Chapter 1490: On the Bandit's Boat

In just one afternoon, everyone at the camp who hadn't gone out to sea knew that Ye Yaodong had gone to Shanghai for over half a month, bought a Western-style house, two shops, and two mu of land.

Seeing him, everyone offered congratulations and praise.

"You keep buying houses that are farther away and better and better."

"It's not just the house; there's the boat too."

"Right, right, right, you're becoming more and more extraordinary."

"In our village, you young people are the most promising."

"The waves behind push the waves ahead..."

Ye Yaodong smiled but hadn't spoken yet when his father chuckled and responded for him.

"Don't praise him; he's just loose-handed. As soon as he earns money, he can't keep it in his hands and wants to spend it. The shipyard has ordered several more boats; all the earnings are poured into that."

"That's a good thing; at least the money is spent on buying houses, land, and boats. Acquiring assets is good; he hasn't spent it on others."

"Yes, I heard that rich bosses outside also keep mistresses; they spend money on women outside. That's what's truly worthless."

Ye Yaodong's father scowled fiercely. "He dares! I'd break his legs!"

"Am I that kind of person? I'm stingy even when spending my own money. Look at my clothes and pants; they're frayed, and I haven't changed them. Could I give money to other women? Don't be ridiculous."

"I bet you wouldn't dare. If you have money but aren't filial to your parents, don't raise your children, and spend it on women outside, they'd skin you alive."

Ye Yaodong glanced sideways at his father, went straight to get his meal, and didn't argue with him.

He just pretended to be humble and made harsh threats, as if only then could he find the dignity of a father and the face of a father.

Just as he was queuing to get his meal, Ye Ye Chengjiang and Ye Chenghe squeezed in on either side, winking and making faces at him excitedly.

"Third Uncle, did you really buy a Western-style house?"

"Oh, if only we had known, we would have come back two days later; that way, we could have seen your Western-style house and stayed there for two days."

"Exactly, we slapped our thighs until they were swollen, missing out on staying in a Western-style house."

Ye Yaodong smiled and raised an eyebrow at them. "Wanting to stay isn't hard? In a few days, when the village letter arrives, we will definitely go again. You can come along; I'll take you to stay in the Western-style house then."

Ye Chenghe hesitated. "Won't it take over ten days again like this trip?"

Ye Ye Chengjiang looked at him eagerly, waiting for an answer. This trip took over ten days, which was too much of a delay for them to make money.

Although he originally really wanted to go, he didn't know it would take so long; he thought it would be at most a week.

Half a month meant losing several hundred yuan; his heart was bleeding.

If this trip took another half a month, he definitely wouldn't go.

All that delay is money!

Ye Yaodong gently tempted them. "How could that be? This trip took time because we were unfamiliar with the place; we had to go over first to get the lay of the land, then inquire and visit everywhere."

"Next time we go, it won't take so long. We have certificates, and the paperwork is complete; processing will definitely be efficient."

"Look, your uncle-in-law took the money over for me the day before yesterday, the paperwork was finished yesterday, and I'm back today. How much time could that possibly take?"

Hearing this, the two thought it made sense.

Going for just two or three days would let them satisfy their craving to stay in a Western-style house; saying they had stayed in one would make them feel great.

Teenagers of sixteen or seventeen still have quite a bit of vanity and like to brag; if they couldn't miss out, they certainly wouldn't.

"That's great. Third Uncle, if you go again in a few days, we'll go with you." Ye Ye Chengjiang spoke, and Ye Chenghe nodded along.

"Fine. I'll buy two more boat tickets then."

Ye Chenghe looked expectant. "Third Uncle, is your Western-style house beautiful?"

"Beautiful, of course it's beautiful! A three-story Western-style house with an iron gate, white walls, and red tiles, plus a huge garden with both grass and flowers. There are stone tables and stools on the grass, and you can even swing. On such a hot day, sitting in the garden at night, enjoying the breeze, drinking wine, and admiring the flowers, it's incredibly comfortable."

Ah Guang: "??"

Ah Zheng: "??"

Xiao Xiao: "??"

What is Dongzi saying?

The three people queuing behind him listened with confused faces!

They witnessed it with their own eyes; did they witness a fake Western-style house?

Ah Zheng couldn't help but speak up. "Dongzi..."

Ye Yaodong immediately turned and glared at him.

He shut his mouth.

Ah Guang whispered, "I get it. Dongzi must think he bought a dilapidated Western-style house for 100,000 yuan and is afraid people will laugh at him, so he's bragging."

The other two finally realized the truth.

So that's how it is.

"Oh~ I understand! Then we won't expose his bluff."

The three behind whispered quietly, and Ye Yaodong heard them, but he didn't pay them any mind.

Ye Ye Chengjiang and Ye Chenghe, listening to his description, felt a bit envious.

"Third Uncle, your Western-style house is too good! It has everything; this is too cozy!"

"It's too awesome. Third Uncle, you could just retire and live in the Western-style house to grow old."

Ye Yaodong nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way, but your grandfather certainly won't let me retire."

Ye Ye Chengjiang said, "Definitely. How could he let you retire while he works himself to death?"

"You two work hard. If the tractors stop being profitable, you can take over for me then."

Ye Chenghe thought he was dreaming. "Third Uncle, you wish. I definitely have to help my father."

"Helping your father means no wages!"

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Then I still have to help my father. Forget it. I'll just have more grandchildren for him. By the time my father is in his fifties or sixties, his grandchildren will be grown up."

Ye Ye Yaohua, who had felt somewhat gratified upon hearing the first half of the sentence, lost all feeling once he heard the second half.

Ye Yaodong patted Ye Chenghe's shoulder. "You are even better at planning than I am."

"Hehe..."

Now that he was back, besides checking the accounts the next day, Ye Yaodong also began to get busy, taking the work back from his father's hands.

Originally, he had been maintaining the various factories; occasionally letting his father cover for a while was fine, but in the long run, it wouldn't work. He still had to show up personally to connect with the person in charge and build rapport, so that the relationship could last and remain stable.

After busying himself for nearly a week, he took the opportunity of delivering goods to chat more warmly with everyone in the various places.

Meanwhile, Lin Ji brought over the certificate and explanation written by the village committee to him early in the morning.

With this certificate, it could be explained that he was buying land to build a warehouse on behalf of the village workshop, and the two storefronts he had purchased recently could also be used as proof that he intended to build a warehouse and sell goods from the storefronts.

Regardless of whether his sales were real or whether the warehouse was actually built, as long as the reason was reasonable, once he managed to buy it, how to handle it would be his own business.

Besides, he wouldn't need to keep it for too long; Pudong would soon undergo major development.

Ye Yaodong happily took it. "This should be no problem now, right?"

"Hard to say. Anyway, let's try it? At worst, we make one trip and get delayed another two days going back and forth. I don't mind; I was going to transport goods to Shanghai anyway."

"I don't mind either; as long as my father is here, he can temporarily cover for me."

"Then when do we leave?"

"Choosing a good day is better than waiting for a collision; let's just go tomorrow. Otherwise, dragging our feet, we won't know when a typhoon might strike... ah, curse it! Bad luck mouth."

But it was already mid-August; several typhoons had already struck this year, yet none had headed toward their area. They had gone south toward Guangdong Province and Hainan, and they were small typhoons, so their area could be said to have been hardly affected.

However, this was just the beginning. In past years, major typhoons usually occurred in September, October, and November. If they dragged their feet, who knows when a typhoon might strike and delay them for half a month or more.

"Alright, then tomorrow it is. I'll go with you. The cargo ship won't depart for a few more days; I'll arrange for someone else to drive it then."

"Good."

Once the departure was set, Ye Yaodong went to find his childhood friends again to talk.

They had originally planned to set sail as soon as this fishing boat returned; they couldn't let their old father work himself half to death while they stayed on shore living it up, so they had to take turns occasionally.

After hearing his words, they could only postpone it again. They accepted being scolded black and blue by their own fathers.

Knowing they had been scolded, Ye Yaodong instead felt they lacked brains.

"Are you guys stupid? You could have said that I'm getting more and more powerful, so come out with me more to see the world; then you can be like me, and when we buy a Western-style house, they can enjoy great fortune too!"

Azheng scratched his head. "That's true. Why didn't I know to say it to him like that? I just argued back. I'll know next time."

"Luckily I'm a lone wolf here; no one dares to scold me!" Fatty said proudly.

"Remember to be on time tomorrow, and bring the money along. Since everyone is leaving, no one will deliver the money to you then."

"Got it."

When it was time to depart the next day, Ye Yaodong was stunned again; these guys...

"Why are you carrying pots, pans, and bowls too?"

Aiguang proudly shook the sack on his back, immediately producing a clanging, clattering sound that nearly deafened the ears.

"I specifically packed all the small pots, lunch boxes, and iron basins that could fit inside!"

Everyone nearby burst out laughing.

"Aidong is carrying his gear to buy a Western-style house; why are you guys taking pots, pans, and bowls too?"

"We're thinking of moving onto the boat," Aiguang said offhandedly, then urged everyone to hurry outside.

Among the few of them, only Fatty and the two brothers, Ye Ye Chengjiang and Ye Chenghe, had empty hands.

No, Fatty had a large waist pouch tied around his waist.

"Don't the three of you need to bring any change of clothes?"

Fatty pointed at the sacks on the backs of the three ahead. "We stuffed them all in there for them to carry."

"You guys certainly save trouble."

Azheng laughed and said, "Dongzi, we're all learning from you. We finally understand why you hid the money inside these pots, pans, and bowls."

"You've grasped the essence; what's left for me?"

"We run around outside during the day; carrying the money on our bodies isn't very safe. We thought what you said made a lot of sense. Hiding the money inside these pots, pans, and bowls, a thief with a guilty conscience would be scared at the slightest noise. They might rummage through quilts and clothes, but who dares to rummage through pots and pans? One clatter would scare them to death."

"Idiot, that's because we were staying at a guesthouse where people came and went, so it wasn't safe. Didn't I buy a Western-style house? We're going straight to live in the Western-style house this trip; where's the insecurity? Do you think thieves would come to my Western-style house?"

The three were instantly dumbfounded, feeling they had done something unnecessary.

With that dilapidated house of his, could thieves even climb over the wall to steal things?

"Luckily you guys didn't learn the essence from me."

Fatty mocked, "You copied it, but you didn't even copy it properly!"

Aiguang, annoyed and ashamed, shouted, "Get lost! Take your ratty clothes back."

"No, no, we've already walked a long way. If you go back to sort it out, it'll be too late. We're already delaying time by waiting for each other; don't miss the boat."

Azheng was somewhat at a loss. "So we really stupidly carried this sack to Shanghai, only to carry it back again?"

Hearing Xiao Xiao scolded, "Do you scold yourself like that? Don't drag me into your self-insult."

"We're all the same."

"We're not the same. Who's like you?"

Aiguang said uncertainly again, "Dongzi, can that dilapidated house of yours even be lived in?"

Fatty was puzzled. "What dilapidated house? Isn't it a Western-style house? Didn't they all say it's a three-story small Western-style house with white walls and red bricks, with sofas and a TV? It has everything, right?"

Ye Ye Chengjiang chimed in, "Exactly, doesn't it have everything? We're just going over there to live in the Western-style house!"

Ye Chenghe nodded immediately in agreement.

The three who knew the truth were left speechless.

Aiguang couldn't help but say, "He was just speaking casually; you guys should just listen casually."

"What do you mean?"

Fatty and the two brothers immediately sensed something was wrong.

Ye Yaodong urged them, "Stop talking nonsense. Why so fussy? You should be grateful to have a Western-style house to sleep in. Stop picking and choosing. You'll know when we get there."

"Alright, you'll know when we get there."

"What's going on?" Fatty asked again, still confused.

Xiao Xiao said the same thing, "You'll know when we get there."

This made them feel even more like they had boarded a bandit's ship.

Ye Ye Chengjiang nudged Ye Chenghe beside him. "Why do I feel like Third Uncle's Western-style house has something wrong with it?"

"It does seem so? Should we still go?"

"Are you still going?"

Seeing the two lagging behind with their heads huddled together suspiciously, Ye Yaodong hurriedly urged them on.

"What are you two doing? Walk faster! If you miss the boat, I'll twist your heads off!"

Both of them instinctively touched their necks, then hurried to catch up.

"Coming, coming."

Now that they were at the point of no return, they had no choice but to go through with it.

All along the way, Fatty and the two brothers tried to ask more about the Western-style house, but those few were as tight-lipped as a sawed-off gourd, being very crafty and deliberately refusing to say anything.

This made the three of them even more uneasy, though at least they knew they wouldn't be robbed and killed.

They could only tell themselves, since they were here, they might as well make the best of it.

Fatty could still make a few jokes.

"Dongzi, remember to be gentle when the time comes, do it cleanly, and give me a quick death."

"You should know how pigs are slaughtered. First, stab one in the neck to drain all the blood, then scrape off the hair, and finally cut open the belly..."

Fatty's body tensed, and he quickly stood up and moved farther away from them.

"Is this really necessary?"

"A fat pig weighs about 200 jin. I estimate you're about the same, but since you're taller than a pig, the blood needs to drain longer to flow out completely."

"You damn..."

Everyone else chuckled.

"Hurry up and throw over your little yellow books as an offering!"

"You should have said so earlier, damn it." Fatty angrily threw the little yellow book he had been using as a cushion under his buttocks over to them.

Xiao Xiao spread out his palm and spoke up, "What about ours?"

Fatty glared at them, too angry to speak, and threw the little yellow book in his hand over as well, then moved closer himself, otherwise he wouldn't have anything to read.

"These few are the best ones I specifically kept..."

"Shut up, don't make noise. We'll read them ourselves."

After they took the boat back to the dock in Magic City, Fatty couldn't help but suggest they stay at the guesthouse again.

Everyone turned to look at Dongzi in unison. Of course, those who knew the truth wanted to stay at the guesthouse.

"Don't waste that money. Wasting is shameful. You can just stay in my big Western-style house. If you really want to spend money, just pay me some rent."

Their corners of the mouths couldn't help but twitch, and they lifted their legs and walked away.

Aiguang directly led everyone to the guesthouse.

Ye Yaodong didn't stop them, just followed behind them.

"Third Uncle, aren't we staying in the Western-style house?"

Ye Yaodong turned to look at the two puzzled men. "Actually, you don't have to stay there. If there's free time during the day, I'll take you there. You can stay as long as you want and work as long as you want. But it's better to come back to the guesthouse to sleep at night."

The place over there was full of dust, with no beds or quilts; the sleeping conditions were poor. Everyone still needed good sleep so they could work hard and pull weeds for him during the day.

"Work as long as we want? What does that mean?" Ye Ye Chengjiang looked somewhat confused.

"I misspoke. It's play as long as you want."

Everyone nearby rolled their eyes in annoyance. Just as they thought, the reason they wanted them to stay in the Western-style house was to make them work.

That dilapidated place, could anyone live there?

Aiguang had already booked the rooms and said grumpily, "Same as before. The four of us will share one big bunk bed. Ashang has his own separate room. Ajiang and Chenghe will share a room. Dongzi, you go sleep in your big Western-style house. You don't need to stay with us anymore."

Ye Yaodong: "!!!"

Who had he offended?

Hadn't he just tricked the two brothers?

Fatty happily waved at him. "I knew there was something wrong with your Western-style house. Those three deliberately didn't tell me. They're really not human."

Aiguang kicked him. "There's no space for you in the room. You go sleep in the Western-style house with Dongzi."

"No, let him sleep alone."

Ye Yaodong wouldn't bring trouble on himself. He carried his luggage and followed them upstairs, accompanying the two brothers to their room.

Ye Ye Chengjiang couldn't help but ask again, "Third Uncle, what's inside your Western-style house? Why doesn't anyone stay there, and why don't you stay there either?"

"There's nothing in my Western-style house. Absolutely nothing."

"If there's nothing, why don't they stay in your Western-style house?"

"Because there's nothing."

The two brothers' eyebrows shot up. So "nothing" meant exactly that—truly nothing at all.

"Huh? Then why did you say your Western-style house has sofas, TVs, and everything?"

Ye Yaodong said grumpily, "Think carefully. Did I say sofas and TVs? Clearly, it was you people who imagined it."

Ye Chenghe thought it over, and indeed, Third Uncle hadn't mentioned a sofa or a TV.

"That's right, Third Uncle only said iron gate, white walls, red tiles, fresh flowers, green grass, a swing, and a stone table."

Ye Ye Chengjiang chimed in as well, "Exactly."

"Right, I wasn't lying at all. It was you guys passing it from one to ten, ten to a hundred, filling in the blanks yourselves and adding fuel to the fire."

Everything he described was pure fact — nothing added, nothing left out.

Things that weren't there, he didn't add in; things that were there, he didn't leave out either.

"Then shall we go take a look together tomorrow?"

"Third Uncle, we can buy a mat and sleep on the floor inside."

Ye Yaodong almost couldn't hold it together — this silly kid.

"Cough, if you have that idea, going over to keep house for me would work too."

"Great, you take us over there tomorrow, we'll wipe the floor clean, lay out a mat and we can sleep." Ye Chenghe was thinking it sounded wonderful, overjoyed at the thought of sleeping in a Western-style house right away.

Thinking about it that way wasn't wrong either…

"Let's buy the land first."

"You guys buy the land, we're not buying. We came for your Western-style house in the first place. Just lead us to the place, you don't need to worry about us. We'll wipe your floor spotlessly clean."

"Then thanks a lot, but you'll have to come with us to buy the land too."

Ye Ye Chengjiang asked, "What are we going for? It's too sunny. It's none of our business anyway, so we won't go. We'll just wait in your Western-style house for you."

"The Western-style house can be cleaned anytime, I'll leave it all to you then, you can't escape. Let's go buy the land first."

"Why?"

Ye Yaodong revealed an auntie-like smile, "Because you guys have to buy land too."

Both of them widened their eyes, "Huh?"

"We're not buying land."

"Right, we're not buying land. I never said I wanted to buy land."

"Exactly, when did we ever say we wanted to buy land? Aren't you guys the ones buying? We're just tagging along to take a look."

Both of them got so worked up they stood up.

Ye Yaodong kept smiling, "Everyone present gets a share. You guys have been running around up and down too, it's been hard. Since we're buying as a group, everyone who participates naturally gets a share."

"We're not tired…"

"We don't need…"

"You do. We'll see how much we can buy and split it evenly."

Both of them shook their heads like waves.

"We really don't want it!"

"We can't afford it, we don't have money."

"I do. I'll lend it to you. You go back and drive the tractor, hand over what you earn each day to me, and I'll allow you to pay in installments."

Both of them kept shaking their heads and said in unison, "No!"

Ye Yaodong reached for his waistband, wanting to pull out his belt, but only felt the waistband of his trousers.

"Your dad told you to listen to me when you're out, forgot?"

Ye Ye Chengjiang retorted, "But my dad didn't tell us to buy land either?"

"Right." Ye Chenghe chimed in.

"Aren't you representing your dad? Naturally, everyone who participates gets a share."

Ye Ye Chengjiang: "Then we'll call our dad first to ask."

"Your dad's out at sea, on the ocean, can't be reached."

Ye Chenghe: "Then wait until he comes back and ask!"

"By the time he comes back it'll be too late."

"Then such a big matter we really can't decide. If we go back, our dad will beat us to death."

"Don't be afraid. Your dad said it himself, told you to listen to me. If you don't listen to me, when you go back he'll break your legs. Think about it — that's what he said back then, right?"

The two looked at each other, then recalled, and felt like that's indeed what he'd said at the time — but at the time their dad didn't know Third Uncle was going to make them buy land!

Can you listen to that?

And they still have to borrow money…

From childhood until now, only now driving the tractor did they have a little money in hand. Asking them to borrow a few thousand now made them a little scared.

(End of chapter)