sbdcsierra Chapter 1914 Talent
Chapter 1914 Talent
Chapter 1914 Talent
Lin Xiuqing was curious about what the father and daughter were talking about.
What did you tell her not to say?
“Your daughter said she saw Cheng Hu knocking on Zheng Shuya’s door in the middle of the night, but Zheng Shuya wouldn’t let him in.”
"what?"
Ye Yaodong pouted, "This kid is really useless. He's been dating his girlfriend for two years, and all he's done is hold hands and kiss."
Lin Xiuqing disagreed, saying, "What else do you want? We're not even married yet. It's right not to let your son into the house, especially in the middle of the night, and in our own home."
"That's why he's useless. It's so convenient at home. He certainly wouldn't be able to get into other people's houses outside."
"I don't want to have a grandchild so soon."
"It's good to get married early, start a family and build a career. Getting married early also helps you grow up and mature earlier."
"That's hard to say. Whether something is mature or not doesn't seem to have much to do with marriage. Look at you when you first got married..."
Ye Yaodong quickly interrupted her, "Oh dear, these are all old stories, why are you bringing them up again? How many years has it been? Your child is about to get married, and you're still bringing up old grievances."
"Fine, I won't say."
"Now that we've given you a good life and let you enjoy yourself, you're still bringing up old grievances."
"This is a recollection of the past."
"Now that we're living a good life, why are we still thinking about the hard times we used to have?"
"It was just a casual remark."
"Let's go out for a walk since we just finished eating. I can't sleep this early anyway."
The couple locked the door and went out for a leisurely stroll, something they rarely do.
It was almost December, and it was getting dark. It was quite cold. The two of them shivered as soon as they went out. They went back inside and put their hats, scarves, and gloves back on before going out again.
With Chinese New Year just a month away, the streets are busier than ever, and all sorts of novel little things that you don't usually see are popping up.
The couple strolled slowly along the street. There were many more vendors than usual, selling New Year pictures and couplets, children's toys, candied hawthorns, and roasted nuts. Their shouts rose and fell.
Ye Yaodong stopped in front of a nut and snack stall, bought some melon seeds and peanuts, and also bought a few oranges, which he put in a bag and peeled for Lin Xiuqing as they walked.
"This orange is quite sweet." Lin Xiuqing ate a segment. "You should try it."
Ye Yaodong took the orange she offered. "Hmm, it's alright."
"Shouldn't the factory start purchasing New Year's gifts soon?"
"They told me today that they'll just package the factory's specialties and add a box of oranges or apples, wishing everyone peace and good fortune. They've been giving out towels, thermos flasks, washbasins, and the like for years, so this year they're giving out fruit instead. I think that's fine."
"Next year, we can also switch to distributing MSG, oil, laundry detergent, etc., which are all daily necessities and more practical."
"Okay, I'll mention it to them next time, that they'll issue different ones every year."
"I also arranged for procurement in Shanghai during New Year's Day, directly sending out things like MSG and laundry detergent."
"You can decide for yourself."
The couple strolled around chatting, and bought whatever caught their eye.
"It's nothing. I'll go back tomorrow after I wake up. It's almost the end of the year, and I'm busy. I also need to check the accounts at the freight department. I'll have them come over when they're on winter break. I'll be a few days late too."
"Okay, you should also take some time to go out and buy some things to bring home as gifts. Shanghai is a big city with lots of rare and good things, such as good tea, good cigarettes and alcohol, and some imported food."
"I know, I remember. I buy it every year, there's no reason I won't buy it this year. I always do my shopping before coming here for the holiday."
The couple strolled around for about an hour, carrying several bags of food. It was completely dark by then, and the wind was getting stronger, making their faces sting.
Seeing that Lin Xiuqing was shrinking her neck, Ye Yaodong tightened the scarf around her neck even more.
"Let's go back, it's terribly cold."
"Okay, go back and rest early."
Back in the dormitory, Ye Yaodong took a thermos to the cafeteria to fill it with hot water. The two of them soaked their feet and went to bed early.
On such a cold day, there's nowhere more comfortable than a warm bed, and today there's even a heated bed.
The next day, after the couple woke up naturally, Lin Xiuqing returned to Shanghai. Today was Sunday, and she still had to go to work on Monday. She had a lot of work to do.
Ye Yaodong was the same; returning from the sea early didn't necessarily mean he could enjoy life. He was still busy, but he didn't have to take any risks, and he could eat and sleep well every day.
Only the Dongyu fishing boat was given an early holiday; other fishing boats in the near-shore fishing grounds and the DYD fishing grounds were still fishing normally.
The crew members who were on holiday recently bought ship and train tickets, received their wages, and returned home ahead of schedule.
Those who left early naturally didn't need to participate in the New Year's Eve feast. It was all based on the principle of voluntariness; those who left later got a share, while those who returned home early didn't. It was a matter of personal choice.
Ye Yaodong set the date for the New Year's Eve feast on the 18th day of the lunar calendar, by which time the fishing boats would have almost returned.
There are still 20 days until the 18th of the lunar calendar, so there is plenty of time to make arrangements.
It was winter vacation at that time, and the children in the family could come over to have some fun together.
After the hustle and bustle subsides, the fishing boats can take a break, do some shopping, and those who should go home can go home, while those who want to stay can continue working overtime.
After the factory held a meeting, they posted a notice, which made everyone happy. They never expected that the benefits would be improved again this year, and there would be a year-end banquet with a lucky draw for prizes such as bicycles, washing machines, televisions, and cash prizes of 500 or 1,000 yuan.
When the notice was posted, everyone exclaimed in surprise. The news spread like wildfire, and the bulletin board was packed with people. Everyone in the factory was filled with anticipation.
Ye Yaodong saw everyone having a lively discussion at the office door and was quite satisfied; there has to be a happy time at the end of the year.
Their raffle number plates will be pre-made, and each person will receive a number by presenting their badge, waiting to draw a prize during the event.
After things were settled, he called Lin Xiuqing after get off work and asked her to bring her son and daughter over before the 18th, as it was a rare occasion for them to have a lively gathering and to participate in the meal.
As soon as Lin Xiuqing turned to them and spoke, Ye Xiaoxi excitedly rushed over to grab the phone.
"Dad, has the event plan been finalized? Besides the raffle, is there anything else fun?"
"There are other activities as well, such as singing, dancing, skits, or other talents. We are planning them and waiting for people to sign up."
Is there a reward?
"Of course there will be prizes for everyone who participates. After all the talent shows are over, the three best performers will be selected and given additional prizes. There will also be lucky draws throughout the event."
Ye Xiaoxi's eyes lit up as she listened. "Wow, there's a talent show too! That's amazing! Just hearing about it makes me feel excited and it must be so much fun. I want to go! I really want to go!"
"Sister, you can also go up and perform your talent show. You can play the erhu," Pei Yu suggested from the side.
"Dad, can I sign up for the performance too? I want to play the erhu!"
"Yes, but you can't play sad tunes. It's the New Year, you have to play festive tunes."
Although she plays the erhu quite well now, and her occasional practice at home sounds pleasant, Ye Yaodong's deepest impression is of her playing the erhu while crying when she was a child, her emotions so strong that she even made herself cry.
"Don't worry, I've been learning for many years, I can play any piece, don't underestimate me."
"Okay, then think carefully tonight about what piece you want to play, and report it to me when you've decided. I'll have someone register and prioritize it for you."
Since most of the employees are men, they probably lack talent, so it would be good for Ye Xiaoxi to join in and liven up the atmosphere.
Ye Xiaoxi was delighted, but she didn't forget the people around her. "Dad, could you also sign Xiaoyu up for a solo dance? She can dance too! She's such a good dancer, so delicate and graceful. She would look amazing in a classical dance."
"Also, sign up my second brother for a singing competition. He was one of the top ten singers in high school and was a sensation throughout the school on New Year's Day."
"Hmm... Big brother... Big brother seems to have no talents, he can't do anything, he's the best at being a good cook, so let's just forget about him."
Ye Yaodong said with a smile, "You're quite good at finding tasks for them; you've assigned everyone a job."
Pei Yu chuckled, "It's a good thing my older cousin isn't here, otherwise he would have beaten you up again if he heard that."
"No, he'll just glare at me."
When Ye Chengyang heard that he had been included, he turned his head and looked over, saying, "I really thank you for thinking of me in everything."
"I'm giving you a chance to shine. You've been one of the top ten singers on campus for three consecutive years! Dad, you have no idea how many girls like your second brother and send him love letters. He's participated in singing competitions for three consecutive years, and now everyone in the school knows him. He's a big name in the school, he's really famous."
"Really? That's pretty good. You two don't go to the same school, how do you know so much?"
"Naturally, I went to watch him compete, and when he played basketball, a lot of girls excitedly called his name. I didn't know until I saw it, and I was shocked. My second brother never mentioned it when he came home. I only found out that he was quite famous at school when I went there. I even saw people giving him love letters."
Ye Chengyang glanced at her sideways, annoyed that she talked too much.
“My second brother is just too low-key. He doesn’t even mention it when he gets home. Luckily, I found his award certificate in his room. I even went to watch his competition last year, so I know he’s very popular.”
Ye Chengyang said, "These are just for entertainment, and there's no reward involved, so what's there to talk about?"
"He has an award certificate! I bet Second Brother is secretly dating someone too; so many people like him."
"Nonsense."
"Dad, my brother is going to eat people. I'm not talking to you anymore. We'll call you again after we've decided on the music."
“Okay, with the three of you involved, the factory will be even more powerful and will be able to operate properly.”
Otherwise, with that group of rough men, he was really worried that they would only do skits or poetry recitations, and none of them would be presentable.
"It's everyone's responsibility to contribute to the factory. Hehe, we'll come to your place after we finish our exams during winter break."
"Focus on your exams and don't get distracted. These activities are just for fun and are extracurricular. Do well on your final exams first."
"I know, it's just preparing a piece of music. We can just pick one out of the box. We just performed it at school a few days ago on New Year's Day."
Ye Yaodong chatted with them casually for a few minutes and then hung up.
(End of this chapter)