Chapter 1505: So That's How It Is

Since his wife arrived, Ye Yaodong hadn't stepped out of the room at all, nor had he minded the three children below; he just stayed inside fooling around with Lin Lin Xiuqing.

Lin Lin Xiuqing told him to know when to stop, not to keep people inside laughing at them, and that he should go out and check on the children.

He turned a deaf ear.

"They're so big they can play by themselves; the older ones can watch the younger ones. Where do they need me to look? Just let them play by themselves; they won't get lost, everything's been arranged. You sleep yours, I'll sleep a bit too; don't worry unnecessarily."

"You've been inside the whole time, people are laughing at you..."

"Crazy, who's laughing at me? My wife is here, spending more time with my wife, what's the problem? Don't mind those fools; they're just bored out of their minds, they'll be playing cards in a while. No one dares laugh at you."

At most, they'd just tease him.

"Either way, let me go out for a stroll; just arrived, I haven't gone out to look around the surroundings..."

Ye Yaodong grabbed her waist and pressed down, "Where to go? There are plenty of chances to go. Lie down and rest, weren't you saying you were tired? Tomorrow I'll take you all to have a proper look around."

Being pressed down by him, Lin Lin Xiuqing could only let him have his way.

She was indeed tired; she couldn't compare to her two sons' boundless energy. After sitting on the boat for so long, they were still full of spirit, able to run, jump, and play.

She just felt exhausted and weak all over; after arriving, he had tossed and turned her repeatedly, so right now she truly just wanted to get a good sleep first.

After Ye Yaodong finished his business, he was tired too, so he held his wife and slept together.

Not until the sun set and the cold wind howled did someone start banging on the door, with shouts of "Dad! Mom!" rising and falling.

This woke up the couple who had been sleeping.

"Coming, stop knocking." Ye Yaodong huddled his neck, shivered his body, pulled on his shirt and pants, and then went to open the door.

"Open the door quickly, Dad, open it quickly..."

"It's so cold..."

When he opened the door, three... no... four of them filed in, chattering complaints from their mouths.

"Why are you so slow..."

"It's so cold outside, the wind is so strong..."

"Mom, have you been sleeping all this time? Did you not go out?"

"Are we sleeping here tonight? This bed is pressing on my head..."

"Aren't we staying in the Western-style house tonight?"

As soon as the two brothers entered the room, they made a mess and talked endlessly, while the two girls held rabbits to play, whispering their own little talk.

Lin Lin Xiuqing replied, "You've been on the boat for many days; aren't you tired at all?"

"Not tired, we still want to play, but it's so cold outside, no sun, Grandpa told us to come back inside to play, not stay outside." Ye Chenghu answered.

"That's good; since you didn't sleep at noon, you can sleep early tonight."

"Mom, have you been sleeping the whole time?"

"Mm, sat on the boat for many days, Mom was so tired, so I slept all afternoon, only just woken up by you guys now."

Ye Ye Chengyang asked, "Dad, where do we sleep? This bed is so small!"

"Sleep wherever you want, top or bottom, choose yourselves."

"Top, I want the top."

Ye Chenghu hurriedly fought for it too, "I want to sleep on the top too."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi, originally squatting with Pei Yu playing with the rabbits, seeing them fight, didn't want to fall behind, "I want to sleep on the top too."

"Forget it, you're too small, you'll fall off. Let them sleep on top, you sleep with me." Lin Lin Xiuqing said while putting on her clothes.

"I just want to sleep..."

"Be obedient; if you're not obedient, I'll leave you at home to watch the house, take your mom and your two older brothers to Shanghai, and not take you to stay in the Western-style house."

She pouted her lips and said nothing more.

The two brothers wouldn't sleep together either; each wanted a separate bunk, and the two had already assigned their spots.

Ye Yaodong also went to move the idle bunk over, letting Ah Qing make the beds for them.

After settling the beds for the night, he led the family of five down to get rice, but just as they walked out, the few children standing in the corridor were blown by the wind and didn't want to go out anymore.

They didn't force it; the wind was too strong, the temperature at night was at least ten degrees lower than during the day, now it was already below zero, plus the cold wind blowing; if someone brought them rice, he wouldn't want to go out either.

Lin Lin Xiuqing tightened the scarf around her neck, covering half her face, only exposing her eyes. "It's much colder here than at home..."

"Right, did you bring a hat up?"

"No."

"Then tomorrow I'll take you to buy one; it's too cold, you need to wear a hat, wrapping your ears too. Or you just don't come out, stay inside, I'll buy the rice up for you."

"No need, I'll go with you; otherwise, how can your two hands carry it all? Besides, we've been here for most of the day, I have to show my face too; Dad hasn't even seen me yet."

"No problem, you'll see him naturally tomorrow."

"Came here this afternoon and stayed in the room; I haven't seen what this place looks like yet, I'll take a turn around too, take a look then."

"Alright."

It wasn't dark yet, not many people had returned, probably still selling goods.

Before going to the cafeteria to get rice, Ye Yaodong first took her for a stroll; originally, this place wasn't big after the houses were built, walking around the houses once, the layout and positions were all in his mind, didn't take a few minutes.

At this time, everyone was basically eating in the cafeteria, chatting, bragging, just not many people looking.

They hadn't entered yet; looking from outside in, not many people were seen.

"People haven't returned yet?"

"Most haven't returned yet; basically, they come back after selling goods around six or seven, or seven or eight at night. In winter, it gets dark fast; not many people have returned right now."

"Oh, so now there's a cafeteria here, it's convenient for those who return late; come back and there's a hot meal to eat, otherwise have to struggle to cook themselves."

"Exactly, last year everyone worked until seven or eight, came back and still had to cook, by the time they ate it was already nine or ten at night. Letting Fatty set up the cafeteria, everyone is convenient, I save trouble too, don't need to specially arrange logistics to buy vegetables and cook, don't even need to keep accounts."

"That's good, they make money, we can save trouble too."

The two spoke as they pushed open the cafeteria door and went inside; everyone inside was an acquaintance, and upon seeing the married couple, they all greeted them in turn.

Lin Lin Xiuqing also smiled and looked at everyone.

Ye's father asked, "Where are the children?"

"The wind is too strong, so we didn't let them come down. We'll buy the meals and take them back to eat, saving them from running back and forth and getting frozen."

Ye's father nodded and said nothing.

The two got their food and dishes and left first.

Their room contained only a rectangular school desk and a long bench; the tabletop was pitted and full of holes, solid wood through and through.

The two boys had never eaten a meal like this outside before, so they immediately felt it was novel; even Pei Yu joined them, sitting in a row to eat dinner together.

"Dad, when are we going to Shanghai?"

Ye Yaodong felt helpless; he had already answered this type of question countless times, such as: When are we going to Shanghai? When are we going to live in a Western-style house? When will Mother come up?

"I just answered you this afternoon! The day after tomorrow! Put your ears on, stop just asking with your mouths; the day after tomorrow morning!"

Ye Chenghu, being glared at, shrank his neck and let out a few awkward laughs.

"Hehe, understood. Then we'll just play here all day tomorrow?"

"Mm."

"Is there anything fun to do here?"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi chimed in eagerly, "No, this place isn't fun; there's nothing to play with here. Shanghai is fun. Dad rides a motorcycle to take us around Shanghai; so many people, so many small cars, such big shops, such tall buildings! Clean roads."

"Don't talk so much while eating." Ye Yaodong warned her.

"Sister... can I go with you?"

"Of course you can!"

"You agreed so readily, yet you can't even go yourself; how can you take her?"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi's eyes widened round, her mouth stuffed full of rice, looking like a puffed-up pufferfish.

"Why! I want to go!"

"We'll have to call your uncle-in-law; only then can you go. The motorcycle can't fit that many people."

Pei Yu immediately put down his chopsticks and stopped eating. "I'll go find Dad."

By the next day, not only did Ah Guang want to go, but the other two who were bored out of their minds also wanted to follow, saying they were going to buy New Year's goods; only Fatty was too busy to leave.

Ye Yaodong didn't mind; since they were idle anyway, it was perfect for them to come along and help him watch the children.

This year, New Year's Eve falls on January 26th, and today is already the tenth day.

They must definitely be home no later than the Little New Year, and ideally twenty days before the New Year.

Ye Yaodong had flipped through the wall calendar early this morning; he would probably stay here for about ten more days, which was just right, enough time for him to take his wife and children to tour all of Shanghai.

He would definitely need to reserve two days then to reconcile accounts and pay the workers their wages.

Also, the four boats from the factory would be delivered one after another from after New Year's Day until the end of the lunar year, throughout this entire month.

He decided to simply have the factory director change it so all boats are delivered on the same day; there was no need for staggered delivery. Since they would be in hand early anyway, he couldn't let the workers sail the boats out to earn money right now.

Everything would be planned uniformly after the New Year.

Ye Yaodong didn't just take Lin Lin Xiuqing shopping today; he also took her to the shipyard to visit the boats she would soon own.

Although the family had many boats, she had never actually been to a shipyard; today was her first time. She watched with unblinking eyes, her face full of wonder.

It wasn't just her; the two sons were the same, looking more excited than anyone else.

"Dad, this is the shipyard! It's so big!"

"So Brother Brother Ahai works in a shipyard like this; that's so cool! I want to be like him too..."

Ye Yaodong gave Ye Chenghu a disdainful look. "That's all you have to show for your ambitions."

"What? If I can work here in the future, isn't that very ambitious? Dad, you'd have face too; the village would surely praise you for raising a good son!"

Lin Lin Xiuqing couldn't hold back her laughter. "You'd just be laughed to death, you silly boy."

"Why? Isn't working in such a big factory something everyone envies?"

Ye Yaodong was starting to lose his composure. "Aren't you already envied by everyone right now?"

"Envy me for what? Envy me for having so many toys?"

"Damn it, they envy you for having a good father! If you didn't have a good father, could you have so many toys? Could the village children all envy you and listen to you?"

"Right, they envy me for having a good father. Their parents wouldn't even buy them toys; if they asked, their parents would beat them..."

"Stop nagging. It seems you're destined to be a worker after all."

Ye Chenghu didn't understand what his father meant, but seeing the man walk further inside, he hurried to follow.

Ye Yaodong and his group had been strolling for a short while before Director Shen finally arrived.

"Oh? You brought your wife and children this time?"

"Yes, with the New Year approaching, my wife finally managed to free up some time, so I had someone bring her up to play for a few days, and we'll go back together when the New Year is near."

"What a good man. I didn't expect your sons to be so big already."

"We rural people marry early."

"Everyone does. They say the legal age is 20 and 22, but most marry at eighteen or nineteen. My daughter is already twenty-four; it's worrying me to death."

"Worry about what? Comrade Shen is beautiful, a returnee from abroad, and works at a bank. People wanting to be your son-in-law could line up from here all the way to Jingcheng."

"Hehe..."

Lin Lin Xiuqing perked up both ears.

But they happened to say no more, only chatting about fishing boats.

Ye Yaodong led Lin Lin Xiuqing to finish viewing the boats awaiting delivery, then confirmed that his four boats would be delivered together on a chosen date, so he could drive them away all at once when he had free time before the New Year.

He also asked Director Shen if there were any opportunities to snatch a bargain like in the previous few months, if anyone had produced half a boat and then changed their mind due to a price increase.

He asked the usual questions each time he came over.

As expected, this time too came up empty.

Everyone's anger over price hikes and refusal to buy boats was mostly temporary; once they found out prices had risen elsewhere too, they'd grit their teeth and accept it.

Even if they shouted they'd cancel after the fuss, they'd quickly rush back to make amends once they calmed down—he'd been lucky at the time, having arrived just after the full price hike, snatching up the boats before others could change their minds.

Now isn't like the early days of the full price hike; back then most people weren't prepared, but now everyone knows the cost of building boats is no longer comparable to before.

Lin Lin Xiuqing asked only after they'd left the factory: "How many boats do we have now? How many more are scheduled at your shipyard?"

"You know the seventeen small ones; after the Dongsheng and two new ones are delivered, we'll have five. There's also one 30-meter fishing boat converted into a fresh-hauler, delivered together. The Yuan Yang No. 1 is already earning, and No. 2 and No. 3 are coming soon. Plus the two original fresh-haulers."

"Twenty-eight?"

"Right. And this shipyard still has two 45-meter boats to deliver next year or the year after. I've also ordered two 45-meter ones in Magu, also due next year or the year after."

Lin Lin Xiuqing clicked her tongue, stunned—there were still this many undelivered? And all large fishing boats?

"You… you're really something…"

"I'm planning to order a 50- to 60-meter large fresh-hauler later; otherwise, once all these boats arrive in two years, I won't be able to collect enough cargo."

After all, he didn't just collect his own cargo—he gathered the catch from his brothers' and friends' boats too.

Right now, two fresh-haulers collecting from existing fishing boats is just right, leaving them idle one day out of two; but once he has more boats in two years, he won't be able to keep up.

"This… so much cargo—can you even sell it all?"

"So I'm thinking of using another plot of land to build a processing plant—start small this two-year window. If it actually turns a profit, I'll expand slowly. By the time our fishing fleet grows in a few years, we'll be self-sufficient."

He hadn't been idle this past year—spending free time touring around, supplying cargo to several processing plants, learning a bit, and wanting to give it a try.

Otherwise, having so much cargo is too passive; better to control it yourself.

And there are simply too many seafood processing plants here—this year alone, small workshops have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, while the original small ones have slowly grown larger.

Last year's desolate plots now have small workshops built on them; a small workshop has even gone up near his other five-acre plot.

After all, this port is a natural resource—raw materials are convenient, and in our country's early stage, everything's scarce; if you're willing to work, making money now is like picking up cash off the ground.

Take Chen Jiannian—he was struggling when I met him early this year, so I fronted three months' worth of cargo for him to offset his factory's debt, clearing his arrears.

He's still able to supply the factory continuously, earning a little himself, while Chen Jiannian recovered—he also earns a commission by referring his cargo to the factory.

I wasn't in a hurry for him to repay me; I gave him the commission from every transaction, letting him accumulate it himself.

After all, the factory was introduced by Chen Jiannian, and he's still supplying it.

Now he's built his own small workshop with accumulated savings, thriving—he didn't even take long, and last month he repaid me ten thousand yuan outright.

That surprised me—his workshop was only two or three months old, yet he could repay me ten thousand yuan so quickly.

I figure by Lunar New Year, Chen Jiannian will have repaid all the tens of thousands he owes me, since the year-end is always the peak season for cargo settlement.

Ye Yaodong told Lin Lin Xiuqing about this.

Lin Lin Xiuqing knew Ye Yaodong had advanced cargo payments to Chen Jiannian to help him out, but she never imagined helping him so casually would actually pull him back onto solid ground.

Hearing this, she was also stunned.

"So he's turned things around?"

"Looks like it—he's got real drive. Years ago, he dared to follow me alone to Wenshi. After the incident, though he escaped, he still made it here alone to fight for his life—he's got grit."

He truly has the heart to strive; only those who fight hard win.

"So now you're his great benefactor?"

"How to put it? I played a part in the beginning—helping him was just settling a karmic debt. If he remembers my kindness, I'm glad; if he doesn't, I don't care."

Back then, he looked truly pitiful—he was nearly back on his feet, then got knocked down again, worse than before.

And this man, when he thought of those he'd caused to die, wept with guilt, determined to earn money to make amends—he wasn't beyond redemption, and had conscience.

If he ever makes real money and returns to his hometown to compensate the victims' families, it'll bring them some comfort—even if belated.

Lin Lin Xiuqing smiled. "That's good. We shouldn't assume the worst of people. At home, you rely on parents; outside, you rely on friends. When you're away, help when you can. Even if it's a stranger, if they're in dire straits, we should lend a hand within reason."

"Exactly—be kind to others."

"Do as you see fit. I don't understand these things—you're out running around every day, seeing the world, so you decide. You've got money now."

"I've got money, but I still have to tell you and consult you!"

"Now you're all about consultation—why weren't you this thoughtful before?"

"Wasn't it because you all had short sight? You opposed everything I did, always thought I was unreliable. Could I really take your advice? I knew I was right, so I acted—and dealt with the consequences later. By the time you agreed, the tea would've gone cold."

"Yes, yes, I'm short-sighted, I'm a woman with narrow views—but wasn't I just trying to protect this home, protect the wealth we've got? I'm terrified of poverty. Now we have some money, of course I want to save it, afraid it'll vanish if we fritter it away."

"Alright, let's drop this."

Each of us has our own reasoning—neither is wrong.

It's only because I gained extra memories—if not, I'd be as fearful and hesitant as my elder and second brothers, too timid to act, just like them—they're the normal ones.

"Should we go see Chen Jiannian's workshop?"

"No, I've already been. You don't need to go—no need for you to interact with him. I'll handle it."

Ye Yaodong didn't want Lin Lin Xiuqing to associate with too many messy people.

To him, Chen Jiannian was a tainted, messy individual—he didn't want her involved in too much complexity.

"Alright, then where are we going now?"

"I'll take you to see the land and shops I bought—your own property, you need to know it."

"Alright."

Ye Yaodong didn't just show her the land—he also took her to see nearby factories and small workshops.

Though they couldn't enter, just glancing at the entrances let them see what each was processing.

It gave her some sense of the scene.

The three children were utterly bored, complaining there was nowhere to wander and nothing to play with, constantly calling to go home.

He simply sent the three of them back, then the couple continued to stroll around slowly, chatting as they went — discussing plans, discussing what to do with the land.

Without the kids getting in the way, it was much easier for the two of them to talk, no need to be distracted watching the children, chatting on and off.

Ye Yaodong also decided to wait until after the New Year to get things done; before the New Year wasn't the time to be messing around with all sorts of things, only suitable for going over the accounts and going home for the holiday.

"Shall we stop by the bank to check the savings on the way? Didn't you say 500,000 was deposited in the bank? Is it at the bank where Director Shen's daughter works?"

"Yeah, ran into her several times. That woman kept pushing me to deposit, and before that with the loan she kept pushing me to apply, analyzing to me that there were benefits."

"So…" Lin Lin Xiuqing's gaze had already turned sharp. "So you took out a loan of 200,000? And then deposited 500,000 in bit by bit?"

"Yeah, I figured they couldn't cheat me — getting 200,000 straight from the bank, no interest to pay, that's a good thing too. Turn around and deposit it, and you make money. The later deposits were also her constantly pushing, and I figured it'd be nice to help her hit her targets…"

"And so you deposited 200,000, then another 300,000."

"Right, after keeping it in for a year it felt pretty stable. Anyway, the money's just sitting there either way — we can't put all our money in, but putting some in to earn a bit of interest is fine. Win-win, good for her, good for me."

"Oh, I see, so you two must be pretty close then?"

"Sort of, drinking buddies, recog—" Ye Yaodong caught himself in an instant.

(End of chapter)