He borrowed a newspaper from the commune and read it. He was only slightly surprised and then returned to normal.
"It turns out that there really was an earthquake the night before yesterday, and there were two of them. The legend of the earthquake fish is true..." Secretary Chen, who was standing by, had just finished reading the newspaper.
"Yes, fortunately, we were not affected here. A 5.7-magnitude earthquake occurred on the sea surface of the Taiwan Strait, triggering a tsunami. At the same time, a 4.1-magnitude earthquake occurred in the southern part of Taiwan. Fortunately, it was during the day."
"We don't know when the tsunami will calm down. You should wait until there are no waves before going out. I heard that you once took risks during a typhoon."
"Ahaha... I only went there once. I won't go again. Haha... Life is more important."
Secretary Chen nodded and said with a smile: "When did you learn to read? I thought you couldn't understand."
"I've been attending literacy classes for about a month, and I can recognize some of them. I can probably understand half of what I read by guessing."
"It would be more convenient if you could recognize some words. I have some old newspapers here. Do you want to take them back?"
"Okay." It's a good opportunity to learn about what happened in the past. "Secretary Chen, can you also help me subscribe to a newspaper?"
"Okay, I'll ask the postman to deliver it directly to your house."
"Thank you very much."
Ye Yaodong came out of the commune with a pile of newspapers in his hands and went straight home.
I met my eldest nephew at the door of my house and was teased by him.
"Uncle San, why do you have so many newspapers? Are you going to use them to make a fire?"
"Can't you just look?"
"Fuck... this is impossible... I can get 100 points if you can read the newspaper."
"You should pass the test first before you laugh at me. Maybe you don't know as many words as I do."
"How is that possible? Don't be ridiculous. I'm better than you even if I fail every day."
"You really failed the exam," Ye Yaodong patted his head with a sly smile, "Sister-in-law, Ah Hai said he never passed the exams, and he used a red pen to change his grades every day."
"Fuck... Uncle San, you tricked me!"
Ye Chenghai's eyes widened in horror and he immediately jumped away from him, his eyes unable to help but glance towards the door.
But before I saw him, I heard his mother yelling at Ye Chenghai...
The voice arrives before the person arrives.
Ye Chenghai shook his body and looked around, wondering where to hide.
Before he could think it over, he saw his mother rushing out of the house with a whip in her hand, crackling, "I was wondering how you suddenly got 82 points in the exam a few days ago, and your father kept praising you for your success and rewarded you with 50 cents. It turns out you drew it yourself. I'm so angry about you, today 'Lin Bei' is going to peel off your skin..."
Sister Ye was so angry that she chased him and cursed him, "Don't run away. If I catch you, I'll take off your pants and beat you up..."
Ye Chenghai hid and explained, "Mom, I am innocent! Third Uncle is talking nonsense, don't listen to him, I am innocent, he is taking revenge on me for laughing at him..."
"Your test paper is full of red crosses, and they still wrongly accuse you. I want to know how you suddenly got 82 points... I'll beat you to death..."
"Ahh... It hurts... Third uncle you are so cruel..."
"Run! If you run, don't come back for lunch!"
"Oh...hiss...Third Uncle...I hate you..."
Humph... Ye Yaodong clapped his hands with the newspaper in his hand, and looked at his eldest nephew who was still being chased around, with a deep smile in his eyes.
Can't you cure him? You little bastard!
He walked into the house slowly with the newspaper in his hand, but Lin Xiuqing glanced at him with a smile, "Ah Hai has been badly screwed by you."
"Who asked him to laugh at me? He failed the exam, but he was still so arrogant and had the nerve to laugh at me. He deserves to be beaten."
"Why did you bring back so many newspapers?"
"Take a look at the past current affairs news and learn a few more words."
"If you had studied this hard, you would probably be able to get into college by now."
Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes, "You're going to laugh at me too, right?"
"No, isn't this telling the truth?"
"Come on, teach me how to read, you primary school graduate."
Lin Xiuqing glared at him, deliberately saying, "Don't bother me while I'm cooking lunch. Go look after the kids."
Ye Yaodong glanced at the two guys who were squatting there, turning the turtle over and poking its belly. He ignored them and sat down at the table to look through the pages.
When he saw a word he didn't know, he circled it with a pencil and planned to ask his wife later.
Lin Xiuqing had just finished lighting the fire when she turned around and saw him reading a newspaper and spinning a pen. He looked so serious and studious that she almost stunned her. She had never seen him so serious and focused before!
It's really strange...
Thinking he was pretending, she ran up to take a look, but she saw many circles drawn on the newspaper and her waist was hugged.
"What's this word..."
Lin Xiuqing lowered her head and looked at him as if he was really asking for advice seriously, so she quickly spoke to him gently.
The couple learned and taught each other, and they complemented each other so well that they almost forgot to cook lunch. It was only when their two sons cried out that they were hungry that Lin Xiuqing came to her senses.
"Dad, are you really going to take the college entrance exam?"
"Damn it, don't talk nonsense. Your father only knows a few words. Don't tell others about it, or people will laugh at you..."
This guy doesn't control his mouth. If he goes out and starts yelling, he will be laughed to death and lose all his face.
"Oh, then mother also said that you are going to go to college."
"She was just joking with your father. Go play with your turtle. If you tell anyone about it, I will stew it."
"Tsk~"
I feel that my eldest son is becoming more and more annoying!
The wind and waves died down a little in the evening, but few people went out to sea at night.
After waiting for another day, the sky was still clear and people started to go out to sea to set traps and nets.
Ye Yaodong also went to collect the hooks and sticky nets that had been repaired by others. He asked some elderly people and women in the village to do these small and troublesome things, which could increase their income and save him trouble.
He went to Acai and ordered about 100 kilograms of miscellaneous fish and shrimp. After everything was ready, he went to his father and told him about going out to sea at night. However, his mother said excitedly that she wanted to go too!
"It happens that tomorrow is the 15th of the month, and there will be a high tide. I will go with you. You can put me on the isolated island and I will go shopping for seafood. You can pick me up on your way back."
Ye Yaodong frowned disapprovingly: "No, how unsafe is it for you to stay on an isolated island alone?"
"Then I'll call your aunts."
"Fuck, mom, do you think this is a market?"
"Didn't you say it's unsafe? I have company with more people. Anyway, I can collect some worthless seafood and ask your aunts to bring some back. The area around the pier has been eaten by starfish, so there won't be any shellfish for a long time. I want to catch some oysters and dig some clams, but there are none. It's a good opportunity to bring some back and eat slowly. Just find an island with higher terrain and a safer place to put us down. It won't affect your nets."
"Let's go in the spring. It's so cold, and I want to go to the island to enjoy the breeze..."
"We can't even open the pot at home, we have nothing to eat, and we're also cold. What's the cold? It's a good time to prepare more and dry some New Year's goods in advance while the weather is good. We don't have to go out to sea in the cold weather. We can rest for a few more days in the first month of the year so we don't have to worry about having nothing to eat. Otherwise, where can we get food when the time comes? We're just going to eat vegetables?"
His mother has considered it carefully, what can he say? This is his mother!
It so happened that the small island where the oarfish was discovered some time ago seems to be quite high. When the tide reaches 15 oarfish day, the water will recede to the bottom and the exposed part should be larger. There should be a small piece of sandy beach exposed, and the waves will not hit the rocks. If you are careful, it should be fine.
He agreed reluctantly, "Okay, then don't call so many people. If something goes wrong, you won't be able to bear the responsibility."
"Don't worry, I will only call you Auntie, Second Auntie, and Third Auntie. I won't call anyone else for now. We will be careful. We are not young girls who don't know better."
“There can only be two, otherwise there will be too many people and it will be difficult to put the net, and there won’t be enough space.”
"You can just put us on an isolated island, and it won't affect your net setting."
"That's not OK!"
"Well then, I'll call you the first and second aunt. I'll call you the third aunt next time."
Middle-aged women are really difficult to deal with, especially old women. They are really troublesome.
But you can't just bring your brothers without bringing your mother.
It’s a headache, but luckily his grandparents had few children, only his eldest aunt, second aunt, and his father and three brothers.
He has so many relatives...
"Okay, then you guys, let's make it clear in advance. If you call for anyone else, you don't have to go."
He had to give his mother a heads-up in advance, otherwise all her aunts and uncles would get involved.
"Oh, don't worry, I know, there are too many people, so there won't be much to dig by ourselves."
Ye Huimei looked on enviously from the side, "Third brother, can I go too?"
"Why are you joining in the fun? You're getting married soon, so stay home. Going out to sea is no joke."
Ye's mother also glared at her, "What do you have to do with it? Just stay at home. If you have time, go to your third sister-in-law's place to look after her children and help make clothes and quilts. Don't stay at home and be a hands-off boss. People who don't know would think your third sister-in-law is getting married."
"I want to go because I'm getting married. Otherwise, I'll be like my third sister-in-law, either giving birth or taking care of children. I won't have the chance to go fishing. Third brother... just take me with you..."
"No, you've been there once, why go again? Are you addicted?"
"Who said we can't go again after we've been there? Just take me there again?" Ye Huimei tugged at his sleeve pitifully, "Third brother, I know you're the best, please..."
"Go, go, don't get in the way..."
Ye Huimei glared at him, then turned to pull his father's sleeve, "Dad, just let Third Brother take me there. It's better to keep the wealth within the family. If there are any treasures, we can just pick them up ourselves."
"Ah, this..." Father Ye paused while holding the hookah, "It's impossible for you to pick up treasures every day."
"No, baby, I want to go and play too. People who live by the sea have never been out to the sea many times, so how can they be called people who live by the sea? I'm about to get married, Dad, just let me accompany Mom, that's perfect~ Dad, just let me go, okay? Dad~"
The hem of her clothes was being pulled and swung back and forth, and she kept calling daddy in a soft and tender voice. Which old father could resist this? She couldn't even smoke.
"Well, Dongzi, why don't you take your little sister with you? Let her go and play for a while. The island we visited last time with the oarfish looks quite safe. The terrain seems high, and the reef is not steep or low."
"Third brother~"
Ye Yaodong glared at Ye Huimei, and seeing her smiling at him in a flattering manner, he could only nod helplessly.
"Okay then, you can stay with mom, and auntie won't have to take her with her."
"Ah, you're not going to invite your aunt?"
"Why are you calling so many people? Are you going to the market at sea?"
"Well... okay then."