Chapter 377

Just at this moment, a woman suddenly came to the door. His house door was wide open, and as soon as she arrived, she started calling out at the entrance, giving Ye Yaodong a fright.

"Yo~ you guys are eating so late?"

The food Ye Yaodong was picking up dropped. He looked toward the door; it was a woman with fair skin and shoulder-length short hair, stylishly carrying a leather bag in her hand.

"Adong, you're so fair, hehe. Your face is tanned, but I didn't expect your body to be so fair."

There was nothing a grown man couldn't show others, and besides, he was in his own home. Ye Yaodong didn't care, but this woman was no good bird; she was very loose. He didn't intend to respond; his wife was there anyway.

Lin Xiuqing looked at the visitor and smiled, "Sister-in-law Chuyun, is there something you need?"

Wang Chuyun's gaze swept obscurely over Ye Yaodong's shoulders and waist before she withdrew it and said with a smile, "I wanted to come and ask if you're joining a rotating savings and credit association? 20 yuan a month, 30 members, if you bid, you get 600 yuan."

"Not doing it. It's too big; we can't afford it." Ye Yaodong refused flatly without even raising his head.

"Hehe, for others, 20 yuan a month is a bit much, but for your family, it should be fine, right? Your family has a boat; what's 20 yuan a month? Joining an association now is also a safeguard. When you really need money, you can bid for it, and if you don't need it, you can leave it to earn interest."

Lin Xiuqing also refused, "We've already joined several associations. 20 yuan a month is too much; we can't afford it. Why don't you ask someone else?"

Ever since her aunt came over to ask them to join an association, the couple had specifically discussed it. No matter who came to the door, they would not join any more associations, because they weren't short of money in the short term, and if they were, they wouldn't be short of just a few hundred yuan. Joining an association meant committing for several years; they didn't need to join.

"Is that so? Already joined several? Then joining this 20-yuan one is indeed tiring. Alright then, I'll go ask next door."

Once the woman left, Lin Xiuqing glared at Ye Yaodong, "You go put your clothes on first."

"Huh?"

"I told you to go, so go."

Although Wang Chuyun's gaze was very obscure, women understand women very well. That look of hers had long been noticed by Lin Xiuqing, she just hadn't shown it.

"Looking once won't make me lose a piece of meat. I haven't even showered yet; what clothes should I wear? Women are just narrow-minded..."

"Who's narrow-minded?" Just then, a man's voice came from the door.

The couple both looked at the door; it was A-Zheng and Hearing Xiao Xiao.

"Have you two eaten? Sit down and have a bite, have a couple of drinks." Ye Yaodong invited them to sit.

Lin Xiuqing also got up to get them bowls and chopsticks, "Do you want rice wine or what kind of wine? Sea snake wine? Starfish wine?"

"Rice wine is fine."

There was no need to be polite; A-Zheng spoke up.

As soon as Hearing Xiao Xiao sat down, he said, "I just saw that Wang Chuyun come out of your house and go to your second brother's house. What did she come for?"

"Asked if we wanted to join an association. We turned her down; we're not doing it."

"That woman's husband has been out at sea for over half a year and isn't home. She shouldn't need money, right? Why is she joining an association for no reason?"

Hearing Xiao Xiao winked and said, "I heard a while ago that she has several lovers. Is she raising money for her lovers?"

A-Zheng stared, "Several? Really? Can she handle that many?"

"Women aren't men; what's there to handle? Haven't you heard that there are only tired-to-death oxen, but no plowed-to-death fields?"

"Damn, she's that loose? When can I give it a try?"

Ye Yaodong said irritably, "Don't want your life anymore? If you get reported, you'll be finished. Look up 'hooliganism'; it's not like you don't have a wife."

"Pfft~ who would look for trouble for no reason? I heard that for those running big boats in town, the women at home all have other lovers. The men are out at sea for a year or half a year, working themselves to death, while it benefits the women and lovers at home to be carefree and happy."

This was true. Those running boats were away all year round, and when they were home, they didn't stay long. There were plenty of women at home taking lovers. Most people preferred to avoid trouble, so no one reported it, and naturally, nothing happened.

"Shh, she's still next door. Keep your voices down." Lin Xiuqing reminded them quickly when she saw them talking nonsense.

In his previous life, Ye Yaodong had heard that her son wasn't her husband's. The husband raised a son for someone else, and after finding out, he beat her severely and drove her out. But that was already in the 90s, and the son was already 18; he took him away directly.

"I heard this woman is on her second marriage, but she's still very young. They said her previous husband got drunk, fell into a well, and drowned."

"Seems like she's only in her early 20s!"

"Tsk tsk tsk~ Li Dawei is almost 30 and can still marry someone so young and beautiful. No wonder he doesn't mind that she's on her second marriage. Looking at how fair and tender she is, she's indeed fairer than the girls by our seaside."

One shade of white hides a hundred uglinesses; there is some truth to that.

Lin Xiuqing said irritably, "You let her blow in the sea breeze for a few years and see how fair she can still be?"

"That's not necessarily true. Look at me; wasn't I like a pretty boy before last year? The sea breeze couldn't tan me. Even if I got tanned in the summer, I could be fair again in one winter. She might be just like me... Hiss~ are you trying to murder your husband? Why are you pinching me for no reason?"

Caught off guard, Ye Yaodong's arm was pinched. The pain made him instantly clench his fist, making the muscles on his arm bulge. This way, it was hard and stiff, and she couldn't pinch him anymore.

Lin Xiuqing withdrew her hand and changed to slapping him, but because he was flexing his arm, it was all muscle, and instead, her palm hurt a little.

She squinted at him, "Do you also think her skin is fair and she's good-looking? Do you also want to take a lover?"

Praising another woman for being fair and tender in front of his wife, and a woman with a bad reputation at that, he was asking for a beating.

"Where? How could that be? My wife is so beautiful, so virtuous, so gentle; I love you too much to even think about it, why would I take a lover?"

Hearing Xiao Xiao smiled and secretly gave him a thumbs up.

"It's all your fault, why talk about that woman for no reason? Can she compare to my wife? It's beneath me!"

"You're good, Dongzi, your survival instinct is full." A-Zheng watched his performance happily.

"What survival instinct? I'm just stating facts." Ye Yaodong glared at them and looked back at Lin Xiuqing, whose expression had softened. He held her hand and kneaded it a few times.

"Does it hurt? Your palm is red. You can't use force; your body hasn't recovered yet. Hurry inside and lie down. You can let me clean up the table in a while, and I'll wash the bowls too."

Lin Xiuqing, who had been somewhat annoyed, couldn't hold it in after his shameless words and laughed, "Then I'll let you clean up. I'm going back to the room to be with the kids."

"Go, go."

After Lin Xiuqing returned to the room, Ye Yaodong waited until she closed the door before saying, "Alright, the ancestor has been sent away. You guys can speak freely now."

"Aren't we speaking freely?"

"I don't have any devious thoughts; I only have one mouth."

Hearing Xiao Xiao rested one foot on the stool and said with a smile, "That's true, you're getting better at coaxing people. No wonder your wife looks more human and has more smiles than before."

"Pfft~ you guys should learn more. When the wife is happy, the family is peaceful. Stop thinking about the flowers and grass outside."

"How can the flowers at home compare to the wild ones!" A-Zheng laughed.

"I'll tell your wife tomorrow!"

"Pfft~"

"Why did you guys come over? To sponge off a meal? Or did you come over because you smelled the food?"

"Did A-Zheng come because he smelled the food? I don't know, but I came to pay back the money," Hearing Xiao Xiao took a stack of ten-yuan bills out of his pocket, "Count it, is 500 yuan correct?"

Ye Yaodong took it and put it directly to the side, "Did you settle the money from A-Cai's side?"

"Just got a part of it, there's still a little bit left that he said he'd give in two days. Then let's give him two days. You count it, don't take it lightly. Close brothers settle accounts clearly. Only when it's counted clearly and there's no problem is it considered settled."

"Can I not trust you guys?"

"You still have to count it, hurry up and count."

Urged by them, he took the opportunity to count it lightly. After confirming there was no problem, he took the money into the room and took the opportunity to ask A-Qing to take out the IOU and tear it up for them.

"Alright, we're square."

"Finally paid it off. Didn't work in vain this month." A-Zheng leaned against the wall, shaking his crossed legs.

"It's that your boat was bought at the right time; you caught up."

Hearing Xiao Xiao: "I heard from the old people in the village that there seem to be an especially large number of cuttlefish this year. There weren't this many in previous years."

Ye Yaodong said indifferently, "Who cares? As long as we make money. I wish there were this many goods every year—no, it would be best if there were this many goods every day."

Since he was reborn last year, too many good things had happened around him. He now attributed it to the protection of Goddess Mazu.

"Shh, shh~" A-Zheng whistled softly toward the door, signaling them to look over.

They happened to see Wang Chuyun walking by.

"Who are her lovers?" A-Zheng asked curiously.

Ye Yaodong knew who her lovers were rumored to be later, but he didn't know who she was hooking up with now.

Hearing Xiao Xiao kept them in suspense, "Who in the village is handsome?"

"Dongzi!" A-Zheng blurted out.

"Hehe, you have an eye for it... wait... no... it's not me. I'm very law-abiding. Don't talk nonsense; my wife is still in the room."

"It's not him. He can only be considered the 'cool' of a cricket now."

"How are you talking?"

The two ignored his protest and continued guessing.

"The village head's son, Li Xiuming! This is also a pretty boy who doesn't have to work and idles around all day. It's thanks to him having a good father."

"That's right, there's more, there's more, keep guessing!"

"Who else is there? Just say it directly, why keep us in suspense?"

"Alright, my wife said that when she went out to the latrine at night before, she saw A-Wei hugging and kissing her under the tree."

"Damn, A-Wei?"

Ye Yaodong was also surprised. He knew she had a thing with the village head's son, but he really didn't know she had a thing with Chen Wei.

"Look at A-Wei's build, broad shoulders and narrow waist. Every other day I see him shirtless chopping wood at the door. One look and you know he's physically strong and has good endurance. Which woman wouldn't like that? And she's a young married woman! Although he's not as tall as Dongzi, he's much taller than us. Is he 1.7 meters?"

"That's true, I'm not bad either, just a bit short. Sigh~ it's good that I'm not the only short one..." A-Zheng patted Hearing Xiao Xiao on the shoulder while talking and raised his glass to him, "Come~ brother, let's have one."

Ye Yaodong sprayed his wine out directly, laughing until he choked.

"Get lost~ admit you're short if you're short, why drag me into it?" Hearing Xiao Xiao angrily slapped away the hand he had on his shoulder.

"What's hard about admitting you're short? I admit I'm short."

"Get lost, I'm taller than you."

"You shameless guy, your hair is just taller. My hair is just a little bit less than yours, not as fluffy. Next time I comb a slicked-back hairstyle and make it high, I'll definitely be two centimeters taller."

Ye Yaodong slapped the table and laughed wildly, almost laughing himself to death.