshop, and only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

But they didn't bother washing up or eating — they first ran to the workshop to take a look, confirmed both were home, and only then relaxed.

Then, all day long, they kept asking, when will it get dark?

What time is it?

Why isn't it dark yet?

Why hasn't the sun gone down yet?

Can we go early?

Asking eight hundred times a day — the old lady's head was spinning from seeing them, and she wanted to stuff cotton in her ears.

At first the two were afraid the couple would vanish in a blink, so they followed behind them all day — literal little shadows.

It was also because the couple got fed up with them tagging along that they shooed them home, threatening that if they kept following, they wouldn't take them.

That's why the old lady was suffering their torment at home.

The two were clever too — they didn't run around, just guarded the motorcycle and bicycle at the front door.

In case they took the tractor, sitting at the door they'd still see it.

Their dad rides a bicycle around the village — there's no way he'd walk there!

After finally waiting from morning until the sun set, their necks were sore from watching the sun on the horizon, waiting for it to go down.

"Dad… Dad… the sun's gone down!"

"Eat first; we'll have an early dinner tonight."

"That's great."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi didn't understand why her two brothers were so excited and watched curiously.

Ye Yaodong also instructed his parents in advance that while they took their two sons to the town to view the lanterns, the younger ones at home would help look after things.

Ye's father worried about the crowds being unsafe, repeated his instructions again and again, and even considered having them take one son while the other went next year.

The two brothers absolutely refused.

"It won't happen. At that time, one will ride on my shoulders, and the other will be held tightly by Aqing, or I'll find a friend; we should be able to see some of the festivities from the restaurant's upper floor."

"That works; no need to squeeze through the crowds on the street. If chaos breaks out, a stampede would be terrible."

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

Better safe than sorry.

It would be even better and safer to watch from the upper floor of Hong Hong Wenle's hotel.

Such a spectacle would surely attract people from nearby areas and even all the villages surrounding the town; who knows how many there would be at night.

Saying the crowds were like mountains and seas would not be an exaggeration; the roads would likely be completely blocked off.

This was also the reason he was eating early; while the sun had just set and the streets were not yet crowded, he could ride his bike to take his wife and children over beforehand, otherwise, later on, he probably wouldn't even be able to enter the town.

Coming back this time, there was no need to worry; once the crowds dispersed and few people remained, riding home would be fine.

He could also take the opportunity to ask Hong Hong Wenle whether his loan had been approved, if he had found the land, and if he had contacted suppliers for the machinery.

Since exchanging money at the post and telegraph bureau in town last time, they had met once and then not seen each other again; now that the New Year had passed and the Lantern Festival had arrived, he could go over naturally to chat, which would also make him seem less eager.

"Come back early; don't stay too late. Just take the boat directly; that way, you won't have to deal with the crowds on the streets when the event ends, making the return trip difficult."

Ye Yaodong thought this was also possible and more convenient, though the boat consumed more fuel; he wouldn't take a small boat with the whole family blowing in the cold wind at sea.

But it didn't matter; it was just a bit more fuel cost, and they could return earlier.