Chapter 803: Everyone Is Happy

Lin Lin Xiuqing looked at the remaining 200 yuan, still intact, and her expression improved considerably.

But Ye Yaodong also realized, why was he so honest? He could have said he only took 400, or 450, or even taken a few dozen more back then; his wife wouldn't know if a few dozen yuan were missing!

Damn, miscalculated; now it seems even hiding private money will be difficult, sigh~

"Third Uncle, have you settled it? If settled, let's move the television inside."

"Brat, what do you mean 'settled'? I was discussing with your Third Aunt, returning the extra 200 yuan from buying the television to your Third Aunt."

"I know, I know, I understand, my dad is like that too." Ye Ye Chenghai, small but cunning, nodded repeatedly, cheerfully cooperating.

"You know nothing!"

"Hehe, Third Uncle, let's move inside quickly. Do we need to run wires? I saw two antennas on other houses' roofs; they shake them back and forth, pull them in and out, lengthen and shorten them every day, saying it's to receive the signal."

"What do you know? Go, go, go, hurry home to eat. Don't get in my way here. Your grandmother must have already cooked the rice and kept it warm in the pot. Hurry back to eat."

"Then when can we watch?"

One by one, they stared eagerly, unwilling to leave.

"Only after school in the evening. What's the point of watching during the day when you need to study? Giving up school? Hurry back to eat. We need to eat too. I won't set it up now; we'll fix the television tonight."

"It has to be evening?"

"Can't we do it now? Dad."

Their eyes clung with reluctance; their feet didn't move an inch.

"No. Go eat peacefully, then go to school after eating."

After Ye Yaodong finished speaking, he carried the television into the room. The group of children all followed behind, squeezing into the house. How could they listen to him and run home now? How could they bear to leave?

It was only after moving it inside that he realized there was no spare table in the main hall to place the television. The bamboo beds were all piled high with dried fish, so he could only put it on the floor for now.

"Go, go, go, get over to the side. Hurry home to eat. No one is allowed to touch or handle it. If you break it or bump it, I'll beat you to death."

"Third Uncle, there's a table in my parents' room. I'll carry it over for you..." Ye Ye Chengjiang said eagerly.

"The table in your parents' room? That would mean moving all their belongings over to me? Tonight, your skin would be peeled off by your mother, and your limbs would be broken."

"Ah?"

"What 'ah'? Get back. Stop crowding here. You can't watch during the day. Go home."

After placing the television steadily on the floor, Ye Yaodong began to drive people away, kicking the crowd of children out. If he didn't drive them off, they would stubbornly stay in his house and refuse to leave.

Ye Chenghu also acted like a fox borrowing the tiger's might, standing beside him, spreading his hands and showing off as he drove people away. "Go, go, go, all of you go home. This is my house."

After driving everyone out, he casually closed and locked the courtyard gate, then, with a fawning and furtive tone, said, "Dad, they're gone now. Can we turn on the television?"

"Turn on your head. I think now it's even more unlikely you'll score two 100s. It will be difficult for you for the rest of your life."

"Ah, how come?"

Ye Yaodong snorted lightly and strode into the room.

Ye Chenghu, with his short little legs, hurriedly trotted to catch up. "You have to believe me, have confidence in me, Dad..."

"Ye Chenghu, go to the old house and call Grandpa and Grandma over for dinner."

As soon as Ye Chenghu stepped inside, he stood frozen as if struck by lightning, eyes wide. "Why me?"

"It's you. Go quickly!"

"They are such big people; they will surely come for dinner. Why would they need me to call? Even I know to come home for meals."

"If I say go, you go."

"I'm not going!"

With such a huge lump bought for the house, how could he bear to leave it behind?

"Whoever touches the television again, I'll hit them with a broom."

Yangyang and Ye Ye Xiaoxi, standing around the television, instantly dared not make a move. The old lady smiled, stepped forward, took one child in each hand, and led them to the table.

"Watch after eating, watch after eating. You still have to wait for your dad to fix it. We still need to move a table over to place it on."

Ye Chenghu huddled against the wall, slowly shuffling toward the table, but refusing to go call anyone.

If they hadn't bought the television back, asking him to go would have made him happily run out immediately. Now, even if beaten to death, he wouldn't go out; at least at home, he could sneak a few more glances.

What if his dad turned on the television while he was gone?

Lin Lin Xiuqing also kept glaring at him. After glaring at her son, she glared at Laozi. If they hadn't bought a television back, would this brat be so disobedient?

Ye Yaodong felt a bit wronged. "I'll go call them. You eat first."

The words had barely fallen when a banging sound came from the courtyard gate, along with his mother's loud voice: "Open the door! Why lock the courtyard gate in broad daylight? There are people and dogs in the house; why lock it?"

Ye Yaodong hurried to open the door.

As Ye's mother walked in, she kept muttering a few words.

At this moment, Ye Chenghu spoke up: "I told you, they would surely come on their own. Why would we need to call? Mother must be deliberately trying to get me out of the way."

Lin Lin Xiuqing tapped his head with a displeased look. "Don't pretend to be smart and self-righteous. Actually, you're just a fool."

"I'm not. I've said it, don't hit my head. What if it makes me dumber? I still need to score 100s."

"Oh please."

"Hmph, don't look down on people."

"What is this huge thing?" As soon as Ye's mother entered the room, her sharp eyes spotted the large lump in the corner. "Ah, a television? My heavens..."

Ye's father also widened his eyes. "Where did the television come from?"

"Dongzi bought it," the old lady said with a beaming smile. "This child didn't say a word beforehand; suddenly he carried a television back..."

"Hey, hey, hey... don't scold, don't scold. Qing just scolded him already. It was wrong of him not to say beforehand, but since he's been scolded, that's enough. Don't keep nagging, don't keep nagging. This is a good thing."

"He works so hard, out at sea all day long. It's only right he wants to buy a television to watch TV with the money he earns. It's only right. He's earning big money."

Seeing them about to speak, the old lady quickly blocked them off, lest they start scolding Dongzi endlessly again. It had already been said; he wasn't a child anymore, such a big person.

"Having a television in the house is a good thing. The children are very happy. Don't keep talking about it, or what should be a happy matter will become unhappy..."

"I didn't even say anything, and I wasn't going to scold him. He bought it, so he bought it. Other families in the village that aren't as well-off as us have already bought televisions. There's nothing wrong with him buying one."

Ye Mu shot the old lady a look, then after speaking, beamed with irrepressible joy as she ran her hands back and forth over the outer box.

"This television is quite a big one. It's good that we bought a television—no more having to listen to other people going on and on about how great TV is. From now on we'll have our own, and we won't have to go to other people's houses to watch. Let's see if those people will still mutter in front of me about Dongzi losing money…"

Ye Mu had nothing to say, and of course Ye Fu had nothing to say either. How much money had Dongzi earned? How much did the family have in savings? Apart from his wife, he knew best of all.

He also rubbed his hands together in delight. "Such a precious thing—how can we put it on the ground? It has to go on a table."

Ye Yaodong was also happy. It was rare that his father and mother had nothing to say, and were even happier than he was that the family now had a television.

It was true to begin with—clearly it was a good thing, so why keep harping on it? He bought it, so he bought it; it was already delivered to the house. Wouldn't it be better to just accept it happily?

He cast a smug sidelong glance at Lin Lin Xiuqing.

Lin Lin Xiuqing glared right back—she wasn't about to indulge him. "You took money from the house behind my back to buy this. If you'd told me straight out, I would have agreed too."

"I don't believe it!"

"I don't believe it either!" Ye Chenghu spoke up, not afraid of death.

If she couldn't handle the father, could she not handle the son? She swung her hand back and delivered a slap, making his head buzz; that shut him up properly.

Ye Ye Chengyang couldn't help touching the back of his own head. Good thing he hadn't piped up—his brother was too dumb. Even Dad listened to Mom, yet he still crossed her.

Ye Mu said with a smile: "Taking money from the house behind my back to buy something isn't acceptable—next time you have to discuss it with me first. But since it's already bought, I won't say more. I'll go bring a table over for you—how can it be put on the ground?"

"How about after we eat?"

"It's fine, I'll move it back and then eat. You all go ahead and eat first." Ye Mu, brimming with excitement, bustled off quickly, pushing a cart out the door.

Ye Yaodong clapped his hands and said with a beaming face: "Alright, everyone's happy—let's eat. My mother won't have to worry about him now. Once she goes out, she won't be back for at least half an hour, maybe an hour."

Ye Fu stood up reluctantly. "How much was this television?"

He held up three fingers.

"Huh? Only 300 yuan? That Lin Lin Laoliu was just pushing his television around the village, looking smug and saying he paid 450." Ye Fu could hardly believe it—it was that cheap.

"Heh heh, I have connections."

"Good, good, good—such a bargain, worth every penny. You should buy a few more and come back to ask the folks if anyone wants one. At that price, there'll definitely be a whole bunch of buyers."

"That won't do. They only sold it to me as a favor and let me chip in a little. If they found out I was turning around and wholesaling it, the goodwill would be all used up."

"That's true too. What kind of connections do you have to be that capable?"

"I can't tell you that."

"The border defense station?" Ye Fu's face said 'I knew it all along'. "Don't forget, I was there last time too. I can guess it with one try, and you still want to hide it from me?"

"Fine, telling you doesn't matter, but don't tell my mother. After all, it's confiscated smuggled goods—I'm afraid she'll blab about it everywhere with that big mouth of hers."

"I know, I know."

Ye Yaodong turned and glared at his two sons as well. "You two can't go out blabbing either. Just say Dad bought it, that's all."

"Got it."

He happily told his father the whole story from start to finish.

Ye Fu was so reluctant to eat first that he said, "Then after we finish eating, let's set it up and have a look."