Chapter 2

This matter is truly not easy to bring up; two years ago, when the old lady held the funeral, the neighbors all came to help, but everyone knew how they divided the inheritance.

It has been two years since it was divided, and there have been no objections for so long; seeing Ye Fu earn a large sum of money now and suddenly jumping out, it really doesn't sound good when spoken aloud.

If Ye Fu and his mother are willing to share some money with them, then others cannot interfere; if they are unwilling, they really cannot speak of dividing the money in front of outsiders.

Ye Dabo and Ye Erbo wanted to leave, and Ye Yaodong did not stop them, directly letting go and allowing them to leave.

Regardless of whether they will come again, he is not afraid even if they do.

If his father does not nod, can they still dig it out of their house?

Even if his father agreed, the three brothers would not be willing!

On what grounds?

Seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, the neighbors dispersed. Ye Yaodong clapped his hands and said to his father and the whole family: "Alright, let's go back inside!"

Just as he lifted his leg, a little toddler wobbled over, hugged his thigh, revealed two tiny teeth, and called out sweetly: "Daddy, hug!"

When his father and the others were arguing just now, the women in the family had taken the younger children back into the house to avoid being frightened.

When the commotion moved to the doorway, they also brought the children out.

Looking at such a cute, fair-skinned little cub, Ye Yaodong could not associate him at all with his dark-skinned second son from his previous life.

He pinched his little face, picked him up, and carried him into the house; he hadn't even eaten breakfast yet.

Sleeping until the sun was high before getting up for breakfast—in the whole family, there is no one else but him!

The whole family is used to it; Ye Yaodong was spoiled by the old lady, which is why he cannot carry anything on his shoulders or lift anything with his hands, does nothing, and spends his whole day idling and playing everywhere.

It is only because he did not do manual labor that his skin is delicate and tender, looking nothing like a person from the seaside, that he was able to secure a marriage based on his looks.

Otherwise, being so lazy and a loafer, no woman would marry him.

Just as he stepped over the threshold, Ye Yaodong saw a beautiful, short-haired woman walking toward him: "Give me the son, you go eat; the food is kept warm in the pot."

It was indifferent, and the attitude could not be called enthusiastic; he felt a bit uneasy in his heart.

This is his wife, named Lin Xiuqing, the same age as him, from the neighboring town.

Because the whole area knew he was a loafer who didn't work, when he was 20, his parents were afraid he wouldn't find a wife nearby, so they asked others to introduce someone from further away.

They met once when they were on a blind date, and his wife indeed took a fancy to his face and agreed directly, but not long after they were married, she discovered his true colors...

He was just a lazy loafer who loved to eat...

Originally, Lin Xiuqing was full of joy when she first got married, but gradually, she became more and more disappointed in him, yet she did not divorce him; in this day and age, divorce is a very shameful thing.

Some women were beaten and scolded by their husbands, yet they never thought about getting a divorce.

If the women in the house are disobedient, they must be beaten; this seems to be a common problem.

Fortunately, he doesn't beat his wife; he is just lazy and doesn't do proper work. If she is a bit more diligent, they can still get by.

Because of this, his wife worked without complaint to support him for 30 years...

At 50, she got intestinal cancer, had no money for treatment, and passed away while still young.

When she was lying helplessly in the hospital bed, he was very panicked, and after she was gone, he was completely bewildered.

The whole family relied on her to hold it together; when she was gone, he realized that his world had turned gray, but life still had to go on.

Because of this, at 50, he started working to earn money. Although he had never done any work, he was at least a seaside person, and his family members all worked at sea, so it was no problem to be hired as a boatman on a large ship.

Unexpectedly, after only a dozen years, he could not escape the fate of a short life.

It's just, I don't know if he accumulated virtue in his previous life, to actually be able to start over?

So much time has passed, he has already forgotten what his wife looked like. Hearing her speak indifferently now, he felt uneasy and stared at her for a long while.

He only saw her frown: "What are you staring for? Give me the child."

"Uh... it's nothing, I'll hold him. Have you all eaten?"

Lin Xiuqing was surprised. Ever since the eldest son pooped on him, he never held the children again. Today, he actually broke the precedent to hold the youngest son, but since he wanted to hold him, she didn't stop him.

"We've eaten."

Ye Yaodong held the child and followed her into the house, only to see her take out a bowl of sweet potato porridge and a small dish of pickled vegetables from the pot on the earthen stove.

Just as he put the child down and picked up his chopsticks, he heard his father say: "Your Dabo and Erbo are greedy. The principle that wealth should not be exposed is correct."

Ye Yaopeng sat beside Ye Yaodong and frowned: "We have no way not to expose it. When the boat arrived at the pier, everyone saw the golden large yellow croakers, and when the buyer gave stacks of large banknotes, the fellow villagers all saw it too."

"What are you afraid of? What are you worrying about? The money is in our pockets, how could it be dug out by them?" Ye Yaodong picked up a piece of pickled vegetable, bit it with a crisp sound, and said completely unconcerned.

"Is Dad afraid that if it really causes a scene, it will hurt the brotherhood with Dabo and Erbo?" The one speaking was the second son, Ye Yaohua; he looked a bit more honest.

Ye Fu did not answer, his fingers pinched a small pinch of tobacco, pressed it into the round hole of the water pipe for tobacco, then picked up the matchbox, took out a match, and struck it on the side.

A small flame lit up, Ye Fu brought the burning match close to the tobacco hole and slowly smoked; the water pipe gurgled...

Until smoke came out of his mouth and nose, he looked around before he spoke: "Where is your Grandma?"

Ye Mu spoke at this time: "Mom went out early in the morning, probably to the roadside at the entrance of the village to see if the corn and cucumbers she planted are ripe. Last night I heard her muttering that the corn and cucumbers should be ready to eat, just in time to let the little ones satisfy their cravings."

"She's already eighty, yet she still can't stay idle..."

Ye Yaodong shoveled a small bowl of sweet potato porridge into his mouth, put down his bowl and chopsticks, wiped his mouth, interrupted his father's words, and ordered the few nephews and nieces who looked to be 5, 6, 7, or 8 years old.

"You little ones, hurry to the roadside at the village entrance, see if your Great-Grandma is in the field, and bring her back."

Having not seen her for decades, he actually missed the Grandma who loved him the most.

"Okay, Third Uncle!"

The children all obediently and excitedly ran out, not minding the hot sun!

Country children are very tough, spending their days in the mountains and seas, not needing adults to watch them. Now that summer vacation has just started, they are playing wildly.

Adults in this era are busy struggling for food and livelihood, so they have no time to manage them and let them run around the village.

After ordering the little ones, seeing his wife come over to collect the bowls and chopsticks, he smiled at her and then looked at his father.

"Dad, how much money did that net of large yellow croakers sell for yesterday?"

Ye Fu glanced at this unreliable third son and did not make a sound. It had already been said yesterday, yet he was asking again; who knows what he was planning!

Ye Yaodong:...

He really didn't remember!