Chapter 1551: Grand Birthday Celebration

New Year's Eve was no different from previous years; the only ones busy as usual were Lin Lin Xiuqing and Ye's mother, while the men, after finishing their meal, simply patted their bottoms and went off to play cards.

As for the children, as soon as they received their New Year's money, they hopped off the table early, put on their new clothes, stuffed their pockets with pocket money, firecrackers, and snacks, and happily ran out to play wildly.

For several days in a row, Ye Yaodong found it rare to relax.

Busy from the start of the year to the end, only those few days of New Year's Eve and the first day of the first lunar month allowed him to ease up.

However, this year he couldn't relax for many days; on the fifth day, the old matriarch was celebrating her grand birthday, so they started getting busy from the fourth day.

Driving a tractor to haul tables, chairs, benches, bowls, and chopsticks, they also had to prepare dishes in advance according to the menu; fortunately, their family had many members, so with everyone lending a hand and sharing the load, they wouldn't be overwhelmed.

The venue for the birthday banquet was arranged at the workshop, after all, it had a rain shelter, walls on all four sides, ample space, and a flat ground.

Ye Yaodong had also bought a large roll of red carpet a day in advance and laid it on the aisles between the tables and chairs on both sides; with the red accents, the scene instantly took on the festive atmosphere of a birthday celebration.

The other brothers and sisters also helped with the decorations; the walls were pasted with the character for "Longevity," and small red lanterns and red silk ribbons hung from the ceiling, making the place look even more jubilant.

The old matriarch stayed in the decorated venue all day; even when she went home to eat, she came back immediately after finishing her meal, sitting at the door with a beaming smile, looking exceptionally happy and spirited.

Ye Ye Huimei picked up a pair of scissors, wanting to trim the old matriarch's shoulder-length white hair to make it neater.

"Trim it to look nice; later go back and wash your hair, take a bath tonight, and tomorrow wear new clothes to celebrate your grand birthday happily."

The old matriarch smiled so widely her teeth showed, her wrinkled, bark-like hands holding hers as she spoke.

"You all just know how to make a fuss; boiling a bowl of longevity noodles with two poached eggs would have been enough, yet you've made it so grand..."

"How many 88-year-old birthdays can one have in a lifetime? The next birthday celebration won't be until you're 98 or 100. Come, sit up straighter; I'll wrap the towel around you."

"Ai, good. It's such a hassle to decorate it so beautifully, with red everywhere; it would be a pity to take it all down later..."

"Then take it down a bit later; hanging it for a few days is still festive, so you can look at your fill."

"How can that be? This place still needs to be cleared for everyone to work; we can't delay Dongzi from earning money."

"It doesn't matter for these few days; work won't start that soon. Third sister-in-law said work won't resume until the sixteenth day of the first lunar month."

"That's good, that's good..."

Ye Ye Huimei trimmed the old matriarch's shoulder-length hair back a bit behind her ears, making it perfectly flat and neat.

The old matriarch held a round mirror with a red plastic frame, smiling as she looked at herself from all angles, looking exceptionally satisfied.

She then took the old matriarch back home and helped her wash her hair.

The ground covered with the red carpet looked both festive and clean; the children couldn't resist running and jumping on the red carpet, and some naughty kids even lay down on it directly.

Lin Lin Xiuqing, worried they would dirty the red carpet, chased them all out, then rolled up the carpet; it was only laid out now to check the dimensions.

It would be fine to lay it out tomorrow morning; otherwise, it would be covered in mud in no time.

Ye Yaodong propped the carpet against the corner of the wall before saying, "Is there any extra red silk cloth? Otherwise, could we hang a red backdrop behind this wall? Let's take a family photo tomorrow; it's rare for everyone to be so complete."

Ye's father happily agreed, "This is a good idea; we haven't taken a family photo in several years. It's just right to take one tomorrow while everyone is here; the children have grown fast these past few years and are all bigger now."

Ye's mother also nodded, "Let me look and see if there's any extra red cloth."

"Should we set up the tables first?" Ye Ye Chenghai and a few other young people, bored with nothing to do, asked.

"Then you guys go ahead and set up the tables first."

With so much energy having nowhere to go, they were all busy as soon as they were urged.

Some villagers, bored with nothing to do, brought a handful of melon seeds and started cracking them at the entrance of their workshop, chatting as they cracked.

"The old matriarch is truly blessed; her house is full of children and grandchildren, and they are all filial, holding a birthday celebration for her..."

"Who would say otherwise? If I were this glorious when I'm old, I'd die with a smile on my face."

"It also depends on the children and grandchildren being successful; if they aren't successful, they'll still think you're a nuisance."

"Yes, old people aren't worth much; it all depends on the children and grandchildren being filial..."

"If you ask me, the old matriarch's life has been worth it; even at her old age, she can still be this glorious, and living to this age is enough."

"Tsk tsk tsk... I heard there are fifty or sixty tables; more than half the village will come to give their monetary gifts."

"The accountant Mr. sitting at that entrance was specifically hired to record the accounts and the social obligations; I've been standing here for most of the day, watching people constantly come to give their gifts; it's incredibly glorious."

After finishing her work, Ye's mother also came out to chat with everyone; with the old matriarch's birthday celebration, she too was extremely glorious, her face beaming with joy, smiling before she even spoke.

"It's all because Dongzi is so filial; he said the old matriarch is 88, so this year he's celebrating her 90th grand birthday in advance. He even ordered a cake? He said he ate it in Magic City, foreigners love it, and it's the absolute best..."

All day long, the village was talking enthusiastically about the old matriarch's grand birthday; those with nothing to do liked to wander around the workshop and take a peek.

The children also liked to sneak into crowded places; wherever there was excitement, they ran there. The sound of firecrackers at the entrance never stopped; the adults didn't drive them away, treating it as letting the children lay down a red carpet for the ground in advance.

By the next morning, before dawn, Ye's father and his two brothers drove the tractor to pick up the pre-ordered ingredients.

Others also got up after dawn to wash, dress up, and get busy.

Ye's mother, along with several sisters-in-law and the wives from each household, first processed the vegetables and side dishes in advance, washed the bowls and plates; they had hired ten or twenty helpers, but they themselves couldn't sit idle either, being used to lending a hand.

In the countryside, when hosting banquets, it's basically close neighbors and relatives helping each other, not counting wages, but treating them to a full table of food.

Since it was still early in the morning, they helped out for a while first; changing clothes and fixing themselves up later would still be fine.

By the time the vegetables were brought back, the sun was already up, and the area around the two workshops was bustling with people.

Seeing a crowd of onlookers, Ye's mother didn't want to wash vegetables anymore; hearing Ye's father urge her to go home, she wiped her hands and naturally went home to change into new clothes, fix herself up, and put on her gold jewelry.

The couple wearing gold necklaces, gold rings, and gold bracelets looked exceptionally wealthy; as soon as they left home, a crowd of people smiled and flattered them.

Standing at the workshop entrance, they greeted guests and chatted idly with relatives and friends who had come to see the excitement.

The families of Ye Ye Dabo and Ye Ye Erbo also changed into new clothes; just like them, they stood at the entrance, welcoming relatives and friends who came to see the excitement.

After all, they lived nearby, right in the village; although it wasn't yet mealtime for the birthday celebration, everyone, having nothing to do early in the morning, came over in advance to look around and join the excitement.

The old matriarch had also changed into a bright red floral padded jacket early in the morning; a red artificial flower was pinned in her hair, and even her shoes were red padded shoes; she looked exceptionally festive, clearly the main character at a glance.

Moreover, she wore the gold earrings, gold necklace, gold bracelets, and gold rings that Ye Yaodong bought for her, looking very wealthy, like an old matriarch from a wealthy family in the old society.

Holding a cane in her hand, she sat at the workshop entrance; everyone who came to see the excitement went up to congratulate her.

The old matriarch had never been so happy; looking at the lively scene, her mouth didn't close all morning.

"Your old matriarch's life hasn't been lived in vain..."

"Living to 88 and still having such vibrant energy—I reckon another ten years won't be a problem, she could even throw a centennial banquet."

"It's just that your family's doing well—elderly people eat well, live comfortably, and have no worries, so they live long."

"Tsk tsk tsk… your whole family's dripping in gold and silver! Look at these gold rings, gold necklaces, bracelets—full sets all around."

Ye Mother chuckled in reply, "These were all bought for us by Dongzi… they didn't cost much—you could buy them too… just for looks, for joy."

"If I had a gold ring, I'd wear it on my hand every day and never take it off…"

"Your granddaughter and great-granddaughter generation is huge—just counting the men and women across two generations, you've got at least thirty or forty people. Are they all here today?"

"You must have seven or eight tables of your own family alone..."

"Hey, aren't you forgetting Ah Hong—he's still in prison, right??"

"Hasn't he been released yet? How many years has it been? Shouldn't he be out by now? How many years was he sentenced to?"

Ye Mother's smile faded slightly. "He was sentenced to ten years. This year should be his eighth—he'll probably be out soon."

"I wonder if he'll reform once he's out…"

"Ah Fan has reformed well—he's spent these past few years working hard on fishing trips, earning money. Your family's had several peaceful years, finances have eased, and I heard all the money he handled has been paid back."

"Isn't that right? If he hadn't gone down those crooked paths, just with Dongzi's help, your whole family would've risen to wealth."

"Exactly—look at Zu, Guo, and the others—didn't all of them get rich? Even your sister's nephews and great-nephews are earning thousands a year—they've got color TVs and refrigerators now."

"That's true—it hurt others and ruined themselves."

Everyone chipped in, once again tearing Ah Ye Yaohong apart from head to toe.

But they knew not to say such things in front of his parents—so they could only whisper a few slanders within earshot of Ye Mother.

These women had their own gossip circles.

It wasn't easy to get into their gossip circles.

Seeing Ye Ye Dabo's wife and Ye Ye Erbo's wife glancing over this way, they quickly smiled and changed the subject.

"Hey, your two grandsons went to work in Japan a few years ago—did they make money? How much do they earn a month? I heard it's several thousand?"

This question struck right at Ye Ye Erbo's wife's heart.

"I heard they make over two thousand a month—but they earn Japanese money, which is hard to send home, hehe. I'm just waiting for them to work a few more years, then come back and let me enjoy the fruits."

"That's not bad—it matches what most people earn in a year. You've really found a way to get rich."

"Isn't that right? Only those two kids are talented—they can earn so much right away, just like big bosses."

Ye Yaodong listened to his second aunt's words, barely holding back his laughter.

But the women around him were utterly envious.

"They're real bosses now—earning over two thousand a month? That's twenty to thirty thousand a year. Stay a few years, and they'll be filthy rich."

"Hehehe…" Ye Ye Erbo's wife, basking in the compliments, laughed so hard her whole body shook, utterly delighted.

Rarely the center of attention, she was overjoyed—rambling on about how talented her two grandsons were, and casually slipping in how only her powerful connections could get them overseas, puffing herself up with false pride.

Ye Mother just pursed her lips, unable to contradict her, so she turned away with a look of disgust.

Ye Yaodong's friends had gathered around him too and overheard Ye Ye Erbo's wife and Ye Ye Erbo's boasting.

Ah Zheng asked: "Your two nephews are doing pretty well overseas?"

Xiao Xiao added: "Is it really that easy to earn money in Japan? Over two thousand a month? What do they even do? Here in China we make a few dozen yuan a month."

Ye Yaodong whispered: "When they first went, they were washing dishes at a restaurant. Prices and wages there are different—minimum wage alone is over two thousand a month."

"Huh? That easy to earn?"

"Then why not earn abroad and spend at home? That'd be amazing!"

They each spoke one after the other.

"It's great, sure—but they don't have passports. They're illegal. They can't easily return home—just go back the way they came. The risk is huge."

"That's true."

Ah Guang said: "Since they're already out, better to stay a few more years, earn more. After all, you can't earn this much at home."

"Last year I heard they switched jobs—I'll tell you, but don't repeat it—they say funeral work pays better, so they went into mortuary services."

He'd learned this from Ye Yaohai when he'd taken Ye Ye Chenghai to the provincial city last year.

After all, they were nephews—and they'd gotten overseas through his connections. Asking a few extra questions was only right.

The three of them were stunned: "Mortuary work?!"

"It's unlucky, sure—but the pay's high. They're not picky, and they can endure hardship. Don't you dare spread it around—it'd be embarrassing."

Ah Zheng blinked, then said: "Then… shouldn't we wish them prosperity?"

"Puh…"

"Ah ha? Hahaha…"

"Holy shit… wish them prosperity? You can say that?!"

"Damn, that's hilarious—wish them prosperity!"

Ye Yaodong burst into laughter too.

"What's so funny? Why are you laughing so hard? Who are you wishing prosperity to?" Ye Father walked over, beaming.

"We heard from Second Aunt that your two nephews working in Japan earn a lot—like big bosses. We're wishing them prosperity."

Ye Father nodded. "Of course. They took huge risks and spent a fortune to go abroad—they must earn more, so they can return in glory a few years from now."

"Exactly."

"Dongzi, I think all our family members are here. Why not take the family photo before the banquet starts? Otherwise, once guests arrive, we'll be too busy hosting to find time—and the table will be packed, everyone rushing to eat."

Ye Father had come over just to say this.

"Fine, I'll go get the camera."

"Good. I'll get everyone inside—take it by that wall with the red cloth hanging. Makes it more festive."

"Good."

Ye's father, overjoyed, quickly called out to his brothers and nephews, "Time for the family portrait! Everyone gather for a family photo! On this festive day, with five generations under one roof, let's take a picture to keep the memory. Old and young, everyone come!"

"Oh~ Taking a family photo! Taking a family photo!"

Regardless of adults or children, everyone excitedly shouted and hurried into the workshop.

Five generations, up and down, looked like quite a crowd; today, even the married daughters had returned with their children and husbands.

Gathered together, there seemed to be over a hundred people.

Seeing their family's liveliness, some who weren't even part of the family squeezed into the workshop to watch the commotion. As for the children, needless to say, they all rushed to the very front, creating a noisy, chaotic mass where order was impossible to maintain.

Ye Yaodong arrived with the camera and saw the mess inside; adults and children were standing and jostling everywhere. No matter how much he spoke, no one listened. Just looking at it made his head spin.

"Dad, this won't work. There's no way to take the photo like this."

"Then... then what do we do?"

"You and Uncle Ye Dabo and Uncle Ye Erbo should each organize your own families. Have each family stand in a group, then arrange them from largest to smallest..."

Lin Lin Xiuqing frowned. "With so many people, it's too chaotic and hard to organize. Besides, can our camera even handle this? We shouldn't go through all this trouble for nothing."

"Uh, if we stand in neat rows, it should be fine, right?"

"I think it would be better to go to the photography studio in town and ask the photographer to come here. That way, we won't waste this rare opportunity. Besides, it's not far."

Ye's father agreed. "Aiqing is right. While everyone is still making a fuss about where to stand, have Brother Brother Ahai and Ajiang drive the tractor to the studio to fetch the master."

"That works too. You all organize everyone to stand in position first. It definitely needs to be done family by family, generation by generation. Wait for the photographer to arrive and see how to adjust."

"Mm."

Ye Yaodong hurriedly went to call Ye Ye Chenghai and Ye Ye Chengjiang out, telling them to drive the tractor immediately to fetch the person.

The round trip would take about half an hour.

Looking at the chaotic scene in the courtyard, it might take even longer than half an hour just to get everyone in position; there were simply too many people.

The old matriarch sat on a nearby bench, her mouth stretched wide in a smile, happily muttering, "So many people! I haven't seen this many people in ordinary times. Today everyone has arrived so completely..."

Ye Ye Huimei coaxed the old matriarch, "This shows our family is flourishing."

"Having people is better than having money. The more people, the better; it's so lively."

Ye's mother, inappropriately, dashed her spirits. "Give it a rest. With many people but no money, who will celebrate your birthday? You need money to put on a grand show. Without money, don't even talk about birthday celebrations; life would be so tight, where would you find filial sons and virtuous grandsons?"

Ye Ye Huimei smiled and said, "Mother's words, though not pleasant to hear, are indeed the truth. Only with money can things be done grandly. This is all thanks to my third brother. Without him, where would we have such a lively big family today?"

The old matriarch didn't find Ye's mother's words unpleasant; instead, she was very happy. "You are right. All these years have relied on Dongzi, working hard to earn money outside, to achieve today's glory. Only then could we wear gold and silver."

"So it must be prosperity in both people and wealth. Without either flourishing, there would be no joy today. When I am old, I will also rely on the three brothers to hold a grand celebration for me; I would wake up laughing in my dreams."

"Definitely, Mother. My brothers are all filial; I guarantee that when you are old, you will be just as glorious."

Pleased by the coaxing, Ye's mother said, "Your father and I must live well and reach this age ourselves."

Ye's father and the two brothers arranged the formation, shouting until their heads were covered in sweat and their throats were hoarse. Yet, a group of children still kept darting in and out of the crowd.

Ye's mother also hurried to help, first driving out those who weren't part of their own family, then pulling the small children aside to stand. With the adults remaining, it was easier to arrange them.

Once the formation was loosely in place, the old master from the photography studio arrived, brought along with his equipment.

Now that there was a mainstay, everyone became much more serious and obedient. They stood exactly as instructed; one word from him was more effective than Ye's father and the others shouting themselves hoarse just now.

One's own people's words are never as effective as a master's words.

Under the master's arrangement, they all took their proper positions.

They even moved a Taishi chair from the Tianhou Temple for the old matriarch to sit in the middle. The small children squatted on both sides of the old matriarch, while the others stood behind according to seniority. Those at the very back even stood on long benches.

It took four rows in total to arrange the formation neatly.

From start to finish, it probably took an hour, all for a few clicks, and then it was over in two minutes.

"We put in so much effort, and it's done already?"

"As long as it's done, it's good. Luckily we fetched someone; otherwise, how could we have taken it well ourselves?"

"Can you take a separate photo for our family?"

"Go talk to the master yourself. Since we've already fetched him, if you want photos, just take them all together..."

Every household wanted to take photos while this opportunity lasted, whether a family portrait or an individual photo; everyone wanted to take one.

After all, taking a photo wasn't cheap. Not everyone went to take one every year, nor did they have the leisure time. Today was a chance not to be missed, and everyone was dressed up, neat and tidy, looking radiant.

Ye Yaodong's family had no desire to take photos, after all, he had a camera and could take pictures of his family anytime.

While they queued inside to take photos, his family came out to greet the guests first; he also had to accompany the village cadres in conversation.

It was already late, 10 o'clock, and many people were waiting at the entrance, chatting in small groups.

Around 10:30, his godfather and godmother also arrived. Before they could exchange a few pleasantries, the village cadres immediately swarmed around.

"Rare guests, rare guests, haha... It's been two years since we saw Director Chen..."

"Haha, your village is developing better and better. We often see it in the newspapers. Chen Shuji's leadership is outstanding..."

"Where, where. This is all the result of the villagers working together with one heart. We also owe it to Adong's cleverness and ability to come up with ideas..."

Ye Yaodong humbly said, "Where is my merit? I only made a suggestion. It was everyone who implemented it. It is also due to the leaders' outstanding leadership, guiding the whole village out of poverty and towards wealth."

"Hehe, everyone deserves credit. You don't know yet? Chen Shuji might be promoted to the county level. It's just waiting for the official document to be issued."

"Really? Then congratulations, congratulations..."

"Congratulations! Then our village's backing will be even stronger, haha. What position will it be?"

"Can't say, can't say. The document hasn't been issued yet; it must be kept confidential."

Ye Yaodong smiled and said, "Chen Shuji, don't forget the village when the time comes. Maybe build a road or something. Didn't they say? If you want to get rich, build roads first."

"Hehe, I remember..."

(End of this chapter)