Chapter 655: Rare

"Third Uncle, where's the big Liberation truck?"

"Where's the big Liberation truck?"

"Ye Ye Chengjiang, are you lying to us? Where is there a big Liberation truck?"

"Exactly, there's nothing here…"

A group of children came out of the house and immediately looked around, craning their necks to search everywhere, but still didn't see any sign of a big Liberation truck.

Ye Ye Dasao slapped the back of Ye Ye Chenghai's head with one palm, "Told you to finish your meal early and go to school, didn't see you so eager then. The moment you hear big Liberation truck, you run faster than a rabbit."

"I'm already so old, and you still hit me every day."

"Even when you're old, leaning on a walking stick, I can still hit you!"

Ye Ye Chenghai glared at his mother twice, rubbed the back of his head, and walked over feeling wronged to stand beside Ye Yaodong—standing next to his third uncle felt much safer.

The nearby neighbors also all put down what they were doing, drawn over, and pressed in unison: "Where's the big Liberation truck?"

"Don't see it?"

"Are you lying? How could a big Liberation truck drive into our village?"

Ye Ye Chengjiang declared loudly and confidently: "There is a big Liberation truck. When I was being chased by my mother toward the village entrance earlier, I saw it. I even touched it and knocked on it twice. That uncle even asked me for directions, saying he was looking for Ye Yaodong…"

"It's Third Uncle…"

"Third Uncle is called Ye Yaodong. Those were his words, I was just repeating them. I didn't mean to call Third Uncle by name on purpose."

Ye Ye Chengyang also said: "The big Liberation truck will drive over in a moment."

"Right, that uncle went to call the big Liberation truck to drive in. You'll see it in a bit."

Ye Chenghu nodded heavily. His dad was really amazing, he was so proud—his dad actually knew someone who drove a big Liberation truck.

"You all wait patiently for a moment!"

"Is it here to load your family's dried fish?"

"Yeah, didn't you see the pile in our yard? A tractor definitely can't fit it all. Right… that's why my dad called for the big Liberation truck."

"That's a lot sold all at once…"

The neighbors on both sides, hearing them say it was here to haul dried fish, believed them and prepared to stand aside and wait, ready to watch the excitement in a while. Work was never finished anyway—better to catch the show first.

Ye Yaodong watched his eldest son with amusement, the boy putting on a precociously proud look. He patted his head and said, "Nothing to be proud of. This big Liberation truck isn't ours, is it? Your dad just sold dried fish to that uncle earlier. He's bringing a big truck to haul it away, that's all."

"That's still amazing! Dad, you're the most amazing!"

Mm! Good eye!

With his son praising him like this, Ye Yaodong was pleased too.

"I also think Third Uncle is amazing!"

"Right!"

The others all chimed in agreement in unison, nodding along, which made the old lady extremely happy.

"You all need to learn from your Third Uncle, be as accomplished as him in the future…"

"But Third Uncle never went to school…"

Ye Ye Yaohua glared at Ye Ye Chengjiang, "Even without schooling, he's still more accomplished than your dad."

"So studying is useless…" Ye Ye Chenghai muttered softly.

"Rascal!"

Ye Ye Chenghai was so scared he quickly hid behind Ye Yaodong.

And Ye Yaodong, afraid they'd pick up bad habits, chuckled lightly and said: "Although I didn't go to school for many days, I regretted it. Didn't I go to the literacy class for several months last year? Only now can I recognize characters."

"Haven't you seen your Third Uncle read the newspaper every morning now? Studying is still very useful. Otherwise you won't even be able to step out of this village, only circle around this stretch of sea."

"That sounds pretty fun too…" Ye Ye Chenghai muttered softly.

"You little ones don't have to worry about making a living, you run around playing, of course it seems fun. Wait till you grow up with empty pockets, you won't think it's fun anymore."

Ye Ye Yaopeng nodded, "Your Third Uncle is right."

Ye Ye Yaohua also said: "I heard you even get paid to go to college. You all work hard—as long as you can get into college, you'll get money. It's like landing an iron rice bowl, no worries for life."

Ye Yaodong laughed heartily, "That probably won't happen, right? If our family really produces a college student, our ancestors' graves would be smoking."

"True… these kids don't look promising…"

"Hmph~" The older children also snorted disdainfully, tilting their heads to one side.

Just then, a big truck cab turned in at the road junction, drawing everyone's attention. The group of children instantly all jumped up excitedly, shouting at the same time.

"Big Liberation truck! Big Liberation truck!"

"Big Liberation truck!"

"There's really a big Liberation truck!"

"The big Liberation truck is coming right to our door!"

"It's really as big as the ones I saw on the road before!"

"The big Liberation truck is more impressive than a tractor, way bigger, right?"

The children were so excited they jumped and shouted, all running outside at once. Even the neighbor's kids followed them running toward the big Liberation truck.

"Don't go! All of you come back! The truck will drive right to the door in a moment, then you can look all you want, touch all you want. Come back right now!" Ye Yaodong shouted at the top of his lungs.

Ye Ye Dasao and Ye Ye Ersao also hurriedly shouted, threatening the children to come back.

Only then did they reluctantly run halfway and turn back.

Then their bottoms got smacked.

"What are you running for? The truck will come over on its own in a bit. It's such a huge truck and you're only this tiny—careful the driver doesn't see you and just runs right over you." Ye Yaodong said sternly.

"We'll be careful!"

"You all shut up and behave, just stand aside and watch. Otherwise you're all going to school right now." Ye Ye Dasao also dragged her own child aside and scolded in a low voice.

The children nearby finally settled down, obediently waiting there for the big truck to drive over.

The big Da Jiefang rattled and swayed, slowly making its way along the beach, and when it stopped in front of them, it let out a long sigh of exhaust, and behind it trailed a whole string of villagers!

A big Da Jiefang driving into their village — that had never happened before. Their countryside area rarely saw such things on the road normally. This was a port town, and most of the time they relied on fishing boats for transport, so a big Da Jiefang passing through was indeed rare.

Besides, not everyone was so free as to squat by the road every day watching vehicles. Folks only got to see one or two when they occasionally went to town.

"It stopped, it stopped…"

"It's stopped…"

The moment the big truck stopped, the children immediately rushed up and circled around it, touching this and that, excited and full of wonder.

The curious villagers who had followed behind — a great crowd of old and young — also came up, chattering away.

"My goodness, I was just saying the dock usually has tractors picking up and dropping off goods, so why did a big Da Jiefang suddenly show up today? Turns out it wasn't heading for the dock…"

"Well I'll be, our village has a big Da Jiefang parked here!"

"Who is this truck here to see?"

"It's here to see my dad…"

"It's here to see my third uncle…"

"It's my third uncle's friend…"

The Ye family children all chirped and twittered, loudly helping to answer — they were so proud.

"I just said it stopped here, it must be looking for A-Dong…"

"Indeed, besides him, who else would have that kind of ability…"

"I heard his dried fish are selling really well now… wonder how much money he's made?"

"All the money's been earned by him…"

"This big Da Jiefang — it can't be that he specially brought it over to load dried fish, right? Such a big truck, how many jin could it hold?"

"Oh my, is he about to strike it rich again? He actually had to drive a big Da Jiefang over just to load dried fish…"

"What kind of luck does he have? All the money's going to be earned by him…"

"Nonsense… how can money ever be earned completely?"

"It's all gone into his pocket — hasn't it all been earned by him?"

"Even if I let you do it, you don't have the ability. If you've got the skill, you go learn from him and collect dried fish to sell too."

"You think I don't want to? In our little backwater, every household has them — who'd want them? No idea how he sells them either. We don't have the time to go from street to street hawking things…"

"Wonder where he got to know so many bosses…"

The villagers stood at his courtyard gate, pointing at the big truck and whispering among themselves, doing so openly and unashamed.

The villagers couldn't help but be amazed — this was a big Da Jiefang after all~

Even a tractor wasn't something just anyone could afford. In the past, only the big production brigades had them; ordinary production teams couldn't afford one.

If any household now had a tractor, it would be treasured like a giant panda, let alone a big Da Jiefang.

Suddenly such a big truck driving into the village — of course the villagers would be excited.

Ye Yaodong paid no attention to the various questions from the people beside him. Instead, when the truck stopped, he walked toward the passenger seat and watched Zhou Laoban get down.

"You've worked hard, thanks for your trouble Zhou Laoban. Let's just park this big truck at the gate for now and head inside. Would you like to sit down for a bit, rest, have some tea, or should we check things and weigh them straight away?"

"No time for tea. I'll just pull out a few bags at random and pour them out to check the goods. I trust you — this is a long-term business, no need to fool people. Once it's weighed, hurry up and load it. I still have to go somewhere else; asking for directions on the road has already cost quite a bit of time."

No wonder he came so early. She wondered where this big truckload would be hauled off to sell next. Presumably the truck held more than just the dried fish about to be loaded on — there should be plenty of other things too.

"That's fine too, saves a bit of time."

The whole Ye Yaodong family crowded around Zhou Laoban as they walked inside. He didn't close his courtyard gate either, and a few dogs stood guard at the entrance with fierce glares, not daring to let anyone in.

Everyone only dared to peek from the gate, and took the chance to circle the big Da Jiefang a few more times, touching it a few more times. For many of them, it was the first time seeing a big Da Jiefang up close.

And the idle chatter on their lips was all about Ye Yaodong himself.

Big Brother Ye and Ye Ye Erge's two couples also felt a share in the glory, and followed along into the courtyard to help carry and lift things. Their own big pile of shells was instead left piled in the yard, and they didn't feel any urgency about it.

As they weighed things in the courtyard, more and more people from the village came over to watch the excitement, and Father Ye also got wind of it and arrived late, unhurried.

"Came this early? Thought it wouldn't get here till eight or nine."

"They set off early — still have to go somewhere else."

"Then let's hurry up, don't hold them up."