Chapter 979: The Crime of Hooliganism (7200)

Indeed, smooth sailing with no danger!

Good summary, nothing wrong with it.

Ye Yaodong thought as much in his heart, his face also full of smiles, "Lucky, probably because the wind and waves were big today."

The old master also chimed in, "Right, the wind and waves were quite big today, the waves kept crashing up, every one of them is now a drowned rat. We didn't see a single ship on the way out, and it's also that we didn't go too far, plus this boat's wind-and-wave resistance grade is a bit higher. Today's sea trial went smoothly too, nothing went wrong."

"Let's hurry up and sign the contract, I'll hand over the money, we need to hurry back, so no one catches a cold on New Year's."

"Alright, alright, okay, let's go in first, go in and sign the order contract, hand over the money, and this order of ours will be done."

Wu Changzhang immediately led him inside, and said while walking: "Running into a whale was actually fine, last time that trawler was launched, I heard that on the way back they ran into a group of big sharks that followed the fishing boat for a few minutes, luckily they didn't directly attack or ram, after a few minutes they vanished."

"Is that so, that's quite something."

His previous encounter was even more impressive—a basking shark followed them the whole way.

"Right, anything can happen, there are also people who picked up a manta ray that crashed into them on the way back, it happens."

Ye Yaodong nodded casually.

The world is vast, nothing is too strange to exist; the ocean is vast, boundless, it just depends on whether you've heard of it.

The others were all waiting on the boat, no need to come down, he just had to go in, sign, hand over the balance, and he could leave.

His money was, as usual, tucked inside a cloth bundle, carried close to his body.

When they hauled in the net, he happened to be standing at one end; when the waves rolled up and the spray came down, his body actually wasn't completely soaked, only his hair got a little wet. The water stains on his padded jacket could be wiped off with a cloth, it didn't soak through inside, much better than everyone else.

He pulled the money out from the cloth bundle, still carrying his body heat, still nice and warm.

"You hid it pretty well." Wu Changzhang watched with a smile as he lifted his shirt and pulled out the money handful by handful.

"This way it's safer, keeping it in a pocket it moves around and can easily fall out. Count the amount, eight thousand here."

"Okay."

Ye Yaodong patiently waited for him to count, and only after the amount checked out did he stand up.

"When a trawler is built later, I'll let you know."

"Okay."

"Take care on the way back, I won't see you out."

"Wait, I'll go to the boat and have them carry down a basket of small squid, it's been hard work for Wu Changzhang and your factory's workers, the two masters followed us the whole way, it's been trouble for them too. Use your discretion to share it out a bit, and for the fishing boat later I'll still have to trouble you to arrange it as soon as possible."

The smile on Wu Changzhang's face deepened, "Alright, alright, alright, then I won't stand on ceremony, thank you very much."

"No need to thank me, you're too polite, I should be the one thanking you."

Originally he had already gotten the better end of the deal with those seven boats, giving away a basket of small squid was nothing, it just evened out the slight unease in their hearts, and served as thanks at the same time.

Once Ye Yaodong went out, he called those on the boat to carry one basket down, and he received it at the bottom.

Wu Changzhang also had someone bring a basket over to transfer the goods.

"Tonight everyone's in for a treat, each person take a little home for an extra meal, this small squid is way tastier than other squid."

The old master at the side also reached out and casually took one to taste, "Still fresh from just being hauled up, earlier in the wheelhouse watching you all eat I just knew it had to be good."

"Hehe, everyone take a little, it's also a small token from me."

After they finished pouring it out, Ye Yaodong tossed the empty basket back onto the boat.

"All done? All done?"

"Done, heading back, it's already two-thirty."

"Heading back now is just right, I'll go drive."

"I'll go, I'll go…" Ye Yaodong scrambled to do it.

Ye Fu also followed behind him, uneasily heading to the wheelhouse together.

Ye Yaodong checked the compass bearing carefully and steered all the way back to the village. Ye Fu watched from the side too, and once he saw the heading was correct he didn't say anything, just kept watching.

Ye Mu and Ye Ye Yaopeng in the village, at three o'clock, had already taken the firecrackers and gone to wait outside the dock, afraid that when they came back, no one would be there.

Now it was already just past four, the sun had long since hidden behind the thick clouds, nowhere to be seen.

When there's sun versus no sun, the temperature difference is huge. Outside the dock there was no shelter at all, the cold wind blew straight at them, mother and son were both frozen into a huddle, their hair blown back exposing two big foreheads.

Ye Mu was also muttering under her breath, "It's already past four, why aren't they back yet? Don't know if they watched the timing properly, don't let them miss it?"

"Shouldn't be, Dad and Ah Hua are both there, so many people, how could they miss the timing, should be soon."

"Let's wait a bit more and see…"

"The waves today looked pretty big…"

Wave after wave of sea water slammed against the rocky shore, then spread outward in layers toward the distance, slowly subsiding, leaving behind a fleeting patch of foam.

Just then, a blue-and-white big ship with a red flag fluttering came around the distant mountain and appeared in their field of vision.

"Oh, they're back, they're back, finally back…" Ye Mu shouted excitedly, and immediately walked forward a few quick steps to the shore to look.

Ye Ye Yaopeng checked his watch, exactly four-thirty, and said with a smile: "Waited all day, finally back."

"Where are the firecrackers? Get your firecrackers ready, put them on the ground."

"I know, it'll still take a few minutes to get closer."

Luckily these past few days the wind and waves were big, no fishing boats went out, outside the dock today was all quiet, only mother and son standing on the shore, looking a bit desolate.

However, plenty of people came to the shore afterward to look at the boat.

As the fishing boat in the distance gradually drew near, and until it docked alongside the Harvest, the firecrackers on the shore also started going off with a crackling bang.

After setting off the firecrackers, Ye Ye Yaopeng also carried the two fireworks he'd prepared long ago onto their own boat, and steered toward the Rising Sun.

Ye Yaodong and the others had long been waiting on the boat, and after taking the fireworks they also set off two on the boat.

"Huh? Dongzi, you didn't sell your catch? Then should we call Ah Cai over to buy it? What did the first net of the sea trial catch?"

"Pretty lucky, caught three or four thousand jin of small squid, figured the temperature wasn't high today, so didn't dock to sell right away, just brought it straight back."

"Then later we'll call Ah Cai over…"

"No need, just haul them back to dry; the lads at the workshop have been idle these past few days, so let's give them something to do."

Ye's father was surprised; he hadn't known Dongzi intended to dry them himself.

"Ah? Dry them all? Selling these would easily net a few hundred or even a thousand yuan, wouldn't that be more convenient? Drying them takes several days, and selling fresh takes time too; why not just sell them fresh right away?"

"It's fine, I'm not in a rush to recoup costs. Drying them lets me store and sell slowly, earning a bit more."

"How much more can you earn? They're so small, and drying them won't add much weight. Isn't it better to get the money in hand sooner?"

"It's fine. Once dried, I'll calculate the total weight, figure out the ratio of fresh to dried, then set the price a bit higher. Either way, I'll earn more."

Ye Yaodong thought they were overthinking it; although the fresh catch weighed three or four thousand jin, once dried, it would probably be only around a thousand jin.

It might sell out in less than ten or half a month; the quantity simply wasn't that large.

Handing them over to Ah Cai and the others would take about a week before collecting the bills and getting paid, which might not even be as fast as his funds circulating back from the city.

"Forget it, you handle it yourself. If you think you can sell them, then sell them."

Many times proved he was right, so Ye's father didn't press further; he mentioned it twice, and if they didn't listen, so be it.

"Help haul all this cargo onto the small boat; we'll dock with both people and goods."

"That's several dozen baskets; it really does look like quite a lot..."

"It's mealtime anyway; don't rush back immediately. Come to my house for dinner tonight; Ah Qing has surely prepared the meal."

"Okay, okay... We need to go home first to shower and change clothes; we're soaked through..."

"Then come over for dinner after you shower."

Since he had invited people to help and go out to sea to test the waters today, he certainly had to treat them to a meal; Ah Qing had indeed already cooked a huge table of dishes at home.

The younger brothers in the workshop knew the big boat was returning today, so none had rushed to clock out and leave; they all waited there, and as soon as they spotted the shadow of a new boat on the sea, they hurried toward the shore.

Once the fishing boat docked, they helped unload the cargo together and delivered it into the workshop.

Of course, plenty of flattering words flowed nonstop during the process.

With a few more younger brothers around, the crowd made things seem lively and festive.

Seeing no one gathering to watch, Ye's mother muttered a couple of times, "It's too cold today; there don't seem to be many people. The sun sets early, and we're back late; at this hour, many families have already eaten dinner early to avoid lighting lamps while eating."

"Why do you need so many people? Could I possibly treat the whole village to a meal? Just our own family is enough; with such a huge boat docked at the pier, who wouldn't see it?"

"It just doesn't look as lively; it's better when the weather is warm..."

Ye Yaodong shook his head and ignored his mother's muttering; it was probably just that without villagers watching the spectacle and offering flattery, something felt missing.

"Dongzi, there's a basket of mantis shrimp inside; are you not selling those either?"

"Not selling them. Take the mantis shrimp back to boil, dry, and shell."

Mantis shrimp weren't worth much; selling them fetched ten cents, while buying them cost only a few cents, so it was better to keep them for the family to eat. Once dried, they probably wouldn't even weigh a few jin, so there was no need to sell; since today's catch was all being dried anyway, the family could taste them first.

"There are a few baskets of mixed fish; no need to call the aunties over tonight to clean them since it's too late and cold. Let them clean them tomorrow. The small squids can be dried whole without cleaning. Cover them with nylon cloth tonight and leave everything for tomorrow; the heavy frost at night won't spoil them."

After finishing, Ye Yaodong selected some more to take home for an evening extra meal.

The others each returned to their own homes to shower first; their bodies were soaked by the waves, and it still felt uncomfortable even now.

There was no one outside the pier, but quite a few people watching the spectacle waited at his doorstep, right by the seashore, where they could see the distant boat at a glance.

Moreover, the sound of firecrackers and fireworks when the boat just returned had attracted many villagers. Some had learned early from Ye's mother's mouth that he was returning with a boat today; word spread from one to ten, and ten to a hundred, though many didn't know what time it would dock.

Hearing the noise, some didn't mind the cold and ran to the shore to take a look; seeing many neighbors gathered at their doorstep, they also ran over to chat and exchange news.

"You've already brought the big boat back? Tsk tsk tsk... Your family's boats are really increasing in number, and they're getting bigger and bigger!"

"This boat looks exactly like that Fengshou Hao. Adong is amazing; at such a young age, he's already bought such a huge boat."

"This boat must cost over ten thousand, right?"

"Did Adong buy it alone, or did he partner with someone?"

"I don't know if he partnered with his brothers at home; I heard the order was placed quite a while ago, probably last year?"

"It seems like last year; he probably partnered with his brothers at home, otherwise ten thousand plus is too expensive. I heard the Fengshou Hao had four or five partners; otherwise, how could they afford it?"

Ye's mother, beaming with smiles, handed out the pastries she had prepared earlier to the villagers watching at the door and explained to them.

"This boat wasn't bought with partners; it belongs to Dongzi alone. This child didn't want to partner with others, finding it troublesome, so he went and paid a deposit himself back then and ordered it directly."

"It's just as well; we earned some money a few months ago, otherwise we couldn't have afforded the ten thousand plus. Now it's good; we built a house, bought land to build a workshop, and the new boat cost a huge sum. Looking at it, nothing is left; we'll have to save up slowly again."

"Earning fast, spending fast. Earning much, spending much; that's absolutely true." Ye's mother said this with a full face of smiles while shaking her head.

This wave really let her show off, and she showed off happily; otherwise, having no one to share her joy with, unable to brag, would have made her feel quite uncomfortable inside.

"What does it matter if he spends money? Once he spends it, he can earn it back."

"Adong is too amazing; who can earn like him?"

"Yes, whose son is as amazing as your son? Count them; how many boats does he have in his hands? One, two, three, four? Four, right?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, some people can't even afford one boat, yet Adong has saved up many..."

"What name did you give this boat? You must have named it; it's so huge, just like the Fengshou Hao, so it definitely needs a nice name..."

"Dongzi said to call it Dongsheng Hao; it contains his name, and something about always rising, something about the sun and stars, something or other; anyway, what he said sounded very good."

Ye Yaodong listened to his mother bragging and promoting on his behalf, standing aside and smiling.

The children also ran out from inside the house and gathered around.

"Dad, did our family's boat come back?"

"Third Uncle, are those two boats parked together, one of which you brought back?"

"Dad, are you going to make a lot of money again?"

"Third Uncle, is your boat bigger or is Little Uncle-in-law's boat bigger?"

"Third Uncle, why do you have so many boats while our family doesn't have that many? Is our family poorer?"

"I also think our family is very poor!"

"My family is poorer!"

"That's not it; my family is definitely poorer!"

"My family is the poor one..."

Ye Yaodong was exasperated; they were even comparing this?

Is it something to be proud of which family is poorer? Does it need such a struggle?

"Go, go, go, all of you back inside; the sun is setting, and it's very cold outside."

Ye Ye Dasao and Ye Ye Ersao's faces were nearly black.

"Get back inside right now."

"New Year is coming soon; I'll beat you all up, otherwise, I don't think you'll be able to spend the New Year properly."

"I still think my family is poorer than yours..."

Even as they ran inside, they didn't forget to compare which family was poorer...

Ye's father and Ye's mother smiled and dealt with the surrounding neighbors; after a while, once they had gone back to eat, the two elders finally entered the house.

Lin Lin Xiuqing also processed some of the seafood Ye Yaodong had just brought back into several bowls; the pot wasn't even finished cooking, and everyone was coming over one after another, sitting down to eat.

Outside, the cold wind whistled; inside, it was a scene of great warmth; upstairs, there were the sounds of children running and jumping; regardless of upstairs or downstairs, the atmosphere was exceptionally lively.

Those children kept running and jumping upstairs and downstairs without needing to eat; the adults were busy taking care of the guests and had no time to look after their eating and drinking; for them, having something to play with was enough.

They also liked it best when there were guests at home; it made things seem lively, and no one bothered them.

The old lady actually served each of them a bowl of rice and dishes and carried it upstairs for them.

Ye's father, who had just returned from peeing out the back door, happened to see this and gave her a thorough scolding.

"They all have hands and feet; do they need you to carry it upstairs for them? They've all been spoiled by you like this; at your age, they're still climbing up and down; if they fall, what will you do?"

"Stop nagging; aren't they fine?"

"They look fine now, but who knows what might happen? If they fall somewhere, who will suffer? The whole family will suffer because of you."

The old lady picked up her cane and hit his leg. "Your mouth is like a crow's; go drink your wine; stop chanting; there are so many people here."

"Are you afraid of people talking? Then be careful in the future; don't go upstairs; those children are so mischievous; if you beat them up later, someone will have to serve them their meals; by tomorrow, they'll starve to death."

"I know, I know; stop nagging."

The lively atmosphere continued until past nine o'clock; Lin Lin Xiuqing reheated the dishes again and again, and kept warming the rice wine for them non-stop.

Until very late, everyone finally dispersed, drunk.

Lin Lin Xiuqing helped the people to bed before going to clear the mess on the table.

Also because of the lively atmosphere at home that night, Ye Ye Xiaoxi couldn't bear to go to sleep early and kept making noise running upstairs and downstairs.

Seeing Ye Yaodong lying in bed with a flushed face, unlike usual when he would kiss and hug her upon seeing her, she curiously leaned over, pushing and calling his name several times.

Seeing no reaction, she kept pinching his face; hearing the snoring, she went to pinch his nose and mouth.

After being shaken off, she plopped down on his face and wriggled back and forth.

Ye Yaodong, half-asleep, was so annoyed by her that he could take no more; he could only turn to the side, but this didn't affect Ye Ye Xiaoxi's antics at all; her stinky bottom just kept sitting on his head to play.

When tired of playing, she shoved her stinky feet into his face, trampling on him non-stop, while giggling "giggle-giggle-giggle" in her mouth.

Lin Lin Xiuqing, having finished cleaning, entered the room and saw this scene; she reached out to rescue him a bit, finally letting Ye Yaodong escape the demon feet.

Ye Yaodong had no idea he had been bullied by his daughter last night; he was woken up early in the morning by the noise at the door; before he could start cursing, he heard that Ye Ye Yaosheng had been charged with the crime of hooliganism.

Enduring his headache, he perked up his ears to listen to the discussions outside; after listening for a while and hearing no reason, he struggled to get up and go out.

"What's wrong? Why is it so noisy so early in the morning? Who said Brother Brother Asheng committed hooliganism?"

Lin Lin Xiuqing turned to look. "Why are you awake so early?"

"It's so noisy at the door; how could anyone sleep?"

"They say Wang Wang Lizhen knew Brother Brother Asheng was getting married in two days; this morning, she came to the door to make a scene, saying if he doesn't marry her and take responsibility, she will sue him for hooliganism."

Ye Yaodong: "?" Did Brother Brother Asheng sleep with her?"

"I don't know; I just heard it too; I heard they are still making a scene."

"Shall we go take a look?"

"Won't you eat first?"

"No rush; let's go take a look first; the crime of hooliganism can be big or small; getting involved is troublesome."

That was why he had always kept himself pure; he was afraid even looking at another woman would bring trouble; who made him so handsome?

It was always others looking at him more; he never looked at others more.

Moreover, his wife at home was quite good; he was quite content; he never thought about keeping the red flag standing at home while the colorful flags flew outside.

It wasn't that no one had shown him favor; anyway, he always pretended not to see it.

Otherwise, he'd have to spend his own money to buy peanuts.

"Then you two go take a look together; your eldest brother and second brother just heard about it and went over already." The old lady was also very anxious; they were all grandsons, and she had originally planned to follow behind to take a look.

When Ye Yaodong and Lin Lin Xiuqing hurried over, three layers inside and three layers outside had already surrounded the door of Ye Ye Yaosheng's house; several circles of people were standing on tiptoes to look at the spectacle inside.

"Everyone, judge for yourselves! Ye Ye Yaosheng ate and wiped clean, then refused to take responsibility; what's wrong with being a widow? A widow is a human too; committing hooliganism without taking responsibility means you'll eat lead bullets."

"Exactly! If you don't take responsibility, we'll go to the border defense station and sue you for hooliganism and have you arrested..."

"You provoked one here and another there; you still want to get married? No way; you must give us an explanation."

"Although Ah Zhen isn't an untouched maiden, she is an innocent widow; how can she be casually trampled on?"

"Ye Ye Yaosheng, if you are a man, marry Ah Zhen; anyway, your family has already chosen a date; we won't mind that it was set with someone else; just give some betrothal gifts, hold a banquet, and get a certificate; that's all."

"Exactly; we don't mind that you're poor; a widow and a widower are a perfect match; just get the certificate, hold the wedding, and this matter will be settled; we won't mention the crime of hooliganism anymore."

The voices inside the house grew louder and louder; they didn't feel that family shame shouldn't be aired publicly; they wanted to invite the whole village to come and watch.

The crowd gathered outside was also discussing the matter.

"An innocent widow; I've never heard of that before; did Brother Brother Asheng really sleep with her?"

"I doubt it. They've been neighbors for decades, and Brother Asheng always seemed pretty honest — he wouldn't do something like that, would he? Besides, he just re-engaged to someone a few days ago."

"I think so too. That Wang family has never been good people. If they'd really slept with their girl, would they have waited until today? They'd have come banging on the door long ago."

"I think they just see that Brother Asheng is honest and hardworking, and now he's making money too, so they've been clinging to him the whole time. I heard a while back they were coming by every day to try to smooth things over — he just wouldn't agree. Today they probably heard the news that he's getting married, so now they're trying to pin him down with a hooliganism charge."

"If he doesn't agree now, he's in for it…"

"Hard to say… they say you got fresh with someone and slept with her — there's no way to argue against that…"

"Looks like he can only marry her. Better that than getting locked up."

……

The crowd was saying all sorts of things.

Ye Yaodong and Lin Lin Xiuqing exchanged glances, and listening to the chatter around them, they squeezed their way inside.

His own family members were already lined up inside — Ye Ye Dabo's whole household, Ye Ye Erbo's whole household, and his older brother, sister-in-law, second brother, and second sister-in-law were all there too. The couple had arrived relatively late.

They were all cousins one way or another, and a hooliganism charge was no small matter, so everyone had shown up pretty completely.

Ye Ye Yaosheng's face was full of irritation, his brows knotted together, his expression bitter and dejected as he sat there with his head hanging down.

Lin Lin Xiuqing asked Ye Ye Dasao and Ye Ye Ersao, who had arrived earlier, and the situation was pretty much the same as what they'd just heard outside on their way over.

Ye Ye Yaosheng protested his innocence, insisting he'd behaved properly and done nothing at all.

Ye Ye Erbo and Ye Ye Erbo's wife were also a bit cowardly when facing the tough — they'd argued earlier but lost, and they were worried about actually being reported for hooliganism. In this day and age, one report and you're done for.

The Wang family acted like victors. Wang Wang Lizhen's mother, shameless and proud of it, said triumphantly: "Hurry up and just hand over the money. Count it as bride price, and we'll settle this today."

Wang Wang Lizhen's father, Wang Wang Laowu, also said with a smile all over his face: "Just give two hundred yuan then. It's just a token."

Two hundred yuan again.

Ye Yaodong's face was covered in black lines.

"Why would it be two hundred yuan? When we arranged for the widow from the next village, we didn't pay two hundred yuan either — just had to make her a red cotton-padded jacket."

Ye Ye Erbo's wife loudly objected, then patted Ye Ye Yaosheng. "Say something…"

"I won't marry her. If I marry her for something I didn't do, doesn't that mean I did it?"

"But if you don't marry her, they'll report you for hooliganism…"

Ye Ye Erbo's wife's words sounded like she'd already given in, and the Wang family looked even more smug.

"Right, if you don't marry her, we'll report you for hooliganism."

The Wang family men were also throwing out threats: "Hooliganism gets you shot — you dare not marry her?"

Ye Yaodong was disgusted listening to it.

Isn't it obvious they're trying to pin this on Ye Ye Yaosheng?

Even if he won't admit it, they'll force him to take the blame.

"Is the woman in your family that unmarriageable? Picking on an honest man like this — what sin did he commit in his past life to get tangled up with you lot? You must not have prayed to the Buddhas enough."

"Don't poke your nose in where it doesn't belong — none of your business." Wang Wang Laowu glared at him.

"How is it none of my business? He's my cousin. You're trying to get him shot — his own family can't speak up?"

Wang Wang Lizhen's mother said: "Just marry Ah Zhen off, and everything's fine, right? Everyone's happy. New Year's is right around the corner — nobody wants things to look ugly."

"Are you all so sure Brother Brother Asheng slept with Wang Wang Lizhen? Were you all watching? Did you see it?"

The crowd burst into laughter.

"Bullshit!"

"Then since you didn't see it, how do you know he slept with her?"

"He slept with my daughter."

"Then I'll say your daughter slept with my family's dog — my whole family saw it, even better than you, we even have witnesses."

The crowd immediately erupted into a noisy uproar, all discussing his analogy.

The Wang family's faces flushed bright red, and the men rolled up their sleeves, ready to charge.

Was Ye Yaodong afraid of them? He had a bunch of brothers and cousins too.

Both families rolled up their sleeves.

"None of your damn business — you want to stick your nose in? Ye Ye Yaosheng's own mother has already agreed, we've already started discussing bride price — what's it to you?"

"It's not his mother getting married. Brother Brother Asheng, do you admit it? Did you really sleep with Wang Wang Lizhen?"

Ye Ye Yaosheng saw hope and got fired up too, standing up and loudly denying it.

"No, I won't admit to something I didn't do, and I won't marry her. I'm already engaged — how could I possibly do something like that? She's deliberately pinning this on me."

"You heard it — Brother Brother Asheng doesn't admit to sleeping with you. But my family's dog does, right? Da Da Heizi."

The big black dog immediately barked twice — woof, woof…