Chapter 1375: Sharp and Shrewd

Ye Yaodong did the math himself and felt it seemed a bit much too.

Hearing "ten thousand" this and "ten thousand" that every day, he was starting to feel like making money was easy.

It's like those people online who toss around "hundreds of millions," while in reality some of them are still earning three or five thousand a month in wages.

He looked at "Wei Ling" again and did the math based on 10,000 yuan.

One person earns 600 yuan a year—without eating or drinking, it would still take 16.7 years to earn 10,000 yuan…

And a family of four, without eating or drinking, would need over four years…

Add in food and daily expenses, and saving it up in ten years would already be pretty good.

Lin Lin Xiuqing stood at the side watching him calculate.

"See for yourself—do the math and don't you also feel the number is huge? Not to mention, such a large sum donated out, and next time they come asking for donations, could you donate less than this? They'll only think you have money and ask you to donate more."

Ye Yaodong silently didn't dare make a sound and turned off the calculator.

"You still don't believe it when I tell you. You don't know how expensive firewood, rice, oil, and salt are until you run the household. You only see the money coming in, never the money going out—it's all going out from my side."

"But I also have money going out on my side…"

"What money are you spending? That 200,000 yuan loan of yours, you call that spending? That was scraped out from the bank, and spending it doesn't feel like nothing."

"Cough…"

"We're just rural folks. Even though everyone knows we have money, a token gesture, a small donation, is enough. Right now it relies on collective strength—who wants to stick their neck out? Think with your butt…"

"The way you put it…"

"Did I say anything wrong?"

Ye Yaodong was rendered speechless by her retort. He wished he hadn't done the calculator math in front of her—it only fueled her fire, and listening to her, he also felt a bit in the wrong.

"Recently, several thousand for the telephone line, another 30,000 for building the house, 30,000 for the factory in town, another 30,000 for the shredded squid workshop—recent spending has been tens of thousands at a time. Now with this donation, you're thinking tens of thousands again. Do you know how much money has gone out recently?"

He suddenly felt a bit in the wrong.

"It's just that the money passing through your hands is too big—you only see what's coming back, and you've started treating money like it's not money."

"No, I haven't…"

"Haven't you? Open your mouth and it's 30,000, 50,000. Building the house, the factory, the workshop, buying machines, installing the telephone line—those at least have reasons. But the money you donate, who remembers your kindness? They only remember you have money, and next time they'll come to you again."

Ye Yaodong said nothing.

"You've got that mentality of a poor person suddenly getting rich—having money but not knowing how to spend it, wanting to splurge. And with the flattery from people around you, you've gotten carried away."

"Is that any way to talk about your man?"

"I'm just telling it like it is."

Ye Yaodong crossed his legs and lowered his head in thought.

It did seem like he had that mentality of a poor person suddenly striking it rich. He'd been suppressing it, reminding himself not to get swollen-headed, but damn it—who could blame him when he really did have money? Sometimes he really couldn't hold it in.

"It's just one event, no need to spend that much money. Save the money, and when the village needs donations in the future, we can donate enthusiastically then—wouldn't that be more meaningful?"

"After all, money spent in our own village makes our village better. Can the money you donate now all be spent on our village or on Goddess Mazu? It's all spent on the event."

That was true too…

The village would definitely need road repairs eventually, and the shore would definitely need a seawall built…

"There'll be plenty of chances to donate in the future. Wouldn't it be better to save the money and donate in batches? You can show your face multiple times. Otherwise, how much money would you have to fork out in the future to be enough?"

"Fine, fine, fine, you're right about everything. I'll listen to you."

"Now you know to listen to me?"

"Yes, yes, yes. You're my virtuous inner helper, giving me a timely wake-up call. I'll listen to you. You run this household. You make all the decisions, everything goes by what you say. Whatever you say goes—however much you say to spend, that's how much I spend. If you tell me to go east, I'll definitely go east. If you tell me to go west, I'll definitely go west…"

Ye Yaodong rattled off the whole thing in a strange, sing-song tone.

Lin Lin Xiuqing instantly felt refreshed inside.

"Then tomorrow tell Chen Shuji we'll donate 5,000."

"What? Weren't you just saying 10,000?"

"Just now was just now. Who told you to talk so much just now? Donate a little less—who knows where the donated money even ends up."

He was starting to get the picture…

"Before donating, we still need to cry poor first, then grit our teeth and, for the sake of our village getting face in front of the whole county, painfully donate 5,000. Also, talk about our difficulties, talk about our devotion to Goddess Mazu, our feelings for the village, and specifically set aside another 1,000 yuan for the daily upkeep and repairs of the village's Tianhou Temple. Wouldn't that be better? Our village gets the benefit too."

"Oh my, amazing—you're basically Zhuge Liang reincarnated! Your abacus is clicking away, you're really good at careful planning. You're the perfect behind-the-scenes strategist—you've figured out everything."

"Hmph."

Ye Yaodong suddenly felt a bit of admiration for his wife—when did she become so capable?

How did this person grow so fast?

She's just too sharp!

Too good at calculating!

He immediately stood up, pressed her shoulders to sit her down, then gave her a shoulder massage.

"Wife, you're my think tank. From now on I'll listen to you on everything. Whatever the village needs to do, you analyze it for me."

Lin Lin Xiuqing smiled and swatted his hand. "I'm just afraid you won't tell me anything and act first, report later—that would drive me to death."

"I won't, I won't."

"So that's settled then. We'll do as I said. It's also to sober you up a bit—don't think making money is easy now and stop taking money seriously. We still can't afford many setbacks."

"Understood!"

"You've been out quite a few days this trip. You just got back today. The day after tomorrow, set sail on the fresh-catch boat to go collect a load of goods, deliver some to godfather, and let him know you've been away from home for a while."

"Got it."

"How many days since you bathed?"

That topic change was a bit abrupt.

Ye Yaodong raised his arm and sniffed it. "Does it smell bad?"

"It's practically marinated by now. What do you think?"

"It's just..." He counted on his fingers.

The day before coming back, he had no clothes to change into or wash. The night he came back, he stayed in the city. Plus today makes one more day.

"I'll go wash right now. You get me some clean clothes."

"Where would you even have clean clothes? Didn't I pack them all for you?"

"Then I just won't wear any. It's hot anyway, and the kids aren't sleeping with me — only you can see me." Ye Yaodong winked and made faces at her. "Just for you to look at."

Lin Lin Xiuqing wasn't about to take his flirtation. "You know it's hot now too, and you're already marinated through. Amazing you could stand it. No wonder your son touched your sock and said his hand was going to rot."

"What's that? At sea, going ten days to half a month without washing is normal."

Lin Lin Xiuqing rolled her eyes at him and went to draw water for him first.

After his bath, Ye Yaodong really did stay bare, just staying in the room and not going out — it was getting dark anyway.

Seeing him shamelessly wandering around right in front of her, Lin Lin Xiuqing immediately went to toss his dirty clothes in the washing machine, spin them dry, and hang them up overnight so they'd be wearable by dawn.

The next morning, Chen Shuji came by as expected — right on time.

Following the script Lin Lin Xiuqing had laid out yesterday, Ye Yaodong put on another show of being broke, gritted his teeth, and in the end only donated 1,000 yuan separately to the village's Tianhou Temple.

That last move made Chen Shuji overjoyed, feeling he hadn't forgotten his roots and hadn't left his own village out of the donations.

"Good, good, good! I said you wouldn't forget your roots — you really do keep our village close to your heart."

"Of course. Only when the village does well can I do well. This is my roots. Of course I hope our village grows stronger and stronger. If I weren't thinking about recasting the golden body for our village's Goddess Mazu, making our village famous, building the reputation of our prosperous village, and letting you, Secretary, show face in front of the city leaders, I definitely couldn't have pulled out that much money. I still owe 200,000 yuan in bank loans. But since you've come to me personally, I have to give you face and give my full support."

Chen Shuji's face was full of praise. "I'll definitely promote the reputation of our prosperous village well and fight to get every honor we deserve."

"Heh heh... there are plenty of young people in our village doing well now. As for the others..."

"I've already been to A-Shang's place. He wasn't home, so I had his wife pass the message along. With you supporting so strongly, he definitely has to keep up with you. And Old Pei, that Fatty who runs the restaurant — they all said they support the village's work and would donate 1,000 yuan too."

So everyone gets a share.

Is Fatty really a bit dumb? That act is convincing.

Out of the villagers' sight, no one knows how much money you make out there.

Still, Ye Yaodong added, "It's not just them. What about Uncle Uncle Awei in the village, and Haozi? Haven't we heard they're making big money out there? Last year they were even thinking about opening a factory in the village. Haozi can even bring a woman home — one wife at home, one outside — he must be making a ton of money, enough to take two wives. I don't even have that."

Lin Lin Xiuqing's glare came flying over, and he quickly shut his mouth.

"Right, I almost forgot about them. I heard they're all making big money out there too. Their wives even said your little workshops are nothing but small-time stuff. I'll make a trip over in a bit."

"Hey, let me see you out."

Ye Yaodong only said to Lin Lin Xiuqing after seeing the man out the door: "You're the smart one. I really picked up a treasure marrying you."

"Why do I feel like you actually think it's a pity to only have one wife?"

"Where'd you get that? A virtuous wife keeps a husband's troubles few. One wife is plenty."

"He really came early enough."

"Just had his eyes on this fat sheep of mine."

"Next time stay clear-headed. Don't get carried away in the heat of the moment..."

"Got it. The inflated heart has been pressed back down. I'm used to being poor, can't help it. Only had money for 5 years suddenly. Noted."

"Then I'll go get busy."

"I'll come along too."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi squatted on the ground, chin propped on both hands, watching her father and mother walk out one after the other. Her father didn't even notice her.

He came back yesterday, didn't even hold her, didn't say a word to her.

She's squatting at the doorway now and he still doesn't see her. He's become her mother's shadow, only talks to her mother, can't see her at all.

"Daddy!"

"Hm? What? What are you squatting here for?"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi stamped her foot. "Carry me!"

"Fine."