Ye Yaodong sat there and chatted with him for a while. He didn't get up and leave until 4:30 when all the children came back from school.
After watching him leave, Ye Yaodong crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. "Finally he left. We sat there and chatted for a long time. I don't know what he came for."
"Aren't you here to deliver pears?" Lin Xiuqing said while killing the fish, looking up.
"We haven't seen each other for a long time. How could they come here specially to deliver pears? They have been sitting and chatting for a long time, but they haven't talked about anything else. They are just chatting. They must want to renew their relationship. I wonder what they want to do after renewing the relationship?"
"You picked a good time. I didn't come to you when you just came back and it was the height of your popularity. Instead, I came a month later."
The old lady smiled and said, "We are all friends who grew up together. What is there to be overcome? If someone wants to be good to you, just do what you want and just get along with them. As long as they are not bad people, it's fine. If they have any difficulties, help them if you can. If it is beyond your ability, forget it."
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
"Mom, can I eat a pear? Can I eat a pear?" Ye Chenghu spread his legs wide open, and took turns lifting his legs and swinging them, his body swaying along with his head, looking very excited.
As soon as he came back, he saw the basket of pears on the ground. He had been standing around it with shining eyes, unwilling to leave, and waited until this moment before speaking.
"Ask your father to peel one for you two brothers, and share it."
"Great! I have pears to eat~"
"There are also apples. Mom came back this afternoon and bought some red apples. They are red and look very pretty. They must be very sweet."
"Really!" Ye Chenghu's eyes lit up. "What day is it today? The sun is rising from the west?"
Ye Yaodong patted the back of his head, "How can you talk like that? You are so disrespectful."
"Hehe~ Isn't this what you guys always say?" Ye Chenghu covered the back of his head and took a step to the side, smiling apologetically.
"If you're an adult, learn less and learn more about what the teacher teaches you. Tell me, what did you learn in school today?"
"I'm learning pinyin, learning S, S. It feels like I'm learning the sounds of a snake." As he said this, he stretched out his hand, put his five fingers together and imitated the movements of a snake, while he kept "thinking" in his mouth and was playing with the movements.
Ye Yaodong glanced at him and slapped his snake-like hand away, "I doubt that you only remember this S today."
It seems that he is just like in his previous life, unable to study.
"Dad, peel the pear quickly. I want to eat the apple after you finish it!"
"Would you like some Wu Geng Hammer?" He went into the house, having just finished a shower and was sitting there talking without even having time to change into his shorts.
Ye Chenghu followed behind him mischievously, clenching his little fists and hitting his butt as he walked. Ye Yaodong's head suddenly pounded. How could this bastard son of a bitch become so annoying after just a few days of school
Not afraid of him at all!
"You want a beating, don't you?"
“Hehe~”
Suddenly, Ye Yaodong felt something. He grabbed his eldest son's hands and put them around his waist, letting the boy stick to his back. Suddenly, a loud sound bloomed in Ye Chenghu's chest.
Ye Chenghu thought his father was playing with him, and he was so happy that he was stunned for a second when he heard the noise.
“Ahhh~ Daddy~ Oh~ I’m dying~ Let me go quickly... You’ve gone too far, you farted, you farted on my chest!”
Ye Chenghu pinched his nose and screamed to the sky, angry and laughing, almost sitting on the ground, looking crazy. After shouting in the house for a while, he rushed to the door again, hugged the door with despair, and shouted with tears but no hope.
"Ahh, Mommy~ My daddy deliberately farted on my chest, ahhh... He's too much..."
Ye Chengyang laughed at the side, "You were the one who spanked Dad first!"
Ye Chenghu freed one hand and clenched it into a fist. He turned around and raised it towards Ye Chengyang threateningly, "Stop laughing. If you laugh again, I'll beat you up."
Lin Xiuqing smiled and looked up at him, rolling her eyes, "You deserve it. It's good enough that your father didn't press your head, but put it on your face."
"Ah~" Ye Chenghu hugged the door and slid down to the ground, "You didn't even help me scold him."
"Do you still want to eat the pear? I don't have time to peel it for you."
"I can call you A-Tai-Xie."
The old lady smiled and said, "I won't peel it for you."
Ye Yaodong put on his vest and shorts and came out. He bent the five fingers of his right hand and knocked him on the head with the five-edged hammer. "Be quiet, do you still want to eat?"
In the end, no matter what, Ye Chenghu still got the five-edged hammer from his father...
"Eat..." He hugged the door panel, pursed his lips, and said weakly.
Ye Yaodong sat at the door with a clean kitchen knife in his hand and took out a pear from the basket.
The skin of this pear is brown and very thick, and must be peeled before eating. There is really a lot of moisture inside. He started peeling from the buttocks and slowly worked his way up.
The two children squatted at his feet and watched carefully, shouting, "Don't break it, don't break it..."
"Dad, go slower, don't interrupt..."
Ye Yaodong was quite skilled at peeling the skin with a knife. He didn't want to break the skin, so he peeled quite fast at the beginning. After peeling half of it, he actually slowed down obediently.
After completely peeling off the pear skin in one piece, the two children cheered.
"Wow, that's amazing, it didn't break!"
Ye Chenghu reached out and took the pear peel, stretched it out and started playing with it, not in a hurry to eat the pear. He even shouted to the other side of the wall, "Brother Hai, my dad just peeled a pear and the peel didn't break. It's amazing! Come and see!"
Is this worth showing off
Ye Yaodong looked at his excitement speechlessly. Children are just children, happiness is so simple.
All of a sudden, a group of children from next door came running over.
"Uncle San is so awesome!"
"Ah, it's broken! It's all your fault! Why are you all reaching out to touch it?"
"Let Uncle San carve another one. Let's see. We haven't seen it yet."
The corners of Ye Yaodong's mouth twitched, "Do you think I'm a juggler?"
Having said that, he still cut the pear in his hand into four pieces, and gave them to his two children and the old lady first. He gave the remaining piece to Ye Chenghai first, and he ate the pear core himself.
Then he continued to perform it again in front of them, and again there was no interruption, and this time the cheers were even louder!
He didn't expect that he could use this trick to enhance his child's prestige.
Lin Xiuqing smiled and said, "Each person can just take two bites, and save the rest for tomorrow. Don't eat it all at once, as you still have to eat dinner later."
The old lady stood up immediately and said, "I'll go cook dinner first. You go do your thing. Don't play with them, Dongzi. Go help Aqing. Otherwise, you'll have to work until dark when your mother comes back to help."
"Got it. Take the basket of pears in and put it away. Otherwise, if they see it, they will eat whatever they want. They will never be satisfied."
The nephews and nieces were already satisfied just to have a taste of the pear, and when they saw that the pear was gone, they continued to play with the pear skin, but it broke into several pieces in a few seconds.
They don't waste food, they feed it all to the dogs. If the dogs don't eat it, they force-feed it to them.
Typical of people who hate dogs...
Ye Yaodong originally thought that Haozi only came to their house, but he didn't expect that when he came back from sea the next day, he saw Haozi helping A Guang pick goods at the dock.
When A Guang saw him, the two of them exchanged glances at the same time, and then tacitly avoided each other and just greeted each other with a smile and talked about today's delivery.
Ye Yaodong said with a depressed look on his face: "Don't mention it. There haven't been any good catches recently. Today I almost couldn't even make back the money for gas. I added more lead weights to try to catch the bottom fish, but I only caught some toadfish. The weather is getting colder, and there are fewer catches."
"It's the same for us, so my father doesn't plan to go out to sea anymore. He plans to rest at home and wait until next spring to work again. Anyway, there is a boat out here, and we can come and collect the cargo when the boat goes out, and we can make some money."
Everyone around was envious of what he said.
Haozi also found an opportunity to ask, "How do you divide the profits with the captain? Isn't this just like collecting rent?"
Some of the other villagers around had heard about it, while some were not very clear. Everyone pricked up their ears, wanting to hear how they divided it.
Ah Guang glanced at Haozi, then looked at everyone, and said with a smile: "My father is quite kind. He said that it is not easy to go to sea. My family is also in the sea business, so he knows how hard it is, so we split it in half."
"All the expenses, fuel and labor costs on the ship belong to Boss Chen. You just provide a ship, right? And then we sell the goods when we come back to the shore and split the money in half?"
"yes."
The villagers all nodded and said, "That's fine..."
"This is not bad. It's better to be hired as a ship captain than to work outside..."
"It's better than being a boatman for others. This is a 50-50 split..."
But there are also discordant voices.
"Aren't you just like the landlords in the old society? At that time, farmers rented the land to cultivate it, but you rented the boats."
"Yes, it's similar to farming on a tenant farm..."
Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes and shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about? Can the landlord split the profits 50-50 with you? If the landlord gives you 60-40, it's already considered conscientious. 70-30 is the norm. Even the more ruthless ones give you 80-20. You even compared Ah Guang to the landlord. He only has two boats in total, while the landlord has thousands of acres of land. How can you compare?"
"That is to say, those of you who didn't get to eat the grapes, don't say they are sour. Don't say it's 50-50. It's 60-40. The captain and his son will both make money together. It's much better than working for others." Ah Cai also helped out.
"That's right, half and half is good enough."
"Yes, the boat was provided by someone else. The boat is the biggest expense, several thousand dollars to buy it. 50-50 is equivalent to only charging half of your goods as rent. It is much more conscientious than the landlord."
The villagers all nodded, thinking it was reasonable.
Haozi also smiled and said, "If your captain doesn't want to do this, I'd like to take over."
The captain said quickly: "We must do it, we must do it..."
…
The villagers watched the excitement for a while, and then dispersed after they had collected all their goods.
Ye Yaodong and A Guang also walked together, chatting as they walked, and asked him about his recent gains.
"It's OK! It's a little worse than the previous months. After all, it's winter now, so it's normal that there are fewer goods. But anyway, I don't have to do it myself. It's just like collecting rent. It's enough to eat and drink every month."
"Your father also wants to hold his granddaughter at home, right?"
"Hahaha, that should be it. Anyway, it's getting colder and colder, and it's windy every few days. I can't go out for a few days a month. I might as well take a winter break and gain some weight."
"You guys are living a more comfortable life these days. You can go when you want to, and not go when you don't want to. You even plan to take a break for the whole winter. It's so cool."
"You can do it too. You've made so much money, why are you still working so hard? You're not usually so diligent, but you're getting more and more diligent now? Have you changed?"
The two of them were chatting without caring about the feelings of others around them. Haozi, who was following beside them, became more and more envious the more he listened.
Once upon a time, everyone looked pretty much the same when they were hanging out together. When did they all start to do so well
If I hadn't asked him why he hadn't been in touch with them for a long time, and said that his friends were doing so well now, why didn't they help him? He wouldn't have noticed that the gap between them had widened so much.
"I want to do that, too." Ye Yaodong pointed behind him at his father who was pushing a cart. "My old man has to be willing to do that! He wants me to keep doing this until I'm 80 years old and not stop."
Father Ye glared at them and said, "Why don't you work harder when you are young? Are you going to work harder when you are old? You young people are ignorant. If you are lazy now, you will have to pay it back double when you are old. If you work harder now, you will feel comfortable when you are old."
Ah Guang shrugged, "My father is being lazy. He plans to rest for the winter to gain weight. It's not me. I am still working hard to collect the harvest."
Father Ye glanced at him, shook his head and said nothing more.
Just coming out occasionally to collect goods is considered hard work
However, A Guang's family's life is indeed becoming more and more prosperous and better.
We bought two boats and my in-laws made a lot of money on this trip. It’s a pity that my daughter gave birth to a daughter as her first child. I wonder if my in-laws have any objections
Ye Yaodong also thought of this and couldn't help asking, "My sister gave birth to a daughter. Is your father unhappy?"
Ah Guang glared, "Who said that? My daughter is also the first child of this generation in our Pei family. Although my father was a little disappointed that it wasn't a boy at first, he was very happy afterwards. After all, he has become a grandfather. He has been so happy recently that he wants to hold the child in his arms every day."
He spoke the truth, "But having a son is also certain. I am the only one in my family, and my father wants me to have another son. But there is no rush. Let's wait a few years."
"What if the second child is a girl?"
“Uh…” A Guang felt embarrassed as he saw that both the father and son were looking at him.
"Isn't it too early? You're asking this question just to embarrass me. My daughter is only one month old, and you're looking for an excuse to beat me up again?"
Father Ye shook his head and said, "Let's talk about it in a few years. We are still young anyway, and we have to have a son."
Ye Yaodong thought about it and felt that it was awkward to ask this question now. He was making assumptions about something that hadn't even happened yet. He wasn't a woman who would make trouble.
"We're strict now, but we'll wait five years before we decide. Otherwise, it'll be terrible if something unexpected happens. When Ah-Qing gave birth to Xiaojiu, I was almost scared to death."
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
"So you guys are not planning on going out to sea for the whole winter, so you plan on leaving the other boat at home at the dock?"
As soon as he said this, Haozi's eyes sparkled, and he looked at Ah Guang with hope, "Do you want to find a captain to partner with you on that boat? Just a few months and a winter would be fine."
"Ah?" A Guang looked at him in confusion.
Haozi laughed and said, "If you are planning to find someone to partner with you on that boat for a few months, why not find me? I will definitely take good care of it."
Ah Guang blinked his eyes, and after understanding what he meant, he opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but he didn't say it out loud. He just looked at Ye Yaodong secretly.
If I had said this before they broke off contact, he would have agreed without hesitation. But now... I feel like our friendship has gone sour.
Moreover, he came after them when they were all making money and were at the peak of their popularity, which made him feel that his purpose was too strong.
However, it would not be a good idea to refuse it outright.
He hesitated for a moment and said, "I don't know what my father is planning. He has the final say on all family matters. I just heard what he said yesterday. I'll go back and ask him tonight."
"Okay, I should ask your father."
"Um."
Ye Yaodong looked at Haozi, "What are you doing now?"
"I'm still unloading cargo at the dock. Although the pay is not high, it's stable. It's just a little tiring, so I'm thinking about whether I can change to something easier."
"Why don't you use some of your savings to buy a boat and do it yourself? Wouldn't it be better?" Ye Yaodong couldn't help but suggest to him.
"Well, the main reason is that I don't have money. My wife's family has had brothers getting married every year in the past three years, and every year I have to pay a large sum of money. She has three younger brothers, and I am overwhelmed. She got married early, so I have to pay the biggest red envelope every time."
"Besides, her grandfather has to pay for his 80th birthday, her grandma has to pay for her 80th birthday, her dad has to pay for his 50th birthday, her mom has to pay for her 50th birthday, her brother has to pay for his 30th birthday, and there's also her sister-in-law. I feel like it's never-ending. I don't even earn enough to give out red envelopes, and every year there are several things that require big money."
"Oh, yes, there are also favors from her relatives. I can't even figure out how many relatives she has."
The corners of Ye Yaodong's mouth twitched. He still remembered that his wife seemed to have ten brothers and sisters
It really never ends.
After hearing this, A Guang couldn't help but shed tears of sympathy for him. Fortunately, his wife's family was very supportive, and no amount of money would be enough to provide the financial support.
No wonder there is no money left after working day and night.
"Well... every family has its own problems. How about you manage the money yourself?"
"Don't you have to pay the same if you manage your own money?"
Ye Yaodong also asked curiously: "Does your mother know so much about your wife's family?"
Haozi thought for a moment, "It seems unclear, right? I go back to my parents' home every few days, and my mother always scolds me when she knows it, but I have to go back when something happens. My wife told me not to tell my mother everything, so that there won't be any unrest at home. I don't want to hear them quarreling all day long."
This is really... I don't know what to say.
I knew before that Haozi would go back to his wife's home every few days, but I didn't know about this.
With so many things going on in his wife's family, it would be strange if he could save any money.
"You should be more careful."
"Alas, I just earn too little. If I earn more, I'll have some money left over."
How can you still say this
They were also convinced. How much money does one have to earn to have some money left over
Ye Yaodong and A Guang wanted to laugh after hearing this, and even Ye's father frowned.
"Your wife's family is not good. If you can't figure it out, talk to your parents. They have eaten more salt than you have eaten rice."
"ah?"
Ye Yaodong said, "Let me ask you, are you willing to accept that all the money you earn through hard work goes into someone else's pocket?"
"This...this favor has to be done!"
"Okay, then try to find a few more jobs and work slowly."
Ah Guang couldn't help but remind him, "Isn't it obvious that your wife's family is sucking your blood? They are just pushing you to the limit and eating your fill."
Although their friendship had deteriorated and they felt a little alienated, this did not stop them from saying a few more words to wake him up.
After hearing what they said, Haozi also frowned and felt that there were too many favors to be done. There were more than a dozen brothers and sisters in their village, but there were not as many things to do as in her family, and they were all things that required money.
He had mentioned it a few times before, and his wife kept asking him why he didn't marry someone without parents? That way, he wouldn't have to rely on favors, or have to keep in touch with others, and there wouldn't be so many problems.
He shut up only after being troubled by the noise, and consoled himself that it was normal to have so many favors because he had many brothers and sisters.
"I'll go back and ask."
"We are not trying to sow discord between you and your spouse. We are just reminding you. Please explain it nicely when you return."
"Well, can you help me ask your father if your family's boat should find a captain? It's just sitting there idle anyway, so it might be a good idea to let it earn some money, even for a few months."
Still thinking about it, A Guang agreed casually. Intellectually and emotionally, he was not going to go along with him. You could say he had some reservations or something else.
He just planned to find an excuse to get rid of him tomorrow. Anyway, he would say it was his father's idea and let his father take the blame.
Haozi followed them halfway until they reached a fork in the road, and then he left. Ye Yaodong stopped A Guang and told him that his family had saved some eggs and asked him to take some back with him.
"It's a bit awkward when this happens all of a sudden."
"They're not embarrassed, so why should you be embarrassed? What's there to be embarrassed about? If you're not embarrassed, then they're the ones who are embarrassed. Anyway, just treat them as ordinary friends. We didn't have a very good relationship to begin with."
"Yeah, that's the truth. Anyway, he just wanted to get together with us because he saw that we had made some money."
"Yes, they sent me a basket of pears yesterday."
"And I was given a basket of pears yesterday."
Father Ye listened to their conversation and asked in confusion, "What's going on? Are there any conflicts among your friends?"
"No big deal, just a small problem."
"It's just a minor conflict. It's none of his business."
"Then he specifically asked for it. But he just came yesterday to repair the relationship, and today he proposed to be the captain of Guang's ship. It's a bit too hasty."
"It's true that you are too anxious." A Guang nodded.
"Don't worry about it. We can't be close to each other anyway."