Chapter 652

Ye Yaodong ate half of his rice cake, and while gnawing on a crab leg, he asked Lin Xiuqing, "Have you finished counting all the money? How much is there in total?"

"833 yuan, 2 jiao, and 6 fen. It's only been a few days, and we've sold quite a lot."

"Hmm, this includes what we sold this morning. If we earn a third of that, that's over 200 yuan. That's pretty good."

The old lady gasped when she heard this, "There's... there's that much? It's only been a few days, and it's already better than what others earn working for months..."

The first few times they went, they only brought back a little over 100 yuan. She hadn't expected that this time it had accumulated over several days. Such a large sum all at once surprised her.

"Selling over 100 yuan a day and earning thirty or forty, that's not really that much, is it?"

It's far worse than smuggling!

Those smugglers could easily earn seventy, eighty, or even a hundred yuan a day; it was too simple.

"Still not much? You just sit at home and easily earn thirty or forty a day without doing anything, and you call that not much? If word got out, I don't know how many people would be jealous," Lin Xiuqing said as she sat down.

"That's true. If there were a steady supply of dried fish, earning a thousand yuan a month and becoming a 'ten-thousand-yuan household' in a year would be a sure thing."

The old lady was overjoyed, "Yes, yes, we must collect more dried fish. I didn't expect that things from us country folk would sell so well in the city."

"It's mainly because there are many people in the city and a shortage of supplies, so everything sells well. Our dried fish is also cheap."

It's hard to sell for a high price in coastal areas, but if that Boss Zhou were to take it to large inland cities to sell, it might even double in price.

In this day and age, inland areas have a much greater shortage of supplies than coastal areas; the coastal regions are considered the first batch to become wealthy.

Being able to earn that much in a day, Ye Yaodong was also very satisfied, but they all rely on the heavens for their livelihood, so nothing is certain.

As long as the weather is good, they can dry them. Even if the wind and waves at sea are strong and no fishing boats can go out, he can still go to the market and buy a batch back. It just requires good weather; it can't rain.

"Anyway, as long as we can make money, the shop wasn't bought in vain, and it can be considered put to use," Lin Xiuqing changed the subject, "I don't know where Dad went; I haven't seen him. Are you planning to go to town after you finish eating?"

"Hmm, I'll take them over to sell the things first, otherwise, I reckon none of them will have the mood to do anything else."

If they all wait on the side and just watch him work, or come over to look and ask from time to time, that would be annoying. It's better to solve their problems first.

Anyway, riding a bicycle back and forth is very fast. If there are no accidents, it will take at most an hour.

Thinking this, he ate even faster. After finishing the rice cake, he set the shelled crab aside, too lazy to peel it. After drinking the remaining bit of shrimp skin soup, he put down his bowl and chopsticks, and pushed his bicycle out again.

"I'm leaving first. If Dad comes over, tell him to move all the dried fish out so I can weigh them when I get back."

"Got it, go and come back quickly."

Ye Yaodong pushed his bicycle to the neighbor's house first. Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua had already finished eating and showering, and were picking shells at the door.

When Dongzi rode his bike back earlier, they had already seen him sitting at the door. Both of them stood up in unison and followed him. They walked to his courtyard gate and only returned after seeing the old lady greet him for dinner.

Both of them thought to themselves: It's not easy for anyone to earn money...

Dongzi is also very busy; he hasn't even eaten lunch yet.

After Ye Yaohua returned to his own door, he waited while working, thinking to himself that in the year or two since Dongzi became enlightened, he has indeed been diligent and hardworking. Although they are also diligent and work very hard, they work step-by-step and don't have a flexible mind like Dongzi, who thinks of one thing after another.

With all this tossing and turning, he didn't expect life to get better and better, more and more prosperous. Ye Yaohua couldn't help but become a bit more determined, believing that Dongzi shouldn't be wrong. The shop in the city can just stay there for now; no one is renting it now, but that doesn't mean it won't be later.

The first shop Dongzi drew has been open for many days, and I heard business is very good. If this goes on for a long time, it will definitely get better, and he definitely won't lose out.

His heart was a little more at ease, and he was no longer influenced by pillow talk.

"Big Brother! Second Brother! Which one of you is going to town with me?"

Ye Yaodong's words pulled his thoughts back. He hurriedly stood up, "I'll go with you."

Ye Yaopeng stood up at the same time, "I'd better go. Second Brother can help with work at home. Dongzi, is there any work left undone? You can go help later..."

Ye Yaohua didn't argue and nodded, "That works too."

"I don't have anything urgent, you guys just do your work."

Their work seems to be more than his, so forget it.

"Alright, call me when you need help." Ye Yaohua sat back down.

Ye Yaodong nodded and called his Big Brother to get on.

After riding the bike crookedly for a short distance, it finally balanced out.

After he delivered the shrimp skins to Uncle Zhou, he rode onto the main road again.

While riding, the wind picked up. Ye Yaodong tugged at the knit hat he was wearing, wrapping his ears to prevent them from getting frostbitten red from the strong wind.

In the second lunar month, the weather is still very cool. Yesterday, the newspaper reported that it snowed in many places and even froze people to death.

No wonder they say the spring breeze in February is like scissors.

After eating dust all the way, when he arrived in town, Ye Yaodong was still riding with one hand, freeing up the other to secretly pick his nose. He had been on the road all day, and just a casual pick yielded a large chunk...

After flicking his finger and sending it flying, he secretly picked the other nostril.

After flicking out two large, hard, slightly moist chunks, he rubbed his nose and continued riding toward the back door of the restaurant.

Just in time, he saw a group of chefs, each holding a rice bowl, sitting by the back door eating in the sun. Fatty was also there eating with one leg propped up. He hurriedly rang the bell on his bicycle.

"Ding-ding~"

Everyone looked up.

"Oh my~ what wind blew you here again? The northwest wind again, right?"

"Today it's the east wind! The northwest wind has no future; following the northwest wind will lead to starvation, only by going against the wind can one eat a few more bites."

"I admire you for talking nonsense with such a straight face. What are you here for today? Didn't you just sell that thing called sea chicken feet two days ago? What, your conscience is bothering you, and you plan to treat me to a good meal?"

"You're thinking too much. It's good enough that I didn't scrape two taels of meat off you. Hurry up and call your Manager Wang for me."

Chefs really do eat well; each bowl had two large pieces of braised pork and large shrimp. They were all fatter than the next, and those who weren't fat were still glowing with health, fair and tender—they could be slaughtered like pigs!

Compared to these few, the people working at the pier are like heaven and earth.

Fatty walked up to him with his bowl and chopsticks, circled around, and only then saw the bucket Ye Yaopeng was carrying.

"Eh, you have this stuff again?"

"Yeah, I didn't dig this up this time; my brother did. Go help me call him out."

"It's a pity, brother. I reckon you'll have to take these back the same way you brought them today?"

"What's going on?" Ye Yaodong was surprised.

Ye Yaopeng was also anxious, "What do you mean take them back the same way we brought them? You don't want them anymore?"

Fatty nodded, "The dozen or so catties Dongzi sent over a few days ago weren't ordered by anyone. Later, they weren't fresh, so they were all poured out. Manager Wang was even scolded, saying he acted on his own initiative."

"Ah?" Ye Yaodong was stunned, "Didn't your young master say that himself? To send them over whenever we have them."

"That was then, this is now. I heard it was because he wanted to entertain his foreign friends, and those foreigners liked them, so you just happened to run into it and got a bargain."

"Wasn't our young master away the past two days? Manager Wang made the decision to accept them, thinking the young master wanted them. Well, after buying them from you and putting them in the shop, not a single person ordered this dish. Only the young master stir-fried two bowls to treat people, and then they sat there until they weren't fresh. They were poured out yesterday or the day before."

Uh...

Now Ye Yaodong didn't know what to say, and didn't know if he should say his luck was too good, or his brother's luck was too bad.

However, domestically, people really don't know the value of this thing now. Even if they dig it up, they treat it as mixed with Buddha's hand. Suddenly appearing as a very expensive dish, people would think the restaurant is ripping them off.

"Then what should we do?"

Ye Yaopeng was also stunned. This result caught him too off guard. He was happy before, but now his heart felt cold.

They said this thing was very expensive before, but now they suddenly say no one wants it? Isn't this just giving them empty joy?

Ye Yaodong looked at his brother's disappointed, blank, and helpless expression, and said to Fatty: "Can you call your Manager Wang out and ask him a couple of questions?"

"I'm afraid you'll get scolded by him."

"Not necessarily. Buying and selling is a matter of mutual consent. I didn't sell them to him for much, and he was happy, thinking the young master still wanted them."

"Alright, then I'll go in and call him for you. Hold my rice bowl for me, no stealing food!"

Ye Yaodong's mouth twitched, "Do I care about your food?"

"Better safe than sorry!"

"Go to hell, hurry up and call him for me."

Watching Fatty go in, Ye Yaodong comforted his brother: "Let's call him out and ask, see if we can sell them for a cheaper price?"

Ye Yaopeng nodded, "Alright, you handle it."

Fatty went and returned quickly, with Wang Maoquan following behind him.

"Manager Wang, I haven't seen you in a few days, you're walking with a spring in your step. Must be some good news."

"Good news my ass. Thanks to you, I got a scolding."

Ye Yaodong gave a forced laugh, "Hehe, you really got scolded? That black-backed ray should still be pretty good, right?"

"That one was alright. Many people took a fancy to it that day, and the young master was very happy; it's rare to see such a big devil fish. It's just that the shelled one didn't work out. I even got scolded, asking why I didn't ask? Saying that was then, this is now. Before, it was bought specifically to entertain his foreign friends, but now it's stuck in my hands."

"I see..."

Then we'll have to eat it ourselves from now on...

I don't know if I should be happy or sad.

His brother and the others are probably going to be sad enough to drown...

"Can we sell it for a cheaper price, and you still don't want it?" Ye Yaopeng gathered his courage, carried the bucket to the man, and said timidly.

Wang Maoquan waved his hands, "No, no. I just poured them out the day before yesterday. If I accept them again, wouldn't I be asking for a scolding for nothing? Is my skin itching? Take them back, take them back. Don't bring this stuff here anymore in the future; I almost had to pay out of my own pocket."

Ye Yaodong glanced at his brother and smiled at Wang Maoquan: "Then I'm really sorry, I didn't expect your boss wouldn't want them anymore."

"Alright, alright, it's nothing. I'm going in. Bring other good stuff next time; I'm busy."

Saying this, he went in on his own.

Ye Yaopeng stretched his neck, took two steps forward to chase him, then stopped and sighed.