Chapter 1759: Criticism and Struggle

After waiting two days and one night, the port finally resumed normal passage, and most of the fishing boats had gone out. The people left behind on the dock boats came back and said sailing out of port was back to normal, so they immediately made arrangements.

Once the fishing boats had all gone out to sea normally, every process and orderly post returned to what it had been before the fishing moratorium, and only then could it be considered back on track.

Ye Yaodong also had people arrange the freight shipment for the fresh-fish boats heading back.

Ye Ye Yaopeng and Ye Ye Yaohua, who were out at sea, also came back on the 19th, just in time to rest one night and head home tomorrow.

When the two brothers returned, their moods were completely different—one was overjoyed, the other happy yet a little sullen.

As soon as Ye Ye Yaopeng came back, he asked Ye Fu whether they had decided on the child's name.

Ye Fu said with a grin, "The fortune-teller said the eight characters are all very good, nothing lacking. The name can be picked at random. Brother Brother Ahai said to call him Ye Huaibin."

"That's a great name. You really need someone who's been to school to pick a name."

"Indeed, both brothers know how to pick names."

Ye Fu chatted happily with Ye Ye Yaopeng, but he didn't forget about Ye Ye Yaohua either.

"You have to talk to Ajiang too, get your wife to help arrange things for the kid. Look, Brother Brother Ahai and Ye Chenghe are already fathers—you have to push him to hurry up. He mopes around all day, doesn't care about anything. Before long, their kids will be old enough to run errands, and Ajiang will still be a bachelor."

"Dad, what's the point of telling me this? You should talk to him yourself. I'm out at sea all day—how could I possibly manage whether he finds a partner?"

"He stays at the factory all day and doesn't even go out to sea, and he still can't find a partner. If he went out to sea with you, what then? Wouldn't he be a bachelor for life?"

"You talk to him yourself."

"Now that you're back, you have to say something too."

Ye Ye Yaohua was given a scolding by his father, and his already sullen mood grew even more stifled. The key was that Ye Ye Chengjiang wasn't around—he'd gone out again to deliver goods—and there was no one to go vent at.

Over the past half month, Ye Ye Chengjiang had really heard plenty of Ye Fu's nagging. In any case, it went in one ear and out the other; he'd become immune, used to it.

The next day, when facing his father, he had experience for it—listened attentively, accepted the teaching humbly, cooperated with a good attitude. As for whether to actually look for someone, of course that was up to him.

It's all those two's fault—two sons popping out at once, and all the pressure landed on him. He'd clearly agreed with Brother Brother Ahai beforehand, and the guy went and betrayed him!

Damn, now he's the only one fighting a lone battle.

Once the whole family got on the boat, the stares landed on him even more—besides talking about Brother Brother Ahai and Ye Chenghe's two sons, they talked about him.

Usually at the factory, Lin Lin Dongxue, Lin Guangming, and Lin Lin Guangwen—the three siblings—shared the pressure with him. But now that he was on the boat, he was the only one again.

Ye Ye Chengjiang listened to the scolding in his ears, nodded his head, and suffered inside.

After enduring it all the way home, there was a new round of bombing…

They'd only just gotten home, just sat down waiting to eat, when a pile of people started discussing Ye Ye Chenghai baby's one-month celebration wine, and then took a few shots at criticizing him.

When they saw Ye Chenghe's son, drool nearly drowned him as they took turns bombarding him with questions.

He sat on pins and needles, his eyes darting around in agony, looking for reinforcements. Finally he spotted Ye Chenghu standing in a corner, gloating, and his eyes lit up.

Divert the trouble eastward.

No, wait—ready-made reinforcements had arrived.

"You all shouldn't just talk about me. Isn't Ye Chenghu old enough too? He's way taller than you all, not much shorter than me, he could find a partner too. Why don't you ask him—has he found one at school?"

"He goes to a high school, his classmates all have high school diplomas, and they're city folks from the Magic Capital. Wouldn't it be great to find a partner in his class?"

"What if, by some chance, his partner gets into university and he brings her home—then our family would have a college student!"

"It's fine if the Ye family aren't good at studying—we can bring one in from outside! A college student's kid is bound to be smarter!"

Ye Chenghu's eyes went wide as he watched the aunts and grannies' gazes instantly gather on him!

"N-no… how did this get dragged to me? I'm still a kid…"

"I'm still a kid too!"

"Bullshit, you're already in your twenties. I'm still in school…"

"Didn't Ye Chenghe find his partner early, while he was still studying? The moment he graduated, he went straight for it. I'm rooting for you, brother—get in early, reserve your spot, lock someone down ahead of time. Then you can bring a college student home, and our family ancestors' graves will be smoking with green smoke."

Ye Chenghu, at a loss, hurriedly explained, "No, no, don't talk nonsense, I… I'm only sixteen…"

"Chenghe had already found his partner before he was sixteen. You're already late. You have to step it up. Third Uncle created such great conditions for you, even sent you to a high school in the Magic Capital. You have to cherish it, strike first, hurry up and reserve a college student wife ahead of time."

Ye Chenghu's face turned red. Seeing all the aunts and grannies looking at him, his normally glib tongue felt like it wasn't obeying him at the moment.

Of course, Ye Ye Xiaoxi had to stir things up on the side: "My big brother said before that he wants to find a college student wife…"

Ye Ye Chengjiang laughed exaggeratedly with joy, "Haha, hear that? Ye Chenghu already has a goal—he wants to find a college student wife. You all hurry up and push him. Finding a wife is a big deal for him—that's a future college student."

"Has Chenghu already got a partner? A high school classmate? That's pretty good. When he graduates high school, he can just get married."

"Amazing, you already found a partner ahead of time? If you get into university, she'll be family."

"Chenghu is really clever—found himself a wife who's going to university way ahead of time. Incredible. You brothers are better and better at picking."

Lin Lin Xiuqing watched Ye Chenghu's flustered look and smiled as she explained to everyone, "Nothing of the sort. Chenghu is focused on his studies right now, not looking for a partner. He's still young."

Ye Yaodong also said, "You still want to drag Chenghu into it? If Chenghu finds a partner too, I think you won't be celebrating New Year. Chenghe is a year younger than you and he's already a father. If Chenghu finds a partner too, I think you'll be chased out of the house—even if you haven't found one, you won't be able to come back."

Ye Ye Yaohua and Ye Ye Ersao both glared at Ye Ye Chengjiang together.

Ye Ye Chengjiang instantly felt he'd been rash. Ye Chenghu was even younger than him—if he found a partner too, then he was done for.

He scanned the room, feeling he should be pushing his younger sisters instead…

Ye Ye Xiaoxi suddenly dropped a bombshell: "Brother Ajiang, why don't you just go after my cousin? You need to find a partner, and my cousin needs to find one too!"

Ye Ye Ersao's eyes lit up. "Which cousin of yours?"

"Lin Lin Dongxue."

Ye Ye Ersao looked at Lin Lin Xiuqing with delighted surprise. "Ahqing…"

Ye Ye Chengjiang's eyes nearly popped out. "Oh no, you little brat, stop playing matchmaker, will you? What do you know? She's three years older than me…"

"A wife three years older is a gold brick. So what if she's three years older?" Ye Ye Ersao glared at him fiercely.

Ye Ye Chengjiang jumped up. "Stop playing matchmaker, believing every rumor you hear. She's three years older than me, and she's a college student. Do you think I'm a match? Do you think your son is a match? I don't even dare to think about it, and you really dare to think about it."

The smile vanished from Ye Ye Ersao's face—she was looking for a stick.

"You useless thing—you look down on the uneducated ones, and you don't deserve the educated ones. What good are you?"

"I can eat, sleep, and beat my kids!" Ye Ye Chengjiang glared at Ye Ye Xiaoxi.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi snickered and ran off in a hurry...

Lin Lin Xiuqing was speechless hearing this; none of them had ever thought along those lines.

After all, Lin Lin Dongxue is a college student...

Paired with Ye Ye Chengjiang...

Ahem, even Ye Yaodong thought it was absurd.

Lin Lin Dongxue simply has high standards, not that she can't get married. She and Lin Lin Guangyuan are not worried about finding a partner at all, so there's no need to look for someone in the countryside.

Even Ye Ye Chengjiang doesn't want to look for someone in the countryside, let alone her.

Lin Lin Xiuqing smoothed things over, saying, "She just got back, so let her rest first. Don't crowd around the kid talking about this, and don't put too much pressure on Ajiang. It's just that Brother Brother Ahai and Chenghe got married early. Ajiang is still young, so waiting a few years is fine."

Ye Yaodong also said, "That's true. When fate arrives, you can't stop it even if you try. Not having it now means fate hasn't come yet. In a few months, the factory will hold a joint mixer with other factories, and who knows, maybe fate will arrive then."

"What mixer?" Ye Ye Ersao asked.

Lin Lin Xiuqing explained, "It's when two factories arrange activities together to see if any young men and women take a liking to each other."

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

Ye Ye Ersao pulled Lin Lin Xiuqing aside to keep asking questions, while the others dispersed or went to rest as needed.

Ye Ye Chengjiang also seized the chance to slip away.

He had only just gotten back, sat down for a meal, and already a crowd had gathered to hold a struggle session against him.

If he never found a partner, wouldn't they drag him out for a lecture every time someone had a kid in the future?

PS: Too sleepy, going to bed. Will make up the rest after I wake up tomorrow.