Chapter 1841: Decision

Ye Yaodong finished the urgent work that same evening, and the next morning headed straight for the passenger terminal, where his uncle-in-law was already waiting, breakfast in hand.

After exchanging greetings, the two of them boarded the boat together to wait.

He had rushed over early that morning and hadn't eaten breakfast either, so he took the breakfast from his uncle-in-law, and the two chatted while eating as they waited for the boat to depart.

"You're so busy, yet you brought me all this way for a checkup—what's the point? I'm perfectly fine, nothing's wrong with me. It's easy enough to just pick up some medicine at the clinic…"

"I happened to need to go to the Magic City to handle some things anyway, so it was on the way."

"Well then, alright, I'll go get checked. These past two years I really have felt a bit off—my blood pressure's a little high, my back gets sore easily, and every time it rains my knees hurt too…"

Ye Yaodong looked at him with an expression that said it all—only willing to talk about it when they were right at the doorstep. Just yesterday he'd been stubborn as a dead duck, insisting nothing was wrong.

This guy really is a ninja turtle—amazing how much he can tough out.

People like this, unless their family forces them to go get checked, will insist they're perfectly fine no matter what. No wonder in his past life he was sent to the hospital too late—gone within a month or two.

Enduring until you can't endure anymore before going to the hospital—that's not far from kicking the bucket.

Money earned, life lost.

"Then tomorrow when you go for the checkup, tell the doctor properly. Whatever else is bothering you, have them focus on that—get it all sorted in one go. The medical facilities in the Magic City are good too. No point getting checked and not getting accurate results—that'd be a waste."

"Since we're going to check, let's do it properly. If there's really something wrong, I'll quit this year after this season."

Ye Yaodong was speechless for a moment—already diagnosed with an illness, and still planning to work?

"Listen to the doctor."

"I reckon it's nothing, probably just old age. If there's nothing wrong, I'll work another two years and then retire."

"Everyone thinks they're not sick. Normal people never think they have any illness."

"Heh, naturally."

"I've worked half my life already, that's about enough. Time to rest when it's time. Go back and look after the grandkids, leave the money-making to the young folks."

"If I really stopped, I'd feel uncomfortable all over instead."

"Grow some vegetables. My old man's still out there planting veggies every day. Last year he was saying he was perfectly fine, nothing wrong anywhere. Then he went to the hospital for a checkup and turned out to be a bag of ailments—got prescribed a pile of medicine. Now he's well-behaved, doesn't dare say he's not sick anymore."

The uncle-in-law nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Once the boat departed and they arrived at the Magic City, Ye Yaodong, not wanting the hassle, didn't call Lin Lin Xiuqing to pick them up. The two grabbed a quick bite and then took the bus back.

When they reached the little Western-style house in Pudong, the house was—as expected—empty. He first arranged a room for his uncle-in-law and told him to rest and take an afternoon nap.

He himself also planned to go back to his room and doze for a bit. It was already past three anyway, and it wouldn't be long before everyone started coming home one by one.

The first ones home were Agu and Ye Ye Huimei, the couple. Ye Ye Huimei had to come back early to prepare dinner.

When the two arrived and saw the shoes at the door, they knew Ye Yaodong and the uncle-in-law had already come. Seeing no movement in the house, they didn't rush to the rooms to call them, but sat down in the living room to rest first, then started preparing dinner.

When Ye Yaodong woke up, opened his bedroom door, and came downstairs, the house was already filled with the aroma of food. The kids were all back from school—some watching TV, some making noise. The uncle-in-law was sitting on the sofa chatting with Agu.

When he came clomping down the stairs in his slippers, everyone turned to look at him.

"Dad…"

"Uncle…"

Agu said, "You woke up at just the right time—dinner will be ready in a bit."

Ye Yaodong nodded and looked at the kids. "Why aren't you doing homework? Watching TV of all things."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi sat on the sofa, kicking her feet against it. "Tomorrow's the weekend, no rush to do homework."

"Even after dinner you have to do homework first. Only after it's done can you play."

"Got it."

"Ye Ye Chengyang, stop hugging that Ultraman all day—it interferes with your studies."

"I only hugged it for a bit when I got back from school."

"Has your mom come back yet?" Only after lecturing each of them in turn did Ye Yaodong ask about Lin Lin Xiuqing.

"She's back, in the kitchen cooking with your little sister."

Only then did he nod and sit down on the sofa to chat with his uncle-in-law and Agu.

Agu couldn't wait to ask: "The uncle-in-law said his boss is planning a trip around the seas near Japan and Korea in May. He asked if I want to go?"

"So are you going?"

"I want to go. Hearing Xiao Xiao and A'zheng and the others would definitely want to go too. Aren't you going?"

"Not going. No time. The Canton Fair is starting around then, and I'm swamped. There's no need to send two boats along either."

"Alright then."

Agu had long been mentally prepared for his choice not to go and wasn't surprised—he'd only asked one last time just now.

"If you're planning to go along, then start preparing early. When you head out to sea in a couple of days, let A'zheng and Hearing Xiao Xiao know too, and make sure to pay attention to safety."

"There's over a month to prepare, that's plenty. We'll come back to resupply at the end of April. For now, just look into what preparations need to be made in advance."

"The uncle-in-law happens to be here, so you can ask him—he's the experienced one."

"I'm asking him now, I've taken some notes. Also, about the house-buying thing, I need to ask you too, get your input. We're torn between buying a big place or a small one. We were thinking of buying two units, since we have two sons. It feels like buying big is better, but we also think a small place would be enough—we definitely won't be living with our sons in the future."

"If you're asking me, I'd definitely tell you to go big—over 100 square meters. Whether it's just over 100 or 120, that's up to you. I just don't recommend anything under 100."

"I see. Then we'll go confirm it tomorrow—let's split the difference and go with around 110."

Ye Yaodong chuckled. "You're pretty good at splitting the difference."

"Isn't that to avoid more agonizing? Ye Huimei wants to buy small—that way we'd save quite a bit of money and have more breathing room."

"Still have breathing room? Seems like you've saved plenty these past few years."

"Nowhere big to spend money. Besides copying you and building a row of rental houses to collect rent, there's nowhere to spend big. The money just sits there earning interest, and the annual interest is pretty decent. The sea is too grueling—I don't want to run too many boats, don't want to keep being tied to the sea endlessly."

"You don't want to keep being tied to the sea, yet aren't you still out there all the time?"

Agu sighed. "I just can't let go, can I? I've only got that one big boat. If I got a few more, I don't know when I'd ever get to shore."

"It took you several years before you got to shore. I've only just started being busy—I doubt I'll stop even at 45. And I need the manpower too—it's not like you with your wide network of connections."

"But I'm thinking I'll follow my uncle-in-law's ship in May to make one big haul, then come back and quit the sea, come ashore and be a boss, with a wife and kids around a warm kang."

"I've made quite a bit these past few years anyway. The offshore boats are still running, so going over to your side every few months to settle accounts would still bring in a decent sum, and over here there's rent to collect too."

"I'm thinking I'll buy houses for my two sons, then I won't have to worry in the future. Raising them to adulthood will be more than enough. A daughter is even easier—when she grows up and marries, just give her a little dowry and that'll do."

"So yeah, I figure I've earned enough. Collecting rent alone is enough to live on, so I can come ashore. Before I do, following my uncle-in-law's ship to make one big haul would be even better!"

Ye Yaodong listened and nodded along, feeling his plan was pretty good. Money can never be earned in full—you can't just work yourself to death.

Everyone defines their own wealth differently. Some people are wildly ambitious, while others feel they've already earned more than enough.

Personally, once you feel you've earned enough, just make the rest of your days comfortable—do whatever feels good.

"Your plan sounds pretty good. Buying two more houses and arranging things for your two sons' future really takes the worry off your plate."

"With money-making ships, houses, and property in Pudong still in hand, coming ashore to live a small life now isn't bad either—being there as the kids grow up."

"Kids only grow up over a few short years. In the blink of an eye they're grown. The time you have with them is limited. You can't just think about making money and ignore your wife and kids."

He felt this even more deeply. He thought about how tiny they were when he held them in his arms, and how it felt like no time at all before they were now graceful young ladies.

He hadn't even gotten old yet, and the kids were already grown.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. These past few years have been killing me."

"I originally thought the same as you—no need to earn too much, just enough for the whole family to spend. Who would've thought the more I worked, the bigger it got, and the more tired I became. Damn, thankfully I'm ashore now, but even so every day is still endless busywork. Just don't know when I'll ever be able to relax, not having to worry about this and that."

"Damn, you really don't know how good you have it. You bought an entire building and you still feel tired? If you'd let me have that kind of tired, I'd take it in a heartbeat."

"Even if you gave me the money to buy, you wouldn't dare buy a whole building."

Ah Guang rubbed his nose—that was true enough. "But I really don't have that much money to buy a whole building. That's just the fact. If money really fell from the sky for me, then I'd buy it."

"Bullshit. If money fell from the sky for you, you'd just pick it up and save it."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that. If I bought that many houses, I couldn't live in them all anyway."

"Are houses bought in such large quantities to live in? They're for investment—waiting for the price to go up. And while the price is rising, you can collect rent along the way."

"How can you be so sure it'll definitely go up?"

Ye Yaodong picked up the newspaper on the table and gave it a pat. "Reading more news will grow your brain. Pudong is undergoing massive development, high-rises are going up everywhere. From now on, don't count on getting a unit-allocated house. In just a few years, the whole country will abolish housing allocation—everything will be self-purchased. Once unit housing allocation is abolished, won't housing prices skyrocket? Which household doesn't need a house? Who isn't cramped where they live?"

Ah Guang nodded along as he listened, looking thoughtful. "What you're saying makes sense. Policies have been changing year after year these past two years. Even if units do allocate housing, you'd have to wait over a decade in line. How could ordinary people wait that long?"

"With so many high-rises going up, someone's got to buy them, right? If everyone's waiting for allocated housing, who's going to buy? It's quite possible units really will stop allocating. Put like what you said, everyone will have to buy."

Ye Yaodong said, "What I'm saying—you can take it in if you want to listen, and if you can't, then just let it go in one ear."

"Fine, I'm taking it in. Tomorrow I'll go buy 110-square-meter units, three of them. Each son gets one, and we keep one for our daughter. If we can afford it later, we'll get one for her too. If not, we'll just keep it for our own retirement."

"Damn, you're actually that loaded? Ah Qing thought you guys didn't have that much money, so she was even hesitating about buying two units. Now hearing you talk like this, you can actually buy three?"

"It's not that much money either. We'd barely scrape by emptying our pockets to buy three. The hesitation was because we weren't sure how big to buy—we hadn't figured it out, so we were torn. Plus the unit price is expensive—three or four thousand per square meter. That's not something ordinary people can afford."

"It was always like that."

Houses have never been something ordinary people could afford at any time—same thing in this day and age.

Saying 90s housing prices were cheap is only true for people in the future. Put it in this era, for people whose monthly wages were just a few hundred yuan, it was still something ordinary people couldn't afford.

Even those who could afford it had to empty out the savings of several generations of the whole family.

"We were hesitating because we thought maybe we could buy one first, then wait until it wasn't so expensive to buy another—no need to spend that much all at once."

"That thinking of yours isn't wrong. Most people think that way, which is why most people never can afford it. The longer you wait, the less you can afford it."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration…"

Ye Yaodong shrugged. "See for yourself."

"My wife and I will discuss it again tonight. If we're going to decide, we'll decide tomorrow. We've been here too many days already. I also need to head out to sea early and tell Ah Zheng and Xiao Xiao about that matter."

"Hey, or maybe I can buy two units first. After I follow them in May to make one big haul and earn big, I'll come back and keep buying."

The more Ah Guang thought about it, the more he felt his idea was workable. Originally he just wanted to make one haul for retirement. Now, besides retirement, he could buy another house too—that was also for a comfortable retirement.

Look at Dongzi—he's already enjoying life. A Western-style house in Puxi, another Western-style house built in Pudong, and now he's bought an entire building in Puxi. He can't even live in them all.

"Thinking that way works too."

"I'll discuss it with Ye Huimei later, and that's that—settled."

Uncle-in-law had been silently sipping tea on the side, listening to the two of them discuss buying houses. It wasn't that he didn't want to speak, but just from listening he was already so shocked he couldn't find his own voice.

Bought an entire building!!?

What does an entire building even mean? He hadn't even figured it out before he heard the two of them chatting away, casually tossing around "two units, three units."

Two or three units was already shocking enough. From start to finish he never figured out how many units were in one building.

When the two of them reached a pause in their talk and started drinking tea, he finally found his voice again. He looked back and forth between the two of them, then asked curiously and carefully, "Dongzi bought an entire building. What does an entire building mean?"

Both of them laughed.

Ah Guang spoke up for him: "What does an entire building mean? It means Dongzi bought an entire building with several dozen units in one small neighborhood in Xuhui. That whole building was bought by him!"

Uncle-in-law listened with his mouth hanging open, utterly dumbfounded.

"When I first arrived in Modu and heard about it, I had the same reaction as you—completely shocked. It took me a long time to digest this bombshell."

"Th-then how much would one whole building cost?"

"Three or four thousand per square meter, depending on the floor and the area. You do the math—one unit of 100 square meters is at least 350,000."

Uncle-in-law was already so shocked he couldn't speak, swallowing hard again and again.

Ah Guang felt balanced seeing that—at least it wasn't just him being so shocked he didn't know how to react.

"Holy shit… this… this…"

"Damn it, what does he still need to harvest coral for, what risks does he need to take? Harvesting birdshit—he bought a whole building. How could he even look at that stuff anymore? He can't even sleep in them all. Harvesting my ass—wouldn't it be more comfortable to just lie around at home?"

Uncle-in-law was so shocked he couldn't help cursing nonstop.

Ah Guang felt the same way. Thinking about it, it really was true—if he had that much money, he wouldn't go either.

He didn't have that much money now, and he already didn't want to drift around at sea suffering anymore.

He wasn't the hardworking type to begin with; he was forced into it. Who else was there to help his father if not him, since he was his father's only son at the start?

Although there is a younger son now, he is even younger than his own son; what hope can there be in him?

After working so hard for so many years, he felt he had done right by himself. Now that he has made it ashore, he doesn't neglect things, he just doesn't have to endure hardships on the front lines.

Whether he is present or not doesn't affect the harvest itself.

After finishing his sentence, his uncle-in-law looked at Ye Yaodong and couldn't help but praise him again, "Truly impressive, so awesome! How did you earn so much? You're so capable; your father must be laughing in his sleep."

Ye Yaodong nodded in agreement, "If he knew, his mouth would indeed be crooked from smiling."

"What? He still doesn't know?"

"No, I only finalized it a few days ago. I paid the deposit and signed the initial contract; the formal purchase contract still needs to be processed upon notification. It should be soon; it's already been a week. I'll come over these two days to handle the matters, and we should be able to sign the contract."

"If I were still in Shanghai, take me to see it? I've never seen such a grand scene in my life, not even a whole building. I bet they'd even pull out a banner just for you to sign the contract."

"I don't know about that. Anyway, go get your physical exam done tomorrow first. If you're free when it's time to sign the contract, we can go together."

"Ah, good." His uncle-in-law rubbed his hands together happily, feeling that he too could see a grand scene; having such a capable nephew brought him face-saving glory.

"Uncle-in-law, what are you doing? Do you need a physical exam too?"

"I don't feel unwell anywhere. I just happened to be free yesterday, went to Dongzi's place to sit for a while and have some tea. He saw I was idle these past two days and insisted I come to Shanghai to sit for a bit, and also booked a physical exam. He said his parents, his father-in-law and mother-in-law, and his elder brother-in-law all got physical exams last year, so he wanted me to get one too."

"You didn't say that on the boat this morning. You said your back hurt, your back hurt, your legs hurt, and you had high blood pressure and all sorts of things; it was just right to get checked."

"Hehe..."

"Then it seems I should tell my father to get a physical exam too, just to be at ease."

"Your father does need to get a physical exam. With a big wife and a small wife, it's quite tiring; let the doctor prescribe him some yang-tonifying medicine." Ye Yaodong said while laughing.

Ah Guang also scolded him playfully, "Don't talk nonsense; we're all getting old."

"We are getting old, but no one has as much good fortune in their later years as he does."

His uncle-in-law was curious, "Did your father find a small wife here? That's normal; many people do that."

Ah Guang changed the subject, not wanting people to tease him about his father's matter, "Dongzi, if you have nothing to do tomorrow, go to the sales office with me?"

"Didn't I say it? I'm taking uncle-in-law for a physical exam tomorrow. You've been running around for a few days and know the place well; Director Zhang will help you negotiate the price as much as possible because of my face."

He slapped his forehead, "Look at my memory. Then forget it."

"Dinner is ready..."

"Everyone wash your hands and come eat."

Just as the topic was interrupted, everyone got up to wash their hands and eat first.

Several children shouted and ran straight for the dining table. The twins didn't wash their hands; they climbed onto the stools and reached out first. After being hit twice, they obediently went to wash.

Ye Ye Huimei was utterly disgusted with her two sons, "Look at the dirt in your fingernail crevices, so black. Can you even grab things to eat? Just looking at it makes me lose my appetite."

Lin Lin Xiuqing said with a smile, "Children are like this when they're young. You don't know what they play with all day long. Even if you cut their nails clean, the next day the crevices are stuffed full again."

"I dig the ground all day and plant vegetables all day, and my nails are cleaner than theirs."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi was also full of disgust, "I saw them sucking their fingers after eating crullers this afternoon. It's disgusting."

"Don't talk about others; you were like this when you were young too. Your fingernail crevices were black every day, and you bit your nails."

"No way! You're talking nonsense!" Ye Ye Xiaoxi got a bit agitated, "I'm not unhygienic like them!"

"Heh..."

"Really not!" She refuted even louder, getting angry.

"Fine, fine, hurry up and eat. Stop nagging; you have the loudest voice."

"I really didn't."

"If you didn't, you didn't. Why keep talking about it?"

"Who told you I'm the same as them?"

Pei Zuo: "So what if we're the same as them?"

Pei You: "Exactly, we don't even want to be like you."

"So much talk; even eating can't shut your mouths." After Ye Yaodong finished speaking, they one by one quieted down.

Lin Lin Xiuqing said, "Every meal is like a battle. Eating doesn't stop them from bickering; I don't know how many mouths they have."

Ye Ye Huimei agreed, "They must have two stomachs. Having two mouths is normal; one for eating, one for arguing."

His uncle-in-law chuckled, "This is so lively. Otherwise, eating without anyone talking would be so desolate."

"It's simply too lively. Since we started living together, it's been overly lively." Ye Ye Huimei looked at her three children with a headache.

Lin Lin Xiuqing said to Ye Yaodong, "Do you have anything busy tomorrow? If you're busy, I'll accompany uncle-in-law for the checkup tomorrow. I've accompanied him several times, so I know the process well. Otherwise, shall I go?"

"Are you free?"

"Why wouldn't I be free? There are so many people at the office; half a day away won't matter."

"Then that works. You accompany uncle-in-law for the checkup. I'll go with Ah Guang and the others to the sales office to take a look, and ask when we can sign the purchase contract."

"Fine. How many units do you plan to buy?"

"We'll discuss it with Ye Huimei tonight and then decide."

He had a clear idea about the house matter; they had already talked enough just now.

His uncle-in-law changed the subject and looked at Ye Chenghu, "I heard you'll be taking the college entrance exam soon? Less than three months?"

Ye Chenghu's face instantly drooped, "Uncle Gong, don't remind me. Why does everyone who sees me have to remind me? Uncle-in-law just asked me two days ago, and now you've just arrived and are asking again."

It felt like every relative who came had to drag him out and whip him; the heart of a college entrance exam student is bitter!

"Hehehe, him asking is him asking; me asking is me asking. I don't know, I just wanted to show concern, that's why I asked."

"Ah, I'm doing great. Tsinghua and Peking University are within reach; just wait for the firecrackers!"

"Oh? Your grades are that good? That's extraordinary?"

"Listen to him brag. If he can get into a junior college, we'll already be secretly laughing." Lin Lin Xiuqing laughed and exposed his bluff.

Ye Chenghu gave his mother a resentful look, then continued to eat with his head down.

Ye Yaodong asked with concern, "Evening self-study now goes until nine every day; can you handle it? Should I have your mother kill a chicken for you to nourish yourself? And order a glass of milk for you every morning?"

"Yes, we drink milk every day now: one egg, one milk, plus two steamed buns. Killing a chicken is fine; I want to eat it."

Lin Lin Xiuqing said, "Then we'll kill one tomorrow. Since your uncle is here, we'll kill one tomorrow and everyone can eat together."

Ye Yaodong asked again, "Which school did Chenghu fill in for his college entrance exam preferences? Have you filled them out yet?"

"It's not time yet, haven't filled them out, but I've already decided. I plan to fill in 'Shanghai Finance Higher Vocational College' as my first preference, and 'Urban Management Vocational Technical School' as my second. I haven't thought about the third preference yet."

"Did your little girlfriend fill in Fudan?"

Ye Chenghu nodded. "Yes, she helped me choose these two preferences. I said I wanted to be close to Fudan; she thought these two would work, and I agreed too. Being a bit closer means I can absorb some of Fudan's scholarly aura."

Ah Guang teased, "What scholarly aura? It should be called 'the waterside pavilion gets the moon first.' Being a bit closer, who knows, you might actually bring home a Fudan top student to bring glory to your ancestors. If that doesn't work, you can swap for another; after all, you're close by."

"You overestimate me. I can't even keep up with this one; I'm studying with all my might, and I'm still lagging behind."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi, cheeks puffed out, interjected, "Big brother, two little cars! Once you pass, you won't need your heels anymore; you'll step right on the wheels, just like Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels, soaring straight to the sky."

"I'll take your good words!"

"Then if you pass, remember to give me a red envelope! My mouth has been blessed; it will definitely succeed!"

Ye Chenghu shot her a huge white eye-roll.

Pei Zuo looked up from his rice bowl, surprised. "A red envelope? Cousin, you will surely pass the exam and have your name written on the golden list!"

"You've watched too many TV dramas, haven't you?"

Pei You: "Cousin, you will definitely get in!"

"Two money-loving flatterers!"

Everyone at the table laughed heartily.

Ye Yaodong offered some encouragement. "Just hold on for less than three more months. You've already persisted for so long; don't let your spirit flag. Once you finish the exam, you can do whatever you want."

"After I finish the exam, I'm going straight to get my driver's license."

"No problem."

Ye Chenghu was satisfied, but he continued to bargain. "I also want to go play at West Lake! Is that okay?"

"No problem! Whether you go with classmates or we take you, either is fine!"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi quickly raised her hand. "I want to go too!"

Ye Ye Chengyang raised his hand as well. "Then I want to go too!"

The twins raised their hands in succession. "Me, me, me..."

Ye Ye Huimei smacked her two foolish sons. "Why are you two everywhere? It's none of your business. If you get into university, I'll take you not just to West Lake, but to Beijing!"

The two quickly lowered their heads and ate quietly again.

Ye Yaodong looked at Ye Ye Chengyang and Ye Ye Xiaoxi. "As for you two, it depends on your final exam scores. If you do poorly, you'll stay home and watch the house and the dog."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi: "I don't want to be a watchdog."

"Then you two must study hard too."

Ye Ye Chengyang: "Just wait and see, Dad. I've never failed an exam; you're destined to take me along."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi chimed in as well. "And me! You won't be able to get rid of me!"

PS: Updated 7,000 words to make up for it.