Chapter 1536: The Boss's Wife

The next day after waking up, Ye Yaodong began making arrangements for his mother's arrival, scheduling the round-trip times precisely.

He had someone speed up the cleaning of the rooms at the processing plant; it wasn't just one room for his mother, but all the rooms were cleaned.

When the time comes, not only will he settle his mother, but he might also need to settle the retired soldiers, so tidying up in advance is better safe than sorry.

By the way, he also asked and confirmed that the letter he wrote to Lin Lin Guangyuan yesterday had been mailed, which finally put his mind at ease.

Back in his own office, he also called his mother to inform her of the arrival and return times, making her voice rise with joy.

"Oh my? Is it settled already? So fast? We just talked yesterday, and today you've arranged everything? I haven't even prepared yet."

"Take your time preparing, there's still time..."

"Oh my, staying for so many days? The interval between these two ships is 20 days? I went last year, and you're calling me again this year? That Western-style house is indeed beautiful; staying once makes me want to stay a second time..."

Ye Yaodong listened, somewhat confused; why was his mother rambling on about this and that?

The interval between the two ships is 20 days, but the journey there might take a week, leaving only about ten days in between; a round trip to Shanghai takes two days.

The schedule is not much different from when he came last year.

When he heard a somewhat distant voice coming through the phone, he understood; all this was said for others to hear.

"... Your son is truly filial, taking you up to enjoy life..."

"... Let him build one for you at home, and you can live there every day."

"... It's rare to take a long trip, so staying a few extra days is good, right? Don't forget to buy me that snowflake cream and the silk scarf..."

Ye Mu held the phone, smiling exceptionally happily, and said there: "... I won't forget; I've written down everything you need... Dongzi, so I'll prepare for these two days, and when the time comes, I'll just go to the town dock and wait, right? Is it Ah Shang's boat?"

Ye Yaodong sighed helplessly, "Yes, that's right; only his boat passes through our town; otherwise, how could it be so convenient? Most people's boats only resupply in the provincial capital."

"Alright, I'll remember. I'll also take the chance to see your newly opened large processing plant; I still don't know what it looks like."

"Mm."

Said again for others to hear...

"Where is your father? You called back, why doesn't he know to pick up?"

"He's still cleaning the room for you; I'll call you first when I'm done."

In reality, his father was patrolling the factory with his hands behind his back, wandering everywhere, too busy!

"Alright, then let's hang up first. Since you didn't call home but called here, I won't specifically ask Ah Qing to come over to take the call; if you have anything, just call the home phone to find her."

"Mm."

This time, Ye Yaodong specifically called the village committee's phone, mainly to find his mother.

After hanging up, he also went to inspect the processing plant; it had just started operations, and the father and son were both very attentive.

Moreover, with the factory now operating, the time he previously spent in the mornings running around, visiting other factories to learn, and inspecting construction sites was now freed up; the entire morning could be focused on managing his own processing plant.

In the afternoon, as usual, he contacted those bosses to arrange cargo matters.

The processing plant had dedicated personnel to help him manage, handle, and arrange affairs, making him appear much more relaxed, but at the beginning, he definitely had to keep an eye on things, arrange orders and prices, and handle shipments.

The day was now reasonably divided into three parts; the evening was for delivery time.

Except for occasional fishing boat rest days when there wasn't much cargo, the afternoon and evening times were freed up for him, becoming time for socializing with other bosses and treating them to meals.

With his mother not yet arrived and the factory having been busy for several days, seeing everything proceeding smoothly and getting on track, Ye Yaodong also shifted some of his focus to the shipyard.

After two days of follow-up and communication, they had agreed; the delivery time for the two 45-meter ships was confirmed to remain the same, before the 20th of the lunar month.

This time will never be exactly on the dot; the approximate delivery time is truly just an approximation; if issues, difficulties, or late arrivals occur, it must be postponed.

Being able to deliver before the New Year now is considered quite good.

Originally, one was to be completed after New Year's Day and the other after the Lunar New Year; for the shipyard, the period before the New Year is also a peak delivery season, with everyone rushing to deliver before the New Year, making this the busiest time, but this timing was not so friendly for him.

After the New Year, he will be at home; he must wait until after the 15th to come over. Naturally, he wants to sail the new ships back during the New Year to pay respects to Goddess Mazu and pray for her blessing.

So recently, he has been running back and forth to discuss, trying to urge the shipyard to hurry, aiming to deliver both ships together around the 20th of the lunar month before the New Year; originally one was early and one late, so combining them works perfectly.

It was also because he watched closely, constantly asking when delivery would be possible; now there is still room for negotiation and special attention, but if it gets any later, rushing won't help, and negotiation will be useless.

Factory Director Shen also knew they wanted to return for the New Year; the situation was similar last year, so he inquired, discussed with the masters, and urged them to work overtime as much as possible.

And about ten days after the letter was mailed, he received a call from Lin Lin Guangyuan; fortunately, he had left the processing plant's phone number in the letter to Lin Lin Guangyuan, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to receive the call.

He now spends much more time at the processing plant than at the headquarters.

"Little Uncle-in-law, I called that number and you didn't answer; fortunately, there's also the processing plant's phone number."

"Mm, when I wrote you the letter, I also left the phone number just in case; I was afraid you couldn't find me since I'm running around everywhere."

"I told the leader, and the organization said it's great that you can introduce jobs; there are many rural retired soldiers in the army whose family circumstances are too poor, and their abilities are limited. The organization said they would help make contact, noting that many have already returned to their hometowns, some even arrived home, so it's unknown if contact can be made, but those who haven't left yet can be arranged. He will contact them first, trying to prioritize those who are more difficult and in greater need, and also asked me to ask you when you can start work."

Lin Lin Guangyuan spoke rapidly, perhaps to save on phone charges.

"Then tell the leader that after the New Year, I can arrange 50 people here; 30 can be arranged on fishing boats, and 20 in the processing plant."

After speaking, Ye Yaodong thought for a moment and added, "The processing plant is more comfortable and relaxed; if there are those with disabilities or who are unsuitable for the sea, they can be arranged, but the wages at the processing plant definitely won't compare to going to sea."

Lin Lin Guangyuan listened, excited, "That's wonderful; there must be some who had accidents, received only a compensation payment, and were forced to retire; having a job is great. It's normal for wages to be lower than going to sea; having thirty or fifty yuan is already good."

"Mm, disabilities are fine, but the premise is that they don't affect the work; I'm not running a charity. Also, accommodation is provided for free; the canteen isn't set up yet; after the New Year, I'll arrange for someone to contract the canteen."

"Alright, then I must hurry and tell the leader this good news. I thought that since your processing plant had started operations, you no longer needed workers, only sailors."

"Wait, what's the rush? I haven't finished speaking yet. At the time, I was thinking the processing plant hadn't started operations yet, and we didn't know how things would go; if we hurriedly invited people over and things fell through, what then?"

"Right, right, right."

"The most secure approach is naturally after the processing plant starts operations and achieves stable production and shipments, only then can we guarantee to people; otherwise, it would just be wasting people's efforts and negatively affecting the leader's impression of you."

"Little Uncle-in-law is right."

Now, if Ye Yaodong said poop smelled sweet, he could agree.

Ye Yaodong also saw that shipments had recently stabilized, some areas were short on staff, and it was necessary to add a bit more manpower appropriately; he was also accepting orders, and there would likely be a large batch of repeat orders after the New Year.

Increasing manpower after the New Year is also necessary.

"Then talk to the leader; the timing after the New Year is just right; it allows people to spend the New Year at home before coming to work."

"Alright, I'll go tell the leadership right away, and I'll also leave them your phone number, Uncle-in-law."

"Mm, okay."

Lin Guang hung up the phone, feeling utterly delighted, and ran off like a flying arrow.

Ye Yaodong hung up the phone and began to think about personnel arrangements; he also called Manager Qi and Director Yan over to discuss it and give them a heads-up early.

As for the arrangement of the 30 people on the fishing boats, he would naturally reorganize the crew after the New Year; although retired soldiers could work as crew members without issue, they hadn't fished before, so the old still had to guide the new.

This was simple for him; every time a new boat was acquired these past two years, they had to recruit new people, then scramble and reorganize, with the old guiding the new.

Retired soldiers were far better than the villagers from the surrounding villages; after all, they had trained for four years, whereas some of the villagers recruited from the surrounding villages weren't even suitable for going to sea and were forced out onto the water against their will.

Who else but him paid such high wages? They would have to train themselves even if it cost them half their lives just to earn this pay.

His mother arrived two days later; she had taken the boat alone this trip. One time is strange, two times is familiar, and she had taken a boat belonging to an acquaintance from the village, so she wasn't afraid, just a bit regretful that she had no companion; the other passengers on the boat were all men, and in these days, it was rare for a single woman to take a boat on a long journey.

Ye Yaodong had been rotating people to wait at the freight dock a few days earlier; since they couldn't be sure which day she would arrive, they could only send people to guard the dock on a rotating basis in advance.

Most of his people recognized the few boats at Lin Ji; as soon as they saw the cargo ship return, they immediately went back to notify him, so he could only send his father to pick her up while he waited at the factory.

"Oh my, this factory is truly huge, so magnificent..."

"This is even bigger than the fish canning factory in Dongzi's town; my son is truly capable, it's just that there aren't as many buildings there, but they are taller..."

"Look at the name, Dongsheng Processing Factory; actually, I think calling it Yaodong Processing Factory would be better, hehehe, you'd know right away it belongs to Dongzi..."

"Tsk tsk tsk, this trip wasn't in vain, it's just that the roads around here look a bit poor, just like in our countryside, with villages nearby and fields even in the distance..."

"Those low, small structures with sheds, are they also processing factories? I see them carrying seafood back and forth..."

Ye's mother stuck her head out to look around elsewhere, then shook her head with a face full of disdain, "It can't compare to ours... ours is still more magnificent..."

Ye Yaodong heard the guard come over to report, came out, and saw his mother walking around the perimeter wall with a look of pride.

"... This wall is so high, it looks taller than two of me stacked? Such a big circle, how long would it take me to walk around it..."

The corner of his mouth twitched, "Do you want me to take a picture of you?"

Ye's mother turned around and hurriedly walked toward him excitedly, "Yes, yes, yes, you must take a picture of me, then develop it and bring it back for me to show my old sisters."

"The camera isn't here; let's take it tomorrow."

"Wait for what tomorrow? Just have your father ride over and get it; otherwise, you'll forget again by tomorrow."

Ye's father frowned, "What's the rush? You aren't leaving tomorrow anyway; taking a picture tomorrow would be the same."

"Who knows if you'll be free tomorrow? Aren't you still arranging for me to go to Shanghai? By the way, just bring the camera along; when the time comes, come with me to Shanghai, take a few more pictures of me there, and I can develop them later to show others."

"Why don't you say hire a photographer to follow in your footsteps?"

"That would cost too much money; aren't you free anyway? Just follow me and take a few more pictures for me; it's such a rare trip."

Ye's father glared at Ye Yaodong: It's all your fault, making trouble for me out of nowhere.

Ye Yaodong received his father's signal and immediately said, "My father is busy; right now I have fishing boats to deliver goods and also have to manage the factory matters. My father has to help me; how would he have time to follow you around blindly and take pictures for you, acting as a photographer? Does he even know how? Don't let him take ugly pictures of you."

Ye's mother nodded solemnly, "That's true, where would he know how to take pictures? The ones he takes can't even be shown to people."

"A-Guo is in Shanghai acting as my supervisor, watching the construction site over there; when the time comes, let him lead you around to tour Shanghai..."

"You guys won't accompany me? You're letting me go alone?" Ye's mother looked at the father and son in shock.

"How can we get away? We can't be without someone for even a day; A-Guo happens to be in Shanghai, so let him accompany you to tour; you can buy whatever you want, I'll pay. Here, you can pick two people to go with you to carry your things, and bring the camera along to help take pictures all the way; young people certainly know how to take pictures better than my old man."

Ye's mother was satisfied hearing this, then generously said to Ye's father, "Then I don't need you; just help Dongzi; I'll take people to tour myself."

"Mm, when to go, and who to call to go with you, you choose yourself."

"Then of course I'll choose from among the nephews, grandnephews, or grandchildren; going to Shanghai is such a rare opportunity; getting paid while touring everywhere, I must have my own people accompany me; how can I let outsiders benefit?"

"You look yourself; whoever you like, call them."

His mother really distinguished clearly between inside and outside; she wanted every benefit to go to her own people.

"Tell me, who is at home and hasn't gone to sea? I'll just pick two who are relatively free to go with me; don't let it delay your work."

"Mm, let's talk about it later; go inside and rest first; you've been on a boat for several days without catching your breath, yet you're still so energetic."

"What's there to it? As soon as I got off the boat, I came back to life," Ye's mother said, then slapped Ye's father, "What are you doing? Go back and get the camera for me; I haven't even taken a picture at the main gate yet!"

"What's the rush? It's not like I won't take pictures for you..."

Ye Yaodong held his mother's shoulders, coaxing her to walk inside, "Put your luggage down first, rest a while, and tidy yourself up. You've been on a boat for several days; your body smells sour, and your hair is messy; how is that suitable for taking pictures?"

"Tidy yourself up a bit, clean, apply some powder where needed, look a bit prettier before taking pictures; after all, they'll be developed for others to see."

Ye's father carried the luggage behind them, glaring at their backs, and was also impressed.

How could he have given birth so well, producing a son who could talk so well?

He could coax even a bristling black chicken to smooth its feathers and return to the coop.

Ye's mother nodded while listening, feeling he made too much sense, "You're right; while the noon sun is good, I'll go take a bath first, tidy up, and the sun will dry my hair quickly."

"Mm, then you can also inspect the factory, see the workers at work, and let the workers recognize you."

Ye's mother's old face bloomed with a smile, saying something contrary to her heart: "Recognize what? I'm not here every day; what's the use of being recognized?"

"How is there no use? You are the boss's mother, that makes you the boss's wife; of course, the workers need to know who they are working for."

"Just having them know me is enough; I'll just wander around a bit later; first take me to the place where I'll stay; I won't go into crowded places right now. Looking this messy, not having bathed for several days, clothes all wrinkled, hair all messy, how can I let people see me like this?"

"Alright, I'll take you to the room upstairs first; my father has already tidied it up for you."

"I suppose he has some heart."

Ye's father carried a bag of luggage packed in a blue-and-white striped woven bag on his shoulder, following behind, watching the mother and son chatting and laughing ahead; he felt like he was just a long-term laborer!

The boss's wife comes to inspect, and the long-term laborer serves behind!

As soon as they entered the room and put down the luggage, Ye's mother urged again, "Remember to bring the camera over early later; while Dongzi isn't busy yet, his photography skills are good, so let him take pictures for me. Go get it now; getting it early saves delaying Dongzi's work, and I can tidy myself up early too."

"Is tomorrow really that urgent?"

"There's sun today, and the wind isn't strong; what if there's no sun tomorrow and the wind is strong? You're free anyway, so you're free."

"Where am I free? I'm so busy my feet don't touch the ground; I only made time to go pick you up."

"What are you busy with? There's no delivery now, and this factory doesn't need you to work."

"I'm driving the tractor."

"Then how much money have you earned? So diligent, not wanting to waste a single moment; you must have earned quite a bit?"

Ye's father was left speechless.

"First, clean yourself up, then I'll take you to get it. Don't you still need to pick two people to go to Shanghai with you? Go see who is there."

"That works too, picking two people to go to Shanghai with me; will you be short on hands? You need hands for deliveries too, right?"

"No problem, it's enough. The fresh catch boat has returned; the ship is full of hands. We just need to leave a few on board to sort, weigh, and record the goods; the rest can go with me to deliver, helping to carry and lift."

"Your matters are more important; as long as it doesn't delay your work."

"Hmm, let Dad get you water to wash first; I'll go get busy."

"Fine, fine, you go get busy; your Dad will stay here."

Ye's mother now looked at Ye Yaodong and found everything about him pleasing; she only felt how good she was at giving birth, how amazing she was, with none of the scolding demeanor from the past few years.

"Hey, has that big vehicle downstairs been parked here all along?"

"Don't I have a name? Still calling me 'hey'?"

Ye's mother slapped him, "Hurry up and get me water; I'll pack my luggage first."

Ye's father picked up the thermos already placed in the room, and took the washbasin along, going down to fill it with hot and cold water.

After returning to the office, Ye Yaodong also made a call to Ah Qing first to inform her that her mother had arrived safely.

"In a few days, after my mother finishes playing and returns, I'll have my father accompany her back; at that time, let him help bring you and the children up together."

"No need, right? I can just take the children up myself; anyway, I'll just be on the boat, not getting off, and only disembark when we arrive; it won't be unsafe."

"That's not good; the whole boat is full of men; at least you should have an acquaintance accompany you. Last year, we could still ask Ah Shang to bring you up along the way; on the next trip, he isn't returning; with you taking three children, how could I feel at ease?"

"Having your father send your mother back, will there be no one to lend a hand? Won't it delay your matters too much?"

"No, I have plenty of hands. Several nephews can now help me deliver and collect payments. After my father returns, letting Lin Guangming drive the tractor is fine too; anyway, as long as the two brothers, Lin Guangming and Lin Lin Guangwen, take turns driving the big truck, I just sit in the passenger seat."

"Then as long as you can arrange it well."

"Hmm, my mother doesn't even know how many things she needs to buy. I heard a huge crowd of aunts and relatives want her to buy things for them; I think she'll have to move half of Shanghai back."

"More than just aunts and relatives; more than half the village, anyone she has a good relationship with, or is related to, or neighbors, all asked her to buy things. A few days ago, the doorstep of our home was nearly trampled down."

Ye Yaodong felt somewhat shocked upon hearing this.

He hadn't asked just now, only knowing many people entrusted his mother to buy things; could it really be that a whole truckload needs to be pulled home?

No wonder he said to arrange two people to follow her; she didn't refuse; it turns out she really needs help carrying things.

"No way, then I have to scold her; she's so people-pleasing, agreeing to everything, not afraid of exhausting herself to death?"

"Mother didn't say it so absolutely; she only said she might not be able to buy everything, and even if she could, she couldn't carry it all. Most people were refused; she only said she would try to buy as much as possible, and if there's any left, she'll tell everyone."

"That's good; I thought she really intended to move Shanghai back."

"Mainly, Mother wants to make a profit from it; otherwise, how could she agree to so many people? Doing something that takes effort but brings no thanks, working hard just to be a Lei Feng for others, exhausting herself to death; she wouldn't do that."

Proxy purchasing.

Wow, his mother is really clever; she can even do this.

"Has she collected the money yet?"

"She collected part of it; she even specially took out a notebook to record it, writing down clearly who wanted what; she even asked me to make a big summary for her, so she can state the quantities directly when she goes."

"Then I should have my father make her a flatbed cart to pull the goods directly."

"You try it; ask Dad to make one for her when he has time? I even calculated; if she really buys it back, she can still earn several hundred. Many people asked her to buy scarves; scarves are very expensive over here. They also asked her to buy cold-weather clothes and such; luckily, last year she said the prices weren't cheap, and everyone said they were very expensive. It's also because in the past two years, conditions have improved for every household in our village; every woman has money in her pocket and can earn money too; with the New Year approaching soon, everyone is willing to spend."

Ye Yaodong couldn't help but hold his forehead; his mother really exceeded his expectations.

"Might as well have my mother open a shop at home, specializing in selling goods shipped back from Shanghai."

"Heh, how would she have time? She still has to help me; if I weren't so busy my feet barely touch the ground, I'd really want to open one myself; it's quite profitable."

"Let Ye Ye Huimei open one in the town..."

"Forget it; yesterday I heard Ye Ye Huimei say that after the New Year, she might directly take the children and go up with Ah Guang; anyway, she's taking care of children wherever she is; Ah Guang is rarely home, so she might as well go up directly; anyway, you and Dad are both here."

Ye Yaodong thought for a moment and felt this actually seemed possible.

Ye Ye Huimei isn't like Ah Qing, with a house full of matters keeping her from leaving; she just needs to take good care of the three children; where is the difference in taking care of them?

By then, they can also live directly at his processing factory here; there are both male and female workers here, so living here won't be inconvenient.

"Ah Guang never mentioned it."

"Yesterday, when they were calling at our house, I heard a few words and asked; Ye Ye Huimei said now it's just been discussed as a topic, but specifics still need to be discussed after Ah Guang returns for the New Year, so she didn't mention it to you."

"Maybe I've been too busy lately."

"Hmm."

"It's good if they can come up; it also saves the couple from being separated in two places."

"Who says otherwise."

"Then let's leave it at that for now; if my mother really buys a bunch of things back, one person really can't handle it; my father needs to send her back, which would be better, and he can help her carry things up and down. When Dad returns, at that time, let him bring you all up."

"Okay."

After hanging up the phone, Ye Yaodong went to find his mother first, wanting to ask her exactly how many things needed to be bought.

If there are many things, then they really need to have his father make a flatbed cart to pull them; they can't really rely on physical strength to carry them.

Coincidentally, his mother had already finished her bath and was washing her hair in the corridor.

When he asked, his mother told him to go into the room and take the notebook placed on the bed to look at it himself.

"Next time, don't go to such trouble; you rarely come, just buy things for yourself and bring a little for relatives and friends on the side. Carrying whatever anyone entrusts you to buy; isn't that troublesome?"

"What's troublesome about it? It's just a side task; I'm just buying a little extra; I can even make a little profit from it."

"How much can you earn? Are you short on money?"

"Of course it's different—money left on the table is for fools. Sure, the items are small and cheap individually, but they add up. Especially when they ask me to buy coats, cold-weather gear, down jackets—each one costs over a hundred, and I make dozens on each. Why wouldn't I bring them? It's easy money. Last year, I brought back clothes and they had me sell them to them—I made dozens on just one coat. It was so easy."

Ye Yaodong was speechless. "So you're spending my money and still making a profit?"

Ye's mother chuckled, a little embarrassed. "I just thought—I don't need those clothes anyway, I can go without them. Selling them to them earns me money… why not sell? Free money."

"Holy shit…" Ye Yaodong pulled out the notebook from his mother's bed and flipped it open—every page was filled with names, each followed by a long list of items.

Flipping further, he found an inventory list: exactly what was needed, clearly written in Ajiang's hand.

"How much stuff are you planning to bring back?"

"We'll see if we can carry it. If not, we'll just refund them."

"You really have nothing better to do!"

"I'm just making extra money on the side. I'm already here—they're begging me to buy, so why not make the profit?"

"Then I won't give you any money. Don't think you can use my cash as capital and turn it into profit."

Ye's mother wrapped her hair in a Mao Jin and shrugged. "I don't need your money. Most of them already paid me—I had Ajiang write it all down. Who paid how much, I've got it all recorded. They pay upfront, and when I go home, I deliver to them first."

"You're running this like a real business now."

"Of course I am. I told Ajiang—if I weren't this old, I'd open a shop and make a fortune."

"Please. Once in a while is fine. You're sixty—still starting a business?"

"What's wrong with that? If I weren't in the Women's Federation, I'd open a shop."

Ye Yaodong gave his mother a look of utter disbelief, then closed the notebook and tossed it back onto her bed.

"Do whatever you want. I'm not following you around to carry your stuff—as long as you can carry it yourself."

"I can carry it. Didn't you say you'd arrange two people for me? Without you and Dad tagging along, it's better—I won't have to listen to your nagging. I'll take two younger relatives—who'd dare complain? They'll have to carry whatever I buy."

"Let your father build you a cart. You can pull it, save time and effort. Even if you take two younger relatives, don't make them do hard labor."

"Hey, that's a good idea. When your father gets back, tell him to make me one right away. Once it's done, I'll go to Shanghai."

"Perfect. Spend these next two days touring the factory—keep an eye on the workers. Don't let them slack off."

Ye's mother wiped her hair, pleased. "Sure. This job suits me perfectly. I'll just walk around watching the workers."

"Good. That was your father's job anyway—now it's yours. I'll send him off to build your cart."

"How long will it take him to come and go? He's been gone so long, I haven't seen him."

"An hour or so—not fast. Sometimes traffic's bad, cars get stuck, waiting for trucks to pass. Bicycles are actually faster."

"You've been driving that truck for a while—have you broken even? Are you saving money?"

"How am I supposed to calculate that? I never did. Too many things going on—I don't have time to check if the truck's paid for yet. I'll have Lao You tally it up at year-end."

Just add up last year's truck expenses, then this year's fuel and maintenance, subtract one from the other—you'll know if you saved or not.

But he didn't yet know if the truck saved money—he knew Ye Chenghe and Ye Ye Chengjiang were making fortunes.

This year, he added two more large boats—more cargo naturally. Their delivery runs increased too.

During the day, they had to go out to pick up goods, sometimes with downtime to rest. But at night, no breaks—every evening was packed, one delivery after another, until all cargo was delivered.

Every night, Lao You would issue a receipt for how many runs they made, then total them up at month-end for settlement.

Last year, they delivered one day, rested the next. This year, barring accidents, they delivered every single night.

Just delivering for him was enough to make them money—like a guaranteed base income.

So the two brothers planned to split up—buy another tractor, and go their separate ways. With him around, how could they fail to make money?

They'd already agreed. They'd even placed the order for the tractor. After the New Year, each would run their own vehicle, no longer working together.

Ye Yaodong thought it was fine. Next year, his cargo would increase even more. Why let outside hands profit? Another tractor meant more cargo could be shared—better to support them.

Others wanted to buy tractors to deliver for him—he refused, saying his own vehicles were enough, and rotation was sufficient.

"So your father didn't make much this year, right?"

"You're wrong—he actually made less. I've been shuttling between here and Shanghai all year—he's been holding down deliveries here for me."

He knew his mother would ask—he was impressed she'd held off this long.

"When Ajiang and Chenghe deliver for me at night, they get paid. My father doesn't—he drives my truck. Do I pay him extra? I just give him a monthly salary. At year-end, I give it all to you—over two thousand yuan total. I give him nothing."

Ye's mother rolled her eyes. "Do you think I don't know you? You're secretly giving him money and covering for him."

"He works for me—I have to feed him, give him drinks, cover his expenses. He's my father."

"And I'm your mother."

"Didn't I give you his entire year's salary? I'm on your side—I only give him the bare minimum for food."

"I'll just pretend to believe that," Ye's mother knew better—he wouldn't let his father lose out. "So then, Ajiang and Ye Chengjiang are making more than your father?"

"Of course—they own their own vehicles. My father drives mine. He earns when he hauls cargo, but he can't earn money from me by driving my truck."

"But he still has to work for you when you're away—so he doesn't have much time driving to earn."

"Right. Maybe half a morning, occasionally."

"Has he told you how much he made this year?"

"No. I don't ask him. You ask him yourself."

"Fine."

Ye's mother asked, and felt relieved. At least he wasn't lying—being too busy to earn extra meant he wasn't cheating her. How much he made didn't matter, as long as he didn't lie.

"Are you hungry? There's no cafeteria here. Should I take you out to eat now, or wait until your father comes back and takes you?"

"Wait a bit. Let your father come. My hair's still wet—I need to put on some face cream first."

Now that she had money, his mother cared about her looks—she even curled her hair, looking stylish as ever.

"Go ahead, take care of yourself. I'm leaving. If anything comes up, just call me. Anyone downstairs knows where my office is."

"You've got an office now?"

"Obviously. I'm the boss."

"Good, good, good, I'll go visit your office later."

Ye's mother was overjoyed and couldn't wait to go downstairs and tour the processing plant; she had been there a long time already but hadn't stepped inside yet.

She looked down the hallway and glanced outside, muttering to herself.

"Taking this long just to go back and get a camera? Still not here after all this time—when you get old, are your legs really this slow?"

"By the time he gets here, it'll be dark already—so sluggish…"

Ye's mother tidied herself up, her hair nearly dry; seeing her husband still hadn't arrived, she put on her elegant wool coat, tied on a beautiful silk scarf, and went downstairs.

Previously, on the boat, she had never dared wear her wool coat—that was a lesson from last year.

Last year, before boarding, she didn't know how many days the journey would take, so she dressed herself up beautifully in new clothes; but after a few days on the boat, her clothes were all wrinkled, she looked worn out, like a refugee—nowhere near the bright, polished look she had when she first boarded, all that fine clothing wasted.

This year she had learned: she boarded wearing her work clothes, only cleaned up and changed into new clothes once she arrived, slipped on her little leather shoes, so she could look bright and elegant when meeting people.

She also brought along a gold ring; she didn't dare wear anything else, afraid of losing it on the way—only the small gold ring was safe enough.

Ye's mother marched down the stairs, her leather shoes tapping sharply against the floor, feeling as if her entire demeanor had transformed.

Walking through the factory, she noticed workers pausing to glance at her; she straightened her back even more and smiled as she approached them.

"Do you know where Dongzi's office is?"

"Dongzi?"

"Your boss."

"Oh, over there, the last room on the far side. Sister, who are you? What's your relationship with our boss?"

"I'm his mother—I just came over for a few days."

"Oh, I see! No wonder he looks familiar—you two really do look alike."

Ye's mother beamed. "Right? I gave birth to him—he's always looked like me, every bit of him."

"Hehe…"

"I'll let you get back to work—I'll go to his office now."

Ye's mother's little leather shoes clicked sharply as she walked, her confidence soaring; she first toured the entire processing plant, and when someone stopped her, she said she was Ye Yaodong's mother—everyone instantly became respectful, and she felt even more at ease.

After drawing attention for a while, she headed toward Ye Yaodong's office.

"Dongzi, ha ha! Oh my, I just toured your factory—it felt so impressive! Every worker was staring at me, wondering who I was. I told them I'm your mom, and they all became so respectful—it's nothing like back in the village."

Ye's mother laughed happily, her wrinkles crinkling as if ready to fly off her face.

"Of course it's different—back in the village, everyone knows each other too well, decades of old ties; we were all the same before, and even now that they work for us, they're too familiar to show respect."

"Exactly! In the village, they're family; here, they're strangers—they know I'm your mother, so of course they have to show me respect!"

"Happy? Feeling good inside? Like drinking a cold glass of water on a hot summer day?"

Ye's mother smiled broadly. "I'm happy for you—your business keeps growing bigger. Now you process your own goods, keep all the profits—you've truly become a big boss."

"Of course I am. You just stayed in the village and didn't see it clearly—go outside, and who doesn't call me 'Boss Ye'?"

"That's great, that's great—it's really taking shape now, far better than back home."

"We've just started—take it slow."

This chapter is 10,000 characters—this makes up yesterday's update and adds today's new content.

? (End of Chapter)