Chapter 750: The Old Lady's Worries

Lin Lin Xiuqing had already heard Ye Yaodong go on about a camera several times, so when she saw him bring one home, she wasn't all that surprised.

For some reason, she even felt he was being thrifty—buying only one camera? He hadn't hauled back a refrigerator and a television along with it!

Suddenly a little gratified—he'd made progress…

When he took two umbrellas down from the board as well, she thought he was clever—he even knew to buy two umbrellas!

And Ye Ye Dasao was still muttering as she pushed the bicycle to her own front door, "Don't even know to buy a sewing machine…"

"What's the muttering about? Only allowed to buy what you use, can't buy something I like?"

"A bicycle isn't half as practical as a sewing machine…"

The others paid no mind, letting the two couples bicker.

Ye Fu decided out of sight, out of mind—after moving their things to their own door, he went back to Dongzi's house and let them argue.

Hang around anywhere and it's still most comfortable hanging around Dongzi's place.

And Ye Ye Ersao, perhaps hearing the quarrel next door, felt her own man had been clever for once—he even knew to buy her a sewing machine.

She'd originally accepted it only grudgingly, but hearing the argument next door made her feel a bit pleased.

People, you see, fear comparison.

Not that you have to watch someone else's misfortune, but when others aren't doing well, looking at your own people and things always feels a little easier on the eyes.

Lin Lin Xiuqing took the two umbrellas, curious. "How much for these two umbrellas? I heard the cheapest nylon umbrellas on the market are eight or nine yuan."

"They were clearing them out at six yuan each, so I bought two."

"That's fine too, a lot cheaper than the market price."

"Mm, put them away for now."

Lin Lin Xiuqing took the basket hanging on the wall and hung the umbrellas on it.

"Dongzi, was the morning trip out to sea smooth?" the old lady asked with concern.

"Smooth, very smooth. Once they were at work, I signed and paid, and could set sail. Just buying things ate up a bit of time."

"That's good, that's good. As long as no one made things difficult. These officials are not easy to talk to."

"Don't worry. Even setting aside the monk, you have to look at the Buddha. But what you said is right too—some officials really aren't easy to talk to. I was thinking, on the day after tomorrow when the date is right, I'll bring a few pieces of cake over to the Border Defense Station. It's a token of goodwill anyway, and I already have a boat that came through them in the first place."

Sending it over on the day the new boat sets off firecrackers—proper and aboveboard, no one can gossip, and the recipients feel comfortable about it.

He wasn't looking to build a close relationship, just to be a familiar face, to maintain a simple courtesy. When the time came, he'd send Director Tang something extra on top—after all, he hadn't let the man work for nothing.

Although Director Chen had spoken up, Director Chen's word was one thing—the ones doing the actual work were the others. Both sides deserved thanks. The closer ones first; Director Chen was a bit farther away, so he'd thank him properly when the chance came later.

The old lady beamed. "Oh, right, that's the right way to do it. You do need to send some cakes to the leaders at the Border Defense Station too. It's a happy occasion, the symbolism is good too—rising higher and higher. They'll be glad to receive it."

Ye Fu agreed wholeheartedly. "That's how it should be done. It shows we're sensible. When your mother comes over, tell her to order two extra boards of steamed cake."

"Oh right, where's Mother? At this hour she should be off work, right?"

Lin Lin Xiuqing burst out laughing the moment he mentioned his mother. "Mother's been back and forth all morning—don't know how many trips. She walks over and back, not even tired. The moment she comes over she asks if you're back yet."

Ye Yaodong laughed until he couldn't contain himself. "She's probably wanting to ask if my boat's come back."

"Hehehe~"

"Just now when I docked, a few small wooden boats nearby were docking too. Everyone saw me bring another boat back, and they all know this one's mine too. I've got three boats now. By now word's probably already spreading through the village."

Lin Lin Xiuqing laughed until she couldn't stand it. "Then Mother probably won't be back by noon."

"Probably not. Whenever she gets thirsty, maybe then she'll come back."

Ye Fu chuckled too. "Held it in all night, plus a whole morning—probably bursting. Let her go out and talk it over, let her enjoy herself. Your mother's worked hard half her life; now that she's old, she's got both face and substance."

"I didn't stop her either. She likes to talk, let her. Anyway, I'm the one earning her face, so as long as she's happy."

Being able to turn his mother from disdain to pride in him made him happy too.

Lin Lin Xiuqing noticed he kept holding the camera and said with a smile, "Aren't you going to open it up and take a look?"

Ye Yaodong couldn't put it down, turning it over and over. "Now's not the time—afraid once I start tinkering I won't care about anything else. I just asked A-Cai to set aside a few bowls of seafood. I need to go to the dock to pick them up. Cook a few more dishes—things like dried goods, stir-fry a bowl of dried eel, shrimp with scrambled eggs, dried mussels with celery. I invited a few friends over for a meal."

"Then I didn't cook extra rice…"

"Doesn't matter, rice doesn't matter. Eating less rice is fine—they're all coming to drink. By the time you finish the dishes, their families will probably be done eating too."

"Oh, alright."

Ye Yaodong lovingly flipped through the camera a while longer, then smiled at the old lady. "Once I get a moment, I'll figure out how to take pictures and snap a few of you every few days."

The old lady was flattered into high spirits. "What pictures? I'm old already. That's for you young folks to play with. This old lady won't join the fun—no need to photograph me. You take plenty of nice ones, I'll keep them safe for you."

"Don't worry, I bought two rolls of film. We won't come close to using them up."

"Still, use them sparingly. These foreign things are expensive."

"Hehe, I'll take it inside first, study it once my hands are free."

"You sit and rest a while. Let your father bike to the dock and get it."

Ye Fu frowned—father and son going in and out together, telling Dongzi to rest and sending him on an errand!

He grumbled inwardly, glanced at the old lady, said nothing. He was used to it anyway.

"I'll go. I'll bike to the dock and get it. You study your camera."

"Alright."

He didn't want to move either; he just wanted to rest.

Lin Lin Xiuqing began bustling about to stir-fry two more dishes, asking as she worked, "Are we only sending one cake the day after tomorrow?"

Ye Yaodong fiddled with the camera, glanced at it a few times then set it aside, then flipped through the manual and said casually, "Otherwise let's add two packs of cigarettes too. Looks better."

"That's good too, doesn't cost much. We already saved several hundred on the boat, might as well be generous here. It'll look better in their hands."

"Mm, when the time comes we'll send both directors a bottle of Maotai, plus two cartons of cigarettes. Doesn't cost that much. The leaders' gifts have to be a bit heavier."

"That's gotta be several dozen…" Lin Lin Xiuqing hesitated. "Alright then, we've earned it anyway."

"Mm, there's more to earn later. You have to give before you get."

The old matriarch said from the side, "If your eldest brother and second brother end up borrowing your boat later, they can share in your good fortune too. If you need to hire people, you can also hire your own cousins—whatever brothers you can pull along, give them a hand."

Ye Yaodong looked up at the old matriarch's serious face and said with a smile, "I know. That was the plan all along. Outsiders can't be trusted like family."

"Your second cousin is coming back soon…"

"I know. When he's back, we'll hire him to work too. Working for us is better than working for outsiders anyway. We won't shortchange the wages or hold them back."

"Oh, alright. I'm just afraid that since he just got out, it'll be hard for him to find work—people will look down on him once they know. Sigh… he got caught up in it too, didn't know anything. Got tricked by Ah Hong, got egged on by your Ye Dabo, and went along in a daze, and then ended up inside. This time when he comes back, we must make sure he behaves properly, stays grounded, and doesn't get tricked again."

His second cousin actually wasn't entirely innocent, because in his previous life, under the support of his eldest cousin, he had indeed been quite well-off.

As for his character—well, it was just so-so, passable. Anyway, he was the type who did whatever people told him to, obedient and didn't use his brain.

Anyway, he felt that Brother Brother Asheng and the two older and younger cousins at his eldest aunt's house were all pretty good and reliable. When the time came, the brothers could just discuss it and call people in—one more, one less, it didn't matter.

It was hard on the old matriarch to still worry about these things at her age. Though the palm side is flesh, the skin on the back of the hand is still her own.

"Don't worry about this either. At your age, just enjoy your blessings. Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes."

"I want to too, but look at them one by one—none of them are as easy or as promising as you. At their age they still need someone following behind worrying about them. Your Ye Erbo's house is a pile of messy affairs too. Good thing I followed you, so I don't have to worry about your Ye Erbo's house."

Lin Lin Xiuqing, hearing the old matriarch say he was easy, turned her head and glanced at him, thinking: biological grandson!

"Mm, don't worry. Just follow me and enjoy the good life."

"Hehe, I'll just follow you and enjoy the good life, enjoy great blessings."

They were talking in the main room, but from inside the bedroom came the sound of "ah ah ah."

Ye Yaodong quickly put the camera on the table and went in to pick up the child. But he hadn't expected—he was too anxious, and the moment he pushed the door open, he ended up slapping the child behind the door…

"Ah! Waa waa waa ah ah ah～"

"Ah! It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, my hand was too fast…"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi was slapped against the wall, sitting there wailing loudly. She wouldn't let him get close, and even swatted at him, "Hai! Hai! Mama～"

Lin Lin Xiuqing heard the crying and hurried over to pick up the child, and complained at him—pushing the door open and he couldn't even do it slowly.

"I didn't know she was at the door!"

"If she's not standing behind the door, where should she stand? She didn't cry when she woke up, but you made her cry instead."

"Don't cry, don't cry…"

Tears as big as beans kept rolling down, and watching her broke his heart.

"Hai, hai～waa waa wu wu wu ji ji ji yi yi a a～"

"Uh…"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi still had tears on her face, and with red eyes she babbled a long string of gibberish at him. He felt like she was cursing him out!