Chapter 192

After Ye Yaodong sold the remaining fish, which were a mix of big and small, the total came to nearly 50 yuan. There were also about 8 jin of squid, which sold for over 5 yuan.

The villagers who hadn't left yet were moved again. Compared to the harvest, what was this bit of bait money?

After asking Ye Yaodong that he had put down 1,000 hooks and only reeled them in twice in total, yet sold so much cargo, everyone started to ponder.

1,000 hooks, reeling in a few tens of fish in one round, plus other goods, was quite impressive. One had to know that there were no small fish caught by longline fishing, and one could reel it in several times a day with intervals.

Ye Yaodong didn't mind the villagers following suit. The sea was so vast.

He had hauled in so much cargo, and there were still baskets on the boat, as well as fishing lines and hooks that hadn't been lifted down. Everyone saw it.

After collecting all the receipts, he took the opportunity to grab two of the 4 squids he had kept for his father. Each one weighed over half a jin. He also kept two Spanish mackerel weighing about 2 jin, and each of them took one.

Goods had to be sold, but they also had to eat.

After agreeing on the departure time of 3 AM, Ye Yaodong pushed the flatbed cart toward home. Besides bait, the cart was also loaded with ten baskets of longlines.

He had to call people to organize them overnight and send them over. The loss of hooks today wasn't big. Hiring two people to organize them for two or three hours should be about enough. The day after tomorrow, he estimated he would have to rest and slowly repair them.

By the time he got home, the sky was already completely dark. The one big and two small ones hadn't eaten yet and were waiting for him.

Ye Yaodong said helplessly, "Didn't I tell you, if it's too late, don't wait for me. You and the two children eat first."

"It's not too late now, it's just that it gets dark early. Eat first, we'll bathe later."

"Brought a Spanish mackerel back. You decide how to cook it tomorrow. Caught quite a lot of squid today, brought two back. You feed the little one, I'll boil water to blanch them."

Lin Xiuqing nodded. The younger son was the most troublesome to feed.

Among seafood, besides fish, other things are very fresh when blanched. No need for complicated cooking methods like frying, stir-frying, or stewing. People by the sea also eat very lightly.

After the two squids were cooked, they were cut into sections like donuts. Dipping them in soy sauce and vinegar was both easy and delicious. Not only did adults love to eat them, but his two sons also grabbed them directly with their hands to eat.

After the family split up, he kept whatever goods he wanted to keep every day, and brought back something different every day. Moreover, he made his wife cook rice. If there wasn't enough grain, he would spend money to ask people in the village to share some. The complexions of the two children had obviously improved during this period, and they had gained a bit of meat.

Lin Xiuqing was the same, her face looked much more rosy.

Before, when the whole family had to eat and drink, it was difficult for Ye Mu too.

After Ye Yaodong had a full meal, he couldn't care about bathing. After looking at the ambergris that was still fine in the room, he took advantage of the early time and ran to Azheng's house to borrow his cast net, and also found a piece of wood on the way back.

After coming back and taking a bath, the children were asleep, and he had time to touch that piece of ambergris.

Lin Xiuqing also put on a coat and came out of the room, "What is this? Why does it have a fishy stench? You're acting so mysterious?"

Ye Yaodong beamed, "Don't ask what it is. You just need to know it's a big treasure, more valuable than that melo pearl of yours."

"Just such an ugly stone?"

Lin Xiuqing was surprised. Although the melo pearl looked small, it was at least beautiful and particularly pleasing to the eye. This ugly piece of broken stone in front of her was actually more valuable than the melo pearl?

She couldn't quite believe it.

"Hmm, don't tell anyone. If this thing leaks out, our family won't have peace. Take it out at night to air it. It has to be air-dried before it can be stored."

"What is it?"

"You'll know later. Don't let the children see it either. Children don't have a lock on their mouths."

"Fine, won't ask if you won't tell." Although she was curious, it wasn't something she had to know.

Ye Yaodong took the piece of wood he brought back, referenced the shape of this piece of ambergris, and simply carved it with a small knife. Faking things should be done early rather than late, just in case.

It didn't need to be exactly the same, just roughly similar in shape. After all, people only took a few glances from afar, how could they remember so clearly?

"What are you doing again?"

"Making a replica, just in case."

"Is this thing really that valuable? Need to be so cautious?"

Ye Yaodong thought about it and told her about what happened at sea, just didn't say what it was.

"You think they will be unrelenting and come to the door?"

"Better safe than sorry. In case they come to their senses and remember what this thing is, they will definitely come to the door. Making a fake can also block people's mouths, saving trouble."

"Oh."

After Ye Yaodong carved the shape to be similar, he went out to the small shop to buy two cans of paint, one white and one gray. That piece of ambergris was light gray, so he tried to make it look similar.

Fishing boats by the sea often need to be painted for maintenance, so buying two cans of paint in the village is still very convenient.

"Go back to the room and sleep. The paint smell is strong, smell less of it. I'll take it to the back door and just mess with it."

Lin Xiuqing nodded. She felt he was a bit blind and tossing about.

Ye Yaodong took a piece of broken tile, put a bit of the two colors of paint on the tile, stirred and stirred, adjusted the color to be about the same, painted the wood, and then repaired it after finishing.

Under the light in the room, he put the two things together to compare. Up close, the difference was huge, but looking from afar, they were very similar, and one would think they were the same thing.

Anyway, he didn't need to make them the same. Li Laoer hadn't held it in his hand to look. Looking the same from afar was enough.

After finishing, he put both in a hidden place to dry naturally. Fortunately, their family's location was good, there were no residents around, and the eldest and second brother's families couldn't walk to his side when going to the latrine at night.

After the ten baskets of longlines were organized and sent over, he checked them before putting the things away and returning to the room to sleep.

In the early morning, he specifically got up early to put away the real and fake ambergris. The fake one was put directly on the flatbed cart to be taken out to sea. It was agreed to be used as a float, so it had to be used to look real.

The real ambergris wouldn't dry in one night, so he put it in a basket, lined it with a towel, and hung it on the wall near the door to continue airing. He told his wife not to go out if there was nothing to do, just sit at the door and weave nets, watching it.

After eating breakfast and bringing a lunch box, he pushed the flatbed cart out. But he didn't expect that it would be windy again at night. The boat hadn't sailed far when the waves rolled, the boat shook violently, and people had to hold onto things to stand firm. Waves hit the boat from time to time, so he had to return.

Other boats also hadn't gone far when they saw it was truly dangerous and returned.

The hope of going to sea fell through, and the bait couldn't be wasted. He bought some ice and left it directly with Adong. He would come to get it when he went to sea tomorrow.

Ye Yaodong went back and took another nap.

Since he couldn't go to sea today, he planned to go to town to buy materials and ask his mother to help weave a large net.

"Do you want to go to town and walk around together?"

"Not going, right? I don't have anything to do if I go, nothing to buy."

"Go buy a few pieces of cloth, buy a few jin of cotton, and make a few thick cotton-padded jackets. The weather is getting a little cold. In another two months, it won't be convenient for you to go out. The old lady also needs to have two thick cotton-padded jackets made. I don't know how to buy these."

Lin Xiuqing frowned, "Make for the whole family? Isn't it too much? And too early, right?"

"Too much what? Touch the cotton-padded jackets in the wardrobe, they are all in lumps. Make them in advance and put them away. If it's temporary, you won't be in a hurry. In case it suddenly gets cold, the clothes won't keep you warm, and you'll have to spend money to buy medicine. We have some money on hand now, no need to live so tightly, right? Didn't I just give you over 170 yesterday?"

"Fine."

Spending money to buy medicine—this persuaded her.

Ye Yaodong took the two children to Ye Mu, then took the ambergris into the room to hang it up, and then locked the room door before going out with peace of mind.

Their rural fishermen don't have vouchers and don't specifically go to the supply and marketing cooperative. There are many things in the alley that can be bought without vouchers, and the prices are cheaper than the supply and marketing cooperative, so the source isn't very formal.

Lin Xiuqing turned around in the alley and compared many shops before buying two pieces of 3-meter thick cotton cloth with different patterns, 9 meters of the cheapest dark blue thick cotton cloth, and 6 jin of cotton.

"Is it enough?" Ye Yaodong didn't know how to make clothes, but he also felt that 6 jin of cotton was too little.

Lin Xiuqing glanced at him and didn't speak, just checked out and left, urging him to hurry up and buy fishing net materials.

Ye Yaodong saw that she had finished buying, so he had to go to the fishing gear store to buy net-weaving materials. After returning, he learned that his wife had bought cloth for the whole family, two sets for the old lady, and none for herself.

No wonder he felt the floral cloth seemed a bit little. Last time she made him a piece of clothing, she told him to buy two meters, and the cotton too.

He pursed his lips and was a bit unhappy.

Lin Xiuqing explained, "I was thinking that the cotton from the old cotton-padded jackets could be taken out to make two sets, no need to spend that money..."

Seeing his face turn black, she didn't know why she felt a bit guilty. Clearly, she was also thinking of saving a bit. Today, the cloth, cotton, and fishing net materials had already cost over 60 yuan...

She smiled apologetically and pulled his sleeve, "I don't go out at home, and I'm not like the two children who are still growing. It's not a holiday, so there's no need to make new clothes. I'll wait until the New Year to make them with you. Today, except for the old lady's, yours were only bought for one set."

It would have been better if she hadn't spoken. After speaking, Ye Yaodong's face turned even blacker. So the quantity was reduced again...

"Only bought cloth and cotton for one set of cotton clothes and pants?"

"Two sets for the old lady!"

"Am I not working hard to earn money now?"

Lin Xiuqing had never seen him angry. He had always been grinning, and his stinky face had always been toward others. In the few years of marriage, he had never let his face down toward her. Suddenly like this, she felt so uncomfortable, and her confidence was very insufficient...

She also felt she seemed to have done something wrong.

She stole a glance at his eyes and hooked his finger cautiously, testingly saying, "Are you angry?"

Ye Yaodong looked at her rare guilt, was silent for a long while, and then sighed helplessly, turning his hand to hold hers.

"Why treat yourself so poorly? I can earn money now, not a waste."