Chapter 1673: Summer Vacation is Almost Over

"They asked you for pocket money yesterday? When did they ask? They came to ask me too!" Ye Yaodong looked at his father in surprise.

"They asked me after work? These little rascals, they ask everyone for pocket money, how many times have they asked?"

Ye's father glared at the brother and sister, then asked, "Which of you two started it? Whose idea was it?"

Ye Ye Chengyang immediately pointed his finger at Ye Ye Xiaoxi.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi was a step late; she had originally hesitated whether to point at her brother, but now she pointed at him without any guilt, since her brother had so decisively betrayed her.

She arrogantly poked his chest with her index finger, "You, you, you, you, you, it's you, you took the most, so it's you!"

Ye Ye Chengyang slapped her hand away, "Nonsense, clearly you started it, asking one person after another, and later you even encouraged Xiao Yu to ask her uncle-in-law, asking three times!"

"Three times!?"

Ye Yaodong and Ye's father were both surprised; they thought they had only asked for pocket money twice, but didn't expect they had asked three times.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi and Ye Ye Chengyang were still playing around, but they hadn't forgotten to turn and smile ingratiatingly at him, which was also an indirect admission.

He poked the girl's forehead hard with his index finger.

"Look at you, so capable, able to ask for pocket money three times. If the whole family was here, and your Uncle Ye Dabo and Uncle Ye Erbo were both here, wouldn't you have asked seven or eight times?"

"Hehe... I haven't tried..."

"Then try it next time, see if your mother doesn't peel your skin off. So bold, aren't you ashamed?"

"Hehe, this definitely can't be done every day!"

"Not even occasionally. You can't ask others for pocket money randomly. You can only ask me, your mother, and your grandfather..."

"That's right, I didn't ask others either, only you. Uncle-in-law was asked by my sister and the younger cousins, not by me. I just rode along to get some benefit! Before, my sister and the younger cousins also rode along to get some benefit from me!"

"You have twisted logic."

"Where? I remember everything, I haven't gone beyond the scope you mentioned!"

"Go eat breakfast, and after eating, hurry up and go to work for me."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi's shoulders immediately slumped; since finding out that the money earned from work was less than what her father gave her to spend, she now didn't want to work at all.

But she couldn't bear to lose the full attendance bonus, and since she had worked for so long, if she didn't go, her father wouldn't buy things for her, and she would still have to pay out of her own pocket.

Heartache...

Spending one's own money really hurts.

Ye Ye Chengyang was the opposite; knowing his salary had risen to 100 yuan, he was full of energy and wished he could work for a few more months.

After finishing breakfast, Ye Yaodong didn't pay attention to them, rode his motorcycle straight to Fatty's place, and picked up the certificate of honor and the prizes he had left at the shop yesterday.

Ye's father looked at the prizes laid out on the table, his eyes so envious that tears were about to fall.

He stroked the certificate back and forth, touching it more than ten times, reluctant to let go.

If he couldn't read, it would be fine, but the key point was that he had attended the literacy class for a little over half a month and already knew many characters; his heart was both gratified and distressed.

He was gratified that his son had achieved glory, so he could brag when he went out, and his face would have honor; what distressed him was, sigh...

"You have several books, sigh, why didn't you let me get one too..."

"The steel stamp seal on it is so beautiful. You must keep this carefully; it can be passed down as a family heirloom. In the future, it will all be honor..."

"And this cup, when guests come in the future, take it out to pour tea and serve them. You have several at home too, all with different dates, awarded by different factories and units. In the future, taking it out to pour tea will also give you face."

"You must protect it well, don't let it rust. I think you have seven or eight of them, right? Next time bring them all up; there wasn't a single one here before, now there is one."

"When leaders or big shots come in the future, use this cup to pour tea and serve them. Why didn't I think of that before? What a waste."

"Before, when leaders from the army, leaders from the government, and people from the fishing company came, so many people came, but we didn't take out the cups at home to serve them and show off our faces. What a pity."

Looking at these cups, Ye's father wanted them too; it was too glorious. If they were lined up, awarded by different units on different dates, how much face would that give?

Ye Yaodong thought his father made sense; things must be used to their fullest potential.

"Then in about ten days, after sending them back, help me bring up these cups that the family has collected."

"Ah, okay, okay. Will you send them back in another ten days?"

"That's about right. We can't stick to September 1st. Sending them back around the 23rd or 24th is also fine. It will take two or three days on the road, and then give them a few days to rest and play before school starts."

"That works. I'll start arranging it early. Shall I send them?"

"I'll send them. Don't think about slacking off; you are still in the literacy class. I'll go back to check on how the house construction is going, see if we can start the renovation, and need to go back to arrange the renovation matters."

"Then when you go back, you go back. They called yesterday saying it's almost finished and they need to start preparing for renovation. We just don't know how to renovate. Do we need to hire someone to design it?"

"Just refer to my Western-style house in Mogu? Anyway, when the blueprints were designed before, the layout was already set. Which position needs what, just take a look and you'll know in your heart. When I go back, I just need to choose the materials; I definitely know more than you."

"That works. Then you go back. You have experience renovating that house in Mogu before; I don't understand those various things. When the time comes, ask the master workers too about what needs to be done."

"I know, does that need your reminder?"

Ye's father rubbed his hands again, smiling slyly as he reminded him, "Then when you come back, it will probably be early September. I should be able to graduate from the literacy class around then."

"Ah, no, Chenghu needs to be sent to Mogu to register on September 1st. Previously, I asked Director Zhang to help inquire about high schools, and he has already arranged it for me. So I need to come early to take Chenghu to Mogu to register."

After Ye Yaodong finished speaking, he picked up the calendar and flipped through it. His important schedule was recorded clearly on the calendar; he had just forgotten this detail for a moment.

When he entrusted Director Zhang, he also left a sum of money for him to use as connection funds.

When going to Mogu in September, he must properly thank him.

Ye's father said, "Then shall I send Yangyang and Xiao Jiu back?"

"Aren't you taking the driver's license exam? If you go back like this, how many characters will you miss learning? Forget it. I'll send them back on the 20th, stay for three or four days, and then come back; that should be about right."

"That's good too. Sending them back early is fine. Staying here means working in the factory; sending them home allows them to play for a few more days. This whole summer they just worked to earn money and didn't play at all."

"Mm, then it's settled. I'll call to book a fishing boat in a while, and call to contact a few factories to arrange the cargo."

Ye Yaodong took a red pen, circled a spot on the calendar, made a note, and folded a corner; it was only about a week.

There was also the trade fair on September 5th; he had drawn a big red circle around the date.

"Perfect. I'll send Chenghu to register on September 1st, then stay in Mogu for a few days to prepare for the trade fair matters."

Recently, the factory has been basically busy with samples for the trade fair and the setup. For things they don't understand, they still need to contact the fishing company to ask how to handle it.

Fortunately, they had business dealings with the fishing company, so they could still communicate and seek advice.

He had been focusing mainly on this matter recently; getting into the trade fair meant he wouldn't have to worry about orders for the whole year, or even clients for the next few years. In fact, he might have to worry about not being able to deliver or produce enough.

One could say he had been preparing for the trade fair since last year; last year, he had already expanded the venue, ordered machines, and expanded production well in advance.

Now, their factory didn't just have hand-torn squid strips; that was the flagship product, but they now also had ready-to-eat small squid, ready-to-eat squid slices, ready-to-eat crispy small yellow croaker, ready-to-eat crispy hairtail, and so on. These were all products easy to transport, suitable for selling overseas.

Even the shrimp skin involved baking, but that wouldn't be available until the second half of the year. Many things were seasonal, but they could work overtime to rush production and stock up when there was plenty of goods. The finished products had a shelf life of a year.

Every product had a different person in charge, so he didn't need to worry much; as long as Manager Qi reported to him regularly, that was enough.

Various matters in the factory were basically coordinated by Manager Qi. Director Yan handled administration and internal affairs, and some external matters were also handled by Manager Qi. He only needed to nod or shake his head and make decisions.

But for such a big event as the trade fair, he was involved throughout the entire process.

Bringing up the trade fair, Ye's father hurriedly asked, "Right, the timing is perfect. How is the preparation for the trade fair products going?"

"Almost done. We've already selected the batch with the best taste. The items for venue setup are also finalized; we just need to wait for the date to arrange transportation."

"This busy work will last until mid-next month."

"That's not necessarily true. After the exhibition ends, the guests might follow us to visit the factory. That will be busy."

He estimated it would be busy for at least a month.

"Follow us to the factory?" Ye's father was surprised.

"Of course. If the volume is large, they will definitely have concerns about the product and hygiene. Naturally, they need to see the production environment to feel at ease, after all, it's something that goes into the mouth."

"Oh, then the factory needs to do a good job on hygiene and cleaning in advance."

"Absolutely necessary. I've already instructed them."

"Then remember to bring those enamel mugs given as rewards up. Just bring them out when greeting guests. These are the honor of our factory, and also your personal honor. Bringing them out will make people more convinced."

Ye Yaodong nodded; that was exactly what he thought. Using the mugs to start a conversation, gilding himself, and increasing his leverage. So when his father just made the suggestion, he agreed immediately.

Even the factory director is this excellent, this patriotic, and has made contributions to the government and the country. What concerns do the merchants still have?

Although it is a private individual-run factory, it is in no way inferior to state-owned factories.

"By the way, Ah Guang and your two friends have been talking about reserving fishing boats for the past few days. A week has passed; has it been decided?"

"It's decided. Ah Guang and Ah Zheng reserved at one factory, and Ye Xiaoxi reserved at another. The prices are about the same, and the delivery dates are all in the second half of next year. We'll have to wait."

"It's good it's decided. Your eldest and second brothers' income this month is quite good. It looks like they won't need a year to break even."

Mainly because his fresh catch boat withdrew 40% of the profit; otherwise, his eldest and second brothers might have broken even in half a year.

Between brothers, accounts are settled clearly. According to the market price, it should be 50%; he considered it a discount, and the supplies provided were not marked up.

Ye Yaodong said, "I told them to order the boats long ago. Following my footsteps is never wrong. They just felt they hadn't saved enough money."

"They wanted to buy long ago, but they just thought about saving a bit more money before buying. There would be a buffer in between, and they could earn some money to subsidize the construction cost."

"Who would have thought the speed of saving money couldn't catch up with the speed of price increases? Now they see their eldest and second brothers finishing their accounts and earning a fortune, they are slapping their thighs in regret."

"Only then did they decisively rush to order the boats, willing to go into debt to do so."

Ye's father nodded. "Who could have expected fishing boats to be so expensive these past few years? No one could have expected it. Everyone basically thought that having one boat in hand and earning money steadily was enough. Who could have predicted the risks or price increases?"

"Hmm, anyway, as long as they have made up their own minds and decided, that's good. I've been extremely busy recently; they know that, so they didn't ask me to accompany them. Once it was bought, Ah Guang told me."

"Your few friends didn't look reliable before, but after you led them, they turned out quite good. Now they are getting better and better, buying such big boats. In the village now, they are among the top."

Ye Yaodong smiled and said, "Saying 'among the top'—didn't you and your eldest and second brothers say that? My friends can at most rank fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth from the back."

Ye's father laughed at what he said. "It's about the same meaning; don't nitpick the words. Anyway, they are now famous big households in the village."

"My friends who can get along until now are naturally not bad. Everyone has a heart to achieve merit and establish a career. Influencing and driving each other, naturally, things will get better and better, and definitely better in the future."

"Hmm, it's best if everyone collectively gets better and better..."

After the father and son finished chatting about trivial matters, they talked about business. After talking about business for a while, they turned back to trivial matters until someone asked Ye Yaodong for instructions, and then they each went back to their work.

When evening came, Ye Yaodong finished his work and went to the dormitory to notify the children, planning to tell them the time to go home in advance so they could prepare.

All three instantly cheered.

"Great, finally we can go home~"

Ye Chenghu excitedly grabbed the railing surrounding the upper bunk bed and hung himself down; the bunk bed even shook...

Ye Yaodong was startled just watching. "How did you come down like that? You should climb down the stairs. Who comes down just by grabbing like that? Do you not want your life? Do you not want your head? A random bump like that would cause a bloody head! If this bunk bed falls down, don't expect to keep your legs either. In the future, you'll either be paralyzed or disabled."

Seeing him get angry, Ye Ye Chengyang and Ye Ye Xiaoxi stopped cheering.

Ye Chenghu still smiled and approached to comfort him. "Dad, I'm fine. What's the big deal? I often do this; I'm used to it long ago. I won't fall!"

Ye Yaodong slapped him right away. "You give me some peace. Those who get beaten to death are skilled workers like you. Don't court death; otherwise, before you fall to your death, I'll beat you to death first."

He covered his forehead and instantly became obedient. "It hurts. Be a little lighter. How old do you think I am..."

"You know how old you are, yet you still need to be beaten. So troublesome. I thought working hard at sea for over a month would make you mature and obedient."

"I'm mature! I've turned black as charcoal, I'm old. Others look at me and think I'm 18 years old."

"That just means you grew too fast, not that you're mature."

Ye Ye Chengyang interjected, "Dad, if we go back on the 20th, do we work until the 19th?"

"It depends on you. If you want to buy things, take a day off in advance; I'll arrange someone to take you out to look around. If you don't want to buy things and want to save money, work one more day, until you finish work on the 19th."

All three shook their heads together. "No..."

"I want to buy things..."

"I want to go out and eat..."

"Alright, then you work until the 18th. Take the 19th off as a day of rest. I'll arrange a few people to take you out to look around and guarantee your safety."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi said softly, "Dad, will you give us money?"

"Dream on. Go find the finance department to settle your wages after work, and spend the money you earned. Rely on your own efforts to have enough food and clothing. Spending money you earned yourself brings a greater sense of achievement!"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi pouted, swayed her body, and waved her arms in protest. "There's no sense of achievement, only a sense of heartache!"

"Then I don't care. If you earn money, you must spend it; otherwise, what's the point of earning money? When you earn your own money, you can buy whatever you want."

"The meaning of earning money is to save lots of it; watching the piggy bank get heavier and heavier is what brings a sense of achievement."

"Hmm, but the things I want to buy are still in other people's shops; I can only look at them, yet I can't get them into my hands!"

She hummed and hawed, not knowing how to refute, but she simply didn't want to spend the money she had worked so hard to earn; spending it felt heartbreaking, for it was what she had toiled so hard to gain.

Ye Yaodong looked at Ye Chenghu. "Do you want to go back with them?"

"Ah? Does that mean I don't have to go back?"

"Next semester, you'll start high school. We've arranged for you to attend in Magic City; the school is already set up. Just go register on September 1st."

Ye Chenghu scratched his head, only just realizing. "Ah? So I'm going to Magic City for high school right away? I don't need to go home? Do I not need to bring my old books, schoolbag, or other things?"

"What do you need to bring? Your pile of card junk?"

"My clothes and the piggy bank are still at home..."

"I'll send them back. When the time comes, I'll have your mother pack your things and bring them up. That way, you save a trip; you won't have to go back and then come up again."

Ye Chenghu hesitated. "But I haven't told my friends yet."

"Didn't you start bragging last year that you were going to high school in Magic City? What more is there to tell?"

"Hehe, isn't it just that I'm missing a proper farewell? When I came up last month, I only thought about visiting you here, working a few days, then going back before school started. I never thought I wouldn't be coming back. It's Grandpa's fault for not reminding me; I still thought I'd have to return."

"Hmm, just keep working your shift. I'll take the two of them back on the 20th. When I return, I'll take you to Magic City."

"Alright then. I'll continue going out to sea with the fishing boat. I still get paid, right?"

"Hmm."

Ye Chenghu was happy again; he was now earning six yuan a day!

A huge sum!

Ten more days would be sixty yuan; he'd be rich!

Once he started high school with no one to control him, and he had money too! It was awesome! He didn't even know how he'd spend it.

Just thinking about it made him want to laugh out loud with joy.

And because of the typhoon weather a while back, he had even rested for several days without going to sea. Oh my goodness, that was even better; no work but still getting paid, while Yangyang and Xiao Jiu still had to work every single day those days.

The more he compared, the happier he became; happiness is all about comparison.

Ye Yaodong giving him a bit more wages was also because he was going to high school in a different place, where he would definitely spend more money, so he could keep a bit more cash in hand.

PS: I really couldn't hold out for three days... I still have to update at two. I went out during the day today and came back late.