Chapter 1461: Making the Decision

So Ye Yaodong didn't want to take the lead on this matter from the start; he only asked his father to call home and discuss it with his two sisters-in-law.

That way, he, as the third uncle, wouldn't be overstepping his bounds.

After all, it was originally his father's idea, and his father had strongly supported it.

He only stepped in to help after they had all made their decision; it was just good luck that he happened to arrive in time, otherwise it wouldn't have moved so quickly.

Ye's father added, "They only arrived two days ago. If not for Yaodong bringing them up, I wouldn't have thought of it until they were already here."

"Anyway, since they're here, they can indeed earn money. I've had them delivering goods and taking jobs all over these past two days; they've gotten the hang of it, so there's no problem. You just need to prepare the money."

"What money do we need to prepare?"

The two were somewhat taken aback.

"What money are you talking about? The money to buy a tractor! Without a tractor, how can they earn money? These past two days, they've been borrowing Yaodong's; he needs his own tractor for deliveries too. How can it earn money for your son?"

"Let them work for a few days first to get used to it and practice; that's fine. If they want to earn this money, they need to buy their own, so they can drive it out every day to make money."

The two nodded in agreement.

Ye Ye Yaohua said, "If they really earn well, we do need to buy one..."

"We've only just returned and don't know the specifics yet. Let's ask them tonight first; there's no rush for this moment."

Seeing them soften, Ye Ye Chengjiang was pleased. "No rush, Dad. You can rest too. Tomorrow, you can go with us to deliver goods for two days, and you'll see how easy this money is to earn."

"Yes, it's much better than working in the factory."

Ye Ye Yaopeng said, "Working in the factory is so relaxed; it's an iron rice bowl."

Ye Chenghe countered, "But a tractor earns more and is more respectable!"

"Let's talk about it tomorrow. You two go eat first; you'll know after running around with us all day tomorrow." Ye's father made the final decision.

Ye Ye Yaopeng and Ye Ye Yaohua exchanged a glance and had to accept it for now.

They had already brought everyone up; what else could they do? Fortunately, they wouldn't be going out to sea tomorrow, so they could just follow along and see before deciding.

Ye Ye Chengjiang and Ye Chenghe felt they had convinced their two fathers; both were very happy, and the two brothers, arm in arm, walked out.

Ye Yaodong was busy until midnight before returning from deliveries. Ye's father told him he had already spoken to his two older brothers, and tomorrow they would follow along to deliver goods for two days as well.

He had no objection.

The fishing boats had all returned, and the tractor would be idle tomorrow anyway.

He could just ride his bicycle when he went out.

Tomorrow, he planned to ask about the training program; once he knew the price, he would send three or four people, taking it slowly—sending a few this year and a few more next year.

For now, he needed to train the boat captains who would be needed by year-end so that when a boat was handed over at the end of the year, they could start work immediately. Ordinary crew members were fine; experienced ones could just guide the new ones.

The arrival of the two brothers also enriched Ye Yaodong's daily life; at least during meals, both liked to sit beside him, chattering away, making anyone who didn't know think he was their biological father.

"Third Uncle, you don't know how stingy the boss of the first job today was; he haggled down even a single cent. We earned the money for him; he's truly blind..."

"Next time, I won't shave my beard! They just bully us because we're young; luckily, my father and the others were there too."

"Right, don't shave the beard."

"I saw someone with two little mustache tufts that looked quite fun; I want one too..."

"Then I'll grow a full beard; I can just glare a couple of times and speak a bit louder."

While eating, Ye Yaodong watched them sitting on his left and right like bodyguards, worried they would spit their saliva into his bowl.

"With your voices still changing, the moment you open your mouths, everyone will know how young you are."

"We can lower our voices when we speak."

Ye's father said with a smile, "It's fine. Just grow some facial hair; it will make you look more mature."

"Third Uncle, we made ten yuan this morning too, but I think there are more boats starting in the evening, and even more at night. We could work the night shift..."

"Don't think about it. Just work the day shift."

"Why?"

"The daytime is enough for you to earn. Why work at night? Don't you know the risks at night are high? Running back and forth in the dead of night; you'd be worried about being robbed by thieves."

Ye's father agreed. "Right, what your third uncle says is correct. It's unsafe at night. Although there's more cargo, there are also more vehicles. Taking jobs during the day is enough to earn well."

"There's only one tractor in total. How much work do you want to do? You've already been running non-stop during the day; that's enough. Delivering one load takes that long. Even with more boats, you can't handle it; you can only run one order at a time."

"That's true. Then we'll listen to Third Uncle and just work during the day; we'll stop when the sun goes down."

"Third Uncle, when will you have time to take us to look at tractors?"

Ye Yaodong looked at his two older brothers eating silently on the side. "Ask your father."

"You should come with us to look too; you have experience."

"Ask your father."

The two then picked up their rice bowls again and sat down beside their own fathers.

"Dad..."

"Dad, when will you buy me a new tractor?"

"When will we go look at tractors?"

Ye Ye Yaopeng and Ye Ye Yaohua each glanced at their own sons.

Remembering to find Dad only when it's time to spend money?

They gave them a look; figure it out yourselves.

Ye's father took over the conversation. "We can go look first. The tractor heads are already mass-produced and available, but making a cargo bed takes some time. Let's look first and then decide."

Ye Ye Chengjiang continued to persuade his father, saying, "Dad, you can lend me money to buy one first; I'll pay you back once I earn the money!"

Ye Chenghe was shocked. "Why do I have to pay it back?"

Ye Ye Chengjiang looked at him with disappointment, as if iron wouldn't turn into steel. "Shut up!"

"What? My father is buying me a tractor; why do I have to pay money back?"

"Silly kid!" Ye Yaodong laughed and cursed.

Ye Ye Yaopeng was also speechless for a moment, very disgusted with this son.

Ye Ye Chengjiang stood up directly, grabbed him and dragged him to a corner.

"Good thing you're not my real brother. I always wondered why Brother Brother Ahai wanted to beat you up every day—now I really want to beat you too. If you can't talk, can you just not talk?"

He was so angry his teeth itched!

"What did I say wrong? My dad is buying me a tractor, why would I give him money? It's not like he's someone else—shouldn't he be spending money on me?"

"There's nothing wrong with thinking that way, but right now you're begging him to buy it for you, shouldn't you say something nicer? Sweet-talk him a bit?"

Ye Chenghe scratched the back of his head, a bit dazed. "So if I sweet-talk him now, when I earn money later, do I have to pay him back?"

Ye Ye Chengjiang raised his hand, wanting to hit him, but didn't bring it down. He just made a gesture, and Ye Chenghe warily held his lunchbox and stepped back.

"What are you doing?"

Ye Ye Chengjiang slapped his own forehead. "How come you weren't beaten to death? How are you still alive this big?"

"Who are you looking down on? You can't even necessarily beat me."

Convinced.

"If your dad buys you a tractor, does it count as your dad's? Then when you earn money, if your mom asks you to hand it over when you get home, and only leaves you 20 yuan a month?"

Ye Chenghe's eyes went wide. "Only leave me 20 yuan!? No! I won't give it! It's my money!"

"Keep your voice down!"

"At least leave me half!"

"Then isn't that right? You let your dad buy it for you, consider it borrowing his money. When you earn money yourself, give him the money for the tractor. Then doesn't the tractor count as something you bought? Then the money you earn, can't you handle it yourself? Give your mom however much you want, give her that much!"

Ye Chenghe understood, nodding straight away.

"Right, right, right. I paid for it, so it's my money. My mom can't justifiably take it. I give her however much I want, that's how much I give her!"

"Exactly! That was bought with our own money, not given by the family."

"Then can we just borrow from Third Uncle directly? Otherwise I'm worried my mom won't acknowledge the debt."

"Our dads are both here, how could Third Uncle possibly lend to us? He'd definitely tell us to discuss it with our dads. How can you be this stupid?"

"Fair point."

"So you sweet-talk your dad into a good mood, and I'll sweet-talk my dad into a good mood. Anyway, we earn the money first then pay it back."

Ye Chenghe nodded straight away. "I'll listen to you."

Ye Ye Chengjiang sighed heavily. He hadn't sweet-talked his dad successfully in one go just now—how was he supposed to sweet-talk him now?

"Good thing you're not my real brother."

"How am I not a real brother? I'm a real cousin. We grew up sharing the same pair of pants!"

Ye Ye Chengjiang said weakly: "Right, everyone grew up sharing the same pair of pants, from big to small. How come you're the only one not smart?"

"You're not much better than me, are you? You can't study either."

Ye Ye Chengjiang didn't want to bother with him and went back to curry favor with his dad.

But Ye Ye Yaohua had already finished eating and gone to wash the dishes.

"Dad, let me help you wash..."

The five of them, grandparents and grandchildren, didn't rest after lunch, and drove the tractor out again. Their enthusiasm for making money was just like this scorching hot weather.

Ye Yaodong spent two days, taking advantage of the fishing boat's next departure, picking two older, honest and decent people to train and learn, plus his own dad—three people in total.

The first time sending people over, he'd temporarily settle on three people to try first, and wait for his dad's feedback later.

And these two people were also picked from the fishing boat, which meant the people staying behind had to be shuffled, substituting two.

This was also a simple matter—just a word of notice. But for the people being sent for training, he had to get Old You to write a contract, have them sign it. After training them, they couldn't just run off; they had to work for him for a few years.

Of course, the salary he offered also had to be agreed upon in advance.

Ye Yaodong had been busy with this matter the whole time. He didn't have time to accompany his two nephews to the tractor factory—anyway, their grandpa and their own dad were there.

Old Man Ye had previously run around everywhere with Ye Yaodong, so he was also familiar with the tractor factory.

After he finished the training procedures, they had also finalized the tractor.

They had to hurry. Ye Ye Yaopeng and Ye Ye Yaohua could only rest for at most two days before having to go out to sea to earn money again. Only these two days were free to go look.

By the next time they came back, barring any special accidents, it would be another one or two weeks.

After the tractor was finalized, the two boys were beyond excited.

The moment they stepped through the front door, they ran and shouted, "Third Uncle, Third Uncle..."

"Third Uncle, are you home?"

Ye Yaodong poked his head out from the third floor, and they immediately rushed upstairs.

"Third Uncle, we bought the tractor!"

"Pretty fast, huh? Congratulations. From now on I'll have to call you Master Ye."

"Hahahaha..."

"Third Uncle, we'll have to borrow your tractor for a few more days. Once we drive our tractor back, we'll drive our own to earn money."

"Alright. How much money have you earned recently?" To think his two brothers had finalized the tractor for them so quickly.

Really fast enough.

He thought it would take ten days to half a month, and they'd have to wait until the next trip back to shore before the two could go order it.

Looks like they earned quite a bit.

"We earned 78 yuan in 4 days, half each is 39 yuan! We go home when it gets dark. If we work until midnight, we'd definitely earn even more!"

"That's higher than my brother's monthly salary, hahahaha... I'll call him tomorrow and make him furious!"

"If we didn't have to split it, one person could earn more than my monthly salary."

Ye Yaodong said, "Once you get your hands on the tractors, one for each of you — then there's no need to split it, and everything you earn is your own."

"We're not buying two, just one. My dad said buy one first, and the two of us brothers will drive it together, so we can look out for each other."

"That's true too. You two are both newbies, so driving together first means you can discuss things when there's an issue and share the load. The cost can be a bit lower too. Once you've earned some money, you can buy another one then."

Ye Ye Chengjiang nodded. "That's what I was thinking too. Once we earn some money, we'll pay back my dad and Ye Ye Dabo, then save up for another tractor — that way each of us can have one."

"Third Uncle, help us figure it out — when can we save up enough for the second tractor?"

"You two are proper middle school students, and you still need me to do the math for you? Figure it out yourselves!"

"We'll definitely save up enough to buy a tractor before New Year's Day. Once the new year comes, we can take a big sum home and make all the buddies back home jealous to death."

"Make my brother jealous to death!"

"Brother Brother Ahai owes you?" Ye Yaodong teased. "Whatever it is, you just want to take a jab at him."

"Who told me I can't beat him? Then I'll just make him jealous to death."

"Once you've earned enough money, go home, take a wife, and have a son next year — that'll really make him jealous to death."

"Really? I can take a wife and have a son next year?"

"Has your fuzz grown in yet? If it has, you can do it right now."

"Of course it has!"

As Ye Chenghe spoke, he even pulled open his waistband and glanced down himself.

Ye Ye Chengjiang could barely stand to watch.

"All you think about is taking a wife. Can't you be a little more ambitious?"

"How am I not ambitious? I can earn over ten yuan a day now. By the time I go home this year, I'll have saved enough for a wife. The Great Man said dating without marriage in mind is just hooliganism!"

"Exactly right," Ye Yaodong encouraged him. "A man has to have a sense of responsibility. No hooliganism, no shirking responsibility. If you should bring her home, then bring her home."

Ye Chenghe grinned foolishly nonstop.

Ye Ye Chengjiang couldn't stand his silly look, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him off.

"What are you…"

"Go earn money, what else? If you don't earn a bit more, how are you going to save up enough for a wife?"

"Yeah, yeah, let's go…"

The two went downstairs. Ye's father was just coming up. Seeing them walk without walking properly, still dragging and pulling each other, he couldn't help but remind them.

"Walk properly when you walk. Pulling and tugging on the stairs — what does that look like? In a bit, if one of you falls, both will fall."

"You're all grown up, yet the whole day you can't stand properly, sit properly, or even walk properly. Always making a racket — the moment you're back, you're hollering at the top of your lungs, and then you vanish in a flash…"

Ye Ye Chengjiang let go of Ye Chenghe and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Back to the room to rest for a bit. Where else could I go?"

"Rest? Go earn money."

Ye Ye Chengjiang hooked one of Ye's father's arms. Seeing this, Ye Chenghe immediately hurried to hook the other.

The two brothers hooked Ye's father and headed downstairs.

"Hey, hey, hey, wait… wait… what are you doing? Let me rest a bit. I've been on the go all morning and just got back…"

"Rest when we come back tonight."

Ye's father protested, "Let's go later… let me rest a bit first…"

"Go now. Driving the tractor isn't tiring — just consider it sitting and resting."

"No… you two… I really owe you…"

"Not at all. You've earned money too. We definitely won't tell Grandma when we get back."

"Worked half to death for your third uncle, and now you want me to work half to death for you again… I'll walk myself… really here to collect debts."

Ye's father was hooked on both sides by them and couldn't escape even if he wanted to. He grumbled gloomily that every one of them was here to collect debts.

"Moving around more is good for the joints! And you can earn money! Earn money!"

"Right! Earn money! Earn pin money!"

"Pin money~"

The two kept coaxing Ye's father as they walked.

Ye's father smacked each of them on the back of the head. "Do I need you to tell me about earning money?"

"Then walk faster."

"I really owed you in my past life…"

Ye Yaodong listened to the sounds of them going down the stairs. Good thing his dad was only 57, in good health — he could live to 84, still over twenty good years ahead.

In this life, take good care of him, get more checkups, eat better — who knows, he might live two more years than last life.

He hadn't told his dad yet that he'd already signed him up for a training class.

When Ye's father found out that evening, he'd be hopping mad again.

"How old do you want me to work until? At this age, and you still want me to go to training?"

"Didn't you say before that you'd leave it to me to decide… didn't we already agree?"

"Agree my foot."

"You're earning side money too easily and don't want to go, right?"

"Ahem, I'm at this age, learning is useless. Don't waste that money — let the young ones go. When the time comes, let the young ones work a few more years for you. I'll just stay home and deliver goods for you. That way, wherever you want to go, you can go — I'm here to cover for you."

"Fine then. I'll go swap out a person tomorrow. If you didn't want to, why didn't you say so earlier? Would I force you? Then just stay home, learn to read a bit, earn some side money, and deliver goods for me."

Ye's father was pleased. Now that's more like it!

"Whenever you need to go out to sea or something, I can go too — just an extra pair of hands. Anyway, as long as someone goes to learn what needs to be learned, that's fine."

"Alright."

"If I can't do it for more than two years before I retire, what a waste of money—let the young people learn it."

"Retire after two years? Does the tractor still need to be driven?" Ye Yaodong asked deliberately, not believing his father could bear to part with it.

"Driving the tractor isn't tiring. It's fine if I drive it a few more years. When you don't need the tractor, just leaving it there is such a waste. It's good that I earn a bit more for my retirement."

Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes.

"Your mother and I are earning more now, so when you three brothers retire later it can be a bit easier too. You won't even need to support us in retirement, and by then there'll be extra money left to split among you."

"I know all three of you brothers are doing well now and have money, and you look down on what your mother and I have scraped together. But it can be split among the grandsons—they'll definitely love it."

Ye Yaodong said quietly, "Didn't you say everything you saved is mine?"

"What I earned from you, of course it's all left for you. Your mother has quite a bit in hand now—later it'll all be taken out and split among the grandsons."

"Stop bringing it up every day. Before, you said you'd split it among the three of us brothers; now you say split it among the grandsons. In another ten years, you'll be saying split it among the great-grandsons. You two still have twenty or thirty years to live—with that little bit of money, you won't be able to spend it all!"

"Aren't I still earning now?"

"Then earn more, work a few more years, save more for us, and we'll work less too."

"What kind of talk is that."

Ye's father knew he was being sarcastic, but didn't mind. He cheerfully pulled out the money he'd earned today from his pocket.

"I really do earn quite a lot in a day now."

"Impressive!"

"Wait until I've saved up for a month and count it, see how much there is—then I'll take it all to the bank to deposit at once."

Ye's father smoothed out the banknotes one by one, arranging them in his palm.

When collecting money, he just glanced at it and stuffed it in his pocket—a messy pile. Out in public he didn't dare take them all out and count them one by one.

Counting the money he'd earned himself just felt good.

"Oh right, I'm not driving the boat for you now, so you don't need to give me a commission. Just count it as wages and hand it over to your mother at the end of the year when I come home. Heh heh, I can earn quite a lot driving your idle tractor now."

"Then you have to keep an eye on the two kids, take them along to pick up goods together, don't let them pick up goods alone."

"Of course, I always take them along. If by chance there aren't that many goods, that's fine too—anyway, the two of them together are still okay, and they're used to it now."

"Tomorrow you can stop by to buy a waist pouch, tie it around your waist—collecting money is convenient, there's a place to put it, and it has a zipper. Putting it in your pocket, it's easy to lose—you stuff it all in, and if it drops you don't even know, and it's easy to get stolen."

"A small pouch tied to the waist? That could work. Seems like I've seen people with them. Tomorrow I'll go look around the streets and alleys. On the road I saw someone drop two mao—I wanted to pick it up but was a step too slow."

Ye's father finished arranging the money, bundled it with a rubber band, and cheerfully tucked it into the pocket of his winter clothes to hide it.

"Have you made a phone call home these past two days? It's been so many days since you came up—has it been in the newspaper yet?"

"No, I've been swamped lately, running here and there every day dealing with things. The boat hasn't gone out to sea, and without deliveries I haven't gone to the trade association. I have to go tomorrow—I'll make a phone call home to ask while I'm at it."

"What's today's date?"

"The 23rd."

"Then it's been more than half a month since you were on TV—should be out by now, right?"

"I'll find out tomorrow when I ask. Who knows how long the layout takes."

"TV review passed that fast—the newspaper can't take longer than TV. It's definitely out, you just haven't called home."

"Mm, I'll call tomorrow."

"Don't let it slip."

"Mm?"

What?

"Don't tell your mother I'm driving the tractor here earning extra money, okay?"

"You think she doesn't know?"

"If you don't tell and I don't tell, how would she know? Other people don't know the details, and they wouldn't bother with all that."

"When you called the two grandsons up a couple days ago, weren't you hollering on the phone about how much money you can earn in a day driving the tractor?"

Ye's father's brain froze. He stared blankly for a moment, then smacked his own forehead hard.

"Damn it, how did I let that slip?"

Ye Yaodong looked at his father's foolish expression, speechless—this guy wasn't any smarter than Ye Chenghe.

?? 《The Villainous Prince Is Three and a Half》

? Synopsis: After clearing "The Prince Raising Plan," Xia Jing transmigrated into the Ning Dynasty from the game, reincarnating as a little prince.

? The little prince is only three and a half years old. His maternal clan has lost power, his mother has lost favor—he's a marginal nobody.

? Good news: his birth mother goes dark two years later, tears apart all the consorts by hand, takes her rightful place in the palace, and becomes the mother of the realm. In the end, taking advantage of the dynasty's weakness, she deposes the Crown Prince and kills the Emperor, becoming the first empress of the Ning Dynasty!

? Bad news: the reason she went dark was because he died.

? (End of chapter)