Chapter 1421: A good idea

If it weren't for the fact that his wife at home held the purse strings, and that he didn't dare spend all his money—after all, one never knows what misfortunes might strike, and he had to leave himself a way out—he would have to spend as he earned.

So, while his speed at making money was fast, his speed at spending it was just as fast.

While leaving himself a way out, he also let his assets slowly grow, rather than just having a pile of cash that would depreciate, or going all-in; he also had to provide his family with a sense of security.

Money is security.

Ye Yaohua hesitated for a moment, looked at his father, and then looked at Ye Yaodong.

"Then, Dongzi, when I go to the shipyard with you tomorrow to pick up the boats, should I take a look and order another boat? Just like our Shunfeng?"

"That's a great idea. The current Shunfeng is still a partnership between the three of us brothers, and we gave Dad a share for his retirement. You and Big Brother don't have fishing boats that belong solely to you yet."

Hearing him say this, Ye Yaohua felt even more determined.

It was true; he didn't have a fishing boat of his own yet. He was still operating the one owned by the three brothers, and when it came to splitting the money, he only got one-third, plus a salary.

How could that compare to the returns of having a boat all to himself?

Before, he had always sought stability, and his wife at home had also said that having a boat was enough and that they should save the money, save a bit more.

Still, he had to listen to Dongzi.

Ye Yaopeng pulled Ye Yaohua aside. "Ye Erge, shouldn't you call home and discuss it with your wife first?"

Ye Fu said, "If you listen to your wives for everything, you won't get anything done. What do they know sitting at home? Can't the three of you brothers just discuss it and decide?"

"I just thought that buying a boat is a big deal, and the money at home is managed by my wife..."

"Isn't the money earned in the last few months in your own hands? You can decide for yourself. Don't ask your wives about everything. Can they know the situation outside while sitting at home?"

Ye Yaodong felt that his father had changed.

Back when he had acted first and reported later, his father was the one who scolded him, and scolded him quite fiercely, calling him a spendthrift who couldn't keep a cent and wanted to buy this and that the moment he had a little money.

Now, it was the opposite; he was even encouraging his eldest and second brothers to act first and report later, and not to listen to their wives.

He really knew how to adapt to circumstances.

"Then should I just buy it?"

"Buy it. Following Dongzi to fish these past few years, you should have saved up quite a bit of family wealth..."

"Sigh, a boat costs tens of thousands, Dad. Where would the savings be enough? The boat in hand isn't mine alone either."

"Are you worried about not having the deposit?"

"I'll see tomorrow."

Ye Fu also looked at Ye Yaopeng. "The eldest can consider it too."

"Alright, Dad."

Azheng, Hearing Xiao Xiao, and the others laughed and said from the side, "It's a good thing we took out a loan at the beginning of the year to secure the boats. If we weren't out of town, we could have sailed the boats back by now."

"Yeah, sail the boats back, and after the New Year, we could start making money as soon as we set sail."

Ye Fu added, "Look at how decisive they are? They even took out loans to buy boats."

Ye Yaodong helped explain, "Dad, how can Big Brother and Ye Erge compare to them? Big Brother and Ye Erge are honest men, and they were even thinking about not paying back the bank's money before."

"Don't talk nonsense, how could we not pay back the bank's money!"

"Exactly, that would make us deadbeats. Are we that kind of people?"

"Once we strike it rich, we'll definitely pay it back immediately."

"Once we show our skills next year and make a fortune, we'll naturally pay the money back to the bank."

Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes. Who was the one thinking about running away before, so the bank couldn't find them and would be helpless?

They were chatting lively here, and the other workers pricked up their ears to listen. They also gathered in twos and threes, talking about Ye Yaodong wanting to order two more super-large boats.

This seemed to have given them a shot of adrenaline, making the others excited and wanting to buy boats too.

They all started discussing it.

"Dongzi, when are you going to order the boats?" Aguang asked.

"I'll wait until I sail the 5 boats back tomorrow, then go to the factory to talk to Manager Shen slowly about the details of the new boats. Only after we agree can we order. Such big boats, and the construction cost is so expensive, the details must be agreed upon, and design drawings must be produced. It won't be decided that quickly; this isn't buying cabbage."

"That's true, it must be carefully considered and confirmed."

"Yeah, it would be good if we could finalize it before the New Year."

It's a good thing he has handed over the work of sailing the boats to others now. He only needs to collect goods on the shore, so he has plenty of time to run back and forth.

"Rest for a while, you've been checking accounts all morning."

"What time are you going to sail the boats tomorrow?"

"Go early, at 6 o'clock."

He doesn't have an almanac on hand, so he can't check for a specific auspicious day or hour. He can only check simply on the calendar, so he doesn't fuss about the hour; he just goes according to his own time.

When he sails them home, he'll pick a good day to set off firecrackers on the boats.

Aguang asked, "Dongzi, then after you sail all 5 boats back, will you just leave them at the pier?"

Azheng added, "There's still over a month until we go home..."

Hearing Xiao Xiao also said, "Isn't that a bit of a waste?"

"What are you trying to say?"

The three of them looked at each other, and then Aguang said, "I was thinking, should we go home for a trip? You find someone to come up and be a boatman for you, and we also go home to sail the boats we took loans for up here? Go back together?"

Ye Yaodong thought for a moment. "How about you go home to sail the boats you took loans for up here, and while you're at it, help me find the workers and bring them up?"

"Damn, we asked you to go together, but you're thinking about making us help you."

"Isn't this just a matter of convenience for you? You're planning to sail your three boats up anyway, so you have to hire workers. Then just help me hire a few dozen... actually, no need. I'll call home and ask my mother to find the workers for me. You just need to bring the workers with you when you come up!"

As he said this, Ye Yaodong clapped his hands. He was really smart; this was truly a good idea!

"Let's do it this way, it's great!"

Why hadn't he thought of such a good idea before?

Anyway, their boats were already built. Wouldn't it be fine to let them bring his workers up when they went home to sail their boats?

It would also save him from leaving those 5 boats docked at the pier, which would be too wasteful. There's still a month left; if they work hard, they can earn quite a bit.

And he wouldn't have to run back himself. Let them go!

"This damn..."

"It's not that I don't want to go back with you, I can't get away. Selling and delivering goods here requires me to step in, while your fishing boats can be handed over to your fathers or brothers. It doesn't matter if you are there or not."

"Then can't you ask your father to go back and bring the workers up for you?"

"Isn't this more convenient for you? Since it's so convenient for you, why ask my father to go back? Why go through all that trouble?" Ye Yaodong said as a matter of course.

"You damn..."

Ye Yaodong patted their shoulders happily. "Then I'll leave this matter to you. You've finally solved a big problem for me! I was originally wondering what to do with those five boats. Just leaving them docked at the pier is a bit wasteful, haha."

"Not bringing them, definitely not bringing them."

"Bring them, bring them, it's just a matter of convenience. When you bring them up, I'll treat you to drinks."

"You've already taken your father for a massage, and you're only treating us to drinks?"

Ye Fu's eyes bulged out, and he immediately stood up. "Nonsense, there's no such thing, I didn't go."

"Hahaha, we understand, Uncle, we won't say anything."

"Who's talking nonsense, who told you that? When did I go? You're framing me. I only followed Dongzi to watch him record the goods. Which bastard is spreading rumors? If I find out, I'll skin him alive..."

Everyone laughed when they heard this, and they all tacitly agreed not to bring it up again.

Ye Yaodong said, "If you want to go for a massage, isn't that simple? I'll arrange it. So when are you planning to go back to sail the boats?"

Hearing Xiao Xiao: "Just got back yesterday, rest today, and discuss it with my father and brother later..."

Azheng: "Should be in these two days."

Aguang: "After this wave of wind and waves passes, the fishing boats will go out to sea again. We'll take a ferry first, then a bus, then a train, and transfer."

So they had already discussed it. Thinking about it, they ordered the boats together, so they should be finished around the same time and delivered together.

It's just that taking the bus back is too exhausting. Who knows how many transfers they'll have to make.

Ye Yaodong added, "Have you asked about cargo ships? Are there any ships going to our province? If there are, it would be more convenient. Otherwise, who knows how many transfers you'll have to make."

Aguang: "Haven't asked yet. We've been at sea during this time, just discussed it yesterday. Cargo ships shouldn't be that coincidental. It would be good if there were one or two ships a month."

Ye Yaodong: "Still, ask. It would be more convenient if you could hitch a ride on a cargo ship. I'll call home later and ask my mother to call the people in advance these two days. When you go back, you can just bring them up."

Azheng: "Are you really not going back with us?"

Ye Yaodong: "I really can't get away."

Hearing Xiao Xiao: "Screw that."

Aguang: "Then we'll go back ourselves. You call the people in advance, and we'll bring them up for you while we're at it."

"Alright, I'll definitely instruct my mother to call good people, not bad ones."

"Oh, damn..."

They were chatting there, joking around, talking about finding workers. Ye Fu had already avoided to the side, wondering, no one should know he went for a massage, right? He only followed Dongzi.

After thinking about it, he felt it must be Dongzi who ruined things. This brat must have gone often before!

So he followed Dongzi around this month, and everyone thought he went too!

A disaster.

Ye Yaodong had finished discussing with them and it was time for lunch. He simply waited until after lunch to go to the Chamber of Commerce to make the call.

A large part of the strong laborers in the village had already followed the boats out. To find more people, he had to go to nearby villages to find reliable ones who wouldn't get seasick and could go to sea. He had to ask his mother to inquire.

This matter wouldn't be that quick or convenient. After all, if he got 5 more boats, he would have to recruit thirty or so more people. He had to give his mother time.

And when his mother heard that his five boats could be sailed back tomorrow, she was overjoyed and patted her chest, guaranteeing that she would ask for him in these two days.

"You're not coming back? Others can come back, why can't you?"

"Others aren't as busy as I am. I have so many boats, isn't it busy? You just focus on finding good people for me. I'll tell you in advance when Aguang and the others go back."

"Then you're not coming back, and your father isn't coming back either?"

"Doesn't my father have to help me? It's too exhausting to sail back without sailing. We won't go back. They have to come back to sail the boats. We'll wait until February to go back. Tomorrow is New Year's Day, so it's about a month."

"Alright, you've got 5 boats in hand all of a sudden. How much more money will you earn this month?" Ye Mu said, laughing happily first.

She was just asking casually, not expecting him to answer, just happy. After saying that, she added,

"When you come back next month, you have to sail the boats to the village. You can't park them at the town's shelter harbor. At least come back to the village's sea area for a circle..."

"Got it, what's there to nag about? Give the phone to Aqing."

Lin Xiuqing was most concerned about his ordering of boats. She asked, and Ye Yaodong gave the same explanation, saying it wouldn't be that fast, that details needed to be discussed, drawings needed to be made, and it might only be ordered before coming back.

"Then why don't you order it when you come home?"

"There's no such technology at home. There are all-steel ones here, and the most famous shipyard."

And he didn't have that much time to run back and forth to discuss drawings and details. It was almost New Year, so they would definitely be resting.

After the New Year, when they had rested enough, these people would all come up, so he would have to come up too. He couldn't just watch others make money.

His fresh-collecting boats had to rely on their boats to collect goods to make big money.

Anyway, now that he was taking his father to get familiar with the customers and the factory, he could hand it over to his father to do it later, father and son taking turns.

In a few years, maybe cash payments wouldn't be so easy to get. He guessed that he would have to get money based on receipts, a disguised form of withholding payment.

Only in these few years was cash king, adhering to the principle of paying money and delivering goods at the same time.

After Ye Yaodong finished the call, he handed the phone to his father, thinking his father would also have something to say.

Ye Fu kept shaking his head on the side, and even put his index finger to his mouth to shush.

He was a bit puzzled. The call was through, why not say a few words to his mother?

However, looking at his appearance, since he didn't intend to answer the phone, he wouldn't mention he was on the side, and just said as usual that there was nothing else and hung up.

After hanging up the phone, he asked his father, "What are you doing? The phone is through, and my mother is on the side. I kindly gave you the phone to talk, and you don't?"

"It's enough that you talked. I won't talk, nothing to say. In case something reaches her ears, and she scolds me over the phone again, how boring. Her voice is so loud, how bad it would be if others heard."

"What would reach her ears?"

"Isn't it about you going for massages often? Aguang and the others guessed it. That bunch of workers probably have an idea..."

"Damn, so that's what you're worried about. What's there to worry about? Those people go even more excessively. Don't worry, they won't say anything. Who doesn't know what can be said and what can't?"

"Really won't say?"

"You didn't go, and I didn't go, they're just farting."

Ye Fu nodded. "I didn't go, and you didn't go, hehe."

"Let's go, go out for a stroll, buy some things, prepare, and go sail the boats early tomorrow morning."

"Hey hey hey... are you two father and son leaving just like that?"

Ye Fu said proudly, "Dongzi has 5 more big boats to be delivered tomorrow, we have to go out and buy some things to prepare."

"What? 5 more big boats?"

"I'm damn, how many boats do you have in total?"

"Twenty or thirty, I guess. You guys work hard to ship goods, I'll have a lot of goods in a while."

"You're too good at making money, aren't you?"

"I'll buy you some fireworks later to send over..."