sbdcsierra Chapter 1877 (A dish to watch while eating)
Chapter 1877 (A dish to watch while eating)
Chapter 1877 (A dish to watch while eating)
By using their own strength, individuals can change their own destiny and also influence the direction of the collective, constantly moving in a positive direction.
Ye Yaodong felt that he had done a good deed and deserved a second chance.
When he was first reborn, he only thought about being content with a modest life, having a healthy family, and a warm home with his wife and children. Now, he has exceeded his expectations and achieved his initial goal.
The next day, the first day of the lunar new year, he told Ye Chenghai that he could rent the land to him and asked him to find a lawyer to draft a contract after returning to the provincial capital, and then mail it to him to take a look at the first draft.
This is beneficial to both of them. Ye Yaodong no longer needs to worry about the land in the provincial capital, as Ye Chenghai is in charge.
They had just finished discussing this when they were called to dinner, so they had to talk on the way.
After returning from offering incense at night, it was already past 1 a.m. The younger ones played cards all night until 4 or 5 a.m. before going to sleep. They slept until they naturally woke up, and it was almost noon when they got up. They ate at a moderate pace.
When Ye's mother saw them, they were still muttering to themselves.
"We never all come to breakfast together. We eat in batches every day. There are seven or eight groups of people eating breakfast. I only have to serve you all the meals all day."
"Lunch is almost ready, and you all come over to say you want breakfast. You were playing cards until who knows how late last night, and I could still hear you talking in the middle of the night."
"Others prepare three meals a day, but I have to prepare more than ten. They're all here to collect debts. I haven't taken my apron off all day..."
"Come on, let me help you take it off," Ye Yaodong said, listening to her grumbling, and eagerly stepped forward to help her untie her apron. "Such a beautiful new dress should be shown off to everyone. What kind of behavior is it to wear an apron?"
Ye's mother slapped his hand away, "Don't bother me, go eat your food. There's still some porridge left, help yourself. Lunch isn't even finished cooking yet. Take off your apron and cook it yourself."
"Don't you have a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter-in-law?"
"Aren't they helping out? So many mouths to feed, it's like a banquet, and a continuous one at that. You have to eat in several batches, one person after another, two people after another. It's overwhelming."
"No need for a big one. What's so big about it? The busy times are yet to come. In a few days, a new granddaughter-in-law will come to take care of you."
"Things will be really busy in a few days."
So you're just pretending to be busy right now?
When Ye's mother heard what he said, she stared wide-eyed and raised her hand to make a mock gesture, so he quickly moved aside.
"Be careful on the first day of the Lunar New Year."
"Go, go, go outside and stay there. You don't need to eat breakfast. Save your room for lunch later."
"That's fine too. I'm not hungry anyway. The greasy food from yesterday still hasn't been digested. If there's any leftover porridge, I can heat it up. I want to eat porridge for lunch later."
"They all just have one mouth..."
Mother Ye muttered something to herself and went off to do her work.
The children were running and jumping around playing games at the door, all dressed in new clothes, their pockets full of candy and firecrackers, chattering noisily.
As soon as he stepped out of the house, several firecrackers were thrown at his feet. He stepped on them, and they popped and crackled several times.
"Oh my god, that scared me to death! Who threw that firecracker and it didn't explode?"
"Hahaha... Third Uncle stepped on a firecracker..."
"These are landmines planted by the twins! They're trying to scare you adults to death."
Ye Chenghai said, "We need to drag him over and give him a beating."
Ye Yaodong glared at the twins, "You can't plant landmines at the door. What if the old lady walks over and steps on one and gets a fright? Old people can't take a fright."
"If you scare the old man to death, I'll skin you alive, and you won't be able to celebrate the New Year."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Uncle, we didn't think too much about it. Let's go play over there."
After saying that, the two of them started pulling each other, and then shouted to their friends around them to run away quickly.
"Don't go too far, it'll be time to eat soon."
"know."
Two small tables were set up in front of the neighbors' houses, and the adults were playing cards around them. Ye's father also joined in, and they went over to stand and watch while waiting for their meal.
The women in the family are always busy preparing three meals a day. They can only have a moment to themselves after the whole family has finished eating and cleaning up.
With only four days left until Ye Chengjiang's betrothal ceremony, they had been discussing it while working. Today, the first day of the lunar new year, the gold shops were closed, so they would have to wait two more days to buy gold.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, married daughters and their husbands were supposed to return to their parents' home. They didn't go anywhere else and stayed home to continue making preparations. Ye Jingjing's first year back to her parents' home after getting married was a special occasion.
Anyway, they're all getting on in years, so they don't need to worry about the days when they go back to their parents' home.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, they found out that the gold shop in town was open for half a day in the afternoon, so they quickly went to ask Ye Chengjiang to drive them there in a tractor.
He's the main person in charge, everyone's busy working for him, so it's not unreasonable to order him around.
Ye Chengjiang was pulled up halfway through his game of cards and had no choice but to resign himself to being the driver, accompanying his elders to buy gold.
During the Spring Festival, almost everyone is playing cards and gambling. After all, they work outside all year round, and most of them are at sea, with no entertainment at all. So every year during the Spring Festival, the village is full of tables, big and small, where people play cards and gamble.
Ye Yaodong also played a few rounds, making money and then leaving, emphasizing participation.
When it was time to eat, he obediently went to his hometown to eat. However, there were fewer people preparing the meal today. It was mostly his granddaughters-in-law who were busy there. I didn't see his mother and Aqing.
He looked around, asking, "Where are the others?"
Mr. Ye sat at the doorway, puffing on his hookah, making gurgling noises. Only after puffing out ash smoke from his nostrils did he speak.
“They went to town to buy gold. Ah Jiang is getting married and needs to make gold jewelry. All the women wanted to go with him, saying they wanted to buy some too. They're just being silly. Your mother is the same; she thought there wasn't enough and wanted to go too. A whole bunch of women left.”
"Go ahead and buy it, it's great. Gold can be used like money, so it's fine to buy more. Anyway, you're just sitting around with your money, you can't spend it all."
“Who says we can’t spend all the money? Where can we not spend all the money? If it weren’t for the little red envelopes you give us every year, where else could we, at our age, save money besides farming?”
“You’re all getting on in years, and you don’t really have anywhere to spend your money. You live in the countryside, where food and drink don’t cost you anything, and you can’t buy more clothes than a few pieces a year.”
"Gas money is going to be spent. You said you were going to buy me a car, so I'll probably have to spend a lot on gas every year. How can I not spend it all?"
"Stop talking nonsense. How much does gas cost? The bonus I give you every year could cover the cost of several gas-powered cars. Besides, gas money is gone once it's spent, but gold is still there after you buy it."
Mr. Ye tapped the hole in his hookah and refilled it with fresh tobacco. "When is the car you mentioned arriving?"
"It would be a bit late to make arrangements before the Lunar New Year if I waited until I returned from the sea. Let's wait another two months. By then, when the car arrives, I'll probably have to come back for a trip."
“Why did you come back? If the car arrives at the provincial capital port like it did two years ago, I’ll just go to the provincial capital to find Ahai and have him come with me to pick up the car.”
“Ahai wants to rent land in my provincial capital, and I’ve already agreed. He’ll find someone to draft the contract once he goes back to work after the New Year. With all the back-and-forth communication and revisions, it won’t be that quick. We’ll see. If the car arrives but I don’t have time to go back, Ahai can take you to pick it up.”
"The land was rented to Ahai? That's good. It's better than leaving it barren. By renting it to Ahai, you can earn more rent, and he won't have to rent from others. Of course, it's better to rent from his own family."
"Yes, that's how it is. If the timing is right, I'll come back and get your new car. Otherwise, I won't feel comfortable letting you drive all the way back from the provincial capital, with all those winding mountain roads."
Mr. Ye nodded repeatedly, “Yes, that mountain road is so winding, I’d be nervous driving it myself. I can only drive on flat ground. If you hadn’t already ordered the car, I would have told you not to buy it. The bicycle at home is enough.”
"Then why did you just ask me when the car would arrive?"
Saying one thing and meaning another.
"I just wanted to confirm whether or not you bought it. You didn't give me any definite answer, so I don't know anything."
Ye Yaodong secretly rolled his eyes in his mind. That wasn't how he asked the question just now. He was just saying that he would have to spend a lot on gas every year in the future.
However, he didn't expose him. The old man was concerned about his reputation, so he went along with it and said, "It was decided before the New Year, so it won't be that quick. Let's wait a bit longer. Anyway, we have a bicycle and a tractor at home."
"How about we cancel it?"
“The order is already placed, where can I get a refund? It’s not suitable to ride a bicycle or drive a tractor on a rainy day. It’s good to have a car. There are more cars on the road these days. Anyway, you’re not driving very far, so it won’t be unsafe.”
"Alright then, let's wait two months and talk about it again. Call me when you have any news."
"Hmm, when are my mom and the others coming back? When did they leave? It's almost dinnertime, and they're still not back."
"I don't know when they left, but I know it was in the afternoon. They should be back soon; it's impossible for them not to come back for dinner."
Said that Cao Cao Cao Cao arrived.
The roar of the tractor could be heard from afar, and it was getting closer and closer.
The roads in the village have all been paved with cement, making it easier for tractors to travel. They are wide enough that they can park right in front of their houses.
Several middle-aged and elderly women jumped off the bus with beaming smiles, each carrying a bag full of things.
"I went there for a whole afternoon, and finally decided to come back."
Mr. Ye stood up and went to help Mrs. Ye carry the things. "What did you buy? There's so much stuff!"
"I bought some yarn, as well as quilts for their wedding, and the paper-cut window decorations also need to be replaced. They're all odds and ends."
Ye Yaodong walked over to Lin Xiuqing and asked, "What did you buy?"
Lin Xiuqing stretched out her arm to show him the large gold bracelet and necklace, her face beaming with excitement, and said, "I wasn't planning on buying any, but seeing my sister-in-law and the others buying some, I picked out two too. Do they look nice?"
"nice."
“I have several already, and I’ll take turns taking care of them.”
"It's okay, buy it if you like it, you can wear one every day in rotation."
Lin Xiuqing smugly admired herself, "I knew you wouldn't say anything."
Mother Ye asked, "While we're not home, will they be able to manage everything?"
"I don't know, you'll find out when you go and see. Anyway, we haven't called for dinner yet."
Mother Ye hurriedly went back into the house and saw that her two granddaughters-in-law and two granddaughters were already cooking, and there were several bowls of cold dishes on the table, so she felt relieved.
When the women returned, they immediately took over the kitchen work, letting the younger ones rest for a while.
At that time, it was not common for men to do housework; women did most of the work, and men just waited to be fed.
After all, it's the men who work hard outside to earn money, while the women stay at home to manage the household chores. The men are responsible for external affairs and the women for internal affairs, and they cooperate in the family. The kitchen is the women's job.
Ye Chengjiang proposed marriage on the fifth day of the lunar new year. They prepared for two days, and on the morning of the fifth day, Ye Yaohua and his wife were all ready. They carried several loads of betrothal gifts onto the tractor.
Lin Xiuqing, as the matchmaker, naturally had to go along to present the betrothal gifts, while the others, such as Ye Yaodong, had nothing to do with it and just stayed at home doing what they were supposed to do.
When he returned in the afternoon, Lin Xiuqing quietly told him that Lin Huixin was pregnant.
He wasn't too surprised, just a little taken aback, but it was also quite normal. They'd been sleeping together for months, and he didn't even realize how quickly he'd gotten pregnant.
"How many months?"
“It’s been almost two months. Before the New Year, Huixin had some doubts, but she didn’t dare to get checked or say anything. She only breathed a sigh of relief after the engagement. After the New Year, she confirmed it herself and told me about her doubts.”
"So you didn't go to check, and just guessed?"
"Of course, you know your own body best, and I'm guessing it's pretty much true. Huixin didn't dare tell her mother, she only told me, since I know they live together. I told her to tell Ajiang, and not to tell anyone else. She can go to the hospital for a check-up after the wedding."
"It's only a few days. We can go for the check-up after the wedding. It's a done deal anyway."
Ye Yaodong was quite accepting of it. After all, in the future, premarital cohabitation would be commonplace, and men and women would frequently change partners, not to mention getting married while heavily pregnant.
Many women get married right after giving birth, which is welcomed by elders. They see the baby as a sign that the daughter-in-law and grandson are both in the family, and it also proves that the woman is fertile.
In the future, young people will marry and have children later in life. As they get older, their physical functions decline, and neither men nor women will be very healthy. There will be many men and women who cannot have children.
Being able to have a child also means that a family can save tens of thousands of yuan in IVF fees, eliminating one expense.
"Yes, it's just that it wouldn't sound good if word got out, so we'll wait until after the wedding to go to Zhou City to check. That way, no one will know when she got pregnant, and there won't be any gossip."
Lin Xiuqing finished speaking and then said with exasperation, "I told her to be careful and not to get pregnant, but she still couldn't be so careless."
"Young people don't understand anything anyway, they just care about having fun."
"It's all your fault, men."
"What happened? You're just generalizing again."
"Without you men's coaxing and seduction, would a perfectly good girl get pregnant so easily?"
"It takes two to tango. Is getting pregnant a one-person affair? How do you know it was seduction? It was clearly two people who couldn't help themselves, got intimate, and then naturally ended up having sex."
"You've wasted all the little bit of literacy you learned in your literacy class on this."
"Tch... I know plenty more."
"So when do we set off?" Lin Xiuqing changed the subject and asked, not wanting to continue arguing with him about this.
"I just checked the calendar. We'll set off on the 16th after the 15th. That day is auspicious for travel."
"Have you told everyone?"
"Not yet, it was just decided. We'll announce it later."
"It wasn't many days, so it was alright. After the wedding, we only stayed in the village for four days before setting off together. My belly wasn't more than four months along, so you couldn't tell. Now it's the dead of winter, and people wear thick cotton-padded coats, so you can't really tell even if you're five or six months pregnant."
"Tsk tsk tsk, Second Sister-in-law is so happy now. Her daughter-in-law brought her grandson with her when she entered the house. It's double happiness. She'll probably be laughing in her dreams."
Lin Xiuqing laughed too, "I told them not to talk about it yet, otherwise my second sister-in-law might not be able to hold it in and start telling everyone, which would be bad."
“Marrying one, getting two, this wife was worth it. With a grandson, my second sister-in-law can finally hold her head high. Every year I hear her complaining that she holds other people’s grandsons every day and doesn’t know when she will be able to hold her own.”
"The next generation in the family is getting married one after another, and there are really more and more children."
"This is hardly a lot. They're not allowed to have children now, so each family only has one or two. It's only in the last couple of years, when they've all reached a certain age, that their families have started having more children. Other families are still quiet and deserted."
"I just hope your son doesn't make me hold my grandson too soon."
"Never mind him, we'll hire a nanny to take care of the baby after it's born."
He's just so hypocritical.
Lin Xiuqing had other things to do, so she didn't continue talking to him. She went next door to discuss the engagement and wedding with her second sister-in-law in a few days. The matchmaker had a lot of work to do.
Ye Yaodong went to the door to watch people play cards, but then he heard someone calling him.
"Ah Dong, Chen Jianian is looking for you."
He turned his head and saw that it really was Chen Jianian coming over.
Most people in the village knew him, after all, they had been fishing for jellyfish together for two years. Later, they heard that he had made a comeback in Zhoushan and started a shrimp processing plant.
Before the Lunar New Year, when people heard that he was going to take out most of his wealth to return to his hometown to compensate the neighbors and relatives who died in the accident ten years ago, the villagers actually admired him quite a bit.
After all, he has lived away from his hometown for many years and is now quite successful. He can let bygones be bygones, but he still thinks about returning to his hometown to make amends after he becomes successful. This is quite admirable and makes him a real man.
Not everyone has the courage to give away half of their hard-earned wealth.
So when Chen Jialai came to the village, the villagers did not reject him, but led him to him.
"Hey? What brings you here? Come sit over here and soak up some sun before the sun goes down."
"Hehe, why aren't you playing cards? You're just watching from the sidelines."
"They're having such good luck. It's no fun winning all the time, let them beat them."
"What you said is absolutely hateful."
"Has the matter been resolved? Did it go smoothly?"
"It went fairly smoothly. The village had already prepared the list, and I've been staying at the village secretary's house all this time, with him helping with the arrangements. After so many years, no one really had any expectations, so this is a belated consolation. Although some families are still dissatisfied and resent me, I've done what I was supposed to do..."
"The compensation for them is adequate, which is acceptable. After all, the cause of the accident was not your fault; you simply brought them out but didn't bring them back, and then they disappeared."
"Well, this matter is finally over. It took a lot of effort. Before the Lunar New Year, there were always a lot of people at the village committee or arguing at the village secretary's house."
Ye Yaodong wasn't very interested in this matter; after all, it had been many years, and he was content with just knowing the outcome.
He asked, "So you've resolved your matter successfully, when do you plan to go back?"
"I came here to ask you when you plan to set off, to see if the timing is suitable. If it is, I'll hitch a ride with you; if not, I'll check when there are tickets available. I also want to let you know the outcome, since you've experienced it firsthand and witnessed my ups and downs."
"I plan to depart on the 16th."
"So late?"
"My nephew is getting married in a few days, so we have to wait until after his wedding before we can leave."
Chen Jianian said regretfully, "Let me ask when the boat will be available. If it's later than your date, I'll wait for your boat. If it's earlier, I'll take another boat outside."
"can."
"The main issue is that it's inconvenient to stay at someone else's house right now. The matter has been resolved, and staying any longer would only be a burden on them."
"Just give your village secretary a thank-you fee. This matter could only be resolved with his help. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to quell the public's anger."
"Yes, leave me your home phone number. I'll check with the ship first and then call you to let you know. I won't make a special trip to your home."
"it is good."
Chen Jianian wrote down the phone number and left.
The people around them listened intently to their conversation, knowing that Chen Jianian had returned to make amends and wanting to know if things went smoothly.
As soon as he left, everyone started talking about it.
"Not bad, he's a real man. Even after he's made his fortune, he can still use half of it to make up for it."
"He was just unlucky; it wasn't his fault anyway."
"How could it not be his fault? He was the one who brought them out, but he didn't bring them back, and he even ran away himself."
"Yes, he brought people with him, so naturally he has a responsibility."
"What happened back then? I wasn't involved. Can you tell us about it?"
Ye Yaodong was actually quite scared when he thought about it. Fortunately, nothing happened to the people in his village. Otherwise, he would have been responsible. He had taken so many people out, and if they hadn't brought them back, they would have been doomed.
The situation is completely different now. Now he has a high reputation in the village and can command a large following. If something had happened back then, he would be infamous and hated by everyone now.
Actually, it wasn't that he wanted to take so many people out. Everyone knew he was making money and wanted to follow him. Everyone in the village was related to him through some means, and there were feelings between them. Living in the countryside, how could you completely disregard feelings and turn your back on your relatives?
Moreover, when their own people go out, they are naturally part of their own camp, and it is naturally safer to be out in a large group.
At that time, the social environment also advocated that individual wealth should lead to collective wealth, and that the collective should be valued over the individual. We should respond to the call of the policy.
Anyway, it's because of his powerful shipping business that the people in his village have all made money safely and peacefully by following him.
Ye Yaodong listened to everyone's discussion without offering any opinions, only mentioning it briefly when he went to his hometown for a meal.
Naturally, the topic of conversation started again at the family dinner table.
But somehow, the conversation drifted to his childhood friend, Haozi.
Ye's mother said that his wife did not re-register their marriage, but continued to live in his home, taking care of his elderly parents, raising his children, and managing the household.
He had set up another home outside and hadn't returned for several years. Today, the whole village heard about it because he brought back a four- or five-year-old boy for his wife to raise, because the boy's mother had run off with someone else and run away with the money.
"...You all don't know, his wife made a huge scene this afternoon. I heard she ran off with over ten thousand yuan, which is a lot of money. There's not a single good woman out there."
"Now his wife is demanding 10 yuan from him, otherwise she won't raise his child. Guess what he said? He said if she doesn't raise the child, she should go back to her parents' home and let her raise the child. He's a real scoundrel."
"I don't know what kind of money he's made these past few years. He didn't even come back for the New Year. He was having a good time with other women. He finally came back this year, but his money was stolen and he brought back a son."
Lin Xiuqing chimed in, "So he lost a lot of money but gained a son?"
Sister-in-law Ye: "So it's not a huge loss. At least we still have a son. We didn't lose both our money and our family."
Ye Ersao: "He deserved to have his money stolen if he went to find other women. Aren't all women who become mistresses after money? Do you think they're after his age, his height, or his ugliness? He deserved it if he didn't even take precautions."
Ye's mother said, "Having a son is easy, but earning tens of thousands of yuan is not so easy. It's not like he doesn't have sons. This is a huge loss for him."
Ye Yaodong asked, "What's next after the argument?"
"They didn't say much. What could they say? His wife is old. Could she just be sent back to her parents' home like that? They could only swallow their pride and accept it. I think they gave her 5000 yuan. Then I heard that he left after dropping off his child."
"They left again?"
"That's right. They didn't even eat, left the child behind, threw away 5000 yuan, and left."
"He really is a scoundrel."
Lin Xiuqing looked at him and said, "It's a good thing you haven't been associating with him anymore, otherwise you would have been led astray."
Ye Yaodong didn't say anything. He hadn't paid attention to them for several years and hadn't heard any news from them. He was quite surprised to hear this today, but he didn't care much. Anyway, they had no contact and were now two different people.
Mother Ye shook her head and said, "His son is also unlucky. His mother ran away, and he has to make a living with his stepmother. He is not as good as Old Pei's youngest son, who still has his mother to protect him."
Ye's father said irritably, "How can you compare them? One is an illegitimate child born to someone else's concubine, and the other is a legitimate son born to a proper wife."
Ye's mother looked at A-Guang, anxious for his safety, "You have to keep an eye on your father, make sure his money isn't taken away by his mistress, and also make sure his mistress doesn't give birth to a son, that would be troublesome enough."
If a stepmother has a son at home, and then another mistress has a son outside, that would be infuriating. Life would be unbearable, and they'd be sowing seeds everywhere.
Ah Guang was so embarrassed that he didn't dare to reply.
Ye Huimei chimed in, "Mother, just eat your food. Why bring up my father-in-law when you can talk about other people? He's already broken up with the woman outside."
"Broken up? Good thing. You're getting on in years, stop having so many romantic entanglements. Just take good care of your wife at home, and you still have a son to raise."
Mr. Ye picked up a piece of food from his chopsticks and put it on Mrs. Ye's plate. "Alright, just eat your food. Why are you meddling in other people's business? Isn't it enough that I'm taking care of you? Why do you want to take care of other old men?"
"Isn't this just a few words exchanged in the heat of the moment? I'm afraid they'll suffer the consequences."
"What loss could they possibly suffer? They've already gotten what they were entitled to. Why would they need to keep an eye on Lao Pei? Ma Lifang will naturally keep an eye on him; otherwise, how could Lao Pei have broken up with the other woman?"
“What you said makes sense. She can’t let Lao Pei have another child and take away her son’s inheritance.”
The grandchildren, granddaughters-in-law, and everyone else around pricked up their ears to listen, as it was a rare opportunity to hear their elders gossip.
Some people know absolutely nothing and can only hope that a little gossip will slip out at the dinner table.
Mother Ye snorted, "She's lucky. After becoming a widow, she managed to seduce Old Pei and even had a son. Otherwise, it would have been Ah Guang and the others who would have had him."
"Old Pei is no good either. He's so old and still lecherous, and he likes young girls. He almost seduced Haozi's wife..."
Everyone at the next table stared wide-eyed and perked up their ears, some even bringing their rice bowls over.
Ye's father interrupted her, "Don't talk nonsense. These are all old stories, why are you bringing them up? How could it be seduction? It was clearly someone trying to give him a dowry."
"Alright, time to eat!" A-Guang interrupted them expressionlessly.
He could have just joked around a bit, but things kept going off-topic. He didn't like hearing people talk about his father's romantic escapades to his face.
His mother interrupted him, and he realized he had talked too much, saying his father was a scoundrel in front of others...
She gave an awkward laugh. "Eat, eat. What are you doing bringing your bowls over here? Go back to your own tables and eat your food."
Ye Chenghu and his group of younger children sat back down with their rice bowls.
But after a short while, Ye's mother started talking again.
"...That old man Chai is already using a cane, yet he still peeped at a widow bathing. He's shameless. If he gets caught and beaten, he's afraid of killing him. If he has to pay compensation, he'll try to renege on his promise..."
"That couple, Ah Song and his wife, from the next village, their son is lame. They came to Chen Qi's house in our village today to propose marriage, but they were kicked out..."
"Zhida's wife said she couldn't have children, so she adopted a daughter from her parents' home and named her Laidi. After raising her for three years, she's almost 40 now, and unexpectedly, she's pregnant! It's like an old clam carrying a pearl, so rare..."
"I couldn't get pregnant when I was young, but I never thought I'd be able to hold my grandson in my old age and actually get pregnant. Now the whole family treats that daughter like a precious treasure..."
Ye Yaodong ate his meal with relish, finding his mother's stories quite entertaining.
Everyone was listening intently, and even the older kids at the next table were thinking about bringing their food over to eat.
The meal lasted from dawn till dusk. Everyone only stood up when Ye's mother got off the table to clear the dishes. Even after finishing their meal, they lingered and didn't leave.
"Mom, there's a lot going on in this village. I thought that after the New Year, with all the people leaving, the village would be quiet again."
“Our village now has five or six hundred households. After the New Year, only a portion of them went out to earn money, while many more stayed behind. The village has been thriving in recent years. You can even make money by raising seaweed. Some people don’t need to go out to make a living; most of them still stay at home.”
Ye's father also said, "It's much more comfortable at home than outside. Who would want to work outside and take risks at sea?"
"That means everyone who could come back to stay at home has come back, and your dad is coming back to retire too."
P.S.: Is this the 8000-word mark I've made up for? I'm so tired, it's been a long time since I wrote this much.
(End of this chapter)