Chapter 1554: Getting the Certificate

"Father, if we go to Shanghai to study, and you and Mother aren't there, will you give us living expenses?" Ye Chenghu's eyes were full of expectation.

Ye Yaodong chuckled twice. "Wait until you can get in, if you come to the sea with me, then there's no need, and don't even think about a salary."

Lin Xiuqing also said: "It's not even a sure thing yet, and you're already thinking about living expenses. Do you want a hammer?"

"Hehe, I was just asking..."

"School starts in a few days, how many essays do you have left?"

"Just one essay, I thought today was Great-Grandma's birthday, so I specifically left it, I'll write it tomorrow..."

"You didn't write it after the birthday celebration in the afternoon, and you're still dragging it until tomorrow."

"It's not like I've dragged it until registration, there are still several days left."

Ye Chenghu thought he was efficient enough. Others dragged it until a day or two before registration to rush their homework, but he didn't.

It was all thanks to being dangled by lucky money these past few years; he had to finish his winter vacation homework before New Year's Eve to get the lucky money. That's how he developed a sense of crisis and formed the habit.

Ye Yaodong said: "Let me tell you, as long as you can get into high school, everything is negotiable. But if you can't, there's nothing to talk about. Just come with me to drift at sea, and I'll only let you go ashore once every six months."

"Ah!!!" Ye Chenghu was shocked. "Only once every six months?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Do you have to be so miserable? Don't you also not go ashore once every six months?"

"I definitely can't go ashore once every six months, do I look like I'm looking for trouble? You're different, your fate is in your own hands, you look after yourself."

"Am I still your own son?"

"You are my own son, that's why I'm cultivating you properly. Since you can't study, then I'll cultivate your ability at sea, at least you can make a living."

"Can't I just study seriously? What you said is too scary, you actually want to throw me at sea for half a year. I think you want the white-haired to send off the black-haired."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lin Xiuqing scolded him. "Study your books well, go all out, don't think about muddling through every day."

"Oh, I know..." Ye Chenghu's shoulders slumped directly.

The road is long and the burden is heavy...

Ye Chengyang encouraged him. "Brother, you work hard, when you get into high school and go to Shanghai, I can be with you..."

"Mother, Mother, I'm back, Sister is sleeping with me..."

The two girls ran in one after another, the one behind holding a pillow in one hand and a doll in the other.

Xiaoyu smiled shyly. "Aunt, I'm sleeping with Sister tonight."

"Not just tonight, we want to sleep together forever!"

Lin Xiuqing looked at Ye Yaodong helplessly.

Ye Yaodong hurriedly handed the pillow Ye Xiaoxi had just thrown at him to her. "It's up to you."

"I have no way."

"Then I have even less of a way."

Lin Xiuqing glared at him, took the pillow, and then took Pei Yu's pillow and doll.

"I'll take them upstairs for you first, you two go wash your faces and feet, then go up to sleep."

"We still want to watch TV."

"Hmm."

The two best friends sat happily on the small stools, chattering while watching TV.

For the next few nights, Ye Xiaoxi could see Pei Yu as soon as she opened her eyes at dawn, feeling much more at ease in her heart, and also feeling that Pei Yu definitely wouldn't run away, and was definitely bragging.

And Ye Chenghu, who couldn't keep his mouth shut, couldn't help but show off to his brothers, sisters, and little friends the next day, saying that he would go to Shanghai to study once he got into high school.

So much so that everyone had to ask Lin Xiuqing a couple of questions when they saw her, making her feel extremely embarrassed.

Conversely, Ye Yaodong thought it was a good thing.

"The bragging has been done in advance, wouldn't it be very shameful if he doesn't get into high school?"

"I'm the one who's shameful."

"Children of this age are at the age where they love face. Thinking of the bragging they did, they have to swallow the bitterness no matter what, otherwise, if they are mocked and ridiculed by others, wouldn't that be a loss of face?"

"I hope so. After school starts, I'll ask the head teacher to see if it's convenient to arrange an hour of tutoring for him after class every day."

"Hmm, if he really can't study, then don't force it. There's no need to increase his suffering. Anyway, our family's children don't need to rely on studying to eat. Just try your best, as long as they don't grow crooked and grow up happily, that's enough."

"Hmm, if they can study, let them study. If they can't, forget it. Anyway, they won't starve. There's a way to live for those who can study, and life doesn't necessarily turn out worse for those who can't."

When eating dinner, Lin Xiuqing still gave him a reminder.

The bragging that was done still has to be realized by oneself.

Ye Chenghu felt immense pressure after hearing this. He only thought about bragging, and now he had put pressure on himself.

For the sake of his so-called face, he had to start studying hard no matter what.

"In the future, if it's something that hasn't happened yet, don't brag first, lest the wind flashes your tongue. You're shouting so the whole world knows, but in the end, you didn't do it, slapping your own face."

Ye Chenghu lowered his head to eat without a word. He was already feeling pressured and regretted it. If he had known, he would have kept it to himself and waited to amaze everyone with a single feat.

Ye Yaodong also took the opportunity to educate him. "Do you think it's more satisfying to brag about something that hasn't happened yet, or is it more satisfying to amaze everyone and drop everyone's jaws when you get into high school and it's revealed?"

Ye Chenghu stopped eating, thought seriously, and looked at him. "That would still be amazing everyone. It's more satisfying to reveal it when everyone least expects it. Bragging in advance, if it's not realized, it's really a loss of face."

"So just try your best. If you can really get in, it will still drop everyone's jaws."

"Sigh..."

Ye's mother changed the subject. "I saw many units were at work when I went to town today. Shall we go to the county registration office to get the certificate together tomorrow?"

Ye's father asked back: "Are we really going?"

"What? You don't want to go? You don't want the marriage certificate?"

"Go, go, go, if you say go, then we go, whatever you say."

Ye's mother glanced at him, rolled her eyes again, and then looked at A-Qing with a smile. "A-Qing, are you coming with us tomorrow? Call your two brothers and sisters-in-law too. Since we're doing it, let's all do it together, it'll be reassuring."

"Fine, I'm okay with it, are they free?"

"Ask them after dinner, if they're not free, ignore them, we'll go ourselves."

"Oh, okay."

After they decided, thanks to Ye's mother, the neighbors in the vicinity all knew about it in no time.

Then they all surrounded Ye's mother and talked, saying they would also go with them tomorrow to get a marriage certificate.

The men had always been outside, and they were also worried that they would get a certificate with someone else behind their backs. What would they count for all these years?

Regardless of whether it's useful or not, get it first.

The herd mentality works the same here. Ye's mother's whole family was going to get a certificate, so they would also get one. Anyway, they were idle, and getting it wouldn't hurt.

Ye's mother agreed with a smile. Anyway, her own family was one trip, and taking others was also one trip, neighbors helping each other.

So when they set off the next day, Ye Yaodong was dumbfounded. Dozens of people were standing at the door of his workshop, talking with his mother.

"... This silk scarf of yours is pretty, it will definitely look beautiful when taking photos..."

"Right? I think so too. I can tie it on my head on the way to block dust, so I won't look dusty and ugly in photos..."

"This red cotton-padded jacket of yours is also festive..."

"I took out the good clothes from the bottom of the chest to wear..."

Ye Yaodong stayed at home watching TV after dinner last night and didn't go out, so he didn't know that his mother had already helped him take on quite a few hitchhiking jobs, and they were free. Last night, A-Qing only told him to take a few along.

"Why are there so many people? Sunning yourselves? Aunties and sisters-in-law, you're dressed so beautifully, going to be guests?"

"Haha, what guests? Isn't this following your mother to get a certificate? It just so happens you're going, so we'll hitch a ride."

Ye Yaodong looked at the crowd. "So many? Can they fit?"

Ye's mother greeted everyone to get in with a smile. "Squeeze in, it'll be lively. It's fine, nobody will mind, it's just on the way."

Watching everyone climb onto the tractor, Ye Yaodong asked Lin Xiuqing: "Didn't you say just take a few along?"

"I don't know either, who knew Mother would agree to so many people."

"Forget it, if they're willing to squeeze, let them squeeze. I'll drive, you sit next to me, no need to squeeze with them."

"Hmm, okay."

The tractor was packed full, with straw underneath. When it started moving, people were swaying, either leaning forward collectively or falling backward collectively, like wheat blown by the wind.

Or when passing through bumpy road surfaces, they all bounced up collectively.

When Ye Yaodong pulled the tractor full of people to the marriage registration office and stopped, everyone had pale faces and needed someone to help them get off.

Half of them vomited messily while holding onto walls or tree trunks as soon as they got off.

The tractor also suffered. Fortunately, there was a layer of straw underneath, which could be covered with other straw after vomiting, so it wasn't too disgusting.

And the staff at the marriage registration office were dumbfounded seeing so many middle-aged and elderly people coming to get married. Everyone was stunned, a bit unable to figure out the situation.

This was simply never seen or heard of before.

Usually, weren't they young people coming to register and get a certificate?

"You are..."

"We're here to get a marriage certificate."

"So many people getting a marriage certificate? First marriage? Or second marriage?"

Ye's mother glared angrily. "How are you talking, little girl? Who's on their second marriage? We're all on our first."

"Oh, sorry, then queue up. Is this required by your unit to get a marriage certificate? That's why so many..."

"We're doing it ourselves, comrade, hurry up."

"Then you go to the photo studio opposite first, take a group photo first."

Everyone hurriedly walked out again.

The female comrade muttered in a low voice: "Strange things happen every year, especially this year..."

After this group of people got their marriage certificates and returned to the village, showing off their marriage certificates to other villagers, Old Zhou from the village pulled another tractor full of people to town to get marriage certificates in the afternoon.

Then the next morning there was another tractor, and another in the afternoon of the next day...

The trend of getting certificates also spread to nearby villages, and people in nearby villages followed suit...

The people at the marriage registration office were stunned. What's the situation?

Never encountered this before, getting a marriage certificate by village as a unit?

The number of people getting certificates in these few days was much more than the sum of the past year.

When asked, it was that the whole nearby village came to get a marriage certificate, so they also came to get one. As for why they wanted to get it... um... they didn't know either.

Ye's mother and Lin Xiuqing and the other women were quite fond of their marriage certificates, flipping through them repeatedly and never getting tired of looking at them, and even passed them around for the villagers to see.

"This photo looks quite good, much better than the black and white photos from a few years ago."

The old lady echoed: "Yes, color looks better. A few years ago, when I looked at Dongzi's black and white photo, others told me to mourn, I was almost angered to death."

Lin Xiuqing couldn't help but laugh. "Indeed, this certificate wasn't in vain. The photo pasted on it looks good, and we can take it out to look at it in the future."

"Hmm, it must be kept well." Ye's mother was also delighted no matter how she looked at it.

When she met people on the road, she had to take out the marriage certificate to talk about it and promote it, which showed how satisfied she was in her heart.

?? A bit tired, writing a little less

? Will make up for it tomorrow depending on the situation

? (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1555 =====