Chapter 1472

They frequently traveled back and forth by boat, and had grown accustomed to it.

They also felt Lin Ji's arrival was perfectly timed—the scheduled ferry had just started, making their trips home convenient.

They realized traveling far wasn't so inconvenient after all: direct ferries ran on fixed schedules, so if something urgent came up, they could plan ahead; if not, well, then nothing needed to be said.

But this trip up wasn't as fast as the first one. On the return, they'd rushed and chosen nonstop direct routes; this time going up, they'd taken on many jobs and had to make frequent stops at several ports to load and unload cargo.

Ye Yaodong also took the chance to go ashore when the fishing boat docked in Wen City to unload and load goods, since they had to spend the night and would remain half the next day.

He stayed at his own home in Wen City at night, then wandered around his partner's factory for half the next day before returning to the boat on time.

Aguang teased, "Dongzi, I see you're accumulating more and more assets now—soon just inspecting them all will keep you busy for a whole month, from the first day to the last, then starting over again next month."

"Good thing, isn't it? Isn't this the dream—counting money every day? Every place you go, you just settle accounts and collect cash."

"You'll die of joy."

"I bet you don't even remember how many boats you own, how much land, how many shops, how much cash you've got."

"How could I not? Lin Xiuqing counts money very carefully…"

"Sail's up! Sail's up…"

When they heard the boat was about to depart, they only turned their heads briefly, then went back to chatting.

The boat doesn't wait; fares are collected in advance—whether you're aboard or not, it departs on schedule.

It doesn't just dock in Wen City—it stops at multiple ports along the way, unloading one batch of cargo and loading another.

It took only two days to return home, but six days to reach Zhou City.

Some ports they stayed overnight, others not—sometimes just a few hours to load and unload, then off again.

When they arrived at his home in Zhou City, it was already evening; they ate dinner, washed up, and went to bed.

After five or six days on the boat, everyone reeked—only he had bathed while in Wen City; the others had no chance to wash and stayed put on board.

That afternoon, Ye's father began sorting through the returned cargo, didn't get home until deep into the night, and by the moonlight streaming through the window, saw someone lying on the bed—he realized Ye Yaodong had returned.

Still uneasy, he walked closer, wanting to check carefully, muttering to himself.

"You said you'd leave on the 30th, and now it's the 6th—you're barely here, while other boats could've reached the Pacific by now, and you're just…"

"Ahh!!!"

"Ow…"

Ye Yaodong jolted upright, scrambled toward the corner, and slapped his chest hard.

"Dad, what are you doing? It's the middle of the night—are you crazy? You're so close your head's practically touching my face—people scare people to death…"

He'd been sleeping soundly when suddenly he felt something, opened his eyes—and saw a head, an old face—his soul nearly flew out of his body.

"Who scared who? Why are you yelling?"

"You scared me, so I yelled—why are you awake at this hour, creeping in like a ghost?"

"Who'd be crazy enough to dress up as a ghost? I just wanted to see clearly if it was really you lying here."

"If not me, who else would be lying here? Who else could it be? You're nuts, getting this close to look."

"If I don't get close, how can I see your face clearly?"

Ye Yaodong grumbled, pulled the blanket higher, and lay back down. Even in summer, the night wind was chilly—he always needed a blanket over his chest to sleep.

Ye's father didn't turn on the light—the moonlight was enough. He quietly undressed, saying, "Why did it take you so many days? When you left, you said it'd be two days. I thought you'd be back by the 2nd."

"This timing is normal—cargo ships don't just sail straight? Don't they load and unload along the way? Shut up, I'm exhausted—you scared me awake out of nowhere."

"What time did you get in? Lucky—you'll get tomorrow off."

"Evening."

"You promised to be home for half a month, but you've been gone twenty-one days."

"What can I do? The journey took nine days—normally it'd take over ten."

"Then next time, I should go back."

"Fine—earn 20 yuan a day driving a tractor, twenty days means 400 yuan."

"How can you even say that!"

At this, Ye's father flew into a rage and slammed his iron basin against the bedpost.

He'd just finished undressing, basin in hand, ready to go downstairs to bathe—then this comment reminded him of the incident where his side income had been exposed.

"When I called home that day, why didn't you warn me? That idiot Chenghe blabs everything—how much he earns, down to the last cent…"

"Worse—he told my mom you'd earn me a ten-thousand-yuan household this year."

Ye's father's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Don't go back—you've got to scramble to earn more, or you won't hit ten thousand by year-end, and Mom won't let you sleep in bed."

"Do you think I care? I'd rather sleep alone. That damn kid—why does he say such nonsense? Where am I supposed to get ten thousand yuan to bring home?"

"Easy—earn 600 yuan a month, that's 7,000 a year; just add your savings and you're there."

"That damn brat—he thought getting engaged would make him mature. I'll beat him to death."

Ye's father was furious—he thought revealing he earned 600 yuan a month was already cutting into his flesh, but now they wanted his bones too.

"Couldn't you have told them it wasn't that much?"

"How could I? I didn't go with you—Chenghe's been right behind you the whole time. His word's more believable than mine."

"That coffin-lid…"

"Stop arguing. Sleep. I'm dead tired."

Ye's father grumbled as he took his basin outside to bathe.

Ye Yaodong was utterly exhausted—he hadn't eaten or slept well on the boat, hadn't had a proper rest in days; as soon as he got home and lay down, he fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow.

After his father talked for a while and left, Ye Yaodong was asleep again in moments.

The next morning, he woke to the noisy bustle of early risers outside.

Summer was hot and stifling, so they all slept with windows open; the walls weren't soundproof, and as soon as dawn broke, people got up, their voices growing louder in the back, so he got up too.

Ye's father's bed was already empty.

Ye Yaodong got up, glanced at the empty bed, and couldn't help but sigh—his dad was truly an ox of a man.

Went to bed late, rose early, worked tirelessly and capably, never needed prodding.

After he dressed and began packing the luggage he'd brought up yesterday, he spotted the newspaper he'd brought back again.

It had been mailed from home, then taken back home, and now was being carried up from home once more—this newspaper's journey had been quite rocky.

He stepped out of the room, stood on the corridor, and shouted down, "Dad～ Dad～"

"Yeah, yeah, what's up, Dongzi?" Fatty waddled out, round and plump, looking up at him.

"Pfft, get the hell out of my way and go call my dad up here."

"Uncle Ye San, Old Three, Dongzi's calling you—stop watering!"

Hearing Ye Yaodong call him, Ye's father hurried up immediately.

"What is it? I'm still watering the vegetable patch."

Such a devoted, tireless ox—he never had a moment's rest.

Ye Yaodong slapped a few folded newspapers into his father's arms; Ye's father fumbled and quickly caught them.

"What's this?"

"Newspapers. For you to show off with."

"What newspapers? What for? Show off what?"

Ye's father had already forgotten the letter from twenty days ago.

As he asked, he opened one and glanced at it. "Oh my, this is the letter your family mailed when you left? Why did you bring it back up again?"

"Didn't you see it? Weren't you curious? Weren't you learning characters? So I brought it up for you."

"Bringing it up is good—I've learned so many characters now, I can read a lot already. Let me see what it says. I already figured out the pictures—they're of our village drying kelp…"

Though the initial excitement had passed, Ye's father's passion for learning characters remained, and he read with great enthusiasm.

Ye Yaodong had also long passed his initial excitement and forgotten about these newspapers—had he not dug them out of his luggage, he'd have forgotten they existed.

Since they'd been brought up again and dug out, he might as well let his father take a look.

Ye's father read eagerly, occasionally turning to ask what a character meant, repeating it aloud several times until he felt he'd memorized it, then continued reading.

After finishing the entire article, he picked up the other newspapers and strolled down to share them with others.

Now it was his turn to be the teacher, reading newspapers aloud to others.

No matter whether the content was about their village or about Ye Yaodong, just the fact that he could read newspapers aloud made Ye's father immensely proud.

Once an illiterate blind man, now he could read newspapers aloud—he felt he'd become half a cultured man.

By the time Ye Yaodong finished organizing his things and went down to eat, he heard his father grandly declaring that he'd soon become a great-grandfather, and who'd have thought at his age he could still read and write and all that…

"Dad, reading newspapers is nothing. Mom's counting on you to earn a ten-thousand-yuan household so she can retire on it."

Ye's father's smile froze. He snapped, "Where am I supposed to get a ten-thousand-yuan household? Just kill me outright. That damn brat Ye Chenghe's been blowing smoke—ruined me."

Someone nearby chuckled, "You're Dong's real father—just follow him for a few more years and you'll have one."

Ye's father had no reply.

It wasn't about earning one after a few more years—it was about earning one this year.

"Where's Ye Chenghe? Haven't seen him since morning."

"Still asleep, probably."

"He's about to get married and he's still sleeping in? Can't even get up early to work—how lazy can you get? Don't learn from your old self, or how will you ever support a family?"

As he spoke, Ye's father was already heading toward the dormitory building.

Ye Yaodong called after him, "You can scold him all you want, but don't keep dragging me into it."

"Did you stay a long time when you went back home?"

"Just the travel took time—I didn't actually stay many days at home."

As Ye Yaodong spoke, he thought of promoting Lin Ji.

"By the way, our village's Ashang has started a freight service here—it goes straight to the town pier. If you need to go back, you can take his boat."

"There's a fixed monthly round-trip, still docking at the town—much more convenient than other cargo boats. Some ships don't even stop in our city—they usually go straight to the provincial capital."

Many had probably heard already, so he was giving them concrete information.

"We heard about it earlier—next time we meet him, we'll ask for the exact monthly schedule. If there's an emergency back home, we can still go back."

"Actually, I think we should apply for a telephone here. So many of us live here—if we had one, calling home would be easy, or family could leave messages too."

"Yes, then no emergency back home would be missed—even if you're not around, they can leave a message."

"Yeah, Dongge, why don't you apply to install a telephone?"

Everyone around chattered excitedly, all looking at him with hopeful eyes.

Ye Yaodong thought about it—he agreed it'd be more convenient if they had a phone, given there were three or four hundred people here.

But where should it be installed?

He glanced at the canteen—it was the most suitable spot.

Everyone came and went through here; since the canteen was built, people liked to loiter by the entrance, gathering to chat.

Sunbathe in winter, cool off in summer.

So if they installed it in the canteen, it made sense to let Fatty handle it—he already ran it.

Plus, he had no time to assign someone to sit by the phone all day collecting fees—too troublesome.

Letting Fatty install it was perfect—he could collect phone fees too.

He'd made him set up the convenience store before, but the guy slacked off and never did it. He'd told him to install a TV, and he slacked off again. Who knew what he was messing around with all day? He hadn't even been seen.

I just saw him a moment ago, and now he's gone again.

Ye Yaodong said to everyone, "I also think it's quite suitable for us to install a telephone here. We've got a lot of people, and everyone has the need to make phone calls back home. Having a phone would be more convenient, so we wouldn't have to go out looking for a place to make calls."

"As for the location, I looked around and the cafeteria seems most suitable. Everyone passes through and gathers in that area."

"This calls for Fatty to do the installation. Where did that dead Fatty go? I saw him this morning. Didn't any of you see him?"

Everyone hurriedly said, "Right, installing it in the cafeteria is most suitable. We've got to call Fatty over…"

"I saw him earlier just up ahead…"

"Where's the person?"

"Seems like he went to the latrine? I'll go call him."

Fatty had just come out of the latrine with his trousers hitched up, hadn't even washed his hands, when someone grabbed him.

"Fatty, come quick, come quick…"

"Hey, hey, hey… what are you doing? I haven't washed my hands yet…"

"Don't bother washing, we don't mind."

"I mind…"

"Adong is calling for you, hurry up."

"Then at least let me tie my trousers…"

Fatty didn't even have time to tie his waistband before they dragged him in front of Ye Yaodong.

"Damn you all, won't let me wash my hands, won't let me tie my waistband — what kind of urgent matter is this? What a big production, having to drag me all the way in front of you."

"I'm talking business with you that can earn tens of thousands. Want in or not?"

Fatty's eyes lit up. "Tens of thousands of yuan?"

?? Got a bit lazy, will make up a chapter later tonight.

? Will update again tomorrow afternoon, too sleepy

? (End of this chapter)