Chapter 1546

The men had all returned to the village, and the atmosphere of the entire village was different, even the atmosphere in the workshop was different.

Usually, they chatted about gossip, but now they were all chatting about how much their respective husbands' wages were, what home appliances they were going to add to their homes after the holiday, discussing it with great interest.

Everywhere was prosperous, and even the dogs were running around happily.

Ye Yaodong had just entered the workshop when he was surrounded by dogs, leaving him with almost nowhere to step, so he had to hurry around and come out quickly.

Just as he came out, those dogs wanted to rub against him again, so he could only kick them while walking, and it was only after scolding them a few times that they became obedient again.

It got dark early and the weather was cold, so most people stayed at home. He didn't stay outside for long either. After strolling around casually and seeing that there was no one on the road, only excited children running, jumping, and sharing toys, he went straight home.

At this time, everyone at home was probably being kind and filial, showing concern for each other.

The old lady sat at the entrance, and seeing him return after just one stroll, she hurriedly called him back into the room.

"It's cold outside, and it's already dark. Don't run outside anymore, hurry back to the room to rest. You've been drifting on the sea for two or three days, you must be exhausted, why are you still walking outside?"

"I just finished eating, so I strolled around casually. It's been a long time since I've been back, so I took the opportunity to digest and look around."

After Ye Yaodong finished speaking, seeing that the old lady had no reaction and was looking at him with a somewhat dazed expression, as if guessing what he was saying, he raised his voice and said it again.

He almost forgot that the old lady's hearing hadn't been as sharp since the first half of the year.

Now he felt her hearing was even worse.

The old lady touched her ears with a face full of smiles. "They're useless, I can't hear anything more and more now. Stroll after you wake up, there's sun during the day, and the wind isn't that strong."

Ye Yaodong responded and then entered the room.

The old lady followed closely behind.

"Where are the three little ones? Where did they run off to play again?" After saying this, he went to the old lady's ear and repeated it.

"I don't know whose house they ran to. They were still playing at the entrance earlier. I'll call them in a while, and they'll naturally come back to sleep."

"Then you go to sleep early."

"Okay."

Talking meant either shouting or leaning close to her ear, which was exhausting.

Ye Yaodong waited until he entered the room before asking Lin Xiuqing again, "Why does it feel like the old lady's hearing is even worse?"

Lin Xiuqing put down the pen she was using for bookkeeping.

"It is worse. At first, she wasn't like this; when greeting her, as long as you were a bit louder, she could respond. Now, sitting at the entrance, when we talk to her, she doesn't hear us at all, and we have to lean close and speak into her ear."

"No wonder when we were eating, we said so much, but didn't see her say a word."

"Sometimes when we shout a bit louder, she thinks we're being fierce to her. It's really something; if we shout softer, she can't hear."

"I'll ask in the city in a day or two to see if there's a hearing aid I can get for her."

"What hearing aid? What is that?"

"I've heard people mention it, it's something you wear on your ear to help you hear. They have them abroad, I don't know if they have them in the country."

"That must only be in big cities. How could they possibly have them in our small place? And she's already at that age, so it doesn't matter. Just eating, drinking, and sunning herself every day is enough."

"Let's ask first. If she can't hear anything, she'll only get more confused. Being able to hear some sound will give her something to look forward to."

"Suit yourself, as long as you have the time."

"I'll take the opportunity to look when the time comes. The Magic City should have them. I'll look when I'm free."

Ye Yaodong also felt that it was impossible for them to have them in their small place; he would probably still have to go to the Magic City.

"Is the amount earned this year calculated?"

"How could it be that fast? It's complicated. There are several account books: fishing boats, processing plants, workshops, fish sauce, shops, rental income, a whole bunch, plus various expenditures and wages. I have to summarize them properly."

"The account books I handed to you are all summarized."

"Then I still have to copy them over to calculate. It's estimated that it will take two days."

"Then you should also hire a professional accountant here, otherwise doing the bookkeeping yourself is also troublesome."

"Let's talk about it later. I only feel at ease if the bookkeeping is done by our own people. In a few days, when I go back to my parents' house, I'll ask Dongxue. It's estimated that she should be assigned a job in a few months. If we want to hire her, it's also a toss-up."

"Ask first. Offer her a salary of 150 or 160; that's definitely two or three times higher than the unit she's assigned to."

Lin Xiuqing frowned and nodded without saying much. Even with such a high salary, she might not be willing, so she could only try asking.

After all, being assigned to a state-run unit is different. Although individuals have money now, their status isn't high, and they are still looked down upon. No matter what, it's not as enviable as an iron rice bowl of 30 or 40 yuan a month.

This is the same as the difference between a web novelist with an annual income of one million and a civil servant with a monthly income of 3,000 yuan.

"Why aren't you going to take a bath yet? Why are you still hanging around here?"

"I just finished eating and went out for a stroll, I just got back."

"Go, don't hinder me from calculating accounts."

"We earned about 4 million this year, right?"

"I made a rough estimate, it's about right. I have to finish summarizing the specifics and have the income and expenditure clear before I can know the exact amount."

"About right is fine, how can it be accurate to every cent."

Ye Yaodong was delighted. He was still the capable one; this year's income had doubled again.

"By next year, we should break 10 million, right?"

"There shouldn't be any problem, but we still have to be a bit low-key."

"Yeah, anyway, I earned it all out of town."

"However, we don't have that much cash. Every time we earn money, you take half to buy boats, then buy land and build houses, etc. You haven't spent little money this year. I estimate that including what we earned before, the cash on hand is about 3 to 4 million."

"That's also fine."

It's useless to keep so much cash on hand. Having so much circulating on hand is already enough. Most of the money still has to be converted into assets to be safe.

Lin Xiuqing asked, "Should we send all the New Year's gifts tomorrow morning? I'll go to the city the day after tomorrow to send New Year's gifts, and also reconcile the accounts so that the workers can go on holiday."

"I know, I've already planned it all."

She nodded and continued to press the calculator.

Ye Yaodong, being idle, went to take a bath first, then called the three children back and let them take a bath too. They had been crawling and rolling outside all night, and he didn't know how dirty they were, so it was just right to wash and sleep.

However, it was a bit hard to call them; he shouted until his throat was sore, but no one came back.

Later, he had to mobilize the dogs to help find them, and only then did he catch them and call them back one by one to take a bath.

"Keep the new schoolbags well, don't always take them out, otherwise when school starts, the new schoolbags will become old schoolbags, dirty and messy, and there will be nothing to show off."

Ye Xiaoxi was jumping and skipping with her schoolbag on her back. "I'll just carry it for everyone to see tonight, I won't take it out tomorrow. It definitely won't get dirty, I'll wipe it in a while."

"Xiaoyu, go home and take a bath and sleep too."

"I don't need to wash, I've already agreed with my sister, we'll sleep together tonight!"

"That's right, I want to sleep with my sister tonight, we want to sleep in one room, I want to sleep upstairs."

"Fine, I'll have your mother lay out the bedding for you in a while."

The two little girls were extremely happy, holding hands and jumping and skipping in front, whispering that they wanted to fill the bed with toys tonight and play while sleeping.

The twins followed behind them.

"I want to too..."

"I want to sleep together too..."

"No, it won't fit, you go home and sleep." Ye Xiaoxi protested.

Pei Yu also shouted along, and even clenched her fists. "You go home, don't follow me, or I'll hit you."

Ye Yaodong laughed and picked up the twins, one in each hand, and took them home first.

His family already had enough children and was noisy enough; if two more came, the upstairs would collapse.

"Why do you two boys follow the two sisters all day? Aren't you ashamed? Just find your own friends to play with."

"Sister has candies..."

He hadn't thought of this reason.

Ye Yaodong put the two at the entrance of their house, watched them go in to complain that Pei Yu wouldn't take them and even wanted to hit them, and only then did he walk away with a smile.

Ye Xiaoxi had always slept with Lin Xiuqing, and it was only when he was at home that she was driven to sleep with the old lady.

During those few days at the processing plant, she slept in a bed alone for the first time, but she was also in the same room as her brothers, so she wasn't afraid.

Now that she wanted to sleep by herself, Lin Xiuqing naturally agreed. Besides, with Pei Yu accompanying her, she immediately arranged it for them.

Ye Yaodong suddenly felt that his daughter had grown up and could sleep by herself.

"This child grows up really fast, looking at her, she's grown up all of a sudden."

"Isn't that so? In a few years, she'll be able to get married."

"Get married my foot? How old is she?"

"Your eldest brother is only five or six years older than you, and in two years he could be a grandfather."

"I'm not in a hurry..."

After the New Year, he would only be 33...

"It's estimated that in these two days, the doorsteps of eldest brother and second brother's houses will be broken again. Ah Hai and Ah Jiang are both at the age."

"What about Ah Hai, when is he coming back?"

"I heard he can only go on holiday in two days. Eldest sister-in-law told him to bring a partner back, otherwise he'll come back and have a blind date. He's already a 20-year-old young man."

It's all because they're full and idle. These women like to be matchmakers for others, inquiring every day about how old whose boy or girl is. Even the Old Man under the Moon doesn't know as clearly as they do.

Ye Yaodong only complained in his heart. Who let the environment be like this now? Late marriage and late childbearing are generally in units, or the family has no money and can't afford a wife, so it's delayed.

"Sleep."

"You sleep first, I'll finish looking at the accounts, and in a while, I'll take the opportunity to go upstairs and see if they're asleep. One by one, they definitely can't bear to sleep."

"Hmm."

He had long been tired.

He fell asleep quickly after lying down, and didn't know when Lin Xiuqing lay down, only feeling it in his dreams.

The next day, he was woken up by the barking of dogs.

Early in the morning, was the barking of dogs too intense?

He woke up and continued to cover himself with the quilt, feeling that the sunlight outside the window was particularly strong. He stayed in bed for a long time before getting up.

"What happened just now, why were the dogs barking?"

Ye Chenghu looked at him with a dazed expression. "Dad, why are you scolding people?"

Ye Chengyang was also a bit stunned. "That's right, we didn't do anything."

"Dad, if I'm a dog, you're a dog too!"

Ye Yaodong glared at the two. "I'm asking why the dogs were barking like that just now, barking so miserably, and a bunch of dogs followed suit."

At this moment, a wolfhound walked silently to his feet and rubbed against his leg.

He touched the dog's head and identified the fur on its body; this one should be called Facai.

Ye Chenghu's spirit was shaken, and he immediately complained. "Dad, Xiaojiu is too much. Xiaojiu and the cousins knocked out one of 'Gongxi's' teeth, so 'Gongxi' was angry and kept barking just now, and the other dogs followed suit."

Ye Chengyang echoed, "That's right, 'Gongxi' is bleeding and is missing a tooth."

This time it was Ye Yaodong's turn to be surprised. "What's going on? How could a tooth be knocked out?"

After speaking, he turned around and walked into the courtyard to scan around, and also saw 'Gongxi' lying there in front of the dog kennel with a look of hopelessness.

He walked toward the wolfhound.

Ye Chenghu followed behind him and complained, "Ye Xiaoxi and her friends were jumping rubber bands, and she didn't want to stand as a pillar, so she told 'Gongxi Facai' to stand for her, letting the dog bite the rubber band, and then she and her friends and cousins jumped the rubber band..."

Ye Chengyang also added from the side, "Then she also told 'Gongxi Facai' to bite tighter, and later 'Gongxi's' tooth was pulled out by their rubber band jumping..."

"She kept saying it was the cousin who didn't know how to play, which pulled the dog's tooth out..."

Ye Yaodong's head was full of black lines as he listened. He touched the wolfhound's head, listened to its whimpering, pried its mouth open to look, and the sharp tooth on the bottom was indeed missing one.

"It really is missing one... 'Gongxi'... uh... no, this name is..."

"Dad, you have to beat them up, they are too much." Ye Chenghu was extremely angry.

"Where is she?"

Ye Chengyang said, "Ye Xiaoxi said she wanted to go buy bones to bring back for 'Gongxi' to eat, let it bite more, and the tooth would grow out."

"Dad, can its tooth grow out?"

"It's a bit difficult. It's already over a year old and is already an adult."

"I'm going to call her back and beat her up!" Ye Chenghu immediately ran out.

Ye Chengyang squatted beside 'Gongxi' with a look of heartache, constantly touching its dog head.

The big wolfhound had no reaction at all, just lying on the ground, its face pressed against the straw on the ground, its face full of hopelessness.

"Dad, what should we do if it's missing a tooth?"

"Nothing to do, it will eat and drink as usual. It's missing a sharp tooth on the left, doesn't it still have one on the right?"

Ye Yaodong touched his pocket and took out a yuan for him. "Go buy a few pig lungs and bring them back to give it an extra meal to comfort it."

"Oh, okay, Dad."

The big wolfhound whimpered on the ground, still motionless.

"You've been wronged."

Ye Yaodong touched it for a while before returning to the room for breakfast.

This dead girl can play anything, and she even thought of letting a dog stand as a pillar for her.

After a long while, Lin Xiuqing came back and found out.

"I was wondering why the wolfhound was barking so loudly earlier. Thinking you were sleeping at home, I didn't pay attention."

"These few need to be beaten."

Ye Xiaoxi was also dragged home by Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang. She also knew she had caused trouble, so she was dawdling, just worried about being scolded when she got home.

"Brother... let's go home a bit later..."

"No!"

"Brother... I didn't do it on purpose, I didn't knock its tooth out... it was the cousin, I hit them..."

"It was you who told them to stand as pillars."

"It was the cousin who knocked it out, I didn't even play with them, they didn't know how to play but insisted on playing, it's so annoying."

"Don't quibble, it was you who told them to bite the rubber band."

Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang sang in harmony angrily.

Ye Xiaoxi's mouth flattened, tears were about to fall, and she was dragged into the courtyard while dawdling.

"Gongxi..."

The wolfhound raised its eyelids, then turned its head directly away, ignoring her.

Usually, as soon as it heard her call, it would immediately wag its tail and lick her.

"Dad, I brought my sister back."

Ye Xiaoxi started crying loudly as soon as she was in the courtyard. "It wasn't me, it was the cousins who didn't know how to play but insisted on playing, and then the rubber band got tangled."

Lin Xiuqing walked out and scolded her. "Then you couldn't tell the dog to bite the rubber band. It was clearly you playing a game, but you wanted to be lazy."

"It was the cousin..."

Ye Yaodong also scolded, "The cousin is young and doesn't understand, doesn't know how to play, but don't you understand either? If you didn't tell the dog to bite the rubber band, wouldn't it be fine?"

Ye Xiaoxi was teary-eyed, crying until she was out of breath. "Woo woo woo... I was wrong, I won't do it next time, I didn't do it on purpose, I was just playing with them..."

Lin Xiuqing said, "You can't bully the dog like this in the future."

"I didn't bully it, I was playing with them, they also wanted to play with me."

Ye Yaodong: "Alright, as long as it wasn't on purpose. Since you're raising them, you have to treat them better, they are also your little friends."

"I know, I like them very much, I was just playing with them."

"Hmm, as long as you know."

Ye Chengyang gave the straw rope he was carrying to Lin Xiuqing. "Mom, the pig lungs Dad told me to buy, and there are bones here, which sister bought."

Ye Xiaoxi asked with teary eyes, "Then can its tooth grow out? My tooth is almost growing out."

"No, it's already an adult and has already passed the teething period."

"Oh."

Ye Yaodong pried her mouth open and looked at her front teeth; there was indeed a small tooth tip emerging.

"Your little front tooth is finally about to grow out."

Ye Xiaoxi pried her other front tooth. "This one is also loose."

Her two bottom baby teeth had fallen out, and after they grew out, the front tooth she had knocked out the year before last had traces of emerging.

Grow the bottom first, then grow the top.

Ye Yaodong shook her tooth and suddenly felt another one inside.

"Damn, this one didn't fall out, and another one is about to grow inside. Aqing, hurry up and pull it for her."

Lin Xiuqing also looked at her teeth and found that there were indeed white traces inside the gum, feeling hard and about to emerge.

"It's really about to grow out, hurry up and pull it, otherwise it will become buck-toothed in the future."

"You pull it for her."

"It's not loose enough..."

"Then what to do? Go to the hospital?"

Lin Xiuqing rolled her eyes at him. "Go to what hospital? Go to the hospital for one tooth? Get a piece of rope."

"Is a rope okay?"

"A pair of pliers is also okay."

Ye Xiaoxi shivered all over and hurriedly covered her mouth. "No pliers!"

She had seen pliers, a big iron tool. Eldest uncle and second uncle next door used them to tighten screws. She didn't want them.

"No pliers, I don't want pliers..."

The tears that hadn't dried yet fell down again.

"Then get the rope first."

Ye Yaodong listened to the instructions and went to find a rope first.

Ye Chenghu had already excitedly cut a nylon fishing net line and brought it over. "Mom, the rope is here, for you."

Ye Xiaoxi reached out to cover her mouth and shook her head. "Don't pull..."

"If you don't pull it, your teeth will grow crooked, be obedient."

Ye Chenghu laughed and teased her, "It just so happens that the dog lost a tooth, and you're also pulling one. You're both toothless."

Ye Yaodong patted his head. "Don't gloat."

Lin Xiuqing took the rope and said to them, "You help me hold her, I'll pull it directly."

Ye Chengyang immediately helped Lin Xiuqing take her hands away.

Ye Chenghu also hugged Ye Xiaoxi so she wouldn't move around.

Ye Yaodong pried her mouth open.

Ye Xiaoxi cried woo woo woo, but couldn't break free.

Lin Xiuqing hardened her heart, tied the rope to her tooth, and pulled it out with a little force.

She screamed, "Ah, woo woo woo, it hurts..."

"Alright, it's fine after pulling it out. Fortunately, it was loose, so it could be pulled out."

Ye Yaodong went into the room, scooped a ladle of water, and gave it to her to rinse her mouth.

She was crying while spitting out the bloody water in her mouth. "Too bad... you teamed up to bully me..."

"After rinsing your mouth, go back to the room with me, throw the tooth under the bed, and it will grow out neatly."

"Can I not throw it? Can I play with it?" Her eyes were filled with tears.

"No, it will only grow out if you throw it."

Ye Chenghu lowered his head to pry her mouth. "Let me see your front teeth, toothless, both teeth are gone, can't eat watermelon anymore."

Ye Xiaoxi hit him angrily. "It's growing out... there are teeth..."

"Leaking wind..."

Lin Xiuqing pulled Ye Xiaoxi. "Go throw the tooth first."

Ye Xiaoxi was pulled toward the room, but her head turned toward the outside and she threw out harsh words. "You just wait!"

Ye Chenghu patted the wolfhound's head. "Revenge for you!"

Ye Yaodong scolded him. "How are you talking?"

"Hehe..."

After the commotion, fortunately, it didn't take too long.

The gifts to be sent had already been prepared one by one last night, so now he just had to carry them to the village cadre's house.

However, before leaving the house, he saw Ye Xiaoxi squatting beside the wolfhound, whispering.

"Don't be angry anymore... you lost a tooth, and I also lost a tooth... we're even..."

"You can't be angry with me anymore, lick, lick my palm, lick..."

"My tooth was thrown away by Mom, otherwise I'd show you, look at my mouth, there's really one tooth missing..."

"Otherwise I'll tell you a secret, you can't be angry with me anymore..."

"My grandpa hid a gold ring, it's so big, and he even gave me two yuan, telling me not to tell Grandma, it's shiny, even bigger than my big toe..."

"I even took the two yuan to buy bones for you to eat, you lick..."

It's over, he felt his father couldn't keep it for a day.

Ye Yaodong flicked her forehead. "How was I told you? You took the money but didn't do the job?"

"Ah? I only said I couldn't let Grandma know, I didn't tell anyone else, I just told it, it can't talk, it definitely won't tell anyone else."

"Be obedient."

"I am obedient."

"You're obedient my foot."

At this moment, Pei Yu poked her head in at the entrance. "I heard it, why didn't you give me two yuan? I want it too!"

Ye Xiaoxi happily pulled her in. "Shh, you can't tell, then you go ask my grandpa for two yuan."

"That's grandfather."

"It's my grandpa."

"It's grandfather."

Ye Xiaoxi tilted her head. "It's all the same."

(End of chapter)