I came back early today.
As soon as he got home, Lin Xiuqing helped him take off his coat and gave him a bowl of goose meat.
His wife used it to stew a sweet tonic. In their local area, they would go to the pharmacy to get some tonic, and then add rice wine to stew it sweetly.
Lin Xiuqing scooped a spoonful and handed it to him, saying with a smile: "Drink more soup. We have already eaten at noon. I scooped half a pot over from the old house. This gannet still has 20 kilograms left after killing it. You should eat more."
"Well, since there are so many, go and scoop another bowl to eat. It will replenish your body. You are weak, so one person can help two people."
"You should be too hungry to eat now after dinner. I'll eat later. You eat first to fill your stomach. After you finish eating, take a nap. When you wake up, we can have dinner again."
That's so thoughtful~
Ye Yaodong drank the bowl of gannet soup happily and felt full of energy. Apart from rocking around on the boat, he didn't feel tired at all, and now he felt even more energetic.
He didn't plan to sleep after eating. If he slept now, he wouldn't be able to sleep at night.
He called his eldest son, who was playing in the water at the back door under the pretext of watering the vegetables, and asked him to help carry the fish in the bucket and go up to the old house with him.
Two red crabs and a few fish weighed about four or five kilograms. He could just about lift them by hanging them on his elbows. Boys need exercise, so Ye Yaodong didn't feel bad about using them.
The old lady sitting at the door saw them from a distance and came forward happily, taking the bucket from Ye Chengyang's hand. Then she hugged the child, calling him her darling and praising him a lot.
After adoring her great-grandson, the old lady touched Ye Yaodong's arm with concern, "How is it? Does your arm still hurt? Your father can't even catch a razor, is it the same for you? It's too painful, why are you working so hard? Did you ask your wife to rub oil on you? Your mother also said that you went out to sea with your two brothers to collect the hooks today, did you just come back? Why didn't you rest for a while before coming here?"
The old lady asked a long series of questions in one breath without giving him a chance to answer. Ye Yaodong was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
He endured the pain in his arm, reluctantly lifted it up, hugged the old lady's shoulders and walked into the house, smiling as he walked, "You asked so many questions in a row, how can I answer? Tea oil has been applied, it's not a big problem, just rest for a few days. Did you eat the gannet meat that Ah Qing sent? Is it delicious?"
"delicious."
"I just specially left two big blue crabs in the bucket. They are red crabs, and I picked the hard ones. I will let my mother stew them with wine tomorrow. You can each eat a little to replenish your body."
"Ah? Hey, both legs are fine? I thought it was missing a leg, why didn't you sell it and keep it for food? We only have that pot of goose meat..."
The old lady was so heartbroken. Blue crabs are not swimming crabs. This one is a red crab, which is very valuable.
"There is no conflict. We will eat the gannet meat today and stew these two tomorrow. They will not die and it will be fine."
"No, no... take it back and eat it yourself, we all have..."
"Grandma, just eat without worry. I made a lot of money yesterday."
The old lady still shook her head like a rattle, "No, no, you suffered a lot yesterday, take it back and eat it to replenish yourself, don't worry about us."
"I kept some for myself."
Ye Yaodong leaned over and whispered in the old lady's ear with a smile, saying that he had earned back the cost of the boat yesterday.
It might be a little worse, but that wouldn't stop him from saying a little more to make the old lady happy.
The old lady heard this and whispered happily, "Really?"
She put the bucket next to the stove and handed it to Ye's mother, then pulled him into the room.
Ye's mother muttered something mysterious in the back. When she saw the blue crabs in the bucket, she wanted to ask a few more questions, but her grandmother and grandson disappeared.
As soon as the old lady entered the house, she asked happily, "Your parents came back yesterday and said that it could be sold for a lot of money, but we don't know how much it will be sold for yet."
It was he who told his parents not to make it public. His mother always liked to tell the neighbors about any good things that happened at home. It's not even certain how much this thing would be sold for, so there's no need to create hatred.
Although the news must have spread throughout the village after one night, he was not the only one who got lucky. Others were carrying more goods than him. If his mother didn't be so high-profile, people would not keep their eyes on their family.
It’s better to be low-key, which can save a lot of trouble. He even has to hide his wife’s belly.
If someone gets jealous and targets them, and then reports them directly after discovering them, then it will be all over.
"I can almost earn it back. I'm only telling you so that you know it yourself. Don't let my parents make a fuss about it, or else they'll get jealous."
"I know this. Your mother just can't keep secrets. I'll talk about her later. If people want to guess, let them guess. Don't let everyone know your secrets."
"You are really wise, grandma! How does the saying go, oh... an old person in the family is like a treasure..."
The old lady was so pleased with his words that she smiled happily.
Ye Yaodong sat for a while, then talked to his mother for a few more words before going out to look for his son. As soon as this guy came over, he started playing crazily with other kids, and his face turned red from all the quarreling.
After returning, he continued to ask the boy to carry the bucket for him and deliver the tiger grouper and a dozen large conchs to his home in Linji.
When he went there, he happened to see his mother cooking, and she even invited him to have a couple of drinks.
Ye Yaodong quickly shook his head and explained that he had overexerted himself yesterday and he probably wouldn't be able to lift his hands in the next few days. So he skipped the drinking and would wait until next time.
As he spoke, he took a look at his house. This was the first time he visited his home. He didn't expect that while his smuggling business was so prosperous, his home was so simple, no different from other homes.
There were the same old broken furniture and wardrobes. There was nothing rare or valuable in the main room. They were all common things in ordinary homes. There was not even a radio. The only big item was a bicycle at the door.
But nowadays, having a bicycle is not a big deal. Every family with better conditions in the village has one. Maybe other big items are hidden in the house.
This only shows that their family is cautious, and they have been able to hide so well under the villagers' noses without being discovered for the time being.
You know, we are now cracking down on smuggling along the coastal areas. Once you are caught, you will definitely not be able to get out for a few years.
It had been several years since the rumors in the previous life, and their family was still quite careful.
Ye Yaodong chatted with him casually for a few polite words and then said he had to hurry home for dinner.
Originally, he thought that he and I were not of the same kind and there was no need for us to have a close relationship. But now, he feels that having more friends means having more paths to take. At least it will be fine if he doesn't get involved in what they are doing.
If you want to buy something, it is more convenient to buy it from him!
As soon as Ye Yaodong left his house, he couldn't find his son again...
The little bastard is so good at running!
He stood at the door and shouted in four directions: "Ye Chenghu~Ye Chenghu~"
I didn't know where he ran to. I only heard his vague response from afar, so I had to wait for him there.
After the man ran out panting from somewhere, Ye Yaodong saw that his nose was running, and his sleeves and trouser legs were covered with mud. He grabbed his sleeve to wipe his nose and wanted to beat him up. He never saw him clean.
His face was covered with mud and snot, and he couldn't bear to look at it.
"Go home and let your mother beat you up."
"Why?" Ye Chenghu glared angrily, "I have been running errands with you obediently, why do you hit me!"
"No reason. Go back and show your mother what you look like. See if she will beat you or not."
Ye Chenghu lowered his head to check himself, and suddenly felt a little guilty. He pursed his lips and said, "I didn't mean it..."
"Go back and explain to her. There's no point in explaining to me. Go faster."
"Can't you help me?"
"cannot."
"Why, I've been carrying things and running errands for you?"
"You just help me carry things, and I still have to rely on her for my daily life. You can't go against her, you have to go along with her. If she hits you, I will definitely hand her the whip and praise her for hitting you well."
He still knows what is more important and what is less important. He cannot lose the big picture for the sake of small things. Welfare is what matters!
Ye Chenghu glanced upwards, looking at him with great contempt.
Ye Yaodong wanted to slap him on the head, but his arms were so sore.
"What are you looking at? Watch the road ahead. If you tear a hole in your pants again, your mother will beat you severely."
“Hehe~”
Ye Chenghu made a face at him, ran and jumped in front, intending to go back first to beg for mercy.
Ye Yaodong followed closely behind, but he didn't expect to see a pile of things on the table when he returned. The two children were crying excitedly and taking things out, and each of them was holding a can, which surprised him a little.
Lin Xiuqing put it away while cursing, and when she saw him coming back, she asked hurriedly: "You're back, did you save anyone at sea yesterday? Why didn't you mention it? I didn't even know about it."
She was cooking when she saw two strangers coming to her house and was shocked. Nowadays, when strangers come to your house, it never means anything good. She felt relieved after asking around.
"I forgot for a moment. I was too tired last night and fell asleep with my head touching the pillow. Was this sent by them?" He didn't care about other people's thanks, so he didn't mention it specifically to avoid worrying her.
"Yes, they said they went shopping early this morning and then went door to door. Our house is far away, so it took them some time to walk here, so they arrived at this time. They left the house right after you, and it was already time for dinner, so it was not appropriate for them to stay any longer. So they stayed for a while, said a few words of thanks, and then left."
Ye Yaodong nodded casually, not caring.
"Dad, we want to eat canned food~"
"Canned food~canned food~"
Lin Xiuqing scolded, "It's time to eat. Why are you eating canned food? You are not allowed to eat anything."
Ye Yaodong also said: "Do you want to be whipped? Show your mother how dirty you are."
"Ah~ Dad, why did you remind me? Mom didn't even see it!
!”
Ye Chenghu glared angrily, then he slid down the table and prepared to run away, but as expected, he was grabbed by the collar from behind.
"Ah~ Oh~ Mom, be gentle~ Don't hit me~ Don't hit me~"
Lin Xiuqing beat him and scolded him, "You still want to get away with it? You've changed several clothes today, and there was a hole in your pants at noon..."