Chapter 379: The Old Lady Bristles

The two kids were bouncing around excitedly, splashing through the water as they ran outward. Ye Yaodong couldn't stop them even when he tried, calling after them to keep up.

"Wow~ Dad, there are so many clams in the sea, so many fish~"

Ye Yaodong saw it too. The catch in the sea rolled in with the waves, riding the surf toward shore. The yellow, churning tide washed fish and clams up onto the beach and then carried them back into the sea, but quite a few were left behind on the shore, caught by some rocks and unable to follow the tide back.

He grabbed the two children by the back of their collars. "You two take it easy, don't walk any further ahead, don't get swept away by the waves."

Ye Chenghu squirmed and struggled. "I'm not going forward, I'm just picking up some clams, right over there, there's a pile of rocks with lots of clams, and little fish and crabs too. Dad, let go…"

Ye Yaodong had already noticed. "Be careful. Ye Chengyang, go home and get a bucket."

"No, let brother go."

Ye Chenghu clenched his fist and shook it at him. "You go. If you don't go, I'll beat you up."

Ye Ye Chengyang looked at Ye Yaodong with a pitiful expression. "Dad~"

Ye Yaodong was unmoved. Who told him to be the youngest? If he didn't go, who would?

"When I tell you to go, just go. Hurry up."

Ye Ye Chengyang pouted, wronged and reluctant, glancing back with every step. Only after walking quite a distance did he break into a little run toward home.

Then Ye Ye Yaopeng and Ye Ye Yaohua, along with their wives, also came over wearing rain boots and carrying buckets, together with Ye Ye Chengyang.

The rain had just stopped at this point, and only their three families were picking up small seafood along the beach. The children next door had all gone to school and hadn't gotten out yet.

But not long after, the neighbors next door saw them picking up small seafood on the beach and came over to join in.

The villagers in the village waited for the rain to stop, then ran to the sea to look at the waves, and picked some up along the way.

After all, it was seafood—picking some up to bring home meant an extra dish. The rain had been falling on and off for so many days now, everyone hadn't had fresh fish or shrimp in ages. Seeing them now, how could they not pick some up?

Although the waves hadn't receded yet, you could still pick up scattered bits along the beach. An extra dish was no problem at all.

By the next day, when the tide had receded, there were even more people along the beach.

Ye Yaodong lifted the half-bucket full of catch, straightened his back, looked at the dense crowd along the beach, and rubbed his lower back. Bending over to pick things up the whole time was tiring.

"Everyone's probably been cooped up too long, came out for some fresh air and to pick up some seafood to take home."

"That's right. Haven't had any fresh catch for a whole month. The rain just stopped these past two days, and no boats have gone out to sea. Of course everyone's coming to the beach to pick some up to bring home for an extra dish," Ye Ye Yaopeng said with a smile, also straightening his back.

Ye Ye Yaohua had just caught a small green crab and said happily, "Going out to sea tonight will definitely be a good haul."

Ye Yaodong looked into the distance. The sea was still rolling with waves, the water murky. "I wonder if the waves will be big tonight."

"We'll just have to get up and check tonight. If the waves aren't big, hurry up and go. While the heavy rain has just passed, there's plenty of catch." Ye Ye Yaohua was full of enthusiasm, itching to head out to sea and have a big go at it right away.

This time, with the rain lasting so many days, everyone wasn't in such a rush. After all, right before the rainy season came, they had all just made a big haul.

After deducting the cost of the net hauler, the wages for his father, and various other expenses, Ye Yaodong had still earned a little over 1,200.

Not to mention, his old man following him hadn't earned little. Add to that the boat rental share from his eldest and second brothers' side, and the two elders really had quite a bit of money in hand now.

But retirement was still far off. His father was still young and could keep working with him! The old lady was 81 and still farming. His father was only in his 50s—what retirement?

Still, at this moment, Ye's father was really sitting there going over accounts with Ye's mother, counting up how much they had, and saying he could retire, that he'd saved enough for his coffin…

"Retire? You're only in your 50s and you don't want to work anymore? You want your sons to start supporting you now? How much pressure would that put on Dongzi? You old fool, you've lived to a ripe old age and still don't know how to think of your sons."

"He has elders above and children below, and there's still a baby wailing at home to feed at home. And he's filial, always thinking about taking care of this old bag of bones of mine. You're only in your 50s and you want to retire—dream on!"

"You used to always say Dongzi was lazy, didn't want to work. Look at you—the upper beam is crooked, so the lower beam is crooked too. If you retire now, you'd be no better than he used to be. It's hard enough that Dongzi has finally straightened up. Can't you help him out for a few more years, lighten his burden a bit? And you're still thinking about retirement?"

"You have the nerve to take so much wages from him. As a father, shouldn't you help your son out more? He still has to raise children, but you don't. I haven't even asked you to support me, and this radio was still bought for me by Dongzi…"

The old lady had been sitting comfortably in her recliner, listening to the opera on the radio, when she heard Ye's father say he could retire. She immediately bristled, full of vigor, and laid into him without mercy, scolding him up one side and down the other.

Ye's father was stunned for a moment by the old lady's imposing manner, and stammered, "I… I was just saying it off the cuff… I wasn't really planning to retire and stop working. If I retired, I'd still farm the land…"

"Farm what land? There's only that tiny plot to begin with, I can handle it myself. Do I need you? Stop trying to slack off. When it's time to go out to sea with Dongzi, you just behave and follow him. Keep a closer eye on him for me. He's still young, doesn't have much experience. As his father, you need to put in more effort, help him out more."

"Don't think just because you've got some money in your pocket, you don't want to work anymore. No way… I need to have a word with Dongzi, can't let him pay you so much. Once a person has money, they don't want to work anymore. The laziness is already in your bones…"

After finishing her scolding of Ye's father, the old lady casually turned off the radio, turned around, and headed out the door, planning to go straight to Ye Yaodong's house to tell him to pay his father less.

"Huh? When have I ever not wanted to work just because I had money? Hey, hey, hey… where are you going?"

Ye's father winced and immediately stopped the old lady. "I was just saying it off the cuff. Why are you reacting so strongly? You're old, don't wander around. The rain just stopped outside, the roads are full of mud, the stones are slippery. Just stay put, don't make trouble for people."

The old lady was still fuming, not giving Ye's father a kind look, and shook off his hand. "Make trouble for who? You think I'm a nuisance now?"

"Once you're old, you become a bother. Fine, I won't live with you anymore. I'll go live with Dongzi. I'll move over tomorrow. Just looking at you annoys me. Anyway, you're retiring and won't help out anymore, you're useless too…"

"If I move over, at least I can watch the kids for him… right, right, right… I'll move over tomorrow to watch his kids. I can't help him with the boat, but at least I can help him out at home…"

As she spoke, the old lady even stopped in her tracks, thought her idea was a good one, and really planned to go back to her room to pack up her clothes and things…

Ye's father watched her rummaging through chests and cabinets, really intending to pack her clothes, and his head started to throb. He was full of regret.

He really shouldn't have spoken so fast about retiring. His old mother was usually very easygoing, but whenever it came to anything about Dongzi, she put him first in everything and started making unreasonable demands.

"Just behave, will you? Wouldn't moving over there just be making trouble for him?"

"What trouble could I make? As long as I have a bite to eat, that's enough. I can watch his kids, water the vegetable garden, pick the vegetables. I'm far more useful than you."

"Then let me ask you, where would you live if you moved over? He only has two rooms—one for the two boys, one for the couple. If you go, he'd have to build you another room. Isn't that making trouble for him? If you love him, then don't make trouble for him."

The old lady, hearing this, finally stopped what she was doing and realized there wasn't room for her there.

She suddenly let out a sigh. "Sigh… no room, huh? Looks like this old bag of bones is useless too. Poor Dongzi, doesn't have anyone to help him. His wife has to look after three kids, busy with the house, running here and there, and she can't go out to sea with him… he's all alone on the sea…"

Ye's father, listening to this self-pitying talk, almost dropped to his knees.

"Mother, I didn't say I wouldn't help him. I was just saying it off the cuff. I won't retire. I'll go out to sea with him, okay? I'll work for him until I'm 80, okay…"

The old lady immediately beamed. "Where would you need to work until 80? Don't you need to retire too? The palm is flesh, the back of the hand is flesh too. Just help him out for a few more years. Once he's more mature and steady, has more experience, you can retire whenever you want then."

Ye's father wiped the sweat from his forehead. His old mother had him wrapped around her finger because of his filial piety.

"I know. He's the one cradled in the palm, I'm the back of the hand, doesn't matter. I was just saying it earlier. Don't worry. I wouldn't feel easy letting him go out to sea alone either. He's not as obedient and steady as the eldest or Li Li Laoer. I'll drive the boat for him for a few years, help him out a bit."

"Mm, that's good. But you can't take too much money from him either. Look, just catching squid, how much did you get? Over 200? That's way too much. What boat hand makes that much in a month? He still has to raise children, so many mouths to feed at home…"

"Sigh, aren't everything of mine going to be theirs in the future? It'll all be divided among them eventually, I'm just saving it for them ahead of time. Worry less. His family has a thick foundation. In this past half year, he's gotten plenty of good stuff."

"What he earns is his. But being out on the sea all day, wind and sun beating down—it's so hard. In just half a year, his face and neck have gotten so tanned…"

"Mother, I'm working hard too! I'm out in the wind and sun right alongside him! Look at my face—it's way darker than his. A few months back when it was cold, it was even peeling…"

"Uh…" The old lady immediately gave a dry cough, unable to get another word out. "Then can't you just rub on some clam-oil balm?"

"Ahem… well… then just consider it as saving up for him. When the old man dies, give him a bigger share."

Sigh, he's got it so rough—barely past fifty, and his old mother is already thinking about waiting for him to die so she can give her good grandson a bigger share of the money.

"Alright, go on listening to your radio. When the batteries run out, let me know. Don't go running out to buy them yourself—the road's slippery in the rain."

"Got it, got it."

Ye Mu watched Ye Fu shaking his head as he came out of the old lady's room, pursed her lips, and figured her own mother-in-law was her own problem to handle.